Short Sales are very complex and take everyone working together to finally get an approval from the Banks. To learn more about short sales you can go to our Short Sale Information Guide.
A trend has started to emerge within the Short Sales that we have been negotiating. The banks, for what ever reason, have denied several short sales due to lack of communication with the Owners.
If the owner has fallen behind on payments, the lender will often start collection calls – sometimes twice a day! Even after we have a buyer for the house and have submitted an offer to the lender, the calls keep coming in. The banks are so over capacity with short sale business, the different departments within the bank have no idea of what is happening in the other departments. Therefore, you can tell the collection agent that you have a short sale till you are blue in the face, but they will just call again tomorrow.
The owners, can’t blame them, get irritated and stop taking the collection calls. At some point in the process the negotiations start to happen, the short sale attorneys representing the seller are communicating with the lender, the listing agent is communicating with the lender, but the seller/owner has stopped communication due to the harassing collection calls. At that point, several sellers/owners have received rejection letters due to “lack of communication”.
This has happened with Wells Fargo’s short sale department….so far.
Short Sale Tip:As much of a pain as it is, take the collection calls and tell them, “I am short selling my home, I have a contract that we have submitted, we are waiting for your negotiator to give us an answer, are you the negotiator?”
Short Sale Tip Bonus: Send your bank a certified letter stating the above.
Short Sales are a mess, but they do serve a purpose. In this slow and messed up process with the banks, the more communication you can have with them, the better!
Jacksonville Short Sale Specialists – RE/MAX Agent
In the past month there has been numerous real estate predictions from hundreds of sources. Economist, local papers, national papers, National Association of Realtors, local realtors, mortgage brokers, talk show host, etc. Just about everyone of them fall into one of 3 categories:
The Prices are going down
The Prices are stabilizing
The Prices are going up
I decided to unveil the Official Officer 2010 Real Estate Prediction:
Buyers will buy because they want a home. They will choose the best location that their money can buy. Their money will go further this year than last year and they will be happy with the purchase for many years to come. Sellers will be able to sell their home in 2010 – if it is priced competitively, in good condition, and has good curb appeal.
Not sure which one of the many predictions from so many sources will prove to be most accurate, however I’d bet I’m fairly close to #1.
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville Homes
Choosing where to live is all about lifestyle choices. Most home buyers choose where to live based on their location to several key places: work, schools, and friends and family.
Jacksonville is a unique city in that there is an opportunity to live in just about any location in the city and either be near the water or on the water. If you are considering a home purchase, consider a home on the water. You may need to stretch your budget a little, however a waterfront home will always be in demand when you are ready to resell in the years to come!
Top 5 Reason to Buy a Waterfront Home in Jacksonville Florida
Demand: There is always a demand for waterfront homes when you are ready to resell.
Boating: Fishing, water sports, or just pleasure cruising – once a boater always a boater!
Entertaining: Nothing says a party like a party at a house on the water!
Access: Access to the river, intracoastal, and the ocean and all the great activities surrounding each.
Lifestyle: Sunrise to Sunset a waterfront home creates the best lifestyle.
BONUS #6: BUYING POWER: Last but not least – due to the slower market, you have buying power. Sellers that wouldn’t typically be motivated to sell are currently more motivated. Many Sellers got caught with a speculative purchase that they intended to “flip” and now must Short Sale the property.
Jacksonville Waterfront Homes For Sale – RE/MAX Real Estate Agent
Statistics: National Association of Realtors survey of 2008 home buyers. Get ready for this, 48% of all home buyers in 2008 attended Open Houses while searching for a new home. If you don’t read 2, 3, or 4, this 1 point should convince you the need for Open Houses.
National Home Builders: The nations largest home builders use Open Houses. In fact, that is one of their first goals in opening a new community: How fast can we get the model home open. Potential buyers need to visualize the home in person and not on paper.
My Results: I’ve seen nice homes, priced right, and in good locations sit on the market with no activity. They sit for sale while I’ve bought a fixer upper, rehabbed over a 2 month period, marketed using Open Houses, sold, and closed. All the while with still no activity on the homes for sale around my houses.
Fact of Life: We all want to see something or try it out before we purchase. Cars, Jeans, Cell Phones, and for sure a new Home in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra.
My take on open houses is simple….They work! They require such little effort and they can get BIG results. I know my buyer clients enjoy the ease of walking through an Open House without having to schedule a formal time to browse. I know after sitting in model homes for years that those people that are “just looking” often purchase the home.
The big question: Do they work for Waterfront homes? You bet they do! Curiosity among home buyers who may be considering a community not on the water helps to open the opportunity for more buyers. Jacksonville waterfront is so appealing to so many of us, it’s a crime to avoid open houses.
If you have a home on the market, tell your Jacksonville Realtor to start doing Open Houses. If you are thinking of selling your home, make sure you find a Professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent that will agree to do open houses to market and sell your home.
Jacksonville Waterfront Homes – Jacksonville Real Estate Agent
Looking for a professional Real Estate Agent in Jacksonville, FL to sell your home?
In today’s home market, selling a home requires a competitive nature and a professional real estate agent.
You must have a competitive nature in that your home for sale in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra needs to be more attractive than your neighbors home for sale – you are competing. Better curb appeal (good curb appeal tips here), cleaner, updated, and priced right are a requirement if you are serious about selling. Think of it this way, there is someone looking to buy a home in your neighborhood, maybe even on your street, right now. You want them to buy your home over your neighbors! Check out these Sell a home in Jacksonville Tips.
Your professional real estate agent in Jacksonville should be equally as competitive. Your agent should be experienced and innovative, one who understands both on line and off line marketing, one that knows how to target the correct demographic to find your buyer, and one who knows how to put deals together! If you have a waterfront home to sell, contact me and we can put together a strong plan to get it sold.
Furthermore, it can only help if you work with a RE/MAX Agent in Jacksonville. RE/MAX agents are the best of the best and know how to market to get results. No one sells more homes!
Ready to sell your home? Pick up the phone right now to get your home on the market! 904-234-5196.
Real Estate Agent Jacksonville – RE/MAX Agent Jacksonville
Ready to sell a home in Jacksonville? A RE/MAX agent should be your first phone call. To sell a home in Jacksonville you need the Marketing which creates traffic (Potential Buyers). My motto: Traffic = Sales.
With the RE/MAX marketing exposure, your choice is an easy one. A short list of RE/MAX marketing and advertising in action:
Best Internet Exposure:#1 Most visited website of a Real Estate Company in the world. Over 2.3 million unique visitors per month. Almost all home buyers start their search on-line, this gives you a competitive edge.
Dominates the industry in Advertising: Selling a home in this market requires big marketing and advertising. RE/MAX does more advertising which drives more potential home buyers to REMAX.com.
Strategic Partnerships: RE/MAX Specialist is partnered with Homes and Land Magazine and The Real Estate Book for automatic syndication of your home for sale on their websites.
The Most Sign Calls: With more homes for sale than any other real estate company, we get more potential buyers calling from the for sale sign in the front yard. The home they called on may not be the best fit, but your home may be the perfect fit.
RE/MAX Sells more Homes: It’s a fact. With more sales, come more referrals, which brings more buyers for your home. Approximately 70% of our business is repeat business.
If you are ready to get your home on the market, make sure you are working with a professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent who has the experience, knowledge, and marketing expertise to get your home sold……and make sure he is a RE/MAX Agent!
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville RE/MAX
Jacksonville Homes For Sale Lead the Nation in Price Slashes!
This is not the best news! Based on a recent Trulia study, Jacksonville tops the nation in price cutting with 36% of all homes that get listed for sale, end up dropping their price. This tells me those homes were over priced when they were originally put on the market for sale. The Times Union did a story on this.
If you have a home to sell in Jacksonville, FL, do not fall victim to Nostalgia Pricing. Definition: Dreamy price appreciation of 2005.
Instead, price it correctly for today’s real estate market, and watch it sell! The buyers are out, looking, and making offers. They want a Deal! Don’t get passed up by the Buyer who says “Their dreaming” after seeing your asking price.
When we look at waterfront homes in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra, the average % sold price compared to list price is 11% median for the year. That is far better than 36%. However, this only accounts for the sold waterfront properties. I’m seeing 6 digit price drops on some Jacksonville waterfront homes in order to bring them in line with the current market.
This past week I visited several Homes for Sale in Jacksonville.
While walking through the houses, my buyer client and I both noticed several Do It Yourself projects gone bad!
The Do It Yourself craze has been great. We all have updated and upgraded our homes while saving money and learning some handyman skills. Unfortunately, the quality of work hasn’t always been stellar and a few projects stand out like sore thumbs. Uneven grout lines, bad paint jobs, botched drywall patches, and messy crown molding are the usual culprits.
If you need to sell a home in Jacksonville and the house needs updates, hire a handyman that has done the work before. If you already have a project gone bad – Get it fixed ASAP! Buyers don’t want to come in and have to redo a bad project & it is more a deterent than anything else.
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville REMAX
Curb Appeal is crucial in today’s Jacksonville Real Estate Market. It is imperative for your home to stand out as it competes against all the Short Sales and Bank Owned Homes/Foreclosures. The correct curb appeal can make such a BIG difference in the value and sale of your home. Here are a few examples of homes that started with BAD curb appeal and were transformed into better curb appeal. Could more be done….absolutely, but what a BIG change!
Expectations:Set them appropriately. Homes take longer to sell in this market, but they ARE selling. Is your home waterfront? Waterfront homes in Jacksonville are always in demand, but competition is higher so set those expectations towards longer times on the market.
Professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent: Find one (like me). Hire them to List your home for sale, but make sure they have a marketing and selling plan that works! By the way, I’m backed by RE/MAX Specialists……..”No one sells more homes than RE/MAX”
Pricing:Be realistic about pricing. Forget about what the homes are priced for around your home, it only matters what they are actually selling for. Price it lower! There is nothing better or stickier than a low priced house! Remember – you want to sell it, not show it for the next year and a half.
Target Marketing: Not your problem! Your Jacksonville Real Estate Agent should be in charge of this! However, it is important to know the trends on who is buying Jacksonville Real Estate and how to Target your Potential Buyers.
Curb Appeal: It’s time to actually put in the work. Weed & Feed, Flowers, Mulch, Window Cleaning, etc. Make it look incredible. If you need help, just Google “Curb Appeal”.
Interior: De-Clutter everything! Ditch the nik-naks. Neutral colors, base board touch ups, Carpet cleaned or replaced, Garage cleaned out & floors painted, etc. Clean-Clean-Clean!
Negotiate: Don’t turn down an offer, negotiate. Remember, buyers want a deal so expect low offers. A low offer on your home doesn’t mean the buyers don’t respect you or your house, it’s just part of selling in a Buyer’s Market. Think like a Buyer.
When you are ready to sell a home in Jacksonville, a REMAX agent should be your first phone call. To sell a home in Jacksonville you need the best Marketing which creates the most traffic (potential buyers) to see your home. More prospects = a Sale of your home. With Jacksonville REMAX exposure, your choice is an easy one.
Best Internet Exposure:#1 Most visited website of a Real Estate Company in the world. Over 2.3 million unique visitors per month. Almost all home buyers start their search on-line, this gives you a competitive edge.
Dominates the industry in Advertising: Selling a home in this market requires big marketing and advertising. REMAX does more advertising which drives more potential home buyers to REMAX.com.
Strategic Partnerships: Jacksonville REMAX Specialists is partnered with Homes and Land Magazine and The Real Estate Book for automatic syndication of your home for sale on their websites.
The Most Sign Calls: With more homes for sale than any other real estate company, we get more potential buyers calling from the for sale sign in the front yard. The home they called on may not be the best fit, but your home may be the perfect fit.
REMAX Sells more Homes: It’s a fact. With more sales, come more referrals, which brings more buyers for your home. Approximately 70% of our business is repeat business.
If you are ready to get your home on the market, make sure you are working with a professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent who has the experience, knowledge, and marketing expertise to get your home sold.
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville Realtors – Jacksonville REMAX
Marketing is one of my passions. I read about it, study it, and take action on it. I stay on the cutting edge of real estate marketing as I think every Professional Jacksonville Realtor should. One of the biggest key ingredients in any successful marketing project is knowing your target customer.
Who will Buy your Jacksonville Home? Key points to consider:
Average age in Jacksonville is 33 Years old. (Gen-X)
Many up-sizers and down-sizers are currently stuck
Based on the info above, you can guess where I’m going with this. The majority of the Buyers for 2009 homes in Jacksonville will be First Time Home Buyers, and the majority of First Time Home Buyers are Gen-X or Gen-Y.
When you are ready to sell your home, make sure your Jacksonville Realtor has a Marketing and Selling Plan that works AND he knows how to market to potential First Time Home Buyers.
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville Realtors
If you are selling in this market, you are competing against Short Sales, Foreclosures, and Bank Owned Properties in just about every community within Jacksonville. Understand this: It’s about a 99% chance they will beat you on pricing!
So how do you compete? Simple- Be a Better Value!
Jacksonville Real Estate Agent – Jacksonville waterfront homes
Good news is coming out of Washington this week for Jacksonville Home Owners. In efforts to speed up the Short Sale process, the government is working with mortgage companies to streamline the often tedious event.
“The government will pay mortgage-servicing companies up to $1,000 and borrowers up to $1,500 for successful short sales or “deeds in lieu” transactions. It will also spend up to $1,000 to help defray the cost of getting holders of second mortgages to release their liens so these transactions can be completed.”
Up until the last few months, short sales in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra where a thorn in the side of most banks. They took FOREVER and where a headache for everyone involved. That is all changing. Banks/Lenders are sending out information packets with instructions and expectations of everyone involved and seem to have an actual process for successfully completing the Short Sale. The Banks are actually helping now….this is good!
If you have a home to sell in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra and are under water, you may be eligible for a short sale. Make sure you are working with a Professional Jacksonville Realtor and Jacksonville Real Estate Agent that has successfully completed short sales…..(Shameless plug for me here).
Also, keep in mind that you are still competing with all the other homes on the market. Once your bank gives you the green light for moving forward with a short sale, we still have to sell it. No matter the condition of your home, get it in near perfect condition to help get it sold….and don’t forget curb appeal! The home must stand out. We recently sold a home in a neighborhood where homes sit on the market for 6 months. We sold it in 45 days due to the right curb appeal and great condition.
YES! Absolutely
Looking for a professional Real Estate Agent in Jacksonville, FL to sell your home?
