Cape Coral real estate broker, Susan Milner of Cape Coral real estate brokerage, Florida Future Realty, Inc (That’s Me would like to take a moment to wish every one of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

As each new year approaches we tend to look back over our previous year and make new plans for the coming year. As a huge fan of planning, goal setting and living life to its fullest I want to extend my best wishes for your best year ever. If you haven’t already made a plan for the coming year (and beyond) I encourage you to sit down for a few minutes and write something up! It is amazing to watch life unfold exactly as written/planned. I firmly believe that great things do happen to great people and those people who are not afraid to set, and believe in, grand goals.

And if your goal happens to be real estate related I’d love to chat. We can assist you with buying a retirement home here, purchasing a second home, investment property or relocating to Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral real estate is predicted to continue to rise slowly over the next few years and this year may be the last year for many years to come to acquire a great Cape Coral property at a reasonable price. Our Cape Coral real estate team has great experience with short sales and foreclosures in Cape Coral along with experience with more traditional real estate sales in Cape Coral. Allow us to guide you in the process.

There are never any fees to buyers no matter how hard we work to find you that perfect Cape Coral property.

So come on down, or call or email us today to learn more about Cape Coral real estate and how buying or selling in Cape Coral can be a reality in this new year.

As always, should you have ANY real estate questions do not hesitate to call or email us for more information. We look forward to working with you.

To get started you can start your online search now for Cape Coral property or fill out our contact form to have an agent contact you right away about Cape Coral real estate!

We look forward to working with you!

We also work with sellers of real estate in Cape Coral. If you own a Cape Coral waterfront or off water property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales in Cape Coral.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 1, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2012 Susan Milner.

Have you been considering a move or purchase in Cape Coral, Florida?

Why wouldn’t you? Here are just a few reasons why Cape Coral is so great:

The prices are great * The area is truly like being on vacation every day!  * Our weather is awesome!  * We rarely have a day where we do not get to see our friend the Sun  * We have over 400 miles of canals ~ many of which lead you directly into the Gulf of Mexico. * We are about 30 minutes from awesome beaches like Sanibel, Captiva & Fort Myers Beach * We are within a 2-3 hour drive of Tampa and Miami for those day or weekend getaways! & SO many more reasons.

So then you want to know how much you will pay for one of these houses? Since January of this year there have been 4,052 single family homes sold in Cape Coral. This doesn’t count condos, investments or vacant land. Out of those 1,268 (or 32%) were foreclosures (or bank owned, corporate owned, REOs) and 878 (or 22%) were short sales (where the owner sells the house for less than what is owed and negotiates the balance with the bank). This means that about 46% of the sales were traditional sales. This could mean that an investor purchased a short sale or foreclosure and then resold it but it could also mean a regular home seller as well.

What percentage of their list price did these Cape Coral homes actually sell for?

This depends upon if you were looking at the short sales, foreclosures or traditional sales.

As you can see from the chart above when first on the market Cape Coral foreclosures actually go for MORE than asking price. This is because foreclosures are typically priced very aggressively by the banks. Once a Cape Coral property has been on the market for some time though the % goes down quite a bit; actually foreclosures then have the lowest list price to sales price %.

What does this mean to you? It shows you that if you see a brand new Cape Coral foreclosure listing on the market you better be prepared to come in with an above price offer to have the chance at buying that house. If it has been on the market for quite some time you may be able to buy it at 80-90% of its list price.  Conversely if you see a brand new Cape Coral short sale listing hit the market you may be able to offer 90-95% of the list price. Remember that this varies considerably on short sales because the bank has NOT set this price. The price has been set by a real estate agent and/or the seller and they typically do not yet know what price the bank is going to be willing to accept.

I hope this chart gives you an idea of what our market is currently looking like for buyers in Cape Coral. We are still in what is known as a buyer’s market but you must be educated in the market or work with an educated Cape Coral real estate professional in order to secure the property you are seeking.

Prices for single family homes in Cape Coral start below $100,000 for a standard 3/2 off water. They go up depending upon if you want a pool – closer to $200,000 and if you want to be on the water you can find awesome estate style homes above $1,000,000. (These are current prices as of 2011).

Whether you are seeking a cash flow investment or the home of your dreams in Cape Coral we are here to assist you.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010-2011 Susan Milner.

Did you read about the Cape Coral market and Fort Myers real estate market on Inman News?

http://www.inman.com/news/2011/05/23/10-markets-with-fastest-rising-real-estate-prices
“Two Florida markets saw the highest jumps: median list price in Fort Myers-Cape Coral rose 25.7 percent to $225,000, and the median in Miami rose 8.6 percent to $239,000.
Shreveport-Bossier City, La., followed with an 8.1 percent increase, to $173,000. Fort Myers-Cape Coral and Miami also saw the biggest year-over-year drops in inventory: -25.3 percent and -29.9 percent, respectively.”

What about CNNMoney’s take on the rise in prices in Cape Coral ?

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/real_estate/1104/gallery.10_turnaround_towns/6.html

Even Realtor.org had a blurb about the Cape Coral real estate market:
http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2011050503?OpenDocument

The Gulf Coast Business Review reminded us that our Fort Myers local board of REALTORS announced that Foreclosures are fading in comparison to traditional sales here in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral areas:

http://www.review.net/section/detail/5-18-2011-foreclosures-fade-in-fort-myers/

They also let us know that we may be turning point central:
http://www.review.net/section/detail/5-20-2011-fort-myers-recovery-central/

Want to read other great news coming out of Cape Coral? We are ranked the second safest city in all of Florida:

http://www.news-press.com/article/20110520/CRIME/110519055/Cape-Coral-second-safest-city-Florida

Summer is historically our ‘slowest’ time of the year for Cape Coral real estate sales so if you are looking to make a home purchase in SW Florida come on down this summer and see what we have to offer. I have a strong suspicion that come fall (our typical busy season) we will see more price and inventory adjustments here in the Cape Coral real estate market.

There are so many different unique opportunities right now for buyers of Cape Coral real estate.

Some experts warn that this ‘new’ news may leave Cape Coral home sellers confused about pricing. I’m sure it will confuse some of the sellers in Cape Coral. That is why it is the best idea for Cape Coral sellers to consult with a reliable and honest real estate professional who specializes in Cape Coral real estate. Considering selling your home or property in Cape Coral? Contact us at Florida Future Realty, Inc. to find out if now is the best time for you to sell your Cape Coral real estate. We market our listings internationally & have a solid reputation for selling houses in and around Cape Coral, Florida.

Canadians have been making a big splash in our market as have the Europeans, Chinese & Australians! See what Canada has to say about the SW Florida real estate market:

http://www.canada.com/Gulf+Coast+real+estate+market+down+buyers+shop+homes+resales/4848120/story.html

I recently created a video update showing the 2011 first quarter’s statistics for the Cape Coral real estate market that I’m sure you’ll find interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueAR3m9Aiw (Yes, I’ll admit sort of boring ~ #s and all but I know that many of you enjoy crunching numbers so enjoy!)

As always, should you have ANY real estate questions do not hesitate to call or email us for more information. We look forward to working with you.

To get started you can start your online search now for Cape Coral property or fill out our contact form to have an agent contact you right away about Cape Coral real estate!

We look forward to working with you!

If you own a Cape Coral waterfront or off water property and would like to see it featured here; please let me know. We are looking for realistic sellers who want to get the most out of their property within a reasonable timeframe. We also handle short sales in Cape Coral.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE, and (TRC) TransNational Referral Certification

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional licensed Florida real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010-2011 Susan Milner.

We are all looking for the truth right? Well I’m sure some are not. Some people thrive in drama filled environments that may consist of lies and deceit. But here at Florida Future Realty, Inc. we don’t believe in that. We have no gimmicky pitches to sell you on our services. What we do offer is authenticity, you know being real & honest? Of course we are also professional, experienced and ethical but that goes without saying. In this market sometimes the truth isn’t always fun to hear but it is necessary to make informed decisions.

I wrote the article below to assist others in hopefully turning on that ‘light bulb’ of the ‘ah-ha’ moment when you realize that being honest will gain you more friends and business associates in the long run. Feel free to comment below.

Do You Create a Pitch or Would You Rather Be Real?

Are you looking to have a successful business for the long term or are you looking to develop a pitch to generate some short term income and then fail?

I hope you picked long term because that is what this article is about.

Every day I see or hear about a company or individual using ploys or gimmicks to generate buzz and business. I’m sure this works for the short term but what about the long term? Well, those businesses fail, or at least those specific marketing campaigns do.

If you are looking to develop a long running, successful and profitable business then you have to be real. Consumers are savvy. They are researching more than ever. They ask around. They check facts. Making up stories will not win you business. People want to work with people who are real, authentic and honest.

Honesty is key. In today’s economy are the facts always fun to hear? No, sometimes they are not. For instance when I walk into a Cape Coral sellers house and have to tell them that their Cape Coral house has decreased 30% in the past two years. They aren’t happy to hear that. Who would be? But they appreciate my honesty. Especially when we sell their Cape Coral house by being honest and pricing it fairly. The converse would be an agent showing up and telling them their Cape Coral house is still worth the same as they paid 2 years ago, listing it too high and wasting everyone’s time and money for nothing. Sure at the beginning the Cape Coral seller was probably stoked to believe that they weren’t going to lose money on the deal. But 3-6 months down the road they are going to dislike their Cape Coral real estate agent very much for that misinformation. Now that real estate agent looks like a real jerk. Good luck relisting or getting any referrals from those Cape Coral customers.

The same goes for Cape Coral buyers in this market. Sure, there are a lot of great deals here in Cape Coral but we also know that there are pitfalls out there to be aware of. We discuss those in other articles especially when trying to buy a Cape Coral short sale or foreclosure. If you are not honest with the customer they get frustrated and end up finding another Cape Coral real estate agent to do business with. But if you are honest with them and explain how the process works and what to look out for then when challenges come up they are prepared for them. Sure, it might still be upsetting but it will be more toward the actual situation and less toward the real estate agent because the agent was honest and doing their best.

Whatever business you work in; whether you are an owner or an employee, keep in mind that people want to do business with people they like and who are honest. Get the information out to the customer and watch your business grow.

We look forward to working with you!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner, REALTOR Broker/Owner ~ e-PRO, GRI, SFR, CDPE

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

(239) 542-8521

I’m always looking to hire more motivated and professional real estate agents. If you are interested in learning more about Florida Future Realty, Inc. feel free to contact our office at 2816 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 2, Cape Coral, FL 33904, via phone at 239-542-8521, online at Cape Coral Real Estate Career or via email at FloridaFuture@gmail.com. Susan Milner, the broker in charge & owner of Florida Future Realty, Inc. can also be reached on her personal cell phone at (239) 218-2229. All contact will remain strictly confidential.

Unless otherwise noted all content Copyright 2010 Susan Milner.

There are programs available to assist owners in these situations. Have you heard about HAMP and HAFA? These acronyms are being thrown around a lot these days.

So what do HAFA and HAMP really mean to you? If you are having problems making your Cape Coral or Fort Myers mortgage payments this article should help guide you some. ~ remember that I am NOT an attorney or tax accountant; rather I am a real estate agent who works with homeowners to short sale their home or property~

The first few things to keep in mind are:

HAFA stands for Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives

If your lender advises you that you do not qualify for HAMP then you may qualify for a HAFA short sale or any other variation of short sale that they do offer. We can assist you with a short sale if that is the direction you choose to go. We always recommend that sellers attempt to keep their property through debt counseling, attempt a loan modification, etc but when those options don’t work for you we are here to assist you with a short sale.

Under HAFA guidelines, lenders work with homeowners to liquidate their home by means other than Foreclosure. These options are available for homeowners who:

do not qualify for a trial mortgage modification under the Making Home Affordable Program;
do not successfully complete the trial period for their modification;
miss at least two consecutive payments during their modification period; or
request a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.

Did you know that you may be able to receive $3,000 at closing after doing a short sale? The HAFA Program can help the strapped homeowner with relocation costs by offering this $3,000 cash at closing. Some lenders will start working with the homeowner and real estate agent right away to work out a plan for pricing, marketing and the sale of the home. This helps all parties move the property quickly to avoid foreclosure.

If we are unable to negotiate a short sale for some reason, most lenders will work out a deed-in-lieu with the homeowner. This is basically a *quick* foreclosure. With this option the homeowner may also receive the $3,000 cash for moving expenses.

You can read more about these options at:

http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/hafa.html

Should you be thinking about a short sale contact us with any questions you may have. We have been successfully selling short sales in and around Cape Coral for several years now.

Our agents and staff are here to answer any questions you may have pertaining to selling (or buying) a short sale. Using discretion, care and professionalism we are able to assist you during this time frame. Past customers of ours will tell you that they were never made to feel bad about their situation and were always treated with respect and confidence.

Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

In Cape Coral, Florida more and more home owners are looking at strategic defaults as an option in this current market place. Whether the owner ends up negotiating a short sale, loan modification or a deed in lieu or just lets the property go back as a foreclosure many are facing this challenge. Being upside down on a house in this depressed economy is definitely stressful to homeowners. Many have lost income, whether completely, or just reduced. Many more are forced to move to other cities or states for work. While some could continue to make their mortgage payments, even if challenging, they are opting to quit making the payments in order to get their lender to work with them on some sort of loan modification or short sale. There are programs available for those who are also current on their mortgages but often these are difficult to get approved.

~ Always check with your attorney, or an experienced attorney who deals with foreclosures and short sales first ~

While we, as real estate agents, cannot advise you on the decisions and legal ramifications of a strategic default we are able to help you with the sale of your home. We can place the home on the market for sale at market value, help you find a qualified buyer and work with your lender on the short sale. Many lenders are approving short sales for homeowners and investors. They have guidelines in place for those facing hardships.

Depending upon your situation they may require some cash at closing or they may ask for you to sign a promissory note. Lenders are NOT obligated to accept a short sale and can even seek a deficiency judgment against you after allowing you to sell the property in a short sale. You need to make sure you are working with a competent real estate professional along with seeking the advice of a qualified attorney prior to agreeing to any terms the lender may propose. We always seek to obtain a full release and satisfaction from the lender for our customers. If we are unable to achieve this then it is at the customer’s discretion, along with their attorney’s advice, as to how to proceed.

Should you be thinking about a short sale contact us with any questions you may have. We have been successfully selling short sales in and around Cape Coral for several years now.

Our agents and staff are here to answer any questions you may have pertaining to selling (or buying) a short sale. Using discretion, care and professionalism we are able to assist you during this time frame. Past customers of ours will tell you that they were never made to feel bad about their situation and were always treated with respect and confidence.

Learn more about our team of short sale professionals or feel free to call us directly at (239) 542-8521.

Ready to search for available homes now? Visit our Cape Coral real estate source!

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions at all give us a call!

(239) 542-8521

Susan@SusanMilner.com

We look forward to working with you.

Homes in Cape Coral with a price ranging from $0 to $150,000 have
turned over 4.5 times in the past 12 months and currently, we have 2.6
months of inventory available in that specific price range.

Homes in the price range of $150,000 to $200,000 have turned over 2.3
times in the last year and the current inventory is 8.5 months.

Gulf access homes in Cape Coral at no specific price point, in the
last year have turned over 1.4 times with an inventory of 8.5 months.

What do months of inventory indicate? Typically 1-4 months of
inventory indicate a seller’s market, 5-6 months is generally a balanced
market and 7 months or more points toward a buyer’s market.

How does this information specifically relate to buyers and sellers
of Cape Coral real estate?

Sellers

The absorption rate is very important to know. Since it tells
something about how long it might take to sell the home.  A higher
number of inventory typically means more competition from other
sellers.  A lower number may indicate that we are in a seller’s
market, so the need to make sure your marketing strategies are “spot on”
is detrimental to a quick sale.  Good marketing will insure your
home will be displaying a sold sign before you neighbors.

Buyers

Buyers also need to be aware of the absorption rate.  If the
market is shifting into a time of low inventory, it isn’t the time to be
throwing out “low ball” offers hoping to get a good deal.

When inventory is low and buyers have increased, chances are
the buyers will be introduced to a situation where the home has
multiple offers.  When inventory is high your chances of getting a
“steal” have increased significantly.

Buyers and sellers who pay attention to the changes in the market
will be more informed and can make decisions accordingly.  Most
important whether buying or selling real estate in Cape Coral it is
important to work with an experienced agent to help you calculate the
absorption rates for the homes that you are interested in.

*This blog was written 6-22-10 all calculations are subject to
change, for accurate information please call a speak with our
knowledgeable team members.

Selling your home in today’s market has proven to be a more
challenging task.  Inventory continues to be flooded with short
sales and foreclosures, that are driving down Cape Coral home values .
We need to be more creative than ever, and make your home shine
above the rest.

Home staging is preparing your home for sale, with a special emphasis
on presentation and appearance.

Staging a home involves things that will improve the look and feeling
of your home, such as design, organization and overall
appearance.  The goal when staging is to “wow” the buyer.
This will get your home sold quickly and for maximum sales price.

Think like a buyer.  Look at your Cape Coral home through the
eyes of potential buyers, what makes your home stand out? Then showcase
those attributes.   Tour other homes on the market and see
what stops you in your tracks, then implement those features in your own
design.

Organize and de-clutter.  Clearing away shelves, closets and
cabinets is a big part of the home staging process.  Don’t forget
to get rid of personal effects such as family portraits.

Staging increases likely hood of a sale.  When selling your
home, you must do everything in your power to increase your chances of
selling.  These techniques can give your and extra edge in selling
the home quickly.

Staging reduces the home’s time on the market. Putting in the extra
effort to stage your home effectively, will decrease the time it sits
stagnant on the market.

Staging the home helps justify the asking price. We are in a buyer’s
market; you need everything in your favor to justify the asking
price.  Proper home staging will position your home as the front
runner in the minds of the buyers.

You can think of home staging as presenting your Cape Coral house in a
way that appeals to the largest possible audience, in order to ensure a
quick sale for the best possible price. Good luck, and start staging.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team.

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As with anything, the real estate profession is filled with honest
trustworthy agents, but there are those who give all hard working agents
a bad name, with their lack of knowledge and shady practices.
During the real estate boom, every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted to get in
on the action and unfortunately many did.  There are countless
stories of many of agents that ruined deals, artificially drove up
prices and were engaging in fraudulent practices with mortgage brokers
and appraisers, all for an extra buck.   Now unfortunately,
consumers are having a hard time trusting Cape Coral real estate agents
or brokers.  Now that the market crashed, we are left with the real
professionals wanting to provide consumers with exceptional service,
and honest business practices.

Here are some guidelines to help you pick the agent that is right for
you:

Make sure you interview with the potential agent.

You need to make sure your personalities click; you will be spending a
lot of time with this person.  They need to fully understand your
wants and need and most importantly your budget.  Are they willing
to show you properties that are not listed by their Cape Coral
brokerage? Do they seem to be honest? Are they interested in developing a
long term business relationship with you? Many people buy and sell
multiple times in their lives, building a strong trustworthy
relationship with your customers can only benefit their business.

Do some research.

You can find out so much about a person by simply imputing their name
into Google and hitting search.  Visit their website; make sure
they have experience in the type of property you are looking to buy.
What have they sold? What type of property seems to be their specialty?
Most importantly, ask for references and make sure to call.

Ask your friends and family.

Most likely someone you know or are related to have bought or sold a
Cape Coral property recently, and can share some useful tips and
valuable information with you. Would they recommend their agents to you?
If they answered yes, what traits made that particular agent so
special?  What kind of overall experience did they have?

These a just a few tips to help you weed through the mountain of
agents a find the best fit for your needs.  Put your trust and
confidence in this person, they will be responsible for the largest
transaction of your life and because of that pick carefully.

Call our team of highly qualified professionals to answer any of your
real estate related questions.  Florida Future Realty is here to
help.

Yours in Success,

The Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

There are 3 parts to a lease with option to buy. The first part is the lease. The lease agreement is set up for anywhere from 1 to 3 years. There is first & last month’s rent included to get started. Rent rates on lease options are slightly higher than standard rental rates because the tenant/buyer will be receiving part of their monthly rent towards the purchase price.

There is also a contract for sale and purchase. This price will be based upon projected market value at the time the lease ends and the sale is to take place. The tenant/buyer will also put a non-refundable deposit down as well. This is generally 3-5% of the sales price but can always be negotiated to fit the needs of all parties involved. This amount will also be credited towards the buyer’s closing costs at the actual sale of the property. If the tenant/buyer fails to purchase the property then they deposit is completely forfeited to the owner of the property.

The third part is drafted by an attorney and is the actual option agreement between the parties.

Our lease option program guidelines:

For Owners of property in and around Cape Coral, Florida:

You must own the property free of any mortgages/liens or must owe less than 50% LTV

We will collect a non-refundable deposit for you. 50% of that deposit will go to you & the other 50% will go towards the full commission to be paid at closing of said property.

Here is an example of how a lease option would work:

You lease the property to a buyer/tenant for $1,200/month with an end purchase price of $100,000. The buyer puts down a $5,000 non-refundable deposit that will be used towards the purchase at the end of the term (usually 1-3 years).

Paid up front: $5,000 non-refundable deposit
First Month’s Rent: $1,200
Last Month’s Rent: $1,200

Total to move in: $7,400
Minus $2,500 to real estate brokerage

You will credit $100-200/month towards the end purchase price also. So say at the end of the 2 year term the buyer qualifies for a loan and purchases the house.

You will credit $200 per month for 24 months towards the purchase price ($4,800) and also credit the $5,000 deposit as well.

The house sells for the agreed upon $100,000 and the buyer has $9,800 to use for closing costs/prepaids/down payment.

You pay the real estate commission ($6,000-$2,500 already paid=$3,500) and sell the house for a net near $83,000 (after closing costs/other fees)

More benefits for of a lease option compared to a straight rental:

More benefits of a lease option compared with a straight sale:

And finally benefits of a lease option compared with seller financing:

We can also assist you in seller financing as well if you are interested.

At Florida Future Realty, Inc. we bring the consumer what they are asking for versus what we think they want. Lease Options are a win/win for all parties involved and will in turn return the city of Cape Coral back to the full beauty it should be. We need people in homes that they can comfortably afford and maintain. We do not need more vacant homes.

We also work with traditional sellers, short sale sellers & bank owned listings as well. In any real estate market it is critical to accommodate to the needs of the majority buyer.

We look forward to hearing from you….

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc

Search Cape Coral real estate

Florida real estate agents

www.SusanMilner.com

(239) 542-8521

(239) 218-2229 Cell

Susan@SusanMilner.com

copyright 2010 Susan Milner Florida Future Realty, Inc.

• FREE CCMA (Confidential Comparable Market Analysis)
• Electronic lockbox showing who views your home & when
• Constant Feedback on showings!
• Thousands of BUYERS are searching our websites every week!
• Also listed on Realtor.com & many other sites for
  maximum exposure!
• Reverse prospecting to other agents
• Virtual Tours are up and running the very next day you list
• Editorial style ads to attract buyers!
• Image style ads to attract buyers!
• Full Time qualified staff to work in conjunction with your
  real estate agent

      Fully automated toll free line
with information about YOUR listing if you so choose!

Whether
youre planning to sell your home in the next few months or just studying
up for that eventuality, theres no time like the present to prepare. If
buying a house seems complicated, selling involves even more
responsibilities and expenses. We can handle all of the details for you
by providing you with our full service marketing plan. For more
information contact us today!

The market is shifting so when
hiring an agent make sure you hire one who will work for you to net you
the most profit, within your preferred time frame with the least amount
of stress to you. Those are all goals of ours. Not all agents are
created equal, don’t be fooled, contact Florida Future Realty, Inc.
today for a free, no-obligation in home or at office consultation.

We
look forward to working with you!

Yours in Success,

The
Florida Future Realty, Inc Team!

(888) 764-6665 Toll Free

I ask because today I received several phone calls & emails from Fort Myers & Cape Coral homeowners asking for help. For whatever reasons their house, condo or investment property didn’t sell. I checked in our MLS and in the last week 1,198 residential homes in our local MLS (multiple listing service) EXPIRED!

I spoke to one gentleman today who is going to need a short sale on his Ft. Myers house. After we ended our phone conversation I looked up his property. It just expired on Dec 31, 2008. It had been listed with another agent & real estate brokerage office.

This is a lovely home in a gated community. The agent only had 2 photos of the Ft. Myers property. They used the photos from our property appraiser’s website. This consists of one front photo (with a truck in the driveway & garage door opened) and an aerial photo showing the roof. Are you kidding me? And the agent probably said they don’t know why it didn’t sell. Well I do! To top that off there were about 2 lines of description in the MLS. Basically, “Look, here is a Ft. Myers house for sale, you wanna buy it?”.  I’m guessing that this property can NOT be found on any real estate search websites either. It is truly sad. The seller should have known about this. The listing agent should have known better.

Why didn’t they try everything to sell your property? Did they think they’d get the buyer themselves & didn’t want to ‘share’ their commission? Did they just not know any better? OR Were they just lazy?

The good news for this seller is that he found us. We specialize in getting properties sold. I don’t take listings just to increase my inventory. I take listings to SELL them.  We help traditional sellers compete with the bank owned and short sale listings. Your house must STAND OUT.

We also handle bank owned and short sale listings in Cape Coral and Ft. Myers. Sometimes short sales take a little longer to sell but we still market them just as well as any other listing! We use multiple photos, a great description, video, etc! How could you not? And how could you not expect your agent to at least take multiple photos? Some real estate websites even allow up to 20-30 photos per listing. Think of the possibilities. Most MLSs allow for at least 10 photos. We make use of those available spots.

BUYERS WANT TO SEE PHOTOS – AND LOTS OF THEM. Buyers often even ask me to exclude any listings that do not have multiple photos. There are just too many ‘unknowns’ for them to deal with. Over 90% of buyers begin their search for a new home online. This means that YOUR LISTING must look appealing to them. The internet may not ‘sell’ your house but it will get it on their ‘list’ of prospective properties to view. 

Finally, if you have not checked to see how your listing appears in the local MLS or on national & international websites PLEASE go check. If your agent is not doing their best to show your house in the best light then let them know. Give them the opportunity to FIX it or hire a new real estate agent.

And most importantly, if you have property that you need to sell in Cape Coral or Ft. Myers, Florida please give me a call. I’ll give you the ‘real deal’ on value & market your property to its full potential.

Your time is valuable and selling your house is important to you. It shouldn’t be something you have to stress about after you hire a real estate professional! That’s OUR responsibility!

What do they say about employers? They should HIRE SLOW & FIRE FAST….so should YOU. Do your research! Ask Questions!

I’ll see you on the SOLD side J

Happy New Year!

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Broker/Owner

Florida Future Realty, Inc.

Call my cell: 239-218-2229

Or office: 239-542-8521

Email: Susan@CapeCoralSusan.com

Search Cape Coral Real Estate

Short Sales and How I Think They Should Be Handled

First of all I do not believe that any real estate agent should list a home as a short sale without having done some research first.

Research

You should have a preliminary title search done to determine if there is a second mortgage or any other liens on the property. Determine who the owner(s) are.

Document Collection

Next, you should collect all of the necessary paperwork that the lender will require for their short sale package. (Some banks require less/more documentation but this is a very ’standard’ list)

Obviously the following that you’d normally complete:

• CMA – YES, you need to know the market value of the property!
• Listing Agreement
• Short Sale Addendum (if your board doesn’t have one yet you should get an attorney to create one for you)
• Seller’s Real Property Disclosure (Yes, even AS IS deals)
• HOA documents/ HOA/Condo disclosures as necessary
• Lead Based Paint Disclosure as necessary (pre 1978)

• Last 2 year’s tax returns
• Last 2 month’s bank statements
• Last 2 pay check stubs
• Letter of Authorization
• Financial Statement
• Hardship Letter

(if customer is missing a tax return or pay check stub have them write an explanation as to WHY (i.e. No paycheck stubs because they are 1099 contractor)

*for your info: Copy of mortgage statements

• If there are 2 lenders you will need these documents for each.

Listing Activities at property

• Take multiple photos of the property – the good and the bad. Obviously use the prettiest photos for your marketing material but disclose any known defects. The bad photos are good to show the seller’s lender.

• Put an electronic lockbox on the front door or hidden if seller/tenant prefers. Agents that have to pick up a key or schedule to meet an owner/tenant/agent are WAY less likely to show that home. Especially in this current buyer’s market. There are too many other choices available. Check out my previous blog about tenant occupied short sales.

• Install your sign.

Back at office

• Call bank(s). Ask them where to send the authorization to release and what their short sale process is. They’ll either tell you over the phone or send you some additional package of information. Also make sure to verify where/to whom you will send the package once you do have an offer (ALWAYS goes to some different #/Dept)

• Enter property into MLS. Use multiple photos. Use a full description. Make the showing instructions easy to find and follow.

• Enter property onto the best internet sites. We typically start with point2agent and Realtor then add as necessary. Our listings are enhanced on Realtor so we can add more photos and a better description. Point2Agent is a great website to use to get your listings onto several other real estate websites.

• Add the property on your blog. Make it interesting. Use lots of photos. Talk about the emotional benefits.

Yay, Showings and Offers!

You get showings, and now an offer comes in. GREAT! How do I think offers on short sales should be handled? Like any other sale.

            Present all in a timely manner. Encourage your seller to make a decision asap. If they like the offer, have them sign the contract. We require all contracts to be on the Far/Bar As-Is contract along with the Short Sale Addendum. We also require a bank letter of funds available or a pre-approval letter and a copy of the buyer’s escrow check.

            What’s next? First of all, stop taking other offers! After the buyer and seller have agreed the property is now for all intents and purposes PENDING. Yes, there is a third party approval required but that DOES NOT mean that you do not have a CONTRACT. You do. I’m sorry to go off a little here but this one of my pet peeves. We have buyers write up all of the time to hear weird things like the following:

            1) Our seller isn’t going to sign – it’s up to the bank

            2) The seller has already accepted 4 other offers, they’re waiting on the bank to respond

            3) They accepted another offer last week

            ETC.

My response to each:

1) Then we don’t have a deal. I will continue to look for homes for my buyer. This obviously makes no sense. The contract is between the buyer and the seller – the bank is a third party approver only. Most banks won’t even look at a file unless all documents are correct and signed/dated and still within timeframes.

            2) Why would you obligate your seller to sell his/her property 4 times? Again, I’m going to find my customer something else. This is a waste of time. I get what the agent is trying to do. For lack of better terms, ‘have their cake and eat it too’. If one buyer gets tired of waiting, they’ll have possibly 3 more in line. I get that but it is not done correctly. You can have one offer you are working on and 3 back up offers but not 4 contracts on the same house. That’s utterly ridiculous.

            3) Really, then WHY is it not marked pending or active contingent short sale (that’s our MLS’s new rules for short sales that have been agreed on (under contract) but are waiting on bank approval)?

Listing agents: If you want to play the multiple offer game that is fine. I realize you want your seller to go with the most likely offer to get accepted and be able to close. That’s a no-brainer. But you have to disclosure what you are doing. Like many bank owned listings, they’ll say “We will be accepting offers for 5 days before we’ll get an answer from the bank. At that point the bank will most likely ask for everyone’s ‘highest and best offer’.” My response: GREAT, here’s my buyers offer. It expires in 6 days. At least they know what they are doing. That makes sense!

Submit That Offer

            Ok, now back to the seller’s bank. You should have already spoken to the bank(s) to know exactly what to send and to where. Create a nice coversheet detailing the borrowers (that’s your seller) Property Address, Name and Loan #. Include page #s like a table of contents. Include the contact for the BPO/Appraisal. Include a preliminary Hud1 (get from your title company), updated financial if out-dated, comparables and property history of the property. Send this and call the following day to verify. (Some banks say it takes up to 72 hours to receive so you may have to call back again) DO NOT STOP CALLING UNTIL YOU HAVE VERIFIED THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE PACKAGE AND THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED. Most of the time if you are NICE they will look through the package while you are on the phone and let you know. Also find out who the negotiator is and when the bpo/appraisal will be ordered. Get the negotiators Full Name, #, Extension and Email address if at all possible.

Follow up

            From today on, call at LEAST once a week. Some banks may have an answer within a week; others may not for 2-3 months. All banks work differently. Always ask them what their timeline is. Do not leave multiple messages in the same day. You will irritate the negotiator. They are very busy people. Most have 100-300 files on their desk. Make sure you acknowledge that and make their job easier by having everything ready for them. If they prefer email, shoot them over a quick email for an update. They appreciate the non-intrusiveness of email.

            Also each week, call your seller to let them know what the bank said. Call the buyer’s agent to tell them what is going on. Tell them to call their buyers to advise. Call the title company to keep them in the loop. Communication is key. If you keep everyone in the loop your chances of a successful closing go WAY up!

Approval

            Now you have an approval. Make sure the closing date will work for everyone. Send the approval over to the buyer’s agent and the title company. The buyer may need to get financing so make sure they have enough time for that. They’ll also want to have an inspection completed. Make sure to have the electricity and water turned on for that. If your seller cannot afford to have it turned on then turn it on for them! You took the listing knowing the financial situation of the seller. Don’t stop helping them out now.

            You know the rest of this, now it is just like any other transaction.

Close on the property

The sellers have now SOLD their house. The buyers have now BOUGHT the house they wanted at a good price. Everyone wins.

Conclusion

Good luck out there.

Buyers, don’t be intimidated by short sales. Just make sure you have an agent working for you that understands the process. They’ll be able to inform you right away if something doesn’t add up or seem right.

Sellers, please do not make the mistake of listing your home as a short sale with just any agent. Make sure they fully understand the short sale process. This is a very important transaction in your life and not everyone is cut out to handle this for you.

We look forward to working with the other professional real estate agencies on short sales and the many buyers and sellers as well.

 © Susan Milner 2008

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc.

www.Florida-Future-Realty.com

www.The-Extreme-Team.com

888-764-6665 toll free

239-542-8521 local

Susan@SusanMilner.com

Please, don’t try this at home! If you are having problems with your mortgage try your other options first. Your LIFE is so much more important than a mortgage.

• Talk to your lender – they may help

• Talk to Hope NOW

• Call your mortgage professional – there may be options

• Call your attorney

• Call your Realtor – they might be able to sell it. Regular or if needed via a short sale

We work with home owners in SW Florida or owners of properties in SW Florida negotiate short sales. In most cases, it cost you nothing if the bank agrees to the short sale.

We handle all of the paperwork and negotiations.

If you are interested in learning more, feel free to call me at 239-218-2229.

Yours in Success,

Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc.

www.Florida-Future-Realty.com

www.the-extreme-team.com

copyright 2008 Susan Milner of Florida Future Realty, Inc.

(by the way, they are forgiving her mortgage and letting her keep the house – I hope she makes a full recovery and can enjoy her home for her final years of life)

Beyond this spreader canal is a preserve area of mostly mangroves.

Tonight the sunset was so pretty I grabbed my camera and snapped some shots.

This is a photo of my next door neighbor’s Palm Trees.

You cannot see the water in this photo but it is just below.

Here is the water view, just to the south of the palm trees.

And here is a view down the intersection of a canal with the larger, spreader canal

So, that’s my front yard….

What do you see in your front or back yards?

Copyright 2008 Susan Milner

Florida Future Realty, Inc.

www.Florida-Future-Realty.com