If you are looking for a job, how about a career instead?

As stated in one article, the recession may be over, but the job market recovery is lagging way behind. Let’s not go into what they say about the future job market. Instead, what is something positive that is happening?

Watson Realty Corp. announced that the closed volume for the month of April 2010 was up $29,386,657.00. In addition the number of transactions was up 39%.

So, what do the job market and the increased volume of real estate have to do with each other? Well, if you are out of a job at the present time, how about considering being an independent contractor for a real estate company – Watson Realty?

My career path did not begin in real estate; however, I wish that I would have taken the time to have been educated with a real estate background earlier in life. It is never too late for real estate. There will always be someone looking for a place to live, whether renting or buying. And, there will always be someone moving, whether for relocating with a job or increasing/decreasing the size of the family.

There are real estate schools all around, so how do you choose the one to attend? Convenience is sometimes a factor. With Watson Realty having so many locations in the Central Florida area, there is certainly going to be a chance of having a class located near where you work or where you live. In regards to what will be taught, all real estate schools are receiving their information from state guidelines. So, you can be rest assured that this shouldn’t be part of your dilemma. Money could be a factor, and what better price than $99? The class is $99 plus the book is $70 – all under $170 to be educated in real estate.

It’s a great time to Choose Watson and Get More! It’s a great time to have a career in real estate!

- Ellen Thunell
                                                                                                                                       

If you think you do not need a home inspection, think again.

There is no legitimate reason I can think of to waive having a home inspection when purchasing a house. The cost of the inspection prior to closing could save you thousands of dollars you might otherwise have to pay out for unseen damage or problems that need repaired or replaced. Why would a buyer take a chance and buy a home that has not been inspected?

Bad advice

Someone has told the buyer that there is no need for an inspection.

It could be the jack-of-all-trades family member/friend trying to save the purchaser a few hundred dollars. Armed with just enough knowledge to be dangerous, they will take a quick look around the house and offer their seal of approval without doing a thorough inspection.

Perhaps it is the real estate agent who is giving the bad advice. Shame on any real estate agent who would tell a home buyer there is no need for a home inspection. Buyers should ignore this wrong advice and hire an inspector anyway. The buyer should also pick up the phone and call the agent’s broker and let them know that their agent suggested you not have an inspection.

It is a new/renovated home

Buyers might be lured into a false sense of security and decide against having an inspection when purchasing a new home or a home that has been recently renovated by the seller. There is no doubt that we have some of the very best home builders here in Central Florida. The quality of the homes being built is second to none. But even the Central Florida builders understand the importance of a buyer having their homes inspected prior to closing. The same is true of homes that have been renovated. Just because the seller says repairs or renovations have been made to the home recently does not eliminate the need for an inspection.

The bottom line is if you are buying a home, have it inspected. In our office if a buyer chooses to not have a home inspection they are going to have to sign a waiver acknowledging that this is their decision. The waiver has language that makes it clear that we, as a real estate company, do not encourage this course of action.

5 things you should know if you have not bought a house in the past few years.

If you have not bought a home since the early 2000s you will need to be brought up to speed on what has changed, what to watch out for and what you need to consider before buying a house during 2010.

1. Prices are low. I mean real low. The median home prices of homes in the Orlando area are at an 8 year low. How low will they go? Where are the best deals?

2.  Financing guidelines have tightened. This is especially true of ARM and interest only loans. What financing is best suited for you? What can you expect to pay in closing cost and/or down payment?

3.  Low list prices are resulting in an increase in the number of homes selling. The Orlando real estate association is reporting a 32% increase in home sales so far in 2010 compared to the same time period in 2009. Will this increase result in higher sale prices?

4.  REO. REO or real estate owned is a huge component of today’s real estate market.  Properties that banks have foreclosed on are having a huge impact on the increase of sales currently being experienced. What is involved with purchasing a bank owned REO property?

5.  Short sales. Sellers who are upside down on their mortgage and are facing a distressed situation are asking their lender to accept less than is owed on the house in order for the owner to avoid foreclosure. Short sale prices are competitive with bank owned listings but the time it takes to negotiate and close these types of transaction are a real concern to potential buyers. Is buying a short sale a smart move?

I have only listed 5 things you should be aware of if it has been awhile since you bought a home. To discuss any of the 5 listed in detail or to find out what else you should know about buying a home, call me at 407-304-0255.

Mercedes Homes Offers Spacious Affordable Living in Stevens Plantation

Mark Shields, Marianao Arguello and Carmen Dombrowski visited our office recently and provided us with information on Verandah Lakes at Stevens Plantation in St. Cloud. Builders will often stop by during our weekly meeting in order to make sure we have the latest information about their new homes and communities so that we can pass this on to our customers.

Mercedes is building homes in Stevens Plantation from 1519 square feet up to 3875 square feet. Prices range from $139,990 - $279,990. There are closing cost incentives and options for you to choose from.

Options Include

• Covered Porch
• Extended garage
• Raised top bar kitchen
• Utility deluxe cabinets
• Study
• Laundry tub
• 3 car garage
• Double vanity
• French doors
• Sun room
• Kitchen Island

The community is conveniently located to all the best of Central Florida. Of course prices are subject to change so if you would like to view one of these new homes, give me a call and I will arrange for a personal tour for you.

Lenders may ask the seller to bring money to the closing as part of the short sale approval.

Several of my agents have encountered situations involving short sale transactions where, as part of the approval process, the lender requires the seller/owner to bring money to the closing. In many cases this condition of approval is acceptable to the seller and they agree to the banks terms enabling the transaction to close.

There are times when the seller/owner of the home being sold simply does not have the financial ability to bring money to closing. A recent example of a home we are selling subject to a short sale; the lender requested the owner to bring several thousand dollars in order to make the deal work. Not having the full amount requested by the bank, the seller might have just let the deal die. In this case the seller countered back the banks request at a reduced amount which the bank accepted.

The lender’s request does not always have to be the final answer. I know of one case where the lender said they would need the seller to sign a note for a substantial amount of money but the seller was unwilling or unable to do so and when the bank was informed of this they agreed to allow the short sale to deal close without the note.

Helping sellers obtain short sale approval from their lender is something we do very well. If you are considering short selling your home I would encourage you to give me a call for a private consultation.

I get a lot of calls for assisted living facilities and churches.

I receive calls and emails daily from people interested in purchasing an assisted living facility or a church. The majority of those who contact me do so because of a blog post on assisted living facilities I wrote back in 2009 and a webpage on gregstaker.com dealing with churches for sale. It would seem the demand for assisted living facilities and churches is in high demand. I think that makes sense given that the baby boom population is fast approaching the time when we will need a place to live and a place to apologize for some of the things we did while living.

Over the past 20+ years working as a real estate agent, I have sold a couple of hotels, a couple of trailer parks and an adult day care center but I am primarily a residential broker. I have not, until now, actively sought commercial listings. But with so many people contacting me about these types of properties it only makes sense to let potential sellers know I have buyers, just in case.

It’s not like you can open up the MLS and find a number churches and ALFs listed like you could a bank owned or short sale house. Searching in Central Florida, I am seeing 13 churches listed and 4 adult care living facilities.

So, if you have this type of property and you are interested in a selling, and want to make sure buyers the world over are given a chance to hear about your property, give me a call.

Communities in Kissimmee that have REO-bank owned homes for sale

The real estate market in Kissimmee has been super charged by foreclosure homes that become REO or bank owned. Well priced bank owned homes are receiving multiple offers and selling within days of being listed.

Communities/subdivisions where there are bank owned homes listed right now include:

• Windsong
• Venetian Bay Villages
• Poinciana
• Oakwater
• Remington
• Coral Cay Resort
• Flora Ridge Condo
• Mallard Creek
• Woodland Creek
• Isles of Bellalago
• North Shore Village
• Fells Cove

Call me for a complete list of bank owned homes for sale in Kissimmee.

Washer and dryer may be included when purchasing a home in the Orlando-Kissimmee area.

Buyers shopping for a home in Osceola and Orange County, which include the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee, will be pleased to find hundreds of well priced, well maintained homes for sale. Motivated sellers are offering a number of incentives and enhancements in hopes of attracting a buyer for their house.

One such enhancement offered is some or all of the appliances. They are being left for the convenience of the new home owner. These appliances can include the washer and the dryer. In Orange and Osceola County there are nearly 3500 properties being offered for sale that include the washer and dryer as part of the listing.

A buyer will normally ask for the appliances being left by the seller on lines 9-12 of the FARBAR purchase contract. They will need their agent to write in washer, dryer on line 11 or 12.

If you are purchasing a home and would like to view homes that are offering a washer and dryer, please contact me today.

If location, location, location is the most important consideration when buying a home, what steps should I take to find the best location for me?

The phrase “location, location, location” has been used in real estate at least as far back as 1926 according to an article written by William Safire for the New York Times. Real estate agents are familiar with the phrase today and buyers will consider location, location, location when searching for a home. How can a potential home buyer check out the location of a home they are considering purchasing?

A great location will be different things to different people. Factors that determine a great location may include; schools, employment and neighborhoods with a limited number of distressed property sales.

For some a great location will be where schools are performing at a high level. For those who will base their decisions by the schools in the area, they may want to visit the Florida Department of Education which provides numerous indicators of school status and performance for each of Florida's school districts.

The proximity to jobs and employment are important to many people searching for a home. The driving distance between work and home becomes a major part of the location factor. Employ Florida allows you to search for jobs in a specific area or zip code. Once you have located a job, you can then narrow down your home search to an area that allows for an easy commute.

Foreclosures, REO and short sales are a big part of the Florida market today. There are areas harder hit than others. Buyers who are trying to avoid purchasing a home in a community with an over abundance of distressed properties can do the research themselves. Florida Property Appraisers are a great source for locating neighborhoods and communities with foreclosures.

An important step to helping you find a home that matches all of your criteria including, “location, location, location”, is to contact a local real estate professional. I can help you search for the best Central Florida home, condo or townhome. My services are free so please give me a call today. 407-304-0255

How many bedrooms do you need?

One of the first questions we will ask when we meet a potential buyer is how many bedrooms do they need? Knowing the number of bedrooms the buyer would like their new home to have, helps us to narrow down the number of homes that we can show them. A buyer will want to consider the space they feel they will need, plus, some buyers will want to consider the resale value of owning a 2-bedroom home versus owning a 4-bedroom home.

In Orange County, 3-bedroom homes are the most common purchase so far this year. Purchases of homes other than 3-bedrooms are nearly equal with, 1352 two-bedroom homes sold thus far in 2010 and 1349 four-bedroom homes. The complete break down of homes sold this past year looks like this:

• 1-bedroom homes: 445
• 2-bedroom homes: 1352
• 3-bedroom homes: 2943
• 4-bedroom homes: 1349
• 5-bedroom homes: 315