There is a marked difference in inventory now available in the Southwest Florida real estate market. Typically during this time of year, we will see inventory go down. However, as history has shown, home sales in Southwest Florida remain pretty steady during the summer months. Last summer, according the Multiple Listing Service for the Southwest Florida markets averaged 576 homes sales per month during the months of July-Dec 2011 – that is a pretty respectable number for a region that has an “off-season.” The point is that if you are thinking about listing a property or you have a property listed currently, this is not the time to remove that listing!

Based on the sales history I mentioned above, you could say that while this season is nearing an end, we could see strong sales last year well into June 2011. The reason for this is because many of our winter visitors keep tabs on Southwest Florida long after they leave. The Internet and, of course, mobile devices have allowed those visitors to continue looking at the Southwest Florida real estate market, checking the listings and keeping in touch with agents all summer long. I expect to see that trend move into this June as well, as our snowbirds have been snatching up homes in this market all season long.

Additionally, summer buyers are a little different as well. These are buyers who have been monitoring the market all season. They’ve looked at different neighborhoods, amenities, home prices, and the market stats. These folks are now serious buyers who are at the jumping off point. And, these buyers don’t necessarily have to be in Southwest Florida. If you remove your home from the market now, you’re likely to miss these serious buyers. You’ll also miss the decrease in inventory available, which can be helpful in seeing increased showings and activity.

You may also be inclined to ask your Realtor to remove your listing and just promote via word of mouth a.k.a. the “pocket listing.” This too is the wrong thing to do for the reasons stated above AND because we know that over 95% of all real estate searches take place on the Internet. If you’re selling a home in Southwest Florida, not continuing your Internet presence is just an all-around a bad idea in any season.

Lastly, if you’re thinking of selling your home and you’re looking for representation, now may be the time for me to toot a horn. Just recently myself and my team, Team Michael Burke / Coconut Point Team, was recognized as one of just five top national agent/teams who have excelled in business growth. Featured as the cover story in Keller Williams’ national publication, Outfront, our team was credited as growing our business from $9 to $24 million in production in just one year by applying solid business planning, economic principles, and offering the best in client marketing resources.

Speaking of resources, here are some incentives and exclusive Coconut Point Team Tools and Resources to help you consider our team to represent you:

• First, be on the lookout for our updated email template! Through our new email template, you’ll be able to review our messages and quickly access such as our featured listings, market reports, and quick links to various communities and all of our exclusive market tools below!
• Monthly Market Report. Let me present you with the most accurate data about your neighborhood including closed and active home sales.
• The Coconut Point Press. This is my widely-read and exclusive printed publication and online edition, where your home is prominently spotlighted.
• Elite Seller Feedback System – Take advantage of my sophisticated and exclusive system that provides valuable feedback from your showings via email, so you know what buyers are thinking.
• Interactive Home Illustration – Give buyers what they want to see with an interactive floor place and professional videos of your home!
• Superior Marketing Plan – Our marketing plan is unlike all others in this market! It will maximize exposure and get top dollar for your home.

There is difference between marketing and just listing a property. I am sure you will agree after you check out our unique and aggressive marketing tools to get the job done for you weather you are buying or selling.

Join our team today and let us help you achieve your objective, whether it’s buying or selling!

By D. Justin M Jordan
Keller Williams Elite Realty
Justin@CoconutPointRealEstate.com
www.CoconutPointRealEstate.com

Team Michael Burke/Coconut Point – Southwest Florida Premier Luxury Real Estate Team

With out of the box thinking and superior technical know how we came up with some outstanding marketing tools that can not be matched.

Please click on the following links to learn more about each one

COMPLETE Coconut Point Team Superior Marketing Presentation

www.CoconutPointRealEstate.com

Coconut Point Press Online Versions

Community Market Reports	Community Email Market Reports
“The Real Estate Corner” with Michael Burke Coconut Point Team Radio Show	Michael Burke in The News Press

Professional Photography
The Coconut Point Team uses a professional photographer specializing in real estate photos.

Entrust Michael Burke for the incomparable service and rewarding real estate experience you deserve.

And, no, I don’t mean commission! I’m talking home price. If you’re planning to list your home this summer or even next season, you’ll want to read this article. Chances are you’ll soon be looking for a Realtor and finding the right one is critical to getting a sale on your home. You’ll also need to depend on that Realtor to provide you with accurate market information. The point is, don’t just choose a Realtor based on the highest sale price that he/she is willing to list your home – this is the wrong thing to do and I’m going to tell you why.

It’s really easy to go with the Realtor who wants to list your home at a higher price than all the other Realtors you interviewed. As the seller, you like the idea of the higher price and who wouldn’t. However, is the agent who promises to list your home at the higher price merely “buying the listing?” In other words, does that agent really believe that he or she can sell the home at or near that price, or does the agent plan to just ride the price down lower over time? This is the million dollar question.

Hopefully if the answer is the latter, you’ll start looking at other agents. Why? The “buying the listing” strategy only hurts you several ways. The listing quickly becomes identified as overpriced, showing activity drops, and low ball offers come in. Ultimately, the time it takes to sell your house goes way up.

The recommendation of a good agent would be to price it right from the start. However, if you truly want to try the other agent and the higher price, test the other agent’s commitment to that price by asking if he or she would release the listing to another agent if at some point the price is reduced to $________. If the answer is no, that’s a sign that the agent may not believe he or she can sell your home for the price he/she is recommending. As a seller, would that answer make you uncomfortable? Of course it would.

There are some additional downsides for you as well:

· You will be obligated to remain with this agent for the term of the contract and will be unable to sign with anyone else. (You can ask for a termination clause, I provide my clients with a 30 day out as standard verbiage in my listing contracts. If the client is not happy, I am not happy.)

· You will waste weeks, or possibly months of valuable marketing time with an over-priced listing that does not sell.

· As the months drag on, your home becomes a "stale listing". Buyers and agents get very excited about new offerings, but they often shun old, tired listings that have sat on the market for an extended period of time.

· In an effort to revive your listing, you will inevitably be forced to make a number of price adjustments. In doing so, you may be finding yourself "chasing the market down". The market may have declined further during the period you were over-priced, and now your home may sell for even less that it could have originally, had it been priced right.

As you can guess by the last two “downside” points, the first 30 days are the most important in the marketing efforts of a home for sale. Today, the most important factor in getting a home sold is PRICE. That is not to say that location is not important, it just means that homes priced correctly are selling quickly and in many instances with multiple offers in Southwest Florida. Start out too high and you are going to have to do price reductions to come in line with other homes for sale in your neighborhood. Wait too long, you will have to reduce even lower than what other Realtors may have told you when you first started looking to sell your home.

Selecting an agent based on the list price they suggest is a dangerous proposition. Your selection of an agent should be what they bring to the table and the analysis that they do on your home. For instance, there should be a breakdown of what is for sale, what has sold. Sometimes it is important to look at the home compared to other homes in several different ways. This type of analysis can take hours if done correctly. Be wary of agents that first ask you what you think your home is worth and then magically come up with a price that matches your number. Although it may be hard to hear the potential value of your home, it is a lot harder to hear that you need yet another price reduction after you list your home.

To avoid agents that practice “the art of buying the listing”, here are three tips:

1. First, ask all of the agents you interview for a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis). Having current and accurate sales comparables will help ensure that you fully understand the true market value of your home. If any of the agent comps seem unusually high, you may be dealing with agent who attempts to "win" listing appointments by offering sellers an unrealistically high selling price.

2. Ask each agent for three, recent sold references. Nothing is better than speaking with people who have had prior experience with this agent.

3. Ask to see the agent’s sales listings for the prior year (they can easily print this out for you from the MLS). Check each listing for the number of days on market and price reductions. If you notice very long days on the market or an excessive number of price reductions, you may be dealing with an agent who over-prices their listings.

Don’t fall prey to your own greed by hiring an agent who buys your listing! Work only with an agent who will provide you with accurate market data and who will help you price your home correctly. You will save a lot of time and aggravation, and most importantly, you will give yourself the best chance of getting your home sold for the highest amount possible and in the least amount of time!

By D. Michael Burke, P.A. Keller Williams Elite Realty

Michael@CoconutPointRealEstate.com

www.CoconutPointRealEstate.com

Listing your property on both Sunshine Multiple Listings and Rapattoni Service ensures that your home will be seen by all buyers.

Due to political differences our MLS boards do not share data amongst each other so for your home to be properly marketed it should be listed on both boards. If not, an agent search on Fort Myers MLS will not see your Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples home and vice versa.

Most agents only belong to a single board because of the cost and so exposure is cut as much as 50%.

What do clients think about our Home Illustration Package?

“OUTSTANDING!!!! This is a total WOW! The pictures are so rich and vibrant. This product really sets you apart!”

Our Superior Home Illustration Approach

- 20+ Professionally Shot Wide-angle Photos
- Digitally Measured Interactive Floor Plans
- High Definition Narrated Video Tour

Click Floor Plan to view

Click Video to View

View the online version of the May 2012 Email Market Reports of the Follow Communities.

If you would like to sign up to receive these email market reports automatically please send me an email with the community you would like emailed to you. Justin@CoconutPointRealestate.com

•   Bonita Bay
•   Cascades at Estero
•   Colonial Country Club
•   Copperleaf at the Brooks
•   Gateway
•   Grandezza
•   Grey Oaks
•   Heritage Palms
•   Legends
•   Lighthouse Bay
•   Mediterra
•   Miromar Lakes
•   Pelican Landing
•   Pelican Preserve
•   Pelican Sound
•   Rapallo
•   Reserve at Estero
•   Shadow Wood
•   Spanish Wells
•   Spring Run
•   The Colony
•   The Vines
•   Wildcat Run
•   Vasari
  

20,000+ email marketing campaigns featuring our listings. We feature our homes in our monthly email broadcast which goes to 20,000+ addresses all across the nation and internationally. Send emails featuring your home to agents who have listed or sold in your area. “95% of the time an agent other than the listing agent will bring the buyer for your home.” ( NAR statistic ) Our email marketing campaigns have a click rate 2.5 times better than the national average.

I wanted to clear up some common real estate terminology myths and misunderstandings. What is a buyer’s agent? A buyer’s agent or buyer’s specialist is an agent who represents a consumer interested in purchasing home. This differs from a listing agent (sellers agent), which is the agent most think of when you hear real estate agent. A listing agent represents the homeowner in selling the property. AnnaMaria Andriotis, SmartMoney.com’s real estate journalist, spoke openly on her endorsement of a buyer’s agent for every homebuyer.

Statistics show that 90+% of property searches occur online and only 4% start at open houses. It is amazing how such a dramatic shift occurs over time due to technology and virtual accessibility. Doug Miller, Executive Director of Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate, recommends every consumer enlist a buyer’s agent to work on your behalf. He states that it is in the consumer’s best interest so that there are no ulterior motives. A buyer’s agent can provide an unbiased approach to a home search, transaction, and most importantly price negotiations.

What most individuals don’t realize is that a transaction has two sides. Media outlets and other sources are misleading on how a transaction actually occurs. A transaction with a buyer’s agent (agent who represents buyer) and listing agent (agent selling home)usually agree to 50/50 split in commission. There is no set commission rate and can differ depending on geography, norms, price point, and negotiations. The biggest myth is that a future homebuyer will have to pay for the services of a buyer’s agent. For the most part this is not true; a buyer agent’s commission is covered by the seller/homeowner. In a traditional transaction in SWFL it is the norm that the seller pays the commission to the agents that is split between them.

Recent data has surfaced suggesting housing recovery in motion. Diana Olick, from CNBC Real Estate, reported that national March pending sales rose 4.1% from February. We have seen the local market in Bonita/Estero take a very similar upward trend. Team Michael Burke / Coconut Point data suggests an increase in listing prices as of late. We are seeing extreme lows on an inventory basis. What does this mean for buyers and sellers? Is it a buyers or sellers market? It’s actually quite simple; the proof is in the numbers. We are in a “transitional” stage from a “buyer’s” market but not quite in a “seller’s” market. The way we track a certain market is by calculating listing Days on Market (DOM). For our purposes, 120-180 days is labeled a transitional market. On a local average, we fall right in this area.

Buyer’s insight by Justin Helmus
Lead Buyer Specialist
Team Michael Burke / Coconut Point
239-850-6175 – CELL
JSHelmus@CoconutPointRealEstate.com
www.CoconutPointRealEstate.com

Jay Busbee – Devil Ball Golf – May 1, 2012

What is it with golf and alligators? You never hear about a gator attacking, say, a basketball player, but it seems every spring we get a story or two about golfers and gators coming together, and not for a friendly round. Just weeks after we had the infamous battle of Caddie vs. Gator, won by the caddie, the gators very nearly had their revenge.

The scene: Florida (of course). Albert Miller, a 75-year-old golfer, was playing the Lake Ashton Golf & Country Club in Lake Wales. And, as golfers are wont to do, he put a shot into shallow water at the 15th hole. He ambled over to the pond, spotted his ball, reached in to grab it and suddenly HOLY CRAP THERE’S A GATOR LEAPING OUT OF THE WATER AND BITING ME! (Not a direct quote.)

The gator chomped down on Miller’s left knee and tried to drag him into the water. Miller’s playing partners held on to his arms, though apparently none pulled an Elin Woods and took a golf club to the gator’s skull. Still, good news: "He let me go," Miller said. "I was three feet from my life. He had me submerged up to my belt buckle. That was my miracle of the month."

Think about that for a second. One moment, you’re standing at the edge of an idyllic pond; the next, you’re instants away from being gator food. Never know what the day’s going to bring, do you?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captured the alligator, which was nine-feet long (!) and weighed an estimated 190 pounds. Miller required 40 stitches to close the cuts in his knee, and faces a long and painful rehabilitation. But at least he’s around to schedule his next round.

So, yeah, next time somebody says golf’s not a contact sport, invite them to play a few holes along a Florida waterway.

(Photo for illustration purposes only. That is presumably not the gator involved in this story. Presumably.)

May 1, 2012

In the first quarter, home sales in the Naples market increased 29 percent, according to the Naples Area Board of Realtors. The median home price in the quarter increased by more than 14 percent to $190,000. The median is the price at which half the homes sell for more and half for less.

In Lee County, pending sales – or new contracts written – for single-family homes increased 24.5 percent in the first quarter, compared to a year ago, according to a report by Florida Realtors. In the quarter, new listings dropped by 4.5 percent and the median sales price grew 8 percent to $135,000.