rmasse10's Blog: Realtor

It was an interesting 4th of July for me yesterday.  I went to a cookout at a friends house...just so happens to be a home inspector, and his brother in law came over as well.  The conversation was light most of the day and then he asked me that loaded question thinking he already knew the answer, "How is the Real Estate Market"?  And my reply was "very busy".  I watched his jaw drop in disbelief...under normal circumstances he would not have believed me, but I turned to his brother in law...who I said was a home inspector, and he replied, "He is right, they have been selling alot of homes, I have been doing the inspections on them so I know".

Most people listen to the hype on the TV and radio and newspaper, but the Real Estate Market is a Local…

There are a whole lot of smart things we do in life and then there are a whole list of dumb things we do as well...if you are buying a home in Tampa Bay the smartest thing you can do in this market is hire a Buyers Agent to ensure you get the best possible deal possible.  A Buyers agent will ensure that you are represented, your financial requirements are met and your financial strategies are secured.  If you don't hire a Buyers Agent to assist you in your quest to buy property, you will end up dealing directly with the Listing Agent in most cases which will act as a Transactional Broker.  This type of representation gets you no leverage whatsoever and it is up to you to negotiate the best deal that you can since no one is going to help you.  In 9 out of…

It's that time of year again, Tampa Real Estate dues are due.  One of the positive things that comes out of dues time is the fact that all those weekend agents that are clogging up the system will drop out of the business.  We just lost 14 agents the other day and I expect that we will loose another 10-15 before September (the board gives them a grace period to pay).  We have been struggling with the banks and at times these not so good agents that don't know what they are doing.  Getting a property closed has become difficult due to financing and the banks...we don't need wet behind the ears because they never cared to learn agents screwing things up as well.

I am glad that this is happening as I can begin to focus my efforts on the problem at hand and…

We have some new agents in our office and for someone that has never really done anything like Real Estate before, it can be overwhelming especially if working a deal and another agent is trying to take advantage of the fact that you are new.  I won't go into the details of what is happening with the deal other than I overheard her say that the house blew up (it didn't really but sometimes new agents over exaggerate things), the other agent, who has he buyer is trying to get her and her clients to pay for a bunch of "stuff" that is not needed.  I coached her what to say and if need be I would be more than happy to take the reigns and have a discussion with the other agent.

Long story short, please, we work for our clients, yes, but we have to work…

The Tampa Real Estate market is heating up and with that come wave after wave of buyers looking for that great deal.  Our Team is looking for Agents that are not afraid to work,not afraid to write contracts, and not afraid to do the right thing.  If you are one of these agents and would like to be part of an aggressive Real Estate Team, please visit us online at Join Keller Williams.

We look forward to speaking with you about the great opportunities we have in store for you!

In the Tampa Real Estate Market and our MLS states that when an agent puts in a commission on a listing that is a short sale or bank owned, the commission that is in the system must be paid, no negotiating.  So here is the dilemma, I have a short sale that is basically approved and the bank is only willing to pay 3.5% commission.  OK, so now the other agent wants me to split my commission...Like I said, don't ask because the answer is no.  But wait, it gets better...I may have felt some level of compassion, but the listing also states that the current price is approved by the lender and I know for a fact that the contract has fallen thru twice because of financing.  In addition, the property was never put into Pending status as the MLS rules state that it…

I haven't had any of these happen to me lately but I have had my fair share and have heard around the office of other agents suffering from Rude Clients, Clients that expect agents to take them on a Taxi Ride around town just so they can write off their trip for taxes, babysit, you get the picture.  I think with the Tampa Real Estate Market the way it is being a buyers market, some buyers seem to feel that they can make everyone run around like mice in a cage and we Realtors will just do it.  Guess what, that will only last so long with un-seasoned agents, and won't fly at all with seasoned agents.

Like I said, I have had my share, and I give everyone that I deal with (since I am no longer a buyers agent it doesn't matter but every now and then I will…

Now that the Tampa Real Estate market is busting at the seams with homes of all styles and price ranges and because of this we have a problem.  With so many choices, comes that feeling of being overwhelmed and lack of ability to make a decision.  By the time you make a decision, odds are the property is going to be gone.  Here is some advice if you are in the market to buying a home:

1. Figure out what you are willing to spend and then increase that by $20,000.  The reason for that is it is a buyers market and you will most likely be able to get a better house for a good deal.  Negotiate down.

2. Know exactly what you want.  Don’t waste time looking at homes that don’t meet your needs.  Put your needs on paper and stick to them.

3. Speak with a…