I wouldn't say that it's hard to find good investment homes if you know what makes a good investment property, but for novice investors I'm beginning to get more of my customers great deals on condos that feel like a great choice with much smaller risk. Typically condos can be a tough sell in a down market, but in the Orlando area - it's becoming a great boom because of such low prices that are being coupled with a huge demand from the rental market. The rental market is becoming substantial, to the point that some days I'm getting more calls to go show rentals than I am on my bank listings. This is a first in my career.

Why the shift? Many of the traditional home sales don't exist anymore. Because of decreasing home values compared with when many people purchased their homes years ago, they can't get any value out of it, or worse, they are completely upside. So naturally, if the market value has depressed then most home sellers will have a hard time selling for a profit depending on when they purhased - let alone hope to break even. So, what do they do? In that position, most people are faced with two options; walk away or work with the bank on what typically ends up a short sale (though in a rare case I have seen a bank work to keep the homeowner in the house by lowering the interest rate and forgiving fees).

Whatever the scenario, the main two property types that we're seing enter the market as listings are short sales and bank owned homes. Those two happen to be the hardest deals to close. As the number of available bank owned properties in my area has decreased lately, almost offers come back with a "highest and best" sheet to let you know their are multiple offers. So in the end, what am I getting at? Even in a down market, the great home values have many seekers. It's a buyers market, but that doesn't mean it's easy to find a great deal - especially as an investor. Many bank owned properties have provisions that require investment offers wait during a certain holding period while owner occupants get first dibs. There is nothing wrong with that policy, but it's just another hurdle to climb among so many others.

So where do most buyers end up finding good bargains? They want what the renters are looking for. Often times people get so caught up looking at homes as the true flip, that they forget that condos can be so much lower stress. They often have much fewer buyers after them because availability is higher, thus fewer bidding scenarios and more where you can go below asking. They usually are more central in location (if you look well), and the condos that are good for investment will be in good shape, have a good COA to help hold your value, and are built to a better standard than the appartments that the public is after right now while being afraid of the housing market.

I found out Friday that I made Orlando Magazine's Hot 100 Realtors. I know 100 realtors is a pretty large group, but it was an honor to be recognized on this list. More than being honored, I was shocked because I'm usually not the type of agent to grace these types of lists. My friend and colleague Jennifer Dollar shocked me with the news, it seems as though just the other day we were congratulating her on winning 30 under 30 from NAR. She's a mover and shaker in this industry and I was incredibly proud of her.

I'm not a guy with a big team, and I don't sell million dollar homes or move the large commercial deals that get you on these lists quickly. I'm steady, but not sensational. I'm the guy that juggles phones and wants to take on the world alone until I finally decided to work with my new good friend Marion Krick who does sell some amazing homes I'd say qualify for the beautiful homes out there. I always joke that you can be the Bentley Dealership or the Grocery store. You can sell a few pricey homes, or constantly sell any deal you can find without a thought of whether it's worth the time. I'm the latter, and I want every deal. I'm hungry even after 23 years. I want every customer that will have me as their agent even if they're wanting to buy a $60,000 condo with issues.

I'm happily a grocery store, and yet I'm honored by such a nomination out of nowhere. So thanks to Orlando Magazine, and congrats to all the others that made the cut.

They did just that, and their lawyer easily fought a case with no basis in reality, further showing a broken system in many banks to take due care when acting on most people's largest asset - their home. The twist comes however, when after losing, BOA refused to pay the judgement due to the plantiffs.

On Friday (June 4, 2011), the Nyerges and the couple's lawyer, along with 2 sheriff's deputies and a moving company, went to a local Bank of America branch to take possession of furniture inside the bank to settle the debt. An hour later, the bank wrote a check for $5,772.88 to satisfy the original debt plus other fees. They didn't however pay all fees due, for which the associated press reports that almost $3k is still due.

According to employee testimony filed with Florida authorities, Stern's employees, the lawfirm responsible for the foreclosure mistake, churned out bogus mortgage assignments, faked signatures, falsified notarizations and foreclosed on people without verifying their identities, the amounts they owed or who owned their loans.

The Florida attorney general is investigating if Stern's office paid kickbacks to banks.

A growing trend that investigators are having to deal with is coming fast and hard with short sales. Everyone has heard stories about arm's length transactions not knowing if they were true or not, and many times we see questionable things that the law hasn't caught up to. We have all kinds of disclosures now like MARS, and yet we still hear more reports, not less, on fraud within short sales. The robo-signing fiasco surely exposed that the law is having to catch up to investors. In this case the Sarah Palin hoopla might have uncovered such a case of possible fraud where, according to the Huffington post, an investor sold a short sale property for 118% of the purchase price. Shrewd investment, or something foul? We'll see as it all unfolds in typical Palin fashion.

We always preach location, good electrical/plubming/hvac, knowing the construction of the house is solid (block vs wood frame), and a number of other critical factors. The one issue that is shocking me to find more and more of in Florida real estate, is mold. There are a lot of different types of mildew that can grow in a house and can even in some cases lead to structural harm. Worst of all though is that its horrible for your health to breathe in.

One of the worst parts of having to help look out for mildew and/or mold is its tough to find because it grows in dark and moist areas which might be normally hidden somewhere within the structural areas of the home similar to attics and basements. Ive seen one situation where a previous owner had an obvious plumbing issue that soaked the drywall, and yet, instead of replacing it they painted over it. In this particular case I smelt a hint of the mold and popped off a baseboard. Luckily, Ive learned lots of tips from my long time friend in the construction industry, and hes since become a certified expert that I have inspect homes Im dealing with if I even have the faintest thought it could have mold, I always work with my friends, the Orlando mold specialists - Associated Environmental Services.

By the time mold shows up in the living area, its surely already all over the home. Without the proper precaution and plan, these projects are both dangerous and expensive. Have an expert on your side and dont be afraid to get multiple quotes. Its also vital that you make sure the companies you deal with have mold certification, and long-term experience with drywall and home construction projects.

One of the vital locations for mold to form is wherever there is poor ventilation. If a home has ever flooded and was not fully or correctly cleaned and dried after, this will greatly decrease the value of the home because of the structural and help ramifications it has. Leaky plumbing and basement crawlspaces are different, but also candidates for mold.

Mildew can be a troublesome project to fully do away with because of how quickly it spreads before you can find it. The most likely causes is usually that moisture finds its way into the home through defective or leaky roofs and foundations. Both of these areas needs to be checked over by an experienced mold inspector on a fairly regular basis if your home has ever had an issue. Mold may be a costly problem to cope with, so be pro-active about in search of it, it will possibly prevent money within the lengthy run.

Robert runs around working toward the best possible out come for his clients. Let his experience become your advantage if you're looking for Winter Park real estate, where he regularly battles the all powerful mold often found in the area's beautiful historical homes.

Be careful with your customers. If something doesn't quite seem right, just air on the side of caution and don't take unnecessary risks. On many occasions realtors work alone when showing properties, having an open house, or when they're manning the model homes in a brand new subdivision.

I always advice the women in my office to meet new customers in the office and tell them to get as much private info as possible. If you're not the burley type laced to the nines with jabs that could kill, dont show property by yourself if you can help it, and consider carrying pepper spay if it's legal in your locality. I've had my nephew who is a strapping young man go with me on a few listings and it helped when a group of people approached us while in the listing not to make as much trouble. Don't be embarassed to ask a co-worker to go along with you; especially if something seems off.

5 Solid Tips for Your Safety

1. Always drive your own automobile to the property.

2. As you're showing the property, always have the client lead you if you can help it. You can't live in fear and think everyone is after you, but if seems strange don't turn your back to them, and visualize your exits.

3. Keep your keys and cell phone close and in easy reach.

4. Take a couple of self defense classes. It sounds like overkill, but one weekend course can give you the confidence and preparation that could save your life in the unliklihood something happens. My praying mantis kung fu will put you in some hurt people!

5. Let the client see that you have contacted your office and the workplace is conscious of who you're with. Just the perception can be enough even if you didn't actually do it. If there is an emergency your office can play a significant role. Make sure they've the make of your car, its colour, and license plate.

Robert Sabrkhani is a realtor scared for his life when entering listings occupied by people that might want to harm him. Learn from this wirey Jedi Master REO kung fu, and his adventures in longwood homes. He trains his real estate ninja padawon friends in the ways of safety at his lake mary real estate office.

Here is a funny one to start off, but I'll have a few that will suprise even veterans.

So, Is this Bob Marley's Orlando vacation home?

It wasn't really the rasta master's home that needed a BPO (he does have a restaurant in the area that his family owns though, but in this case it's irrelevant), but with all the green sticky I found inside of one fresh and funky bank owned listing that was assigned to me, I sure could have quit my day job and moved to Jamaica to sing my redemption song.

After a quick daydream of David Caruso saying something ironic over my dead body after imaging myself staying to finish the report ( *Horatio Kane flips glasses on* I guess this agent's deal is dead! YEahhh!!!) , I contacted the authorities and let the bank know about special circumstances.

Everyone won but the drug dealer. The police impounded evidence that is now off the street, my listing was completely cleaned out and sold, I have a funny story, and the new owners had great soil to work with for their garden.

So, If you're one of the drug lords that I narced on - and you're reading this - please do not visit my Orlando real estate for sale website that has my photo, phone number, convenient contact form, and all my other Orlando area listings.

Having lived life on both sides of this arrangement, here are my quick tips for agents working with heavy listing agents:

1. Understand that not all agents are created equal, just in case you didnt already know it. Know that with this in mind, your agent could take days to get back with you, or there assistant could take days to get back with you and know next to nothing. The best thing you can do in these cases is to not get your clients hopes up. Let them know that if a property is a short-sale or bank-owned property with a notoriously poor communicator, that its not a slam dunk. Some people speculate that these agents don't want to sell listings unless it's their buyer. I think that is a non-issue because their ability to receive more listings depends on the success of selling those listings.
2. Know the market, or talk to someone that does. If you dont regularly deal in bank owned properties, try to talk with someone that does in your office. In a typical week I get lots of the agents in my office asking me questions because I know these deals extremely well. If youre lucky, youll have an experienced agent in your office ready to help. If you dont, really look at the home values for recent bank owned properties and try to compare some of a particular agents listings youre interested in to see the starting price versus the selling price. Whereas, some agents (or more likely, the investor pushing them) may have a bias to price low to get multiple offers, or price high and cut as the listing ages.
3. Read all the fine print. Not only can being lazy on an REO deal likely kill it, if youre dealing with an agent that is impossible to get a hold of getting the contract and addendums in both timely and accurately is paramount. Now, Ive never done this, and good agents dont, but if they are handling too many properties and have multiple offers, your offer could get tossed in the abyss if every detail wasnt in order. If you didnt understand the required addendums and completion dates try to get help from whatever means you have. Contact your broker or call a friend. You must communicate details to the loan officer too, or your customer could lose the deal, and possibly pay interest or lose a deposit if they decide to walk.

So, what is branding? Well, the short answer is that its a marketing concept that involves creating an image that resonates with your audience. Having a strong brand means you must approach performances with vigor, have awareness of your target market, and ideally, to have your overall perception as a professional resonate to your audience or target market. Your personal brand should convey a sense of confidence. You have to look to yourself, deep down, to find what unique aspects of your being that make you fit for certain types of work or clients. Then let everyone that you can know about.

Your brand must be consistent, and it must service a need in society.

As realtors how does this apply to us? We see it every day in blog entries and home pages. On my site you can see Im positioned as an Orlando foreclosures expert on my REW agent site, because Ive sold over 200 hundred REOs in the last two years. That's one of the main ways people know me. Maybe youre a master of short sale, or you want be, or you like listing luxury homes. Find a niche, make sure you have access to an audience, plan it out, and keep pushing toward your goal. It took almost 5 years of incredibly hard work before I was a top producer, and in some markets it will take you longer.

Don't be shy about your self actualization fellow realtor… invite, “like”, friend request, follow others in your niche to participate in as many opportunies as your time allows. If youre at a large brokerage, offer to do open houses with a power agent in your niche. Go the sale meetings and get to know your colleagues. Hit up Facebook, Twitter, REW, AR, Trulia, Zillow, and local websites and forums to start sharing your niche knowledge so that you can start convincing your target market that you are the unabashed expert that happily shares their expertise.

Dont confuse your brand with an image. Your brand is you business identity. If you have the wrong audience, or your attitude isnt in the right place, you cant succeed in a competitive market. A powerful personal brand requires hard work to develop. Dont create a logo and a website, and then call it quits. As a realtor, your brand is you. So develop and invest in it youre worth it!

Ive actually heard derogatory remarks used when describing what a real estate profession is responsible for when asked to take a lower commission, and it is just flat wrong. I graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and yet I have made far more money in real estate and associated investments because of the expertise Ive developed over a long career of hard work. Everything is in the details, and being a master of understanding and working all the details makes you a professional like any other career path.

My advice is to do what makes your business work. We are all here to make a living. Just ask yourself if marketing yourself that way is how you want to be perceived. If you can create a niche that creates closings then it could be a great decision. That said, you shouldnt undersell yourself if you dont absolutely have to. Some areas are so cut-throat that you might to use rebates to break into a market or get the type of listings or buyers you want, but here are 7 methods you can try to avoid doing so.

7 ways to provide incentives without cutting your commission.

1. Include Home Warranties with every buyer side deal. This is good business that isn't expensive. If something breaks it certainly helps shows you thought ahead and looked after their well-being.
2. Let the customer know you have risk in the listings you take. Tell them how you spend money with staging, professional photos, marketing and whatever else you do that others don't. Show them why you are worth it versus other agents.
3. Give the customer a thoughtful thank you gift upon closing that shows you know them.
4. Offer to throw your customer a house warming party. It could also bring you future business.
5. Happily give quick free advice to their friends and family. It could also bring you future business.
6. Insist that you wont take less than the customary% in your area, but tell them youll put some of the funds toward closing costs if they are cash strapped to make the deal work. Millionaires are not cash strapped, and they didnt get rich discounting their services.
7. Trade services. If you sell a home to a carpenter, tell them youd like them to build that deck youve always wanted after closing, and follow through.
8. If your customer walks all over you and has no respect for your time, energy, and expertise - let them walk. Sometimes they come back with a different attitude when they deal with someone else.

Provide incentives, but explain to your clients why youre worth the full commission if they dont want to pay it - and mean it. Be available, stay in contact, and act diligently. If they absolutely insist on you cutting your commission because a good realtor will, then do what you have to, but make a stand and believe in yourself before blindly jumping in without making sure such a strategy is sustainable. Otherwise your next incentive will be a new career that does pay what youre worth.