Just 30 days left for the tax credit

Hi Everyone!

I hope all of you are doing great today. It's the last Sunday of the first quarter and we are kicking into high gear. I'm not sure if it's my great marketing or if it's the tax credit, but our office is extremely busy right now. This month, March, we have set new records in written contracts. I'm very proud of my Agents and admin staff for how hard they work to keep our customers happy. Most of you don't know, as I didn't before getting in the business, that this is one of the hardest jobs out there. Agents, at least ours at Tropical Realty, work 24/7 and take each transaction very personal. We truly care that our customers have gone through their transactions with the least amount of stress. We absorb the stress so they don't have to feel it!

If you have been thinking about buying and taking advantage of the tax credit, this is the time. You will have to have a contract by April 30th and close by the end of June. I don't think they will extend the credit...at least I don't know where they will get the money to pay for these credits, once this is over. I'm not sure where they are getting the money for the current program! So if you are thinking about this 6, this is the time. And by the way, it's a great time to buy! House prices are the cheapest I have seen since 2001. It's amazing!

So what else is new? This year we started really taking listings as part of our business model. We had spent the last 4 years not taking them or at least being very selective when we did take them. The reason we are taking them now is I believe people understand that their home's value is what it is. The numbers don't lie and no matter what some other Realtor might say, we can still only get what the home will appraise at. No higher.

I ran into a guy yesterday morning at the golf tournament. He had asked me to list his home 3 years ago. At the time I told him it was worth no higher than the mid $500's. Of course he had two other Realtors tell him that they could sell it in the mid $600's. I told him I wouldn't take it at the price because it would waste a lot of money on my end and not do him any favors. In the end, because of his price, he would not sell it. He opted to list with one of the other Agents for $650k. Three years later, he finally sold the home for $350k. When I saw him yesterday, he told me that if he had just listened to me three years ago, he would have made an additional $200k.

Here is the deal. If you are going to list your home, don't always go with the Agent saying they can get the highest price. Anyone can say anything, the numbers are the numbers. There are plenty of Realtors who will take your home at an inflated price just to get their sign in your yard. To me, it's wasting everyones time. Look at the numbers, look at the comps. That's what is going to determine your price. Just because your home has an upgraded this or that, doesn't really matter much these days when it comes to selling. Sure, it helps sell your home, but the price isn't going to change to much. If your neighborhood is selling at $200,000, don't expect to get $250k. It just isn't going to happen...and if you are lucky enough to get a contract at that price, it won't appraise and you will be starting all over again.

If you are interested in finding out the true value of your home, feel free to contact us as I'm always glad to help.

That's it for now. If you need anything, we are always here to help. Have a great week ahead!

Mitch