Hi Everyone!
Well it was a tough week on Wall Street. For those of you who have most of your investments in stocks, you lost a large percentage of your portfolio. I'm not an expert in stocks by any means, but I would imagine, if the companies you are invested in are solid, then you should just hold on to your stocks and wait for them to come back. Unlike 2000 when the stock market crashed with the Internet Bubble Burst (I was a victim both in my stock portfolio and in my Internet company) the stock market is still built on a lot of solid companies. In fact, it would make sense that after a week like last week, this might be a good time to buy up stocks. You know when a stock like GM is down to the lowest it has been since 1949, then it probably is a safe buy. However, like I said, I'm not an expert in stocks by any means so don't take my advice unless you talk to a professional.
What I am though, is a professional in the Real Estate field. If you are or have taken your money out of the stock market, this is a great time to invest in Real Estate. As you probably know, the Real Estate Market has crashed for almost 3 years now. Home prices are back to 2002 and 2003 pricing which was right at the beginning of the boom. You can now buy a home and actually have a positive cash flow for your rental in most cases. Finally, the people who are either not taking advantage of this market or have lost their homes to short sales or foreclosures still need a place to live...therefore, the rental market is pretty good. Of course it is still price driven and many people, including myself, are upside down in our investments and must try to get a higher rent.
So what does this mean to you? It depends on your goals. If you have thought about investing in Real Estate, this is probably a great time to do so. Currently you can buy new construction homes for as low as $120k (1200 sq. ft.) on a lot. We haven't seen that for quite some time. You can also buy homes that are just a couple of years old and up to 2000 sq. f. for the same price. It certainly is a great time to buy. The only problem that may arise for you is the financing. Currently the loan market is totally credit driven. This means the better your credit, the better your interest rate.
If you are buying a primary home, then this might be the chance of your lifetime to grab a piece of paradise at an awesome price. The way things were going there up until 2005, I didn't think my children would ever be able to buy a home in their lifetime. However, like always, the market corrected itself and home prices are now affordable again! I don't know that I would wait to long to buy a home as prices and interest rates are bound to rise again at some point. After all, Brevard County is the least expensive Waterfront Community in Florida. Over the next 10 year period, pending they can sell their homes, the 77 Million Baby Boomers will be heading for retirement. Florida will always remain one of the top destinations for retirees. With Brevard County being so affordable, you can be sure that this market will increase in value once things normalize! Of course I have no crystal ball to tell you when that will be, but it seems to me that prices can't go much lower making Brevard County's losses, your opportunities!
If you would like to search for a home or investments in Brevard County, just go to:
http://www.melbournehomesearch.com/index.cfm/Search_MLS
Here you will have access to every listing in Brevard County Florida. Whether you are looking for a tropical home, a waterfront home or a condo, you can find it all right here.
As aways, I look forward to helping you. Have a fun Sunday!
Mitch
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
It's an interesting time in Real Estate right now.
So here we are, the Monday after the "big" bailout. The stock market crashed again but did make a comeback to lose only -369.88 . Some would say this is a pretty scary time! However, others are looking at this as a great opportunity. The question is how do you look at it?
The unfortunate part here, and I won't get political, is that the real problems are the Media driving this frenzy, and our government running around with their heads cut off trying to fix it. The reality is, as it always does, the market will fix itself. The market is made to have companies do bad business, go down, and have another company seizing the opportunity. Our country has done just great the past 50 years or so following our founding fathers guidance. My belief is if we took the media out of the equation then we wouldn't be even close to having this meltdown. They have been non stop being the barers of doom and gloom. I guess that's one negative to free speech. Anyone can say anything without being held accountable. It's amazing what the media will do for ratings and to get their candidate, Mr. Obama, into office. But we won't go there either!
So here I am sitting at my desk probably wondering where my future lies as most small business people are doing right about now. I know I have to go home and have dinner, but I feel the urge to sit at my desk and try to figure out the worlds problems. The good news is we are still doing fine as a company and our customers are still buying homes. They are certainly taking advantage of the buyers market right now. In the end, no matter what I do, or how much I complain about the additional $150 Billion in pork added to the useless bailout, it will be what it will be. I personally think that every congressman that asked for their portion of the pork bill should be impeached from office. As much as I don't agree with the bailout, they put their personal pet projects ahead of taking care of America. They are traitors in my book whether they are democrat or republican.
Here we are with the same question we have had for quite some time now. Is it a good time to buy? I believe it is. I believe this is just a blip on the screen and after the election the markets will mysteriously become stable again and things will be on track. If you are smart right now you will take advantage of the situation. I wish I had more cash available so I could buy property. In the end our property values will come back. Our property values will increase and things will be normal.
That's my point of view on all of this. I just want to assure you that we are here to stay and we are helping buyers and sellers every single day!
As always, if you need anything please let me know. I'm always here to help.
Mitch
The unfortunate part here, and I won't get political, is that the real problems are the Media driving this frenzy, and our government running around with their heads cut off trying to fix it. The reality is, as it always does, the market will fix itself. The market is made to have companies do bad business, go down, and have another company seizing the opportunity. Our country has done just great the past 50 years or so following our founding fathers guidance. My belief is if we took the media out of the equation then we wouldn't be even close to having this meltdown. They have been non stop being the barers of doom and gloom. I guess that's one negative to free speech. Anyone can say anything without being held accountable. It's amazing what the media will do for ratings and to get their candidate, Mr. Obama, into office. But we won't go there either!
So here I am sitting at my desk probably wondering where my future lies as most small business people are doing right about now. I know I have to go home and have dinner, but I feel the urge to sit at my desk and try to figure out the worlds problems. The good news is we are still doing fine as a company and our customers are still buying homes. They are certainly taking advantage of the buyers market right now. In the end, no matter what I do, or how much I complain about the additional $150 Billion in pork added to the useless bailout, it will be what it will be. I personally think that every congressman that asked for their portion of the pork bill should be impeached from office. As much as I don't agree with the bailout, they put their personal pet projects ahead of taking care of America. They are traitors in my book whether they are democrat or republican.
Here we are with the same question we have had for quite some time now. Is it a good time to buy? I believe it is. I believe this is just a blip on the screen and after the election the markets will mysteriously become stable again and things will be on track. If you are smart right now you will take advantage of the situation. I wish I had more cash available so I could buy property. In the end our property values will come back. Our property values will increase and things will be normal.
That's my point of view on all of this. I just want to assure you that we are here to stay and we are helping buyers and sellers every single day!
As always, if you need anything please let me know. I'm always here to help.
Mitch
Saturday, September 20, 2008
So what does it all mean?
With the government bailing out the financial companies of our country, what does this all mean to us? Actually, I wish I had the answer. To me this is probably a mistake as we have become a reactionary counry versus a country of sound principles. I'm a big believer in less government. I believe that captialism will provide most of the answers as it usually does. I know that if my company is having financial trouble nobody is going to come and save me. I'm going to drown with all my other small business comrades!
These companies are failing because they got greedy and corrupt. Should they be saved? The problem is that they control so much of our citizens retirement accounts and that's where the issue lies. That is why the government is bailing out these companies. However, if this has to be, then the people who run these companies should be held accountable for all the bad investments they made with our money. It was these people, out of greed, that made the decisions to make these dumb investments. Are they going to be able to continue to run these companies with no consequence?
As I said, I'm not a big believer in bailing out these companies but we are in a tough place. If we don't do it, millions of people are going to be financially ruined. If we do it we are saying it's ok to take risks that are going to hurt these same millions of people.
It's the same with all these investors who decided to walk away from their obligations because of their greed...but that's another story for another day!
These companies are failing because they got greedy and corrupt. Should they be saved? The problem is that they control so much of our citizens retirement accounts and that's where the issue lies. That is why the government is bailing out these companies. However, if this has to be, then the people who run these companies should be held accountable for all the bad investments they made with our money. It was these people, out of greed, that made the decisions to make these dumb investments. Are they going to be able to continue to run these companies with no consequence?
As I said, I'm not a big believer in bailing out these companies but we are in a tough place. If we don't do it, millions of people are going to be financially ruined. If we do it we are saying it's ok to take risks that are going to hurt these same millions of people.
It's the same with all these investors who decided to walk away from their obligations because of their greed...but that's another story for another day!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Brevard County Real Estate - Finally some great news!
Well it's about time the News Media has said something positive about the Real Estate market. Home sales for July were up 2.5%! That may not be the gigantic gain, but it's on the plus side versus the negative side!
Currently we have under 6800 single family homes on the market. We are down from over 7000 homes on the market just two months ago. It's a sure sign that the market is starting to turn around.
The only thing getting in the way of a great rebound right now might be the Internet Rates. There are signs that the rates may go up after the first of the year. So, if you are on the fence about buying, this is probably one of the best times to purchase that home you have been waiting to buy.
There is one line that I love for those who are waiting for the market to reach the bottom. "You will never know when we hit bottom until the market starts to go back up."
As always, if there is anything we can do for you, that's what we are here for!
Have a fun night!
Mitch
Currently we have under 6800 single family homes on the market. We are down from over 7000 homes on the market just two months ago. It's a sure sign that the market is starting to turn around.
The only thing getting in the way of a great rebound right now might be the Internet Rates. There are signs that the rates may go up after the first of the year. So, if you are on the fence about buying, this is probably one of the best times to purchase that home you have been waiting to buy.
There is one line that I love for those who are waiting for the market to reach the bottom. "You will never know when we hit bottom until the market starts to go back up."
As always, if there is anything we can do for you, that's what we are here for!
Have a fun night!
Mitch
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Everything is fine in Brevard County after Tropical Storm Fay!
I must have received 50 calls from our customers who are looking to mover to Brevard County. They are all fearing the worst that might have happened to us sitting here in the eye of the storm. I just wanted to let everyone know that we are fine and in most areas the water has gone down tremendously. I was away when I got my first call from my wife. She was frantic because we were getting water coming into our bathroom. I thought the worst, but it really wasn't to bad. What really happened is we had some plumbing issues fixed a couple of years ago and the people that did it, didn't do a great job sealing the block. So the water just kept coming in. Of course listening to my wife panic while I was in Denver was pretty scary.
It was a relief to know that it was really ok when I got home. I just had to take the baseboards off, dry it out, and once dry I will put the boards back on. I probably have about an inch of sheetrock to cut off. Not bad.Yes, we were lucky. There were a few homes around the county that didn't fair so well. This was the most rain, up to 30 inches, that this area has ever seen.
So I started wondering how people would react to this storm. Luckily, it really hasn't made any difference. We are still busy showing homes this weekend and life goes on. Let's face it, no matter where you live you have something to deal with from Mother Nature. We deal with hurricanes and tropical storms. The north deals with blizzards. California deals with earthquakes. The midwest deals with tornados. In the end, if the good Mother wants to get you, she will!Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick update of our situation here.
For some it has been really tough but for most of us it's what we deal with to live in paradise! I wouldn't change a thing!
It was a relief to know that it was really ok when I got home. I just had to take the baseboards off, dry it out, and once dry I will put the boards back on. I probably have about an inch of sheetrock to cut off. Not bad.Yes, we were lucky. There were a few homes around the county that didn't fair so well. This was the most rain, up to 30 inches, that this area has ever seen.
So I started wondering how people would react to this storm. Luckily, it really hasn't made any difference. We are still busy showing homes this weekend and life goes on. Let's face it, no matter where you live you have something to deal with from Mother Nature. We deal with hurricanes and tropical storms. The north deals with blizzards. California deals with earthquakes. The midwest deals with tornados. In the end, if the good Mother wants to get you, she will!Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick update of our situation here.
For some it has been really tough but for most of us it's what we deal with to live in paradise! I wouldn't change a thing!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Brevard County July Stats
Hi Everyone!
It certainly appears that home sales are holding steady. Our inventory is at a new low with 6860 single family homes on the market. Currently there are only 2454 townhomes and condos on the market and 3445 lots for sale.
July Sales were:
Single Family Homes - 439 sales
Condos and Townhomes - 97 sales
Land - 36 sales
June Sales were:
Single Family Homes - 456 sales
Condos and Townhomes - 117 sales
Land - 41 sales
As you can see, sales remain steady and based on the number of people contacting us daily, it appears the market should remain steady in the near future. Prices seem to be stable and homes that are priced correctly are selling in quick fashion. We have had many listings selling within 30-45 days as long as they are willing to listen to us on our pricing to sell. We tell all sellers you can either be in the market or on the market. We are not interested in listings homes for the sake of listings homes. We will only list homes that are "in" the market! Last month only 439 homes were in the market.
The foreclosure market has definitely affected the resales of non foreclosures. With so many foreclosures (494) and short sales (1513) on the market, sellers are going to either not sell their homes or sell them competitively with these bank related properties.
Short sales remain a pain in the neck to deal with and time frames have not increased to get answers from the banks. Many times we are waiting 3 or more months for an answer and still less than 35% of these homes are actually going forward to closing. Our advice is still to stay clear of short sales. You are better off going after foreclosures or other resales. Of course if you have plenty of time to kill and are not in any hurry, short sales can be a good deal. Remember though, the listing price of a short sale is not necessarily the price the bank will take on the property. We still receive many banks countering our offers much higher than the asking price.
Interest rates are remaining stable also. It's just a matter of time until the rates start to go up, but for now, it still remains a great time to buy a home. As I have said many times, the only thing we know for sure right now are the prices and the interest rates. Even if prices stay the same or go down a little, interest rates have no where to go but up. Buy now and don't wait for the unknown. Keep in mind, we won't know that we are really at the bottom until the prices start going up again.
Hopefully you can see a snapshot of Brevard County Florida. If you have any questions or would like to see any properties, don't hesitate to contact us. Have a great night and good luck in your home search!
Mitch
It certainly appears that home sales are holding steady. Our inventory is at a new low with 6860 single family homes on the market. Currently there are only 2454 townhomes and condos on the market and 3445 lots for sale.
July Sales were:
Single Family Homes - 439 sales
Condos and Townhomes - 97 sales
Land - 36 sales
June Sales were:
Single Family Homes - 456 sales
Condos and Townhomes - 117 sales
Land - 41 sales
As you can see, sales remain steady and based on the number of people contacting us daily, it appears the market should remain steady in the near future. Prices seem to be stable and homes that are priced correctly are selling in quick fashion. We have had many listings selling within 30-45 days as long as they are willing to listen to us on our pricing to sell. We tell all sellers you can either be in the market or on the market. We are not interested in listings homes for the sake of listings homes. We will only list homes that are "in" the market! Last month only 439 homes were in the market.
The foreclosure market has definitely affected the resales of non foreclosures. With so many foreclosures (494) and short sales (1513) on the market, sellers are going to either not sell their homes or sell them competitively with these bank related properties.
Short sales remain a pain in the neck to deal with and time frames have not increased to get answers from the banks. Many times we are waiting 3 or more months for an answer and still less than 35% of these homes are actually going forward to closing. Our advice is still to stay clear of short sales. You are better off going after foreclosures or other resales. Of course if you have plenty of time to kill and are not in any hurry, short sales can be a good deal. Remember though, the listing price of a short sale is not necessarily the price the bank will take on the property. We still receive many banks countering our offers much higher than the asking price.
Interest rates are remaining stable also. It's just a matter of time until the rates start to go up, but for now, it still remains a great time to buy a home. As I have said many times, the only thing we know for sure right now are the prices and the interest rates. Even if prices stay the same or go down a little, interest rates have no where to go but up. Buy now and don't wait for the unknown. Keep in mind, we won't know that we are really at the bottom until the prices start going up again.
Hopefully you can see a snapshot of Brevard County Florida. If you have any questions or would like to see any properties, don't hesitate to contact us. Have a great night and good luck in your home search!
Mitch
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Happy 4th of July!
I can't believe it's the 4th of July already! I remember my parents telling me that when you get older the time flies by! I really didn't buy it as I knew how long a school year seemed to last. Now my oldest son is telling me he can't believe he has been out of high school for 11 years and just turned 29 years old. Crazy!
When I think of the 4th of July and the memories this holiday conjures up, I mostly think of the American Flag, Fireworks, Family, Friends and of course our young men and women in harms way far away from their country. Their 4th of July is about staying alive and protecting their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and friends back home. If it wasn't for our soldiers over the past 200 years or so, we wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy this coming weekend like we do.
The 4th of July should be our most patriotic day of the year. Without getting totally political here, I think over the past few years, and especially this year, many Americans are losing their patriotism. I talk with so many people that seem to not like the country we live in right now. Let's keep something perfectly clear though, our country is made up of you and I. Our country does not belong to politicians, it belongs to us. If we are to preserve what our current and past soldiers have died for, we are going to have to become more involved in what the politicians are doing to our country. I just read an email that stated that Pepsi has a new can of soda with the flag and the Pledge of Allegience. In the Pledge they left out Under God. Is this really happening to us. Are we so afraid of hurting someones feelings that we are going against the fiber and blood that our country was built upon. If this doesn't scare you, it should. It should scare you that our world is changing quickly before our eyes and our country is being negatively affected because of our lack of unity as a nation.
Let's all remember that when push comes to shove, we are all neighbors and we all need to learn to compromise. If for a moment, we the people, can bring back our patriotism, then we will have the ability to work together to solve some of our pressing issues. However, if we choose to continue to fight each other verbally to the point of hatred amongst Liberals and Conservatives, we will soon lose our country. We will go the way of all the Empires prior to The United States of America. I don't want that for my grand children, do you.
Unfortunately, if you are my age (47) or so, it is left upon us to straighten out this mess. We do not have the luxury and we have the moral obligation, to make our country whole again. Let's face it, our parents generation did a heck of a bad job over the past 30 years. Most of todays problems could have been resolved years ago if they actually acted on the problems of the day. I think back to 1974 and pumping gas at my friends dads gas station with huge lines. I remember the talk of not being held hostage by the Middle East and the need for alternative energy. Unfortunately it was just talk and nobody did anything. After all, the future problems would be the future...it's so far away. Well here we are 30 years later and the future is now.
Ok, I'm done ranting. I love our country. I love the people. I even love New Yorkers which is tough for me being a Boston Red Sox fan! I love what we stand for. I love the fact that when anyone in our country or around the world is suffereing from devestation, that we are the first ones to give. Not just from the government, but from you and I. We are America. Please help us protect our country and get involved. Remember, all the politicians are our employees. It's time to fire our staff and get a new one! Unfortunately we don't have that option this election, but we have 4 more years to really make a difference in the next election in 2012. Let's not let our grand children down, they are depending on us.
With all that said, I hope that you all have a Happy 4th of July weekend. I hope you reflect on what I have said here and what you can do for your country. I think one of our Presidents said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. It's time!
Happy 4th of July!
When I think of the 4th of July and the memories this holiday conjures up, I mostly think of the American Flag, Fireworks, Family, Friends and of course our young men and women in harms way far away from their country. Their 4th of July is about staying alive and protecting their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and friends back home. If it wasn't for our soldiers over the past 200 years or so, we wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy this coming weekend like we do.
The 4th of July should be our most patriotic day of the year. Without getting totally political here, I think over the past few years, and especially this year, many Americans are losing their patriotism. I talk with so many people that seem to not like the country we live in right now. Let's keep something perfectly clear though, our country is made up of you and I. Our country does not belong to politicians, it belongs to us. If we are to preserve what our current and past soldiers have died for, we are going to have to become more involved in what the politicians are doing to our country. I just read an email that stated that Pepsi has a new can of soda with the flag and the Pledge of Allegience. In the Pledge they left out Under God. Is this really happening to us. Are we so afraid of hurting someones feelings that we are going against the fiber and blood that our country was built upon. If this doesn't scare you, it should. It should scare you that our world is changing quickly before our eyes and our country is being negatively affected because of our lack of unity as a nation.
Let's all remember that when push comes to shove, we are all neighbors and we all need to learn to compromise. If for a moment, we the people, can bring back our patriotism, then we will have the ability to work together to solve some of our pressing issues. However, if we choose to continue to fight each other verbally to the point of hatred amongst Liberals and Conservatives, we will soon lose our country. We will go the way of all the Empires prior to The United States of America. I don't want that for my grand children, do you.
Unfortunately, if you are my age (47) or so, it is left upon us to straighten out this mess. We do not have the luxury and we have the moral obligation, to make our country whole again. Let's face it, our parents generation did a heck of a bad job over the past 30 years. Most of todays problems could have been resolved years ago if they actually acted on the problems of the day. I think back to 1974 and pumping gas at my friends dads gas station with huge lines. I remember the talk of not being held hostage by the Middle East and the need for alternative energy. Unfortunately it was just talk and nobody did anything. After all, the future problems would be the future...it's so far away. Well here we are 30 years later and the future is now.
Ok, I'm done ranting. I love our country. I love the people. I even love New Yorkers which is tough for me being a Boston Red Sox fan! I love what we stand for. I love the fact that when anyone in our country or around the world is suffereing from devestation, that we are the first ones to give. Not just from the government, but from you and I. We are America. Please help us protect our country and get involved. Remember, all the politicians are our employees. It's time to fire our staff and get a new one! Unfortunately we don't have that option this election, but we have 4 more years to really make a difference in the next election in 2012. Let's not let our grand children down, they are depending on us.
With all that said, I hope that you all have a Happy 4th of July weekend. I hope you reflect on what I have said here and what you can do for your country. I think one of our Presidents said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. It's time!
Happy 4th of July!
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