Vero Beach, FL Real Estate Video BlogPodcast with Kelly Fischer

If you have a student loan or are a cosigner on one, listen up. Fannie Mae just introduced three new rule changes that will affect those with student debt. Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationIf you have a student loan or you are a cosigner on one, I have some good news for you. Fannie Mae, the nation's largest underwriter of mortgages, recently introduced three new rules that will affect those with student debt.These new rules can make it easier to get a mortgage, and they can make it easier to pay off your (or your kids’) student loans.The first change is for those on income-based repayment plans, where having a high debt-to-income ratio is the No. 1 reason for not being approved for a mortgage. Fannie Mae previously used a very conservative 1% of the total loan instead of the actual monthly payment. This can drastically lower your debt-to-income ratio and give you a much better chance of qualifying for a mortgage.Some folks are lucky enough to have their student debt paid by their parents or even by their employer. The thing is, Fannie Mae didn't take this into account when calculating the debt-to-income ratio. That's the second new change.If you can qualify for a mortgage right now, you definitely should.If your employer or your parents have been paying off your student debt and you can show evidence of this for the past 12 months, then this debt won’t be counted in your debt-to-income ratio. This makes it more likely you will qualify for a mortgage.If you can qualify for a mortgage right now, you definitely should. Rates are still at a historical low, and lots of great houses have recently come on the Vero Beach market.Fannie Mae also makes it possible to refinance your mortgage for more than the value of your home. Normally, there is a 0.25% fee that applies to any cash you take out in this way.The third big change is that Fannie Mae will now waive that fee when you use this cash to pay off a student loan. This applies whether the loan is yours, or you're a cosigner. If the mortgage rate is significantly lower than the student loan rate, it can make sense to refinance in this way, and the new rule makes it cheaper to do so. If you need help understanding these new guidelines to see whether they’re right for you, or you have questions about putting them into practice, get in touch with me at (772) 236-7862 or Kelly@KellyFischerTeam.com. I’ll be glad to help. I hope to hear from you soon!

There are certain topics you should avoid talking about with a potential buyer. Here are four of the most important ones to steer clear of.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation Selling a home isn’t easy. You might have to show it a dozen or more times in order to find the right buyer. We think it’s a good idea if you aren’t home during any showings, but that’s not always possibleIf you do happen to be present at a showing, avoid these four topics at all cost. In fact, try to keep the talking to a minimum.Don’t be present during showings in the first place 1. How much you spent on “Blank.” As soon as you start talking about what you spent on something, the buyer will get nervous about the premium you are going to ask in your sale price for it. Just leave it alone.2. How perfect your house is. Nobody’s home is truly perfect. In all my years, I have only seen one perfect inspection. Every other home has had flaws.3. Repairs you’ve been “meaning to get to.” What you’re really saying is that there are flaws in the home that you don’t like. Avoid pointing out any flaws to buyers. Let them find them on their own.4. Anything related to price. Just don’t mention it. Let’s wait and see if they are interested before we start discussing any particulars.Try to get out of the home during showings if you can. If you can’t, just make sure you avoid these four topics and you should be fine. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you soon.

Investing in a secondary or vacation home is a great way to make money and enjoy the Vero Beach lifestyle.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation Vacation and second homes are very popular in our area. Many people purchase a second home that they only use occasionally for the first few years, but eventually move into permanently. The Wall Street Journal and the National Association of Realtors reported that prices of vacation properties are very close to a level last seen before the housing crisis. Secondary homes appreciated 4.2% in 2016, following a 28% gain in previous years. There is no question that demand for real estate is up in Florida. Before you purchase in an investment property, there are a few things you should consider: Budget: How often do you intend to use the property? What kind of income can be generated based on your usage and the seasonality of the population?Location: Most vacationers want to be close to the beach. The good news is that here in Vero Beach, most homes are only 15 minutes away from the shore.Entertainment options: Is there a pool on the property? What about golf courses, restaurants, or shopping nearby? Your guest will want plenty of things to do while they are here. Activities: Stock up on kayaks, paddleboards, fishing supplies, and more so that your residents can enjoy their time here. Our little piece of paradise continues to attract vacationers and snowbirds alike thanks to our friendly, relaxed lifestyle. In Vero Beach, most homes are only 15 minutes away from the shore. As the owner of a vacation home, you will enjoy more profit and fewer headaches by purchasing a newer home. Not only will you have less maintenance, but new construction aesthetics really appeal to vacationers. Condos and reasonable new construction properties are good options for you. Before you sign the dotted line, though, review the Homeowners Association documents and confirm that rentals are permitted. Beware of certain restrictions, like pet policies or the number of times you can rent out your unit. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to help you find that perfect vacation property!

What are the advantages of giving up renting to become a homeowner? Eric Intihar, one of our preferred lenders, is here to answer that for you.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation Today we’re very excited to have Eric Intihar from U.S. Mortgage of Florida here to talk a little bit about the mortgage world and the benefits of owning a home. First, homeownership is key when trying to build a financial base. In fact, when the average person retires, 65% of their wealth is tied up in real estate. However, building a financial base isn't the only benefit to owning a home. It also allows you to be a part of a community, gets you a tax break, and increases your equity. Overall, a homeowner will do much better than a renter. The advantages of owning a home far outweigh the disadvantages.It’s true that owning a home comes with more responsibilities like having to repair things yourself instead of calling the landlord, but the advantages of being able to become a part of a community and helping yourself get rich instead of your landlord far outweigh the disadvantages. Right now, it’s almost like the entire real estate market is on sale. Rates are historically low, so now is a great time to make the switch from renter to homeowner. If you have any questions for Eric, you can reach him at (954-448-9829).As always, if you have any questions about real estate, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help! 

Today I’m going over some great tips for buying your next home while selling your existing one.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation A lot of people, especially if they are out of state or if they currently own a home, are having a hard time buying homes. Luckily, there are a few tips I have that can help you win in this market. First, if you are someone owns their home free and clear, that’s fantastic. My suggestion would be to meet with a lender, set up a home equity loan, and be prepared to pay cash if at all possible. Not only will it make the process easier for you, it will also give you a competitive edge over all the other buyers.  Second, if you own a home but don’t have enough equity for the first option, you should meet with a lender to find out if you are qualified to get a second mortgage. We do have some lenders here in town that can help you with bridge financing and help you buy your next home before your existing one sells. If you hire the right agent and price your home competitively, you should have no problem getting it sold. Third, you could request an extended closing date in your offer. It’s a bit of a risk, but it has worked for a lot of people. If the seller isn’t in a rush to move, for example if they are waiting for their kids to finish school, you can ask for a four or five month out closing date. You do need to be prepared in case your home doesn’t sell during that time. However, if you hire the right agent and price your home competitively, you should have no problem getting it sold. There are a lot of things that need to fall into place in order for you to successfully buy and sell a home at the same time, but if you have the right agent, it can successfully be managed. We talk to a lot of people who were very nervous about undertaking buying and selling at the same time, but as long as you do things in the order that is best for your financial circumstances, everything should go smoothly. If you have any questions about buying and selling at the same time, or if you have any other real estate questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you. 

If you're thinking about selling your house on your own, it's not a question of whether you can pull it off. It's a question of whether you will get the most out of your sale by going solo.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation When looking to sell a house "For Sale by Owner," it's not a matter of whether people will or won’t list without an agent. People always consider selling their own houses to save some money. The real question is whether they'll get the best price for their house or even get themselves in financial or legal trouble along the way.We know from statistics that over 95% of home sellers use a real estate agent, and there's a reason for it. In addition to getting a higher price and avoiding legal trouble, there's exposure. Most people who are qualified and ready to buy a home go to where all the homes are—actual listings via the real estate agent they're working with. Over 95% of home sellers use a real estate agent, and there's a reason for it. As a seller, if you're thinking of selling your own home, you have to ask yourself the right questions. I can buy hair dye and color my hair on my own, but I can't so it even close to as well as my hairdresser can. I can do my own taxes, but it would be very painful and I probably wouldn't get all the deductions I would by working with an accountant. I believe you should let the professionals with experience handle these complicated transactions. It's especially true when it comes to your home, your biggest financial asset. It's not that you can't sell your home on your own, but you probably can't expect to get the best outcome.If you're thinking about selling your house, we'd love to tell you more about how we can help you get the most out of it. Just give us a call or send us an email, we'd love to hear from you!

Open permits can cause a lot of inconvenience for homeowners. Here’s why you should always check if the house you’re buying or selling has any open permits.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation Today I want to talk about open permits and how inconvenient they can make things as far as your home is concerned.  One of the things our team routinely does when listing properties and working with buyers is check our houses for open permits. Any kind of replacement work done on a property typically requires a permit with the county and an additional final permit. The reason homes have open permits is once the owner(s) of that home paid the contractor for the work they did, that contractor never went back to the county to finalize the required permits. If you’ve had work done on your home, it’s very important that you check that your house doesn’t have any open permits, as having them can cause trouble down the road. I know from experience. If your home has an open permit, that leaves you with an open problem. Recently, we were having some work done on our house and we assumed that the contractor we hired went through the proper channels to acquire the proper permit. Unfortunately, we were wrong. As the work was being done, the county showed up and issued a Stop Work Order. Our contractor then had to stand outside on our front lawn and wait for an inspector to arrive before he could continue working. I was actually glad this happened in a way because it saved me from having to worry about open permits down the road. If you’re having work done on your house and using licensed, insured contractors, make sure you’re using people who’ve actually pulled the proper permits. Also, never write that final check until you’ve been provided with evidence that those permits have been closed out. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or need help finding out if you have any open permits on your home, feel free to give us a call. We’d be happy to help, and we look forward to seeing you next time!

If you want to sell your home for top dollar, you need to price your home correctly. Here are three common pricing pitfalls to avoid.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price Evaluation It’s natural for home sellers to want the highest price in the shortest amount of time. However, there are three issues that you need to avoid in order to make that happen. First of all, don’t rush your home onto the market. Take the time to properly prepare. Take care of any repairs, painting, or maintenance items that you might have overlooked in the time you’ve lived there. When the time comes to launch your home onto the market, you want to put your best foot forward. Price your home correctly right from the start.Statistics show time and time again that when homes are priced correctly from the start, they will sell for the most money. The reason is that testing the marketplace with an inflated price diminishes buyer interest. Instead of the buyers and agents saying, “Wow, what a great house!” they say, “That’s a nice house, but it’s not priced correctly. It’s a little expensive for the market.” Finally, if you have been on the market for awhile and you’re not getting a reasonable number of showings (three to five a week), then it may be time to adjust the price of your home. Your home should be priced based on what has come on the market or what has recently sold. If buyers are choosing other similar homes over yours, then your home is not priced correctly. Once you realize that your home is overpriced, it’s incredibly important to have that conversation with your agent and reduce the price of your home. If you have any other questions, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

When getting pre-qualified, you’re much better off using a local lender instead of an online one. Today I’ve brought in a mortgage expert to help explain why.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationWe’re seeing a lot of people lately get pre-qualified over the Internet instead of through a local lender. Maybe that’s ok for some people, but for most it brings some unwanted surprises. To help explain why, I’ve invited Eric Intihar from U.S. Mortgage of Florida to talk about this subject. In Eric’s words, a mortgage isn’t a commodity—it’s a sophisticated financial product. That’s why it’s very important when evaluating what your mortgage options are that you deal with someone you know, trust, and can get ahold of when you need to. There will be a lot of questions you’ll have as part of the normal mortgage process, and you need someone with the experience and patience to address those concerns.A mortgage isn’t a commodity—it’s a sophisticated financial product. Unfortunately, Eric frequently gets clients who need his help to fix something that went wrong with an Internet pre-qualification. This is because online lenders have no real relationship to the client or Realtor, so you aren’t a top priority for them. That’s a lot of risk to take on for such a big financial decision. As a general rule of thumb, when you’re working with an online lender, you’re typically working with someone who’s not as experienced as other lenders. You could even go so far as to describe most of them as entry-level. In my experience working with Eric, older clients who might not be as tech-savvy can especially benefit from using a local lender instead of an online lender because local lenders can actually go to their house and help them navigate through the process. Like any line of work, customer service is key, and using a local lender means getting a personal touch. For more information on lending and the pre-qualification process, you can call Eric at (954) 448-9829. If you need to buy, sell, or invest in real estate in the Vero Beach area, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’d be happy to speak with you! 

How is the 2017 real estate market doing so far? We’ll take a look at the latest numbers from the Vero Beach market to find out.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationThe first month of 2017 has come to a close. We had a great year last year but today, I want to tell you a little bit about the market stats in our area. As of today, there are a little over 1,500 residential homes available for sale. In the last 30 days, there have been 180 home sales. These numbers determine the absorption rate, which tells us how many homes are selling compared to what’s on the market. The absorption rate also tells us whether we are in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. As of right now, we have eight months of inventory on the market, which means we are staying in a buyer’s market. That could be a trend or that could just be a blip; we’ll keep an eye on that for you. Since interest rates will continue to rise, we could be headed into a buyer’s market. If you’ve been on the fence about buying a home, it may be time to jump into the market and plunge into homeownership. If you’ve been waiting to buy a home, now may be the time to take the plunge. In the year ahead, we are committed to helping you achieve your real estate goals. We have never been more committed and we have never had a stronger team. This week alone, we put six homes under contract, which is pretty cool, especially since the average agent will sell four homes all year long. Yesterday, we had the Sotheby’s award ceremony. Our team won number one in Closed Transactions for the fourth year in a row! We also won number one in Closed Transactions for Indian River County. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for working with us, and thank you for your trust and your referrals. If you have any other questions about our current market, give us a call or send us an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

Today I want to discuss why, if you’re a buyer, you always want to hire an appraiser that lives and works in your area. Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationToday I’m joined by Shannon Pohl, a lender with Caliber Home Loans here in Vero Beach, to talk about how important it is to hire locally when it comes to appraisers. When you’re in a market that has appreciated as ours has over the last five years or so, issues can sometimes arise regarding appraisals. This is because an appraisal is looking back on closed sales, and sometimes the appraisal process has not yet caught up with the active listings currently going under contract. If you’re a buyer, you want to hire someone local to do your loan if you want a good chance at securing the home you’ve fallen in love with.Local appraisers know your area far better than out-of-area ones do. Shannon’s company has an appraisal panel to vet any appraisers they do business with to make sure they’re local. Local appraisers—the ones who live and work in your community—know the area and its nuances more accurately. An out-of-area appraiser could pull our 32967 area code and see neighborhoods like Vero Lago, Eagle Trace, Grand Harbor, and Vero Lake Estates, and not know that they’re all completely different from each other. This ignorance can easily screw up your appraisal. If you have any questions for Shannon, you can call her office phone at (772) 226-6300 or her cell at (772) 360-6030. You can also visit her on the web at www.caliberhomeloans.com. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or just need some friendly advice about our local market, don’t hesitate to give us a call or visit us online. We’d be happy to help! 

With the holiday season finally here, I wanted to wish you and your family the best. I also wanted to give you a few tips about our market.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home SearchLooking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationAs we head toward the end of the year, I first wanted to say thanks. We are so close to hitting our yearly goal of 120 transactions, and it’s all thanks to you. Even if we don't quite get to 120, we are going to be pretty darn close. We are honored that you have trusted us with your business, whether you have closed transactions with us this year or sent a referral our way. Before the year is over, however, I want to quickly share three things with you to keep an eye on as we head into the new year:1. Interest rates are on the rise. Historically, they are still low. Early in my career, I saw rates in the 13% to 15% range. To have rates right now in the 4% range is still fantastic news for home buyers. However, rates are only expected to go up from here. If you’ve been thinking about buying, now may be the time to get off the fence and lock in a low rate. The more rates increase, the more your affordability goes down.2. The shortage of inventory in Vero Beach is staggering. If a home is priced well when it’s listed, it will sell quickly in our market. As we approach the spring, we will start seeing more competition for homes. By selling now, you can avoid that competition and still get top dollar for your home.3. The weather. We are enjoying some fabulous weather here right now. Today’s temperature was 73, and it was sunny and beautiful. If you’re somewhere cold and snowy, come down to Vero Beach and see what living here in the winter is like. We would love to share with you why we love this place and everything it has to offer you.I hope you and your family have a merry Christmas. That being said, I also want to wish you and your family a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. May you be blessed with good tidings in 2017. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!

Today I’m here with Shannon Pohl from Caliber Home Loans to discuss interest rates, homestead exemptions, and pre-approvals. Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationToday I’m here with Shannon Pohl from Caliber Home Loans. Shannon has been a lender in Vero Beach for 15 years, and she has some advice to share with all of you buyers out there today.First of all, let’s talk about interest rates. Rates are still phenomenal right now and continue to hover in the 4% range. This July, we had the lowest interest rates ever. The T-Bill in July was down to 1.37, and now it’s at 2.3, which might not mean much to the average consumer. Rates back in July were at 3.75%, and now they are in the 4% range.Even factoring in these historically low interest rates, the 45-year average for interest rates was 8.25%, which means today's rates are still incredible!That said, experts expect that interest rates will continue to rise. As interest rates go up, purchasing power goes down. For instance, you may be able to afford a $400,000 house right now with a 4% interest rate. If rates go up to 4.5%, you would only be able to afford a $350,000 house.“Interest rates are still phenomenally low. ”If you want to qualify for a homestead exemption, you still have time to close before the end of the year. When you get the homestead exemption, the value of your primary residence cannot increase by more than 3% each year. Now you have a great chance to fix in a low interest rate and cap your taxes.Shannon and Caliber Home Loans can also help you get pre-approved. Shannon cannot stress the importance of using a local lender enough. For instance, when you get pre-approved at Caliber Home Loans, you will be thoroughly vetted by an underwriter. That makes your pre-approved offer as good as cash pending the appraisal, which we can get to you within 48 hours. That gives you a lot of buying power, especially in a market like this with a lot of cash buyers.If you just get pre-qualified, keep in mind that even the best client can run into disputes with their credit down the road. A pre-approval is the best way to go.If you have any questions for Shannon, you can call her on her cell at 772-360-6030. You can also call Caliber Home Loans at 772-226-6300 or visit their website. As always, if you have any real estate questions for me, just give me a call or send me an email. We would be happy to help you!

2016 has been our best year ever, and it’s all thanks to you. Happy Thanksgiving! Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationWith Thanksgiving nearly here, I just wanted to say thank you to all of our wonderful clients for a fantastic year.2016 has been our best year ever; we’re up nearly 30% over last year! For that, I have to say a big thank you to all of our clients who made this possible. Thank you to our clients, our vendors, our title company, our photographers, our stagers, and our brokers, Mike and Kim. We are so grateful for your support and for the business you blessed us with this past year.I also have to thank everyone on the Kelly Fischer Team from the bottom of my heart. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with people like Angie, Karen, Paula, and Beth, and I know that I could never do what I do without their hard work and support.“Gratitude is a gift that you can give yourself daily. ”I actually keep a gratitude journal in my bathroom and add to it every morning. A lot of people get caught up in the things they don’t have, but I think it’s important to give thanks for everything you have, from the breath in our lungs to our spouses and friends.If you’re not grateful every day for everything in your life, I think you miss out on a daily gift. Every person, every interaction, and every opportunity that comes your way is a gift.So once again, I just wanted to say that I’m thankful to everyone that has given myself and my team the opportunity to serve our community in the way that we do. We are appreciative of every single one of you, and I hope that we have the opportunity to serve you in the year ahead.Whether you are thinking about buying or selling a home on the Treasure Coast or you just need some friendly real estate advice, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. From our family to yours, I’d like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

How do you know if your home is priced right in our market? Here are my top three indicators.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationWhen putting their homes on the market, most sellers want to know two things: how long it will take to sell and the price that they are going to get for it.It’s fairly easy to determine what a home will sell for when we look at recent comparable home sales in the area. At the same time, as a seller it’s very easy for you to tell whether your home will sell within a reasonable amount of time because how you price it affects the length of time it will take to sell. For this reason, I’d like to share three indicators with you to help you determine the answer to those two burning questions.“Pricing has a major impact on how quickly you’ll sell your home. ”Your home is priced right if:You receive a contract within the first seven days of listing your home. In our market right now, most homes have been on the market for more than 130 days. When we crunch the numbers on this, we see that only about 20% of homes are selling. Pricing is the most important issue here, so an early offer is a really good sign.You’ve had a lot of interest on your home from agents and buyers. If buyers and agents have asked you for information about the home or have scheduled showings, you’re probably in a good price range.You’re getting second showings and receiving good feedback from buyers. If buyers are coming back and telling you that they’re considering your home among others, you are probably reaching your target buyers.Keep an eye out for these three indicators to let you know if your home is priced where it needs to be and you’ll sell it much quicker. If you have any other questions about pricing your home or anything else related to Vero Beach real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you!

There are a few reasons why Zillow’s Zestimates are often incorrect. The best way to find your true home value is to order a ‘Kestimate!’ Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a Free Home Price EvaluationWhat’s up with the Zillow Zestimate? Many people come up to me and say, “I looked at my home on Zillow and it said that the price was such-and-such amount. Is that right?”The other day, I was on Anna Valencia’s radio show and we actually talked about a few reasons why the Zestimate is usually not on point.One reason is that Zillow’s numbers come from the county tax records. If your tax record is incorrect, then Zillow won’t come up with your actual home value. What if your tax record doesn’t include the right number of rooms in your house? What if you added a detached garage? What if you put a brand new $50,000 roof on your house last month or did an $80,000 kitchen remodel? Zillow won’t take any of this into account.Ultimately, Zillow is a computer algorithm that doesn’t know what you’ve done to improve your home. The Zestimate basically looks at your square footage, the number of rooms in your home (as recorded back when your house was first built), and any comparable sales that might have taken place in your area. If there were any distressed sales or hardship sales in your area, these comparable sales could drag your Zestimate down.“The best way to find your true home value is to get a ‘Kestimate!’ ”We had a good time joking around in the studio the other day about the Zestimate. In the end, we decided that the best way to find your true home value is to get a “Kestimate!” That is a Kelly estimate!Basically, you need your local real estate professional to come up with your home value. Work with someone who is familiar with the market and is in tune with what’s going on. As real estate professionals, we will come over and give you a personal evaluation of your home. Don’t leave it up to a computer algorithm that knows nothing about your local area or even your specific home.If you would like a “Kestimate,” give us a call or send us an email. If you have any other real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to help you!

We all want to work with people who are motivated, excited, and passionate about what they do. Our passion for real estate is just one reason why our clients enjoy working with us.Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a full home search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a free Home Price EvaluationThis morning while I was in the boxing gym, which is my new passion, it occurred to me that we all deal with different people all the time every day, whether it be in the gym, supermarket, or real estate industry. When we’re interacting with other people, what makes us want to continue to interact with them, even if it’s just on a personal level? Let’s face it—we all want to work with people who are motivated, excited, and passionate about what they do. We were talking about this in the office the other day because one of the girls in our office is working to get her real estate license. She was talking about some of the other people taking the course and she actually said to me, “You know, I just don’t think they have the same passion for real estate that we do.” This morning in the boxing gym, I noticed that my trainer is very passionate about his job. That passion is contagious; it affects everyone around him. That passion and enthusiasm make me want to go to the gym. I believe that our passion and enthusiasm for real estate is one of the reasons why our clients choose to do business with us and take the time to write such wonderful reviews. That passion and the sheer love and enjoyment that we have for real estate is why people love to do business with us. “Our passion for real estate is just one reason why people enjoy working with us. ”We would love to help bring some passion into your life or real estate transaction. Whether you are buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we are excited to help you. We want to give you a wonderful real estate experience. We are heading into the cooler seasons, but the Vero Beach market is doing great. Call or email me with any real estate questions you might have. We would be thrilled to have your business and earn your reviews!

Last week, we talked about patience and how we all seek instant gratification all the time. The thing about patience that really strikes me is how, in this hurried world, we’re not only losing sight of each other, we’re also losing sight of the kindness we need to show our fellow man. I recently saw a Time magazine with the headline: “Why we're losing the Internet to the culture of hate.” I thought, this is so true. People seem like they’re mad and hateful all the time these days. It would be nice if everyone could take on the spirit of cooperation, helpfulness, and appreciation for the people who work to teach us, help us, and be our partners in our daily lives. “We need to be patient with each other. ”That spirit of cooperation and helpfulness is very important to our team. We really do work to build that kind of relationship with our clients to make sure there is a spirit of love and mindfulness. I think that’s one of the reasons why so many clients leave wonderful reviews about working with our team. That spirit of love is important to me and my entire team as we work with buyers and sellers. I just wanted to stop by with that little reminder today; be patient with others and treat them with kindness. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

A topic that’s been coming up a lot lately in my world, both personally and professionally, is patience. I’ve been hearing a lot about people living their life in a state of impatience. I tend to be one of these people too. Impatience can cause us unhappiness and discontent. The thing about impatience, though, is that it’s usually a stimulus for progress. The way this has been showing up for me lately is in the form of fitness and weight loss. In those areas, any small step you can take to change your previous behaviors and state of health is a wonderful thing.“There are some things that just don’t happen overnight. ”We’re used to instant gratification. We can go on the Internet and find out any information we want. We can sign onto Amazon, order something, and have it show up the next day. There are some things that don’t happen overnight, though. In the real estate world, people have grown accustomed to a super-fast moving market. Well, guess what? Markets change. Here in Florida, I’d say we’re in a stable market. This means that homes aren’t selling in three days anymore. They can stay listed as long as six months, depending on their price, location, and condition. As a result of this, I have clients asking me why their home isn’t selling as fast—as if there’s something wrong. The truth of the matter is that there’s nothing “wrong.” The market is in a completely normal state right now. There are always things you can do to your property to improve your odds of getting sold quickly, but sometimes, it’s just a matter of patience. If you have any questions about our market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd be glad to help.

I’m very happy to be joining you live from this hammock, rather than the office. That’s where I should be, but our vacation plans got, well, "extended."Thanks to some flight delays, we got stuck here in the Bahamas. It’s really not a bad place to get stuck. Where I’m at today, people are feeding stingrays, making fresh conch salad, boating, and just hanging out.I was mad yesterday because I was supposed to be back at work! But when I woke up today (in the Bahamas) I realized that sometimes, God gives you an extra gift.“Sometimes you just have to embrace the unexpected things in life. ”I think today was that extra gift. I got another day to hang out with my family. I guess sometimes you just have to embrace the unexpected things in life.I just wanted to share that thought, and also thank you for your patience if you’re involved in a transaction with us! My team is in the office, and they have things well under control.I hope you’re having a wonderful day. If you have any questions, you can always give us a call at the office, or give me a call soon!

Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a full home search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a free Home Price EvaluationThis morning I had an inspiration in the form of a giant pile of chocolate chip cookies that my son made last night for a volunteer project we’re doing. Rather than getting into those cookies, I decided to get out to one of Vero Beach’s finest features - the Barber Bridge. It’s a really cool bridge spanning the Indian River.I wanted to shoot my video from here, because one of the things I’ve learned over the years mentoring and coaching and training with some really amazing people, is that people who achieve a lot in life are the people who are willing to do the things that others are not willing to do. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. and doing affirmations, reading, and studying; they are all things that have enabled my team and I to continue to grow and thrive. It’s great because multi-tasking with these things has allowed our business to grow and thrive over the past 22 years, because we’re always in learning mode. Walking four miles and listening to audio books about sales is just one example of this. “People who achieve a lot are willing to do things others aren’t. ”Like today, being out on the Barber Bridge this early before it gets congested with the late morning exercise crowd lets you get a really great view of lots of things around Vero that other people don’t see. It’s the view at the top, and not everybody gets to see it. It’s the same thing with our business. People constantly ask why we’re successful and how we’re able to sell so many homes. Like getting up at 4:30 a.m. for the best walking view on the bridge, we’re doing the things that other people in the business aren’t willing to do.In turn, it gives us the view from the top. And the view is great.Hopefully, this provides you with a bit of inspiration today. If you have any questions for me or the team, give us a call today. Don’t wait!

Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a full home search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a free Home Price EvaluationThe old saying goes, “If you want to get something done, give it to someone busy,” and busy we are. We are so busy that we just recently added a few new team members. Paula is a great agent who just joined us from California. We also have a great new executive assistant named Angie, who’s really rocking our world with how efficient she is. In addition, we've hired a marketing coordinator, Karen, to handle listings and social media. We also have two buyer’s agents who are working really hard as well. “We’ll handle the details for you. ”Right now, our team is growing and growing quickly. The reason for that is the market is very busy here in Vero Beach and we have a lot of transactions going on at once. The good news is that we have systems, checklists, and procedures in place to make sure we never drop the ball on your transaction. When you look to buy or sell a home with us, we’ll handle the details for you and ensure you have a happy and smooth transaction. If you have any questions for us or if you’re looking to buy or sell in The Treasure Coast, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a full home search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a free Home Price EvaluationThe Vero Beach real estate market is on fire! In fact, we are in the middle of April and my team and I already have 57 transactions under our belts for 2016. “2016 is a great year to sell! ”We’re really excited about this because it means we’re helping so many families move. We’re also thrilled that so many people want to live here!Now, 57 transactions in about four months is a lot of business, especially if you consider that the average real estate agent in our area only sells four homes a year. We’re incredibly excited about these 57 transactions!Right now, we are still looking for quality homes for our buyers. If you’re a seller who is looking to maximize profits from the sale of your home, 2016 is the year to get top dollar.  If you have any questions, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Looking to buy in Vero Beach? Get a full home search Looking to sell in Vero Beach? Get a free Home Price EvaluationI want you to find your dream home in Vero Beach, and today I'll give you a few tips on how you can do that. I see home buyers fall in love with a property, and then they are heartbroken when another buyer comes in and swoops it out from under their feet.So, how can you prevent this from happening to you? We're seeing a lot of buyers in Vero Beach that aren't local to our area. If you know our market and see a home that's a good deal, don't hesitate to put an offer in. The best thing to do would be to speak to myself and my team before doing so, but getting your offer in is just as important. This market is moving quickly, so you need to act fast. If you need help crafting a winning offer, please don't hesitate to contact me!