TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Yesterday I spent a great day in Sarasota with a group of friends and fellow agents from my office, RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring.  We went to a RE/MAX Florida Regional meeting in Sarasota.    We started the meeting with lunch at the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Key.  I grew up in Tampa and one of my favorite restaurants is the Colombia Restaurants in Ybor City.  So I never miss a chance to eat at any Columbia Restaurant.  So after a wonder Cuban lunch, it was off the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota for an afternoon meeting.  I picked up more good ideas for marketing and reconfirmed RE/MAX is the place to be!
 
While sitting in a large room with lots of agents in the second row.  Liz, the lady behind me, started talking and introduced me to the agent she was with, Donna Toms both from a north Tampa office.  They just joined RE/MAX from Century 21 (good move for them).   Donna said you look familiar where are you from?  I asked "have you been to Sebring?" She said "No haven’t been there."  Then I said, I grew up in South Tampa.  She said so did I.  Then I asked her where she went to high school she said Robinson High School.  This is where I went.  I asked her when she graduated.  She said 77 (me 73), but said she had an older sister and she would ask her if she knew me.  Well she seemed familiar to me too.  The meeting started.  All of a sudden it hit me.  I turned around and said  "Did you have horses?"  At the same time we both said "Maica."  Maica was my first horse.  I use to show and ride Quarter Horses.  I sold Maica when I was in high school to Donna Nanz.  So the new Tampa RE/MAX agent is the same person who bought my Maica.  It has been 35 years since I last saw Donna.  She was about 13.  I can remember her riding her horses, with a cowboy hat, hair in a pony tail, and always riding bareback  and with not saddle.  So when someone says, "It’s a small world," it really is!
 
I wish Donna and Liz much luck with their move to RE/MAX.  I am so happy I attended the meeting yesterday.  It’s always fun to look back on the good old days!  Anyone looking to move to Tampa, I have a good referral person to send you to.
 
Remember for all your real estate needs in Highlands County - Sebring, Lake Placid, and Avon Park, give Maureen Cool a call today at 863 873-7243 or 888 243-COOL(2665).
 

  TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES     

March 2008 turned out to be a great month for real estate sales in Highlands County.  RE/MAX in Highlands County has 23% of the market share with the next closest office at 6.5%.  As my son would say "RE/MAX Rules!"   In Highlands County, RE/MAX has closed 287 transactions YTD and continues to out sell the next closest office two to one.  I think most will agree this is very impressive especially since we have fewer agents!

This is a recap of what is active on the market and what  has sold during March 2008 for residential sales.

Single Family Homes 

Currently Listed               1,676

Contingent or Pending      150

March Closings                71

       Sebring                    37

       Avon Park                12

       Lake Placid               13

Condos, Villas, Duplex

 Active                            364

Contingent or Pending      12

March Closings                14

Mobile Homes - Owned Land

Active                             141

Contingent or Pending      22

Closed March                  15

 The majority of the sales were under $150,000 and only six sales were over $250,000.  The houses that are price to sell are selling.  I heard on agent descript the market as a beauty contest.  The homes in the best condition, correctly priced win the sale.  A home than needs work — painting, cleaning, new carpet, yard work cannot compete.  It will be Maureen Cool’s pleasure to show you the best of the best for sale in Highlands County.  Let the next great deal be yours!  Call Maureen Cool today at 863 873-7243.  

  TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES   

 Is a short sale a good thing for a seller?  As a seller you should consider some facts before you jump as a Seller into a Sort Sale.  As an experienced Realtor in the Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid market, I see many disasters in the making with short sales.  You can give me a call to see if a short sale is right for you.  I do not handle the actual short sales because it is not my expertise.  Nor am I a foreclosure consultant.  But, I do know when a short sales may be the best option for you and I can point out red flags that I might see.   If a short sale appears to be the best choice for your situations, I can refer you to an experienced Realtor to handle your short sale.  Some agents may bill themselves as being an expert in short sales.  This is not always case.  The buzz word these days is Short Sale and many Realtors have jumped on the band wagon to present themselves as experts when they are not.  For example, you would not or I would not get to the same doctor for a cold as we would for major surgery and you should not just pick any Realtor for a short sale without checking their track record with short sales and ask for references from past clients they have handled short sales for.
 
What is a short sale?  This is when the homeowner places the home for sale and the lender agrees to take less for the mortgage than what is owed and releases the homeowner from the deficit.  The homeowner owes more than what the house is worth.  Suddenly, payments are more than the homeowner can afford.  This could be caused by loss of a job, reduction in income, divorce or death of a spouse, or an unexpected increase in mortgage payment, taxes and insurance.  The homeowner can no longer afford to live in the home.  They decide to sell and realize in this slow market they cannot not sell their home for what they owe and they are facing foreclosure by the lender.  This is when a Short Sale may take place.
 
What sellers do not realize is, a short sale may not be all that it is cracked up to be.  You think the lender will let you sell the home for less than what is owed and release you from the difference.  This may not be the case.  Before you agree to do a short sale realize that the following may occur:
 
1.  There may be tax ramifications from a short sale which include the money the lender is releasing you from may be taxable by the IRS.
 
2.  The person or Realtor handling the short sale may be collecting a fee from the sale in addition to collecting a commission.  Find out what this fee is.
 
3.  When you put up a Short Sale rider on the for sale sign in your yard, this tells the world that the property has started the foreclosure process and the list price is less than what is owed.
 
4.  Just because someone tells you they can do a short sale, it may not happen.  All this person is attempting to do is negotiate with the lender to take less.  They are gambling they can do this on your time.  If the short sale happens, the Realtor makes money.  If it does not happen, you go to foreclosure.   In some cases, but not always the lender may approve the short sale and still require you to pay the difference in what is remaining which is called the deficiency.
 
5.  There is no guarantee the person that list your house to do a short sale will be able to negotiate with the lender.  If the lender refuses to honor the approved discounted price and closing, the property will go to foreclosure.  The short sale is a way to try to avoid foreclosure.  When you accept the offer made by a buyer, you have accepted a lesser amount than the actual mortgage(s).  This is where the Realtor goes to work and has to convince the lender that it is in the lenders best interest to take less than what is owed.
 
6 If you are in a situation that you can no longer make payments, it is always advisable to consult an attorney and accountant to find out the ramifications the short sale may have on you.
 
7.  If you have equity in your home but are unable to make your current payments you may be better off selling just a little over what you owe to cover your expenses.  This will help promote a quick sale.  In no circumstances should you sign your house over to anyone or put it in a TRUST without an attorney looking at this.  If you do sign your home over to a trust this may mean that someone else will realize the equity in your home and will sell it for the profit.  You have just GIVEN your home away when you sign it over to a trust.   Know who the trustee is on the trust.  Do they know the Realtor proposing to do the short sale?  What is the relationship to the Realtor?  Have an attorney look at any papers before you sign.
 
If you are considering a SHORT SALE in Highlands County, give Maureen Cool a call at 863 873-7243.  She will talk to you about your situation, give you options to consider and try to help.

Last Friday I had the honor of attending The Sebring Sports Car Racing Hall of Fame luncheon to introduce the 2008 Inductees to the Hall of Fame.  This years inductees included legends Derek Bell, Roger Penske, Hans Stuck, David Cowart and Audi.  For the person who knew nothing about sports car racing when she moved to Sebring in 1988, I have become a fan and I look forward to the socializing, fast cars, party time and good times each year.  The first two years I lived In Highlands County, many of the locals said this is the weekend when you leave town!  Of course coming from Tampa, the "Guy" thing to do was head to Sebring the third week in March and party….I have always heard Sebring stories from guys I worked with and friend’s husbands.  I never dreamed I would be apart of all the excitement.

One of the first race car driver’s name I learned was Hans Stuck.  While working for race tickets with my Rotary Club in the pouring rain, I had the duty of guarding the entrance to Club Sebring.  Nobody could enter the Pit Boxes without a pass.  Under the boxes were the pits.  Race car drivers actually drove in and hung in the pit before it was their turn to drive.  One of the drivers there 15 years ago was Hans Stuck.  He autographed my race ticket.  When I showed some friends who had autographed my ticket, they were really impressed and told me what a great race car driver he is.  Hans Stuck is the name I always associated with the 12 Hours of Sebring.  Today I had the good fortune to attend his induction in to the Hall of Fame.  After, all the inductees signed the official 12 Hours of Sebring poster.  I plan to have the poster framed for my son Danny.
 
Each of the drivers during their speech expressed that Sebing is one of the most challenging tracks in the world and Sebring is the race to win.  Sebring is know as the American LeMans Series and Sebring is known by race fans around the world.

 
Not only is Sebring famous, it is also great place to live.   If you want to find out more about Sebring contact Maureen Cool  — Highlands County’s Coolest Realtor and Number 1 Expert.  Or if you are at the track for the 12 Hours of Sebring, stop by my spot on the Hairpin and say hi.  Friends from RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring and I will be there enjoying the race!
 

 TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES  

Is now the time to purchase real estate?  Everywhere you turn, the media is telling you about how bad the real estate market is.  Foreclosures and Short Sales are everywhere.  The real estate inventory is huge in Highlands County.  Every street you drive down has several "For Sale" signs.  The picture is total gloom and doom.  But, is it and for who?  In Highlands County this morning there are 2,250 homes for sale.  Nobody truly knows the bottom of any market.  The only way to know the bottom, is when the market starts going back up.  When prices are down, investment opportunities are up.    I personally think this is a great time to buy and there must be a great investment opportunity in one of these 2,250  homes.    Your first step to investing in real estate in this market is to consult with a professional Realtor who knows the condition of the real estate market where they live and work. 

The next step to consider when making Real Estate investments is: 

1.  Cash Flow - rental income vs. mortgage payment 

2.  Mortgage Packages or Interest Rates 

3.  Insider Hot Spots (commercial or residential, your Realtor will know) 

4.  New Home Builder Deals (with interest payments on Spec Homes eating them up, these guys are willing to deal). 

5.  Second Home vs. Investment Property 

6.  Motivation of the Seller (Is the home sitting empty because of a transfer and now the seller has two mortgage payment to make). 

With the help on an experienced Realtor, maybe it is time you take a look at these great opportunities.  I meet with many investors throughout the year to discuss the ideal time for buying and selling real estate. Remember,  Real Estate is not any different than the stock market.  When everyone at work  is talking "buy" or the media is talking appreciation, most likely you are too late.  This ship has already sailed and you did not get on in time.  Don’t be the one missing the boat in this fantastic market.   Call or email Maureen Cool today to discuss if this is the right time for you to investment in Real Estate.  Maureen is an expert on the Highlands County Real Estate Market.  Perhaps the next best Real Estate deal in Sebring, Avon Park, or Lake Placid belongs to you!

 
Yesterday ended a great RE/MAX International Convention.  It was not as large as others but the information shared and learned was second to none.  I picked up so many good ideas that will give my clients an added advantage when buying and selling a home.  If you are working with an agent that is not using Internet marketing to the best advantage, you the seller are losing in the end….more marketing time and less chance of selling.  Stay tuned on future blogs to find out what you should consider when hiring an agent to sell your home.
 
On Wednesday, RE/MAX sponsored a fashion show to support The Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Four breast cancer survivors modeled.  Looking around the room watching these beautiful models, I saw lots of tears for the models moving stories shared on film by families and co-workers.  I am sure many tears were for memories of a loved one or friend that may have fought a hard battle with this terrible disease and are no longer here with us. I know my thoughts were of my Mother.
 
Yesterday Linda Boring, my broker at RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring and I walked a 5K walk/run for the cure.  We walked the streets of Vegas with many others raising additional funds or The Susan G. Komen Foundation.  After another full days of sessions, once again the fun week ended with a concert sponsored by Bank of America Mortgage.  Everyone enjoyed the sounds of the rock band Journey and brought back a lot of fond memories as RE/MAX looked back over the past 35 years.  It’s great to know that I am part of a team around the world with the best trained agents and most homes sold anywhere in the world.   RE-MAX - what a great place to be!

Welcome to day two of the RE/MAX International Convention in Las Vegas.   My group and I from RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring, Florida had a great opening general session with Dave Liniger the founder of RE/MAX International as the keynote speaker.  Listening to Dave Liniger confirmed that I am working for the greatest real estate organization in the world.  Mr. Liniger talked about our tough market ahead and how RE/MAX provides the best tools for all it’s agents and makes us stand out as the best in the world.  Nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX — but I already knew this.  Just as nobody sells more real estate in Highlands County - Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid than RE/MAX Realty Plus.  We also previewed some of the new T.V. commercials that will soon be release.  Since this is the 35th anniversary of RE/MAX we all enjoyed a step back in time watching commercials from the past and watching to dancers and listening to music from the past 35 years.  This brought back a lot of memories since I graduated the same year RE/MAX was founded in 1973!

I made new friends from around the world today — a nice group from Santo Domingo that was sitting in front and behind us…Wilton Muese, Roberto Abreu, Paola Ridriguez, and Linabel Martinez of RE/MAX Metropolitiana.  From Switzerland in the lobby I met Bernard Stauffer of RE/MAX La Cote from Switzerland who flew 20 hours to attend the convention.  Tonight at the ice cream social we met a fun group of guys from Germany.  Sven Gartner and his friends from RE/MAX  Immobilien Concept  were having too much fun!  We first noticed them at the convention walking around in native dress.  I think they stood out as having the best time of all.  At one point we saw them all in the spa out by the pool having a great time.  Later we exchanged business cards and converstation and took our photo together.  Hopefully, when European buyers decide that Florida will be a great place to find a second home, they will send referrals to me in Sebring!
 
Today was work too.  I continue to confirm my internet marketing is second to none in Highlands County.  I have pick up some great marketing ideas that I cannot wait to put into place once I return home on Friday!
 

Greetings from Las Vegas!  I arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday for the RE/MAX International Convention with a group from my office at RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring, FL.  I have been a Realtor for 13 years and with RE/MAX for just less than five years.  This is my second International Convention with RE/MAX.  Attending these conventions offers such a great opportunity for networking with the most outstanding agents from the United States, Canada and around the world and we have the opportunity to learn the latest trends in marketing.  It is fun to see old faces and meet new.  Plus the educational opportunities are the best.  I know you must be thinking — sure Vegas all play and no work.  Not so….

Today I attended a great class on Internet marketing.  I confirmed my Internet marketing is the best and I am the Number 1 Expert on Internet marketing in Highlands County - Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid.

 I also learned some new statistics and information from NAR (National Association of Realtors) that I did not know.  The most important item I learned that if your Realtor is not leading the field in Internet marketing, they are not doing the best job of marketing your property.  This decreases the chances of a quick sale of your home.  NAR reports the following statistics for 2007.

1.  84% of all home buyers start their home search on the internet.  Generally, by the time a buyer contacts a Realtor.  The buyer has already narrowed their choice down to the homes they want to look at.  If your Realtor does not have latest and best Internet marketing, 84 buyers out of 100 may have already eliminated your home before the buyer even meets the Realtor in person!

2.  A buyer is 900% or 9 times more likely to find their new home on the internet than in a newspaper advertisement.
 
3.  A buyer is 3400% or 34 times more likely to purchase a home from Internet advertising instead of a real estate magazine. 

I was happy to find out I am investing my advertising dollars wisely and that I am leading the way in Internet Marketing.  When you are ready to sell your home, which type of a Realtor do you want?  Are you are looking for a Realtor that specializes in Internet marketing that gets results?  If so, give me a call today.  I will be happy to discuss my marketing plan for your home.  Yes, call me even in Las Vegas….if I do not answer, leave a message and I will call you back.  Stay tuned for more happenings in Vegas. 

TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES

 February has been a good month for my business in Highlands County.  This month I had six of my listings go under contract and sale pended one home that was not my listing.  The prices ranged from $35,000 for a mobile home to $230,000 for a 5 bedroom, 4 bath home, and new construction home.  This was an incredible deal!  I have seen a great increase in internet inquiries on homes on my web sites.  The buyers are here!
 
As of today, there are 2,134 Residential Homes for sale in Highlands County.  Of these homes, 176 or 8 % of the inventory are currently under contract.  This is up from 6% in January.   Residential homes that closed or sold this month are 62 or 3% of the inventory - up from 2% last month.
 
The number of condominiums, townhouses, villas and duplexes for sale has increased from 324 to 369.  Of this number 18 or 5% of the inventory are under contract and only 6 or 2% have closed or sold in February, a decrease from last month.
 
The sale of mobile homes on owned land has increased.  Currently there are 155 mobile homes on the market with 22 or 14% of the inventory under contract and 12 have closed or sold for 8% of the inventory.  Many of the winter visitors decide to get into the second home market with the purchase of a mobile home.
 
RE/MAX Realty Plus continues to lead with the number of closed transactions in Highlands County and out sells the competition two to one for the first two months of 2008.
 
So remember, if you are a buyer, there is no better time than now to purchase a home.  Whether you are looking to upsize or downsize your current home, or are looking for a good investment opportunity, the best deals are now.  Take advantage of this fantastic buyer’s market.  It will be a pleasure for Maureen to show you the unbelievable opportunities that are available and waiting for you.
 
If you are planning to put your home on the market, contact Maureen today.  Maureen will help properly price your home so your home will bring top dollar in the least amount of time on the market.  The best homes that are property priced and professionally marketed sell in the least amount of time.   Visit Maureen’s web site today at www.ACoolRealtor.com or www.MaureenCool.com to find out why Maureen Cool leads Highlands County in internet marketing.

 TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES  

Did you know that a Pre-Approval to buy a home is as good as cash when you are making an offer to buy a home.  Many buyers want to start their search for a home prior to talking to a lender.  At this point the buyer does not know just how much house he or she can buy.  The buyer knows how much he or she can afford and of course the lender will tell you how much the lender thinks you can afford.  But, sometimes it is hard to believe "that little house" is going to cost so much each month….and lets not for get an additional amount for taxes and insurance.  Before you start looking at homes, contact a lender, give your financial information, have the lender  run a credit check.  If all goes well, the lender will be happy to give a Pre-Approval Letter with no contingencies other than a satisfactory appraisal of the home.  This is point when you are ready to start your search with an experienced Realtor.  When you find that perfect and affordable home you can make your offer with confidence and your offer will be taken seriously by the seller.

Imagine if you are a seller and two buyers made offers on your home priced at $200,000.  One buyer offered $190,000, with a pre-approval letter and close in three weeks.   The other buyer has not even been to a lender but he offered $194,000.  You as the seller have no way of knowing anything about this buyer.  A loan approval can take up to or more than 30 days  after application.  The buyer still needs to contact a lender and give an application.  Most buyers talk to several lenders to get the best interest rate etc.  A standard real state contract will specify the number of days allowed for approval.  If the Contract for Purchase said five days, this can mean that you may not even know for 35 days if the second buyer even qualifies for a mortgage to purchase your home.  Most sellers will pick buyer number one just because this sale is almost a sure thing contingent only on inspections and appraisal.  The second buyer may have fallen in love with your house now only to be disappointed to hear that the seller actually took a lower offer because the buyer was pre-approved.  If you are a buyer planning to purchase in the near future, take the time to get pre-approved.  Everyone wins in this situation.

 You, the buyer may actually get a better deal on the home.  The seller will not be preparing to move only to learn the buyer cannot afford the home and the deal fell through.  Everyone  will be happy in the end. 

If you would like to be pre-approved for a mortgage, visit my web site www.ACoolRealtor.com.  Click on Cool Featured Homes.  You will see a link for a Free Mortgage Approval with Heartland National Bank located in Sebring, Lake Placid and Avon Park.  Or you can contact either Steve Scheck or Melissa Stanley at Heartland National bank by calling 863 386-1300 and asking for either one.  Both Melissa and Steve will be happy to talk to you and get you started on you home buying experience.

Remember, before you apply or receive a Pre-Approval for a mortgage, visit my web site and start your home search on the internet.  No pre-approval is necessary for this!  You can search the entire MLS on my web site www.ACoolRealtor.com just by clicking on Cool Homes on MLS.  Once you have your Pre-Approval and are ready to contact an experience Realtor, give Maureen Cool a call or send and email.  It will be Maureen’s pleasure to help you find your perfect "Cool" home!