This post by Allison Stewart bears repeating. When she says that "Buyer's Market" is an inventory term, you must also realize that according to the figures gathered by the NAR and CAR, we are now moving to a place where the time that homes remain on the market is shorter, and there are consequently fewer homes sitting for long before the bargain hunters are snapping them up.
You can expect to have competition for nearly every home on which you place an offer in our local market, so you had better make your best offer if you have really fallen in love with a house.
The term "Buyer's Market" is often misunderstood. It is not an catch phrase as many people think, it is an inventory term. As a result, buyers looking to purchase property are underestimating what it will take to land a "Real Deal" in today's market. They are losing out in record numbers as a result.
LOADING YOUR OFFER UP LIKE A STUFFED BAKED POTATO
Good deals attract numerous buyers.
Successful buyers are reading the fine print in the MLS descriptions and understand that many properties do have a bottom line. Once an acceptable price has been negotiated with the lender- the price is firm.
Loading an offer with contingencies is like piling too many toppings on a basic ingredient. Overstuffing your baked potato.
IN ORDER TO SAVOUR THE FLAVOR ....Keep it simple.
A good clean offer has a better chance of getting accepted faster than one loaded with contingencies.
REALTORS across the nation are all reporting an increase in activity and multiple offers. If you haven't read this you should.
Finding the perfect property takes skill, care, and diligence on the part of the Real Estate Professional. While it is true there are many homes for sale, there are few that match exactly what a particular buyer may want.
When the right one is found, it is important to put your best offer out first. Likely, there will be others you are competitng against. Negotiations have changed dramatically with the introduction of short sale and bank owned properties.
THE BANKS KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE
Buyers do not control the pricing on Properties- the Lenders do.
It is surprising how many buyers fail to realize the price a bank owned property is offered at is not accidental. There is little guess work there folks. Banks approach the sale of a property like any other business. They have an appraisal or at the very least a Broker's Price Opinion to back up an asking price. While they are typcially offering properties at 30-50% below previous market values, they are quite aware of what it is worth. It is not pennies on the dollar, in my market of St. Cloud florida or any other place for that matter.
They are looking at many offers on well priced properties, and will consider the best of the bunch. The rest are rejected.
CONTINGENCIES WHICH ARE DEAL DETERRENTS
Repairs- on standard "As-Is" Purchase Agreements -Not going to happen.
Expedited answers on offers- the standard 2-5 day periods do not apply,
Contingencies on the sale of existing property- They will not wait for you to sell your current house to buy one of theirs.
Closing Costs- many will not pay them.
The current rise in sales is happening certainly in St. Cloud,Florida as well as on a National level. Underestimating what someone else is willing to pay, may cost you the house you really want at a price that you can afford.
HOW MANY OFFERS DOES IT TAKE TO GET A HOUSE SOLD?
Only ONE. the best offer will win everytime.
If you are serious about buying a home, as many people in St. Cloud Florida, have been lately,now is the time many buyers have discovered that the return to real Estate offers a viable alternative to the high risk volitility of the stock market.
Be prepared to act quickly, as the best deals don't last long.
Do your research,
Get your finances in order,
then go look at properties that match your criteria, location, size, and layout requirements.
When you find the right one, make a strong, good clean offer and enjoy a great deal.
By the time you hear it on the evening news...you will be paying more than if you had bought now.
Hurry and get your tickets for the Big Bunny Hop-A-Long in Orangevale, CA on 
Saturday, April 4th! This is fun for the entire family, with lots of great photo opportunities. The celebration will be from 9 am to 11 am and the kids who will enjoy this the most are those from ages 3 to 7, but Mom and Dad will have as much fun as the kids - especially if you bring your camera!
be served!
Community Easter Eggstravaganza & Pancake Breakfast! Food and fun for the entire family. Of course there will be a great Easter egg hunt, FREE for kids, but that's not all!
There will be photos with Bunny ($3), choo choo rides ($3), carnival games ($.50 each), a jump house ($.50), and for the adults, a special egg hunt in which you can win dinners, gift cards and more! This one costs $3.00 to enter, but all proceeds go to the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board, so have fun and support a good cause at the same time. Remember, though, that the kids' hunt is free.
apartment they have rented. Consequently I spend most evenings and some afternoons searching the MLS and showing them the best choices early in the mornings and early in the evenings, around their work schedules. They are interested in several different cities in our area, but they have definite ideas about what they like and don't like in their home. Since I'm looking at every listing that meets their basic criteria, and we can tour only so many properties, it is important for me to be able to evaluate the listings by looking at the photographs.
Unfortunately, my clients and I have wasted some time touring properties that I would never put on our list if I had been able to see clear, informative photos. In fact, we have agreed not to waste any further time on listings where the photos don't give us a sufficient preview to know if they might like them. I don't have enough time between showings to preview all of the dozens of properties I check out on MLS every day, so I have to weed out those I can't adequately evaluate on line, and my clients will likely never see them.
regard to quality or what is shown, is NOT good marketing? There have been blog posts, articles in Realtor magazines, seminars, and speeches at meetings. But all of those exhortations apparently are wasted on those agents who don't get it. I usually have a great attitude about people, and I am generally supportive of my fellow real estate professionals. But I just cannot understand why some agents bother to post photos that don't add to the promotion of their properties.
