Tallahassee Real Estate Blog

While there has been much written in the newspaper and on the internet about national home sales, coverage of the specifics of home sales in Tallahassee has been varied and sporadic at best. But there is something that every Tallahassee home owner should know. Read the rest of this entry

I always like to get questions from readers and I use these questions to guide the content of the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog. Yesterday I received a comment from a reader, “L. Blake,” who asked the kind of question that makes for a great blog article. Read the rest of this entry

Too often, we work with people who want to buy a home in Tallahassee who do not understand the importance of being a strong buyer. They believe that due to the nature of the market, they have thousands of homes from which to choose so they can just go out and “shop.” Read the rest of this entry

I received an email request from a reader “Nancy” in Orlando, Florida last night. For medical reasons, she needs to move to a real estate market that has little humidity and she wants to be in Prescott, Arizona.

Nancy writes

“Hi Joe, saw your site after doing a search “where do I trade my house“.

My husband and I have a Lakefront Home (upscaled) on 1 Acre with Rental Income near Orlando, FL. It is a 4 BR, 4 BA, 4012 sq. ft., multi-level very unique and sunset views from every “angle”. It is priced at $1,599,000. My husband is a Licensed, R.E. Broker in FL (he actually use to be District Direct of Century 21 out of Miami) Anyway, I have Fibromyalgia and we are looking to trade a house in Prescott, Arizona only (I have narrowed down the climate to a “T”)

We are looking for:  $500,000 - $900,000 price range home with sq. ft. of 3000+ in Prescott. Age of home does not matter but we are looking to finance difference for new owner here.

What is the best way to do this…any help is so appreciated!   Nancy”

Many people around the country are in similar situations. They own a home in one real estate market but want or need to move to another real estate market. So what should Nancy do?

My recommendation to Nancy is to find the top real estate company in the Orlando market and work with somebody who has extensive experience in real estate investment (this can be determined by asking to see their own portfolio). This agent will be able to give Nancy specific advice for the Orlando real estate market.

The next advice is to think of this situation as two separate situations. First, what can Nancy do with the current house in Orlando? Second, what should Nancy do to buy a home in Prescott, Arizona ?

While a trade is definitely a possibility, what are the odds of somebody living in Prescott, Arizona needing a $1.5M home in Orlando, Florida? If a trade is going to help, it will most likely be trading the home in Orlando for a commercial property somewhere in America. Once this is done, it is possible then to trade that commercial property “somewhere in America” for a property in Prescott, Arizona. But most likely, this problem will be solved without a trade. The key is to get solid, experienced professionals helping Nancy on the ground at each location.

As a reminder for those who subscribe to the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog by email, some embedded pictures and videos might not be appearing in your email and you might need to click the title header to go to your browser where all will be visible.

Keep checking out the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog every day for updates that include charts, graphs, and analysis of the Tallahassee real estate market.

If you like this Article then please subscribe to my blog through a full RSS feed, or you can . You will be able to stay informed about the happenings in the Tallahassee Real Estate Market. You can also subscribe to this blog and have it delivered by Email.

Joe Manausa is a real estate investor and the Broker and Co-Owner of Century 21 First Realty. He can be reached via e-mail through the Tallahassee Real Estate Website or catch his latest writings on the Tallahassee Florida Real Estate Blog , or by calling (850) 386-2001.

Frustrated Homeowners

I was speaking with a home owner in the Tallahassee real estate market yesterday who was very frustrated that she could not sell her home. She has had it on the market for over a year and was now considering my company for the job of selling the home.

The first thing that I shared with her is that she is not the only frustrated homeowner in Tallahassee, and for that matter, she does is certainly not the only frustrated homeowner in the US real estate market. I really felt for her and wanted to try to end her frustrations.

If you have been reading the Tallahassee Florida Real Estate Blog for a while, then you are aware that our nation is suffering through a very tough real estate market right now. Inventories are rising in all but a select few markets and frustrated homeowners are having to lower their asking prices. So, in short, there are no “painless” solutions to the housing problems until inventories return to a more balanced level. So what should my frustrated homeowner do?

If you are a frustrated homeowner, I will tell you that the market is what the market is. Period. Many homes are still selling and yours can sell too if you make the right decisions. In order to simplify what needs to occur, let’s take a look at some basic marketing principles…

• Product Mix - When we market your home, it needs to stand-out from its competition. Buyers have a lot of options today, so make sure that your home is clean, groomed, and in its top condition.
• Distribution Mix - Unless your home is a movable mobile home, there is not much we can do to affect distribution. It is where it is. We can “promote” the benefits of its location and the actual home site that it resides upon.
• Pricing Mix - This is Your Job in the marketing of the home. You select the price that you ask, but buyers determine its value. Make sure you price it at or below current values (yes below, because prices are dropping right now and if you are high, you will not sell your home).
• Promotional Mix - This is My Job in the marketing of your home. Just putting a sign in the yard and putting it in the MLS is not enough. I cannot imagine handling this job without the benefit of my Century 21 brand. We are able to expose our Sellers’ homes on theInternet and in offices around the world. Does it matter? Well, in a market where buyers are scarce, I am excited to be working with buyers from numerous countries right now.

As you can see from basic marketing, the actions to convert you from a frustrated homeowner to a former homeowner is rather simple. Clean it up, price it right, promote it worldwide, and it will sell.

As a reminder for those who subscribe to the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog by email, some embedded pictures and videos might not be appearing in your email and you might need to click the title header to go to your browser where all will be visible.

Keep checking out the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog every day for updates that include charts, graphs, and analysis of the Tallahassee real estate market.

If you like this Article then please subscribe to my blog through a full RSS feed. You will be able to stay informed about the happenings in the Tallahassee Real Estate Market. You can also subscribe to this blog and have it delivered by Email.

Joe Manausa is a real estate investor and the Broker and Co-Owner of Century 21 First Realty. He can be reached via e-mail through the Tallahassee Real Estate Website or catch his latest writings on the Tallahassee Florida Real Estate Blog , or by calling (850) 386-2001.