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It’s that time of the year... No, not Christmas! Not yet at least. Haven’t you been outside lately? It’s Hurricane Season, starting 1st of June, luckily coinciding with a Florida Tax Holiday, starting this Friday 28 May, and running until Sunday a week later, 6 June. (Non-Floridians: during a Tax Holiday, which normally happens shortly before the new school year starts, there is no sales tax levied on exempt items; typically 6.0 or 7.0 percent.) The cherry: quite a few items for your Hurricane Box – you do have one, yes? – are included in the sales-tax-exemption. Just refer to this spiffy handy guide:  And while you’re busy surfing the net, also download the supply kit checklist from www.floridaDisaster.org/kit.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is predicting an "above-normal" 2021 Atlantic hurricane season which runs through 30 November, so do stock up now. Now, if you’d rather quickly sell your house before the season starts: Who is the fairest Realtor of all? :-D That's correct!
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 Brokers, Agents, Realtors® Part 3: AGENTS, BROKERS and REALTORS® - What's the Difference? In order to broker properties or businesses in any US state, one has to be properly licensed in that state, either as a real estate broker or a real estate agent. Agents have to pass one, brokers two state exams. In Florida, both licenses must be renewed every two years through a short exam. An agent always work in a broker's office under his/her supervision. A broker may work for another broker or self-employed. All real estate professions in Florida are regulated and supervised by two state authorities. OTHER QUALIFICATIONS When you consider buying or selling US property - residential property or commercial investment - in practically all situations you should be using an agent or broker to represent your interests in the transaction. He/she should:
An agent (following for agent or broker) may call himself a Realtor® only if he (following for he or she) belongs to the local Board of Realtors®, a voluntary professional association with strict business and ethical guidelines that often exceed state law. As the graphic on the left hopefully clarifies: all brokers and agents are licensed, but only some licensees are Realtors©. Many commercial practitioners for example don't need a Board membership or benefit from one, so they don't belong. For residential agents, membership in the Board of Realtors® is the only way for full access with selling and listing privileges in a proprietary regional property database called Multiple Listing Service or MLS. This database may contain 95-98 percent of all regional residential properties for sale, as well as some commercial properties also offered by MLS participants. The Southeast-Florida-MLS for example, consisting of several Boards and their MLS databases, and reaching from Homestead to Fort Pierce, connects over 85,000 agents with over 80,000 properties and businesses for sale. As a result, buyers can (and should!) avoid agent-shopping and instead concentrate on working with one agent who can offer and sell any property shown in the MLS, not only the ones offered by his own firm. More on loyalty further below. HOW TO PICK A GOOD AGENT The sheer number of Realtors in South Florida can be overwhelming, and it may seem everyone you know has a license and wants your business. But your choice of an agent should be guided by other criteria than being a neighbor or golf buddy: by the level of competence in his/her specialty, by how well you communicate, ideally by past client references, and certainly by a feeling of trust and confidence. You don’t have to become best friends for life or be smitten at first sight, but if you don't like an agent, for the sake of a harmonious transaction it sure is better to chose another one to work with and remain loyal to your choice. You expect commitment from your agent to find the best deal and prevent you from making mistakes, and your agent in return has the right to expect commitment and loyalty from you, the client.  Commercial Realtor (red) and CIPS logos Important is that your agent is experienced in like transactions and knows what you are expecting. He should explain the terminology to you in plain language and guide you through the sequence of a deal.
If there is an international or a commercial aspect, you will only be served well by an agent who is certified as a CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) or by someone experienced in commercial transactions. E.g., a residential condo expert dabbling in commercial real estate is a recipe for a disaster, and the client is paying the price. Any questions on this chapter? Want to read the whole guide in one session? Then please contact Tobias. He will be delighted to hear from you. ____________ ©Tobias Kaiser. Use or reproduction only with written permission from the author. Today I want to share with you a look at the fastest- and slowest-selling price brackets in South East Florida. In my office's team meetings as well as in discussions with colleagues and consumers, this market statistic always pops up, mostly as an impression or unfounded opinion ("my neighbor heard of someone who's friend's house sold for $29m in 2 days.") Funny how stories take on a life of their own, isn't it? If you have hard data, you may find out the asking price over the last three years was $26m, and only when it was cut in about half to $14.5m by the bank, it sold in less then two months. Such is our world where everyone is a real estate expert. Perhaps I should advise my dentist with the profound knowledge I learned on the web about dentistry? Now let's have a look:  Table and chart are pretty much self-explanatory. I created this analysis mid-April, based on sold single family homes in Broward and Palm Beach counties, Florida. I chose the most common selling price brackets for our market, while DoM refers to Days on Market or the time period from hitting the market to going into contract. Blue is the number of closings in the previous 30 days, while red shows the median DoM.
The curve visualises nicely how fast things move: rapidly from $200k to $1m; from $1m to $2m takes a bit longer, and over $2m it takes between six weeks and five months – in median days. Averages are considerably higher, and even those are under-reported because often enough a property gets taken off the market for a week or two, then relisted with a fresh MLS number so it doesn't appear "stale". Silly tactic, but not uncommon for expensive and/or overpriced homes. What are your observation or thoughts? |
 AuthorTobias Kaiser works as an independent real estate broker and consultant in Florida since 1990. Always putting his clients' interest first, he specialises in modern Florida homes and architecture, as well as net leased investments. Archives
September 2022
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MODERN FLORIDA HOMES • 370 CAMINO GARDENS BLVD • BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33432
TOBIAS KAISER, MSc, CIPS • REALTOR/BROKER • MODERN ARCHITECTURE SPECIALIST KAISER ASSOC, INC • LIC FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BROKERS & CONSULTANTS MEMBER NAR, RCA, DOCOMOMO, NCMH • EMAIL • (+1) 954 834 3088 ZERO DISCRIMINATION: Kaiser Assoc. and its agents will not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin in the sale or rental of housing or lots, in advertising the same, in the financing of housing in the provision of real estate brokerage services, in the appraisal of housing, or engage in blockbusting. Kaiser Assoc. strictly adheres to the National Association of Realtors© Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice in accordance with Federal Fair Housing Laws. “Silence is Consent...” As a multi-cultural office neither do we silently consent nor do we tolerate any type of discrimination, racism or prejudice. We want to listen and to learn what needs to be done to implement permanent change. Site design + contents ©T.C. Kaiser 2022. PUBLICATION, USE OR REPRODUCTION incl. parts ONLY WITH WRITTEN PERMISSION. |