FIVE STAR Best in Client Satisfaction Award

Thank you to all my clients and fellow real estate professionals that have honored me with the FIVE STAR Best in Client Satisfaction Award in the Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch area. A FIVE STAR Professional is someone who has scored highest in overall satisfaction, through independent research of the FIVE STAR Program. Only 7 percent of professionals earn this award. The FIVE STAR Award is the only one of its kind that incorporates both client and industry professional evaluations. This collective approach to identifying service professionals is unique in the marketplace and specifically designed to help consumers identify professionals who have scored highest in overall satisfaction. The FIVE STAR Program is managed by Crescendo Business Services, LLC of Eagan, Minnesota, which owns the licensing rights to this award.

~Randy

Happy New Year!

The New Year brings new promise and an opportunity to do better or to start over. I look forward to being a trusted and valued friend for all your Real Estate needs (or anything else) in the upcoming year. Cheers.

Happy New Year!

Randy Huartson

"Randy the Realtor"

The Jim Soda Group

Breast Cancer 5K Walk for Sarasota/Manatee Counties

And you thought all we did was sell Real Estate. Well...Randy the Realtor and the Prudential Palms Realty gang will be participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk for Sarasota/Manatee Counties on October 24, 2009 at the Sarasota Polo Grounds. Making Strides is the American Cancer Society’s largest event to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer here in the area. The Sarasota/Manatee event in 2008 had over 5,000 participants who helped raise $370,000 to help fight breast cancer. This year we are expecting an even bigger event. Making Strides is an opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors especially our friend, Realtor Beth Barnett. As well as educating women about breast cancer prevention, early detection, awareness, the walk will raise funds to help achieve a day when no one will have to hear the words “You have breast cancer.” The walk is on October 24th and starts at 9:00 AM, with registration opening at 7:30 AM. Please contact me or any member of the Jim Soda Group or Prudential Palms Realtors if you have any further questions or would like to donate to this worthy cause. Thank you in advance for supporting the fight against breast cancer. See you there!

Real Estate Term You Should Know

ENCUMBRANCE

Any claim, interest, or right in property possessed by another that may diminish the true owner's rights or value in the estate. Examples include mortgages, easements, or restrictions of any kind. A claim, lien, or charge on property.

New Listing: 1723 7th Street,SARASOTA, Florida 34236

Brand new Bungalow home built w/charm & highest "Green Building" specs including recycled glass counters, reclaimed heart pine flooring, ventless natural gas fireplace, Bosch Evolution Appl., glass door knobs, metal roof, tankless H2O heater, water saving irrigation and custom finishes that capitalize on our city's first class urban design & architecture. Surrender to the covered porches & white picket fence in this timeless retreat packaged perfectly with quality and craftsmanship all being hurricane resistant. 'The Tatum" named after Sarasota pioneer Harvey Tatum. Live where you work.

Welcome Mary Beth Hudson and Gregory Hudson

Prudential Palms Realty is pleased to announce that Mary Beth Hudson and Gregory Hudson, former owners of Avalar Real Estate, have recently affiliated with Prudential Palms Realty's downtown office, along with 12 former Avalar sales associates. Mary Beth Hudson will become the new manager of the Downtown office. Gregory Hudson will be a Prudential Palms Fine Homes Specialist, continuing as a top-producing sales associate. The Hudsons made the move to Prudential Palms in order to take advantage of the advanced technology and marketing resources available through the Prudential brand.
"We are so pleased to be able to join Prudential Palms, continuing our real estate careers with such a high quality Sarasota company," Mary Beth Hudson remarked. "Both Greg and I, as well as our former Avalar sales associates, realize the strength a brand such as Prudential brings. Their marketing programs and international connections, as well as their technological support and infrastructure, is unsurpassed by any company that we have been affiliated with in our 12 years in the real estate business. We are very excited about all the opportunities this affiliation brings."

New Listing: 15106 SUNDIAL Place, Lakewood Ranch, Florida 34202

Lee Wetherington home offering 4 bedrooms with own private baths+pool bath. Amazing kitchen finishes including 42" cabinetry, granite, center island & cook top. Stepped ceilings, crown moldings & tile throughout. Den w/view. Spacious upstairs media room perfect for movie night. Master w/sitting area, vanity, sunk in tub & glass block shower. Warm colors & gorgeous lighting package accompany this newer home. Enjoy peaceful Florida evenings by your pool/spa overlooking lake & preserve view. Full summer kitchen add convenience & style. Lovely family home on a very private lot. MLS#: 385571 Price$778,000

Virtual Tour: http://www.srqvm2.com/15106sundial/slide.html

5 new rules for home sellers

Whether you're buying or selling, the real estate game has changed. To play and/or win, you've got to learn a new playbook.


Selling a home is a lot trickier than it used to be - here's how to be smart about pricing, presentation and incentives.

Rule 1: Get real about price
Too many sellers set their price based on yesterday's market. Big mistake. The first buyers in tend to pay the best price, so you need to price it right at the start. Have three area brokers prepare what's called a comparable market analysis. It will list asking and selling prices of similar homes, as well as amenities and sizes. If there's little inventory in your price range, list for what others are asking. If a lot of homes like yours are on the market, then look to generate buzz. Set an asking price 10% below what homes like yours have been selling for. That raises the odds of your getting multiple offers. If your market is really frozen and you need to drop the price, make one large cut. No baby steps.

Rule 2: Hire an experienced broker
Selling on your own in an unprecedented slowdown means you'll have to work awfully hard marketing your home. If you aren't prepared for that, Hire an experienced broker. Avoid newbies. You want an agent who has been through good times and bad and who has a track record that you can verify with clients.

Rule 3: Pimp your house - hire a home stager
To sell today, you've got to glam up your home. A stager will help get rid of clutter (especially clutter you don't see); rearrange furniture to create attractive focal points; re purpose underused rooms, turning, say, that makeshift bedroom in the basement into a rec room; and pick paint and curtains that make rooms appear spacious. A consultation may run $200. Completing the plan could cost $1,000 or more. It's worth it.

Rule 4: Cash will make your home look even better
Given the number of listings out there, you want to throw in a little something extra to make your house catch the eye of buyers and their agents. Rather than hand out a cruise or a car - skeptics might wonder why you're so desperate -offer something that will make your home more affordable, such as paying part of the buyer's closing costs.
In the multiple-listing service description of your house that agents can see, let them know you're offering a $1,000 bounty or a 4% commission to the one who brings in the purchaser. It will mean more knocks on your door.

Rule 5: Underwater? Learn to swim
If you're a recent buyer, your mortgage may well top what your home would go for today. About a third of those who bought last year or in 2006 now have negative equity, according to Zillow.com. If a job or family issue compels you to move, your options aren't great, but you have a few.
If the rental market in your area is strong (as is the case in many spots that were healthy but not overly bubbly during the boom), you can become a landlord and wait out the slump. Second, of course, is to sell for as much as you can (see Rule No. 1) and raid your savings for the difference.
Short sales, in which the bank agrees to take less than it's owed and release you from your debt, get a lot of media attention. That doesn't mean they're easy to come by. A bank usually will consider one only if you're at risk for foreclosure. Even then it may say, "No, thanks."

Featured Property of the week: 1860 HAWKINS CT, SARASOTA, FL. 34236

Walk to all that's happening in downtown Sarasota, art galleries, shops, restaurants, theaters, & the waterfront. Every detail of this 2005 bungalow style home, inside & out, reflects thoughtful design & master workmanship. 3 bedrms suites, Chef's kit. w/Wolf range, granite counter tops, Brazilian cherry floors, cherry cabinets, fireplace, cypress ceilings & porches. Detached 1924 carriage house offers an artist's studio w/half bath, 2 car garage & a new guest apartment on the second floor. Add a private brick courtyard, tasteful landscaping, a white picket fence & you have the perfect in town hideaway. Price: $995,000.

Virtual Tour: http://www.realtor.com/realestate/1094608422/#Video

*If you or anyone you know are interested in this property please contact me and I will be happy to show or send more information.

Lakewood Ranch is Certifiably Green

Since 2005, every new village in Lakewood Ranch Florida is being built “green.” What this means, is that these new Lakewood Ranch homes now incorporate building products and techniques that result in a healthier, more energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible home. In addition, every home is certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition’s Green Home Standard.

As one of the largest green communities in the country, Lakewood Ranch appeals to buyers who want to do their part to lessen their homes' impact on the environment. The development works with 22 builders, all of whom are green-certified.

Bargain hunters boost home sales in some markets

With prices falling in many parts of the country and the number of foreclosures rising, a small yet growing number of bargain-hunting buyers are seeing an upside to the real estate market.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY FOR CONSUMERS
First-time home buyers priced out of the market during the frenzied 2001-2005 market are among those most attracted to real estate today. In November 2007, 39 percent of buyers were first-timers, up from 36 percent in 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. The key impediment to buying? Meeting tighter bank qualifying criteria.
International buyers increasingly are looking at opportunities in the U.S. real estate market. Declines in the value of the dollar against other currencies and lower prices translate into a discount of up to 30 percent for some foreign buyers.
Investors from other states also are seeking bargains in those markets hardest hit by the real estate downturn. Some are even buying properties sight-unseen for conversion to rentals until the market heats up again – a risky proposition, according to some observers.

Lakewood Ranch Resident Dick Vitale

Interesting Area Factoid:

One of Lakewood Ranch's more famous resident is Dick Vitale, who is entering his 28Th year as ESPN's high-energy college basketball announcer, does most of his work from his 12,000-square-foot home in Lakewood Ranch.
Dick is not shy about boasting about his Lakewood Ranch home. "My home was the best decision I ever made. My heart is there, and I just love it," says Vitale. "I struck gold."
He spends most of his time in the home's office and 1,200-square-foot cinema-style theater, which has eight leather chairs, a 135-inch screen, and doubles as the production studio for his ESPN broadcasts. "It's a combination of luck and a lot of hard work, and I've been very lucky. I only wish my parents were around to see me today, because they would go wild."

Real Estate Ramblings...Short Sales?

Short Sales - What are they and what does it really mean.

Short Sale Listings: In instances where the listing broker becomes aware that the listing price may not be sufficient to permit seller to fully satisfy all encumbrances and pay seller’s closing costs, including the listing broker’s offer of compensation, the listing broker may:

(1) Obtain seller’s informed written consent (in either the listing agreement or an addendum thereto) to disclose the Short Sale Circumstance to cooperating brokers, buyers and the public;

(2) Clearly and promptly disclose the Short Sale Circumstance to all cooperating brokers and, when and if appropriate, disclose that the sale of the listed property may be conditioned upon the approval of a court, a lender, or other third party. Such disclosures may occur at any time, but it is suggested they occur at the time of MLS input, if known, or within one (1) business day upon receipt of knowledge. Such disclosure may be included in the “Realtor Only Remarks” and the “Public Remarks” Sections of the listing. If after the initiation of negotiations the listing broker receives knowledge of the existence of a Short Sale Circumstance, or that the sale of the listed property may be conditioned upon the approval of a court, a lender, or other third party, then such disclosures may be made in writing in the “Realtor Only Remarks” and “Public Remarks” Sections of the MLS listing and in either the Contract for Sale and Purchase or an addendum thereto. This disclosure must be word-by-word and disclosed at the time of input, if known, or within one (1) business day upon receipt of knowledge.
“Listing price may not be sufficient to cover all encumbrances, closing costs, or other seller charges and sale of Property at full listing price may be conditioned upon approval of third parties. Call for details.”
An offer of compensation to cooperating brokers which states that it may be adjusted after execution of a contract for sale and purchase by a third party without the consent of the cooperating broker, is not an unconditional offer of compensation under these rules.
Contracts which are subject to approval by a court, lender or other third party must be reported as “pending” consistent with Article 4 Section 15 of these Rules.
If you have any questions please email or call me. As you can see our position is disclosure and that the coop compensation to the Selling Broker can't be negotiated down by the Listing Broker's office. Fact is a third party is not a party to the contract and can't do that either. The offer of compensation is Unconditional. The third party approval is nothing more than a contingency like any other contingency that needs to be met by the contract terms.
If the third party does not accept the offer as presented they will counter to the listing broker as to what they will receive and just like a price adjustment is made to a contract if the property does not appraise then the contract price is increased to meet the cost of selling the property. The buyer can then accept or reject the counter not unlike the seller can accept or reject the lowering of a price to meet the appraised value.

I hope this helps....