About Saint Lucie County, FL

Port St Lucie in a recent study has been one of the most active in using the federal monies they have received from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The program is to be used to redevelop, purchase and renovate foreclosed properties in areas that may incur blight from excess foreclosed and abandoned homes.

Port St Lucie received $13.5 million in funds. They have hopes of buying and renovating 130 homes with the monies. With over 15,000 homes being foreclosed since January you would think they might have plenty to from which to choose. However they have found that investors have been outbidding them. Thus far they have purchased 34 homes. Eleven of these homes were considered unrepairable and have been demolished, the remaining 23 are to be renovated then resold. The city must commit all funding by next September though it is supected that the program may be continued if it proves to be succesful.

With this program the city can not recoup more that the total costs to purchase and renovate. Also 25 % of the monies must be used to sell the homes back to low income home buyers. Strict income levels must be meet. Any remaining monies can then be used to sell homes to buyers earning less than 120% of the median household income for the area.

Application has also been made to another program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. If it gets the funding the city would have more monies to use to help with down payment assistance. More information will be available for this program if funding is received.

When you find the right home, I can represent you and negotiate on your behalf.

My goal is to help you buy the right home for you at a very fair price.

When you make an offer, the seller can:
* Accept it
* Reject it outright if the offer does not meet the specifications in the listing
* Counter it with different price and terms

If there is strong demand for properties, a seller may not even make a counter offer, but accept one of several offers û usually the one with the highest price or most qualified buyer.

Here are some tips to help you get your offer accepted in any market:

* Pre-approval: Make sure you have been pre-approved, not just pre-qualified.
* Strong deposit: Provide a substantial earnest money deposit. This is "good faith" money and shows the seller you are serious about purchasing the home.
* Contingencies: Limit the number of contingencies; include only the ones you really need, like financing and an inspection, etc.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have about making an offer, negotiating, or the buying process. I will work diligently to help you find and purchase your new home. Call or email me when you are ready to take the next step.

Sincerely,

Brian Sharkey- Realtor

www.BrianSharkeyRealEstate.com
Brian@BrianSharkeyRealEstate.com

772-579-1981

When you are ready to sell, you'll want to maximize the emotional appeal of your home. People who are enchanted with your home upon walking in the door are more likely to buy, and at a fair price.

Here are some tips to enhance the emotional appeal of your home:

* Turn on the lights to create a warm glow and remove the shadows.
* Make sure the windows are clean, and open the curtains or blinds.
* Keep the kitchen and baths clean and sparkling. Don't leave dishes in the sink.
* Remove all clutter, make the beds, and pick up toys.
* Pack away items that may detract from a buyer's ability to mentally move into your home such as family pictures or teen posters.
* Make the closets look bigger by packing up the clothes you are not using.
* Create a relaxing atmosphere with soft music.
* Make people feel at home with homey scents such as freshly baked cookies or bread or good potpourri.
* Check for pet odors and keep pets safely out of the way when your house is being shown.
* Clean out your basement and garage and neatly stack boxes you have stored there.
* Add charm and appeal with fresh flowers and plants.

Set the stage to show your home to its best advantage. Please don't hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions, or would like some professional tips on preparing your home for sale.

Sincerely,

Brian Sharkey- Realtor
www.BrianSharkeyRealEstate.com
Brian@BrianSharkeyRealEstate.com

All the talk about short sales this blog outlines how to get ready to sell.

If you've decided to go ahead and sell your house, it's important to have a sales strategy planned out before you even put your house on the market if it's short or not; your agent can tell you or just call me. 772-579-1981 It's also important to have a strategy that both you and your agent agree on, right down to the last detail. With all the details of your plan firmly in place, you'll have a strategy that will help your sale go more quickly and more smoothly when you start receiving offers from buyers.

What Should a Good Strategy Include?

Your sales strategy should incorporate two mini-plans, one for marketing your property, and the other for financial considerations and interacting with buyers.

Marketing your house effectively is a crucial part of the sales process. Marketing is designed to get as many people as possible through your front door, because the more interest you create in your property, the better your ability to negotiate a good sale price. This section of the plan should include things such as:

• Advertising, photographs, and signage.
• Whether or not you decide to hold open homes.
• How you're going to "stage" your property to increase its appeal.
• Ways to emphasize the strengths and downplay the weaknesses of your property and neighborhood

The second part of the plan should include the following considerations:

• Your initial asking price. Do you want to consider a range pricing strategy?
• If the market is slow, how long will you wait before making a price reduction, and how much will the reduction be?
• Negotiation with potential buyers.

Range Pricing Strategies

Range pricing is a way of getting more buyers through your front door. Using a range pricing strategy means listing your house at a price range you find acceptable, rather than a firm price. For example, if your home is valued at $275,000, you might list your range as $250,000-$275,000. This way, you get more buyers coming through your home, and while they may offer bids that are lower than you want to accept, you have the option to negotiate a price that's more to your liking. Range pricing strategies are an excellent way of generating interest in your property in a slow market, but are less useful when the market is strong.

Negotiating with Buyers

During the offer and counter-offer process, what do you want to stand firm on, and where are you willing to compromise? Consider such things as:

• The length of the closing period.
• Who pays closing costs?
• Who pays for repairs that might be needed. Will you pay for the repairs yourself or negotiate a reduced sale price to compensate the buyer for repair costs?
• Beware of so-called "open-ended contingencies" when negotiating with potential buyers. An example is a buyer who makes an offer subject to them selling their own property before buying yours. If you end up negotiating with such a buyer, counter with a clause that states you have the right to accept a better offer if it should be offered to you.

Other Things to Consider

• Will you hire a home inspector to do your own inspection before putting the house on the market? It's an extra expense, but it can give you a firmer negotiating position if you're aware of problems the house may have before it goes on the market.

Review your strategy regularly. If something isn't working for you, don't be afraid to change it if you and your agent can work out a better one.

Sharkey short sales, short sales, expert facilitator

St Lucie County has announced that funding is now available for the NSP* (Neighborhood Stablization Program). They have received $3,984.601 from the Florida Dept. of Community Affairs. The NSP program can provide up to $40,000 in purchase assistance for first time homebuyers meeting income criteria. All applications must be placed between 11-16-09 to 1-16-10 through the St Lucie County Community Services Dept. at 437 North 7th St. For more information please call direct to 772-462-1290 or you may read more via St Lucie County website http://www.stlucieco.gov/community/nsp.htm

*The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosed and abandoned homes. Through the purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed, abandoned homes and residential properties this can be accomplished.

NSP grantees develop their own programs and funding priorities. However, NSP grantees must use at least 25 percent of the funds appropriated for the purchase and redevelopment of abandoned, foreclosed or residential properties that will be used to house individuals or families whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the area median income.

NSP funds may be used for activities which include but are not limited to:

• Establish financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed homes and residential properties;
• Purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties abandoned or or foreclosed;
• Establish land banks for foreclosed homes;
• Demolish blighted structures;
• Redevelop demolished or vacant properties