DALIA KIBBY

The city of Pembroke Pines, Fl in Southeast Florida was recently named among the best for raising a family as reported in the Sun-Sentinel on 11/19/09. Following is the article:

Pines is top place to raise your kids

Pembroke Pines has been named one of the best places in the country to raise children by Business Week magazine. Tamarac & Sunrise were runners up. The city was noted for its low crime, the Pembroke Lakes Mall and schools. "It is a selling point for the city," said Commissioner Iris Siple. The results, released this week, were based on an analysis of affordability, safety, and school test scores. The cities considered for the list had populations above 45,000 and median incomes between $40,000 and $125,000.

Too many buyers are reading that the Florida realty market is in such shambles that now is the time to get in & get properties cheaply. In the past 2 weeks, I've dealt with buyers that want to invest in small condos or single family homes but want these to be priced at 1970s era prices, have a very low condo association monthly payment, be in pristine condition & well-located. There's a lot I can do but performing miracles isn't one of them. I politely inform these 'buyers' that if a property is well priced, well located & in decent condition, it's sold within hours or a day of listing--if it even hits the MLS. There 's skepticism about what I say.

One buyer, who is looking for a single family home in Southeast Florida priced at or below $135K, complained to me that 2 previous realtors hadn't worked with her & she thought it was because the commission on such a sale would be too low for these professionals to consider. I told her that the property she is looking for is virtually non existant & the professionals she spoke to before me most likely realized the futility of finding something she'd like in her price range. As it is, she sent me some listings that she 'loved'--one was priced at nearly $200K, the other $30K above her budget. Strangely, I haven't heard from her. It's o.k. to dream big, but in life we have to accept what we can afford.

Here's another article from my upcoming newsletter...enjoy!

Buyers

This is ‘crunch time' for many buyers who have been waiting to buy a home. Many are very eager to see properties & spend time sending listings to area realtors. However, it's important for these consumers to remain focused on the fundamentals. Before going to see properties and/or asking a realtor to check on a property, buyers should ask themselves the following questions:

• Money: Do I have enough for the down payment & closing costs? How much will I need for the property & location I want/need?

• Credit: Has the financing been lined up? Do I have the credit ability to make an offer & close on a deal?

• Flexibility: Am I willing to compromise on some features and/or the property's location? Can I pay more to get what I really want?

Location & home condition are generally predicated on the price. If the buyer's budget is unrealistically low, there will have to be significant compromise(s) on location and/or condition (including size) of the property for a sale to take place. However, if the price is adequate, financing has been lined up & the buyer has realistic expectations, then the probability of success is greatly increased.

Here's an article from my upcoming newsletter:

Listing during Holiday Season

Homeowners planning on selling their properties soon have many decisions to make. Chief among these decisions is when to list the property. There is a natural tendency to put off the actual property listing until sometime ‘after the holidays'. But there are compelling reasons to list right before & during the season that could prove advantageous to home sellers, as follow:

•· Less Competition: Since other home owners may be waiting until the new year to list, homes already on the market have the field all to themselves;

•· Serious Buyers: Serious buyers don't quit looking because of the holidays. Relocated employees that have to be in place by the new year, in particular, look & buy during the season;

•· Moving Companies: By selling in the last or first quarter of the year, it may be much easier to schedule the move with the moving company because this is considered the moving industry's ‘slow' time of the year;

•· Holiday Beauty: Many homes look their best during this time of year because of the seasonal decorations. Why not take advantage of that beauty to show off the home?

Yesterday, I co-hosted a garage sale to benefit the youth group at my church. I was at the church at 6am & didn't leave until 3:15p. What struck me was how few buyers were out there. We had 200 vendors, great location & yet, no early birds to speak of & more sellers than buyers throughout the day. We made a few hundred dollars but we had a lot of inventory & ruthlessly slashed prices to move the stuff as the day wore on. I was reminded, anew why I vowed 2 years ago to never again do or participate in another garage sale. It's a tremendous amount of work for a relatively low reward. Nonetheless, the idea that you can make some money from getting rid of your discards is hard to die.

The dearth of buyers, however, told me that Craigslist & ebay & possibily the recession have significantly eroded the buyer pool. I guess getting up early on a Saturday to score some deals isn't as exciting as checking Craigslist or ebay for deals. I notice that I don't see as many garage sales as I used to. Too bad. I've always enjoyed visiting garage sales, especially when my daughter was very young & I could find toys or clothing that she'd use. Another sign of the times.