Eric Miller

If you are new to real estate, this article is a read that will save you a great deal fo time in answering a very common question. The cpening and closing line can be the same, "The decision is one of lifestyle".

Thinking about Fort Lauderdale Real Estate one of the first questions you may think about is whether you can see yourself in a Fort Lauderdale Condominium or a Fort Lauderdale Single Family Home?

Often when people start to talk about this we hear the response, “We would prefer a Fort Lauderdale Condo but we are going to look at Fort Lauderdale Homes for Sale first because we don’t want to pay monthly maintenance fees”. As a professional Fort Lauderdale Realtor, this is my perfect opportunity to discuss a condominium budget and point out the similarities in running a single family home. Hopefully the buyers will focus on other characteristics of the type of property they want and stay focused on finding the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate that is right for them and their family, and make condo maintenance a bit less of an issue.

Should the buyer ultimately decide on a condo our job, as realtors and the local real estate experts, is to help them understand the property and make sure that they are purchasing a well managed property that meets their needs.

Approximately 25%-30% of the monthly fees of a Ft Lauderdale condominium pay for the building insurances. These insurances cover you up to your interior walls; and even though no additional insurance is required by many Ft Lauderdale Condos we do suggest that you carry homeowners insurance. Insurance for a median priced Ft Lauderdale Home will run approximately $2400 per year or $200 per month, buy a more expensive home, and insurance will go up accordingly.

Purchase a Fort Lauderdale Home, and you will most likely have some additional services to help maintain the property. The lawn service will run you about $100 per month; the pool service and chemicals will add another $100. Cable TV (included a many condos) can add at least another $100 these days. All of a sudden we are looking at a $500 monthly expense, including only some of the basics. We then need to add water and trash bill, which is usually covered in most Ft Lauderdale condominiums.

In a well managed Fort Lauderdale Condominium the condo association will be putting away a reserve for a rainy day, just like we may want to consider doing as homeowners. When it comes time for a new roof hopefully your Ft Lauderdale Condo has already put the money into reserves, and you will never see the bill. In a single family home that same roof can cost $20,000, divided over the years the roof has been in service and you can be looking at another $100 per month.

Hopefully you are starting to see the point of these very general estimates,

You can see where this conversation is heading. Overall, the cost of owning a Fort Lauderdale Condominium and a Fort Lauderdale Home is not as much a financial conversation as you may think. The cost of maintaining a home will be very similar to the monthly costs in a Ft Lauderdale condominium. Back to the original question, of which is right for you and your family, a Fort Lauderdale Condo or a Ft Lauderdale Single Family home? Review your personal wish list, and focus your search accordingly. A team of professional Ft Lauderdale Realtors will help to guide you to properties that best meet your needs.

Curious about some great Fort Lauderdale Condos and not sure where to start here are a view of our favorites to look at.

Tides at Bridgeside Square Symphony Condominium Las Olas River House Point of Americas

Just awful.., I for one am simply tired of hearing it. As a professional Fort Lauderdale Realtor I have become more accustomed to dealing in facts. Facts such as days on market, months of inventory, trends in sales price. These are the numbers I have learned neighborhood by neighborhood to help me understand the goings on in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market.

"The Real Estate Market is Just Awful", is the type of report we all hear daily in the news media, and rarely do we stand up and say, Not Where I Sit ! Lets force the world back to a real estate conversation we all know, by asking a simply question over and over again.

What neighborhood are you talking about ?

The second question may certainly be, Why are we discussing this are you looking to buy or looking to sell ? ( Thank you Gary Keller )

But first steps first, I am urging you to help do your part to put an end to the National Weather Report and talk about you local real estate market, blog about it, promote it talk about the areas that are starting to show signs of life.

This morning I posted the market statistic for a city called Wilton Manors, want to escape from the "The Real Estate Market is Awful" here is your personal escape route take a moment and look at these numbers from the City of Wilton Manors, and hope that this market is coming to a neighborhood near you.

While visitng please take a moment and click the (+1) button, vote for good real estate news. Curious about how to place the plus button your your site email me and I will be glad to foward the code. Visit us at www.FortLauderdaleGroup.com, oh yes I have a Google Plus button there as well.

Fountains on Ocean Boulevard one of the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate markets few new condo minimum building has announced they will be conducting an auction in approximately 30 days of the remaining 20 units for sale.

Eric Miller and Associates were the second sale team at this Fort Lauderdale Condominium and to date the most successful in bringing the developer to where they are today. As of June 1st 2010, Eric Miller and Associates were no longer connected to the property but have always remained available to answer questions of potential buyers and have become the resale agents for the best two bedrooms available in the building.

Fountains on Ocean Boulevard is a luxury 7 story building, consisting of two towers totaling 61 units built around the concept of privacy and personal luxury. The building contains no center lobby and four elevator service separate elevator cores of just 15 to 16 units each. A roof top pool, health club and two sun decks, make the Fountains a great place to call home.

Sale prices of two bedroom units have ranged from the low $300,000's to the upper $400,000's depending on square footage, and view, after price adjustments which were taken in 2010. The best view in a two bedroom unit is currently listed for $449,000 and is a resale listed by Eric Miller and Associates.

As per the letters received by owners the other day the auctions "opening bid" is just $125,000, however it is just that an open bid, and I for one will tell you today I may just be the bidder who delivers that bid even though I expect it to be very unlikely that a) a unit is sold for that price and b) there won't be 50 other people ready to deliver that same bid. Remember it's just an opening bid.

If you are looking for a potential great deal in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market the up coming auction at the Fountain on Ocean Blvd. may be the just the opportunity you have been waiting for. Expect units to sell at a nice discount from original asking prices, and to be a great value. Don't expect prices that 100 other buyers would be willing to jump at, simply that's what an auction is all about, getting to real market value.

Eric Miller and Associates is no longer connected with the developer and as one of the top real estate teams in Broward County is your perfect choice to represent you at the Fountains on Ocean Blvd. auction. If you are interested in purchasing at the auction call Eric Miller to discuss your plans first and hire him as your buyer's agent, there is no fee to you. Having someone on your team who knows the property, and knows the Fort Lauderdale Condo market is the best way to assure you make a great deal. Eric's references can be found at Eric Miller and Associates Testimonial Page, and we are here to join you as you tour the property.

Notice that I said the word "saw" it's simple part of seeing the bottom, it can only be done in the past tense. Think about it for a moment, the entire concept of buying at the bottom of any market is a conversation based in luck. Recently I saw reports from Fannie Mae, Bank of America, and Well Fargo all talked about real estate prices starting to trend up at different points of 2011. The reports read for prices to trend up anytime from the second to fourth quarter of 2011. So now if you thinking about buying South Florida real-estate you know this is the year. You will still need a little luck as with these predictions on the horizon inventory is shrinking quickly preparing for the bottom. No two properties are the same and when it comes the best of Fort Lauderdale Real Estate I still believe the bottom has passed but we won't know for sure until till next quarter. If adequate or second best is what you wish to buy you still may have some time to watch.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent; the story is told to educate those who will read it about the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market. If one reader anywhere better understands how hard Realtors work, or gets a laugh out of reading it, then it was worth writing.

If one realtor reminds themselves that prequalifying a buyer is one of the most important parts of the process that it was well worth writing.

And last but not least, if one person out there searching for a home thinks the deal they found, in the back of their mind maybe, too good to be true, and say it a second time, then I am sure it was worth writing.

I do understand that there are certain things that make the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market unique, and Realtors from different markets may find some of this surprising. Fort Lauderdale realtors simply know there are certain things that affect our market, for better or worse, on a daily basis. We are a resort area, we are a huge second home market, and simply we get to live in a paradise that many people simply dream of living in, for all these things I am grateful.

8:20AM The phone rings while I'm driving past the hi-rise downtown Ft. Lauderdale Condominiums of the Las Olas Area. Good Morning this is Eric (those who know me have heard this greeting pretty consistently over the years) Hi Eric, this is Sue I am thinking of moving to Fort Lauderdale and I have been on your website early this morning and I was wondering if I could get together with you. Sue, Thank you for visiting my website, I'd be glad to help with your move to the Fort Lauderdale area, let's talk about your plans. Are you in Fort Lauderdale now or planning a trip to Ft. Lauderdale shortly?

Actually Eric I need to speak a little quickly it's snowing in Boston and I'm on my way to the airport. Are you familiar with Fort Lauderdale MLS number F1637321, it looks really nice and I'd like to see it today, Do you know if it has a view of the ocean?

Sorry to hear its snowing in Boston, happy to hear you're coming to Fort Lauderdale, and certainly would love to get together with you and discuss your plans, discuss how we work, and see if I can help with your move to the Ft Lauderdale area. Let's discuss what you looking for, so I can do some hunting, and let's set an appointment to get together in the next day so. Are you planning to proceed with this purchase with a mortgage or pay cash as I want to be sure when we start hunting we have all the documentation in place for when we find that perfect home?

Actually this is the condo I want it's perfect, is it vacant? If it is I know they will be very negotiable on the price, I've heard all about the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market and especially Ft. Lauderdale Condos, Does it have an ocean view?

Sue, I'm sorry, I'm in my car on my way to the office for my first appointment of the day and once I finish I will be glad to get all the details on this Fort Lauderdale property. When we get together I will have all have all the details for you and other similar properties for us to visit. Please understand when you access my web site you are searching the entire Fort Lauderdale MLS, these listings can be represented by any Ft Lauderdale Realtor and I am happy to show you any of these listings that meet your criteria.

Eric, I really would like to see that condo today I'll call you when we land in Ft Lauderdale, thank you for you help, I look forward to meeting you. Also please check if it's vacant I would consider renting it for a while. Sue, I do have an appointment this morning but when we speak I will have all the information about that Fort Lauderale Condos rental policies so you are aware of them.

Rental policy is not important to me Eric, I would never rent it out, I'm a cash buyer but really need to run parking the car at the airport ....click... travel safe Sue, I'll speak to you later.

I pull into my office parking lot and write down Sue's cell number on my calendar, after all you never know. She sounded very nice and maybe we will get to a place where we can be working together. Maybe she will understand some of things that will make our partnership as realtor and potential buyer of Fort Lauderdale Real Estate work for both of us.

1) Ft. Lauderdale Real Estate is far from quiet. Realtors are not waiting around for their phone to ring. Ft. Lauderdale Realtors are excited about how many buyers are knocking on their doors. Once the potential buyers of Ft Laudedale Homes start to feel that the see the bottom or more likely have missed it, market activity will change.

2) Before Sue and I go out hunting we need to discuss exactly what she is looking for, her time frame and her plans for purchasing the property. It is only fare to both of us, to the listing agent, and to the seller, that before we show a property we know that we are traveling with a ready, willing and able buyer. Sight seeing is simply part of life in Fort Lauderdale but as realtors we need to work hard not to become tour guides.

9:10 AM The phone rings, just as I answered the last of the morning emails, "Good Morning, this is Eric".

Hi Eric, this is Steve I'm from Los Angeles and my golf buddies and are thinking of buying some of these old duplexes around here and renting them out for cash flow, we don't want to put a lot of money down and we were hoping you could show a few to us later today it looks like its going to rain around 2:00 and our golf game will be rained out.

Steve I would be glad to arrange that for you but the first thing we need to do is set some time to get together, I am booked solid today, and we need to have you speak to a mortgage broker so that I have a prequalification letter. Then I can make appointments to view these properties. Please keep in mind they are tenant occupied and if you were the owner you would want me to be careful about disturbing the tenants. May I give you the name of a couple for mortgage professionals?

Eric that will be fine, I'll call them when I have moment and get back to you, please text me the numbers. Will do, have a great round of golf, click. Byeeeeee Stev And so the day goes on, I am thrilled that the phone is ringing, and I remain optimistic that every few buyers is someone who understands how realtors work and are serious about our time together, and each day I get a few booster shots that remind me with all the new technology in the world, I can't ever let go of the prequalification skills I learned as a new realtor years ago.

Today these skills have become more important than ever. The day continues, the phone (happily) continues to ring and now I am sincerely starting to see my calendar become very full over the next few weeks. I take care of some showings, work with my assistant, address the marketing on some of our listings, and of course pull up Sues "ocean view" condo.

It is not in Fort Lauderdale, it sits on a lake ( OK, a pond ) about 30 minutes inland, it is in an over 55 community, it is currently on the market for $34,000 has been on the market for 8 months and is a short sale. I do remember "it's perfect", but I am sure that was more about price than anything else; after all she asked if the water in the view was the "ocean". By the way pets are not allowed, we never got that far, but I think I did hear a bark in the background this morning when we spoke. The phone rings, its Sue, "Hi Eric did you set up that appointment, and would you mind picking me up at the airport, its just myself and my poodle I just need to get my luggage. Sorry Sue, that property does not allow pets and we will not be able to even get in the building with the pup.

I am so sorry, as I really am a dog lover.

One of my three rescues, I couldn't resist. Maxie has a fan page and could use some friends.

In addition I am sincerely booked solid today. But please go get settled at your hotel and I'll call you later to discuss when we are getting together. Sue, quick question, was that property at the high end of your price range ?

Eric did you find out if its vacant, if it is they need to be very negotiable, that is way higher than what I can pay.

Sue, I certainly understand lets talk after you get settled in your hotel, and I promise to spend a few minutes turning you into a Fort Lauderdale Real Estate expert.

Thank you for my booster shot, agents please learn to prequalify well, it will always help you create a better career in real estate and stand out as the professional you are. Thinking of an ocean view in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, Eric Miller and Associates are always here to help navigate the Ft. Lauderdale Real Estate market.