One of my favorite parts of my job is selling Ocean Front property, whether listing or helping a buyer. First, it is just plain fun. Nothing worse than having to suffer through the gorgeous views of the ocean on a Sunny Florida day. Sometimes there is Right Whale Watching, or porpoise jumping and then of course there are the brown pelicans diving to keep me entertained. It's understanding the waxing and waning of the seas that draws me as well as the fact that each Ocean Front property is unique. Nothing cookie cutter (with the exception of condos, and even there the views are unique). I sold this beauty with a three car garage on 11/21/2011 just in time for Thanksgiving Dinner. While the new owners are busy getting furniture in place and doing some minor improvements, they are very excited with their investment. And oh yes, did I mention, I like to consider myself as a real estate investment specialist along with the Luxury Marketing and Second Home, golf and waterfront specialist. Because puchasing real estate in this market is definitely a great investment with lots of upside potential. If you are interested contact me for further information on determining if a property is a good "investment" property for you. I have new tools to provide you a terrific analysis and it is beyond the typical market analysis. Address for this beauty is 2451 S Ponte Vedra Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. Leveraging your money through the bank is still making this one of the best times to buy (who would have thought of interest rates in the 3's and 4's%), Call me if you want to sell or buy your oceanfront property in NE Florida (ask me for the 100 year hurricane map).
This is one of my pet peeves, Is it yours too?
I hear it all time from my customers on line inquiring about pictures. They come through my website and ask me where are the inside pictures of the house? They want more. Not less. Not just one, They are trying to make a purchasing decision and do not understand why on earth there is only one picture, or the pictures are only showing some rooms not all. Some pictures are fuzzy some are poor quality, some show trash all over and some show dishes in the sink (what was that listing agent thinking??) You may have seen the websites for Bad MLS photos... if not just Google the term for a laugh. I have seen homes on the MLS for 365 days or more with NO pictures...hmmm wonder why they are still not sold?
What do I say to my customers when they call to complain? First I apologize for the absence of adequate pictures. Then I explain they are seeing all homes listed (not just my listings) in the multiple list system (MLS) that is fed into my website. So it looks like my listing but it is not. So it makes all of us look bad. Some excuses I can give include that the listing is "new" and it may take a few days to upload the pictures get the virtual tour done etc. Other excuses include "it is a foreclosure" and the selling agent wants to make sure you actually see the property before making an offer. Or there is a tenant in the house and the listing agent most likely was not allowed to take pictures of the tenants stuff (or the place is such a mess you wouldn't want to see the pictures). Sometimes, if the customer is really interested, I call the listing agent and ask for other photos...shockingly they have them and forward them to me. In some cases I look up an expired listing and find other photos. And in the worst case scenario, the listing agent invites me to take my own pictures. Now I don't mind doing that if there is real interest by the buyer in making a purchase and they are not in town (as is often the case). However, I have a suggestion.
For the homes that are on the market now, I believe any listing agent is doing a disservice to both buyers and sellers if there are not sufficient pictures. Some real estate agents hire professionals (a very good idea, some take thier own photos). In this current technology environment, there is really no good reason that at least one photo can not be uploaded at the time of the listing. Some MLS systems, like the ones I subscribe to, will allow the listing to be put on the market without a photo. I think that is a fault of the MLS program and should not be allowed. If there is no picture, at least one, the listing detail should default to an ERROR until a photo is uploaded. Making it MANDATORY to upload at least one photo during the data entry by the listing agent should help. That is an MLS Board decision I would support.
Most people would agree that more pictures sell the home. REALTOR.com recommendations used to be for 10 pictures, now they are up to capacity of 25. I got a call from a rep from REALTOR.com who was calling to remind me of that fact. I had a foreclosure property listed that had 15 pictures and was undercontract in 48 hours (don't we wish all listings would move that fast?). Her encouragement was to put 25 pictures up because of how their program works and to get more exposure and thus mroe people to notice. She said if I put duplicate pictures to complete the 25 slots for pictures that would be an ok thing to do. I disagree. I don't like seing 3 pictures of the same shot. Makes you think someone was lazy. I don't think that is the case, maybe too busy?
So here is another suggestion be done for every listing. Every seller deserves good representation. Every buyer searching for a home deserves the ability to choose one property over another. All pictures for homes for sale and put on the internet should include Two angles of each photo position eg. Front elevation from right and Front from left. Same for back of home, back yard, front yard, side yards, Street scenes, entryway, and each room including bathrooms, laundry rooms, attic storage, basements, kitchen, bedrooms, family rooms, bonus rooms, media rooms, swimming pools, storage sheds or anything that is described in the marketing section of the MLS details. If pictures are not included a reason why should be mentioned in the private realtor remarks so anyone can give a potential buyer the appropriate excues. Interestingly, for most of my foreclosure listings I must upload at least these pictures to the seller. For most of my standard listings I take the preliminary pictures and then replace them with professional pictures and virtual tours as soon as I can get the photographer there.
What do you think?
I I almost can't believe it myself. Oceanfront properties, duplex, single family houses, and condos are all being adjusted drastically downward. Oceanfront considered Prime Real Estate because "location, location, location" is now subject to what all properties are experiencing....the discriminating buyer! Just the luxury factor for being directly on the ocean doesn't seem to hold the "VALUE" it once did nor does the property condition. It can be totally pristine, never lived in and totally contemporary. And if the property is not worth the land it sitting on, then it certainly is worth at least the land price its sitting on? Right, not necessarily, because the land prices have fallen underneath the house that are built on them. And who can tell where the land bottom is. I don't know, but I have a beautiful oceanfront property built to 2007 code standards and beyond, with all the "bells & whistles" and easily worth the replacement price of $1,649,000, which is its list price, but no buyers! I have a darling 1000 sq ft direct oceanfront cottage totally remodeled, upgraded and a perfect escape home now reduced to the rediculous listed price of $549,900. Then there is a duplex, townhouse style and currently income producing nice oceanfront property now reduced to the price of $799,990. Somewhere between $1.00 and the price of the listing someone should want oceanfront property. Shouldn't they? It's not all about price. I can't be that far off in my CMA. Are there any rainmakers out there who know people who want oceanfront property.
You can find me in both offices in Ponte Vedra Beach or St. Augustine Beach.
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