Ronda Densford, REALTOR Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

Once again it's time for me to repost the scariest real estate story ever! It's become an annual tradition to repost this article. I call it my "List Em and Leave Em" post. Don't let this happen to you!

The names have been changed to protect the slackers and the victims...

I continually hear people say that their realtor bugged them for weeks to get them to list their house with them. They finally agreed to list it and they never saw the REALTOR again!! I'm not exaggerating! Check out this story....

New example of a "list em and leave em" real estate company

Wednesday, May 02, 2007JANESVILLE, Wis. - A couple checking out a house for sale were shocked to discover the 55-year-old homeowner dead in her bed. Authorities said foul play was not suspected. Real estate agent Linda stood in the dining room while Justin and Colleen walked through a house Monday night. Before long, she heard Colleen scream."I thought, 'What's wrong?' Maybe it was a dead mouse or something," agent Linda said. But then she peered into the bedroom and saw the body of the owner.

An autopsy determined the owner had been dead for two to three weeks, Rock County Coroner Jenifer K said Wednesday. The cause of death remained under investigation, but the woman appeared to have died of natural causes and no foul play was suspected, the coroner said.

The agent who listed the house, said it was for sale "for a while." Agent Linda said she had noticed a faint odor but thought it was from the mess in the house or the countertop full of dishes. After seeing the body, she said she told the couple: "We need to leave. This is not right. We need to get out of here."

I rest my case! If you want to list your house with someone that will communicate with you---give me a call! I look forward to hearing from you. I promise not to list your house and forget about you!

My First Time Buyer continues to lose out on all of the "deals" out there! We have been beat on every offer we've made!

I swore I wouldn't write a contract after the 15th of October for ANY First Timer. Here it is the 15th and I still haven't been able to help my buyer find a home!

Is it too late? Are they going to extend the Tax Credit for first time buyers? WHEN are they going to extend it? Should I take a chance and write a contract that might not close by November 30th?

What are your thoughts on the Tax Credit extension? Are you still writing contracts for First Timers with the hope they'll close by November 30th? What is YOUR cut off date? Will you write contracts until October 30th?

I was never really crazy about showing short sell homes anyway. Now, I'm TERRIFIED to sell one! If the average short sale takes 90-120 days to get to closing, there is just NO WAY a First Time Buyer can buy a house after this week and have any confidence that they'll beat the November 30th deadline to close. This really is hard for them to understand and sometimes I think they think I'm just being "Debbie Downer". The truth of the matter is that when November 30th gets here, they'll probably be about 3-5 weeks away from closing!

I've heard the rumors that Congress may extend that deadline. I've also heard the rumor that they may even increase the Tax Credit to $15,000 and include ALL buyers, not just First Timers. That's great! I hope it happens. But the only thing we have to go by right now, today, is the November 30th deadline. Are you willing to take a chance? My personal fear is that they are going to be so bogged down with the health care issues that they are going to push EVERYTHING else to the rear of the line. We all know how important housing is to the entire economy of our country. I'm just afraid that Congress may not realize how urgently an extension is needed.

I am going to avoid short sales for now. I hate to. They dominate our market here in Northeast Florida. But I just can't imagine facing my buyer on November 30th if they missed the boat on the tax credit.

How are you going to handle this issue?

Ideas and suggestions appreciated!

Wow. I knew the $8,000 tax credit would help with home sales, but when they made it available to first time buyers NOW--my phone started ringing like crazy! The idea of having most, if not all of your closing costs covered, was just more than these buyers could resist. Apparently lots of young buyers, and old ones too for that matter, that have been thinking about buying a new home just needed a little nudge to push them off the fence. In my case, all of my clients have enough money for the down payment, but not for the closing costs AND the down payment. PROBLEM SOLVED! With the $8,000 in the mix, they're good to go.

Now, my biggest concern is how long it will take the lenders to catch up! I think all of the details and procedures are still being worked out. I think the announcement by the Feds may have been a little premature. In a perfect world they would have given the lenders a heads up that this was coming. I have faith in them though. As long as they have their act together by the time my clients close in 30 days, I am happy as a lark!

I hope this momentum keeps up for a while. I think we're finally making a dent in the short sales and foreclosures with this new group of buyers. It will take a while, but one of these days the "distressed" homes will be off the market. I'm happy to help with the clean up! :)

Magnolia Properties
Jacksonville, FL
(904) 885-9907

I recieved many, many calls this week from First Time Buyers. They are hearing about the possible $35,000 they can get to help with the purchase of a home. This is in addition to the $8000 in tax relief they will get! Why not buy now? Interest rates remain very low and inventory remains very high. With foreclosures and short sales continuing to flood the market, NOW is the time to get a great deal! First Time Buyers are fun to work with! They are typically young, motivated, curious and techno savvy. Did I mention that they're a lot of fun! I enjoy working with them and look forward to helping many more in the coming months.

Most First Time Buyers are doing a lot their searching BEFORE they even contact a Realtor. They like to control the searches and do things on their own schedule. This works out great for me! I always ask that they give me a top 10 list and then we hit the road! First Time Buyers usually have a "vision" of what they want in a home. They have a picture in their minds about how the lay out will look, the colors and the "feel" of the "perfect" home. They have looked through hundreds of homes on line and are ready to see the Top 10 in person. This is an exciting time for them! The excitement is contagious. I find myself nervously opening the door for them, feeling the butterflies right along with them. First Time Buyers are fun to work with!

Up to $35,000 in buyer assistance is available to First Time Buyers through my preferred lender EverBank. It's based on income and easy to apply for. A First Time Buyer also includes ANYONE that hasn't owned a house in 3 years. My lender can prequalify a First Time Buyer over the phone. What a great time to buy a home!!!