Real Estate Press Releases

MERIDIAN, Ida. - Meridian REALTOR® John Espinosa sees foreclosure inventory of bank owned homes likely continuing to bring out bargain hunters through 2012, bringing with it exceptional prices.

Depending on what economic policies the federal government adopts, Espinosa says Idaho real estate buyers will likely see continued low interest rates through this election year as an attempt by Washington policy-makers to stimulate the economy.

"The combination of low rates and the steady drip of bank owned homes into the market means continued low prices for buyers who are ready to dip their feet in the market again."

He says some buyers have been gun-shy about re-entering the real estate market, whether it's for Meridian real estate, which maintains relatively higher demand than many other Treasure Valley cities, or Eagle real estate, where expensive estates from the boom years are going for pennies on the dollar now.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - While Jerry Garrity of Silicon Valley's First Statewide Realty works with a long list of properties for seasoned Bay Area investors who use his San Jose property management services, he also has a growing portfolio of another abundant asset type: properties whose owners had trouble selling them.

He says this growing phenomenon is a result of the real estate market not cooperating with the original plans of many homeowners. His advice, rather than accept an undesirable price, is to think differently.

"I've found that many people who have had trouble selling their home for their preferred price can turn a negative into a positive and actually use their circumstance to nudge themselves into real estate investing."

"Often, investing in real estate is something they've been wanting to do for years, and just didn't know how to go about it. We show them how."

Garrity says that he's been able to teach these new clients what his more seasoned investors already know – that there is wisdom in owning real estate in any market.

KEY WEST, Fla. - Key West, Florida real estate agent Sean Farrer issued a real estate market report for the area based on recent sold statistics and trends he has observed in the market.

Farrer says that sales in 2012 are already starting off well.

"With our peak season already here, last month saw a total of 48 Key West real estate properties sold. Those were comprised of 25 single family homes, 22 condos, and a commercial property."

He says that contingent and pending transactions for December 2011 totaled 121 transactions, with a total of 438 active listings.

"The number of listings on the market is slightly lower than it would normally be, due to a shortage of inventory in certain price levels of the Key West Real Estate market."

ORLANDO, Fla - The Orlando home market isn't nearly as cold as the weather up north according to Orlando real estate agent Jonathan de Jesus of Dominium Realty Group.

De Jesus says that although the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has adjusted the home sale statistics downward for the last five years, the market is not as bad as the headlines sometimes indicate.

"There are still plenty of homes being bought and sold, particularly in a market like here in Orlando where we have plenty of warm weather and international tourism to keep things interesting."

He says that part of what's keeping the Orlando real estate market hotter than other parts of the country is simply the year-round nice weather, but he says the proximity to Disney World is a big help.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – With real estate investors snapping up bargains on income property due to weak housing prices, a company specializing in synthetic lawn installation is getting the message out to property management companies that their clients can improve their cash flow each month in many cases by installing synthetic grass in place of water-hogging and upkeep-intensive sod.

Scot Wozniak of San Diego Lawns, Inc., says he can help property managers run the numbers to see if their properties under management can benefit from converting their real grass lawns to great-looking synthetic lawns.

"Owners have been very interested in our product, because it looks and feels very much like real grass, yet it can save a considerable amount of money each month on the water bill and on landscape maintenance."

MERIDIAN, Ida. - Don Wixom, broker/owner of RE/MAX Advantage in Nampa, Idaho, says that Meridian market continues to maintain the lowest vacancy rates for pre-existing homes in the Treasure Valley. He says this is a testament to Meridian's strength as a place to buy, and is due to a number of factors affecting the Idaho real estate market.

Wixom says that some of the more popular subdivisions in many price ranges are in Meridian, making Meridian more attractive to a wider set of buyers.

"Meridian subdivisions tend to be newer than those in other parts of the Treasure Valley. Schools are great, and amenities like shopping and freeway access are great as well."

He says that the benefits Meridian has going for it mean buyers will pay a little more to live there, but property values have also been much more stable in Meridian than elsewhere.

"Meridian real estate offers a level of safety for home buyers that other areas don't always have, simply because it's more in demand."

KEY WEST, Fla. - Florida real estate agent Sean Farrer says that tourism to Key West brings a steady source of home buyers as vacationers are enticed by great home prices to consider calling the island their home. Farrer says that his clients frequently got the idea to buy Key West real estate while vacationing in its year-round warm climate.

"The northern states and Canada get some pretty cold winters, and folks come here to warm up. In the process, they discover that Key West is a really nice place to live."

He says that before their holiday is over, vacationers are often asking him to look at Key West real estate listings.

"Prices are incredible right now--better than they have been in a decade or more because of all the bank owned homes on the market."

Farrer says that not only are there a high number of Key West foreclosures that translate to real estate discounts for buyers, but tourists can get all kinds of discounts from local businesses.

Amherst, NH - Praxius Technology, a leading real estate marketing technology company based in New Hampshire, is launching extensive real estate social media marketing training for agents and loan officers who collaborate using the company's Lender Agent Collaborative platform.

Fred Doleac, President of Praxius Technology and Virtual Homes Real Estate, says the free training resources are designed to coach agents and lenders alike on how to build their social media profile, an increasingly important focus of online marketing in the relationship-driven real estate industry.

"Our extensive video training modules cover everything from mortgage marketing and SEO to social media marketing on Twitter and Facebook. They are offered for free as part of our Lender Agent Collaborative real estate website platform, which allows lenders to build long term, profitable relationships with real estate agents."

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jerry Garrity of First Statewide Realty, who was recently interviewed for a Wall Street Journal article for his expertise in San Jose Property Management, is offering executive relocation tips to companies relocating employees to the Silicon Valley.

Garrity says the experience of two decades in real estate spanning five recessions gives him some measure of wisdom he shares with clients, whether individual investors or companies using his services for executive relocation.

"Often, companies who are relocating an employee think they are saving money by managing the details of the move internally, such as scouting for rental properties, arranging rental contracts, coordinating moving companies, etc. Inevitably, they end up wasting valuable time and money in the process."

He says that one of his first pieces of advice is that time is money, and having employees try to learn the ins and outs of real estate management consumes a lot of both.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland REALTOR® David Somerville says recent housing stats released by S&P and Case/Shiller indicate that continued lower real estate prices in most markets nationwide along with sub-4% interest rates may mean buyers are getting more unprecedented opportunities to buy low. The nationwide study showed housing prices eased slightly in September on a year over year basis, meaning buyers are able to get more home now for less money.

Somerville says the benefit for Portland real estate buyers is compounded by the fact that interest rates on the 30 year fixed mortgage remain below 4%.

"This is truly an amazing time in the market for buyers who can get past the doom and gloom headlines. I believe many homeowners won't see prices this low again in their lifetime."