An interesting challenge to any realtor reading this blog is to go to http://www.realtor.com/ and search for their "dream home" in their "dream city" and within their "price point" and try to be a buyer.  The second part of the exercise is to read, see and feel the advertising of other agents.  It will make you a better listing agent and help find buyers for the homes of your clients(s) if you implement better tactics to sell your own listings.It should go without saying that you should take a look at your own listings, both in the MLS and in Realtor.com.  Is the information you are trying to convey getting across to the buyer?  So many times a listing agent is involved in getting the job done and going through the motions that they may not be ad... 12/28/2006

Oh, the suffering...                                Every real estate agent has tried to figure it out, upon occasion.  If you are an agent you wait for the buyer to tell you what they want, or what they THINK they want.  Probing questions, matter of fact inquires or anything that could be a lever to a morsel of information.  It is up to you, the agent, to unearth the REAL want and need of your buyer.  Perhaps the confusion is a result of  the Buyer not being able to open up or perhaps it is because the buyer does not know how to properly articulate what they are looking for.We have all been out with the buyer that buys on impulse, intellect or the "unknown".  Reading a buyer is a skill that takes experience to master or for a lucky few, just a gift.  Every buyer is different and comple... 12/28/2006

 A few have asked where I have been the last several days.  My attempt to journey from Bonita Springs, Florida to Telluride, Colorado for a quiet vaction was not without event.I'm finally back to civilization and able to blog a bit. For those interested these are the links a few blogs.  If you care to read:   Stooges go skiing or Cry Babies or Telluride or Bust.  Of course, off topic, except for the Telluride open house thingy.  The lady in white is Jen, the female stooge.  I would be the blue stooge. :)Peace, Love and Happy New Year!~ Chris    12/25/2006

I just couldn't resist this sign.  Just when you should be enjoying a vacation, you get pulled back into work.  I swished in and snapped a few photos of this open house.My kids and I were skiing in Telluride, CO and I saw this slopeside.  There is a little sign that says it's a Ski-In, Ski-Out home, as well as, a Ski-in, Ski-out open house.  From South Florida, I thought it was amusing.  We have our Bonita Springs, canal front, homes and we hold open house by boats.  This was so fun to see for a change.  No, I didn't tour the house.  There was just too much powder to do that! Merry Christmas!  12/25/2006

Just a few miles North of Bonita Springs, Florida is Estero Florida.  Estero is one of the fasted growing communities in Southwest Florida.  Enjoy a few suggestions for activities in Estero. 1.   Catch a Florida Everblades hockey game at Germain Arena.  Germain Arena also hosts recreational ice skating and various concerts, acts and events.  Check the schedule of events.2.  Tour Koreshan State Historic Site.  One of the earliest settlements in SW Florida.3.  Canoe or Kayak the Estero River.  Equipment  can be rented at Estero River Outfitters.4.  Visit Miromar Outlets.  Over 140 stores and outlets shops at your fingertips. 5.  Tour one of the great bundled golf communities of Estero Florida.  Pelican Sound offers use of formal and casual Golf Club and River Club dining, a beautiful and ... 12/19/2006

 •10.    Visit Barefoot Beach.  Barefoot Beach Preserve is 342 acres of natural land, one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's southwest coast.•9.      Shop the new Coconut Pointe Mall.  Check out the brand new stores, restaurants and movie theater.•8.      Visit Everglades Wonder Gardens.  Everglades Wonder Gardens has over 2000 species of native wildlife & plants including: lush botanical gardens, wild Florida Panthers, Black Bears, Native & Exotic Birds, live Otter show, Flamingos, Rattlesnakes & Reptiles. •7.      Rent a boat or kayak and tour the back bays and rivers or head out to the gulf.•6.      Visit the Bonita Springs Art League or plan your trip around one of their art festivals.  •5.      Catch a round of golf at Raptor Bay.•4.      Pamper yourself at the St... 12/16/2006

The Southwest Florida Real Estate market has seen several years of above average home appreciation. Sellers have enjoyed profits from selling their homes and using the revenue to upsize, pay off debt, pay for college or add to their retirement plan. If you have been undecided and waiting for the right time to buy a home, now is the time! Here are 5 great reasons to buy Bonita Springs Florida Real Estate. Inventory - Supply and demand.  When supplies go up, prices come down. The supply of homes competing for buyers has been on the rise all year. Home sellers have offered more incentives to attract buyers from other homes.  Developers are offering great incentives which include mortgage payments for a period of time, homeowner association fees paid for a period of time or designer upgrade... 12/16/2006

  1. Clean and repair your home.  It should go without saying, but clean your house as if you were going to eat off the floors.   Make cosmetic repairs such as touching up paint, especially on cornerbead, and planting fresh flowers. Make sure the home smells fresh and clean, too.  2.  Remove clutter. Put away the figurine collection, toys and everything that is lining the bathroom and kitchen counters.  A crowded house makes it look smaller and makes it harder for buyers to imagine it as their own.  3.  De-personalize. Take down family photos, trophies and other personal touches. A buyer needs to imagine the house as a blank slate, ready to be occupied and personalized by them.  4. Consider holding a special preview. If you are having an open house from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., invite y... 12/15/2006

There would be nothing worse than watching your home go up in flames just before the holidays.To keep your holiday safe the Bonita Springs Fire Rescue suggests following these safety tips to help protect your family: Test all lights and cords for broken sockets or bare wires before decorating the tree or house. Place lights on a fireproof surface, leave them switched on for at least 15 minutes, and watch for any danger signs, such as smoke or melted wires. Use only lights that have an Underwriter's Laboratories or similar approval tag. Place your Christmas tree close to an electrical outlet to reduce the need to use extension cords. If you do use extension cords, use only heavy-duty cords. Never overload electrical sockets. If you choose a fresh tree, check the water level daily. If you... 12/15/2006

Simple.  I thought this was cute.  White Christmas in Florida  12/13/2006

The cost savings of housing your kid, plus appreciate, makes college town real estate a fairly wise investment to consider. Be sure to create a strategey go get the best return on investment in grown college town that boast more than late-night keggers. Scout for a sound real-estate investment. But prices have peaked. Your favorite city or resort destination is played languishing. Too expensive, and gloom an doom forecasts of corrections, oversupply or "bubble bursting". If you're considering an invetstment with real possibities, I have one in mind, a real-estate niche that plays defense and offense at the same time: college-town real estate.Read More Here:  College Town Real Estate   Also Read:  College Town LifeSouthwest Florida features the 10th State University,  FGCU.  For housing ... 12/11/2006

Adam Tarr & Sharon Kotula wrote about Phoenix Arizona and the Valley of the Sun - A GREAT place to live  and Jeff Belonger  wrote about The City of Brotherly Love: Part 2 of 6 - The Historic Sites & Famous People of Philadelphia......A series of Blogs  (There was a part 1 somewhere, but I'm weary).  Excellent insites into each of their fair cities.This evening I found a hometown blog site to let you all know about.  I received a google news alert and stumble onto it.  It may give you great ideas how to best blog your city's points of interests and activities.http://www.myunitedstates.us/blog/index.phpI'll be adding info about my city, Bonita Springs, Florida.  Maybe the guys from The 19th Hole can blog their city golf courses.     12/11/2006

                                                                      You will lose the excitement that a new listing generates. Most activity on a listing comes within the first 30 days. An initial high price will discourage buyers, causing you to miss out on pent up demand. •1.         You will lose the most qualified prospects! Buyers will not "just make an offer" because they may never even see your property. They will view the properties that are priced within their purchase power range, knowing that they cannot afford anything above their price ceiling. •2.         Over pricing helps sell other, more competitively price homes first. Your home may be used to demonstrate the good value of other properties. Your objective should be to enter the market in a position that will attract ... 12/10/2006

Walk across the street and look at your property as if you were a potential buyer. Ask yourself what a buyer might object to. The following is a list of suggestions: The Exterior Lawn: The yard should be neatly mowed, raked and edged. Trees/Shrubs: Should be pruned and shaped to compliment the property. Flowers: Consider adding seasonal flowers. Sidewalks/Driveways: Should be swept and washed to remove debris, dirt and stains. Cracks should be repaired and patched. Painting: Check the home for any needed maintenance just as a buyer would. Repaint or touch up as necessary. You can't find a better investment when you are selling your house! Don't let the outside turn buyers off before the inside turns them on. Doors/Windows: All doors and windows should be in good working order. Clean and... 12/10/2006

Land Ho! (Moat and Ship, Too!) Every town has one.  That building so odd, so unual that everyone talks about it.  It becomes a landmark.  Unfortunately, it sits vacant between business that have closed after they enter it.  It's been a restaurant, bar, dance club, bingo hall.  It's been empty for a while and for sale for over a year.The behemoth ship shaped building is on the block.  For a mere $4.25 million asking price, the 3.62-acre site of the landmark Ship restaurant property in Bonita Springs can be yours.  It fronts US 41 in an area with heavy traffic and exposure.  It is just down the street from the new Coconut Point Mall.   The property is zoned both residential and commercial, so development options are wide open.In case you are interested in the building and the property, Ro... 12/10/2006

Minutes after I posted on Lenn Harley's Blog DON'T TELL MY AGENTS I'M SENDING BUSINESS AWAY  I received a referral from a relocation company I have done business with for years.  I called the seller's as soon as I did a brief overview of the subject property and neighborhood.After a series of questions about myself and if I know the neighborhood I get asked about the condition of the market.  I explain, "The market hasn't been without it's hurdles, lately."  As a matter of fact, none of the homes listed in this particular Bonita Springs neighborhood has sold in several months, which the seller knows.  The seller says to me, "You really don't give me the warm fuzzy feeling."  I really felt like retorting, "Would you prefer I just lie to you? What do you want to hear?"It is amazing to me ... 12/08/2006

How far is too far when you're selling real estate?  MLS Alliance is a massive MLS system that most of SW Florida will soon have blanketing the area.  Basically, any agent buying or selling real estate in the Bonita Springs, Florida area will be able to access property listings in Port Charlotte, Florida and even farther north.  My question to my managing broker was "Why do I need this?  Don't you feel that working 60 miles or more from my area of expertise is reckless?"  Further, I stated that I wouldn't buy my own real estate in Port Charlotte or beyond without a professional helping me why would I suddenly become an expert "there" and sell it to one of my clients or customers?  Read Lonn Dugans blog:  Real estate is local, so get a local expert. Several people in the office chimed in... 12/07/2006

A few weeks ago I posted a blog regarding Amber Alerts and how easy it is to get them text messaged to your cell phone.  Again, I plea to every to consider spreading the word about the service.  Our SW Florida community is suffering from the abduction of a newborn infant from it's mother at knifepoint.  We all pray for the safe return of Baby Bryan.  Learn details and follow the story here: Bring Bryan Home.Officials are concerned that, fearing immigration issues, the hispanic community may be hesitant to contact authorities. They are urged to speak with their clergy, business owners or anyone else they are comfortable with to convey any information they may know. 12/06/2006

 Many boaters in Southwest Florida know it can be hard to dock their boats because there are so few spots to do so. The recent decision from members of the Bonita Springs City Council will make it get even harder.   The city of Bonita Springs has the option to buy the docks that are currently up for sale, but they won't be doing that.The docks in question are at Big Hickory Marina.  There are now dock in Fish Trap bay that are currently being researched by the city and city councilman Gary Price.  The Fish Trap docks are for sale, as well.  The concern is that if the city does not purchase the docks that developers will, and commercialize them. Gulf access property, with a boat dock or boat lift,  in Bonita Springs, Florida has entry level pricing of $400,000 to over $4,000,000.Carl Joh... 12/06/2006

The latest store to open at the Simon Group Coconut Point Mall is the Barnes and Noble Book Store.  Barnes & Noble store hours are seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with cafe hours beginning at 7 a.m.  The Coconut Point Mall is located at US 41 ( Tamiami Trail ) and Coconut Road (at The Brooks) at the city limits of Estero and Bonita Springs, Florida.The entire tenant list for the 500 acre facility is available at http://www.coconutpointretail.com/.  In addition to commercial space the facilty will have commercial condominiums and residential condominiums.      12/05/2006