Ron "The Bear" Barakett

Bundled Golf Report May 6, 2013 – Naples, FL Rentals and Resales

I am pleased to offer you some very exciting news involving single family homes here in Naples! If you purchase a new home through me at Heritage Bay and close prior to May 31st, 2013….  I will guarantee $20,000 in rent for the upcoming winter. This is a three car garage 2600 square foot home loaded with goodies for $569,000. Check out the view from the back of this house:

Also- same deal on a 2270 square foot home at Twin Eagles, summer kitchen and all the goodies from $489,000.

Trivia Question for the Week:

The winner last week was Bobby and Penny Lafreniere of Vanderbilt Country Club. This week’s question:

What is the most expensive home currently listed at Heritage Bay? One $50 giftcard to the first winner!

Bundled Golf Naples FL / Private Golf Naples FL Real Estate Reports

Naples FL Quarterly Reports
Bundled Golf & Private Golf Naples FL Active Listings

“This information while deemed accurate is data derived from M.L.S. of Naples and the participating member Brokers and their property listings.”

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Victims of Hurricane Sandy – FREE Golf Membership with Naples FL Rental

To the victims of Hurricane Sandy,

I am pleased to announce 4 FREE golf memberships to any victim, who wishes to rent one of my condos for the month of November or December, 2012. Please contact me for further information.

Sorry you had to go through these terrible times. Please take care and stay safe!

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Meeting of August 16th, 2011 with Bob Teschke, my reflections……….

First of all, let me preface that I am not trying to influence anyone to vote for or against. I had some very particular issues regarding the impact on property values. That was the primary reason for having this impromptu get together.

We had a very cordial meeting, and I was very impressed with the amount of due diligence, fact finding, and plain old hard work done by the LRP committee. I had a number of questions regarding some of the details of “why don’t we put the offices in this spot” or the meeting rooms. Bob had all of the facts down pat, and excellent justification for every detail in the plan.

My concern has always focused on what happens when an owner, one of us, decides to sell his unit. Does the buyer assume the liability, or does the seller pay it off?

1.When property is sold, there it is required that a Homeowners Association Disclosure signed by the seller and receipted and signed by the buyer be executed. Without this paperwork, the Buyer is free to cancel is obligation to “close”

2.It is also clear in our Naples Area Board contract that special assessment need to be paid off by the seller

Please look at bottom of Page 17 of the FAQ  (CLICK HERE]

BOTTOM LINE:

Does this modification to the by laws change the obligations of buyer and seller? I have not seen the actual legal document, nor am I an attorney, so I cannot have an opinion just yet.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Light the Night to Sell Your Bundled Golf Naples FL Home Faster

Have you ever thought about what your Bundled Golf Naples FL home for sale looks like at night?  You should, because potential buyers certainly do.

Imagine a potential buyer driving by your home after sunset.  What will they see – a beautifully lit walkway leading to a welcoming front door – or a house that’s dark and dreary?

Many potential buyers want a home that looks lovely both day and night.  Why do they care what it looks like in the dark?  They entertain primarily at night, they frequently come home from a long day at work after dark, and they want the added level of security provided by a well-lit home.

Here are some ideas to light the night to help your Bundled Golf Naples FL home sell faster:

• Add landscape lighting. Create a gentle moon-glow lighting effect on flowers, trees and other landscaping features.  To do this, conceal the light source behind shrubs or other foliage.  Unless the light fixture is the decorative element, you want it to disappear when the lights are on.
• Put in path or walkway lighting.  This adds a measure of safety.  For the best results, use light sparingly.  When you place too many lights along walkways and borders, it creates an unattractive runway effect.  Instead, use taller path- or spread-light fixtures to create pools of light that illuminate the walkway and the surrounding flowers, shrubs or trees.
• Improve security lighting.  A well-lit home is more secure.  Use spot lights and flood lights to spread light across a wide area and light up a work or play area.  Place flood lights above garage doors, sheds and patios.
• Keep the outdoor and indoor lights on. While your home is on the market, leave the lights on during the evening hours. If you don’t get home until after dark, put the lights on a timer.  You never know when a potential buyer will drive around the area at night checking things out, so be prepared.

Pathway lights, flood lights and accent lights aren’t overly expensive, and provide a dramatic effect. Choose “green” outdoor lighting options to keep your electric bills down.

If you’re thinking of selling your Bundled Golf Naples FL home, and need help lighting the night, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

How to Negotiate Closing Costs on Bundled Golf Naples FL Real Estate

Let’s face it, we all shop for the best deals we can get for our money.  Why should our closing costs be any different? Here are a few tips on how to negotiate good terms for the closing costs on your Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate.

TIP #1:  Shop lenders to get a lower interest rate on the mortgage for your Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate.
It is not unheard of to approach your lender and simply ask for a better rate.  The worst that can happen is to be told no.  The best rates go to those with the best credit scores.  If your credit score is not at its best, improve your credit score so you can qualify for a better interest rate.

TIP #2:  Negotiate lending fees.
All lenders charge fees for things like loan origination and filling out paperwork.  Although the lending fees are negotiable, most buyers don’t know it.

Ask for justification for each lender fee.  If a lender fee cannot be waived or reduced, ask if it can be credited toward closing costs.

Realize there are some fees that are not negotiable, such as taxes, recording fees and prorated interest.

TIP #3:  Pick your own title company.
Most buyers don’t realize they have a choice when purchasing title insurance.  Although the policies are pretty standard, the cost can vary.

For more ideas on how you can reduce closing costs on Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate, feel free to call me at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

How to Buy Bundled Golf Naples FL Homes Long Distance

Buying Bundled Golf Naples FL homes when you live in another state or country can be challenging.  Here are a few simple ideas to help make things a little less hectic.

• Investigate online. Most people know to search for Bundled Golf Naples FL homes online, but what about searching for a neighborhood?  Although you can’t search each and every individual neighborhood, you can research almost any city online.  This gives you a pretty good idea of what the area has to offer in the way of schools, shopping and safety.
• Hire a buyer’s agent. While you’re searching online, your buyer’s agent can search the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for you.  She or he can email newly listed properties to you daily.
• Use your buyer’s agent as your eyes, ears and nose. When you find a home that meets your needs, ask your buyer’s agent to visit it in person. Have him or her take photos of the interior and exterior of the property and email them to you.  S/he can even take a video and post it on YouTube for you to see.  Ask your buyer’s agent to tell you what the home smells like and how loud (or quiet) the neighborhood is.
• Share as much information with your agent as you can. The more you research the area, the more information you are going to have to give to your agent.  Talk with your agent and let her or him know what you have found and any areas that you may have decided against.  This will save you and your agent time.
• Visit to get a personal impression. If at all possible, after you’ve narrowed the properties down to the top two or three, personally visit them. While you can buy a house sight unseen, it’s best to make at least one trip to get a feel for which home most appeals to you.

For more information on long distance home buying or other tips to make your search for Bundled Golf Naples FL homes easier, give me a call at 239/850-1366 or send an email to Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

4 Tips to Get Your Bundled Golf Naples FL Home Sold in a Buyers’ Market

Yes, it’s still a buyer’s market, and there doesn’t appear to be a change coming any time soon.  What makes this a buyers’ market?  There are more homes for sale than people who want to buy them.  That means it takes longer for homes to sell, and buyers can be pickier.

If you want or need to sell your Bundled Golf Naples FL home, here are four tips to help you do that in today’s real estate market:

1. Be choosy about the real estate agent you hire.  Interview at least three agents.  Ask questions about how they’d market your Bundled Golf Naples FL home.  You want someone who markets aggressively and uses both online and offline marketing techniques.  Find out how many homes they’ve sold in your neighborhood within the last six months.  You want an agent who has recently sold homes in your area – not just listed them, but actually taken them all the way through to closing.

1. Implement the advice you get from your agent.  Find out what you should do to prepare you home for sale by asking, “What changes should I make to my home?”  Then do what your agent recommends before putting your home on the market.  What might seem unimportant to you can mean the difference between selling your home quickly and having it sit on the market for months.  Today’s buyers can afford to be picky, so they consider even minor home maintenance issues a sign of neglect and a reason not to buy your home.

1. Price it right.  You’ve taken the time to hire a knowledgeable agent.  Now, take his or her advice, especially when it comes to pricing.  They have the tools and up-to-date information needed to find out what homes similar to yours have sold for recently and how much you can get for yours.

1. Be willing to negotiate.  If you’re unwilling to make concessions, buyers are willing to walk away.  Remember, with the large number of homes for sale, buyers have many other options.

Yes, it’s more challenging to sell your home in a buyer’s market.  But it is definitely possible, if you are proactive.

If you’re ready to work with an agent who has a proven marketing plan that gets Bundled Golf Naples FL homes sold faster and for the most money possible, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Answers to Your Questions about Online Bundled Golf Naples FL Real Estate Valuations

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the estimated Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate values provided by online sources, so I thought I’d answer a few of the most frequently asked questions here today.

Why is the price you think my home can sell for different than the estimated home values provided by online real estate sources?

Because computer programs set those prices. Here’s how it works in general.  A computer pulls the description of your Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate from public records.   Using that extremely basic information, such as square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the computer comes up with a price for your home.

Computer programs cannot personally visit your home and other homes in your neighborhood to see the differences and similarities.  For example, they cannot see that your home has recently been painted and renovated.

Are there any circumstances in which those computer generated values are at least fairly accurate?

The estimated home values could be in the ballpark if all the following are true:

• Your home is in a subdivision in which homes are very similar;
• Several homes just like yours have sold recently;
• Homes are not being sold as short sales or going into foreclosure;
• Your home is newer and has not had a major renovation or addition that is not in the public records.

While it’s fun to go online to see what your neighbor’s home sold for, don’t use that information as the final word on what your home could sell for in today’s market.

If you’d like a free, in-person, professional analysis of what your Bundled Golf Naples FL real estate could sell for in today’s market, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.  No obligation, just information.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Article of interest from NAR – June existing-home sales slip, but prices stabilize

Periodically I will read an article and want to share it with my readers.

NAR: June existing-home sales slip, but prices stabilize

If you have any questions or comments – please leave them below or just Ask The Bear!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Stumbling Blocks to Selling Your Naples FL Real Estate as a Short Sale

You want to avoid a foreclosure on your Naples FL real estate so you’re decided to try to sell it as a short sale.  Unfortunately, there are several stumbling blocks that can keep you from successfully selling your home as a short sale.

Here are four short sale killers you should be aware of before deciding to sell your Naples FL real estate as a short sale:

1.      You have not defaulted on your mortgage. Lenders will almost never accept requests for short sales until you are significantly behind in payments and have received a notice of default.

2.      You filed for bankruptcy. If you’ve filed for bankruptcy, a short sale will most likely not happen. Few, if any, lenders will consider a short sale when the seller has filed for bankruptcy.  This is because collection activities are not allowed in bankruptcies and a short sale is considered a collection action.

3. More than one lender is involved. If you have a second or third mortgage (or home equity loan or line of credit), all the lenders must agree to the terms of the short sale. Unfortunately, this is often difficult because the second or third lenders are the ones who absorb most of the loss.  If you have more than one lender, and you want to try for a short sale, do a title search to verify the first and primary lender.  Making a deal with the second or third lender is a waste of time because you’ll still owe the first lender.

4.      The lender drags his feet. Many short sales fail because the lender fails to complete the deal before the property goes to auction.  Get the lender to move faster by making sure he has everything he needs in one concise package.  If the lender doesn’t get everything at one time, he tends to set the file aside and forget about it.  You can also speed up the process by working with a real estate agent who is experienced with and knowledgeable about short sales.

If you have additional questions on short sales, foreclosures or any other Naples FL real estate related topics, please give me a call at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.  I’m happy to help.

Ron@AskTheBear.com