California Real Estate Recovery 2012

The National Association of Homebuilders just released a report listing US housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement from their respective market troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. This latest report includes 73 metro areas that held their position on the list from last month as well as 11 new metro areas.It's speculated that the modest improvement in this improving market index indicates that individual housing market are regaining their footing despite some recent reports of weakening in the broader economy.Now, for an inside take on this report, which I estimate the vast majority of news outlets won't mention.Think about it, or better yet do a search on Google for the National Association of Homebuilders Improving Market Index. I would bet the majority of the articles that you come across will only mention the fact that the index has improved and not go into detail by looking at the individual metro areas delineated in this report.

It's somewhat sad that the majority of news, or what is called news, is just a republishing of press releases.Where does one go to get a realistic view of the current national or local real estate trends? Usually, the national real estate industry outlets are always optimistic and in most cases overly so. Local real estate professional sites and blogs suffer from the same over optimism.But, I digress, so, back to a look at the individual markets noted in the National Association of Homebuilders Improving Market Index, of the 84 metro areas listed, just one is in California!That one area in California is Hanford CA. Hanford is located south of Fresno California and it is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California.So, with just one California Metro area listed in the improving market index, which state do you think came in with the most improving metro listings? Did I hear anybody say Texas? Well if you did, you are correct! Texas metro areas are the most prominent on the current National Association of Homebuilders current list. Texas metro areas came in with 11 listings of the 84 on the entire list!Oh, by the way, do you know that Texas has no state income tax? Do you think that less taxes may just have something to do with improving economic conditions? What effect do you think the new you California tax proposal, up for a vote this November, if passed, will have on the California housing market?

Buying Philadelphia Real Estate

After years of representing buyers of Philadelphia Real Estate I decided it was time to write a post that would give advice to anyone dipping their toe in the Philadelphia Real Estate home buying pool for the first time or for the first time in a while. The current economy has pros (low interest rates) and cons (high unemployment, shaky economy) like any others but I firmly believe that one thing holds true in any economy – the advantages of buying far outweigh renting for most people in most cities. So without further ado, here’s the advice that I can offer after a decade of buying, owning, investing in, managing, leasing, and selling Philadelphia Real Estate Find an experienced, honest, straight shooting, full time real estate agent. This is not a shameless plug! I firmly believe that smart, successful people surround themselves with smart, experienced, experts that can help guide them to a well thought out decision. If you don’t buy and sell Philadelphia Real Estate every day all day for a living, how could you possibly understand the Philadelphia Real Estate home buying process and all of the nuances and intricacies of the available inventory, purchase contract, title insurance and mortgage process? How could you possibly know what a good deal or a great deal looks like? You can’t! Get referrals from friends, use Google to search, go to open houses and keep looking until you find someone you feel has the experience, resume and personality to represent you and your interests.

Get Preapproved. This is synonymous with get pre-qualified. Every day soon to be buyers of Philadelphia Real Estate call and tell me what the upper limit of their property search is. I always ask “how do you know that’s your limit?” and the answer is inevitably the same – I used an online mortgage calculator. Getting preapproved is a 100% free, no obligation way to find out what you can really afford from someone who specializes in Philadelphia mortgages. If you are represented by an established agent (see above) he or she may be able to get you a better rate than the one you were quoted online or by another lender. Be honest with yourself about what you can afford every month and remember that you don’t have to spend the max amount you can qualify for. Find a monthly payment amount you are comfortable with and stick with the correlating loan amount. Create A Hierarchy of Priorities. I subscribe to the House MD theory of Philadelphia Real Estate sales (i.e. everyone lies) but it’s not that clients are intentionally being misleading, rather they really don’t know what they ultimately want because they don’t know the inventory and they may not know what features are must haves and what features would be nice to have. Buyers should consider everything before looking at homes: price, beds/baths, square footage, outdoor space, parking, location, walkability, floorplan and neighborhood. Be realistic about what you can afford and then sit down and actually write down what features are essential, and which would be nice but are not deal breakers. Try to rank the features because you will ultimately be forced compare and decide. No buyer at any price gets 100% what they want, everyone makes concessions and compromises.

See Everything. Obviously you shouldn’t literally see everything but you should plan on seeing enough homes that you are ready, willing and able to pull the trigger when you see the right one. Somewhere in the 15-20 range is probably reasonable. Take advice from your agent on which homes you should see because he or she has likely seen many with other clients or during broker’s open houses. Enjoy the Journey. There is one thing I am entirely certain of and that is that Buying Philadelphia Real Estate should be a fun, enjoyable process with an equally fun and satisfying ending. There will be inevitably be stress and emotion because of the costs, time, complexities and personalities involved but at the end of the day try to enjoy the process. Work with smart, honest agents and lenders who make you feel comfortable and allow you to breath, smile and just maybe even laugh occasionally. Understanding Philadelphia Real Estate can seem daunting but is really pretty simple if you read and follow this advice. Philadelphia Real Estate expert Frank L. DeFazio has extensive background in all types of Center City Real Estate transactions: residential, commercial, leasing, sales, property management, investing, and real estate development. Frank L. DeFazio is the founder of the Center City Team in Philadelphia and works for Prudential Fox & Roach, Realtors in Center City, Philadelphia.

Brand Touchpoints and Real Estate Agent Marketing - How to Avoid Hidden Dangers

That which is not intentionally branded may be accidentally branded. This can pose dangers in real estate agent marketing. But why? What are some examples?Last time I drove past a sandwich shop in the local area, I noticed someone standing next to the garbage having a cigarette - namely, the guy who prepares the sandwiches. That is rather unappetizing, and tarnished my impression of the brand.When your message are inconsistent, your brand equity is damaged, because you let doubt intrude about your ability to live up to your brand, your promise. At my hometown bank, the "k" in their sign hasn't lit up in months. Don't they care? Or perhaps they can't afford to fix it? This reflects more broadly on their business. Will they pay more attention to their ATMs - or my deposits, for that matter? I don't care to find out!When every contact you have with potential home buyers builds on the previous messages you have imparted, you make the customer experience ever more robust.

That is consistency in brand messaging.This doesn't have to be expensive. I recently met a copywriter with a unique visual style. Her business card is shaped like an exclamation point, her brand symbol, and lists some copywriting tips on the back. I'd expect to see creativity and intentional branding in her office, work for clients, web site, email signature and her presentations.Here's the branding opportunity for real estate agent marketing:1. List all your brand touchpoints. Brainstorm for awhile so you don't leave any out.2. Decide how each touchpoint should communicate your brand promise. For instance, if one of your differentiators is efficiency, you could return calls within three hours, have a value statement about efficiency on your business card, and strive to provide tools through your web site that help home buyers increase their efficiency. Have fun and be creative as you think about this.3. Begin to implement your ideas. And remember - follow through all the way. Rather than do 60 things halfway, do a few things completely.
4. Enjoy the rewards! Well-branded real estate agents enjoy clients who appreciate them more, pay premium prices, refer their friends and are more
loyal. This will increase your profits and reduce your spending on realtor marketing.For your brand to be effective, you have to communicate your differentiators until potential home buyers know them in their sleep.