Tag: John Conde realtor

The Days of Door Knocking for Leads are Over

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

When I first got involved in the Orlando real estate business in 2003, I was on a shoestring budget and hungry to make some money in this business they called real estate. At one of the first real estate boot camps that I attended, there was a guy named Dan Doran aka “Dan Doran the marketing man” and he was selling a course that was supposed to teach you about knocking on doors of people that are in the process of foreclosure. When I think about it, it was a scary thing to do. However, we just had our first son and we were determined to “make it” in the Orlando real estate business no matter what. So I went through Dan’s course a couple of times, made some cheat sheets that I could carry with me, and hit the ground running.

You see, when we first started this business, we didn’t have the budget to do massive postcard campaigns or any other kind of marketing for that matter. That was the beauty of door knocking… all you needed was an up-to-date foreclosure list and a tank full of gas. In those days I was a private investor and not a realtor which sometimes had its advantages.

Anyway, I started knocking on doors in a town called Pine Hills which happens to be a pretty rough part of town. I got all kinds of responses such as the door being slammed in my face, getting yelled at, and even getting a few death threats. Responses like; “Who are you and what do you want?”  or “We don’t want any, Go away!” were common responses and I was told that these responses would build my character. LOL! However, about one out of every 15 doors that I knocked on offering to help the homeowner,   I would get the deal! Wow, what a great feeling that was!  Then I would be soo happy that I seemed to forget about the 14 other people that I visited that told me to get lost.

These days, the thought of knocking on doors to get leads makes me cringe… Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I ever did it in the first place.

Orlando realtors are finally getting the “Big Picture”

Most Orlando real estate agents these days like myself,  are trying to focus more on their online presence above all else. The price of postage is expensive and most days people start their search with Google for everything anyway. Orlando realtors that don’t do any online marketing are really missing the boat when it comes to advertising in 2013. Our site at  https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/ brings in about 90% of our listings with the rest being from referrals. We haven’t sent out a postcard or letter in over 2 years.

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What NOT to do when Hiring a General Contractor

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

When you’re re-habbing a property,  hiring a general contractor aka [GC] can be extremely valuable to you in reaching your real estate goals. There are a million things that need to be considered when you are planning major renovations.  A GC is someone that holds the main responsibility for the construction, improvement, or renovation project and is also the person who hires all of the subcontractors and suppliers for a project such as plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. The GC with overall responsibility for the satisfactory completion of a project and is expected to perform as well as supervise at least part of the work.

About 6 months ago we bought an Orlando short sale house with the intentions of doing a major re-hab on it and turning a really nice profit on the deal. The house needed kitchen remodel and so did the three bathrooms, other than that it just needed paint and carpet and a little siding…no big deal. I’ve done many rehabs over the years and up until now I always played the role of GC. However, this time I needed help because I knew that I would be traveling for the next few months and I wouldn’t be available to supervise the project.

After we closed I started researching GC’s in the Orlando area. Some were licensed and some were not… I ended up with 3 GC’s that I met at the property for estimates.  I noticed quickly that unlicensed GC was way way cheaper than the Licensed guys. I learned long ago that hiring the cheapest guy just because he’ the cheapest will always, always end up costing you more money and aggravation in the long run. At the same time I never go with the over-the-top most expensive guy either…and I pretty much do that for any service that I need to hire,.. I get 3 estimates and usually pick the one in the middle. It’s a method that has served me well over the years.

At this point I had I had decided on which GC to hire and I was ready to pull the trigger. I was on my way to drop off my kids at school and I ran into my friend Alex that I had known for 5 years now because our sons went to school together. All of a sudden, I remembered that Alex was a GC. So then Alex and I get to talking about my project and I figured “what the heck” I’ll let Alex give me an estimate as well. Anyway, I told Alex that if he could match the estimate from the other GC I had met with, then the job was his… I figured that I could help out a friend and get a good price on my project as well. So Alex tells me “no problem”… not only can he match the price, but he can have it done within 30 days. I thought…WOW! “I really picked the right guy for this job”….WRONG!

The project got off to a good start, the first few days he had at least 6 guys working at a time, then all of a sudden there was nobody. I was constantly popping up at the house checking on the progress and I didn’t see anyone there for at least 5 days straight. This worried me so I called Alex and he assured me that he would done on or before the deadline. I had to travel, so I had no choice but to believe and trust him. BIG MISTAKE… when I got back, I immediately went to see the house to find that they were no where near completion and they were already 30 days past the original due date. To make a long story short…The job came in at $10,000.00 over budget and to add insult to injury…It took 90 days to complete which translated into an additional $4,000.00 in carrying costs. Needless to say, I  had some pretty harsh words with Alex and now we are no longer friends.

The moral of this story is… Never hire a friend to be your General Contractor. It will cost you more money and more importantly, it will probably cost you your friendship.

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Is it time to fire your Realtor?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

   Big real estate firms put big-time money into marketing which is why when people need a real estate agent most of them go right for the big names that they see on billboards and in TV commercials. There are some problems, however, with using the larger firms that have been brought to my attention enough times to finally write about it.

When brokerages put a ton of money into marketing then they end up getting a massive amount of leads from it. The problem with that is that some brokerages are just not equipped to handle all those new buyers and sellers they just spent a ton of money marketing to. When this happens real estate agents tend to put most of their effort into the deals that are going to make them the most money,… that’s just human nature. Unfortunately, for buyers with lower incomes and sellers with cheaper houses, this can potentially turn into a very bad experience for them.

Real estate agents get paid on commission which means the lower the purchase or sale price, the lower their commission will be. So when the leads get assigned or referred to the agents in the office the buyers with the most money to spend or the seller with the most expensive house to sell will get most of the attention. The rest of the potential buyers or sellers end up getting put to the bottom of the stack. The “when I get around to it” file.

Buying your first home is one of the most important decisions of your life and should be a very happy and exciting experience. The problem is that many people lack the knowledge needed to find the right real estate agent for them.

Is it time to fire your Realtor? Here are some tips that will help you find the best real estate agent for you

1- Google them! – A good agent will have a strong online presence and you should be able to pull up a world of information on them. Take some extra time and read reviews that people have written about them. If they have negative reviews or none at all, then it’s time to move on to your next candidate. From your online search, you should be able to come up with at least 3 good candidates.

2- Set up an in-person interview. – Once you’ve chosen you three candidates now it’s time to meet them in person. They should ask you questions like “are you pre-approved for a loan and how much?” What kind of house are you looking for? How much do you want to spend? What neighborhood?, etc.

Then pay close attention to what the agent shows you. Is it what you’re looking for? Was the agent paying attention to what you said? If the agent starts showing you properties that are far from what you asked to see then…..”NEXT”

3- What’s their track record? – Don’t be afraid to ask questions like.

*How many houses have they sold?

*How many have they sold in the last 6 months

*What do they specialize in? Are they a short-sale specialist? A buyer’s agent?, etc. It’s important that your agent specializes in whatever it is that you’re trying to accomplish. You wouldn’t go see a foot Doctor for a toothache, would you?

*Do they have any testimonials from past clients?

4- Make sure that real estate is their full-time job. A good real estate agent works full time as a real estate agent and there’s just no exception to this rule. If you’re working with a realtor that works part-time as anything else in order to make ends meet then it’s time to cut them loose.

5-Follow Your Instincts. You may have found the most successful real estate agent in town, but if you don’t feel comfortable around them or you just have that feeling in your gut telling you that they aren’t the one for you, then go with it. An agent/client relationship is kinda like a marriage…you’re in it for the long haul. On the bright side, it’s a lot easier to divorce your real estate agent.

So you see, it’s not at all about going for the biggest name with the biggest marketing budget. It’s about you putting in the time and doing the necessary research that it takes to find the right real estate agent for you. Good luck!

Orlando short sale expert

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Can you do a Short Sale if you’re not behind on your Mortgage?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Typically, homeowners that are no longer able to continue paying their mortgage are going through some kind of hardship such as job loss, decrease in pay or hours, health issues, divorce, death, mortgage payment adjustment, and even incarceration. Oftentimes, however, there are reasons that people must sell their homes when there is no hardship. These include job transfer, military deployment, etc. And, in most cases, for all of the reasons mentioned above lenders have been very accommodating to those who want to sell.

However, now more than ever we get contacted by sellers that want to Short Sale their house but they don’t fall into either category mentioned above. They can afford to keep making their payments but they hate the idea of paying on a mortgage with a principal balance that is a lot more than their property is worth. These sellers just want to get out of a bad investment and get on with their lives.

The truth is that it’s hard to say whether the lender will approve a short sale for a homeowner that has no hardship. Some lenders are more flexible in that respect than others.

It’s important to be aware that many short-sale lenders are controlled by the guidelines of the investors that own your loan. So, while a loan may be serviced by Wells Fargo, the loan is actually owned by another entity. It is that other entity that decides on accepting or declining your short sale. Most investors do require that the sellers have missed mortgage payments, and others do not.

Unfortunately, you just don’t know how things will play out until you start the short sale process with the lender. Only after you get the ball rolling with the short sale will you know what the lender will require from you.

If you’re current on your mortgage but would like to short sale your Orlando property because it owes more money than it’s worth, come in and see us. One of our Orlando short sale experts will give you a free “seller’s situation analysis” so that you can find out what your options are and move forward with the knowledge that you need to make the right decision.

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Highlighting your property’s best features

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

If you’re getting ready to sell your home, make sure that your Orlando realtor does a good job of showing off the things about your property that make it special. Make sure that you take advantage of mentioning anything that sets your property apart from the rest. Sometimes when someone has lived in a house for soo long they tend to not see all the high points that their property possesses.

You’re probably thinking… “Isn’t that my realtor’s job?” The answer is yes, your Orlando real estate agent should have the ability to go through your home and highlight all the extra features that your house brings to the table that the others in the neighborhood don’t. However, not all Orlando realtors are created equal and in my opinion, the selling of a house is just way too important of a transaction to just turn over to someone and hope for the best without making sure that they are doing all they can do to get top dollar for your property.

List of things that sellers commonly forget to mention when selling their home

Over-sized lots.

Larger than average closets.

Sitting area in the master bedroom.

Extra storage space.

Bonus rooms.

Separate entrances.

Beautiful views from the front or back yard.

Walking distance from shops, restaurants, and schools.

Don’t False advertise

As important as it is to make sure that your property’s best features are highlighted, it’s equally important to verify that your Orlando listing agent isn’t making any false statements. If your home is being portrayed as something more than what it is, this can only hurt you as well as your agent. Imagine yourself as an agent on the way to show a listing to a client based on the listing information you saw online, when you arrive at the house you realize that the photos that you viewed online have either been photoshopped or are of a different house altogether!  Some other examples that I’ve seen are neighborhood descriptions such as “newly developed” when “deteriorating” would have been a better match, “move-in ready” instead of “Fixer-upper”, etc.

I guess the moral of this story is, make sure that you follow up with your Orlando realtor and insist that you be informed on what’s happening. Ask to see the live MLS listing as well as any other marketing being done to sell your property. After all, selling your house is statistically one of the most important, if not the most important transaction in your lifetime.

Want to know how much your Orlando property will sell for: click here for your free property analysis.

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