Real Estate Darwinism

This week's featured Palm Beach Gardens Real Estate is 108 Island Cove Way in BallenIsles.

I will be there to show the home from 2-4 PM this Sunday - 5/18/08.

 Listed at $649,500 - this single family home is a perfect example of how you can live in BallenIsles without spending a fortune.

 With 3 bedrooms / 4 bathrooms it's a perfect size for a small family.

 Click here for more details.

If you and your family have been thinking about purchasing real estate in Palm Beach Gardens, I wouldn't suggest waiting considering what the Wall Street Journal had to say earlier in the month!  There's nothing like good news....

For questions about this property - or any ohers in BallenIsles - please don't hesitate to call me at 561-282-7406.

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Here on our Long Beach Real Estate site I usually write purely real estate related articles targeted at educating and informing buyers and sellers of Long Beach Real Estate. Today I would like to give you a little peek into the business side of things and explain how they can affect the sale or purchase of your Long Beach homes.

In a recently published post I disclosed the 2008 closed sales in Long Beach; 674 of them, through 4/30/08. While the chart shows the sales increasing each month, the sales figures are still very low. (Includes sales of homes, condos, lofts, co-ops, Oyos, 2-4 units and 5+ units as recorded on the MLS)

• Jan 130
• Feb 153
• Mar 179
• Apr 212
• Total: 674

These are difficult times for those of us surviving in the real estate industry. Going into this down market there were about 2900 licensed Realtors on record, there are currently about 1600 licensees active in the Long Beach area. Every market will support a certain amount of agents based on the closed sales of that market. Each agent needs a certain amount of closed sales in order to survive. Lets assume that 8 to 10 closed sales for the year are required for a Realtor to even survive this market; 674 closed sales would produce 8 to 10 sales for the year, for between 200 and 250 Realtors. Those sales are currently spread across 1600 current licensees, which would equate to less than ½ of a sale for each Realtor for the first 4 months of 2008.

In the real estate industry we have an 80/20 saying. It states that 20% of the agents do 80% of the business. 20% of 1600 agents = 320 which would equate to about 2 closed sales for the majority of the 20% still doing business.

So how are 1600 Realtors surviving a market with sales that will currently only support 200 to 250?

• Some have other income, or a spouse or significant other with income.
• Some have taken on Part or Full time jobs, while trying to juggle their real estate.
• Some have anticipated this market and made plans to survive it.
• Some are making enough sales to manage.

What of the 80%? That is 1280 agents, still active, for the last 4 months. How are they surviving with little or no sales? Well, they either have spousal support a trust fund or they have accepted salaried positions. Lets take a look at that. Real estate is a more than full time job; it is a commitment which permeates every hour of every day of our lives. Real estate transactions require a lot of attention on a daily basis. Escrow, title, lenders, inspections, appraisers banks and more need to be attended to, mostly during normal business hours. Buyers need to see properties around their schedules which often means after work or weekend showings. Sellers properties often need tending, flyers run out; keys go missing from a lock box or end up in another box on the same property. A pipe may burst on a listing with an out of town owner; anything can happen. How is an agent who has accepted employment elsewhere, with a set schedule, going to be able to deal with the schedule and responsibilities of a full time Realtor? How does that affect the buyer or seller? Has the agent even disclosed to the buyer or seller that they are not fully available? Do you know if your agent is available to conduct business, full time on your behalf?

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A lot of people relocating to Miami ask us about “Bugs” - well, there are plenty of bugs in Florida and as much as I hate to admit it, you do get used to them (I know, I know pretty lame for someone who absolutely hates roaches).

Here are 15 things you should know about Florida Bugs:

1.  Another name for mosquitoes is B-52’s

2.  Cockroaches can get so big that you can catch a ride on them

3.  A favorite Florida pastime is to see who can snort the most no-se-ums without chocking

4.  According to Chris Griffith, the unofficial Florida State Bird is The Mosquito

5.  Best selling fragrances in the stores are known as “Cutter Bug Spray” and “DEET”

6.  Citronella candles are a common household item

7.  Grasshoppers are so big they look like lobsters

8.  If a perfect stranger smacks you in the face for no particular reason, just nod and thank them

9.  If you see people doing a strange dance on a sandy beach, don’t join them - it’s probably sand fleas

10. There are 3 seasons in Florida - rainy season, hurricane season and love bug season

11. Dayngr can attest to having seen mosquitoes the size of a small Volkswagen

12. Love Bugs can get so intense that there are windshield washing stations along the Florida Turnpike for the splattering nuisances

13. Dragon Flies are so fast that they can chase you down the expressway

14. You are not a Floridian if you have never gotten hit in the face by a flying Palmetto Bug

15.  Florida Ticks don’t just suck blood, they are known to drink Mojitos

For those of you relocating to Miami, please realize that this article, although true, is for entertainment purposes - some of the descriptions given may be slight exaggerations.

**graphic courtesy of my older son who knows I despise cockroaches**

Thanks to my friend, Monika McGillicuddy- New Hampshire Real Estate agent and trainer, I found this great website that will tell you where the cheapest gas in your area is.

Local Gas Prices on MSN Autos

This website is awesome! According to their site (5/10/2008), the cheapest unleaded fuel is $3.43/gallon. The average gas price in Colorado Springs is $3.54 a gallon and the most expensive is $3.69 a gallon.

We currently live in the Colorado Springs neighborhood of Briargate, and the cheapest gas station in town is just a couple blocks away!

At the intersection of Briargate and Union Blvd.’s, there is a Western Convenience gas station on the S/E corner. I have NEVER seen any gas stations beat their pricing… and I drive ALL over town. In fact, the Conoco immediately across the street from this Western Convenience is even usually about 5 cents per gallon MORE EXPENSIVE!

Gas just keeps getting more spendy, so a cheap gas station is always a great find!

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This Sunday, 5/11, I will be showcasing more prime Palm Beach Gardens real estate by having an Open House at 1007 Grand Isle Terrace, BallenIsles -

Click HERE for the full Photo set.

'Spectacular courtyard home on nearly a half-acre of premier property is designed for dramatic lake and sunset views! Sophisticated and comfortable, this home is professionally decorated and is being offered fully furnished. Loads of custom upgrades and designer appointments. Must see to appreciate it all!

This 4 Bedroom / 5.5 Bathroom (including a 1/1 Guest / In-law suite) is listed for $1,095,000.

The list of features is extensive - call me at 561-282-7406 - better yet, come by on 5/11 - Ill be there from 2-4 PM.

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