Jacksonville Florida Real Estate Podcast with Brad Officer

Remodels to Avoid When Selling

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 13:45:00 -0400

When prospective buyers walk through a home, there are certain features they absolutely don’t want to see. But what are they?

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When it comes to impressing buyers with certain features in a home, there are a few things that they absolutely do not want to see. The following six items may be considered beneficial to the homeowner but not to buyers. Here are some projects and home features to avoid:

1. Wallpaper. We are seeing a lot of old wallpaper in homes with yesterday’s colors and designs. Buyers just see wallpaper as another expense that they have to maintain. Most will remove it because no one wants to paint over it.

2. Lavish lighting. Buyers don’t really care for fancy light fixtures. Large, ornate fixtures are also viewed as an expense because the buyer will have to get them removed and changed.

3. Textured walls. This used to be a hot trend, but that’s not longer the case. Most buyers want smooth walls and ceilings these days.

4. Mismatched flooring. Buyers like cohesiveness. A home that has carpet in one room, hardwood in another, and tile in a third is not cohesive. Buyers want the flooring in a home to be consistent and high-quality. They can spot cheap, laminate wood flooring a mile away.

5. Bad paint colors. For a while, buyers were into very rich colors like gold, green, and red. Those colors are not desirable anymore. Buyers want bright, airy, and neutral colors.

6. Hot tubs. Hot tubs are great for homeowners who have them, but no matter how nice the tub is, buyers usually don’t want to take on that expense themselves. They are expensive to get removed.

These are the home improvements to avoid.

These are just a few of the things that will turn buyers off about a home that is for sale. If you have any questions for us or if you’re looking to buy or sell a home, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Can Open Houses Still Work?

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:30:00 -0400

Open houses, if done correctly, represent your best chance of getting top dollar for your home.

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Do open houses actually work or is it just something Realtors use to get more business?

The answer to both questions is yes. Open houses are mutually beneficial, but it’s more beneficial for you. However, they must be done correctly.

Most open houses I see are very small and unimpressive. There are usually only a couple signs outside and maybe a flat balloon laid out in the grass that nobody can see anymore. It’s no small wonder that when you show up to one of these open houses there’s nobody there.

The open houses that we do, on the other hand, are much larger. We facilitate a lot of social marketing and produce a lot of signage for each one. In most instances, we have as many as 20, 30, or even 40 people show up in a concentrated period of time. This allows us to get an immediate litmus test for how the market is reacting to your home and whether the opinion is that it’s underpriced, overpriced, too dirty, outdated, etc.

Open houses, when done right, generate legitimate interest.

We hear the negatives, but we also hear the positives, such as how many other people are there at the same time. We refer to this as social proof. If you’re a home buyer at an open house and you’re surrounded by a lot of other home buyers, that’s social proof that other people are interested in that house.

If done correctly, open houses represent the best chance of getting the highest price for your home. The concentration of people will result in any interested parties making an offer that’s going to be real, as opposed to lowballing you. We’ve been reaping the benefits of this effect a lot this year. In many open houses, we’ve gotten multiple offers on the very same day.

If you have any questions about open houses or are thinking about selling your home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you!

When Is the Best Time to Sell Your Home in Jacksonville?

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 12:09:00 -0400

How do you time the market to get the most money from your home sale? Most people think you should list in the spring because there are more buyers on the market.

However, I want to challenge that line of thinking. Instead of planning your home sale based on the time of year, you should time the market based on the amount of inventory available. After all, real estate is all about supply and demand.

Right now, supply is super low in our area. If there are six to seven months of inventory available, that would be considered a balanced market. Anything under that is considered a seller’s market, while anything over seven months is considered a buyer’s market.

Now would be a great time to sell because supply is low in many price points.

With that in mind, I’m going to break down the supply by price point so you have an idea on how your home will stack up against the competition:

Under $150,000 - 2.5 months of inventory available
$200,000 to $300,000 - 2.9 months of inventory available
$300,000 to $500,000 - 5.6 months of inventory available
$500,000 to $1 million - 11 months of inventory available
Over $1 million - 24 months of inventory available

As you can see, any single-family homes priced under $500,000 are in a seller’s market. Homes below $300,000 are in extremely competitive seller’s markets. Once you cross that $500,000 mark, though, you are in a buyer’s market. This gives you a unique opportunity to sell your home for top dollar and move up into a higher price bracket. If you are moving up into a buyer’s market, you can get a great deal.

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

The Impact of the Election on the Jacksonville Market

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 11:52:00 -0400

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about how the upcoming election is affecting our current real estate market. Many agents are saying that the election prevents some buyers and sellers from entering the market because they are waiting to see who will be in the White House this fall.

Here in our local market, though, the election is not affecting anything. All that talk about the election might just be an excuse some agents have for why a home hasn’t sold yet because if you look at the market numbers, things have not slowed down yet.

The election certainly isn’t holding home sales back; in fact, they have gone up. So far this year, 13,700 homes have sold. That number is up almost 5% from the same period last year.

The median sales price has also gone up 7% year over year. On a local level, I don’t see any impact from the election. If anything, the market has actually gotten stronger. I don’t see anything holding us back as we get closer and closer to this election.

Home sales and home prices are both up year over year!

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How to Take Advantage of the 2 Jacksonville Markets

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 10:25:00 -0400

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There are two markets that exist right now here in the Jacksonville area.

The first is the market for houses below $500,000. This is definitely a seller’s market, meaning there is not a lot of inventory but it’s selling very quickly. A lot of our buyers are taking the opportunity in relation to this by selling their houses below the $500,000 mark. Then, they're taking advantage of low interest rates and their new buying power to move up over the $500,000 mark in their next purchase. The market for houses between $500,000 and one million, then, represents the buyer’s market.

So, you see people selling in the seller’s market - which they’re doing quickly for top dollar and without many contingencies - and then moving up to buy in the buyer’s market where there are more choices and more room to negotiate. For the select few of us who are able to get into that higher end luxury market above $1 million, we’re seeing more than a 24-month supply. That’s an extreme buyer’s market, so if you have the means and the ability to get into that price point, you have a lot of choices and a lot of opportunities to get the right house at the right terms that are best for you and your family.

If you’d like to talk about positioning your home for sale or you’d like to discuss getting yourself in position to get out and buy the right home, reach out by emailing me directly or visiting our website and contacting me from there. Also, make sure you listen to our radio show, Real Estate 911, every Wednesday on WBOB AM 600 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. I’ll talk to you soon.

Our New Technology Benefits Buyers in Jacksonville

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:17:00 -0400

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There's a new technology upgrade we've invested in for our business, and I'm excited about the benefits that it allows us to provide to our clients.

We're constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve in the real estate market. We've been paperless for a long time now, using iPads for our listing presentations and our contracts. Our recent upgrade was to the iPad Pro, which is much bigger - it's the size of a full piece of paper. I'll admit I questioned at the beginning how useful it would be, since it just appeared to be a huge iPad. But after using it and seeing how much easier it is to see entire documents like contracts, I've been seeing that our customers absolutely love it. We don't have to zoom in and zoom out, scrolling through a number of different pages that we were limited to by the smaller iPads.

To boot, it also comes with the Apple Pencil, so you can sign contracts right on it. Our team members have been able to win more bids, because it allows us to sign documents on the spot after home showings. It makes things so much easier for listing agents, giving us and our customers a big advantage. It has helped us help our customers win the houses they want, and even a lot of times, get better deals because the negotiation activity is so fast when using the iPad.

If you're interested in buying a home or selling a home in Jacksonville, we'd love to talk with you and provide some more details about all the advantages we can provide in this great market we're in. Send us an email or give us a call, and let's talk soon!

Presentation Is Key to Selling Your Jacksonville Home

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 16:32:00 -0400

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Today, I want to talk about the importance of presentation when you list your Jacksonville home. Cleaning and decluttering the property is just the first step. You need to have your home staged and professionally photographed.

Home staging doesn’t involve bringing in furniture or artwork, except in some instances where the home is vacant. Our professional home stager describes the process as editing your home. A good home stager works through what you currently have and reconfigures furniture to make the home more appealing to the buyer.

Once your home is staged, you need to take professional photographs of the property. You have probably searched online for homes in the past and come across some bad photos. The lighting makes the home look dingy and dirty, or someone is standing in the frame. It’s hard for homes with bad photos to compete because no one wants to see them.

Nowadays, the first showing is online and the second showing is in person. If your home looks bad online, that will directly affect your bottom line. Professional photography is imperative to getting top value for your home.

A recent study followed 350 professionally photographed homes and 350 other comparable homes throughout the selling process. Homes that were professionally photographed sold 50% faster and were 39% closer to the list price. Homes with professional photos were viewed 118% more than comparable listings. This research proves homes can sell faster and for more money with professional photography.

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Beware of Zillow's Home Estimates

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 18:12:00 -0400

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As a real estate professional, I'm continually bombarded by the question, "Why does Zillow price my Jacksonville home differently?"

If we go on Zillow's website, this is how they explain it: The Zestimate is created by an automatic software process designed by statisticians, and there is no ability for humans to manually alter the Zestimate for a specific property.

To make that more clear, let's say a home is estimated to be worth $500,000. If the Zestimate is off by 10%, that's a difference of $50,000! If the home is under-priced, you're missing out on tens of thousands of dollars. If your home is overpriced by 10%, it will sit on the market for awhile, and you might have to drop the price, causing buyers to wonder what's wrong with the home.

It's been estimated that Zillow's home estimates are only right 7% of the time. That means that they are wrong 93% of the time! That is a terrible success rate.

Remember, Zillow can't take features or upgrades on your property and compare them to other recently closed homes in your area, even though doing so gives you a more updated value on your property. Zillow doesn't walk through your home, and that's where my team can come in and place an accurate value on your home.

Ultimately, if you want the most accurate price for your home, make an appointment with a real estate professional. Skip the nonsense and have a real estate professional find the true market value of your home. They'll factor in the condition, location, upgrades, and amenities of the home in order to find it. If you have any questions about how we can do that for you, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to help!

If you have any questions, or if you're interested in a home valuation, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

My Jacksonville Real Estate Predictions for 2016

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:02:00 -0400

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Today, I want to go over my 2016 real estate market predictions. In order to understand where we're going, first you have to know where we're coming from.

2015 had the highest volume of sales in Northeast Florida that we've seen since the bubble years. Last year, 26,607 properties sold. That is an incredibly high number of transactions!

Not only did the number of transactions increase, but home values are up as well. Overall, our market saw an average of 6.9% appreciation, which is way over what a normal average would be.

In 2016, I believe the volume of home sales will be somewhere in that mid-20,000 range, with 24,000 to 26,000 transactions. However, we should see more modest appreciation in the 3 to 5% range.

I also predict that 2016 will be the year of the buyer. The Fed started raising interest rates at the end of 2015, and they should continue to increase throughout 2016. I expect interest rates will be at 5.25% by the end of the year, so buyers will be trying to lock in low rates this year.

Additionally, here in Jacksonville, a lot of our renters put 50% of their income into their lease. In short, most renters are paying way more money than they should. These renters could probably buy a house for less money than what they're paying to rent it.

Finally, Jacksonville has an incredibly young population. Millennial buyers should be out and about in 2016 looking to make that first real estate purchase. These three factors combined make 2016 the year of the buyer.

However, all this market activity still makes 2016 a great year to sell. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Waterfront Real Estate Jacksonville FL Map

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:45:00 -0400

This map shows the different waterfront areas of Jacksonville FL. I'd like to build it out further when I get a little more free time ..... not sure when that'll be! Direct Link to the Waterfront Map.

10622 Grayson Court, Jacksonville, FL Presented by Bradley Officer.

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 28 May 2014 09:30:00 -0400

13573 Isla Vista Drive, Jacksonville, FL a Vizcaya Townhome for sale

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 28 May 2014 09:28:00 -0400

2255 Holly Oaks River Drive, Jacksonville, FL Waterfront Home

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 28 May 2014 09:26:00 -0400

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Tue, 20 May 2014 11:54:00 -0400

shared by the Brad Officer Real Estate Group

Ocwen / Altisource has an interesting process for Short Sales. Here is Ocwens Short Sale Process:

They have the REALTOR list the property for sale
Realtors does all the marketing
Realtor handles all the calls and showings
Realtor negotiates the highest and best contract
Realtor submits the contract to Ocwen no less than 3 times
Realtor handles all the erroneous document request
and then just when you think you've got an approval.... They require to have the home listed for sale on HubZu.com???

Hubzu.com is an online auction company owned by Ocwen . Hubzu is an unknown real estate auction website up to this point, although they will probably generate some traffic as Ocwen is forcing buyers to use the site.

To make it even more strange, IF the REALTOR sells the property and Ocwen agrees to take the contract.....Realtor makes his normal income. (That's what Realtors use to pay for food, clothing, gas money, etc>) BUT - If HUBZU.com online auction site brings a buyer, and Ocwen accepts that buyer, Realtor gets paid less.... WHAT???? That's right, Ocwen cuts the commission.

But didn't the Realtor do all the 7 steps above along with all the other legalities and risk of selling a home? YES! That is the problem, among other things. Keep reading:

To bring an even stranger point: Ocwen pays Hubzu the money they didn't pay the realtor. Remember Hubzu is owned by Ocwen. Further, Hubzu also charges the new buyer a "technology fee", which they refuse to publish and I honestly can never find out how much that expense to the buyer will be.

And even more: Ocwen REQUIRES the Realtor write within the MLS that ALL OFFERS TO BE SUBMITTED THRU HUBZU.com. Their representatives advised that our current buyer, who we are currently under contract with, needs to submit their current offer through Hubzu as well. So how would a REALTOR ever get paid his full payment?

This is how: This Realtor, Brad Officer, wrote a stinging letter to Ocwen / Hubzu / Altisource questioning their tactic as being Extortion. Extortion as defined: "to get (something, such as money) from a person by the use of force or threats". I was very clear that I had already performed the job as hired by the seller, had already secured a ready willing and able buyer, and had brought a written contract for the full amount they were seeking via the Hubzu.com auction. Ocwen then, after several further attempts to have RE/MAX comply with their extortion request, finally agreed to "submit the current contract to the investor". Which received almost immediate approval.

Today we closed! Seller received full release from any further deficiency balance, and Remax was paid in full. Yay!

Short Sales aren't easy. Seems the banks will continue trying to work their system to gain any advantage possible, but working with a professional Real Estate team insures your best interest are being looked out for.

More on Ocwen, Altisource, Hubzu. Looks like others are questioning these guys too!

#1 Reason to Live on the Water in Florida

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Mon, 19 May 2014 16:54:00 -0400

Florida Waterfront Lifestyle

Top 9 Tips to Prepare Your House For Sale

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Mon, 19 May 2014 14:05:00 -0400

How to Prepare Your House For Sale

Top 9 Tips to prepare your house for sale from top realtor and professional marketers: The Brad Officer Real Estate Group or http://www.BradOfficer.com

To get absolute top dollar for your home, you must prepare your house for sale. I'm always amazed at the condition of many homes I visit, and it's even worse when my Buyer customers start commenting on the poor condition of homes that are attempting to be sold for a premium price. Don't make that same mistake! Take the time and get your house ready for the market.

Top tips to prepare your house for sale:

Start Outside: Curb appeal can't be stressed enough. Cut the lawn, edge everything, and trim back hedges and tree limbs. Now is not the time want a "private" yard. You want light and high visibility. Fertilize, water, freshen the mulch, and get some seasonal flowers planted. The importance of this front picture is everything. It's the first photograph that shows up on all the real estate search sites.
DeClutter! You are moving right? Why not take the time to go ahead and box up half your stuff that you've accumulated. Get a POD and pack it tight. Do you really need a juicer, your treadmill, and all those knick-knacks? Nows the time to get down to what you really need to live. Unpack all those stuffed closets and pack the POD with all the extra furniture that you don't really need. Trust me - it'll show 10 times better without all your random stuff, and will look so much bigger with all that freed up space.
Stage what you have. Ever go into a luxury model home and open a refrigerator? Pellegrinos are lined up perfectly next to the fresh strawberries that are flanked by the un-opened bottle of white wine. You can't live like this, but pay attention to the way you put things in cabinets - line them up better. Organize your closets so that everything is nice, not packed tight with clothes you stopped wearing in the 90s.
Countertop clear off: Soap dispensers only, except for the kitchen. In the kitchen a soap dispenser, your knife set, and fresh flowers. Contertops are a work area, not a display shelf for all your kitchen tools. Less is always better.
Toilets and Trash Cans: All lids always closed. Never "ready to use". I see way too many pro real estate photographers with ready to use toilets. Close the lids! Keep all trash out of the trash cans on photo day or showing days. Kitchen trash can must remain closed and prefer it to be empty on day of showings.
Garage: The most often untouched room in a house. Please, pack up all this stuff in the POD. Clean the garage, and pay to have the floor epoxied. It makes the garage look so much better. Without doing this, your potential buyers will view the garage just as it is. A packed area that they will never be able to park their cars in either. Declutter it, and use it as a garage to park in.
Remove Screens off Windows: You can store these in your garage that is now empty. Removing the window screens will give you the chance to actually clean the windows. It'll also make your house look much brighter from the inside and the outside. Curb appeal - see #1 above.
The Little Things: Get a new welcome matt. Touch up paint base boards, trim, and any needed areas. Full rolls of toilet paper. Orange scented air fresheners.
CLEAN EVERYTHING: Make the house shine like never before. Clean, clean, and clean some more.

I do understand it is not easy to do all this, so if you need the help we can provide you with home stagers, movers, landscapers, and cleaning services that can do all this for you. Hope this list helps! Now may be the time to start shopping for your next home: Jacksonville Real Estate Search. Maybe you are ready to sell your home: Our Listing Services.

Give us a call at 904.234.5196 if we can help you buy or sell real estate in Jacksonville, FL.

Jacksonville Short Sale Success

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Mon, 19 May 2014 12:54:00 -0400

Jacksonville Short Sale Success

Another Happy Home Seller just closed on their Jacksonville Florida short sale!

This home was a challenge, but what short sale isn't?

The Seller needed to sell due to a relocation, and like so many other homes in Jacksonville, it had lost half it's value from the peak. We listed the home and sold it quickly, but the all cash hedge fund investor cancelled all contracts within specific zip codes. Really ticked a lot of listing agents off and not to mention a lot of sellers!

Round 2: We sold to another all cash hedge fund investor, got the approval from the seller's bank, and then the buyers requested tens of thousands in repairs. Mostly just paint, carpet, landscaping, etc. A joke really. Of course the bank declined their inspection request, so we went back on the market again.

Round 3: Multiple offers again. This time, the seller picked a buyer occupant. A very nice man looking for a long term home. He had the financially ability to purchase and was willing to wait for the new approval. We received that short sale approval in only 30 days. Much faster! Went to closing and all is good.

Result: Banks released the seller from the deficiency (the benefit of a Jacksonville short sale attorney), and the Buyer gets a great house. If you are considering a Short Sale, make sure you check out How to Short Sale.

Visit our main site to view all homes for sale in Jacksonville FL and to learn more about short sales.

12228 Cobblefield Circle South

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 14 May 2014 14:20:00 -0400

This ready to move in beautiful home is conveniently located near JTB, Beaches, UNF, & St. Johns Town Center! Wood laminate floors through open living areas and dining room, and tile in the large kitchen, breakfast area, and bathrooms. Open family room w/vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Owner's suite is complete with his and hers closets. Large peaceful backyard is fully fenced w/gorgeous view of preserve. Clean and move in ready. A MUST SEE!

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MLS#: 708154
Licensed In: Florida

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10613 Wild Azalea Court

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 14 May 2014 14:11:00 -0400

Spacious 5 bedroom, 3 bath home is nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac road, on a private view homesite. Features formal living and dining room combo with separate family room, game room, eat in kitchen with bay window, 42'' cabinets, upstairs laundry, security system and full irrigation. Very well cared for and move in ready!

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Jacksonville Homes For Sale

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Homes Close to Where You Work

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Sell your home in 99 days GUARANTEED!

Bradley Officer
REALTOR
RE/MAX Specialists
904-234-5196
Questions? Schedule a Showing!
MLS#: 717074
Licensed In: Florida

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Bradley Wayne Officer, PA REALTOR RE/MAX Specialists Florida Real Estate Licensed

Waterfront Home For Sale in Jacksonville FL 2255 Holly Oaks River Drive

Brad@OfficerGroup.com (Brad Officer) — Wed, 14 May 2014 13:55:00 -0400

Ideal WATERFRONT location for those seeking big waterfront views and easy access to the Southside Areas. This well cared for home sits on over an acre of prime Riverfront land complete with ready to use boat dock and 10,000 pound boat lift. Recent Roof replacement in 2004, new AC system installed 2013, New septics installed 2009. Enjoy waterfront views from almost every room in the house, or relax outside in the screened Florida porch. Schedule your showing before this one is sold!

View the Virtual Tour for 2255 Holly Oaks River Drive, Jacksonville, FL

Schedule a Showing

Jacksonville Homes For Sale

Search All Homes For Sale

Homes Close to Where You Work

Avoid Foreclosure

What is Your Home Worth?

Waterfront Homes Jacksonville FL

Realtors in Jacksonville FL

Sell your home in 99 days GUARANTEED!

Bradley Officer
REALTOR
RE/MAX Specialists
904-234-5196
Questions? Schedule a Showing!
MLS#: 716858
Licensed In: Florida

L2L Virtual Tours

Bradley Wayne Officer, PA REALTOR RE/MAX Specialists Florida Real Estate Licensed