Real Estate Stuff

Why List Your Home With Me

2014-04-22T13:04:00.001-04:00

There are so many Real Estate Brokers out there asking you to give them your business. How do you decide who to give the business to. After all the MLS is available to all Realtor's so the selling ground is pretty even right? Well the answer certainly is no. Not all Realtor's are the same and not all Real Estate Agents can preform the same. Is it the biggest named Franchise that gets the job done the best. Some may argue it can be. If you notice almost all commercials or advertising for a franchise is about hiring new Realtors or encouraging Realtors to work for that Franchise. That doesn't help a seller sell their property. Exactly then what makes a good Listing Broker?

Doesn't it make sense that if a Broker can sell your home for a fair market value in as quickest time as possible, this is the best Realtor. Doesn't really matter who they work for or what franchise that are with. A broker that is available to you for answers to questions you may have and answers the phone when a potential buyer calls or an agent calls for a showing. A broker that does an individual marketing plan for each property they list so you have the best opportunity to sell your home. A broker that will be honest with you. Are you on the same wave length as your broker?
All of these things are what to consider when choosing who to list your home.
I hope that when you are thinking this through that you consider AAA Realty as a possible answer or choice. We certainly would like to earn your business. Check out our website at Www.aaarealtyllc.com

Rodriguez Team Hiring Realtors

2014-04-16T13:14:00.006-04:00

a day in the life of AAA Realty

2014-03-25T19:46:00.001-04:00

What happens behind the scenes?

it's not all pictures of happy families

Lots of work is done each day by a very hard working great staff

above Crystal is checking a application that was submitted for a rental home.

Fran and Jose are planning their day being strategic in deciding who is going where.

Raquel is our first impressions gal. She is handling the phones all day long, getting the callers to the appropriate party..

Oscar and

Amado are just leaving to put some appliances in place for a tenant.

Cyle just got back From getting supplies from Home Depot for tomorrows work orders.

Eimee is learning to do payroll

Many don't realize what goes on in a normal day. When we are asked what we do for the money we make, take a look at who what and where goes on behind the scenes.

Tired of the BS? Get Real!

2014-03-20T13:04:00.000-04:00

If you want to sell your home, I want to be the Broker that tells you like it is. I want to be the Broker that doesn't give you a line of BS. It that too much to ask of a Realtor? It sure shouldn't be. A CMA or Comparative Market Analysis is a report that we as Realtor's can create that shows your home and then we find homes like yours that have been on the market, pending and sold. We show you that based on what we absolutely see the market doing, this is what we can determine your home will produce and what your home is worth in todays market.

There should not be any candy coating. Unless your home has something so different than the "like properties" do then you can bank that the info the Realtor gives you is pretty accurate.

Here is what happens though. The agent may hear your clues of dissatisfaction with the truth and then they try and tell you what you "want" to hear. You may even tell them what you want to get for the home. The agent now has a choice. They can tell you the truth that the home just will not get that price, or they can say something like this: "Well I think we can list it for that. I will do whatever it takes to make that happen for you." All the while knowing there is a better chance for Hell to Freeze over then your home to sell at the price you want. They are thinking they want to get the listing and then when the home does not sell for what they dream it will, the agent can convince the seller to lower the price and then hopefully sell the home.

I am going to shoot this straight to the heart. You have lost 80% of your buyers. Now it's going to take longer and you may have to reduce the price even more to find a buyer. What did this accomplish? Your agent gets a commission and they didn't lose the listing. What about for the seller? You can see where I am taking this.

Bottom line is you want to get as much as you can for your home but get out of the mindset that you know what that worth is. It's all about the numbers. Don't be fooled!

Check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com

Renovate Your Bathroom- Get more bang for your buck

2014-03-19T12:49:00.000-04:00

If you are trying to sell your home and want to get the most money and may be looking to do some updates, one of the least expensive and quick ways is to renovate your bathrooms. The smaller space alone makes the cost much less. For instance, you may want to put a new tile on the floor and the square footage is going to make that a very reasonable cost. The standalone popular sink/vanity are available at Home Improvement stores and also at most membership buying clubs like Sam's or Costco. A Fresh coat of paint will also go a long way to freshen the room up.

Replacing your soft goods with new in the bathroom will also be a great staging item that helps the home sell.

Look around on the web and see great ideas for how others have DYI sites to get some great ideas.

If you are thinking of selling your home and you feel that a makeover would help sell your home. The first and less expensive is definitely the bathrooms. Second item would be the Kitchen. This can be quite costly so make sure that you and not wasting your money by spending more than you can hope to recapture in a sale.

For more info on this and more regarding selling your home, check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com

Backyard trasformations- The expansion of your home to the outside

2014-03-14T13:17:00.001-04:00

www.aaarealtyllc.com is excited to be part of the transition of backyard transformations becoming almost a standard in SW Florida. If a home has one, it will increase the value and even more so increase the likability of your listing if you are selling.

There are many options of areas to make and depending on what you already have outside will depend on how much the transition will cost. In the case of our personal home, we have a pool and lanai that includes some of it under truss. We decided to bring our inside to the outside by building a kitchen outside and putting in a pool heater making us have a private party/bar and Grill. The result has been a complete transformation of our home. Below are some Is a video. Let us know what you think.

Spring is time for growth

2014-03-07T16:46:00.001-05:00

www.aaarealtyllc.com is our website. We happily serve clients locally wanting to list their homes to sell as well as buyers. It may be buyers coming in the area for the first time. It may be someone trying to decide whether it is time to upgrade their home or maybe downsize as their family shrinks as the kids go off to college or get married or for whatever reason the space that you once had may not any longer be necessary. It may be time to think about traveling more and so therefore your needs change.

Whether Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers Beach or Cape Coral are your targets to check out, we know these areas. We have lived in the area for almost 15 years. One very important component in choosing a Real Estate Agent is to have someone that understands the area, the market and the financing if necessary of what it will take to get it done. Someone that will have your back and has your interests at heart.

That's where we come in. We want to make the selling or buying process as stress-free as possible. There is so much potential out there and the sky's the limit. Let us help you make an informed decision

Spring time is a time of growth. Time for new things. Baby animals are born, flowers are in bloom and everything feels fresh and nice. Let's put our heads together and make things happen. Give us a call at 239-368-8520 or check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com Make a contact to us and we will make ourselves available to you at your convenience.

Have a wonderful planning spring season.

Thanks
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner

Don't Overprice Your Home For Sale

2014-03-05T13:27:00.001-05:00

AAA Realty LLC is committed to Listing your Property at a price that will sell. You will lose out on the most activity you have on your home if you overprice it. That is a fact that is backed up with statistics. In the first 30 days, your home will get the most attention and especially in the first 7 days. If you don't have it priced within about 100-105% of it's market value, you most likely will have to reduce it below than 100% to sell it. If you listed it correctly, you would get the sale quicker and for more money.

Greed is the biggest reason for over-pricing. A broker doesn't want to lose a listing but in the same token, we are not helping the seller. If we all band together and get on board with stopping the excessive overpricing by better educating our sellers, we will be more efficient listing brokers. None of us want to just list a home for nothing. Just to say we have a listing. It's a lot of work to do for getting nothing out of it.

The one difficulty I have with a potential seller is helping them to understand that I am not pricing a home to sell quick so I get paid. I am evaluating what is best for my client. I never think about the pay out. That comes with hard work. The numbers just don't lie. We need to evaluate the sold properties that compare with the potential sale and sold as the best indicator of market value. If the home is appraised (it definitely will be if financing is involved) and the home appraises for under the market value, we will lose the deal anyway.

Bottom line is that we must take action and do it right. Please understand if you are a seller that the words of wisdom in this blog post is worth real money in your pocket. All for free by the way.

I hope this will earn us some listings as we can assure you that we will do what's right to earn your business and then sell it so you can be successful in your goals that you set in doing so.

Check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com or give us a call at 239-368-8520.

The Truth About Listing Price

2014-02-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

At AAA Realty LLC we demand honesty by our Realtors! We have walked away from many a listings just for not lying and telling a client what they want to hear. Just yesterday I was on a listing appointment and I just knew that I was not going to get the listing. Now I usually do really well with having rapport with a client. In this case I just could not connect with the wife. She was all closed up and after I really analyzed the meeting, I realized that I hurt her feelings by not giving her home more value due to some very costly upgrades they had made in the home. When I explained that even though the home was really gorgeous and they did such a terrific job, the price of the upgrades were just not going to be realized to the extent she wanted in a sale. I really took the time to show the different comps and how an appraiser looks at properties and determines what a home's market value is.

The wife could not accept what I was saying and so therefore didn't care about anything I had to say and you could tell wanted me out of there in the worse way.

I can do two things when I evaluate this meeting. One I could just say what she wanted to hear and get the listing over-priced knowing full well that I was not going to sell it at that price but I made her happy for the moment but long term, I will work for nothing and in the end she still will not like me when I can't preform with a sale. The second thing I can do is see if there is anything I could have done to help her more gently to understand the whole pricing thing and stuck to my guns with the pricing.

I chose the second. I think I should have at least looked really close and her home first and made more comments from the beginning about how beautiful her home was and then get real with her. That may have softened the blow a little. I will learn from this and I will try a different technique trying to get that rapport in the very beginning. I will learn from this but not to give in and lie to my client. I still believe that when they list their home with someone else and see that the home does not sell for what they think the home is worth, she will remember me and what I said. Unfortunately it will be too late because I won't know about it and they will have lost out on time and money because the very best time of marketing a home is the first 30 days.

Until next time, I hope you all have a great weekend. I will be going fishing for sure.

Check us out on the web at aaarealtyllc.com and if you are interested in a fair market value of your home, give us call at 239-368-8520

cheers
Tammy Rodriguez

We need rental Properties

2014-02-26T13:26:00.002-05:00

Due to our high demand of rental properties over the 10 years we have been in business, we have reached full capacity and are desperate for more properties to rent.

If you have a property that you may be managing on your own or are not happy with your present management, we will take over for free with a tenant in place. Simple as that. Having the right management team is detrimental to your overall success as an investment partner.

Do your homework before hiring the first company you see on Google. Ask some of the following questions:

How long have they been licensed to do Property Management in the area
Where is their physical location
What hours is their office available for customers
How many properties do they manage
How much staff is allocated to property management
What are all the costs including lease fees etc.

This is by no means a complete list of questions but you get the idea. I think that you should trust your judgement. When you talk to the team or manager, you should feel like it's a good fit.

For more information on us and our services, please check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com

We would love to hear from you and answer any further questions you may have. Our office number is 239-368-8520 or you can reach me personally at tammyjrodriguez@gmail.com.

Hope to see you or speak with you soon. Contact us today.

Owning a Home in 2014

2014-01-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

This is a re-print of an article that I wrote in the newest Merchant Marketer for Jan 2014-

Owning A Home In 2014

By: Tammy Rodriguez- Owner of AAA Realty LLC, Always Clear Water and A+ property Management LLC

It is already the New Year. Welcome to 2014. This is a time that many people make decisions. 45% of Americans had made New Year’s Resolutions, and of those “Forbes.com” states that only 8% achieve the goals they set for themselves. Where are you with your resolutions? Have they already been broken? By now if you are a business owner of any size you should already have dived in to your new business plan, updated for 2014. If you are a homeowner, you probably are in need of some yearly preventive maintenance. One of your goals may be to buy your first home or to sell the one you have and move up, maybe because the family is growing or maybe you want something smaller because the family has all grown up and you may not need all the space you have anymore. Then just maybe you want to purchase a second home because you are here right now in Florida to get away from the Northern Snow and freezing temperatures and may want to make it a semi-permanent residence (The best of two worlds for many who choose this way of life).

We not only as a Real Estate Company but also a licensed Water Treatment Company and Licensed Painting Contractor are here to help with any New Year’s goals you have for the Real Estate options I mentioned above or the preventive maintenance we spoke of earlier. If you are getting ready to sell your home, we have a list of” Getting Your Home Sold. I wrote an article a couple of months ago in the Merchant Marketer that was dedicated to just that. We have copies of that article in our office. I thought this time specifically I would address preventive maintenance for your home for the new year. If you are selling your home, these too are items that should be done to get ready for the sale.

The annual items in a home that should be taken care of are:

· Change your smoke detector batteries

· Clean out your AC drain and put chemical in place to avoid the buildup of slime

· Clean both your inside and outside coils on your AC

· Clean your windows inside and out

· Check toilet valves for leakage and replace if necessary

· Replace or repair any caulk in all wet areas

· Check washing machine hoses for cracks and replace if necessary

· Clean dryer vent from dryer to outside connection

· Replace any missing light bulbs throughout home inside and outside

· Clean all HVAC vents

· Choose one room to freshen up either by new paint or full rehab

· Pressure clean the outside of the home from the soffits down to the concrete driveway and sidewalks (don’t forget the concrete pad by your ac and pool equipment)

· Time for fertilization of the lawn

· Trim bushes and trees

· Have water system checked, cleaned and chlorinate the lines and well

· Clean debris out of gutters and check for missing or broken pieces or downspouts

· Check your sprinkler system for any broken sprinkler heads

· Check your timers for sprinkler and or pool for correct operation and times

· Do a security check around perimeter of home and make any adjustment necessary (motion lights etc)

· Check all windows and screen for proper operation and fix any broken locks or screens

· Check outside of home for cracks and seal and paint any that are needing it

Whether you are getting ready to sell your home or you are just maintaining the one you already have and plan to keep, there are things that need attention on at least an annual basis. We hope this article will help you remember the items that need attention on a regular basis. We can take care of all these items for you if you don’t have time, medically or physically can’t or just don’t want to. We have a full service maintenance staff that can work hard for Lehigh Acres folks that need us. We don’t just manage rentals. We help manage your home by helping you keep up with the necessary fixin’s that are needed along the way.

So whether for buying, selling or just keeping up with what you have, AAA Realty LLC is here for you. We are located in the Lehigh Towne Centre right between the Medicine Shoppe and Metro PCS. Stop by and see us, check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com or give us a call at 239-368-8520 for more information.

Let’s All Work Together To Make 2014 A Great Year For Lehigh Acres!

Do Your Homework

2013-12-19T12:12:00.001-05:00

The old adage that has if it looks too good to be true, it probably is holds true almost every time. I have come to realize that you really do get what you pay for. Let me give share wit you how I learned apt his very valuable lesson. .

Just a couple of days ago I made a dreadful decision that would prove to be the lesson I learned that prompted this very blog post. My son's birthday is this Friday. As usual he gave us his list weeks ago as to what he wanted. He decided that this year he wanted a tape recorder. He was very specific on what kind of tape recorder. It had to be digital. It also needed to be big enough to fit in his hand. He wanted it to the size of a phone. Ok I thought, this is going to be a challenge. We happened to go to Kmart shortly thereafter and I thought, let me check if they have this tape recorder. Willa, I found it. And it was only like 30 bucks. I thought I was a winner. It had buttons just like he wanted, it fit in my hand and it looked like the old school recorders. My son loves old school so I didn't hesitate and I purchased this recorder and checked off in my mind his biggest present was bought and I had to save at least a hundred dollars over what I thought I would have to spend. The item was put away to later wrap and get ready for his big day. After all he was turning 17 and we had to make his day special. A couple weeks go by and I overhear my son say that we is going to start a podcast as soon as he got his recorder. Immediately I felt a panic come over me. I asked myself, did I buy a recorder that could be transferred to a computer? Was it an MP3 recorder? That's what you need if you are going create a podcast. Where did I put that darn thing? I needed to check to make sure it was the right thing he needed. I had trouble sleeping that night because I left it in my office so I could hide it and also wrap it there. The nest day I check it closely and it is totally the wrong thing. Now what? His Birthday is less then a week away and I have the absolute wrong thing. I can't pass that off. So the panic turns to my adrenalin pumping way to fast. I start to look online for the one he needs. Two hundred dollars later and some missed sleep and a whole lot of stress later, oh and some fifty dollars in shipping costs to make sure it reaches us in time, I now had my son's birthday gift. Where did I go wrong?

Two things come to mind right away as I look back over this dreadful experience. First thing is I didn't do my homework to assure I was looking for the right thing. Secondly, I let my frugal gene take over. Well that cost me in the long run. I knew it was too good to be true but I bragged and bought it anyway. I hope I learned a lesson. I had wasted precious time, more money then I had to because of the rush fees and not to mention the list sleep and stress. This may sound ridiculous to you but what is your tape recorder, in what area have you done almost the same thing and paid dearly in the end.

If I could help you all learn a lesson from this fiasco then I will feel like it was not in vain. It's always important to do your homework before you jump in and especially before you waste a bunch of time and money doing it the hard way.

Until next time,
Tammy Rodriguez
www.aaarealtyllc.com
www.flpaintcontractor.com
www.alwaysclearwater.com

You can not be afraid to take a risk

2013-12-11T23:54:00.001-05:00

Risk is absolutely a common thread to success. The more risk, the better the outcome. We know that there are several different personalities out there that makes up us as humans. What separates the most successful correlates directly to the risk factor. To bring this point home we look at the Lottery. You pay a dollar or up to a few dollars and risk that money on a win. Try to tell a big lottery winner that it's a waste to play the lottery. On the other hand for those that have risked and lost, it may ruin a future win if you don't learn from the loss so that next time you increase your chances on a win. You learn to calculate the loss.

A key component to winning is strategizing and then planning and then putting the plan in motion using specific action steps and marketing plan. Lastly you need to follow the plan and continue to make adjustments as you go along. Your still taking a risk but the stakes will be more successful.

So to wrap up this business tip, I would say to be prepared to take a calculated risk pretty munch in everything you do. There are some wonderful books written on risk taking and also on planing strategies. Google some and grab yourself a few or even better save paper and use either a kindle or the kindle software available on you tablets and smart phones.

Until next time, I bid you a farewell,

Tammy Rodriguez
Http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
Http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
Http://www.alwaysclearwater.net

You don't know what you have until you lose it.

2013-12-10T18:39:00.001-05:00

Just a short 1 and 1/2 months ago my mother left this world. When I call this post you don't know what you had until you lose it, I am speaking about my mom. I am also speaking about the whole concept of losing what we had. It may be a close loved one or it could be you lost your favorite Dry Cleaners cause they made you made and you left to go to a competitor. Bear with me here for a few minutes so you can understand exactly the point I am trying to make.

I miss my mother beyond measure. I spent many years fighting with her and some years when we didn't even speak. Thankfully though before she died our relationship was great. But now that she is gone and I can't make up for lost time? I can't say how ridiculous the non-speaking times were. I can't call her and tell her how may day was as I had done each and every day for the last year or two. I can't ask her opinion on this very important thing going on in my life. I can't tell her when I don't feel good and want my momma. I can go on and on talking about all the things I can't do anymore. I never knew how much I would miss it when it was gone. I think we take the people important in our life for granted!

Then I wanted to take it even another step more. I used to trust my lawn guy to always do the right thing with my lawn. Then I got greedy. I thought he was charging too much and I thought the job was not all that good. I started to think that I could find someone to do a better job at lesser money. Then he made the mistake of cutting my lawn too short. That was it, I was done with this lawn guy. First I thought I would do it myself- what's the big deal right? So we bought a lawn mower and I tried it myself. Wow that wasn't so easy. Then I had my husband show my oldest son to mow. I thought he was lazy anyway and doing our lawn should be his responsibility. Well he stunk at it and I was starting to wonder if I did not wrong thing by letting that lawn guy go. But did I call him back and rehire him? No! I thought well I will hire someone else and get it done cheaper. Over the next few months, we went through about 4 different lawn guys. Most of them wouldn't even show up.

I then realized that I didn't know what I had until I lost him. My lawn guy was a great guy. He never lost his relationship with us and always remained friendly. I finally said ok get him back. Not only do I want him to do my own personal lawn but also I want him to all of the lawns for the owners homes we manage.

To take this even a step further, when I really needed help with something that was a delicate and very important life changing, future success in an other business could depend on it, it was my lawn guy who came through without a hesitation. He found someone for us to do what we needed done. I pulled out all the people that I had helped in the past and so and so on and not one of those people came through for me but my lawn guy did. I did not know what I had until I lost it. I learn a huge lesson from my lawn guy.

I know that to compare the two sounds off but if you think about in our life the times we give up on people, first and foremost our family and then maybe it's your Dry Cleaner who made a mistake or your lawn guy. Stop and deal with the issue. Without that person or business, life might not be what we had hoped. We need not give up on each other. You have heard the old cliché that business is business, well I say people are people. Let's try and be more understanding and communicate more with who is in our life and we can avoid a lot of pain.

For Now,
Tammy Rodriguez
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
http://alwaysclearwater.net

December 5, 2013

2013-12-05T18:44:00.001-05:00

Old Unused Medications

If you have been in a situation where you have in your possession medication that will not be used and it's either expired or from a loved one that has passed away or for any other number of reasons, don't just throw them in the trash and definitely don't throw them down the sink or toilet. You know that it will become part of our water table and could wind up making someone sick. Take the meds in sealed containers and drop them off at your local police department or Sheriff's office. They have the means to properly dispose of them.

AAA Realty is underway with their annual Food Drive for Harry Chapin Food Bank

Stop by their office between now and December 23rd to drop off food for Harry Chapin Food Bank. They are very low on food reserves so please stop by AAA Realty located in the Lehigh Towne Centre and help this very needy cause this holiday season

Pay It Forward

It's that time of year where people are most festive and giving. It's really important to give especially now so that we can still feel human. There is so much going on in the world and in our own neck of the woods that reaching out to someone with no expectations in return can bring some joy that is beyond measure. My family has been thinking about how and who to help this year especially when this is a difficult time for us just losing my mother just a very short time ago. That's enough to make you not fee very festive but we are going to rise above that and help make someone else's life a little more joyful. We are moving forward with some ideas. We have a client that just lost his wife and he is alone this year. We have another client that is going through a difficult situation with her partner and it has left her and her two year old son alone this year. We know we have to step in these people lives in some way and we are working on how. What about you? Who's life can you impact this year? I challenge you to do it in a big way and watch how much joy it brings you. Don't focus on your problems but instead focus outward and help others.

Until next time remember to use local small businesses whenever possible. We are the backbone of America. A+ Property Management LLC is a local Painting Company that is licensed, insured and is offering 10 Percent discount right now for work booked before the end of the year. Check them out at http://www.flpaintcontractor.com

My best
Tammy Rodriguez
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com

December 3, 2013

2013-12-03T11:53:00.001-05:00

22 Days Till Christmas

I have even started to shop. Missed Black Friday, spent the day on the boat. Skipped Cyber Monday- just couldn't be bothered. Why am I fighting the erg not to have Christmas. My mother's passing and the new dog who will at the least eat the tree if not dump it over and ruin it anyway. since I have 3 kids, I guess I better get moving and get something for them.

In The News

Paul Walker from the hit movies Fast and Furious was killed going fast and furious. I guess if your gonna go you might as well be doing what you love to do. Sorry to all the girls who are heartbroken though. Amazon is working on a drone to deliver packages. I am sorry but my humble opinion thinks this is just a marketing ploy set to break right at Christmas season so Amazon is on everyone's mind. They are smarter than most of us. As far as realizing that feat, I really doubt it. Too many logistic problems.

Housing outlook for 2014

Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, was a bit cautious when he announced that he felt the sales would remain flat, that prices would increase 6% and that rates will rise somewhere around a point (Wall Street Journal Reports) My opinion for our local community here in SW Florida? Same Same.

HVAC tip

Weather requiring heat is coming so make sure your coils are clean. Also change your filter. These are items that can cause fires or other issues when you turn that heat on.

Painting and Pressure Washing Time

Now that the weather is nice, the rain has slowed, left behind for us is mold, mildew and the necessity for painting. Check out http://www.flpaintcontractor.com for tips and sales going on right now.

I want to wish you all a productive Tuesday and make sure you don't forget to reach out and help someone this holiday season.

Till next time,

Tammy Rodriguez
Http://www.aaarealtyllc.com

Place a Tenant or It's Free

2013-12-02T11:17:00.002-05:00

Place a tenant in your rental property or you don't pay? Don't you think that we as a property manager or rental agent should be held accountable for working and doing what it takes to rent your property or you should not pay us? Having an inventory of homes for rent doesn't mean squat if they remain in inventory. What does it take to rent your home? It takes a lot of work. First you want to market it in such a way that it is available to be seen in pictures and on a map all over the web. Not just craigslist either. Even though craigslist is a must, there are also many other places that potential tenants are looking and in fact due to the high number of scams running through craigslist, many tenants are looking elsewhere.

Is there a timeframe that it should take before it' taking way too long and there is the potential for losing money? The best answer I can give you on this question is a two part answer. First is the rental property marketed at a price that is fair and reasonable. If this answer is no, the property can sit there for months without any activity. Secondly the way to know how long is too long is to see what the average what is called in Real Estate "Average Rental Days on Market". If your property is marketed properly and is priced right you should fall within that time period.

For more information on your rental properties and having a property management company either take over or even take over while a tenant is in place, we can answer all the questions you might have.

Contact us toll free at 1-888-243-1720 or locally at 239-368-8520. We look forward to speaking with you.

Regards,
Tammy Rodriguez

AAA Realty LLC and Property Management

http://www.aaarealtyllc.com

Why Thanksgiving is Important to me

2013-11-27T19:35:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for the following and this is just a segment of my thankfulness for 2013 and not in order of importance:

My God
My Family
Good Friends and time spent with them
My son turned 10
Great Clients
Vany's new baby
Heated pool
New truck
Marley
Scooby's still with us
Dad's been ok
Painted partial home
Enjoying our boat
10 fingers and toes
Healthy kids
Abilities
HVAC License
Crystal passing her RE license
Fran and Pepi
Alex
Olivia in Scandal
SOA
Walking Dead

These are just a few things that stick out to me and I want to be thankful for. How about you. Make your list and be thankful for the things that you have been blessed with.

How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres FL

2013-11-26T11:20:00.001-05:00

Here we are at the end of 2013 and looking to 2014. How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres FL? This is a question that many investors have been asking lately. Is there time to jump in the investment market still. Are prices increasing and so therefore should I be selling my investment properties? They are looking for direction.

We have used the above questions and tried to answer a few of them using available resources as well as the experience we have had over the last 9 years in the real estate industry. Below are our opinions so please don't make a decision solely on our comments.

How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres?

A. It's a strong market.  The reasons we base that answer are many. First our days on market are less then 30 days average. Many of the foreclosures folks are needed to rent at least for a three year period minimum and that is if they are working on correcting the imperfections on their credit caused for the down slide in the local and national economy. Lehigh Acres is what is call a bedroom town. That simply means that there is affordable housing but not a lot of infrastructure to support the town so residents leave the area and go to neighboring Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs and Naples for work and for other necessary services that would otherwise be gotten close to home if available. So to wrap this up, just for the two reasons short time on market and affordable prices make Lehigh Acres a strong rental market.

     2. Is there time to jump in the investment market still?

A. It's tough right now.  We think that in order to be successful in this market right now, it will take persistence, patience and a lot of work. But it can be done.  You can be successful.    It's important to work with a competent Realtor though. Your Realtor needs to be watching for properties for you but you too should have an active role in looking. When you see something, give your Realtor the info to double check that it's still on the market. Between both of you and some of the persistence, patience and work we spoke about, you certainly can still be successful in the current market.

     3. Are prices increasing and should if so I be selling my current investment properties.

A. Yes prices have been steadily increasing. The market has been rebounding and we are pretty sure that is a great thing, No? Yes it is. For the second half of this question as to should you sell your properties now. We would say, that depends. There are so many variables as to why you would think now is the time to sell. Some of the questions we would ask you are; why did you get in this game in the first place? What is your end goal? How much did you pay for the properties? What has been your return on your investment to date? How is your current overall investment portfolio? How is your current financial situation? Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? These are questions that we would want to talk to you about so that you can make some well thought out decisions and the answers will be different for everyone and whether you should sell or hold may also be different for you then anyone else.

Bottom line for you would be to have someone you can count on and trust to be your partner in helping you make good informed decisions. We want to earn your business! If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Tammy Rodriguez
Author/Broker/CAM/Notary/Painting Contractor
AAA Realty LLC
A+ Property Management LLC

Fort Myers Office Delay in Opening

2013-04-25T13:33:00.001-04:00

I never thought that I would have such a difficult time opening a small office in what is considered in the Fort Myers City Limits. After many phone calls and finally a visit to the downtown office on Hendry St, I came away with an understanding about what was needed prior to being able to open the office.

I filled out the applications needed and paid the $190.00 (still trying to figure how they could rob us small business owners to such an extent) Then we still need to be available for the 4 inspections that are needed. I ask the following question: Why if there was a business in place at this location do we need to go though the same inspections again? Now I could understand if this is the first time a business will be in place at this location or if the business was not an office type location. For instance if it was a restaurant or a business that required some potential safety hazard.

We will follow the instructions and maybe in 30- 60 days, we will be able to open the location and the next 6 months to try and make up for the loss of business while we jump through the hoops necessary.

There is so much bureaucracy in our Country that if we spend more time trying to help the small business owner to open new businesses and or continue to stay in business, we can resolve a lot of issues.

Let's help each other promote small business ownership. Also making sure we pay attention to any change in laws that may pertain to helping small businesses and then standing up for what is proper and right for the small business owner can go a long way.

Good luck to all you entrepreneurs and I will keep up updated on our progress to open our new office located right on 41 on the corner of Boy Scout Rd.

My Best
Tammy J Rodriguez
Owner/Broker
AAA Realty LLC

Spring Time Maintenance

2013-03-29T12:59:00.001-04:00

This is the time of year for some very important Preventative Maintenance items that are so necessary to be completed to avoid some extra repair costs later on. If the repairs become emergencies then they need to be done and many times as an emergency repair which in most cases shots up the cost of the repair.

Number one on the list should be your Air Conditioner. Did you know that as the unit sits it is not being circulated and the law of gravity allows for some loss of Freon naturally. This small amount needs to be replaced at least once a year. If you do not the system is not working at it's optimum and the system will work harder, can freeze and will wear out parts easier. The cost to the occupant will be higher cooling costs and inconvenience when the system freezes up. The answer to this is to have the regular maintenance done on the system. Make sure you have someone that is honest so that you are not paying for something that is not wrong. This is a tough area. Probably the best way to determine who to use is by asking your friends or neighbors for a recommendation.

You may be asking yourself how the heck I know anything about air conditioning systems? Well I am a certified a/c technician. So I am speaking with experience and knowledge in this area. I know that you can save yourselves some money in repairs and operating cost.

For More information on prevenative maintenance tips, with ac units as well as other tips for the spring maintenance season go to aaarealtyllc.com.

Next time we will talk about ways to save on your overall energy costs. Stay Tuned

My Best

Tammy Rodriguez

Time Challenge

2013-03-12T22:49:00.000-04:00

If you are anything like me your morning goes something like this. I wake up and realize that I have to get up soon. I don't want to so I procrastinate. I figure that if I check my phone for messages and check my email, I can wait just a little longer to make what seems the gigantic leap out of bed. Then after I spend a good half hour or so trying to talk myself into it and I finally get up. Once up I feel like I have to race my way out the door. Once up I don't want to waste another moment and rush to get to work. I most days don't have to be there at a certain time. I purposely don't usually make early morning appointments so I don't have to rush. I tell myself and everyone else that I am not a morning person but once I am up, I am ok. So I started to think that maybe I am just going about this morning thing the wrong way.

I decided i was going to expand my horizons and try to mentally prepare myself for an earlier morning. I know I can get so much more done if I do get up even an hour earlier. So I make the commitment. I am going to attempt the one hour earlier thing. i will let you know how it goes. As a staff at work, we are reading a new book about Time Management. We only are on chapter one but I want to share with you what I learn as we go along. In the meantime if you have any ideas you would like to share, please feel free to comment.

If you get the chance we would appreciate a like on our Facebook page. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/aaapropertymanagement and FYI our website is http://www.aaarealtyllc.com

My Best,
Tammy Rodriguez

Lehigh Acres Real Estate Snafu

2013-03-06T14:30:00.001-05:00

Travel And Leisure Magazine is read by many but this article was one that makes the folks of Lehigh Acres laugh their butts off when the see and read this headline. In the article, the photo's caption says "Southwest Florida is filled with half-built McMansions, lots taken over by snakes and alligators and derelict cul-de-sacs that lead to nothing."

Lehigh made the too of the worlds most eeriest places along with a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. The picture that made it was a typical foreclosed home the likes of which has popped up all over the country with the housing bust of 2009. This is when this article first surfaced but has been reported by the Huffington Post just at the end of 2012.

What the heck is going on and where in the world are they getting their information and even better who could have even slightly have verified this to be true. I won't spend a lot of time on proving the specific allegations to be untrue as they are so off the wall and ridiculous that it doesn't deserve much specific response. I will however say that I have lived in Lehigh Acres for 13 years now. My 3 children go to public schools within Lehigh. I have two businesses in Lehigh and so I think I am in a pretty good position to make a professional legitimate assessment on Lehigh. Ready for a promise from me? You can take this statement to the bank and I stand behind the following statement. Lehigh Acres is not overrun with snakes and alligators.

There may be 110 square miles of land and yes there is plenty of undeveloped land but that is a temporary issue and one that is changing over time. The population almost tripled over the last few years and then spiked down for a short time while the foreclosure problem was at the highest rate. There is a very explainable reason for the high percentage of foreclosures in Lehigh. I will explain it for you. After I do, I only ask you to stop the next person you hear say some of the false nonsense about Lehigh. So here we go:

In 2004-2006 the explosion of growth in the housing market was mainly due to the ease of getting a mortgage for just about anyone. You could have been self employed, state your income and not have to prove it nd we used to say, if you have a pulse, you can own a home. Those that had been renters jumped on the wagon and those with homes bought more. Many who had homes refinanced to use the funds for other things. People were buying land for 40 times what they had cost just a year or two prior. It seamed like everyone was thriving. Builders were coming in from all over and setting up shop. Model homes were a dime a dozen.

Much of the new homeowners worked for the housing industry in some way or another. Things were rocking and rolling. Then the housing bust hit. Lehigh and the Cape were hit very hard because we were in the high growth due to all new building taking place as mentioned above. At the same time where many new home owners were enjoying the low interest rates given to them by the financial institutions as what we like to call a honeymoon rate, those times changed. The adjustable rates adjusted and rates skyrocketed. Building came to a halt. People were losing jobs that worked for the housing industry. People could not afford the homes and the homeowner felt that since they bought the home with really nothing down that they had nothing to lose if they just simply walk away. Many felt they had no choice.

This is what led to the temporary demise of Lehigh Acres. Then on top of that some of the lenders were caught using robo signers and other illegal means to make many loans and that caused a stop to a great deal of the foreclosures. Now they sat there until the legal system could work out the issues. We still today are dealing with some of the remnants of this mess. Mostly due to the large amount of vacant homes made us a big target for vandalism and theft. Vagrants and Some of the other places on the list are a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. So many people living in Lehigh were shocked the area was even on the same list – saying foreclosed homes are just a sign of the times.

When you drive around Lehigh Acres today, it is a different place. Most of the vacant homes are rustling with activity and there are all kinds of plans to expand the infustructure of Lehigh as well as eventual plans for when we become a city and where the city limits will be and when and where all this will take place. This is exciting news for Lehigh Acres.

Next time you talk to someone that has something negative to say about Lehigh Acres, send them this link and let them see what the real story is. We hope you check out Lehigh Acres and consider making it your next place to call home.

Check us out on the web at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com

regards,
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner for AAA Realty LLC

Fish- A Way Of Life

2013-02-26T14:42:00.001-05:00

Hey All,
I am happy to be able to get back to some writing. I just read and am making part of our company the Philosophy from the book FISH. Not sure it you have read it but it is a must for anyone who is in business that wants to make a positive and dramatic change to their business.

I for one love to be silly and have fun whenever possible. I like to be light with my staff and understand that if we can do that, it makes for a happier work environment. What I didn't really put together was how using the principles from this little Fish Market in the State of Washington, would bring home just how important the principles are to being different, to standing out in the business community.

The principles spoken about is first Attitude. We are responsible for our attitude. We need to decide to have a good attitude. I like that the writer of the book used a company menu and on it was your choice of attitudes. It can be a good one or a bad one. In order to be successful we must choose the good one.

Then the second principle is to have fun. This really excited me. Since I already like to have fun, I sent someone out to get a football, checkers game and yahtzee. We played around with the football when we had to handle a difficult client and it really worked to calm us down. We played chess outside too and that was a ton of fun. We get the point.

The third principle was to be make our clients day by including them in our fun. In every situation we want to make them happy with how we handle them. We want to engage with them.

Lastly Make sure they are being treated with our full attention. We don't want to be talking on the phone while answering emails. We don't want to be surfing the net while talking to someone standing in front of us.

We realized that even though we needed to make some changes, that we were on the right track and that with some slight more adjustments and everyone working together, we could really make our place not just a good place to work but a great place to work and an awesome experience for each person that crosses our path.

I invite you to check us out at our website at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com. We want to hear your comments and feedback.

Until next time...

My Best,

Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner
AAA Realty LLC
tammyjrodriguez@gmail.com

Is Now The Time To Buy or Sell

2012-11-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

How to watch the Real Estate Market and decide when is best to Buy or Sell. It is probably the most important self taught education you must undertake before deciding when is best to buy or sell in today's Real Estate Market. If you ask a Real Estate Professional, they will most likely tell you now is the time and most of their opinion is due to the fact that NOW is the time for a Real Estate Professional to want some income. Right? Think about it. This is how they make a living. But what is right for the client? When is the time?

To answer this question correctly I think that the client needs to educate themselves of the market. They need to also talk to several Realtors before making a decision on who will be that person to help you buy or sell. You want to make sure that the Realtor in fact really has your best interest in mind. If we as professionals do that we will get more clients by being honest and truly helping then if we always say now is the time.

Seller and or Buyers can Google today's Real Estate Market and learn so much just starting there. The market is like a wheel constantly turning and there is a top and there is also a bottom. We have all just recently seen the bottom, the crash in the market. It really doesn't take much for us all to see that the housing crisis of just a few months ago is starting to recover. How can we determine this. Well available homes over last year to this year is a dramatic decrease. This shows that the market is picking up and homes are selling. This causes the old supply and demand to kick in. Supply goes down and prices start to go up. This is good news for the seller. Sellers can be in a position to have some equity in their home if they purchased when the market was at the bottom.

What about a Buyer? When pricing is down, can a buyer still do OK? Well in my opinion that depends on a lot of different things. What is your credit standing? What are the interest rates at the time? What programs are available to a seller that may have some incentives to buy. So not necessary because the prices are up does it mean it's not time to buy. You do however need to research what I mentioned and ask around. Talk to a few different Realtors. You need to have that gut feeling that you are dealing with someone that has your best interest. You should ask a lot of questions and then also ask for some references. You need someone that will hold your had through a process that can be one of the most stressful times in your life and you don't want some pious jerk talking down to you. You don't want a non-experienced person to be giving you bad advice. You need who is right for you.

Where do you start. I recommend that you start by self-educating yourself to the Real Estate Market in the area you like and or get on some Real Esate boards and ask alot of questions. See where there is a fit for you. Remember one size does not fit all in this area.

I wish you well and hope that you consider talking to me also. Check out my web at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com.

See you around the market,

Tammy J Rodriguez
Owner/Broker
AAA Realty LLC