Seek Or Sell

Don’t Let Real Estate News Predict Your Future

Personally I have stopped watching the new, it is downright depressing.  There is always some horrible story about a tragic accident, bad economic report, the war, etc.  Pay attention to how these outside influences are effecting your disposition.  Remember sad sells – happy doesn’t.

Now I watch the Planet Earth DVD’s while I run on the treadmill.  What amazing footage has been captured – just breath-taking.  So one morning I was watching this funny otter family teasing Mr. Alligator, “Can’t catch me – Can’t catch me”.  They were having such a good time.  I did actually feel bad for the alligator,  although not for very long.  He swam down the river bank and “snatched a bird right out of a tree”.  The footage was a little alarming – not really the positive inspiration that I was looking for.  It was then I realized that it is truly the circle of life.  What may on the surface appear as a “bad real estate market” is actually just a necessary correction.  As my Pop Pop said “Honey what goes up – must come down.  It will go back up again but it will also come back down.  It is the cycle of life.”

Now I realize that it is our job to counter balance the negative media with the positive that truly exists in the current real estate market.  So tune in world – here it comes ……………………………

This is a buyer’s market – which means “NOW is the time to buy”.    Don’t let Negative Nellie’s tell you anything different.

Did you know that you can OWN a home with no money down? NO you DO NOT need 20% down.

Did you know that a 1% interest increase could reduce your buying power by $20,000 on average?

Did you know that you have the best selection of homes available to choose from in years?

Did you know that historically homes double in value every ten years?

Did you know that with interest and tax write-offs your mortgage payment may actually be a lot less than your rent?

Don’t let fear hold you back.  NOW is the time to make your move. We can show you why.

So turn off that TV and let’s go find a place you can call HOME

Tags: buying is less than rent, Interest rate increase, Now is the time to buy, real estate correction

Have You Quit Your Job And Forgot To Tell Your Boss?

Whatever results you’re getting, be they rich or poor, good or bad, positive or negative, always remember that your outer world is simply a reflection of your inner world. If things aren’t going well in your outer life, it’s because things aren’t going well in your inner life. It’s that simple.

~ T. Harv Eker

Look inside yourself, what do you see?  You don’t have to share with anyone else just be honest with yourself.  Quietly reflect on your answers to these questions…….

Have you been true to yourself?

Have you made an honest commitment to yourself?

Are you learning to work in today’s market or blaming it?

Have you sharpened your skills in a changing market or relied on old techniques that aren’t effective today?

Have you mentally given up on your real estate profession but forgot to hand in your resignation?

Make a commitment to YOU today.  There are agents who have found success in this market.  They think of changing themselves rather than waiting for the world to change.   Your clients need your counseling today more than ever.  They need you to talk them through their current situation to find them solutions.   Buyers need you to demonstrate why there has never been a better time to buy.   In real estate you are your own boss, don’t fire yourself, recommit to your chosen profession.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Tags: Quit, Real Estate Slump, Realtor, Slump

Don’t Let The Fear Of Losing Your Job Stop You From Buying A Home

Confident that NOW is the time to get the best buy in real estate,  but nervous about your job?

With the current rate of unemployment, being less than confident about job stability is natural.  But is your fear justified?

Face Your Fear

My suggestion is that you go to your employer and let them know that you are looking to buy a home.  Tell them that before you commit to a 3o year mortgage you wanted to ensure that your position is stable with the company.   Whether positive or negative, the answer is something that you should be aware of anyway.   Assuming a positive answer, what are you waiting for?

Three Reasons  Now is the time to Buy a Home

1. Money is on sale.  At $5.37 per $1,000 borrowed your buying power is strong.
2. Great Selection.  It is a buyer’s market therefore there are a lot of homes to choose from and less competition from other buyers.
3. Home Prices Are Down. The current market values are the lowest we have seen.

Face your fears, and you will be one of the intelligent buyers, who years from now can say that they took advantage of The Perfect Storm and bought at historic lows.

Need help navigating? Call me anytime.

Tags: buying a home, Fear of Job Loss

Mays Landing ~ The Epitome of Small Town Living

Today is one of my childhood friend’s 42nd birthday.  Myself and 128 other “friends”, logged onto Facebook to wish her a Happy Day.  I’m sure this is no uncommon occurrence, however in Mays Landing our wishes existed long before Facebook.  You see my friend Liz and I were born one day apart, our Mom’s shared a hospital room and we lived around the corner from one another.  Today, we both have chosen to still live in Mays Landing, NJ and raise our families.  Our children go to school together and we share the same circle of friends.  

The little town that we call home  has grown up too.  When we were young we thought having a McDonald’s put us on the map.  Today we have two McDonalds, and an ACME, Wal-Mart and every other shopping and restaurant chain one could imagine.   Although we have grown in size, Mays Landing’s small town charm remains.   Festivities such as the Art in the Park, Home Town Celebration, Haunted Walk, Halloween Parade, Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Home Town Celebration give us the opportunity to come together and celebrate our life long friendships.

Are you looking for todays modern conveniences yet still want your family to experience the traditions that you remember as a child?  Take a look at Mays Landing, NJ, a small waterfront community located between Atlantic City and Philadelphia.  And if you already live here and love it please tell us why.

Tags: Kindergarten 1975, Mays Landing, Mrs Scott, NJ, Shaner School, Small Town Living

Suze Orman Doesn’t Know Everything About Real Estate

The combination of being conservative and having a degree in finance naturally led me to Suze Orman.  Over the years I have purchased her books and tapes and been a fan.  However, every time I hear Suze Orman spout off about buying your 1st home I cringe.  Millions of innocent people being led down the wrong path.  She advises that you need to save 20% down and have an 8 month emergency reserve fund before buying your first home.  I disagree 100% !  With this criteria 70 percent of my clients over the past 24 years would have never bought a home.  

Why Waiting To Save 20% Could Cost You $24,000

There are fabulous government programs that give one the ability to own a home with no money down and no mortgage insurance.  Today if one of my $200,000 clients waited to save 20% down, they would lose $24,000 in buying power if the interest rate goes up 1%.

Home Ownership Is A Forced Savings Account

At 20 years of age I purchased my 1st home with the minimum down.   My boyfriend and I fixed it up and sold it.  This was the stepping stone that gave us the down payment for our marital home that we built the following year.  Over the years we have continued to invest in real estate and have bought, sold and invested in ten different homes.  We consider the responsibility of owning and improving a home a form of a forced savings account, with equity growing for our retirement.

Luckily Barbara Didn’t Listen to Suze

In 1990, a single cocktail waitress purchased a home from me with no money down.  Just this past year she called me to sell her home.  When I sat with her, and listened to what she had done over the last 20 years, I was so proud.  She was sending in her last payment that month.  A single Mom, with no money down, paid off her mortgage in 20 years, and had $150,000 in equity to show for it.  Luckily Barbara and I never took Suze’s advice or we might still be renting.

Call me to day for a no obligation consultation.  I would be happy to help you evaluate if you are ready to take the first step towards home ownership.

Tags: Real Estate, Suze Orman

Are You Paying Too Much In Property Taxes?

Tags: Atlantic County, Hamilton Township, Mays Landing, NJ, Tax Appeal

Beautiful in Dilapidation

What will become of our history?

Throughout Atlantic County numerous buildings are either vacant or demolished.  Personally, I find this wasteful and am saddened by the loss of history.  To me the various older architecture is beautiful and enlightening.  Each building tells a story.

What will become of Wheaton’s?

Tags: Dam, Mays Landing, NJ, Visions By Michelle, Wheaton's Glass

What Every Buyer Should Know About Buyer’s Remorse

Just made an offer on a home?  Get ready for the emotional roller coaster.

You finally found the home of your dreams ~ you are extremely excited and make an offer.  The next day you have a sick feeling in your stomach.  You may think that God is telling you this was a mistake.  Relax, this is a natural emotion, so well known in the real estate industry it has a name, Buyer’s Remorse.

Three ways to deal with Buyer’s Remorse.

1. Prepare for it.  Knowing that it is a natural emotion helps you to expect it, acknowledge it, and move on or in, in this instance into your new home !
2. Base your decison on facts not emotions.  Why did you originally decide to purchase a home?  Remember that reason as we tend to lose sight of it in the emotions.  Highly intelligent consumers realize that the time to buy is when everyone else isn’t.  That is a Buyer’s Market, the perfect storm, rates are low, prices are low and there is a good selection.
3. If you have questions ask the experts not your friends, family and co-workers.  Usually they mean well but haven’t purchased a home in quite some time and that may have been a long time ago.  Buying and selling a home once or twice doesn’t make someone an expert.  Contact your trusted advisors and ask them direct questions.  Your Realtor, mortgage representative and attorney are here to help you.

Have you ever experienced buyer’s remorse?  I would love to hear about it.  Personally I sometimes feel it even with a simple purchase such as a dress.  So it is quite understandable that a person could expect to feel it with the single biggest purchase of your life.

Tags: buyer's remorse

Opportunities

 “Opportunities are like sunrises — if you wait too long, you miss them.”

~William Arthur Ward

As a photographer I like to wake up early as it is the best lighting for capturing images.  I certainly don’t always do it but boy is it an amazing opportunity for a great capture.  This was a picture of a sunrise at the bridge to Goodland, Florida.  Well worth the sacrifice.

To me the current real estate market is an excellent opportunity to get a great value.  Interest rates are 5%, prices are at an all time low and there is a great selection of homes.  Trying to time the market may cause you to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Tags: florida, goodland, Michelle Phy, opportunities, sunrise, timing the market, Visions By Michelle

What Inspires You?

When I run in the morning I often get to 3.5 miles and want to walk. On my usual route there is a memorial dedicated to a young man that was killed in a car accident. It is a reminder to me that my ability to run is a gift, I run for him because he can’t.

This weekend my family and Century 21 Glencove-Morris co workers ran in the Shirley Mae 5K in Atlantic City, NJ. The organization began in 2000 and raises money for Breast Cancer Assistance for women in South Jersey. There are over 2500 participants in the day’s events. Many run in memory of their loved ones. More than 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today. It is quite inspiring to see the many survivors who run in the event; it is those women that we celebrate!

We all have so many things to be grateful for. Many times it takes gentle reminders to realize this. We should all focus on the things that we do have, such as our good health and family, rather than what we don’t. The next time you begin to complain about something that doesn’t seem to be going well take a moment to think about just how lucky you are. And if you are in my circle of family and friends, please remind me when I slip up too.

Tags: Atlantic City, Century 21 Glencove-Morris, Michelle Phy, Shirley Mae 5k, Shirley Mae Breast Cancer Assistance Fund