Keys to Success pg. 10
BrevardElite.com
Links & Content In This Issue: What is Recyclable in Brevard County 10 Reasons 2015 Will Rock 5 Reason why it Pays to Work With A Realtor Keys to Success Top 10 Individuals YTD Top 10 Teams YTD Elite Transaction Management Dept. Tips for Organizing Holiday Decorations Featured Home Dyer Mortgage 7 New Year’s Resolutions for the Home Seller Pinterest Distressed Home Prices Hit 5 Year High Awards Recognition Birthdays & Anniversaries Property Management Division Supporting Staff
Page 4 6 8 10 14 15 14 21 22 23 25 26-27 30 31-33 34 35 36
Website Links: A friendly reminder about Health Insurance: Training Center The deadline to turn in all required paperwork is RE/MAX Mainstreet 1/12/14. This group policy is very affordable, and Paperless Pipeline you can even have a ZERO deductible! ShowingTime RE/MAX University Please email Susan Lewis with any questions you may have: The ABOVE Magazine Susan.brevardelite@gmail.com
800+ Standard & Climate Controlled Storage Units in a wide range of sizes 24/7 gate access & Sophisticated Security System
"I can't balance a blimp, but I can help you balance your portfolio"
Phone: (321) 433-3341 www.storesmart.org
www.rdibella.metlife.com 321.610.9934 321.255.1480 rdibella@metlife.com Refer a Friend and get a $25 Credit on Future Rent or Merchandise
Bob DiBella, CLTC Financial Services Representative Registered Representative Investment Advisor Representative BrevardElite.com
What is Recyclable in Brevard County, FL Some New Years resolutions are to start recycling. Don’t know where to begin? Here’s a short list of what is allowed in Brevard County’s recycling program: Cans - All aluminum, steel and tin cans, empty aerosol cans (food only) clean foil & aluminum food pans.
Cardboard, etc. - Milk & juice cartons, paper towel & toilet tissue rolls, paper-board food boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes. Pizza boxes are recyclable. However, only parts without food or grease on it. Soiled parts must be removed. Glass bottles & jars - Clear and color glass bottles and jars. NO oven cookware, drinking glasses or ceramics. Paper - Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, shredded paper (place in paper bags not plastic), paperback books, office paper, junk mail, envelopes, telephone books and brown paper bags. Plastic bottles and containers - Beverage bottles (remove lids), storage and food containers (water and soda, yogurt and butter, tubs). Dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner and similar items. Caps and pumps on can be left on. NO straws please. Plastics 1 thru 7 are recyclable.
No styrofoam cups, food containers or meat/vegetable trays.
BrevardElite.com
Prestige Title
Prestige Title of Brevard has the knowledge, experience, and resources to get your real estate transaction closed. So whether you’re a buyer, seller, mortgage broker, lending institution, or real estate professional we want to be your preferred title insurance provider of choice!
5120 N. Highway US 1, Suite 102 Palm Shores, FL Phone: 321.242.7660 Fax: 321.242.1675
Tiffany Fortenberry 321.288.8931 Shawn Fortenberry www.prestigeclosings.com 321.302.0031 BrevardElite.com
10 Reasons 2015 Will Rock for Real Estate After a slowdown in the market this year, housing analysts and economists have high hopes for 2015. The real estate market is expected to build momentum across the board nest year, mostly because of a strengthening economy. Here's a recap of some of the real estate forecasts for 2015:
1.Millennial force: Younger professionals are having more luck in the job market, which is expected to help more of them jump into home ownership in the new year. Overall, employment is on the rise, but jobs for Millennials — particularly those aged 25 to 29 — has risen by 3 percent. That's one percentage point above the nationwide rate. According to some forecasts, Millennials are expected to drive two-thirds of household formations over the next five years. The forecasted addition of 2.5 million jobs next year, as well as an increase in household formation, will likely drive more first-time home buyers into home ownership, according to realtor.com® projections. 2. Home prices stabilize: The doubledigit price increases seen in 2013 have slowed, and more stable growth was the trend in 2014. As investors have retreated from the market, so have the rapid home prices in many markets. Home prices are expected to continue to edge up in 2015, with realtor.com® predicting a 4.5 percent gain. "After two years of abnormally high levels of
home-price appreciation in 2012 and 2013, price increases moderated throughout 2014," realtor.com® notes in its 2014 Housing Review. "We are now experiencing increases in home prices consistent with long-term historical performance. 3. "Mortgage rates rising: Interest rates the last few months have been dipping below 4 percent, lowering the borrowing costs of home buyers and refinancing home owners. However, don't expect the low rates to stick around much longer. Mortgage rates are expected to rise next year. Freddie Mac projects mortgage rates will likely average 4.6 percent but inch up to 5 percent by the end of 2015. •Return of the 3 percent down payment: New programs are popping up to help more buyers break into home ownership with lower down payments. In early December, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae announced conventional loan down-payment programs that will allow qualified first-time buyers to secure a fixed-rate mortgage with a 3 percent down payment. Prior to that, they needed at least 5 percent. Also, "there are many states as well as national programs, which offer grants that range from 1 to 5 percent to be used for a down payment or closing costs," writes Damian Maldonado, cofounder of American Financing Corp., at CNBC. "These easing loan standards will allow more first-time buyers to enter the market.” >>>>>Read more BrevardElite.com
Visit Our RE/MAX Elite Exclusive Site pods.com/remaxelite
RE/MAX Elite Clients Can Save Up to 10% promo code: REMAXELITE 866-556-9595
FREE Home Security System - $850 Value With $99.00 Customer Installation Charge and purchase of alarm monitoring services • • • • • • •
Digital Keypad for Police, Fire and Medical Emergency Up to 20% Homeowners Insurance Discount Keychain Remote to Control Your System Control Panel with Battery Back-up Front and Back Doors Protected Lawn Sign and Window Decals Interior Siren
CALL TODAY, INSTALLED TOMORROW 1-877-542-2972 www.protectyourhomepartners.com/partner/remax-elite BrevardElite.com
5 Reasons Why It Pays to Work With a Real Estate Pro Buying investment property is serious business. The difference between a “flip” or “flop” could be in details that you can’t see at first glance. One of the best ways to help ensure a profitable transaction is to use a real estate professional. A real estate agent brings immense value to the table, and professional investors and seasoned veterans know the value of having a knowledgeable agent on their team. Novice and some intermediate investors, however, sometimes think that using a real estate agent to find investment properties takes money out of their pocket. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Agents and brokers actually maximize the profitability for a real estate transaction. Here are five reasons why real estate investors should use a licensed real estate professional when buying investment property. 1. Real estate pros have access to the best and most accurate data. If you think you can get the most up-to-date data on your own, you might be sadly mistaken. Real estate agents have access to the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, as it is commonly referred to. The MLS has the most comprehensive data of recent home sales and values that can be found, period. The only way to get access to this is through an agent. 2. When buying property, it’s the seller that pays, not you. One of the biggest myths in real estate investing is that
buyers have to pay real estate agents for their services. In the real estate industry, it’s the seller who pays, not the buyer. This is important, because not only can an agent show you data from the MLS as to what the house is worth (and what it can be worth after repairs), but they can actually save you money, because the seller will be paying the commission. This is also a great way to say “thank you” to your agent for all of the work that he or she did for you (by getting you the MLS data, etc.). They expect to be paid at some point for their valuable services. This is the easiest and least expensive way to make sure they get compensated. 3. Real estate agents can be a great resource for “hot deals.” When you find a good agent who specializes in foreclosure and investment real estate, don’t let go of them. They are not only loyal, but they can have access to some of the best deals in town. Even though I was a licensed agent, I had a team of agents in different counties that had direct access to bank foreclosures, REO properties, and distressed sellers. Why would I have them on my team if I was already an agent? Because they consistently found me great deals from banks that I never would have found on my own, and they got paid every time I bought one of them. >>>Read more BrevardElite.com
• Leader in our industry in home inspections • Comprehensive & Accurate Reports
Contact: Kelly Cox 321.751.8711 Pillartopost.com BrevardElite.com
Work leads Set goals Network Return those calls Use time wisely Keep up with technology Answer emails ASAP Brush up on people skills Treat your clients like royalty BrevardElite.com
*AUTO *HOME *LIFE *BUSINESS www.SuntreeInsurance.com
Paul McDonough
3199 Suntree Blvd., Suite 2 Rockledge, FL 32955 Phone: 622.5333 Fax: 622.5336
Vynn Pechart
Tony Fletcher Account Executive American Home Shield 321 480 7562 tfletcher@ahslink.com
Worry less. Live more.
Sell faster - Homes with an AHS Home Protection Plan sold an average of 10.73 days faster than those without a home warranty.
BrevardElite.com
We at H.I.P. Construction are dedicated to creating an organizational culture that encourages honesty, integrity, and professionalism by adopting and enforcing the following practices: 1.
Emphasize, through staff training, that the organization expects its employees to be honest, have a sense of integrity, and behave professionally. Convey these same expectations to vendors, consultants, volunteers, and anyone else who performs paid or unpaid work for the organization.
2.
Explicitly require "honesty, integrity, and professionalism" in all job descriptions, staff contracts, volunteer policies, performance evaluations, and labor agreements.
3.
Inform employees, contractors, and the general public of established policies, procedures, and expectations regarding honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
4.
Commend and reinforce behavior that exemplifies high ethical expectations.
5.
Never tolerate dishonest, corrupt, or unprincipled behavior in the workplace, regardless of job type or level of authority.
Get started with your FREE estimate today! 321.775.8212
jason@trusthip.com
BrevardElite.com
Kim Osman Insurance Group, Inc. 474 N Harbor City Blvd, Suite 4 Melbourne, Fl 32935
Call Today! 321.549.0678 Pete Osman posman1@kimosmanins.com
Find out why It's Always A Great Day at the Kim Osman Agency
For more information click here
Kim Osman kosman1@kimosmanins.com
Congratulations to Our Top 10 Individuals YTD as of November 2014
#1 Silvia Mozer $16,159,471 64 Transactions
#2 Karen Osiniak $11,126,653 35 Transactions
#4 Pat Murphey $7,781,100 35 Transactions
#5 Sue Tillman $4,497,450 26 Transactions
#7 Theresa Friend $4,071,100 22 Transactions
#8 Peggy Penridge $4,040,165 24 Transactions
#3 Steve Vitani $11,111,607 34 Transactions
#6 Bruce Kwitny $4,330,700 28 Transactions
#9 Melinda Corns #10 Connie Trincali $3,733,240 $3,385,400 17 Transactions 20 Transactions BrevardElite.com
Congratulations to Our Top Teams YTD as of November 2014
#1 McCoy-Freeman Group $27,414,210 109 Transactions
#4 Joy Frankel Team $15,517,572 80 Transactions
#7 Brevard Real Estate Team $11,807,650 49 Transactions
#2 Platinum Realty Group $25,370,568 146 Transactions
#5 Barclay Group $12,524,000 48 Transactions
#8 321 Team $9,688,064 52 Transactions
#3 Coastal Estate Team $23,939,860 74 Transactions
#6 Kuhns Realty Group $12,261,865 66 Transactions
#9 Romano Team $8,186,819 29 Transactions
#10 Central Florida Team $3,987,118 35 Transactions BrevardElite.com
Welcome to the Platinum Club
Jeanne Hanson! Jeanne has qualified for the 2014 RE/MAX Platinum Club Award. In 2013, less than 10% of the RE/MAX network achieved this prestigious award. Jeanne also earned the distinguished Hall Of Fame Award in 2014 for her successful career with RE/MAX. Join us as we congratulate Jeanne for her hard work and dedication. 321-432-8165 www.ComeHometoBrevard.com
BrevardElite.com
Congratulations Sue!! Sue Tillman received “Better Business of the Month� from the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce of East Central Florida. BrevardElite.com
The Elite Transaction Management Department can help!! An agent averages 19 hours of their time on a transaction from contract to closing.
We are giving you back most of that time, so that you can focus on activities that drive in more income for your business! We have established exclusive pricing for these services and you only pay at closing.
$200 for 1 side or $250 for both! Providing the processing, organizing and communications you need to manage your transactions with accuracy, speed and the highest level of professionalism. For more information contact:
Denell Hastings 321.775.8178 denell.brevardelite@gmail.com
BrevardElite.com
Give us a call today! 321-698-5370 Florida License # HI 8266 Melbourne & Surrounding Areas
BrevardElite.com
Welcome to the Platinum Club
Brad Kuhns!
Brad has qualified for the 2014 RE/MAX Platinum Club Award. In 2013, less than 10% of the RE/MAX network achieved this prestigious award. Join us as we congratulate Brad for this amazing milestone. 321-775-8100 www.WeKnowBrevardHomes.com
BrevardElite.com
Tips for Organizing Holiday Decorations A sparkly Christmas tree, twinkle lights all aglow…it’s such a lovely sight to behold once your holiday decorations are displayed around your home, but how much of a hassle was it to get to that point? These five tips for organizing your holiday decorations will have you all set for decking the halls next year without the stress, storage woes or tinsel tangles! Keep your home from overflowing as you add holiday decor by packing up your year-round decorative items to make more space for seasonal items. Use the holiday bins, bags, and totes you’re unloading as you decorate as a temporary storage spot for your everyday home accents that can currently be stowed away. You’ll enjoy your holiday decor more if it has room to be on display in a meaningful way versus adding clutter to your home. When packing up your holiday decor, keep similar items grouped together. How you choose to do this will vary by how much holiday decor you have. For example, if you can fit all of your holiday decor in one tote, that’s great! Just be sure to keep that tote designated as your December holiday tote and don’t let things like your Halloween garland or Easter eggs sneak in there. If your holiday decor requires multiple bins or totes to be safely tucked away 11 months out of the year, give thought to how your items should be grouped together. Some years I like to decorate with a lot of gold, some years I like to
decorate with a lot of color, and some years I like to combine the two. Because of this, I keep all of our gold ornaments, garlands, and bows in one bin, and all of our colorful ornaments, garlands, and bows in a separate bin. I also have separate bins for holiday home accents (decorative knick knacks, pillows, hand towels, stockings, etc.), and additional bins for wreaths and other greenery. Keep strands of lights, garlands and beads organized using pieces of cardboard! Simply cut a rectangular shape of cardboard from a box and snip a notch at one end. Tuck one end of your garland or strand of lights into the notch and then wrap the strand around the cardboard. When you reach the other end of your strand you can either tuck it into the same notch that you started with or snip a new notch at the other end to secure.
Next year when you grab your holiday lights and garland you’ll know exactly where the ends are and there won’t be any tangles or knots to undo! If you have an artificial Christmas tree invest in a Christmas tree storage bag. I’ll admit, I was a hold out on this one. For years I’d been trying to store our Christmas tree in its original box >>>>Read more BrevardElite.com
504 Jackson Ave., Cape Canaveral, FL listing by McCoy-Freeman with RE/MAX Elite
BrevardElite.com
Happy New Year RE/MAX Elite We have some very exciting news and updates for you! I’m happy to announce Angel Pacheco has joined the Dyer Mortgage Group team. Angel has over 10 years financial services experience and is fluent in English and Spanish. Angel and I will be visiting the RE/MAX Elite offices in the next week-feel free to contact us if we can help you with any of your Spanish speaking customers. The new Fannie Mae 97% loan to value program is now available. This will provide many more financing options for buyer’s who are seeking a low down payment loan. One of the major benefits of this program versus FHA relates to the mortgage insurance; the 97% Fannie Mae program has no upfront mortgage insurance premium (FHA has 1.75% of the loan amount). Here are a few other highlights for this program: •One of the borrowers must be a first time homebuyer (can’t have owned a home in the past 3 years). •Must be a fixed rate loan (no adjustable rate mortgages). •Property can be a condo, townhome, or single family home. •Maximum loan amount is $417,000. FHA NEWS: Today FHA has announced that the annual FHA mortgage insurance will be reduced from 1.35% to .85%. This is a huge savings to the buyer. Before this change if the buyer had a $200,000 loan they would pay $225 per month mortgage insurance; now this will be reduced to $142 per month. The end result will be buyers are able to buy more home for the same monthly payment! Agent training: Within the upcoming weeks we will be offering a “lunch and learn” seminar to educate agents about new financing programs, increasing your sales, marketing support and condominium lending. We want to help you sell more homes! Seminar dates and location to follow (we promise the training will not be longer than 30 minutes AND we will feed you). On behalf of the entire Dyer Mortgage Group team thank you for allowing us to be your partners. We look forward to a record year in 2015! Bobbie Dyer Division President 321-215-4419 bdyer@dyermtg.com
www.dyermortgagegroup.com BrevardElite.com
Brand Transfer & Storage 1731 Cogswell St. Rockledge, FL 32955
321.632.5020 Ext. 102 www.brandtransfer.com
BrevardElite.com
7 New Year's Pledges for Home Sellers The New Year is a time for resolutions. If you're thinking about selling your home in 2015, here are some resolutions that could help boost your chances of a quick sale. Repeat to yourself: "I pledge to…" 1. "Avoid drastic design changes" – Unless you plan to turn your bold color palette into a more neutral one, then it's best not to try and anticipate what buyers want in design and décor. The best approach to freshening up your home for sale is to simplify and depersonalize the look and feel so that potential buyers can picture building their own lives there. If you think repainting a bright purple wall, replacing an old toilet or buffing and restaining kitchen cabinets would help the home sell, by all means make these types of updates. Just be sure to keep your personal preferences in check. Your real estate agent can help you prioritize and remain objective. 2. "Stop neglecting the drippy faucet" – This applies to any repairs you might view as minor but actually could be a symptom of a larger system problem. Addressing things like plumbing leaks, poor ventilation and cracks in walls helps everyone avoid surprises from the inspection report and avoid the delay or even cancellation of a sale. When you have the information, you can either make the fixes or work with your agent to adjust pricing during negotiations with the buyer. 3. "Price my home reasonably" – It's understandable to think your home is the best on the block and worth more than all the others – especially if you've invested in key upgrades and remodels. And, frankly, you might be right. But the only way to truly know is to consider recent sales of comparable homes in your area. Your real estate agent can provide you with the latest information and help you list at a competitive price that's appropriate for your area and the local real estate climate. 4. "Make my home inviting" – This starts with creating curb appeal. The condition of your home's exterior is a big part of getting buyers in the door. Maintaining the yard, sweeping the porch and driveway, replacing the tattered welcome mat, replacing missing house numbers, and removing clutter all are things that can help improve curb appeal. 5. "Thin out the clutter" – The best time for making tough decisions about what stays and what goes is BEFORE you put your home on the market. By the time the for-sale sign goes up, the home should be clutter free. You can either toss things you don't want, sell these items, or move the more personal ones to storage. The types of items to remove include your prized knick-knack collection, clothes overflowing from the closets, and family photos. You want all closets and cupboards to appear as spacious as possible. When they're jam-packed, it gives the impression that storage is limited even if that's not the case. >>>>Read more BrevardElite.com
BrevardElite.com
BrevardElite.com
Veteran-owned company Established 2000 Happyhomeinspection.com
Work Smarter. Smart-Targeting focuses you on the homes most likely to sell. Website: www.smartzip.com BrevardElite.com
Help your clients move their home, not their junk! 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and RE/MAX® have put together a special offer for RE/MAX Affiliates just like you! For every $5.00 you spend, you can give the gift of $50.00 worth of junk removal to your clients. •Help your clients ease the stress of moving •The more you buy, the more you save •Always professional, courteous service
BrevardElite.com
RealtyTrac: Distressed home prices hit new 5-year high The median sales price of single-family homes and condos in November stayed relatively flat compared to the previous month, coming in at $190,000. However, this is up 15% from a year ago, RealtyTrac’s November 2014 Residential and Foreclosure Sales Report found. On the other side, the median sales price of distressed homes — those in the foreclosure process or bank-owned — produced very different results and reached a high of $128,625, the highest since December 2009, 35% below the median sales price of nondistressed properties, $199,000. Distressed home prices increased at a faster pace, up 18% from a year ago while non-distressed home prices were up 14% during the same time period. As a result, this might push more investors out of the market and open the door for homebuyers, explained Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “As the price of distressed properties reaches a new high, the pool of investor activity that has been fueling the housing recovery may dry up,” said Blomquist. “However, 20 states still saw annual decreases in distressed property prices so we will continue to see a fragmented recovery as investors move from once-hot markets such as Phoenix, Atlanta and many California markets and into markets such as Charlotte, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas and Oklahoma City.”
The median sales price — which included both distressed sales of homes in some stage of foreclosure and non-distressed sales — increased 35% from a trough of $141,000 in March 2012. But it still is 20% below the previous peak of $237,537 in August 2006. In addition, short sales and distressed sales — in foreclosure or bank-owned — combined accounted for 12.6% of all residential property sales in November, falling 13.7% from the previous month, and down from 14.8% in November 2013. Short sales accounted for 3.4% of all residential property sales in November, down from the previous month and a year ago and below the pre-recession average of 4.5% a month in 2006.
BrevardElite.com
2014 Awards Recognition
Jean Hanson
Joy Frankel
Andy Barclay
Steve Vitani
Carolyn Smith
Brad Kuhns
Karen Osiniak
Silvia Mozer
Bridget Sentz
Jennifer McCoy & Bobby Freeman BrevardElite.com
2014 Awards Recognition
Pat Murphey
Lou Ann Janke
Bruce Kwitny
Peggy Penridge
Karen Biamonte
Steve Romano
John Murphy
June Mogavero
Barbara Lyn
Sue Tillman
Scott Case
Marilyn Pinkerman
Theresa Friend
Melinda Corns
Kerry Ramage
Mary Gowenlock BrevardElite.com
2014 Awards Recognition
Connie Trincali
David Dicioccio
Bree Fary
Dee Dee Sheffield
Suzi Granger
Sheryl Jones
Barb Mihalik
Patty Teachman
Ron Wallen
Gloria Williams BrevardElite.com
Jim Warburton – 01/2 Silvia Mozer – 01/06 Barbara Romano – 01/11 Dick Blondin – 01/11 Peggy Penridge – 01/12 Tiffany Fortenberry – 01/14 Leesa Spurlock – 01/16 Charlene Lewis – 01/17 Kelly Werle – 01/18 Mark Duhamel – 01/18 Pete Osman – 01/23 Barbara Lyn – 01/25 Abby Barclay – 01/27 Kerry Cowart – 01/27
Anniversaries Jim Warburton – 1 Year Denise Lemons – 2 years Dawn Long – 3 years Candace Jansen – 5 years Gloria Williams – 7 years BrevardElite.com
Our Property Management Division Your clients can fill out their credit application and pay online. It’s easy and menu driven. If you have any questions please call Sheryl at 321-863-7824 (cell) or 321-775-8122 (office). She will be happy to tell you all about it.
Click Here to see 321rentals.net Thank you for your support and referrals! Be the best you can be each day! This weeks featured Rental: 1000 N Atlantic Ave. Unit 216 Cocoa Beach, FL
BrevardElite.com
321.752.5858 BrevardElite.com Your Supporting Staff
Justin
Tiffany
Susan
Lisi
Susie
Cheryl
Candace
Natia
Ronda
Dawn L
Sheryl
Sharon
Avto BrevardElite.com