Do you have friends in real estate? Do they give you back 75% of their commission?

Our President Manuel Iraola was recently asked to comment of Homekeys' rebate policy and this is what he said.

"Most people have friends in real estate. Have you asked any of your friends in real estate if they are willing to give you back up to 75% of their commission in cash at the time of the closing?
At Homekeys, we do.

1. Why do we do it ? Because in today's environment the consumers are doing a lot of the work traditonally performed by traditional agents.
2. How do we do it? Technology allows us to achieve economies of scale and this means that we can be more effectiove, productive and efficient. We use technology for the benefit of our clients thus enabling them to buy/sell cheaper,faster easier and smarter.

Bottom line, our transaction costs are lower and this enables us to give you back up to 75% of our commission in cash at time of closing."

For additional details vist www.homekeys.net

Ad Campaigns Target Buyers of Real Estate

Real estate brokerage firms are launching ad campaigns that promote low mortgage interest rates, improving affordability, and the availaibilty of home loans. "Think you can't get a home loan?" some ads state. "Well, think again. You may be pleasantly surprised."
Another frequen message states, "Now is the time to make your move. If a home purchase is in your future plans, now may very well be the time to act. There is ample inventory on the market for you to capture that 'dream' home you've always wanted at a price and terms you can handle. But don't wait too long, because another qualified buyer may capture it first."
The battle is on to kick consumers off the fence and back into spending mode. And it could be an uphill battle, with news piling on of a possible recession, Wall St. losses and layoffs, and declining home prices.
Bottom line, there is not such a thing as a right time or a bad time as long as you buy for the right reasons. See www.homekeys.net for details on the richest cash rebate to buyers of real estate in Florida ---75% of our commission.

75 % Buyer Rebate in cash at closing!

With over 2 million people licensed as real estate agents in the United States it is almost a certainty that you have a realtor friend that can help you buy and sell. Are your friends willing to give you back 75% of their commission in cash at the time of closing?
At www.homekeys.net, we do.

Lease Option may be the way for many home buyers

Often the biggest obstacle to becoming a homeowner is coming up with enough cash for a down payment. One way for cash-strapped home buyers to realize their dream is to lease a home with an option to buy.
Here's how a lease option works. The buyer (called an optionee) leases the property from the seller (called an optionor) for a period of time. The lease contract gives the optionee the right to buy the property at the end of the lease period, or earlier by mutual agreement, at a price agreed upon in the contract.
The optionee pays a sum, called option money, to the seller at the onset of the lease. This money is applied to the purchase price if the option is exercised. The option money is forfeited to the seller if the optionee doesn't go through with the purchase.
Like any contract, the terms of a lease option are negotiable: the length of the lease, the amount of the option money, the purchase price and the rent. Sometimes, a seller will agree to credit a portion of the rent toward the purchase, providing an additional incentive for the buyer to go through with the purchase.
Even though the amount of the option money is negotiable, it's usually less than the down payment amount required to purchase an equivalent property. So, for relatively little upfront cash, a lease option allows the buyer to tie up a property at today's prices, and live in it before deciding to buy it. During the lease period, the seller cannot sell the property to another buyer.
And remember, http://www.homekeys.net/ buyers receive a cash rebate of up to 75% of our commission at closing. This can be the difference. Visit http://www.homekeys.net/ for details.

Tip # 5 For First Time Buyers

Tip 5: Buying – personal decision, business transaction
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) advises home buyers to create a wish list to help focus priorities. That way, you’ll remember that a spectacular foyer is nice-to-have, but safety and services are essential. Having clear goals will help keep you from getting carried away with emotional factors. Sellers who love their homes tend to ask too much, and buyers who fall in love can end up overpaying. With a little research, you can get can get an objective estimate of property value to make sure the seller has set a fair asking price. There are tools and resources on the Web to help you better understand home valuations.
Visit us at http://www.homekeys.net/ for a full demonstration and free consultation.

Tomorrow's topic : Don't Let The Closing Costs Surprise You

How to find the best real estate deals?

First it was Homekeys who provided consumers free home value estimates of their homes in Florida. Then Zillow provided value estimates for 60 million homes in the country. Recently Fidelity National has provided a new web site cyberhomes for 100 million homes in the country and I am sure others will follow.

Something else Homekeys has offered for the lst three years that can't be found anywhere else is a patent-pending technology called ValueSearch™. If your looking for a home in Florida and want to find the best deals, then ValueSearch™ is the only search today that will show you those listings in seconds. Because we have our own GIS systems, our own AVM algorithms, and we own all the code, we have been doing it better, faster, and longer than anyone.

The NAR and the local MLS boards now have their hands full with many web sites showing MLS listings illegally. Many of these sites show MLS listings without permission and knowledge of the listing agents and are not licensed. Incorrect pricing, descriptions, pictures, and detailed information never being kept up to date plague these web sites. Tie that to estimated values and value reports that take into account this wrong data and you really have a mess.

Homekeys is a licensed real estate company in the state of Florida and is bound to follow the MLS rules and regulations. You can feel secure in knowing that when your searching for an undervalued home on the Homekeys web site, it is based on the most accurate information to date. Information received directly from MLS feeds.

At Homekeys the future is now. The future is ValueSearch™.

Too many homes for sale, large # of buyers, few deals !

It's an irony of the current market that with all the homes offered for sale, many serious buyers can't find a home to buy. There are often certain types of homes, in certain areas, that just aren't on the market. These are usually prime properties in excellent condition that have broad-based appeal. When these listings come on the market, they are usually snapped up quickly, despite the otherwise slow housing market.

Many buyers are sitting on the fence at this point, watching the market and waiting for a better time to buy. It's impossible to time the housing market, so you won't know precisely when the market will next correct until that correction has already occurred. A market correction can be verified only through hindsight.

Although most buyers feel more comfortable buying in a hot market -- even though it may mean paying more -- there are some buyers who see a slow market as a good buying opportunity.

If you are one of these buyers and you're having difficulty finding a home to buy, we offer the following tips:


1.Get to know the inventory of homes available in your target area. Some of these listings will never work for you, either because they aren't large enough or because they have defects you might not be able to live with, like a lot of stairs to the front door. You can drop these listings from your radar.

2.Don't assume there's something wrong with the house if it's back on the market, or if it has been unsold and on the market for a long time. In a changing market, it's often difficult to select a list price that will bring about a speedy sale. Keep an open mind about listings that have had price reductions. These could have been mispriced to begin with. If the sellers are motivated, they will reduce the price until it is in line with the market.

Take a look at Homekeys Neighborhood Analysis Tool and let us know what you think. We want to make this tool as comprehensive as possible. Does it help you? What would you like to see?

Obviously, this is not an appraissal but simply an indication of value based on a number of assumptions.

Real Estate Bubble will redefine role of agent and there will be fewer agents

A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships...and nothing could be farther from the truth in real estate!

When real estate fever hit its peak sometime ago, it was almost impossible to go wrong, and all realtors looked like geniuses. This irrational market resulted in thousands of individuals joining the ranks of the real estate profession. After all, it was easy to get a license and- with limited effort- the economic reward was significant. We simply have too many agents!

While it is going to take sime time for the market to recover, we are beginning to witness some signs of consolidation. Many "part-time" agents that should had never been here to begin with are now disappearing. This offers a great opportunity to the many "full time professional agents" that have been fully committed to the industry to regain control of the process.

These agents do not complain about market difficulties. They continue to work hard serving their existing and prospective clients. And consumers will be able to tell who these agents are: they really know what is going on and share all information with their clients in an unbiased and transparent manner.

Being good isn’t easy. It’s hard work. The really good professional will look at each property individually and develop a strategy for a successful sale. It takes time, requires patience and calls for a creative approach. But it pays off when sellers and buyers begin to call you because they know you’re getting results.

And at the end of these cycle there will be fewer but better agents...agents that are tech savvy and whose role will be different...less driving around, more mousing around, more counseling !

When is the media going to get home sales right.

Today consumer survey shows buyers are in it for the long-haul, planning to stay in their home for a median of 10 years. This is a wise approach to housing because the longer you own, the better your investment.

New-home sales are projected at 773,000 for 2007, and declining to 669,000 this year before rising to 730,000 in 2009, but well below the 1.05 million 2006. With an appropriate slowdown in production, housing starts, including multifamily units, are forecast at 1.36 million for 2007 and 1.09 million this year before edging up to 1.10 million in 2009; starts totaled 1.80 million in 2006. The median new-home price should drop 2.1 percent to $241,400 for 2007, and then rise 0.4 percent to $242,200 this year and gain another 5.9 percent in 2009.

According to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors, America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

When is the media going to get it right.