Foreign investors account for  increasing numbers of residential home sales in many parts of the United States… and Florida tops the list. 

The four top locations  in the U.S. chosen by foreign  buyers are  Texas, Florida, California and Arizona .   Property sales in those states account for nearly 58% of all residential home sales (to non-residents) between 2009 and 2010 according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).   

 Florida ranks #1 …  in the United States…   with  31% of all  residential home purchases in the U.S.  by foreign investors / buyers.

If you are considering buying, selling, investing or relocating –  we would love to chat with you.   Please call, text or email the Restivo Team  305 793-1365…   restivo.v@ewm.com.    Alexandra and Vicki specialize in residential sales here in South Florida and can also provide you with recommendations of real estate agents elsewhere, internationally or elsewhere in the U.S.  - if you are looking to buy or sell other than in South Florida.   As local real estate experts, we look forward to making your next move the best one.   Vicki and Alexandra Restivo 

How does a BUYER choose  YOUR PROPERTY?  How do they decide YOURS  is  right   for them?

It can happen in the  blink of an eye… in literally seconds …  

Your first opportunity to make a sale is online … with your photos and marketing…. so make the photos captivating .  Keep them scrolling through your listing rather clicking to another property.

Your second opportunity is  the when your potential BUYER  sees or actually enters the property.

IF your place has anything in the way of a view:   Whether it’s those online photos, or that fist impact as the buyer initially steps foot inside   …  capitalize on the view … DON’T HAVE THEM WALK INTO A BLOCKED VIEW!   

Choose photos that will entice  buyers  to linger on online (on YOUR listings) for long enough to ‘get interested’.   (Blurry shots and dark or miniscule photos  deter buyers - and  buyer’s agents!)

I showed a slew of  luxury ocean-front condos on Miami Beach to buyers this past weekend.  And  the #1 resounding mistake  I noted were just how many were ‘caves’ … with blinds that were closed tight … and lights that were off … and shutters that were sealed tight.   

If your prime selling point is the view, keeping the drapes closed or the windows shuttered is a mistake!  If there’s a water view, that’s worth showing off!   Most people looking for waterfront property want to see the view  …  

Open the blinds or drapes … Capitalize on that  fist impact.  Your home can literally sell itself within seconds of the  buyer stepping foot inside … if not sooner.  

If you’re thinking of buying or selling  propery in Miami (or anywhere else!), the Restivo Team would love to work with you (and/or recommend a really top local agent in the area you’re moving to).    Contact Alexandra or Vicki at 305 793-1363 or at restivo.v@ewm.com – anytime.  We’d love to work with you !  Look forward to helping you buy, sell, or lease  … and making your next move the best one!

No, that’s not true for ALL properties, obviously … nor for all buyers.

Not everyone wants to feel the rattling of passing train cars from their living room, nor do they want hear  noise from the interstate as they’re grilling on their deck or patio. 

But if you’re selling a property that is near a highway,  MetroRail,  train tracks, don’t market it for other than what it is.   Your buyer is going to want exactly what your house has to offer. 

Not every house is right for everyone …  It’s not supposed to be.    Marketing your house to the RIGHT buyer is essential though.   Advertise yours for exactly WHAT IT IS … and  turn that  into a POSITIVE …  which might mean: ”Commuter-friendly neighborhood“.

A house near the highway, in spite of road noise,  might be perfect for the commuter who wants to shorten his/her commute …   And a condo near the metrorail might be just right for the homeowner who wants to save on gas.  

Each property has plusses ….  By turning  perceived negatives into positives,   those ‘qualities’ and ‘assets’  may well be  key to finding you the ‘right buyer’.   Contemplating a move?    Call us  …   As hyper local real estate  agents in Miami Florida, the Restivo Team looks forward to making your next move your best move.   Vicki and Alexandra Restivo -  EWM Realtors  International  305 793-1365  or contact us here through our real estate blog and website MiamiRealEstateCafe.com or by email at restivo.v@ewm.com

Buyers who are relocating to South Florida, and foreign investors,  now comprise nearly half of our business…   We’ve seen a significant increase in home buyers relocating to Miami in 2011… in part as a result of  active recruiting by UM and other major corporations… and in part because of the shear number of opportunitiesthere are in Miami for international investors.   

Miami is among the top cities for investors and second-home buyers.

Our direct line  is 305 793-1365 or email us restivo.v@ewm.com for more information on buying or selling property in South Florida … or elsewhere…  We would love to hear from you !    Alexandra and Vicki Restivo  -  EWM Realtors.

Neighbors can be one of your best selling tools….  or… they can hinder a sale.    SO… What do you do if they stop by your OPEN HOUSE?

If they are lamenting about that barking dog next door or the loud electric guitar from who-knows-where, or want to recount the un-neighborly antics of  that horrific neighbor up the street,  you definitely don’t want them mingling with prospective buyers…

But…  MOST   ’curious’  neighbors who come by your open house do so just to take a peak …   and… they might just know a buyer.

I’m delighted when the neighbors come by my open houses.   I learn things from them about the neighborhood…  and besides, as a Realtor, I’ve come across many-a-neighbor who just happens to have (or eventually does have)  a friend or relative or someone else relocating…   looking to live nearby…. and that means a potential buyer for your house.  So don’t cringe when they poke their head in at your OPEN HOUSE.   

It’s no secret  that your neighbors can affect the sale of your property.  

Your neighbor’s  ”curb appeal”  can either make your house more appealing or be a  detriment to the sale of YOUR property.    News flash: Your neighbors have (or ought to have!) a vested interest in attracting good ‘eventual’ neighbors… You’re moving … They aren’t.

Anytime a homeowner ”poo-poos” the nosy neighbor coming by an open house (“because so-and-so is just  snooping …   just curious”) …   I have say  ”I think, 99% of the time, they are wrong.”   Fact is - your  neighbors know do  people wanting to relocate to the area (friends …  family… and co-workers). … Word of mouth SELLS  … and the more people who know your house is for sale (and can talk about it)  the more potential buyers you’ll have … 

Occasionally, as real estate agents,  we come across homeowners who prefers not to have their property advertised.  They may not want a sign out front…. or may not want an open house.    There sometimes are valid reasons for that.  But, usually advertising and spreading the word…  and that FOR SALE sign out front …  that let the whole world know that your house is for sale …. (and welcoming those who are  ’just looking’!)   up your chances of selling … and selling well. 

Your neighbors may not feel comfortable asking you about the details of your move (…price!) but they will call and ask your Realtor, whose sign is out front.

Are you considering buying or selling property in Miami (or elsewhere), and looking for an uber-local Miami real estate agent?   We invite you to contact us at restivo.v@ewm.com  or call Vicki or Alexandra  at the Restivo Team anytime  305 793-1365  or 305 632-0164.  We would love to help!

Buyers react viscerally  to sights, smells and sensations.  The right first impressions often can (and do) sell a house.

Imperceptably, buyers will react positively toward the smell of jasmine by the front door, freshly baked cookies, birds chirping in the trees, crisp linens… or a very subtle candle scent. 

Lingering cooking odors,  musty odors,  pet smells, clorox or amonia,  heavy air fresheners and insence may be interpreted as being there to mask other odors, and more often than not  fall into the negative category. 

Seeing your own home through the eyes of a prospective buyer can be a challenge for many sellers.  Have a friend or neighbor (or your Realtor) offer a fresh perspective.

And, anytime you are in the market to buy or sell real estate,  contact the Restivo Team at EWM Realtors :  Vicki and Alexandra  305 793-1365 or restivo.v@ewm.com.

“Looking to move his family to the suburbs, [Mr. Sambrotto] said he carefully staged his apartment for sale himself, and put it on the market. But after using a mix of websites to publicize his apartment, he said he had only ‘middling success’ and switched to a broker because many buyers were so reliant on brokers.”

Click here for the full article FSBO a No Go!.    Restivo Realtors  …. Vicki and Alexandra  305 793-1365

 

While it can be hard on anyone looking to rent (ie. tenants) …  it is welcome news to anyone  looking to lease their property out (ie  landlords).  Anyone considering purchasing  investment property …  ought to take a look at Miami.

We just  picked up keys for  clients of ours who are driving across country as I’m posting this … relocating to Miami.  The keys are for a rental property that we stumbled across in April.  The landlord  purchased the house earlier that month as an investment property (to be eventually ‘gifted’ to her young child) … and she was in the process of gutting the house when Alexandra and I  happened across it.   (It was not  listed for lease…  It was literally gutted …  with workers there, updating  altering and renovating it).  There were no bathrooms/ no floors/ no airconditioning …  but it had potential .  We submitted our client’s offer to lease ….  And then I periodically stopped by to see how the renovations were coming.  

Upshot?  That Palmetto Bay house turned out beautifully!   Our clients will be arriving by car in a few hours… arriving from halfway across the country …  and settling in.    Everything in that house is new :   from the  flooring…  facade … AC … appliances …. bathrooms … fans  … landscaping … fencing … painting… crown molding … window treatments … asphalted driveway … BEAUTIFUL!  

Unquestionably, it takes vision on the part of a prospective tenant  (and  and equal amount of  TRUST … or faith) to lease something that is still in the throws of being gutted and renovated … and I have to hand it to these tenants!    But with properties being leased out so quickly in Miami right now,  leasing out homes that are in the throws of being renovated CAN work.   We have another client who was here in Miami  this past weekend  -  looking to do exactly that …  lease out a property that is undergoing renovations …  then  relocate to Miami this summer .

In a market where things are picking up … which is an apt description of Miami …  sometimes we have reach beyond  the confines of the ’box’.    

There is a shortage of property available right now in South Florida for lease and for purchase,  and  if you happen to be at all considering moving,   we have clients looking  … and we would love the opportunity to chat with you about leasing or selling yours!   You are welcome to contact me or my team here, or at 305 793-1365 …  Vicki and Alexandra Restivo -  EWM Realtors.

But it’s the story about them finding their new home  that  I wanted to share with you …   You’ll see why.

Tired  after previewing houses, they arrived at the last one .  In the front yard was a tent … with the name of their new University blazoned across the front… a bowl of  ice .. drinks… snacks… gifts (personalized hats with the kid’s names from their new University).

Welcome notes were taped to the bedroom doors …  and a handwritten note at the staircase detailed everything special the sellers loved about the house …   In that note the sellers shared  the dreams they  had had for that house … what they had  hoped and wanted and intended to do with the house …  from finishing off the upstairs ‘attic’  and turning it into a home theatre …  to finishing off the basement and creating an indoor recreation area.  In that note, they promised to finish off the attic, create a home theatre…  and install a 52 inch flat screen for the buyers … if they chose to buy the house. 

A picture of that note was stapled to the buyer’s purchase offer that came in later that night.  

Those kids were sold from the moment they set eyes on the tent,  the bowl of  drinks, and the  hats with their names.  They went from being sad to be leaving their friends and memories behind  to being SO excited about their new home and new adventure.  

Thought and effort went into that sale.  And it was that welcome, and the promise of something special that sold that house.  

There’s  more to selling a house than just opening up the house and turning the lights on.  It’s about more than just seeing that the beds are made, and showing off  the house as though  it’s a model home.  It’s about making it feel like home.  

This story that did that.  With  thought and effort, those sellers touched the buyers by making it personal.  Yes theirs was  a beautiful home to begin with  (No it wasn’t perfect … but was just about as close as it could be,  without coming with the pool the buyers had hoped for- and will some day put in!)  It sold  because of the caring and promise it exuded … the sellers personally welcoming that family BY NAME … and BY UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION… with a handwritten promise to make that house even more special … for those buyers.

Gen Y (consisting primarily of future home buyers, and first time home buyers… between 12-29 years old) are Internet geniuses …  With real estate marketing to this particular group, the Internet is not optional: It’s imperative.  They use the phone less and less, relying more on text messages and social media. These up and coming home-owners are looking for homes that will make them feel special, unique, different.  They have their eye on marketing that depicts the lifestyle they want …  that shows an honest-to-goodness move-in ready gem of a place  with a big area for entertaining and a big yard… and they’ll get that information from the worldwide web.  

Gen X consists of young executives, who range in age from  30-42, all of whom are  extremely internet savvy, independent-minded, self-sufficient, self-reliant … who can certainly buy homes all by themselves … except for the fact that they have no time.  They are able to research and verify information in minutes, by clicking  a keyboard… or Googling… MiamiRealEstateCafe.com

In marketing real estate,  it’s imperative to reach  buyers in ways that appeal to them.  Mailing out postcards and newspaper advertising  may have worked beautifully before.  Today, absolutely everything is online. We all want access to instant information and gratification.  No more subtle advertising.  Home buyers want every ounce of information at the drop of a hat.  Buyers are looking to the Internet …  Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, Christie’s, Mayfair, the online Wall Street Journal, and MiamiRealEstateCafe.com.

If you want to sell  your house or condo,  contact the Restivo Team .  We would love to help.   Marketing your property to the right buyer is what will get it sold… and that’s what we do.   You can reach us on either of these two cell numbers:  305-793-1365 or 305-632-0164.  (Texting is fine).  Or you can leave us a message here anytime.   The Restivo Team  – EWM Realtors International.