...and are affecting home buying opportunities

the greates impact on the real estate market is uncertainty

and it can absolutely lead to gridlock 

for buyers and sellers alike

interest rates have continued to bounce up and down

in a relatively small range

and since the Fed hasn't not signaled rate reductions

its leaving buyers trying to predict the best time to buy

sellers are noticing that its taking longer for homes to sell

and that prices have not gone up in most areas

and while there isn't a rapid decline

there are some sellers that need to sell

and might just take a little less to make that happen

Today's Show Talks about some of the market indicators 

that we are watching

... isn't necessarily what you are thinking

right now its a lose-lose situation

renters are definitely feeling the squeeze

as everything costs more these days

but there is a twist

landlords are also feeling the pinch

• the cost of insurance is up dramatically
• the property taxes have gone up
• repairs are more expensive
• as labor and materials are cost more
• and if they were in a hurricane area its even worse

and this is causing an interesting thing to happen

renters are actually renewing leases at a high rate

its expensive and disruptive to move

and landlords are keeping rents about the same

despite the additional cost of ownership

as they realize that its expensive to have a vacancy

as they have no income during a tenant turnover

which further exacerbates the problem

oddly enough

renters and landlords are forming marriages of convenience

today's show walks you through what is taking place

...is far more possible than it has been for many years

but it has to make sense to both parties

a buyer's offer is far more compelling to a seller

when it contains a few key elements

1st and foremost is demonstrating quickly

that the funding in unquestionable and verifiable

a cash buyer should supply proof of funds

a buyer that is using a mortgage for the purchase

at a minimum should have a pre qualification letter

even better is a letter stating their loan has been pre underwritten

the 2nd most important item is writing a clean deal

with concise terms with few, (if any) moving parts

a short inspection period is definitely favorable to a seller

and a quick or flexible closing date is also preferrable

when a seller is going to knowingly give ground on price

something has to make up for that

and the right terms can make all the difference

buyers also need to consider

whether they are positioned as a lowball offer

as there is risk that the seller will not enage with them

another complication for a buyer

is an aggressively low offer

when a home is just hitting the market

timing is everything in real estate

and a sellers motivation can change over time

today's show gives you the formula for success

...communication breaks down

and sales that should be closing easily

can end up with a lot of unlnecessary friction and anxiety

and ultimately fall apart

despite the fact that

both the buyer and seller

actually wanted to complete the sale

• missed deadlines
• a difference in expectations
• unclear contract terms
• uncontrolled emotions

are the leading causes of sales not closing

and when there are agents are involved 

its critical for them to remain the messengers

for their clients needs and desires

and not necessarily the decision makers

there is always a danger

when agents choose to negiotiate with each other

and then bring the results back to their clients

too many times agents "work something out"

that one (or both) parties involved do not agree with

and it sure gets messy at that point

today's show talks about how things can go sideways

and offers proven strategies on how to get things back on track

...Is that the money didn't make it to the closing agent

Usually the keys are handed over at the closing table

unless something goes sideways

and it can get extremely stressful to all parties involved

let's face it

everyone there has the same goal

they all want the sale to close

buyers - sellers - agents - lenders - closing agents alike

the reasons that the money doesn't arrive

all revolve around planning an execution

• did the buyer send the wire transfer soon enough
• did the lender send the wire in a timely manner
• was there a 1031 exchange intermediary involved
• was there a 401k loan being used

all of the money has to arrive - not most of it - all of it

or the sale is not considered closed

and there is no reasonable expectation to get the keys

when this situation occurs

that means sellers don't get any part of the proceeds

which can mess up their plans for that money

that could very well be needed for the purchase of their next home

and could set off a domino effect on subsequent deals that are tied together

today's show goes deeper into the reasons why this happens

and some best practices to help avoid these situations

...and what you should be paying attention to with regard to home prices

Many home sellers have listed their homes

that were overly optimistic in what buyers would pay

there are certainly real estate agents

that will allow their sellers to test "their price"

for 30 or 60 days to see what happens

quite often these home owners get amnesia

and never get around to reducing the price

down to where the market was all along

eventually these homes sell for well below the original price

so the buyers can feel like they got a great deal

as the negotiated a price that seems like a steal of a deal

when in actuality, they paid current market price

not every situation is the same

and there are certainly sellers that are more highly motivated

the wholesale buyers are consistently making lowball offers

in the hopes that they can find a seller that has to take whatever they can get

it remains to be seen if the market is actually dropping

or if we are in a space where we are experiencing

some occassional dips in the market

today's show explains the details

... is the most common strategy to invest in real estate

and it makes sense why

there are 3 ways to make money when you play the long game

• monthly cash flow
• increase in property value
• depreciation of the property for tax savings

it's been proven for to be the best return on investment

for more than 100 years

even outpacing the stock market

and while its "less sexy" than flipping

and less exhilirating than short term rentals

the consistent gains over the long haul

require the least amount of work

as you not required to be an expert in renovations

or set up a team for the constant move in/move out

whether you buy 1 home with cash

or finance several homes to leverage your cash

buy and hold is the strategy that most investors start with

today's show discusses the reasons how and why it works 

... are what savvy real estate investors are focused on right now

The conversations taking place are exciting

Whether it's planning a purchase or sale for 2025

or using capital in their invesment account carried over from 2024 

from property - stocks - bonds - other sales

there is a significant amount of activity in real estate

that is on the brink of taking place

knowing that investors are opportunistic

there will be wins and losses along the way

while everyone wants to make a quick buck

the real money is made by those that are students of the game

Today's show shares several profitable strategies 

...isn't always profitable

just because you can get a property below the list price

does not mean that you are getting a steal of a deal

understanding price and value in today's market

is where the money is made

knowing how to evaluate what the home 

will eventually sell for

factoring in the unknown market conditions

several months down the road

is what separates the pro's from the joe's

• material and labor costs
• monthly carrying costs
• commissions and closing costs

erode profits every day

taking too long to complete the project

can wipe out all of your profits

market seasonality is also a big factor to watch for

today we explore the opportunities and pitfalls of flipping 

... and why you may be paying more and getting less

The Insurance Industry has lost billions over the past few years

due to a series of natural disasters and tragedies

and similar to Las Vegas

they don't like to lose money

keep in mind that insurance is designed to mitigate risk

and depending how risky your condo building is

the cost to insure can go up dramatically

the only way to pay for this is to raise the HOA fees

which can make them unaffordable to many owners

some condo associations have made a decision

to carry insurance that is lower than full replacement cost

which means that if there is a disaster where

the building cannot be repaired

and must be demolished and ultimately rebulit

there would not be enough insurance money available

to put up the new building

the owners would then need to pay a special assessment

to complete the new building

and if that is not possible 

the owners, in essence, own a share of the dirt where the condo once stood

we go over the nitty gritty details in today show