It is this time of the year where the Florida Realtors Foundation Scholarship Application will be provided for Florida high school seniors who will be attending an undergraduate college or university; students currently enrolled in an undergraduate college or university; and students pursuing graduate studies.

Are you a Realtor and have kids in school? Everybody can use some additional money for their education. Let your kids know and let them apply. Academic achievements, financial need, relationship to the Realtor family, sincerity of purpose in real estate and allied endeavors, contributions to family, school, and community, will be considered in the selection process.

Florida Realtors Education Foundation is a Florida not for profit corporation, who give scholarships for educational purpose. Scholarships winners will be able to apply the funds for the Academic Year 2013 – 2014, and shall not be applicable to any semester which begins prior to June 2013.

The application deadline for the current program year is February 28th .  The recipients will be announced by late April.

If you want detailed information on how to apply just take a look here

Good luck to all of you.

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” our friend Klaus asked. We had been in the US for only a few days and we had no idea what Thanksgiving was!

Curious and not really knowing what to expect, I and my family was happy to accept Klaus invitation to spend this new holiday with Klaus’s family and friends.

Honestly. We didn’t really know what was coming. I thought it would be like a Christmas dinner we used to have back home. Festive, but quiet family affair: a nice meal, a glass of wine, and a conversation over coffee.

Oh no!

Picture this: A long dinning room table that was OVERFLOWING with all kinds of awesome food, lovely sauces, vegetables, incredible side dishes we had never seen before, aromas that made my mouth water…And a huge, golden-crisp turkey in the middle!

WOW!

But the most amazing part were the people. So many fun, friendly, big hearted folks with endless supply of warm smiles, great stories and laughter.

We instantly felt accepted and welcomed by Klaus’s family and friends as if we was one of them. Everyone wanted to hear our families story about coming to the States and what was it like to live here in the US. We talked and talked late into the night.

Today, we have our own festivity and Thanksgiving is still one of my favorite holidays. It’s another opportunity for me to say Thanks to all you amazing, friendly, and great people I’ve had the good fortune to meet on this exciting journey.

So tomorrow, as I carve the turkey, I will be grateful for your friendship, support, and kindness.

Have wonderful Thanksgiving!

Florida Connects
Real Estate Brokerage

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you’re life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money.

That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.

Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

FLorida Connects – What is your final goal when selling a home? You want to sell a costumers property quickly for top dollar, right? Keep that goal in mind during the entire negotiation.

I have seen people kill a potential sale to a person that would have been willing to pay top dollar for a property because they didn’t like the person. Or, the buyer started negotiations with a low-ball offer and the seller got offended.

“I refuse to negotiate with someone who insulted me with that low-ball offer”, they said. And a good buyer moved on to buy another house. Most buyers with low-ball offers can be negotiated to a higher price.

Some buyers have a big ego and think they are great negotiators (when they actually aren’t.) What is their definition of a great negotiator?

They think that someone with a big ego that tells people off and walks around like they own the world is a good negotiator. They think that being abrasive and rude will get them a better deal. They’ll throw around “take it or leave it” offers.

I can tell you from person experience that most buyers are willing to pay more than their “take it or leave it” offer. You as the professional just have to keep the negotiations going, even thought you might be a little unhappy or angry with what they are doing.

I have seen home sellers tell off a buyer that said something rude. That buyer could have bought their house. The buyer might actually be a very nice person. Keep your eye on the goal and don’t get distracted by petty things.

You want to sell your clients house for top dollar. Let anything a buyer says that is rude, or otherwise offensive, roll off like water off a duck’s back and have your goal in mind. Sell for top dollar, without hassle and the shortest amount of time for your seller.

The views expressed here are Annett’s personal views and do not reflect the views of Florida Connects Incorporated.

This information on A Common Listing Agent Negotiation Mistake: Letting Your Ego Get Involved is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

Florida Connects - Bank of America finally makes a move and has come up with changes to their most difficult short sale procedure. As we all know in the profession Bank of America is one of the worst lender to deal with on a short sale process and many hours of work and frustration finally made them listen to us short sale agents.

While the new process is still not the greatest it is at least a step in the right direction if it will help your home owners and speeds up the process. Time can only tell.

The new BofA announced procedure should shorten the decision on a submitted short sale contract from 45 days or usual longer down to 20 days. This will help homeowners and short sale agents if it is fthis easy like Bank of America makes it sound.

Bank of America will streamline their short sale procedure through the short sale management platform Equator as they have in the past and every short sale agent needs to get educated about the new procedure.

New required forms need to be submitted at the beginning within the short sale contract submission and short sale agents need to get familiar or your short sale will be denied in the early stage of approval.

A complete short sale package must be submitted through the Equator system and needs to include follow documents:

1) A full executed Contract For Sale and Purchase

2) BofA Short Sale Addendum and Agent Certification

3) BofA Third Party Authorization

4) BofA Buyer’s Acknowledgement & Disclosure

5) BofA IRS 4506-T

6) HUD-1

It is important you the short sale agent submit all required documents and be very precise. Always check for the correct name spelling of your buyer and seller on all documents to avoid rejection or delay in the approval process.

Short sale agents need more than ever before to be on top of assigned tasks and follow up, follow up and follow up. The process will bring their own flaws and frustration but when you the agent are in control of your short sale process you can get it approved.

Need help with your short sale  send us an e-mail at info@floridaconnectsInc.com.

Annett T. Block with Florida Connects specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Florida. Celebration Loan Modification Help, Celebration Short Sales. Celebration Short Sale Realtor. FL Short Sales. Florida Realtor.Florida Short Sale Realtor.Florida Short Sale Agent.Florida Short Sale Broker.

Florida Connects – If you’re approaching the end of your college career, you may be starting to consider some potential options for employment.  Since the current job market isn’t the best, so many students are getting their degrees only to go back to working in a position like serving tables.

Unless graduates move onto either a masters or doctorate program in a more specialized field, competition for undergraduates is becoming fiercer than ever.  In addition, many students struggle with finding direction or a career that they can be passionate about.

Whether you are on the way to earning your diploma or want to begin your professional career, becoming a Florida Realtor could be the answer you are looking for.  Let’s review some of the top benefits to earning your license as a Florida real estate professional:

• Total Freedom – One of the main reasons that people start a career in real estate is the flexibility it offers.  If you are a highly motivated self starter than you could have what it takes to be successful in real estate.  It is a perfect path for those who have an entrepreneurial spirit.

First, you have the ability to set your own hours.  You can work as long as you like and when the time comes to take a vacation with the family, you won’t have to push through all the red tape only to be denied by HR.

Next, this isn’t a restricted desk job either.  If you choose to work from home or from your mobile office, you won’t have the requirement of checking in everyday.  In essence, you are your own boss and you get to call the shots!

• Perfect for Tech Savvy Individuals – If you are under the age of 30 and own a mobile phone, ipod, personal computer, etc., then you have what it takes to crush it in Florida real estate.  This is where the future of real estate marketing is headed.

It is estimated that nearly 90% of people start their search for real estate online.  There are so many ways to apply your skills using mobile technology, affiliate marketing, blogging, social networking, etc., that gives you a distinct advantage over many “old school” professionals who have adapted to traditional methods.

You can bypass the entire learning curve of implementing these concepts to promote your business, make contacts with professionals and potential customers, and quickly become a big player in your local market.

• High Earning Potential – What you are able to put into a real estate career is exactly what you’ll get out of it.  Instead of working for a set paycheck, you can determine to double or even triple what most students are earning on average today within a short time period.  That’s the beauty of commissions.

Additionally, since you probably have very few debts or family responsibilities holding you down, you will have ample time to establish yourself as a well known authority in the area.   Overtime, many of your efforts can be set to autopilot as you build up referral sources and establish solid marketing avenues.

You will gain a strong feel of what percentage of prospects and contracts it will take to earn a commission.  And there are dozens of niches you can become a specialist in, which can lead to even bigger paydays.

• Working With People – If you like talking with and meeting new people, then this is one of the best careers available to you.  Not only will you have the pleasure of working with others on a daily basis, but you will also be able to meet some highly influential people in other verticals.

It pays to have friends in high places, and simply by investing time in helping others will provide you the opportunity to build a powerful professional network.  You will also be able to fine tune your people skills and learn others that are so valuable to succeeding in the real world.

• Learn How To Buy/Sell/Invest – Regardless of what is happening in the economy, Florida Real Estate is one of the top proven strategies for building wealth and a retirement fund.  Did you know that many Realtors also invest in their own properties as well?

You will be able to acquire invaluable skills that will teach you all about the buying and selling process.  Additionally, you will attain a working knowledge for your local area and will know where and what the best deals are.  Working as a Florida agent is a fast track to succeeding with real estate investments as well!

Thus, there are unlimited possibilities for personal growth and success as a real estate professional.  If you have been feeling frustrated or unsure what your next step is after college, then it may be time to invest in your future as a licensed Realtor in Florida.

We are here to support you throughout this process and to get you started on building a promising future.  It is our desire that you realize your full potential.  Contact us right now using the information provided above to discover what possibilities are available to you!

Florida Connects - If you are a Realtor in Florida and working with buyers still sitting on the fence,  now is the time to let  your buyers know  that the Federal Housing administration has announced that the cost for FHA loan is to be increased on April 01, 2012.

What does this mean for your buyers in Florida who want to finance through FHA with a  down payment as low as 3.5% ?

With the new premium structure going in effect, the goal of the FHA is to strengthen Federal Housing, and in order to achieve this, FHA will increase their upfront and monthly premium insurance fees starting April 01, 2012.

On June 01, 2012 there will be an additional increase of  monthly mortgage insurance premiums for high balance mortgages.

As of this time FHA loans require an upfront mortgage insurance, and the sum is added to the loan amount of 1%.
On April 01, 2012 the new upfront mortgage insurance will increase to 1.75%. This is an increase of 75% in upfront fees.

For example, on a loan amount of $100,000, the current upfront amount paid would be $1,000. After the increase goes into effect the new upfront amount equals to 1.75% and would be $1,750. This increase of $750 would be adding an additional $2.50 a month to the monthly mortgage payments.

Now don’t forget the monthly insurance premium will increase as well. Right now the insurance premium is 1.15% of the loan amount. On April 1st  this will increase to 1.25%. On a $100,000 loan amount the monthly premium will increase from $115 to $125. Add the upfront fee of $2.50 a month and this reflects an increase of $12.50 a month on a monthly payments on a $100,000 loan.

If you add this up over 30 years, the same insurance premium will cost your buyer in Florida an additional $4,500 compared to if they would have acquired it before April 01, 2012.

And then we have the FHA high balance loans, in which the loan amount is between $625,500 and $729,740. On those mortgages, effective June 01, 2012, the insurance premium will increase another 0.25% to 1.50%.

For instance, on a $700,000 loan amount the current upfront insurance premium is $670. Effective April 1^st, the premium will increase from $670 to $729, an increase of $59.

The monthly premium increase takes effect on June 1^st and will be $875, an increase of $205 from what your buyer would be paying today.

If you have buyers still on the fence and they are thinking about FHA financing and purchasing a home, I highly recommend that you let them know about these premium increases and the cost of financing. Your buyer should take advantage of the current loan terms available today.