Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.
A. Residential and Investment Property Solutions for Your Real Estate Needs
Are you ready to make one of the most important transactions of your life? Do you need help? Are you looking for a real estate professional expert with great customer service?
Whether you are a real estate buyer or seller in Southwest Florida, A.J. Ackerman will find the solution that fits your real estate needs. He listens to what you want, and is a great real estate negotiator. A.J. is available by phone 7 days a week.
A.J. works with a real estate team that has:
•Over 100 Years of Accumulated Real Estate Experience
•#1 Ranking for Real Estate Company in the State of Florida
•100+ Real Estate Websites to Promote Your Home
There is no obligation for A.J. to come out and help you find a solution for your real estate requirements.
Q. Describe three recent jobs you've completed.
A. 5417 SW 25th Pl, Cape Coral, Fl JUST SOLD!
2607 SW 41st St, Cape Coral, FL JUST SOLD!
2473 Anguilla Dr, Cape Coral, Fl JUST SOLD!
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Tip #3: How to Choose an Agent
Real estate agents have gotten a bad reputation as “salespeople” who hold selfish interests in your home.
On the other end of the spectrum, successful and reliable agents, while experts in marketing and sales, are experts in negotiation and advisement when you are selling or buying your home.
Knowing what to look for and how to pick an agent will
ensure that the process goes seamlessly and quickly.
Many horror stories have circled about agents pushing
expensive listings (that yield maximum commission), their own listings, or demanding that buyers make decisions on few options before they are ready to do so.
The most important aspect of the buying or selling process is knowing how to pick an agent who will keep your best interests in mind.
Personality
Make sure that you mesh well with the personality of your agent. You will inevitably spend a lot of time with your agent discussing deals whether you’re buying or selling.
Trust must be established with an agent that you get along with before a successful transaction can occur on either side of a deal.
Experience
Choose an agent that has experience in selling real estate in general as well as in your desired area. An experienced agent that specializes in one area in particular is usually the first to know about great deals in your desired neighborhood, often before they
come onto the market.
What should you ask your real estate agent?
Is this your full time job? An agent can only dedicate as much time to your listing or finding you the right home as they spend working day to day.
Find a dedicated agent who will be working
for you when you need them and not on a part time basis when it suits them.
What are the comparable sales in the area?
By knowing how much the surrounding homes are
selling for, as a buyer you can make a competitive offer. As a seller, you can set a reasonable sales price.
In short, choose an agent with knowledge and
experience. The most market savvy individuals who see your relationship as lifelong are the right people to guide you through the process.
Contact us for real estate advice in buying and selling Southwest Florida real estate from experts you can trust.
Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?
A. Tip #1: Buying a Home
Whether you’re a seasoned home owner or a first time home buyer looking for home ownership advice, buying a home in the Southwest Florida area (or anywhere else for that matter) can be a complicated process.
Budget
Your first step in buying a home is to make sure you know exactly how much house you can afford. Prior to searching for a home you must ensure that you know your home budget and leave breathing room to avoid short-sale or foreclosure issues down the road.
Determine your household budget first. Owning a home is more costly than renting, but pays off in the long run. Budgeting is necessary for not only your regular
monthly bills and credit cards, but also taxes, insurance and other miscellaneous home expenses. Determine your down payment amount and make sure your credit is in good standing. You will need proof of income as the mortgage companies now require detailed information in order to pre-qualify or pre-approve you for a mortgage amount.
Credit
When you are ready to begin the process of buying a home your credit score will determine your interest rate and down payment requirement. Make sure your credit
score is as good as it can be prior to buying a home. Starting the process of repairing and optimizing your credit accounts must begin at least a year prior to beginning the search for a new home. Credit cards and other accounts should not have any 30 day or more late payments and balances should be paid down so that more than 50% of your credit limit is available. Most importantly – pay your bills on time and don’t overextend
your current credit or apply for credit when you are looking for a mortgage loan.
Know the process
Buying a home is an extremely involved process. Know the steps involved and be prepared to make multiple offers before you land your home. Most importantly, partner with a buyer representative who has your interests in mind and will give you the guidance you need throughout the process. You should work with a buyer’s agent who is a licensed real estate consultant in your state, who has been focused on customer
satisfaction for several years. Finding an agent who works with a team also has it benefits too. Real Estate teams work collaboratively to stay up to date with the many changes to market conditions and legislative changes that could impact your dreams to purchase a home. Many times teams of residential real estate experts are set up to assist you in every aspect of buying a new home. Contact us today to work with a
licensed professional who’ll help you find a home in the Cape Coral, Bonita Springs,
and Fort Myers areas.
12 Tips to Buying Real Estate in Southwest Florida
Learn more by visiting www.AckermanSWFL.com or calling (239) 565-7867.
Copyright © 2010. AJ Ackerman & Associates. All Rights Reserved.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. 1. Helping people reach their goals. Whether its buying a first-time home, selling home to upgrade to a bigger one, finding a 2nd home, or helping stop foreclosures, I believe that I can find a solution to help any consumer. =)
2. The opportunity to give back to the community.
3. Meeting and making new friends from all over the world.
4. Living on the Gulf of Mexico with beautiful weather almost all year round.
5. Constantly learning new things about life and myself
6. The recognition from past clients from all the referrals they send me. My drive comes mostly from the satisfaction of helping others be happy
Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?
A. I received a call from a couple named David and Denise. They were builders from up North, but owned a gorgeous home on the water in Cape Coral, with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. Although they loved the house, they decided it was time to sell it and build a larger home that better fit their needs.
The couple called me after receiving a “Just Sold” and recommendation letter from a neighbor who’s home I had just sold. The “Just Sold” letter is something that I send out to other homeowners in a neighborhood when I’ve sold one of their neighbors’ homes. (Here’s an example) This lets people know that homes in their neighborhood are selling, and provides them information in case they, or anyone they know, may also be thinking about selling their home. It’s a great way to provide people with inspiration about the real estate market, and motivation to sell their house! It’s proven to be very effective. In this case, 8 couples came to our first Open House as a result of this marketing, and 1 person bought it that day!
After meeting with David and Denise, I could sense that they were excited about the opportunity to sell this house, and embark on the new adventure of building a larger home. We met at the house, and I could tell within an instant that it would be easy to sell. The house was absolutely immaculate! Because they were custom builders from up North, the house had a special feel to it, with unique characteristics that you typically wouldn’t find in a lot of Florida homes. Gorgeous, rich, cherry wood, beautiful tile, and a huge kitchen with granite countertops. Looking through the sliding glass doors, I took in the view of a beautiful pool and jacuzzi in a giant lanai, with the glistening water and boat dock just beyond the pool. I felt like I was in a model home. Once a family or couple stepped into the beautiful corridors of the home, saw the breathtaking view of the water, and felt the breezes flowing through the house, they would easily fall in love with it!
I reviewed some strategies with David and Denise, and we discussed a price that I thought it would sell for. They actually wanted to go lower, but I convinced them that this beautiful home would easily sell for a higher price. I scheduled an Open House and set up a “Virtual Tour” on my website. From the first Open House, we had a buyer, and sold the home in only 6 days! Within 30 days, we had closed on it, and the couple was happily on their way to building a new, larger home.
David and Denise expressed how much they appreciated my passion for real estate and the straightforward ideas to get them top dollar for the home. Apparently, they were sincere in their appreciation, because they have already sent me 3 referrals, one of which has recently purchased a lot!
Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.
A. Tom and Carol called me after receiving a post card I’d sent that offered them a free report on house prices in their location of Cape Coral. It allowed them to see what comparable houses were selling for, and was the motivation they needed to make the decision to sell their home. After talking to them on the phone, I could tell they were genuinely nice people, and right away, I knew that I wanted to work with them. They were in a financial situation in which they really needed to sell their home. However, they owed more on it than what comparable houses were selling for in their area, so they understood that a “short sale” may be their only option. They were very nervous about doing a short sale, because their only knowledge of it was based on what they’d heard from the media. Once I explained the process, and told them what to expect, they began to feel much more at ease about it, and were ready to move forward.
When I met them at their house, I was excited about getting started. It was a beautiful home with a pool in Southwest Cape Coral. The location was absolutely impeccable! It had an amazing floor plan, and was a newer home with high ceilings and beautiful tile. The house was right on the water, with access to the Gulf. I told them the price they could expect, and they actually didn’t even believe me at first!
However, it was obviously a fair price, because we had the first contract within 2 weeks of putting it up for sale. Although the first contract fell through, we had another one only 2 days later and the house was sold! It closed in less than 3 months (which, for a short sale, is pretty standard). Tom & Carol were very pleasantly surprised that we were able to get through the short sale process and sell their house so quickly, and without any of the complications they had dreaded. This was a situation where they expected the worst, but we were able to ensure that their everything worked out fantastically!
The couple was so appreciative of the time I put into helping them understand the short sale process, dealing with their attorney, and making sure everything went smoothly. Tom said that, “In the six real estate transactions I have had, this was the most complex and at the same time the easiest one ever due to your efforts.” Tom also told me that his expectations were more than exceeded, and that he felt that they got the very best price, quickly.
It’s always a great feeling to walk away from a home sale where everyone feels like they’ve won, and their expectations are exceeded. So many people are worried that a short sale will drag out, and become an arduous, unpleasant experience. I feel that selling your home should be a fun and exciting adventure! It’s an opportunity to move onto the next stage of your life! Even through a short sale process, my goal is to make sure that the seller still feels that same sense of excitement.
Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?
A. Cape Coral, Florida, March 2, 2012 Just a few years ago, Cape Coral suffered one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. However, the city is now proving to be on a fast moving upswing. Cape Coral Realtor®, AJ Ackerman & Associates of Century 21 Sunbelt Realty, announced that recent trends in the Cape Coral housing market are indicating growth and revitalization for the city.
Ackerman, as part of the Randy Peska and Partners team, has worked tirelessly in his efforts to push through the down economy for his clients, and keep the real estate in Cape Coral moving. Ackerman’s reputation precedes him, so when he announced that the Cape Coral housing market is back, clients and investors took notice. His market assessments suggest that the health of the community is rebounding in residential home and investment properties sales.
This upswing has also been noted by sources such as the Houston Chronicle. The publication recently reported that, “In November 2011 the median price of a home in Lee County, which includes Cape Coral, was $106,300, up 20 percent from $88,500 the previous year. More important, the price is far less than the national median of $170,000. Indeed, with the notable exception of cities like Detroit, you could sell your home almost anywhere in the country, move to Cape Coral and pocket some money.”
Unlike Detroit, however, Cape Coral offers the lure of a beautiful tropical paradise. Located in Southwest Florida, the Cape boasts an abundance of year-round sunshine, golf, close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico beaches, fishing, and a plethora of waterfront properties. In fact, Cape Coral has over 400 miles of waterways and canals, making it a haven for boating enthusiasts.
Although Cape Coral offers the luxury of coastal South Florida living, the homes are still selling at very affordable prices, by the standards of most real estate throughout the country. According to a 2011 CNN report the Cape Coral community is #2 on the list of best places to retire in the country. This is not surprising, considering the city offers both the lure of the Florida lifestyle, combined with affordable homes and low taxes. It has become a top destination for retirees, as well as those looking for a nice place to raise a family.
However, Cape Coral is not only being noticed by northerners in the U.S. looking to migrate South. It is also popping up on the radar of people from around the world. Investment dollars from European buyers, land developers, retirees and first time home buyers are coming into “The Cape”.
“With real estate prices coming up, trade businesses hiring on, and a drastic increase in applications for Cape Coral New Construction permits, it is clear that Cape Coral is coming out of the recession,” said AJ Ackerman. “Our team has consistently worked within this community for years, and we are absolutely confident that Cape Coral is going to have a great year!”
Florida Realtors agree with Ackerman’s projection, which is supported in an article posted on Floridarealtors.org. In this article, Florida Realtors® Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo at the state association’s 2012 Real Estate and Economic Forecast Conference in Orlando said, “Sales are trending up, listing inventories are falling, the supply of lender-related properties has stabilized, and we are seeing multiple offers on homes in some local markets…a buyer who plans to own (a Florida) home for five to seven years can get some great bargains today.”
This trending was also reported on the popular online residential real estate site, Trulia.com. The site reported a quarterly increase of 5% or $5,000, on the average median home selling for $105,000 in Cape Coral Florida, for the period of November 2011 to January 2012. Compared to the prior year, this represents a 17.7% increase.
Ackerman added, “All indicators are pointing to a rebounding market. This, combined with housing and development costs as affordable as they are, is causing investors to take a serious look at Cape Coral real estate. Our team is positioned to help buyers take advantage of this rebounding market, and find the property that is right for them.”
For more information about Cape Coral real estate, visit Ackermanswfl.com or call 239-565-7867.
ABOUT ACKERMAN & ASSOCIATES:
AJ Ackerman of Ackerman & Associates is a Century 21 Realtor®who specializes in the Cape Coral housing market, Bonita Springs vacation homes, Cape Coral sailboat access homes, and retirement homes. He is proud to be a part of the Randy Peska & Partners Team at Century 21 Sunbelt. For a free Cape Coral map, or for more information call (239) 565-7867 or contact Ackerman & Associates online.
Contact A.J., The Real Estate Professional, today! Or call 239-565-7867.
