Real Estate Views from St Pete

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Older People Are Leaving Florida

Green bench at Salvador Dali Museum St Petersburg FloridaSt. Petersburg, Florida, once had the reputation of being a retirement haven - now the average age is 39.3 and it's hard to find a green bench in the city. The distorted clock seems an appropriate age for this shift in demographics.

The New York Times analyzed data from the Censur Bureau and determined that people are still moving to Florida in their 60s, but older people are reversing this move. For people 75 and older, more are leaving Florida than coming. The same is true for people over 85 - more are leaving than coming.

Much of this is due to aging and family location. Many are widowed. Some are failing in health, and no longer able to live independently. Rather than be alone here in an assisted living facility or nursing home, families are calling them home up north, where they can be closer.

We also have some younger retirees in their 50s and 60s that we call half-backs. They move half way back, so that they can be within a day's drive of their children. For those who move half or all the way back, it's often because of their (or her) grandchildren - they want to be close enough to watch them grow up.  Retirees in their 20s and 30s seem to find plenty to do here (yes, some of the dot com retirees are in their 20s).

The green benches are gone, and when you walk the downtown St. Pete streets you see a great mixture of ages. Toddlers and retirees alike enjoy gelatos and ice cream, sitting at the outdoor cafes along the parks and waterfront, the arts, the entertainment, the sports. It's amazing how many choices there are of what to do and where to eat. 

p.s. St. Petersburg, Florida, is known as The Sunshine City, because historically it has averaged 360 days of sunshine a year. The Evening Independent gave away newspapers any day that the sun did not shine. 

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Ask not "How Much Will You Pay Me?" - Ask "How Much Do I Pay You?"

Not enough agents treat their real estate careers as a business. When they interview with a real estate company, they ask what share of the commission they will get: is it 50%, 70%, 95%? What is included, what are you going to do for me?

That's the question asked by an employee, not a business owner. You're an Independent Contractor. That means you're in Business, even if it's a business of one. You ARE a business.

Turn the % around - what are you paying the real estate company? 50%, 30%, 5%?  What are you getting for that money? It could be training, mentoring, brand recognition, print materials, advertising, floor time, leads - so many things. You need to analyze what you're paying for what you're getting, and determine if it makes sense. If the benefits are more than the costs, that's good. When that ceases to be the case, that's bad. Most business (at least for experienced agents) comes because of you, not your company.

How much of your business does come directly, from the company, or through referrals because you ARE with a particular brand or company? Figure that out. Of course the unknown is how much you would get by being with another brand, or on your own. Business forecasting, like any projection, does have unknowns.

This is the most basic question of business. Then go on to look at other aspects of your business.

What are you getting back for your advertising and marketing? How many calls to do you get - more important, how many transactions have you closed as a result of that advertising? Then compute your cost per sale. Compare that to internet strategies, direct mail, etc. Measure effectiveness and response, not vanity. You are a business.

Do you track how much time and expense goes into each transaction? You should. Use that to determine which buyers and sellers or types of transactions you should accept, and which to turn down.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

 

Florida Builder Offers College Tuition Incentive

We've heard about closing costs, furniture and even cars, but Taylor Woodrow Homes has come up with a new twist: buy a new home in Palma Sola Trace in Bradenton, Florida or a new home in Founders Club in Sarasota, Florida, and Taylor Woodrow will put $11,000 into the Florida Prepaid College Plan for a child of your choice. Students can choose to use this at Florida state universities, community colleges, and a selection of private colleges as well.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

Show Home - St. Petersburg, Florida - February 24 to March 18, 2007

Home tours have been a good way to raise money for charities, schools, and the arts. Sometimes it's a single day tour of a group of homes or gardens, sometimes it's a single home that's open for a few weeks. (Our European friends don't always understand that the entrance fee benefits an organization, not the owner of the home.)

125 Lamara Way NE on Snell Isle in St. Petersburg, Florida is a designer show house to benefit the Florida Orchestra. Sponsored by the Florida Orchestra Guild, the home is open from 11 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4:30 pm on Sundays, and tickets are $15 at the door. This is a new home in an established neighborhood, designed in Mediterranean style by Hernan Molina, and decorated by various local decorators, including Decker Ross Interiors and Lasting Impressions. Tuscan colors of gold, green, russet and teal flow throughout as do faux finishes and murals. Old World furnishings co-exist with modern technology. Designed to fit in with the surroundings of a mature neighborhood, the home was also built to withstand 200 mile per hour hurricane winds.

The owners will move in as soon as this event is over, and the property is not for sale. If you want to see it, and get some ideas you can use, now is the time.

 

Other "Music Homes" are also open:

1231 Westway Drive, Lido Shores in Sarasota is open through Sunday, to benefitthe Florida West Coast Symphon.

A Tampa designer show house will be open May 5-28 to also benefit the Florida Orchestra. Details are yet to be announced.

Some one day neighborhood tours are also planned:

Pass-a-Grille Home Tour, March 18  1-5 pm.  5 homes.

Old Southeast Neighborhood Tour, March 24.  10 am - 4 pm.  7 homes and 2 gardens.

Homes Tour of Historic Indian Rocks Beach , March 24. 11 am to 4 pm.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

Lockbox Security

We think that sellers understand when we explain a lockbox to them and when we talk about its security. Today yet another seller called me about the lockbox.  She was at the property, meeting with carpet cleaners, and her key didn't work. Would I please give her the code to the lockbox so she could get in?  Sorry, I can't do that. Ethics and rules aside, it's just not possible. You need a keypad as well as an authorization code to beam at the lockbox to allow it to open. So, I'll come with my keypad and open the door. The security worked - no REALTOR® can just give someone else a code so they can open a lockbox, at least not in our MLS.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

Hooker Tea Company, Beach Drive, St Petersburg, Florida

 Hooker Tea Company Beach Drive St Petersburg Florida
Looking for an early morning wake-up cup of tea? a mid-afternoon tea latte cooler? an evening put-me-to-sleep tea? The Hooker Tea Company at 300 Beach Drive NE in downtown St Petersburg, Florida, is the place to find it. Shawn Hooker and his associates not only offer more than 100 varieties of loose tea, they help you choose among them.

 They offer free internet access for those who want to tea online, and comfortable chairs for conversationalists. They have a wide selection of tea pots, tea cups and assorted tea accessories - many choices for gifts.

Green tea, black tea, white tea, red tea ... tiramisu tea, passionberry tea, Dr. Feelgood tea, pina colada rooibos, sri lankan chai  ... the list goes on.

There are tables outside as well, if you want to people watch and enjoy the weather. The shop opens at 7 a.m. every day, and stays open until 10 p.m., except on Sundays when it closes "early" at 8 p.m.

For more information, visit their website at www.hookertea.com Webmaster Frank  promises the website is continuing to improve.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

 

Croatian Naive Art in St. Petersburg, Florida

Croatian Naive Art St Petersburg FloridaLocated across from Straub Park on Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, at the base of Parkshore Plaza, is Croatian Naive Art, a gallery and museum collection of Croatian art. Founded and owned by Jim and Donna Nannen. What a wonderful, colorful collection!  

 

Sue Cooper-Street is the Museum Director, and is quick to welcome you to the gallery and make you feel at home. Comfy leather furniture encourages you to talk with Sue or Jim about the art and artists - and anything you want to know about St Pete as well.

 

Hungry after seeing all this art? Moon Under Water is just to the north, Parkshore Grille is just to the south, and the Italian gelato shop is next door. All of these have outdoor seating, which is perfect on the current balmy days.

For more information and a closer look at the paintings, check out their website, www.CroatianNaiveArt.com 

 

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

 

Books, Bookworms and Bookaholics

 Yesterday when I read Jonathan Washburn's blog It's Raining Books, which actually related back to Mark Flanders blog on Let's Have a Contest, my thoughts were on books, rather than contests. I thought about the recent blogs on great books to read and thought, OK, I'll start a book group.

 

 



Now, I'm a member of Millionaire Real Estate Book Club, and Realty Blogging Book Club, though I haven't contributed or visited them in a while (more intentions than time), but neither of those fit all these general books I had in mind. Well, rather than just jump in and start something, much as I like books, perhaps it's better to first check out existing groups.  I clicked on GROUPS, and in the search box, typed in BOOKS.  Seven groups appeared, including the two I already belong to.  Let's check the others out.  Hmm, here's one called The Chic Book Club. It has 49 subscribers and 44 posts. Actually, it's the oldest of all of the book groups (OK, TLW, only by a day).  Let's check it out. Ann Cummings from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, first started this back in November, when groups first came out. Wow, one of the book blogs has had over 6,000 views! (way to go, Jeff Turner). Others have had over 4,000 views. The group not only has quantity of views, it has quality of books:

 


and of course,

 

There are several books and comments on Blogging, and Allen Hainge posted some books that were recommended during the Cyberstar Summit.

So - being a bookaholic, why didn't I find this group?  Perhaps the title, The Chic Book Club, put me off. Perhaps I was only reading blogs about groups, and joining from them. In any case, better now than never.  Maybe it's because this book club started by concentrating on blogging books - it's just kind of evolved since.  I'm not only joining, I'm going back through all of my blogs about books, and linking them to this group (I'm not going to link to mine here - if you're interested, just go to The Chic Book Club and they'll all be there.

    (Ann - if you don't want this expansion to a group about all specific books, books in general, and bookaholics,           let me know and I'll start a new club. Otherwise, we'll just expand yours.)

It would also be great if all the other members who've posted about books add those to the list as well.  Some of the ones that come to mind (with links to the blog about them) are:


And then some others blogged with lists:

Wallace Hobbs gave Robert Bruss's list of 10 best real estate books   

Robert Whitelaw's list  

Debbie Lowry's list  

Jonathan talked about reading and book and returning it to ActiveRain, or sending it on to another member who would then return it, etc.  For those people who don't want to pay for mailing a book, but are willing to pass it on, read my past blog about about Book-Crossing.  At CyberProfessionals conferences, just before it's over, we'll exchange books that we read on the trip out.


So, Jonathan - it's been Raining Books all along!    Thanks for the reminder, the suggestions, and the book rewards.  

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.  

When is a bedroom not a bedroom?

BedroomHere's a room - it's 11 ft x 15 ft, has a proper closet, has sliding glass doors that lead out to a balcony, has all full height walls, has a door that closes properly and shuts off the room for privacy; it isn't a walkthrough so you have to walk through this room to get to another room. It's part of the house - you don't have to go outside or through the garage or through any un-air conditioned space to get here. Is it a bedroom?

We have another listing with an 11 x 16 room, with double windows instead of a sliding door, but otherwise meeting the same conditions as this one.  Is it a bedroom?

No, we don't think so.  Why? We'd rather underpromise and overdeliver.

It seems the problem for both of these rooms is access to a bathroom.  The one pictured is upstairs, separated by a catwalk (and the stairway) from the master bedroom - but the only upstairs bath is in the master bedroom. Downstairs there's a powder room or half bath, and one that is between the bottom two bedrooms, what we call a Jack and Jill bath.  For the other listing, the "bedroom" is also upstairs with the master bedroom, and the master bath is shared by both bedrooms.

We'd rather call these 3 bedroom homes, with an office, or possible guest room. We can't assume the buyer will be looking at a 4 bedroom home with the intention of making one an office, or planning to use the 4th bedroom for an infant or small child. Rather than disappoint all the buyers who really need 4 bedrooms, and who will object to the bathroom situations, we'd rather market it as a 3 bedroom with options - and have the prospects pleasantly surprised. 

Underpromise  -  overdeliver.  Exceed people's expectations.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Pinellas County Florida Luxury Market Update January 2007

Pinellas County, Florida has 1,161 properties over $1,000,000 listed in the Multiple Listing System, nearly equally divided between single family homes and condominiums. Just under 10% of these are currently under contract. There is currently a 4 year supply of luxury homes. There are 15 homes listed betwn $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 and two homes are listed over $15,000,000.  More details are available on our website, as well as charts comparing the luxury market in Pinellas County and Hillsborough County.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Pinellas County Florida Market Update January 2007

Pinellas County Florida, encompassing Clearwater, Saint Petersburg and 22 other municipalities, including many beach communities, is located in west central Florida, between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and has just over 1,000,000 residents, 87% of them full time.

January 2007 statistics have been released by the Pinellas Realtor Organization. Although the Simms Team saw an upturn in showing activity, offers and contracts this month, overall statistics show an opposite trend. January absorption rates have dropped below 2006 levels, with a 4.2% absorption rate for single family homes and a 2.8% absorption rate for condos and townhomes.

A more detailed report is available on our website.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

2007 Grand Prix is returning to Saint Petersburg Florida

Downtown St Pete will once again be the location for the Grand Prix. The 2007 Honda Grand Prix will take place along the downtown waterfront on the weekend of March 31 - April 1.  Roads and part of the Albert Whitted Airport will be blocked off; viewing stands will be erected; floating docks for visiting yachts will be placed in the South Yacht Basin. The American Le Mans Series will be raced on Saturday, March 31 and the IndyCar Series will race on Sunday, April 1st. It will be a loud and exciting time. Some condo owners invite friends to party and watch the races from their balconies - others leave town. Come enjoy a long weekend in Saint Petersburg and bask in the Florida sunshine. 

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

Tropicana Field adds curb appeal in St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida:  The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have been changing things since Matt Silverman took over. The prior owner of the Devil Rays didn't care much about the public, and they responded in kind. Since ownership changed and Silverman came on the scene, the team and its owners are reaching out to the public. Fans are welcomed and encouraged. Parking fees went away, food prices came down, renovations took place. This year the Devil Rays will be adding a quarter of a million dollars in landscaping near the entrance of Tropicana Field. The improvements will not only be seen up close, but also from the interstate. The landscaping was designed by a local landscape designer, Phil Graham, and will educate fans about natural ecosystems and water conservation, and features nearly 50 varieties of native plants. Every plant will be tagged. Thanks, Devil Rays, for adding curb appeal.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Book: Exceeding Customer Expectations

Exceeding Customer ExpectationsOften books written about particular companies can be a bit boring to readers outsider that company, but this one was excellent, both for its information about Enterprise Car Rentals and for the customer service philosophy that can be so easily translated to real estate, mortgages, staging, etc.

Did you know that Enterprise

  • is now the nation's #1 car rental company?
  • is a privately owner $9 billion global powerhouse?
  • buys more cars every year than any other company in the world?
  • is the largest seller of used cars in the US?
  • has recorded gains each year for the past 50 years?
  • is one of the most successful family owned businesses in history?

Their success is grounded in providing excellent customer service - providing it, measuring it, and promoting based on it. The company takes good care of their customers and their employees. They hire smart, talented people and teach them to run their own businesses. There is good content on competition, expansion, opportunities, challenges, service and creativity. I read with a highlighter, and there's lots of yellow in this book.

I first "learned" about Enterprise from an article in FAST COMPANY magazine. Though a Hertz #1 club member, I tried Enterprise for my next car rental (last summer) and was I impressed! Smiling, caring, knowledgeable employees; lack of lines and frustrations; escorted to our car; luggage loaded into the car for us; chilled bottles of water; and far lower prices than the competition!  A fluke?  I've used them again, and again, and now I too am a loyal Enterprise customer, whose expectations were and constantly are exceeded. 

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Serving multiple generations

We take pride, as do most agents, in not only having repeat clients, but in serving multiple generations as well. We have served three generations in some families. I have to commend an agent in Kansas, Judy Johns (who I've known for many years, based on her self promotions at various CRS Sellabrations), who is recognized in the current issue of Today's Buyer's Rep, the REBAC publication,  for working with her first fourth-generation buyer from the same family. Congratulations, Judy, for providing that family with such great service!

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

44% Difference in Price???

Is it the seller or the agent??? 

Randy Pruthero blogged about a property that was priced $13,000 too high. Here's one that's $110,000 too high. Tami was showing townhomes in a particular St. Petersburg community to clients last week. This particular complex is new, started in 2005 and finished in 2006, with a number of investor purchases. There are currently 23 townhomes on the market plus 2 that are under contract.  The two in question are the same floor plan, with 1,481 sq ft and a 2 car garage, both vacant and never occupied. One is priced at $249,900 and the other at $359,900. Actually, the lower priced unit has more upgrades and also has a better location/view.  Tami's clients, who looked at all nine townhomes with this floor plan, were horrified.

The company listing the higher priced one was over in Tampa, and the area code for the listing agent indicates that the agent lives even further away. Do they not understand the local market? Did they not see the listing for the other two dozen listings in the neighborhood? Oh, yes, and it's offering a lower commission to the selling office. It does make you wonder who set the listing price, and why.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

Kristal's back

Congratulations, Kristal, on getting back in #1 position on ActiveRain. 

One of the nice things about the #1 position is that there is no monopoly on it - Kristal, Tony and I have all been playing with it, and Teri is still in the running, too.

Another nice thing is the comraderie - all four of us correspond with each other and encourage each other.

ActiveRain is a great community - one of sharing and caring. Thanks Matt, Caleb and Jonathan for setting the right tone.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

St. Petersburg is City for the Young

St. Petersburg, Florida once has a reputation of being a retirement city, one that appealed to old people (I can use that word, because I'm one of them). That's been changing for a long time, as the average age is under 40.

Colin Powell's group, America's Promise has just named two Tampa Bay area cities, St. Petersburg and Bradenton, as  part of the 100 Best Cities For Young People. The decision was based on five community efforts critical to young people: "caring adults who are actively involved in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow; a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help others".

Mayor Baker is already touting the city's latest award.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Bay new home prices soar

While the newspapers are publishing articles of doom and gloom (the Tampa Tribune today talked about the fourth quarter of 2006 and stated that the Tampa Bay area was the worst in Florida), statistics from the Tampa Bay Builders Association reports that even though the market is taking a breather from 2005, prices are still rising. They compare October 2006 to October 2005 (it's in their February 2007 newsletter, but it seems everyone is using slightly old statistics).

In Hillsborough County (Tampa) the average price of a new single family home rose 12% from $334,449 to $373,957.

In Pasco County (adjacent to the north) the average price rose 14% from $275,850 to $315,181.

In Pinellas County (St Petersburg and Clearwater), a more build-out and landlocked area, the average price for new homes increased 28%, from $390,644 to $490,366.

It's a great time to buy new construction - interest rates are still low, and there are still some builder incentives out there.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area. 

 

Ovation groundbreaking

Ovation groundbreaking downtown St Petersburg FloridaSimms at Ovation groundbreakingOvation, an exciting luxury condominium in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, held their groundbreaking, appropriately, on Valentine's Day. A tent was erected on the site for an excellent catered breakfast and for congratulatory speeches and recognition of the various participants in the project. Speakers included the development partners: Mike Cheezem from JMC Communities, Ambassador Mel Sembler from The Sembler Company and Jimmy Aviram. Mayor Rick Baker once again proclaimed, "It's a great day in St. Petersburg." Even the weather cooperated, with a balmy, sunny day.  After the speeches, officials shovelled some dirt.  Following the official ceremony, Sharon Simms also got in her two shovels' worth.

Ovation will have less than 50 luxury condos with extraordinary views, a fabulous Beach Drive location, and well thought out floor plans.  Prices begin under $2,000,000.

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.