Real Estate Views from St Pete

Yesterday we had a closing, and it was one of the ones we all like to have - happy clients, happy sellers, happy buyers, happy agents - great loan officer, smooth transaction.

My clients had been looking on and off for several years, but this spring the planets aligned and it was the right time, so we found the right house. Along the way we became friends - so it's also the beginning.

Then today a florist delivered a vase of beautiful flowers - varied shapes, varied colors - but vivid and alive, just the way I like them. And there was a simple but meaningful note of thanks and appreciation.

The world is good - what more can you ask for?

Teresa Boardman shared coffee with me this morning.

No, she didn't fly down from St Paul to St Petersburg.

I was up early and reading the St. Petersburg Times. When I opened the Home section there was an article on Open Houses titled "Walk right in" that I started reading.

Halfway through the article I had to smile because here was Teresa! The article said,

"Open houses were invented during a time before the Internet, when consumers had to rely on Realtors, yard signs and newspaper ads," says Teresa Boardman, an agent in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of www.stpaulrealestateblog.com. "Those days are gone, but the 'opens' live on. If buyers only toured homes that are open, they would be greatly limiting their opportunities," she wrote recently on the real estate website inman.com "There are people who do attend open houses who are not buying. It is a hobby, something to do on a Sunday afternoon."

I had to smile, and toast Teresa with my coffee! Not only had she been noticed by and quoted in my local paper, but we shared the same opinion on Open Houses. They used to be a successful tool for me, but times changed, and so have the ways buyers want to shop for real estate. They want to look online, at photos, tours descriptions, when THEY want to look - and if a home passes their qualifying criteria and appeals to them, then they may want to see it - but they'll want to see it when it'f convenient for them, not in the middle of a treasured weekend afternoon just because that when agents traditionally sit and wait for buyers.

This afternoon Tami and I met with the owners of a downtown St Petersburg condo in Bayfront Towers and were talking about internet marketing strategies. They knew what blogging was, in general terms, but didn't understand how that would relate to marketing a property. I was explaining that it's not the same as just saying you have a 3 bedroom condo priced at x, etc - it's about finding points to blog about.

For example, I'd blog about the raised platform in their master bedroom, in the bay window, where they have two comfortable chairs looking out at a magnificent water view - and would tie that in to watching the planes come and go from Albert Whitted Airport, and how that might attract pilots and business executives needing a convenient airport. That led to talks about individuals who had purchased there - how they found it, and why they bought.

Then they told me about a feature even I didn't know about - each floor of the highrise condo has a bicycle room, with a door leading to the back of the freight elevator. So - not only do owners have a place to store their bicycles other than in their storage room, the parking levels or their condo unit, but all they have to do is press the call button, go down the elevator, and bike out into the streets - then reverse the process when they return.

They quickly realized that it's all about letting people know the value of the amenities - what's the benefit to them, how does it affect their lifestyle. We had such a great conversation and so many blog topic leads that I'll be getting back together with them just to write down all the blog possibilities.

They had one fantastic blog idea - and perfect photo op - regarding the library in the building ... but that's a surprise for a future blog.

Let your imagination run with blog ideas to market a property through its benefits.

In the meantime, Bayfront Tower is a perfect condo for

• Pilots and flyers
  
• Bicycle riders

If you want more information about condos for sale in Bayfront Tower, contact The Simms Team at RE/MAX Metro.

The Real Estate Cyberspace Society sends its members monthly tapes with 3 interviews per month. The guests include agents, technology experts, speakers, economists - quite a variety.

The Cyberspace Society blog summarizes their interview with Chris Frerecks of Kinetic Knowledge. If you're a Society member you can also listen online at Cyberspace Radio. If you're not a member and want to join, you can get an invitation here and you're welcome to fill me in as your sponsor.

Topics covered include:

• Getting started tips for blogging
• Blogs vs websites
• Getting recognized and gaining SEO
• Creating a brand
• Why blog?

Kinetic Knowledge hosts my luxury blog.

Showing condos recently, I found quotations scattered on the walls throughout the condo. I found this one to be interesting.

I once heard that the secret to happiness is not

having what you want

but

wanting what you have.

This quote from Carrie Bradshaw seemed to say the same thing.

One of the things I enjoyed in Bavaria was the saying written on the exterior walls of homes. Here I occasionally find saying written on the interior walls of homes.

Have you found any interesting sayings?

Buried near the end of Bill Gassett's post on SEO and business cards is a gem, suggesting that buyers and sellers check out their agent by googling them. If they can't market themselves, how will they market your property? He says there should be several pages of links to the agent.

Compare agents - if you're interviewing 3 agents, google each one of them and compare the results.

You might also want to google your neighborhood or your condo building and see what comes up. Don't bother with the general terms - i.e., "San Francisco real estate" - they are much too broad and don't relate to the niche marketing that's more important.

St Petersburg has lots of cultural festivals, the most known being the annual SPIFFS International Folk Festival, which celebrates the culture, traditions and foods of many nations.

This afternoon is the Brasil Arts Festival at Nova 535 at Dr Martin Luther King St N, St Petersburg. This is their third annual festival and will feature the O Som do Jazz music group. Tampa's Volta ao Mundo will present a demonstration of capoeira, which blends dance and martial arts.

While watching you can enjoy a caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail made with cachaca, a rumlike liquor.

Visit David Manson and his Brazilian wife Andrea Moraes Manson and listen to some of the wonderful music. - there's a selection of 18 sounds - perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Point 2 in Home Business Marketing Lessons from the Homeless Dude was Be Specific - i.e., give a reason. Why should I buy? (Thanks, Marti Garaughty, for linking to this from your post.)

This relates so well to my husband's recent stay in the hospital for a carotid artery "correction". Fortunately he was only there 24 hours as he is NOT a good patient! Everything that anyone did (ask him the same questions on who he was and why he was there) he grumbled about why they were doing that. After surgery, he was so full of grumbling that I actually left and went home so he could get some rest.

The following day, when the doctor's assistant was giving him his Home Care Instructions (she knows my husband as this is his third operation with that doctor) she told him that he couldn't drive a vehicle for a week. Without waiting for a question she said, "The reason you shouldn't drive is that you're in Florida, and here in Florida there are crazy drivers on the road. Although you're in control of your motions, and although You're a good driver, if someone does something crazy, you'll instinctively jerk your head around and that will cause the glue that's holding your neck together to give way and you'll be gushing blood all over."  Oh, OK. That he understood, didn't grumble, and miraculously, didn't drive for the week.

So - point taken - people want to know WHY. We need to make sure to tell them that, and be sure they understand. This works for the little things, too - Why you should order the utilities 3 days before closing, Why you should wire funds to the closing agent the day before closing, Why you should have a preapproval letter when you come to look at property, etc,

Caladesi Island State Park Beach, Dunedin, Florida

Because it is.

No, seriously - why not some of the beautiful beaches in Hawaii!  Truth be told, most of America's #1 beaches as named by Dr. Beach since 1991 ARE in Hawaii - the first one, Kapalua Bay Beach, and 11 others - so Hawaii has had 2/3 of the top beaches. But now to the reason they're not #1 now ...

According to the rules of Dr. Beach, once a beach has been #1, it is excluded from consideration in future years (it does make some sense - after all, who would be interested in a list that had the same winner 20 years in a row?). Florida has actually had 6 winners and North Carolina one. For the rest of the story ...

SnagIt is a screen capture program, though it does far more than just print and save a screen, that has just released it's Verson 9.0

I've used several earlier versions and use it many times a day - well worth its $49.95 cost ($19.95 to upgrade). The new version simplifies both capture and distribution, and has some easy ways to combine images and documents.

SnagIt 9.0

also has a free trial, so download it and play with it for a few weeks. There are 15 online videos that make learning it very simple. The results, however, are anything but simple.

For an enjoyable and informative book, try

The Middle-Class Millionaire

by Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff. It's easy reading and does point out some interesting sociological observations. Pleasing the highest net worth individuals isn't going to get you the viral marketing you're looking for - target the market just below that. The Middle-Class Millionaire is much more likely to refer you to colleagues and friends.

Read the values of the Middle-Class Millionaire, and learn how they differ from the Middle Class. There are certainly enough points for you to consider who and where you want to target your marketing.

Get it from amazon.

Good news in the luxury market for Pinellas County, Florida. May 2008 had the record high single family home sale at $10,250,000. May 2008 had more single family luxury home sales in May than any other month this year, at all luxury price points: $1-5 Million, $5-10 Million, and over $10 Million. The number of homes going to contract increased 25% in May. View Sharon's State of the Market Luxury Market Report for Pinellas County, Florida, May 2008 for more details.

The number of single family sold in Pinellas County, Florida has been rising each month of this year. Prices, however, are back at the levels of 2003. Here's a chart from the Pinellas Realtor Organization:For a more detailed report go to our website.

Interest rates have started to rise, so this may be a good time to buy. For an assessment of whether it's right for YOU to buy now, please contact The Simms Team at RE/MAX Metro.

We often take for granted that prospective buyers should think in sq ft and US $ - but we're making it very difficult for them if we don't offer a way to convert those on our website.

Today LuxuryProperty.com had a post on a new record price set for luxury real estate in Mumbai. The post says that the condo sold for

1.25 lakh a sq ft

surpassing a record of

Rs 1.20 a square foot.

OK - let's go to a currency converter.  Scroll down to India and you get INR (indian Rupees). Well, maybe that equates to Rs.  What's a lakh?  I googled it and found that a lakh is a term for 100,000.  Hmmm, that means ...

and with that, perhaps the prospective buyer gives up in frustration.

Now, I do understand that it's not feasible to list every price and dimension in every currency and term of measurement - but it would be nice to have a link for easy conversion. Here's what immobel provides on their websites:

Not only does this translate your web pages into these languages, but it enables you to do your searches in sq meters instead of sq ft, and you have a choice of currencies with which to enter your search.

If we want to appeal to international clients, let's make it easier for them.

Step outside your box, and think of how the reader/viewer sees things.

Oh, by the way - just what was the price per sq ft and the total sales price of this record sale??

• Yesterday we held a Broker's Open House at this property. In addition to flyers and e-mails announcing the Open (sent individually to each agent with a listing or sale in a similar price range) we made personal phone calls to agents we knew (and liked) who might have buyers for the property.

The property is listed at $1,098,000.

We had 13 agents attend the Brokers Open - which is quite good, in our area. The ones that came, came because of our phone calls. Two of them will be contacting prospective buyers. We're so deluged with emails, notices, postings, etc. that we click them away or shut them out. A personal phone call is hard to ignore - particularly if we feel a property might appeal to our clients.

In our advertising and phone calls, we use the Principle of Sacrifice (check out Stan Barron's website) - don't try to be everything to everybody - find who fits.

If you're looking for a big backyard - keep on going.
     This home has a postage stamp of grass for the dog, but no other grass in the back yard.

If you like the Old Northeast and want a typical old house with small closets, one bath upstairs, and lots of maintenance - drive on by.
     This one was built in 1995, has loads of closet space, each bedroom has an en suite bath, and there are vaulted ceilings.

If you want a huge pool, with a diving board and lots of maintenance - this one isn't for you.
     There is a splash pool, which is an oversized spa, with a current to swim against, that's shaded and private.

So who would want this home?

• Someone who thought they wanted a condo in downtown St Petersburg so that they could walk to all the parks, museums, restaurants, and work ... but can't really adapt to condo living, group decisions, and lack of privacy for skinny dipping.
• Someone who loves the Old Northeast neighborhood within walking distance of downtown St Pete, but doesn't want the maintenance that goes with a wonderful "old" house.
• Someone with teenagers - since each bedroom has not only its own bath, but its own space, and there's lots of driveway and sidestreet parking for friends who visit.
• Empty nesters - who want neighborhood but new, walking distance but private, and a wonderfully unique home with 4 bedrooms and over 4,000 sq ft.

But I digress - this was about Brokers Opens. Do you still hold them in your area, and are they successful?

Phil Graham is a landscape architect that has been a St Petersburg icon for many years. In December he was purchased by and merged into ValleyCrest Design Group. Phil has moved from his location at 436 Second St N. in downtown St Petersburg to this new location at 646 Second Avenue South. As you can see, workers are still putting on the finishing touches.

ValleyCrest Design has built several of Phil Graham's designs over the years, so it seems only appropriate to merge. ValleyCrest has an excellent idea in keeping small "Studios" that perpetuate the local landscape architect in a boutique atmosphere for a large, national company.

JMC Communities has used Phil Graham  for many of its projects, including Sandpearl on Clearwater Beach, The Bellamyov in Tampa, and the newest (under construction), Ovation in downtown St Petersburg. That's certainly a merger of local experts!

Whether you're planning a commercial project or want a residential home that looks great - check out Phil Graham Studios.

Trump's estate in Palm Beach is reported to be selling to Russian fertilizer billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, through one of his investment companies, for close to the $100 Million asking price - a record residential sale for Palm Beach. Rumor has it that the buyer will be tearing down the 33,000 sq ft mansion that Trump has been renovating for the past few years. Obviously the value is in the 6.5 acres with 475 ft on the Atlantic Ocean.

We have a property in St Petersburg, listed for a mere $1 Million, where the value is also in the land. This house is definitely a tear down, and the deep, treed lot on open Tampa Bay, with a view of the landmark Sunshine Skyway Bridge, is the value. For more information, check, the property website.

Today I took my husband over to The Exotic Plumeria, a plumeria nursery in Seffner, Florida - just east of Tampa, and about a 40 minute drive from St Petersburg.

Some of the plumeria in my yard came from this nursery, but I'd never been over to see it.

Yes, here in Florida, they grow over 200 varieties of plumeria! They even ship to Hawaii, believe it or not.

They sell wholesale and retail, from cutting to trees twice as tall as I am.

Alan Bunch, whose interest turned to a hobby to a business to a passion, was there and he as well as all the employees were helpful and knowledgeable.

The plumeria, also called the Frangipani in the Caribbean, grows well here in the Tampa Bay area.

Talk about stress relief - at the end of the day, before dark, I enjoy walking around our small yard with George (my husband) and seeing new blossoms, and watching the head of a pin become a beautiful flower.

No, sadly, it's not like Hawaii. The fragrance doesn't envelop you throughout the garden, and you don't have extensive groves to walk through, with plumeria everywhere. It is nice, though, to drive home and in several yards along my street so see the plumeria, multi colored, in many shapes. On one street I even drive by a tree with red, pink AND yellow blossoms  -  ok, when you look closely you see that there are actually three trees planted close together, and that their branches intertwine so that it LOOKS like one tree with multiple colors.

Kristal Kraft posted a solution to stress relief. Hers is one you can do online - our team needs one that's more physical as well as mental:

Each of us keeps some stress reliever "toys" in our desk drawer -

• the house you can squeeze,
• the beanbag you can squish -

the kinds of things you can usually get free at trade shows. Our key, though, is not to just squeeze or squish them ...

When one of us gets out of line, we throw one at them. If one of us is REALLY bad, the other three throw simultaneously from different directions.

We're a family team, so harassment charges are out.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could guarantee sunshine for relocation trips, slowings and vacations? Sadly, we can't, even though St Petersburg is nicknamed The Sunshine City and the evening newspaper used to give away free newspapers on any day without sunhine.

Priceline, however, has just announced "Sunshine Guaranteed" vacation packages (100+ destinations, including rainy London). Book this, and they offer a 100% refund if it rains more than half an inch a day on half or more of the days, including travel days. Refund includes cost of airfare, hotel, rental car, attractions and services which were in the package.

Like everything else, I'm sure restrictions apply - but during hurricane season, that might be worthwhile!