So let’s suppose I was thinking about buying a car. Not really, but let’s go with this for a while. Let’s also say I want a new Ford Expedition. I go visit World Ford and meet a young smart salesperson who knows the car from bumper to bumper and tire to luggage rack. They then quote me a price – we haggle and settle on what I will pay – then I’m off to finance to get the payments. After this I visit my friend Corry Wilkes at Frontier Motors who finds me a new Ford Expedition with 2,000 miles for several thousand dollars less and can arrange a finance plan at lower interest so my payments are 40% less. What would you do?

But, Bill you sell houses why are you talking about cars? To make a point of course. Here we go. You pick a home in 2006 and negotiate the best price you can. You go to see Kasie Copeland at Gulf Coast Community Bank and get the best interest rate available. Now fast forward to 2011. Your cousin buys this same home from you and again gets the best price and terms possible and Kasie gets him a 4.25% home loan. Guess What? Their cost of owning this same home is 40% less than when you bought it in 2006. “Housing affordability has improved dramatically because of declines in both prices and mortgage interest rates,” said David Stiff, chief economist at Fiserv. “The monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced single-family home is now $700, compared to $1,140 in 2006 — a decline of nearly 40 percent. Nationally, purchase mortgage payments now account for only 13 percent of monthly median family income, the lowest percentage on record (since 1971), and compared to 23 percent in the first quarter of 2006.” http://newsroom.fiserv.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622254

Here’s the real deal – If you could buy that new Ford Expedition (or any new car) and it cost you 40% less to own than one you bought in 2006 would you think that a really good investment? Now, I doubt (as a matter of fact I know) you can not do that with any car, but you can for a home.

Visit http://PensacolaHome.com to begin your hunt. Call or text me at 850 261 5133 and let’s have a sit down.

Back to the vehicle purchase – the only thing it cost me to check out the new Ford Expedition was my time unless I signed on the line for the car. The only thing it will cost you or someone you know to meet with me is some of your time. And, I promise you it will be time well spent.

What did you say – Add Single Family Homes to your Portfolio? Are you nuts? The only news you hear is how terrible the home market is. Home prices keep falling. Well I say – Supposition leads to Presumption that leads to Perception and is Perception always Reality?

Now here are the facts and the only market I am talking about is the Greater Pensacola Market. I can’t help you in the Miami or Las Vegas or Atlanta or any other market because all and I mean all real estate is local. Nothing you hear about the national averages matter. If you live, work and consider investing in real estate nothing else matters except the local real estate market.

So let’s talk local. And by local, I am going to tell you about 1 subdivision near NAS Pensacola, Emerald Shores. Right now there are 7 single family homes on the market for an average price of $143,000 and only 3 homes for rent for an average rent of $1,150. These facts prove my theory – why – because in todays world of real estate we have lost about 30% of the potential buyers. These people have had one or several problems. Family problems, loss of income, but the main one is caused by the housing market. Many of the military families we used to sell homes to can’t sell the homes they have. Many others simply can’t make the mortgage payments. Many for some reason missed some payments – The reason makes no difference. I feel terrible for these folks. We nearly lost our home. But for whatever reason they are now looking for homes to rent and not buy. I picked Emerald Shores because over time the highest percentage of buyers were military or retired military and it’s proximity to the back gate of NAS, but I could use any area and the stats would be almost the same.

Now the boring part – the numbers. Say you buy the home for the average price of $143,000 and get a 80% mortgage – do you love the word LEVERAGE as much as I do – you would invest around $32,000 for down payment and closing cost! Your total payment is $840 per month. Remember the average rent is $1,150.

Now here’s the best part of this investment plan. I give you two options. Option 1 is we do a lease purchase to a qualified family who experienced problems with their prior home. In 3 years they will be able to correct their problems. Did you know that if they had a VA or FHA foreclosure they can qualify again in 3 years? So, in essence you are the bank for 3 years. They put a large $8,000 down payment and the lease payment is $1,350 instead of $1,150 rent. The lease purchase is for a 3 year period and the purchase price is $160,600 or 10% more than your purchase price plus closing cost. At this time they have a total of $15,200 built up for their down payment and closing cost. Option 2 is that you put the home in a rental program under our management and wait for the market to move up and then sell the home.

Either way, you have an asset that you only invested 20% to own, realize all the tax benefits that real estate allows and a very good return on your investment and a better one on your cash invested.

I always say – Where There’s a Bill, There’s a Way. Here’s a way to increase your portfilio with limited risk and really good returns.

I remember the first training I got from my first sales manager. Never use the word DEAL. His thoughts were that it implied something not quite up to snuff, on the level – or as he said “people will think there’s something your not telling them. Also, he said remeber the saying “if it sounds like too good a deal, it is.” People DEAL drugs. People DEAL cards. Courts DEAL with criminals.

Well, here’s my druthers. I love that word. Druthers – one’s on way, choice or preference. I believe a good DEAL is only a good DEAL when everyone gets something in return. Other wise it’s a con.

Let’s think about buying a home. Is it a good DEAL if you can get anything for what you paid for it in 2002? Is it a good DEAL if you can get a home loan for the same thing it was in 1960? Is it a good DEAL if I can negotiate for you to get a home with the seller pays most of the closing cost? If the answer to only one of these were yes, wouldn’t that be a good DEAL? If yes to two of these is it an INCREDIBLE DEAL. If you could buy a home and all three were true, shouldn’t that be a DEAL you shouldn’t pass up

Many families have waited for this time to buy a home. They have gone through the uncertainty of whether home prices were going to go lower. In our market home prices have stabalized for the past year. They have wondered if interest rates would keep going down. We are to the point now that lenders can’t do loans for less and make any money – and if they can’t make money – they won’t make loans.

Don’t keep waiting for a better DEAL when the DEAL I can help you get now is INCREDIBLE and so good that you can’t pass it up. So in summation – Let’s Get Busy Buying and I’ll make sure you get a GREAT DEAL.

Go To and begin the hunt. Or if you are in a real hurry – Call or Text me at 850 261 5133 and let’s get this DEAL started.

I don’t know if I have ever been able to say this in my life. But today you can get a 30 Year fixed VA or FHA loan right at 4% with no points. Yes Bill you say but home prices are still going down. Well let look at some stats from the Pensacola Association of Realtors MLS. In July of 2010 we sold 368 homes at a medium price of $139,000. In July of 2011 we sold 419 homes at a medium price of $145,000.
But in any case the one fact that is clear is that these interest rates will go up. Let’s compare a 5% loan to a 4% loan in payments. This will be for a $150,000 loan and won’t include taxes or insurance. At 5% the payment is $805.23 and at 4% it is $716.12. This is a difference of $89.11. You have a choice. You can either save the $89.11 each month or if you prefer buy a more expensive home for the same payment. For the same payment of $805.23 you can buy a home with a price of $169,000, almost $20,000 more home for the same price.
This means you can get a larger home, buy one with a pool, get in a better neighborhood, add some bedrooms or whatever makes you happier.
In this world of real estate we live in today, there are many folks who don’t have the option to take advantage of these times. If you think you can take advantage of this market and interest rates let me help. Remember, the answer is always NO until you ask.

This article at the end is about interest rates going down for the 6th week.  You read this week about housing prices falling.  I have said for several years that our home prices now are similar to home prices in 2004 in our market.  In some parts of the country they match 2002 prices.  Will prices in Pensacola continue to go down?  Do you see a crystal ball on my desk?  Right, you can’t see my desk.  In my opinion without America going into a serious depression we are close to the bottom of prices in the Greater Pensacola Market.

But, the price you pay for a home is only a part of the total cost of home ownership.  A much bigger part is what interest rate you pay.  And let me make an absolute statement of fact.  Today you can get a VA or FHA loan for 4.75% fixed for 30 years.  I am working with a buyer now who is making an offer for $140,000 on a very nice home.  The present owners of this home paid $194,500 for it in mid-2005.  Interest rates in 2005 were between 6.5 and 7% making their total payment $1,454.  My buyers total payment will be $946 and they could not rent this home for that amount.

Now here is the magic. THERE IS NO INFLATION ON THE INTEREST RATE.  WHAT EVER THE INTEREST RATE YOU GET TODAY YOU WILL HAVE FOR 30 YEARS. 

I don’t know if home prices will go down further, but I know this:  INTEREST RATES WILL GO UP.  The $140,000 home at 7% interest rate will have a payment of $1,152 or over $200 per month higher than the present interest rate of 4.75%.  THIS IS $2,400 MORE PER YEAR AND $72,000 MORE OVER 30 YEARS.

The truth is that if you can get qualified to buy a home now you really need to buy one.  YOU CAN BUY A HOME FOR LESS THAN YOU CAN RENT IT FOR.  Please Call or Text Bill at 8502615133 to arrange a good time to talk.  Truth is that every day you don’t may be costing you a lot of money.  Visit http://PensacolaHome.com to view all homes listed in our MLS.

Here’s the article:  http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=1&id=260713

Baseball season is here.  College basketball just ended.  Unfortunately college football won’t be around again until the first of September.  NFL – who knows.  I think this Bible quote is more prone to our lives than Tennessee football though.

There is however in the Greater Paradise, ah Pensacola market a season to sell your home.  That would be now.  April listings bring Summer closings.  Or at least by the season school starts again.  The grass is green, trees are green, and so is the money folks tend to spend this season. 

Here’s what I suggest.  Visit http://www.pensacolahome.com/ and click on Your Home’s Value.  This will give you up to date information on the value of your home.  Then click on http://www.pensacolahome.com/mx/sold-homes-search/ to find all the homes that sold that are similar to yours recently. 

These are some of the facts you need to make a decision.  I’m one Realtor who says if you can keep your home for a while do it.  But if you are going to sell your home in the next few years (3 or less), do it now.  Interest rates are low, financing is available and buyers are looking.  Why not let them look at your home?

I would love to give you my value opinion.  Please call or text Bill @ 850 261 5133 and Let The Season Begin

This will be a short message.  Short and Sweet.  The future holds what it holds.  Now that sounds like a philosopher.  Or does it sound like the truth.  I wish I could tell you when the housing market will improve, but there are signs of life.

Like:  http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011032801?OpenDocument

Or:  http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011032805?OpenDocument

Slowly but surely we are working our way out of this mess.  One thing I can promice you is that interest rates will go up.  They got up to nearly 6% before falling back to the levels now.  Do you know how much more house you can buy at today’s rates of about 4.75% compaired to 6% for the same payment?  More than you may think.

If buying a home is part of your plan for the next few years and you can  -  Please buy now.  Visit http://PensacolaHome.com and start your search.  Or call or text Bill @ 8502615133 and start there.

Have you noticed all the trees budding out?  The spring flowering has begun and again we get to witness the miracle of transformation.  Dead looking tree branches will become invested with leaves.  Azaleas will soon paint our world with color.  Yards are converting from brown to green.  It’s spring time folks.  Now is the time to fertilize the lawns, trim the crepe myrtles, tune up the lawn mowers and yes get your home on the market. 

Do you know that in our MLS from April 1 through August just about 50% of the homes sold for the year are closed?  Did you know that the days on the market is about 20% less in these months?  It’s like Aunt Veera used to say to Cuzin’ Dorsey every morning, “Boy, put on your shoes and go get the eggs.”  If you are going to sell your home now is the time to get a sign in the front yard.

Now, every home is different and every home owner is also.  Circumstances change with every address.  That’s why I love what I do.  It is my job to know the market and give you the information you need to make a decision based on the facts.  Now here is the reality of what I just said.  It’s free for you to see.  It cost you nothing for me to evaluate your home and the value. 

MyOnlineHouse.com has a plan that will fit all home selling needs.  We call it Real Estate with Options.  Go to http://myonlinehouse.com/sellers/ and see what I mean.  Every home is different and each owner deserves to have a choice of how best to sell their home.

Just remember this.  Spring is Springing.  If you are thinking about selling your home, Now is the time.  Call or text Bill at 850 261 5133 or email me at Bill@MyOnlineHouse.com and let me offer you my 15 years of experience.  It’s Free To See.

Message to Renters

I’m guessing there are several reasons you are renting now.  Possibly you have some credit issues.  Maybe you think you don’t have enough for the down payment.  Could be you don’t think you should buy a home now.  I wonder if you just are scared of the home buying process.

Well, let’s take these one at a time. 

Credit issues.  Many families have sadly lost their homes in the past few years.  I’m sorry to say that it will take several years to remedy this.  Others have lower scores or no payment history.  These can be solved in a much shorter time than you think.  I know a lender who will work with you so that over time (many times a few months) to qualify you for a home.

Down Payment.  There is a misconception that you have to have several thousand dollars to close on a home.  There are VA loans with no money down.  FHA only requires 3.5% down.  But, did you know about a Rural Development loan?  This loan requires no money down, will loan up to 102% of the purchase price (if appraisal allows) and can close in just over 30 days.  This loan does require you buy a home north of 10 Mile, west of 11 Mile Creek, but all of Santa Rosa County except Gulf Breeze.  Now, suppose I could negotiate the contract so the seller paid all your closing cost and you would have no out of pocket expenses.  I just had a family buy a home with not 1 penny of their money.

Shouldn’t Buy Now.  In my 15 years there has never been a better time to buy.  Home prices now are what they were in 2002 – 2003.  Name anything you can buy for what they sold for in 2002.  Also, interest rates are 5%.  This combination of low interest and low prices won’t come along again any time soon.

Scared of the home buying process.  This one I totally understand.  I remember buying my first home in Albany Georgia a long time ago.  I paid $23,000 for a nice home, did a VA loan and was scared to death.  Thankfully, I had a Realtor who was patient and understanding and left no questions unanswered.  The key to a new buyer being scared is a Realtor who knows what you are going through and a lender who will answer most of your questions before they are asked.

Call or Text me at 850 261 5133 and let me help you move from renter to owner.  Remember, Where There’s a Bill, There’s a Way.

What is your favorite car?  Now, I don’t mean the one you pick up the kids in or load with groceries or any of the things life has us do.  I mean if you could pick any type of vehicle you wanted to, what would that be?  Top of the line Mercedes?  Porsche?  Escalade?  You get to pick.  But I can’t afford one of these high end vehicles.  Now just for a moment, since we are speculating, let’s speculate on this.  What if you could get that top of the line Mercedes that retails for $100,000 for $15,000?  Now that’s affordablity.

Now let think about the housing market.  Let’s say you are now paying $1,000 rent.  In 2007 you could buy a $120,000* house for the same total payment (principle, interest, taxes and insurance).  That would buy you about a 1100 square foot three bedroom two bath home.  Now you can buy (in today’s interest rates) a $140,000* home.  This will get you an 1,900 square foot three bedroom, two bath with a 2 car garage.  Affordability. 

Now let’s say you can afford a payment of around $1,500 per month.  This will now get you a home for $220,000*.  This is a really nice 2,500 (I mean really nice) square foot home in a really nice neighborhood.  Affordability.   

We are selling homes for what they sold for in late 2002 to mid 2003.  Interest rates are still around 5%.  46% of the sales in January were distress sales (short sales and foreclosures). 

Affordability.     Affordability.     Affordability.    It doesn’t matter whether you are a first time buyer or moving up please – please – please don’t miss this time to buy.  If you do, I truly believe that you and I can share a beer in 5 years and be very glad you listened to me NOW.

It’s like Dave Ramsey says, “Real Estate is on Sale Now.”  Don’t miss the Sale.

Affordability.

*All payments are the mortgage amount so with a down payment the purchase price could be higher.