Houses For Sale – How to Find a Better Home for Sale ⌂ Los Angeles Phoenix New York Texas Florida Illinois

Find Houses for Sale with this Super Strategy

Shop online for groceries, car insurance, or houses for sale, you’ll get better results by searching. In the case of home shopping, you’re going to save tens of thousands of dollars and get the home you want in the neighborhood you want.

That’s the beautiful thing about the Internet — a boundless number of sites that compete for your business. There is no one single source for condos and houses for sale. They all compete but they don’t cooperate.

Below is an integrated home search strategy that will your make your house for sale search quest exciting and help you find the best property. You can still use a Realtor, but with this you’re still in charge and your Realtor will have to work to represent you.

People have so many hopes tied to acquiring a house (and dream home) yet most homes available for sale are a poor fit and a bad investment. You don’t have to setlle. When you limit your search, you ruin your chance to be happy. Google is a great help. Lots of help in finding open houses. But first, create a home search plan.

Seriously? A Home Search Plan?

Those who don’t plan, plan to fail. A bad choice has such serious consequences in money and happiness. Take your time. And some selection criteria are more important than others. List the must haves in your search and don’t deviate too far from. Here’s a few examples:

which specific zip codes or neighbourhoods are right for your family? Find zip code neighborhood ratings and eliminate those with high crime ratings, no green space, recreation, inconvenient shopping, poor roads and utilities, poor schools quality
excessive commute times? (how much can tolerate?)
what size home do you need? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
age and condition of home? (headaches and heartaches)
what price range do you qualify for? How much for house, how much for renovations to improve bathrooms or create open concept layout?
what downpayment should you have? (private financing)
what payments can you manage? (house poor and depressed?)
what will you absolutely not accept? (bad neighbors, viscious dogs, radio, swearing, drugs, drinking; and now you’ll take your time to make sure these awful things aren’t next door to you and your kids.)
how much capital gains will you need over ten years? (you’ll eventually sell this house)

Realtor Systems are for Creating Sales

You’re not a transaction, you’re a family with a future. Keep in mind that Realtor type systems aim to sell you a house fast, not to let you get picky. They might not even know about recent crime in the neighborhood or the condition and cost to upgrade the home to healthy.

You may need to go online, or use social media listening tools to learn of bad things in the neighborhood. At some point, your kids will come to face to face with them.

setup a separate, new email address for the house hunting project only
find your own home inspector
use all the home finding sources below

Check out the housing markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Boston, and Miami. The Florida housing forecast should be of keen interest to northern retirees and investors weighing the value of rental properties.

It’s understandable that you want to get right at it, and search for a few possibilities online or just call a Realtor™. That’s not wise. It’s far better to create your own web of contacts and resources. This big machine will help you tap into the biggest pool of homes and leads. I have a collection of home search resources that will give you better results than any Realtor™. And you’ll find 16 tips on homes for sale searching below too — a pro researcher’s process to help you scan for the best homes for sale online and select the right one. We’re going to get you on the sure path to your dream home — a powerful investment and a launchpad to a happy life.

Sharing is Good for Your Social Health

Please share this huge list of amazing property listing sites that have homes for sale below with your friends and family. Help them get the best and avoid the worst. This could be life saving!

Whether as a home or as a property investment income generator, you’re smart. It’s the one investment that creates additional streams of revenue from renters to solar roof panels to tax write offs.

With these tips and resources you can search and drill down to find the best homes for sale, including those not listed on the MLS. Google alerts can help you find new property listings that appear on websites, pages that aren’t very well promoted, because the real estate agent doesn’t want to spend money on Internet marketing.

Don’t rely on lazy Realtors — take massive action to find all potential properties for sale and work with winners.

17 Tips for Home Searching – Online and Offline

visualize the type of home you want and avoid buying whatever the market has up for sale
list your home feature priorities as a guide to keep you on track (e.g.,# of bedrooms floors and washrooms, square footage, distance to school or park, price point)
research the best cities and zip codes with good schools, low crime rate, lower taxes, and lower density
check out the home price history in the city, neighborhood/zip code, comps for similar houses, and the frequency of sales in the neighborhood
do an online search of the street, neighbors, and see what comes up
get preapproved and know how much you qualify for and how you will manage paying the home loan payments for years — don’t waste time searching for homes $100k above your budget
search for the best mortgage deal online – don’t get stuck with a local mortgage agent who sweet talks you into a less than ideal solution
find a good home inspector you can rely on to give you the best insight into the home’s condition
search online for a good realtor, and do not just call one and settle — ask questions about experience, marketing skills, sales and negotiation experience, references, communication skills, and check their website out thoroughly — is this someone who is really into being a Realtor?
connect with many different Realtors since each of them have their own connections and opportunities — the more the better
search online using a variety of sources and get alerts from many Realtors and Google alerts on new properties
before you go to a showing, create a spreadsheet chart that lists each feature you must have and below some nice to have’s and give them a 1 to 3 rating each – bold the top 3 must haves.
measure your furniture and list them on a piece of paper and when you arrive at the home, sketch out the home layout and its dimensions – you can review them later when you have more time to think about everything you need in this home — don’t be impulsive but instead be critical, because if you like it, you’ll get your endorphin boost later
pretend you’re a home inspector and walk around the property and the neighborhood — get a feel for this location and whether you feel comfortable, and take note of the attitude of your neighbors — you’ll be seeing them often
take lots of photos inside the home – zoom in on the kitchen, bathroom, so you’ll have these for future reference when you’re comparing homes
ask to see the actual tax statements and utility bills
check the homeowner’s social pages and Google them thoroughly

Is the home you’re searching for Tech Friendly? Even Millennial aged buyers forget this factor when attending open houses or showings. Tech-friendly is in.

Infographic courtesy of Porch and https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569142471629698008/

Before you buy, make sure you learn more about the housing market, (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, and Vancouver). These are exceptionally hot markets where you’ll find high priced properties. For other lower priced markets see the cities page. Learn more about cities at city-data.com.

Best Places to Search for a Home

Looking in all the wrong places? There’s a cure for that — the right places. Take your time and peruse all of these so you craft a better understanding of the home search process.

Homes for Sale in Los Angeles – Search for dream properties in LA – owners list in Dream Homes Magazine to reach the wealthy clientele.
Homes for Sale in San Diego – Dream Homes has the best coverage of San Diego.
Luxury Homes for Sale above $10 Million+ For the world’s wealthiest 1%, Mega Dream Homes is the place to visit. Find a super luxury home real estate agent.
Homes for Sale in New York – Zillow is one site you need to use more often. They operate outside of the MLS system and can help you find additional properties.
Homes for Sale Silicon Valley CA – Sothebys has its own set of luxury home listings in the lucrative market in Silicon Valley.
Homes for Sale San Francisco – Century 21 is yet one more channel to search in the scarce San Francisco market.
Luxury Homes for Sale San Jose CA – Luxury Portfolio has additional opportunties you should get connected with.
Homes for Sale Seattle – Redfin could be an aid to your search in 2017.
Find new homes for sale in Canada at Buzzbuzzhomes.
How about a new home in Phoenix via the New Home Source?
Check out Boston’s hot home market with Coldwell Banker Realty
Search for Bargains in Calgary Alberta – The Saudis are already jacking up the price of oil and guess who has oil? Calgary Home Boys know the Calgary market.
Movoto is yet another resource to help you find homes in Chicago.
Homes for Sale Salt Lake City – How about Ziprealty for a unique selection of properties.
Denver Home search – should foreclosures be a part of your search?
Condo investments in Miami – Are condos good investments?
I wouldn’t recommend Craiglist real estate to find Atlanta homes for sale right now, however in a few years, it might be a relevant source.
How about searching an FSBO site for Homes for sale in Denver?
Find a home in Houston with Better Homes and Gardens
Dallas homes searches using an auction service?
Keller Williams is yet one more search option in Philadelphia
Search the scarce listings of homes in Vancouver for sale on Point2point.
If you’re patient and want a lower initial investment point in your home investment strategy you could keep informed with distressedpropertiessale.com
Find the best bargain properties via the Times Picayune in New Orleans.
Looking for investment property in San Antonio? Asking an experienced income property investor could be helpful.

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Bookmark this page and return for further housing market forecasts, predictions, expert opinions and market data for most major US cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket/Aurora, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna,Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu.

March 30, 2017March 25, 2018

Boca Raton Homes for Sale – Waterfront Condos & Luxury Homes

Boca Raton Real Estate

The name Boca Raton conjures up a lot of luxurious images for home buyers across the US and abroad. The town with the exotic name is famous for luxury and the ultimate in lifestyle. In fact, opulence might better describe the lifestyle here. But it’s also a life of meaning and purpose.

The whole God’s waiting room reputation has left this area, with many buyers now being younger and career minded. It’s attracted a youthful, vibrant and entrepreneurial new home buyer to Palm Beach County. With the market flattening, you’ve got a better price point for your Florida dream home.

If you’re looking for a better life, you may find this community in South Florida gives you better access to every kind of advantage possible. And the weather and climate here are unbelievable. You’ll be enjoying the beach, your swimming pool, playing golf a fantastic local clubs where you’ll meet some accomplished and interesting residents.

The strange thing is this same image of immaculate luxury homes and modern beachfront condos, rolls royces, and private gated communities scares a lot of buyers and investors away.

They assume this land of millionaires and 8,000 square foot, 8 bedroom estates is priced out of reach and they wouldn’t be welcome. Yet Boca Raton Florida offers a lot for those with a more modest budget.

There’s a good reason why Boca Raton FL has this reputation for fine living, American culture, and topical living. It has these in spades. For buyers looking for economic and career possibilities, along with the best schools for their kids, and a home that does more to relax than a years worth of massages. Just being here takes the edge off of life. It puts you into a more productive and optimistic frame of mind.

And considering how the South Florida economy is booming, with population rising fast, a lot of people seem to be of similar opinion. Florida is the place to be right now.

If you’re thinking of investing here, or taking the plunge to a better life with a home purchase, I think you’ll be enthralled with these pics of the best of Boca Raton. Waterfront or inland Ranch homes, luxury estate or beachfront condo, let your mind drink in the beauty of Boca Raton Florida. All of the photos below are owned by Beaches MLS© in Palm Beach County. I am not a Palm Beach Realtor, however my client is. If you need a Realtor in Boca Raton, please contact Homes of South Florida and find your Palm Beach dream home.

This 4,000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom luxury home below located in Boca Raton looks like a millionaire’s abode. Picture yourself languishing by the pool, or pampering your guests at the bar, or just feeling free and unfettered in the 20 foot ceiling space living area. This astonishing golf course home is available at this time of writing at $699,000.

Luxury Home for Sale, Bocaire Golf Club, Boca Raton Area: $699,000

Photo Courtesy of Beaches MLS© – Wow, a stunningly beautiful stately home on a golf course next to a pond. Can you beat this for curb appeal?

Find out more about this home and other properties at Homes of South Florida and find out what’s happening in the US housing market and the local real estate market in Palm Beach. If there was ever a time to move to Florida, this is it.

4173 Bocaire Blvd in Boca Raton FL – SOLD

This spacious 4,000 square foot detached home for sale in Boca Raton on the Bocaire Golf Club. Only a golfer can truly appreciate this amazing view and opportunity. And everyone else will just love it.

Waterfront Home – Boca Raton

This waterfront home sle in Boca Raton offers 3 bedrooms in 3000 square foot living space with a beautiful inground swimming pool. The master bedroom is spacious and amazing and there is no shortage of windows to let that warming Florida sunshine in!

Waterfront Luxury Homes – 21144 Ormond Court, Boca Raton

This spacious 4400 square foot waterfront home is designed for contemporary tastes. You’ll appreciate the views, open concept, beautiful master bath, and wonderful kitchen. Get the details and ask about more homes for sale in Boca Raton at Homes of South Florida.

These are just a sampling of the luxury homes for sale in Boca Raton. And there are homes that are much better than this. If Florida might be in your future, make sure you do some searches at Homes of South Florida, then inquire about how to buy a home in Florida. You’ll enjoy the fact there is no state tax here.

Contact Realtor Michael Goldberg of United Realty in Boca Raton: 561 231-0021.

December 9, 2016February 21, 2018

Luxury Real Estate in Costa Rica | Luxury Homes in Paradise

Where to Buy Costa Rica Real Estate

Where is the best place to invest in real estate for long term gain or for retirement? There’s plenty of cities in the US to retire comfortably with growth potential, but you’d have to wonder if there is any better potential than Costa Rica Real Estate.

This paradise is on everybody’s travel bucket list. More than 2 million travelers vacation in Costa Rica each year and many would like to retire there.

If I’m first to introduce you to this exciting real estate investment opportunity called Costa Rica, then that’s wonderful. If you can afford a property here, you’ll enjoy and likely make a good return on your investment. Prices here have matured, but there are still opportunities in land, condo developments and single properties. You only need a good adviser.

And while Costa Rica seems perfectly suited to everyone, it is perhaps the wealthy who are most likely to live here. As you can see in these photos of luxury homes in Costa Rica below, the wealthy have arrived. Luxury homes and condos continue to be built and they represent quite an investment opportunity for those capable of taking the plunge.

Investing in any foreign country carries risk, but the risk is perhaps least in Costa Rica. The country is politically stable, immigration and investment positive, and taxes are low. It’s a compelling place to invest.

Finding market data and reliable source of information on the investment climate in Costa Rica is the challenge. There are real estate brokers and investment firms that can advise you on buying property here. One of the most well known is Viva Tropic. Viva Tropic produces a report that you’ll find helpful. This graphic from the report gives a breakdown of prices by property type to give you an idea. As you peruse the listings, you’ll get a better picture of what’s available and where. They have quite a collection on their website.

What Do Luxury Homes in Costa Rica Look Like?

As you can see below, they’re beautiful structures and living spaces in a style and architecture befitting this magnificent paradise. And the variety including houses in countryside, seaside mansions or fine urban condos, many with unparalleled views means you can find a place you like. I’m sure your vision of this former third world country will be shattered.

Is 2017 the best year to buy rental income property in the last 10 years? The best investments in 2017 are likely in rental income properties. Have you compared investing in the stock market vs real estate.

Okay, so there is your taste of incredible luxury homes in Costa Rica. Here is a variety of realtors and advisors websites to peruse and learn more.

Viva Tropical: vivatropical.com download their 194 page guide http://cdn.vivatropical.com/costa-report.pdf

Newspaper article from 3 years ago for perspective: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/mortgages-and-rates/looking-to-buy-a-tropical-paradise-here-are-5-property-markets-primed-for-growth/article14989189/?page=all

Costa Rica Investment: https://www.propertiesincostarica.com/invest.html

The Costa Rican News: http://thecostaricanews.com/2015-costa-rica-real-estate-forecast-where-you-should-invest-in-the-land-of-pura-vida/

2CostaRica’s home listings: http://www.2costaricarealestate.com/All_Listings/page_1363157.html

International Living’s page on Cost Rica: https://internationalliving.com/real-estate/costa-rica/

How to become a resident of Costa Rica: http://www.therealcostarica.com/residency_costa_rica/costa_rica_residency.html

Moving to Costa Rica: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/livingabroadin/living_abroad_in_costa_rica_moving.shtml

7 Best Places to Live in Costa Rica: http://www.expatexchange.com/ctryguide/4362/33/Costa-Rica/Expat-Costa-Rica-Best-Places-to-Live-in-Costa-Rica

Palms Realty Brokers in Costa Rica: https://palmsrealtycr.com/buy-costa-rica-real-estate/

Prestige MLS Costa Rica, amazing listings: http://www.prestige-mls.com/

Property Tax Rates in Costa Rica: http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Latin-America/Costa-Rica/Taxes-and-Costs

March 16, 2016

8 Key Skills/Habits of the Best Luxury Real Estate Agents

What Truly does Create a Successful Luxury Realtor?

Realtors who specialize more in the luxury market likely have a few unique personal and professional traits that bode well for them. The stars in this niche might not match our picture of them however. They could actually possess negative traits.

As long as they have these 8 professional traits/activities listed below they may overcome anything and build an insurmountable edge in selling the most high priced luxurious condos and estate homes.

What separates elite realtors from the rest? It may a belief in themselves, that they can do anything and are quite happy to do whatever it takes to improve their business. After they eliminate all the stuff that they’ve discovered doesn’t work, they focus more on what will.

And they have that joyful optimism that says “I can do this.”

Success in real estate does take time, however top realtors know they must take what does work and accelerate it. Sure, human relationships are organic and it takes time for everyone in the community to get to know your reputation. So anything that accelerates your reach, credibility and familiarity is worth doing.

In luxury real estate, poise, trust, and presence in the upscale communities are important. Are millionaires more exposed to fraud or bad transactions than the less wealthy? Not really. Rich homeowners want a realtor that “belongs or looks like they belong in their circle”, whom they can trust and will take all the pain away. They consider their circle a prestigious club. If a Vancouver millionaire wants to sell their $2 to $10 million home, they’re likely going to contact one of the top realtors such as Merrily Hackett (over $15 billion in sales volume and 22,000 real estate ends in 2015!) and Jason Soprovich. They’re the most visible and reputed millionaire realtors in Vancouver.

Jason has been involved in over One Billion Dollars of Residential Sales and was ranked West Vancouver’s #1 Realtor for 2011 based on a record setting $265,000,000 Dollar Volume of Sales for a single calendar year. Jason has earned a wealth of professional expertise, knowledge, sophisticated resources and unique skills along with an understanding of the Marketing and Promotion of Luxury Real Estate down to every last detail.

“I believe there is no substitute for aggressive promotion, networking, and a deep comprehension of market conditions and honed negotiating skills. Success is not measured solely by sales, but by relationships built, continually communicating with clients and by responding to their individual needs; as well as, appreciating the special qualities of their property.” Read interview in the Vancouver Sun with Jason.

Top 8 attributes of a great Luxury Real Estate Agent:

Actively prospects 3 hours per day. Countless studies show successful Realtors are ardent prospectors and salespeople. Merilly Hackett is quoted as saying her priority is prospecting and sales. And smart realtors don’t doddle with social media and content marketing either. Instead, finding someone really good means saving their precious time.
Focuses on more Listings. This entails finding homeowners who want to sell, thus they’re putting more time into networking and meeting people to create more touchpoints with people in communities. Word does get around and they’re actively invested in the communities, businesses, and upscale residents where million dollar listings are prevalent. They also create a presence on the lifestyle and real estate websites homeowners frequent. Online and off, they focus on reaching people with homes to sell.
Uses Sales Scripts. Using their tested best selling conversation means finding a conversational and inquiry process which they’ve found works for them. This improves engagement with prospects and leads to higher closing rates. This conversation with prospects continues online and off. If the first contact goes well, it puts the relationship on sound footing and that tends to continue, ultimately leading to sales transaction and a long term professional friendship.
Hires a Digital Marketer and an Assistant. Though some agents hire an realtor assistant who may free up considerable time, that person is not an excellent digital marketer. Online reach and impact are very important now to help support the realtor’s real world networking and communications. And using SEO, Social Media, email, content marketing, and even paid advertising are all part of what’s now called omnichannel marketing, is necessary because it maximizes the collective promotional value. Combining roles creates double mediocrity.
Networks with other Successful Realtors. Other realtors may often be your best clients and it never hurts to know the best in the business. Realtors from other areas of the city, country or world might send clients your way if they know about you, or find you online. This means making an effort to create conversations with other realtors — they refer to who they know, trust and might benefit from. This is business. Here’s where digital marketing, SEO and content marketing pay dividends. It makes you visible online and creates touchpoints with other realtors — the touchpoints that mean something to them. They are an important customer prospect.
Builds a strong local presence. Visibility via outdoor advertising, digital advertising, and community activities and perhaps some timely print material gets you known. And yes, getting your lawn sign in a great neighbourhood is always a key goal. This is where active networking and interpersonal time comes in too. Nothing makes an impact better than connecting with people face to face whether at sports events, community events, or other social activities. If your face and name are all over the place, it makes it easier for people to approach you.
Delivers Wow Factor. Realtors that use drone video, interior video, superb photography, beautiful staging, and an amazing fun experience on their website impresses homesellers. They may bring a large tablet computer to show how they can improve their home and landscaping for even more value add. They can’t help like a realtor who brings out the beauty and full value of their home online. Who wouldn’t be impressed. Being listed on a site such as Dream Homes Magazine or the Robb Report adds even more prestige. And let’s not forget the value of being highlighted in the media.
Understands the local market exceedingly well. A property is worth whatever buyers think it’s worth. A hovel in Toronto or Vancouver has sold for an obscene price. Luxury realtors such as Jason Soprovich know how to buy and position a high value property for sale. There’s a lot more play in the luxury market thus allowing for more creativity in presentation of value and negotiating a price. Knowing which features are most important to specific buyers allows them to clinch a better price. This impression of competence gives them a lasting reputation as a master of sales.

By following these top sales professional traits, you’ll push yourself into the elite category and focus your time on the activities that truly do bring the best long term results. If it takes time to build a regular real estate career, it takes even more effort, strategy, and resources to become the next Merilly Hackett or Jason Soprovich.

Who do you feel is the most notable luxury real estate agent in your city?

Affordable Leads for Luxury Realtors

What’s the value of realtor leads for the next 5 years? Immense, and when you create them yourself, they’re not cold leads which is you receive from lead generation companies. Today’s best luxury real estate agents develop their own unique and impressive realtor brand. These impressions have a powerful effect on buyer/seller attitudes.