Mike's Blog

What a wonderful way to end the day...sitting here in my office listening to Debbie Andersohn, yes thats Brads wife, singing her song on the video he put out on todays blog.

I was listening to it about 5:30 AM this morning, and somehow this afternoon I liked it better. I think its great to get to "meet" some of our Active Rain family this way.CONGRATS TO BRAD & DEBBIE FOR THIS VERY NICELY DONE VIDEO!!

Speaking of Active Rain family, I got to meet Broker Bryant in person today!!

We were both a bit pressed for time, but we made time to meet at one of the subdivisions my client is buying. It is in Broker Bryant's area, and who else should we call to give us insight about the demographics? So far, Broker Brant has sent sales reports, subdivision reports, and overall provided local insight as to what my client can expect to  encounter to build new homes here..

Isn't that why we use Realtors. Realtors are supposed to have local knowledge. And Broker Bryant did in fact have good local knowledge, and we do hope we can work out an arrangement between his company and mine to sell off the 166 homes at a reasonable profit for us all.

Another quick fact or two I learned today:

1. Of the neighboring subdivisions we visited in person today, they admitted that since they started putting their inventory on the LOCAL MLS the sales had gone up dramatically...Imagine that, paying Realtors to sell houses....what will they think of next????
2. One of the more successful subdivisions had a surprising statistic from carefully accounting fro the traffic flow in their seven developments......They sold 1 out of 27 people who came into the models and  looked !!!!!! One out of twenty seven actually closed......Since they began listing in the MLS....they now have records that prove 1 out of 7 closed that came in with a Realtor...One out of Seven!!!
3. In a Lake County Subdivision sales office, the manager admitted that when the existing contract with the paper was up, they were going to Realtor driven events only for the next six months, and that Realtor direct closings accounted for over 80% of the homes sales under construction at that time.
4. When I told them I was also a Realtor, I was told that if I could sell an inventory home that I could practically write my own commission check.....

So, its been a long day. Developers Capital Realty, LLC put a nice commercial corner under contract yesterday, and we will hope to have an Orlando Motel in Foreclosure under contract by the end of this week. We are also bidding as buyers agent on a very large subdivision in Sumter County Fla as well. There is a ton of Real Cash available out there for investing in the right deals...Anyone who can find such deals should give me a call at the info listed on my profile page.

Have a great Day all, and thanks again to Broker Bryant for all his hospitality.

What....no ice cream here either.....

I guess I will have to work for a living..........Whats this world coming to when there are Realtors who want to get paid just for listing the property. ...Of course, when I contacted my lawyer today to discuss a deal we are involved in, I realize my time was free and I will get a bill whether I close or not from the lawyer....

Apparently, my time is not worth as much

Its a beautiful day here in Leesburg, Fl. In early spring everything is blooming, and after some above average rainfall lately, the grass is so green on all the yards. I ride my local neighborhoods on a regular basis, you get a different perspective while pedaling.

I have a nice Trek Bike I bought a few years back. After years of bike riding, I finally decided to get serious and take up cycling as a serious endeavor. ANyone who has ever bought a really nice bike will tell you it makes an immediate difference. I had bought a cheaper old, bike and proved to myself that I really would stick to it. After nearly two months of riding, I was up to an average of 6 to 10 miles per day. My health was improving, and the hills were not forcing me to walk the bike to the top any more. I was feeling like Rocky finally makingit to the top of the steps!!

So, off I went to the local bike shop and was wowed by what a difference riding on a quality bike made.The salesman, a serious rider himself, made a recomendation for a Trek Hybrid for my size and age.  I then tried a more expensive bike than what the expert sales guy was reccommending to me...He was right, spending $600.00 more was not going to make my type of riding any better. I ended up spending several hundred less than I expected and got a bike that was great for me to ride neighborhoods.

Its been almost 3 years now, and I have ridden several thousand miles on my bike. I know the neighborhoods, street by street, like few people do. Over the last year, the for sale signs are just not being converted in SOLD.They all say reduced, or Reduced Again!. Some now say "For Sale By Owner". Many say " Lease Option"...Many more say "For Rent".....

Getting to know your neighborhoods is a great way to learn what is and is not working. Lately, apparently not much is working around here. This has to be one of the worst times I have ever seen to be trying to sell and I feel sorry for all the people who are stuck in these situations.

Not much of a message here, except on my way back I stopped by one listing I had put in a cash offer nearly a year ago..It was turned down flat, not even a counter...Now it is listed nearly 30 grand below the cash offer that was turned down...

As I turned down my street, I feel glad to be out of the normal Real Estate business at this time. I made a decision to work with cash investors and have not looked back. We are in for a long down turn and many of the sellers will still be on the market this time next year. Those are just the facts...

In the meantime, I do truly like my Trek Bike, and will continue to ride my neighborhoods....I need to, because these will be my neighbors for a while...

For the last few months I have been working with a new company that deals in distressed properties. Developers Capital Realty, LLC is primarily a buyers agent for investment funds seeking representation in the local l markets. We also have interests, and property aquisitions in other states, but my work is mainly in the Fl, Ga, Tenn, Carolina markets.

We are constantly getting deals to look at from these areas. Recently we bought a great proforma software for analysing these deals and putting them into a consistant format. One of the deals was a subdivision in Poincianna, Fl.

Well, anyone who knows Active Rain knows Broker Bryant. So, as I made the transistion to this company, I called on the man himself, and hoped he would have time to speak with me. Since then, we have spoken several times, and are actually working on a potential project with over a 160 lots and homes to sell. Bryant Tutas is very knowlegable about the area, and if the deal goes thru the complete process of the Court System, we will have control of the proeprty in a few more months.

Since this property is hours away from our office, do you think we should find a person who knows the area, has shown a professional knowlege of the business, and who has proven to be well established with the local officials to boot.?? Well, if you were looking for such a person, do you think we could do better than to search Active Rain for such a professional??

Active Rain is a great tool to let someone know who you are from across the country. So, if there are still some of your reading who think this is just a social network, then think again. Active Rain got me this job I have right now...and I am hoping to be able to do a very large Deal with Broker Bryant.....

Active Rain....it works when you do!!

So this fine cool April morning finds me working on deal analysis spreadsheet software at six am, again. I have been getting up early to work on these  complicated beasts while I am the sharpest, with no distractions from the outside world.

I hear the welcoming sounds of the coffee pot that is set to auto perk at 6:00 AM. I truly love the fact that it makes itself in the morning, and that I somehow feel like someone has made the coffee for me. Actually, it is really me that does it at night, so the time and labor savings aspect is somewhat diluted in that respect.

But now, in the moment, the hearty aroma from the freshly brewing coffee is reaching my area. I had spooned a bit of Amaretto bean on the top, it pleases me to recognise that strong liqueur like scent is teasing at my early morning senses.

That is my cue, to get up and go get the first cup, which will be very strong, and then add a bit more water to bring the edge down a bit so that my wonderful wife can enjoy it too. As I enter the kitchen, the aroma builds as I get nearer to the pot. Suddenly, my Juan Valdez, Colombian hand picked bean moment is disturbed by a sudden tapping on the kitchen window.

I look over to  see one of two large grey cranes (tall birds) in our back yard again. Apparently, the glare of the early morning sun has made a mirror of the glass, and the one grey crane with the bright red head has come over to see who that good looking crane was in our glass....Tapp  Tappp   Tappp..

I am amused, and realize that the bird cannot see me. So I begin to act a bit crazy toward the bird in the window, complete with what I figure a mad crane would sound like from behind the glass. The crane is reacting to the noise, and is staring at the window....At this moment, my wife makes herself known from the hallway, with a bewildered look on her face. She asks me what I am doing, and why am I making all this noise..

I point to the window, where .....there is nothing there now...I try to explain to my wife that there was too a bird there, a big tall 4 ft crane pecking on our window....She looks all around, and seeing nothing, picks up her buddy the cat and leaves the room, all the while warning the cat to watch out for that crazy Daddy.

I try to tell her the big bird must have flown away, but she is just shaking her head now.."Please don't blame your silliness on Big Bird " she tells me! I grab my coffee and head back to my computer to get a bit more done before the time comes to leave. My morning bliss is now shattered, and the rest of the crew ( the wife & cats) are making snide remarks as to "Daddy's" sanity.

 I swear there was a big bird in the back yard....I swear...

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.

Where do I start??

Active Rain was such a big part of my life, my career for so long, how do I now go days without even logging onto the site. I used to go to Active Rain before I checked my Email, now, I feel guilty to bypass my favorite hangout for other, more need driven  activities. I am now working for a New brokerage that does large deal acquisitions, I cannot believe the work involved in working as a buyers agent for a Firm that wishes to try to buy all the vacant lots it can buy cheaply in the States of Fl, Ga, Tenn  and Texas...

It reminds me of that accelerating feeling you get when you are cruising on the fast part of a flying roller coaster-ride..This is a buyers market, we do not wish to be left behind on any deal that can be bid and pursued. Working with huge money is very different for me...I had a banker friend of mine call the other day to ask if I was mad....Nahhhh, just working for guys that write checks, don't use banks.

But today, I took a few minutes while watching a video tutorial on my laptop to click into Active Rain on my desktop, (serious multi tasker now)  I was taken back when I saw I had been added as an associate. I always feel  a sense of wonder when that happens. I do sometimes run across a series from a Rainer myself and feel the need to add them, and out of 70 thousand or so members here, I like to know that something I did stood out.

Have you thought about what it takes for someone to add you as an associate? I have not signed up with that many, I feel I have to really be touched, or impressed by the way they wrote on our forum over a period of time.

There are probably more that deserve to be an associate. But this last one made an impact.

I had already chosen her as an associate a month or more ago. I was impressed with the steady type of posting she had done on her local area. She will probably never get a star for her writing. But she is here for business, and she posts for her community. She had the qualities of a person you would trust sending referrals to. And, later, when I had a need for a Realtor Referral in her area, i hoped she would take us on as a client.

To date, she has done an excellent job, with just the right amount of professional push to get thing moving with out being pushy. We all know what a fine line that can be. I got to meet her for a few minutes last weekend, and she was very down to earth, very accommodating in person as well. I feel good to have her working with us long distance.

Whatever happens to this deal, its good to know we still have professional Realtors working in the fields who take their jobs seriously. So here is one of my few actual Referrals...if anyone has a need for a hard working, professional Realtor in the Gainesville, Fl  area, Please call on Christine Bohn. She has impressed me as a really nice person, and as a Professional Realtor to boot.