Andrea Palmer's (andreanow) Blog

Housing Stats and Charts Sales of existing homes in the Greater Fort Myers are were up an astounding 181.7% in December, with a total of 1034 properties sold versus 367 during December '07. Short Sale and bank owned properties continue to influence market prices, as the median price dropped to $9...

Buyers from across the nation and around the world snapped up bargain-priced homes in Lee County in December, pushing sales up 146 percent from a year ago. Realtors assisted in the selling of 1,064 homes in Lee in December - up from 432 in December 2007 - according to the Florida Association of R...

INTERNET NEWS  Did you know that 32% of buyers in 2008 first learned of the home they purchased by seeing it on the Internet? That number was up from 29% in 2007 and from just 2% in 1997. As more home searches are done online, we must expand our Internet presence and improve awareness of our pub...

PRODUCE YOUR OWN VIDEO TOURWe can create video tours on our own, but we need the right equipment. Ideally, you should purchase a "prosumer" level camera for a crisp image and a fluid-head tripod for smoother shots. Additionally, use high-definition videotapes and take advantage of lighting. For i...

REPOSITION YOUR LISTINGSMost home sellers find that they cannot sell their properties for as much as they want, and we increasingly reposition the listings. When a seller puts their home on the market on day one, they very well could be the best priced home in the best condition.  But if over the...

ONLINE SHOPPERS NEED YOUHome shopping alone - without the help of a professional even when online - can become a huge handicap for home buyers. Here are four reasons: • Late information. Shoppers who limit themselves to only looking at real estate Web sites will overlook some very good properties...

ONLINE SHOPPERS NEED YOUHome shopping alone - without the help of a professional even when online - can become a huge handicap for home buyers. Here are four reasons: • Late information. Shoppers who limit themselves to only looking at real estate Web sites will overlook some very good properties...

ALL A-TWITTERGiven the overlap between business and personal relationships, we should take advantage of Twitter and Facebook to market ourselves in subtle ways. For example, we could remind family and friends of what we do for a living via status updates. We could indicate that we are on their w...

SET THE STAGE FOR A SALESimple fixes and staging practices can focus buyers' attention in the right places and keep them from getting sidetracked by personal items in the home. Here are some staging suggestions. · Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensi...

FOCUS ON OUR HOME PAGE We need to take a close look at our Web site home pages to ensure we attract visitors' attention from the start. The home page should offer something that prompts them to click further into the site. The site also should feature content for buyers, sellers, other agents and...