Posts tagged: properties in dubai

Honesty and Integrity

Sellers need an honest agent, one that will tell them like it is, even if it’s not the easiest to hear. This type of agent will lay out exactly what the seller can expect. From sale price to timing and more. In the end, honesty will save the sellers lots of worry.

Knowledge of Technology

Agents that can use technology with ease are going to be more up-to-date with the current market within the areas. They will most likely be more of an organized agent who has their business in order. This is the type of agent sellers prefer selling their homes.

Enthusiasm for Real Estate

Real Estate is a complex business. It is more than just enjoying HGTV and touring homes. Its requires knowledge of the local community, real estate trends and date along with sales and negotiating skills. The most successful agents love every aspect of Real Estate. When you have enthusiasm for the process, it will feed your clients excitement– and their trust in you. Therefore, enthusiasm is one of the most important characteristics of a great real estate agent.

Well Connected and Reputable

Agents should have a list of prospective buyers within the community and work with a well-known and well-connected real estate company. The more buyer and agents the Realtor knows the greater chance of selling the home quicker. Similarly, well-connected and reputable agents can expose the listings to potential buyers located out of state or internationally. International or out of state buyer are more likely to purchase a home from someone they know, trust and like. In other words, the size and quality of the agents’ network can greatly expand the pool of potential buyers, by putting the listing in front of out of state and international buyers. Testimonials from previous clients also influence the agents’ reputation.

Energy and Drive

To accomplish everything has needs to be done, everyday task, takes lots of energy and drive. In addition, organization. A typical day can involve meeting with buyers, doing listing presentations, putting up signage, showing homes, writing contracts, negotiating contract, attending meetings, keeping up with continuing education, and even moving around items in the home so they are out of sight for the listing pictures. Your drive and ambition, and probably your sense of humor, will keep you motivated throughout the week. Clients will note your energy and drive, just as they appreciate your enthusiasm for the business of Real Estate.

A Winning Personality

Most people expect their agents to have an outgoing personality. Do you have to be super-extroverted to be an agent? Not necessarily. However, one of the top characteristics of real estate agents is a winning personality-a personality that is pleasurable to be around.

Clients are looking for real estate agents they feel comfortable with, one that has traits that gel with their own. A personality that works with one client might not work with the other. In general, it is important to be likeable, friendly, and unafraid of putting yourself out there.

Backed by Local Date

An agent should know how to retrieve localized data and use it effectively. Local date points, including buyer demographics (who they are, where they are) and housing trends (top regions, average value of similar homes, home improvement spending etc.) can be used to price a home competitively, market appropriately, and negotiate intelligently.

Ready and Available

Real Estate is an unpredictable business, and you do not want to miss a sale or closing of a home because you were not available with someone showed interest on a property. Some agents prefer to work within a team of agents. This way, if the agent is not immediately available to respond an inquiry, another agent part of the team can take care of the interested party. Great agents are comfortable with constant communications and prompt replies to any inquiry. They are willing to communicate with phone, text, email and even after hours.

Attention to details

Top producing realtors are observant to details. They spot the smallest improvements that can make a home more marketable and desirable, take the best pictures that show case your home, create attractive MLS descriptions that stand out and make sure all the contract requirements are met in a timely matter.

Tenacity

Top producing agents do not give up easily. They will pursue every lead that shows even the slightest interest in a home. When a top agent hold an open house, they immediately contact everyone that visited the home to discuss the benefits of purchasing the home with them, this is what sellers appreciate about good agents, never give up attitude. They see it as every lead missed is a missed opportunity to sell the home and provide great service to the seller.

The Hester Prynne of literature might have worn a scarlet A to mark her past transgressions, but the house with too much wallpaper might be marked by a giant W in the minds of buyers. Wallpapering every room with pattern-intense wallpaper is a trend that goes in and out of vogue and was last popular in the U.S. in the 70s. Now, potential buyers who spurn its scarlet letter treat a home with too much of it with disdain.

Why Buyers “Hate” Wallpaper

Too much wallpaper can impact the sales price of a house, especially for the new generation of buyers who want homes that are “move in ready.” Previous buyers expected to remove unsightly wallpaper, repaint, and make minor initial improvements when they first moved in. Many buyers now regard what they don’t like as a deal breaker or as license to make a lowball offer for the inconvenience of changing a home to reflect their personal tastes.

Modern tastes tend to be more minimalist. Rooms with florals, plaids, or other prints on the walls and even the ceilings can be overwhelming and make a house look outdated. Large amounts of big flowers remind many people of their great grandmother’s house. Mirrored foils remind people of the 70s and 80s. Why wallpaper is such a big impediment to people often comes down two main factors.

First of all, many buyers have no vision and have a hard time imagining what a room would like without the wallpaper or with different paint. Even more than paint color, wallpaper is a reflection of personal taste. Real estate agents suggest that sellers make their homes more neutral to help buyers in seeing themselves in the space; even then, the result does not appeal to everyone.

Second, the older the wallpaper is, the more likelihood there is that removing it will be difficult. Some dry, strippable wallpaper from 20 or 30 years ago may come right off, but this is not always true, especially if the built-in glue was reinforced with paste. Other types of wallpaper bond to the wall, which makes removal challenging.

Does Wallpaper Impact The Ability To Sell A Home?

Some Realtors® note that whatever wallpaper is in place seldom meets the taste of a new buyer. Based on this, paint is safer. As a seller, should you remove the wallpaper in your house before you put it on the market? As you refurbish rooms, should you add new paper? The common wisdom is that you should be careful in your use of wallpaper when your main purpose is to sell your home. If you can, take it down.

Wallpaper can add a dramatic look to a room when used in moderation. Adding an accent wall of wallpaper that is coordinated to the paint color can make a room pop. Many interior designers recommend this technique. In cases where walls are in less than perfect condition, wallpapering with solid or textured paper can enhance the appearance of the room. Just make sure to select strippable paper.

Even if you’re selling, you can take advantage of the benefits of wallpaper. You just have to remember that you are preparing your home for someone else, not exercising your taste to make your home how you want it. When you move into your new home, you will once again have the freedom to craft your space for you and your family.

Evaluate Property Values

To help you decide on the amount of money to offer, find out what the property values are in a given area. There are plenty of locations where you can purchase condo sales. The prices can vary depending on the neighbourhood, square footage, and overall location. Those closest to the downtown area where there are shops and restaurants cost more.

As you compare the property values, you can get a ballpark figure of what they are selling for. You don’t want to offer too little or your request will likely be denied. You don’t want to offer too much though or you can pay more than you really had to. It is always a good idea to try to negotiate with the seller. You don’t have to give them their asking price.

If they decline your offer, you can decide to increase it or not. Think about your budget and stick to what you can afford. Don’t get into a competition where you have to have it for emotional reasons. You need to look for condo sales opportunities you will be able to afford month after month.

Financing
Getting the money to buy one doesn’t have to be complicated. It is a good idea to look into financing early on though. Make sure your credit report has accurate details so you aren’t blindsided in this department. Focus on paying down debt and avoiding incurring any new debt as you go through the condo sales process.

If you incur new debt, it can lower your credit score and make it harder for you to get a good loan. You need the amount to be reasonable so you can buy the condo you really want. You also want the interest rate to be as low as possible. This is going to influence your monthly payment. With high interest, you also pay considerably more over the life of the loan.

What is Available?
You have several options when it comes to condo sales. You may have to fill out an application to get approved for one based on a background check too. Look online for listings including photos and videos of the property. Look for signs about them for sale and even locations where they are still being built. It is possible to buy before it is completed!

You can work with a qualified real estate agent too. They stay on top of the various condo sales in the area. They can help you to find the location, price range, and set up you really want. They can also help you to navigate thought the price offering stages and all of the final paper work once you secure the deal! This is a much better option than trying to figure it out.

The reputation of the real estate agency should be very important to you. This information can help you to get your hands on what you want before someone else does. Due to the high demand for condos in this area, you can’t drag your feet. You need to be on top of the new listings as they become available.

Demanding consumers

“Internet buyers tend to be better informed on market conditions and better prepared to act on the home they want when they start working with a realtor. Luckily for realtors, these changes don’t necessarily hurt, as long as they are able to adjust to the new relationship and realize that the new-style buyers value speed and efficiency over guidance when finding a home.”

– E-marketer, Internet Home Buyers Changing the House Rules

Thanks to the Internet and other technological innovations, more real estate information is freely available than ever before. As a result, consumers are demanding new choices, improved services, faster transactions and lower prices. According to a recent NAR survey, the number of sellers stating that they didn’t want to pay a sales commission fee rose from 46 percent in 2003 to 61 percent in 2004. In 2004, 23 percent of Florida home sellers opted to sell independently without an agent, up from 14 percent in 2003 and nearly double the 14 percent national average, according to Planet Realtor.

And Web-enabled consumers are demanding a high digital IQ when working with real estate professionals. In addition to being well-versed on their own industry-specific technology, real estate professionals now are expected to utilize laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants and global positioning systems to keep pace with Internet buyers and sellers.

Downward pressure

“If consumers are going to do their own home-shopping online, they expect to save some money, just as they would for using the self-service lane. That’s why they are susceptible to online discount brokers and the new affinity companies that are promoting lower commissions if only the consumers will use their agents. These business models promote the idea to consumers that they ought to be paying less money in commissions.”

Realty Times Columnist Blanche Evans

Traditional real estate commissions, typically around six percent of a home’s selling price, are facing downward pressure from consumers and competition. Some consumers claim traditional real estate commissions don’t reflect:

– Today’s home prices. Years ago, when median-priced homes sold for $25,000, real estate commissions were typically five percent, or $1,250. Today, with South Florida median home prices around $300,000, the cost of a six percent full-service real estate commission becomes $18,000. Some brokers even charge additional fees to cover administrative costs. When you consider that today’s average homeowner sells a home every five to seven years, real estate commissions can dramatically impact your personal savings and net worth.

– Owner equity. When selling properties, most homeowners calculate the cost of selling as a portion of sales price, though the commissions are paid out of owner equity. (Equity is the difference between the value of your property and amount of mortgages owed.) Consider this example: You decide to sell a property for $250,000 in which you hold 10 percent equity, or $25,000. After paying a six percent commission of $15,000, you are left with $10,000 before any applicable closing costs. In this example, the $15,000 commission is six percent of the selling price, but 60 percent of the $25,000 equity.

– Services performed. Under today’s commission structure, selling a $100,000 house at six percent typically costs $6,000, while selling a $500,000 house costs $30,000. Does selling the more expensive home really require five times more effort? Your cost is the same whether the agent spends one hour or 100 hours marketing your home. This is one reason many real estate consumers find fee-for-service real estate so appealing.

Developing alternatives

“Consumers want what they want, when they want it and will gravitate to the most cost-effective source to obtain it. Why? Because our “one-size-fits-all” approach to working with sellers and buyers is archaic and won’t allow consumers to access various segments of help they need in a timely fashion. That’s why .com Web start-ups are finding a receptive audience in real estate consumers and why for-sale-by-owners are burgeoning.”

Julie Garton-Good, Author of “Real Estate a la Carte: Selecting the Services You Need, Paying What They’re Worth”

Until recently, you have had few practical alternatives to the traditional full-service, full-commission real estate transaction with a broker. Most sellers paid a single commission fee for a full range of real estate services, whether they needed them or not. Now traditional real estate agencies face the challenge of identifying new services that have value to today’s sophisticated online and empowered consumers.

One result is an “unbundling” of traditional one-size-fits-all real estate services for consumers who want more control over real estate transactions and their associated costs. If you’re willing to take on some tasks traditionally performed by agents and brokers, you could receive lower transaction costs. You might benefit from the following emerging alternatives:

Fee-for-services

“Consumers want assistance from real estate professionals, but don’t want to pay for it in the form of traditional commissions,” says a la Carte real estate Pioneer Julie Garton-Good. Garton-Good has been preaching the fee-for-services gospel for more than 20 years. As the name implies, you can choose which tasks you feel comfortable performing and hire qualified real estate professionals to do the rest. Many traditional real estate brokerages are beginning to offer a more menu-based service plan. For example, you may not mind listing your home and holding open houses, but you may want assistance with contracts and closings.

One-stop shopping

In response to dwindling margins and the rising costs of technology and lead generation, some real estate companies are attempting to combine traditional and Web-based services to provide consumers a single source for all their real estate needs. One-stop shopping sites generally provide or partner with lenders, insurers, title companies, real estate attorneys and others to facilitate all aspects of buying and selling. In addition, some sites are adding home-improvement and related services to stay in touch with consumers between buying and selling transactions.

Web-based discounters

Although many Web-based real estate companies flamed out in the dotcom era, scores of new companies have emerged to take their place. By offering targeted services such as flat-fee MLS listings, buyer rebates and AVM tools, these sites are appealing to independent buyers and sellers who prefer to take a more active role in transactions. In addition to listings, some sites also offer how-to articles and advice for those who choose to go it alone.

Tradition + technology + turbulence = opportunities

So, given the trends, changes and ongoing industry evolution, what can independent buyers, sellers and investors expect in this new era of real estate?

o The Web and other technologies will continue to evolve and transform the $1.3 trillion real-estate industry. Technology will continue to reduce the time, expense and complexity of manual processes, and increasingly sophisticated search and valuation tools will play a more strategic role.

o Free and low-cost real estate resources will continue to be available and even multiply on the Web. In real estate, knowledge truly is power. Consumers will try to use their power to gain more control of the real estate process and subsequently expect to be compensated in the form of reduced and fee-for-service commissions.

o The role of traditional real estate brokerages will evolve as Web-enabled consumers become more knowledgeable. This likely will trigger some restructuring and consolidation of traditional brokerages, but will also drive the development of innovative new practices targeting online and empowered consumers. Real estate professionals will focus more on promoting their local knowledge and industry expertise, while consumers will perform some buying and selling tasks on their own.

o Traditional real estate commissions and profitability levels will continue to face downward pressure from various sources. The future will be profitable for brokerages that are able to extend their core expertise of neighborhood and industry knowledge into flexible new consumer-centric offerings.

o The traditional high-touch, full-service real estate agency is evolving, not disappearing. Real estate professionals who provide exceptional service and value to their customers will always be in demand.

You now can find more real estate knowledge, tools and resources on the Web than ever before, enabling you to buy and sell with increased confidence. For real estate professionals, reinventing the industry means making hard decisions, changing processes and managing new opportunities. But for consumers, reinvention in real estate is a winner, hands-down.

Learn more at http://www.homekeys.net

What could you, as a real estate agent, learn from the conman who sold the Eiffel Tower twice?

Back in the good old days (the 1920s) there was a man named Victor Lustig who was a smooth-tongued criminal that went from one con to another, always looking for a way to separate people from their money.

He was involved in many scams throughout his career. But the scam that would make him famous throughout history involved the Eiffel Tower.

In 1925 Lustig, who was always looking for a new con, was in Paris and happened to noticed an article in the newspaper describing how the French government was having a hard time maintaining the Eiffel Tower. Being the consummate conman that he was, an idea popped into this mind. Why not sell the Eiffel Tower?

The first thing he did was have a counterfeiter create official government stationary and personally “appointed” himself to the prestigious position of Deputy Director General of the Ministère de Postes et Télégraphes. Then, letters were sent out on the official looking letterhead to five different scrap iron dealers; they were purposely vague and simply invited them to discuss a possible government contract.

When everyone arrived for the meeting, and after entertaining the men for a bit, Lustig made the surprise announcement that the government was indeed scrapping the Eiffel Tower.

He noted that the tower had been built in 1889 and was never intended to be a permanent structure, which everyone knew was true. He mentioned how the government could no longer afford the upkeep, something that the men had already read about in the paper. The paper had mentioned that the Eiffel Tower was in great need of repair, the cost was very prohibitive, and there was a brief comment that the government was actually exploring the idea that it might be cheaper to rip it down than to repair it. He was careful to stress that this was a very controversial decision on the government’s part, so the men had to keep quiet regarding the tower’s demise or risk public outcry.

Lustig then arranged to take each man on a tour of the tower to establish rapport, determine their emotions and select his “mark”. After interviewing each scrap iron dealer he selected a man named André Poisson and worked his sales magic.

After the sale was complete, Lustig immediately left for Austria. He made no attempt to hide and lived the life of luxury at Poisson’s expense. Each day, Lustig checked the Paris newspapers for news of his con, but it was never reported in any of the papers. He concluded that Poisson was too embarrassed about falling for the con and had decided to eat his loss. Knowing he was in the clear Lustig headed back to Paris a year later and pulled the same exact scam again.

Yes, you read it correctly, Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower a second time! But he wasn’t as lucky that time around. His mark went to the police and the story exploded in the press. Lustig was forced to leave Europe and head to the United States. There would be no third sale of the tower.

What does this conman have to do with you as a Real Estate Agent? Well, a lot actually. While selling the Eiffel Tower Lustig used specific techniques that Natural Born Sales people use; sales techniques that you should be using too.

Con-men and natural salespeople have exactly the same abilities. However, there is one significant difference between the two and that is intent. Con-men use these techniques of psychology to harm people in a win/lose proposition. The conman wins and the person they are working with loses… sometimes everything.

On the other hand, the Natural Born Salespeople use the same techniques to help people in a win/win proposition, helping their clients obtain their dream and buy a home, while becoming the top 10% of real estate agents doing it.

They are both experts at using psychology.

They are both experts at using the client’s emotions to sell.

They are both experts at using and gaining rapport.

They are both experts at finding out what the client’s unconscious mind wants.

They are both experts at finding out what emotions are driving that person and using those emotions to make a sale.

The difficulty comes when you try and get a natural born sales person to teach you to sell like them, and they can’t. They can’t because most natural born sales people have absolutely no idea how they do what they do. It comes naturally to them and they don’t even have to think about what to do to make a sale. This is why many top sales people make the worst trainers. They can’t teach what they do.

Now for the good news. These psychological sales techniques can be learned and mastered, and once mastered can propel you to the top.

For example, one psychology of sales principle is that people buy based on emotion and justify with logic. I am pretty sure you are even familiar with this principle, but do you know how to use it to make sales?

Imagine if you knew exactly how the principle worked, you could use it to help your clients while becoming a better agent yourself.

One of many natural skills, sales professionals and con men use, is to listen and ask questions until they understand exactly what the person wants, not only consciously, but more importantly unconsciously. This is one of the biggest mistakes many, if not most, real estate salespeople make, they listen but they don’t really understand.

In a sales situation, and even in everyday conversation, people use “Code Words”. For example a client might tell you that they are looking for a house with a view. The word “view” is a code word. You might think you know what it means but you really don’t. You understand what “view” means to you but not what it means to your client.. The Natural Salesperson instinctively knows they don’t know what “view” means and are able to extract the real meaning from the client.

Not too long ago this happened to a brand new agent I was working with. I was teaching her about code words. She seemed a bit confused at first and then suddenly you could see the light came on in her head. She told me that over the last couple months she had been working with a couple looking for a home. She had asked them what they wanted and they told her a house with a view. With that in mind she kept taking them around and showing houses with views. The agent happened to live in the Great North West where there are killer views of the mountains, valleys, and rivers, so there was a lot to pick from. But no matter what she showed them the wife was never happy.

One day while showing them a houses, they passed a neighborhood and noticed a sign leading to a house that had just that day gone on the market. They decided to call the listing agent and were able to go see it that day. While going through the house the wife commented on what a great view the house had and the agent was shocked because the house was completely surrounded by trees, and there was no view! The agent, while looking out the window at all the trees, asked what she meant and the wife said, “I can’t see any cars”.

For months the agent had tried to find a house that had, what the agent considered, a view, but it was never what the wife considered a view, and the agent was clueless. By “view” the wife meant she wanted to be able to look out the windows and not see any of her husband’s cars, equipment or tools… that’s what a good view meant to her.

Maybe if you understood code words and the other techniques used by the Natural born Salesperson you’d be able to sell the Eiffel Tower too. And if you could sell the Eiffel tower a couple times when it wasn’t even for sale think of how many houses you could sell that are.

Oh and as for our conman Lustig, he ended up dying in Alcatraz prison (where he was sent after being convicted of a counterfeiting scheme) and his death certificate listed his occupation as salesman.

Not all people are interested in buying homes as a means of living in them. They may want to buy homes as investments that they can make profits off of in the long term. If you are looking to sell your home you should think about what property investment buyers can do. You should be aware of the three types of these buyers when checking them out.

The cash property buyer is the first of these buyers to check out. This is a buyer that works in that the buyer will purchase a home or other type of property at a certain cash value. This is a value that will be below or under the properties current market value. This type of buyer is generally someone that is simply looking to get a good long term return on the home.

In most cases a cash property buyer should be able to take over your home without any real serious delays. This comes from how the buyer will have funds ready through various sources including profits from prior home sales. As a result the transaction should not take too long thanks to the money being readily available for handling the expense of the entire process.

The second buyer that you should check out is the buy to let investor. This is an investor that arranges a mortgage on a property so that the investor can buy the property and then rent it out.

A buy to let investor will have to use a larger deposit for a home when getting one. This comes from how the investor is going to have to arrange the mortgage that is involved with the transaction. As a result a deposit of more than fifteen percent will be required for this buyer in order to get a transaction to work. In recent years the credit crisis has forced these investors to have deposits of twenty-five percent or more ready primarily as a means of making sure that the investor is a legitimate one. Because of these factors many of these investors are going to be looking into some properties that are less expensive.

The third option to see among property investment buyers is a developer. A developer works to investor in properties with the intention of reselling or refurbishing them in cases where there is a potential to get some good profits off of them in the long term. This comes from how the developer can work to convert the property into a variety of different things. These can include such options as flats to let or retail stores. As long as there is a potential to earn money off of the investment the developer will be interested in buying it up from its previous owner.

Although these three options are great ones for you to see you should be aware that in many cases a buyer will make an attempt to renegotiate the price of the property you are selling. This is especially in cases where you are close to getting your contract exchanged with the buyer. This is done primarily as a means of getting more money off of a property. Be aware of this when getting your property sold.

The three types of property investment buyers listed here are all good buyers to think about when selling your home. You can work with cash property buyers, buy to let investors or developers. Either option will help you to earn money from your home and to get your property sold off with ease. Be aware of all benefits and risks that can be involved though.

There are times when a real estate lawyer is extremely helpful in managing your property ownership. Although many realty transactions are handled through listing agents, there are occasions when these representatives’ knowledge base just is not adequate. Realtors typically attend training for less than a year, while attorneys are required to attend law school for four years post-college. The extensive training of an attorney gives them the ability to advise clients on an array of subjects.

Contracts are complicated documents, to say the least. The language in a realty contract must be gone over with a fine-tooth comb. Even if an individual carefully reads every word, some of the language can be quite confusing. For one thing, these documents are written in legal-speak, which is not something the average citizen has experience with. Furthermore, property sales are not only complex financial maneuvers, but also often involve emotional upheaval. When people buy or sell their homes, it can tug at their heartstrings. It is easy to miss something in a heavy legal document when you are purchasing your dream house or selling a beloved home. A real estate lawyer is a level head who can help clients navigate the bumpy waters of acquiring or releasing a “home sweet home.”

Property boundary disputes are another area where having a seasoned real estate lawyer on your team is a major plus. Imagine you buy a cabin in the woods. With no fences or close neighbors, you may be under the impression that you are king or queen of the forest, that is, until a neighbor shows up claiming he has inherited the piece of land right behind your house. When conflicting claims arise regarding boundary lines, it is necessary to have a land survey performed, records checked, and a knowledgeable attorney on speed-dial.

Tenants and landlords also need guidance in the vast sea of property negotiations. Both the landlord and tenant have certain rights, and these rights vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a landlord must give 48 hours notice before entering the property, or a 5-day notice if eviction seems imminent because of unpaid rent. A renter has the right to privacy in his or her rental space, provided certain stipulations are met. Sometimes misunderstandings occur and it takes a trained legal mind to effectively sort everything out. When a person’s home is involved, whether the residence is owned, leased, or rented, contractual language must be followed to the letter of the law.

When a real estate lawyer goes to school, he or she learns about leases, purchases, and sales of property. Lessons also are taught on zoning, tenancy agreements, eminent domain, and mortgages. In addition to classroom academics, attorneys gain valuable experience by clerking in law offices and spending time in courtrooms. When push comes to shove in the world of property, wouldn’t you rather seek guidance from a professional who has trained for years rather than none?

The Boston Condo Market has been on a mega rebound over the past few weeks. Downtown inventory rates have dropped significantly and prices are still climbing. Many Boston condos that we have been tracking over the past few weeks have went under agreement at full or over asking price showing the stability & possible frenzy in the 2007 Boston real estate market.

Last week we all read about the real estate frenzy going on in Manhattan right now. Is it the buyers who have been waiting for the bubble to burst over the past 18 months and now are faced to purchase now or rent for another year? Is it the low interest rates that are still active in our marketplace? What is causing this new renewal of the Boston real estate market?

New condo developments in Boston are also on the hot seat. With even more projects coming up this shows the lack of luxury condo properties or full service condos. We are glad to see more of this type of condo property being built as it is the wave of the future. The Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brighton Allston, Charlestown, Chinatown, Fenway, Leather District, Midtown, North End, Seaport, South Boston, South End, Waterfront and the West End in Boston are all hot and downtown Boston will continue to boom.

Not surprising, some immediate suburbs like Brookline, Newton, Medford & Quincy are also picking up on this trend. Traditionally these markets don’t cater to the full service young professional, however, we are seeing all new types of luxury condominium properties popping up around the skirts of Boston also.

Company Summary

Starbucks Coffee, sometimes referred to as Fourbucks Coffee is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world. It opened its first store in 1971 in Seattle’s waterfront Pike Place Market by three partners: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment. In 1982, Howard Schultz, the current Chairman and CEO joined the company as the Director of Marketing. He was impressed by the popularity of the espresso bars in Italy after he traveled to Milan in 1983. Back to the US, he convinced the founders of Starbucks to sell both coffee beans and espresso beverages. However, the idea was rejected so he left the company and founded Il Giornale coffee bar chain in 1985. In 1987 Howard Schultz and Il Giornale bought Starbucks with $3.8M and renamed Il Giornale coffee bars to Starbucks and turned it into the Starbucks you know today. The company went public with the symbol SBUX in June 26, 1992 at $17/share with 140 stores. Since then the stock has split 5 times. As of May 2008, SBUX is traded at about $16, down from the high of $39.43 in November 2006.

Starbucks opened the first overseas store in Tokyo, Japan in 1996. The company currently has about 16,000 stores, employs 172,000 partners, AKA employees as of September 2007 in 44 countries. It has annual sales of over $10B with most recent quarterly revenue being $2.526B. About 85% of Starbucks revenue comes from company-operated stores.

Starbucks does not franchise its operations and has no plans to franchises in foreseeable future. In North America, most stores are company-operated. You may see some Starbucks stores inside Target, major supermarkets, University campuses, Hospitals, and Airports. These stores are operated under licensing agreements to provide access to real estate which would otherwise unavailable. Starbucks receives licensee fees and royalties from these licensed locations. At these licensed retail locations, the workers are considered employees of that specific retailer, not Starbucks. As of 2008 it has 7087 company-operated stores and 4081 licensed stores in the US. Internationally it has 1796 company operated stores and 2792 joint-venture or licensed stores in 43 foreign countries. The pace of expansion is slowing down as the company plans to open 1020 US stores in 2008, less than 400 stores in 2009 down from 1800 stores in2007. In addition, it also plans to close 100 stores in 2008.

Risks to Real Estate Investors

Starbucks coffee buildings remain a popular investment for many investors. When you consider investing in a property occupied by Starbucks, you need to understand the following risks of your investment:

1. Recession-sensitivity: a hungry man can survive with a Big Mac & fries but can live without a four-buck Frappuccino. This means Starbucks is very sensitive to economy downturn as seen in 2007 and 2008 compared to Burger Kings and McDonald’s. This may be the main reason sales at stores in the US open at least a year are expected a mid single-digit percentage decline, the first drop ever. It triggers Howard Schultz to return to the CEO post. The company plans to double its marketing spending to $100M in 2008 to drum up sales. It began an aggressive coupons campaign offering free drinks every Wednesday through May 28, 2008. This may be a sign of desperation. On April 22, 2008 Starbucks cut its outlook for the year citing weak economy.

2. Calorie & Sugar: Starbucks drinks have more sugar and calorie in which consumers are more and more concerned due to explosion of obesity and diabetes epidemic in the US. For example, its Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème – whip has 120 grams (over 1/4 lb) of sugar, and 750 calorie on its Venti 24 oz size. If it becomes a trend that consumers decide to cut down on the sugar drinks, or stick to low-carb diets then it will have impact on Starbucks revenue.

3. Competition: McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Dunkin Donuts now also offer espresso at lower prices to compete with Starbucks. They will capture some revenue from Starbucks, especially from cost-conscious customers. The current Starbucks prices are already pretty high; it’s very hard for Starbucks to increase the prices in the near future without affecting the traffic to its stores.

4. High-expenses business model: while Starbucks profit margin is high as it pays an average $1.42 per pound for the unroasted coffee, its business is very labor intensive just like any other foods businesses. It takes between 10-20 employees to run one store. All eligible part-time and full-time partners in the US and Canada receive benefit package consisting of stock option plan, 401k with company matching, medical, dental & vision coverage. Starbucks is voted as the 7-th best company to work for in the US in 2008 by the Fortune magazine employee’s survey. What is good for employees may not be good for the employers. These benefits are normally only available to key employees or managers in the restaurant industry. Historically, the costs of these health benefits rise faster than the rate of inflation. In the long run, they may have negative impact on Starbucks bottom line. Should Starbucks not perform well, it may be under pressure as a public company to close more stores.

5. Special-purpose building: Starbucks freestanding building is a special-purpose building designed specifically for Starbucks. Should Starbucks decide not to close or not to renew the lease, it’s hard to re-lease the property. There are few tenants out there willing to pay the high rent like Starbucks. It’s hard to use it as a fast food restaurant due to a relative small square footage. Besides, it does not have a commercial kitchen. Once vacated by Starbucks, the property value will most likely go down.

Starbucks Real Estate Operation

Starbucks divides the US & Canada into 17 real estate territories, each has its own store development office to develop the market in its territory. The developers constructed freestanding buildings about 1800 SF with drive through in a location with high visibility, heavy traffic. Once the location is approved by the territory office, Starbucks typically signs a 10 year NNN lease with 2 five year options in which landlords are responsible for roof and structure. All the leases normally have corporate guarantee which means Starbucks will continue paying rent in the event it has to close the store. The lease often has 10% rent increase every 5 years. The rent is between $1.65/SF in a store in Utah to $5.84/SF in New York. This rent survey is based on the rents at just 30 Starbucks properties, 18 of them are free standing, on the market for sale through out the US as of April 2008.

Starbucks Location with Minimal Store Closure Possibilities

During tough times, e.g. in 2008 when sales are declining Starbucks will attempt to cut costs and close underperforming stores. As a real estate investor considers investing in a Starbucks building, you don’t want to invest in a property that will be closed in the future.

Location—— 1mile——3miles——-AHI/yr—–Size (SF)—-Base rent /yr—Rent/SF/mo –Price—–Cap(%)

Ohio……………296……..2609………$88375….1613………$58,590……….. $3.03……….$868K…….6.75

Florida………..9186……55270……$68595…..1816………$75,000………..$3.44……….$1.2M………6.10

Georgia………5717……57201…..$143936….1750………$74,000………..$3.52……….$1.091……..6.75

Mississippi….188……..4923……..$77372…..1816………$112,184………$5.15……….$1.558M…..7.2

Texas………….5944…..40970…….$75043…..1752………$92,914………..$4.42……….$1,327M….7.00

Table 1: Rent Comparables for Free-standing Starbucks Buildings

Location——SBUX rent/yr—SBUX Size—SBUX rent/SF/mo—Other tenant Size—Rent/SF/mo—Difference

California…….$30096……..1248 SF…..$2.01……………………1245 SF……………..$2.50………….-19%

Kansas……….$43200……..1600 SF….$2.25…………………….1600 SF………………$1.33………….68%

Utah……………$38568……..1950 SF…..$1.65…………………….1200 SF……………..$1.86…………-11%

New Mexico..$92004………2000 SF….$3.83…………………….2500 SF……………..$1.92…………100%

New York…….$125004……1785 SF….$5.84…………………….2819 SF………………$2.75…………112%

Table 2: Rent Difference in Multi-tenant Starbucks Retail Centers

Since Starbucks does not release sales revenue for a particular location, you just need to make an educated guess. Based on annual revenue and numbers of stored operated by Starbucks, the average annual revenue per store is about $1M. In addition, if the annual rent to revenue ratio is less than 10% there is a good chance the location is profitable. For example if the base rent for the Starbucks in Ohio is $58,590 then the annual revenue should be more than $585,590. Besides picking a store at a good location (refer to the article titled “What ‘Location’ Means in Commercial Real Estate” by this author), and the cap rate you should consider the following:

1. Densely-populated area: more people mean more customers size and thus more revenue. The Starbucks in FL, GA and TX on Table 1 are more promising. Note: the author tries to be sensitive by not disclosing the exact locations.

2. Low-rent: the Starbucks in MS pays $112,184 for base rent. To be reasonably profitable it needs to have annual revenue of $1.12M. However, since there are only 188 people within 1 mile and 4923 residents within 3 miles radius from the store, it’s less likely the store ever achieves that revenue. Besides Starbucks pays $5.15/SF which is very high compared to just $3.52/SF in a fast growing, high income, densely-populated in GA where there are 57,201 residents within 3 miles radius and Average Household Income (AHI) of over $143K/year. It’s hard to understand how the Starbucks in MS could be an irreplaceable location in an area with just 188 people within 1 mile radius from the property! While offering the highest 7.2% cap, this property appears to be a good investment but it actually has the highest risk of underperforming and could be closed down in the future. Alternatively, Starbucks could attempt to renegotiate the lease with lower rent during tough times. While Starbucks has not asked for rent reductions yet, it is not surprised if Starbucks will do so to improve its bottom line in the future. In either case, the property value will go down.

3. Rent premium: while most Starbucks properties are freestanding in which it occupies 100%, you may see a Starbucks in a small multi-unit strip center with a few other tenants. It normally occupies the end unit with drive through and thus is expected to pay a premium compared to the adjacent unit. However, most of the time Starbucks pays substantially higher rent. For example, in Table 2 it pays $5.84/SF compared to just $2.75/SF by a tenant in the unit next door in a center in New York or 112% higher. In this strip center should the rent for the unit occupied by Starbucks be reduced (due to closure or lease renegotiation) the value of the center will be reduced substantially. You certainly don’t want to invest in this property.

WARNING! If you are serious about buying a home in 2010, you might not have much time left! With recession of 2007-2009 fading into history, buyers are returning to the real estate market in droves. However, what most of the buyers don’t realize is that there are many forces working against them that might make it difficult to find real bargains comes spring and summer. Here are five main forces shaping up the market early this year, and you better pay attention to them:

1. Under the provisions of the massive stimulus package designed to support the housing market, the Fed has been buying mortgage securities for over a year in order to maintain liquidity in the housing market, which also artificially supported the rates at sub-5% level. However, this part of the stimulus ER is winding down by March, and it’s already driving the rates higher in anticipation of the program grand finale. What does it mean for the mortgage market? It means that comes March or April, you will not find rates in low or mid-5% any more. The consensus of most economists and finance journalists is that we will have 6% mortgages by the summer time. What it means for you? Have your loan approved and lock the rate no later than Mid-February!

2. With “normal market” demand for mortgage backed securities still very low, the lenders will tighten their underwriting guidelines even more. The preview of this was demonstrated in December of 2009, when following FNMA and Freddy all lenders increased credit score requirements for prime mortgages by 20 to 40 points, FHA followed them with the increase of the minimum score from 595 to 620, and some lenders made 640 as a minimum score for FHA or any other government-backed loans. Comes summer, the credit system most probably will tighten even more, as the banks will have a much smaller market to sell their loans to, which will force them to pick only cream of the crop borrowers to bet on. If you are not one of them, you might need to have at least 25-30% down, ratios below 30% and 750 score in order to have any chance for a home loan.

3. Unnoticed to the buyers, the Government passed a number of new laws in the last two years, of course all of them were done under highly publicized slogans of helping Joe the Consumer. In reality, these new laws practically eliminated a mortgage broker as a viable player in the market place. The government blamed the brokers for pushing “creative” mortgage products onto uneducated consumers who couldn’t afford to pay for them, however the reality is that the brokers were only selling products pushed to the public by BANKS! Truth is that the brokers don’t offer their own products, brokers don’t participate in the meetings of the banks’ boards of directors who decide which financial products to offer to the public, brokers only sell what the banks offer if the public demands it. In 2006 the brokers were responsible for 60% of all loans originated in this country, by the first quarter of 2010 – less than 5%! Why should you be concerned about it? Very simple: while enjoying practically unlimited access to billions and trillions of your taxpayer dollars, the banks succeeded in eliminating the only serious market force that kept their mortgage rates competitive in the last decade. With brokers gone, all loan origination now goes to retail banks with their “friendly and knowledgeable” staff who doesn’t give a rat if you buy their mortgage today at 7% or not, because they are on salary paid for by your savings deposits and unfair bank fees, and because your only alternative is to go to a retail branch of another bank, where you will face just as much competence and desire to lower rates as at the first branch. Consider this: The banks quietly managed to monopolize a market worth $10-15 TRILLION DOLLARS, and their profits (spread between your mortgage rate and the current Fed Rate, which is a 0%) per loan are the highest they’ve been in history! Now, did you get a thank you postcard from your bank’s CEO last year for helping the banks out with some free money?

4. Home buyer tax credit program winds down in April too. You must be in escrow by April 30th and close the escrow no later than June, which means that in March/April we will see crowds of late-comers last-minute shoppers trying to take advantage of the program and the inventory of homes, especially in 200-400K price range will be under serious pressure from the buyers, just like we saw in October and November of 2009, before it became known that the tax credit program will be extended. This time it is different – there will be no more extensions. This was the final extension, and those who missed an opportunity to take advantage of this program because there was no inventory on the market, will try to buy something this time around.

5. Traditionally, March is the first month of the official buying season in San Diego. In my 10-year spreadsheet, March sales represent an average of 30-50% increase in the number of closed sales over February of the same year! Believe me that this year will be no different. However, those who wake up late and start shopping for a house in March will face a much tougher competition and will be forced to bid up on properties beyond what they will reasonably appraise for, which will force the buyers to increase their downpayment or get discouraged and end up on the sidelines again.

Housing market has been battered enough to the point where even the bitter pessimists started talking about a turnaround. Some are still talking about some massive “shadow inventory” of homes that the banks are supposedly holding back to avoid the market collapse and that when it finally comes, the market will tank, however, this talk has been perpetuated since late 2008 and nobody knows when and if this inventory will ever enter the market. Today the banks can dump four or five-times more inventory on the market, where home attract 10-30 offers in the first week, and the buyers will just swallow them and move on.

So, what should you do now in order to take advantage of the situation in what’s left of the true bargain hunting season?

1. Get your loan pre-qualified right now, don’t wait for that tax refund to hit your bank account. If you need to borrow money from the relatives for the downpayment, do it, you can pay it back with the tax credit money, with your tax refund, or do their laundry for the next 30 years, but get your loan fully approved at the highest possible amount and have it available when you are making offers. Nobody seriously looks at your offers today unless you can attach a solid loan approval together with a proof of funds for downpayment.

2. Make sure you have a clear idea what you are looking for and make sure it’s realistic. Don’t ask your agent to send you everything from Bonsal to San Ysidro in 100K to 800K range and expect to work with that agent. Sit down with your agent, outline the areas, types of properties you will target, maximum monthly payments including HOA, Mello Roos, property taxes, home insurance, utility bills and anything else that will become your monthly responsibility. Knowing what you want helps you achieve just that four-times faster!

3. Use technology to your advantage. There are many real estate websites that allow you to set up an automated search page and to receive listings that match your criteria the minute the listings hit the market, or with any other regularity of your choice. Such automated tools allow you to gain an “unfair advantage” over majority of other non-technically savvy buyers and realtors: if you are the first one to know about the listings, you have the advantage of making your offers before everybody else.

4. Make offers, more offers and some more offers! In sub-$300,000 price range in most areas of San Diego it takes now 20-30 offers before you get one accepted, so be patient, but also smart about it. Make offers on realistic listings, where you have a better chance of getting your offer accepted. If you have an FHA loan, don’t go after “investor flip” listings, FHA won’t allow it for 90 days after their original purchase date. Don’t make offers on short sale listings, where the listing agent sends ALL offers to the lender and waits for six months for the lender to accept one offer, which turns the process into a prolonged auction. Don’t subject yourself to some REO listings if the REO listing broker insists on seeing my buyers’ first-borne child, DNA tests and pre-approval by the lender of the listing broker’s choice BEFORE they will even look at your offer. (By the way, whenever the REO agent is asking for the pre-approval by their lender, understand that it’s done solely to facilitate a sales pitch by that lender, so complain about it to California Department of Real Estate, tell them that in your opinion it is against the spirit of California AB957 “Buyer’s Choice Act” of 2009, especially if you already have your pre-approval from another lender in place! If you end up putting 20 offers on REO listings, does it mean that you have to get pre-approved by 20 lenders BEFORE you even know if your offer is going to be accepted? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?)

5. Be creative! If you can’t get what you want directly, look for other ways of achieving the same results. Consider buying a fixer upper and using a rehab loan to do the repairs, consider buying a smaller house and they adding square footage to your desired size of home, consider new construction, lease-options, seller carry-backs or other creative ways of getting in the house. Become familiar with these creative strategies, they may be your ticket to homeownership today.

This is not the time to procrastinate and wait for your April tax refund before you start shopping for a house. Act now, and take advantage of the last several months of the BEST time to buy a house in the last several decades!