If you haven't noticed, our site has a commercials page. I just like messing around with Final Cut Pro on my Mac, and these are an easy way for me to try new things while marketing my site at the same time. My latest commercial is a spoof on the trailer for the movie "The Blair Witch Project." Let me know what you think in the comments. Here's the youtube version:

I read an article today in the Orlando Realtor magazine discussing new technology, and how to use it in Real Estate marketing. Now, I consider myself an early adopter. That being said, I find that most of the Realtors I work with (even the really successful ones) are very far behind on the technology front when it comes to marketing and management of their companies. The first (of 6) recommendation from the article was to use videos instead (actually, I think they said "along with") virtual tours. I have worked in real estate for 8 years - general real estate for 9 months. I have made videos for every listing I have taken, and never used a 360 tour. Working for a builder in a model home for four years helped me learn how people look at homes. I noticed how they immediately scan the entire room when they walk through the front door, and almost always head toward the kitchen. The look at the cabinets and pantry, then hang out in the living/family room for a few minutes. Then they typically head to the master bedroom. This flow doesn't happen every time, but I would say it happens more than 90% of the time.

I took this knowledge, and tried to apply it to my video tours. Before I started making the videos, I searched other Realtors in the area to see if anyone was taking advantage of this new-ish process, but couldn't find anyone. I usually walk from room-to-room with my camera, and video exactly what most people look at when they tour a house. Some sellers ask that I use a tripod and just scan each room, but I prefer walking with the cam - even though it tends to be a bit on the shaky side. I usually take about 90 minutes to tape the house, then edit it on my mac with Final Cut Pro - which takes about 3 hours. I then upload the video to my site, and to a few of the top video sites.

I'm writing this at about 2am, so forgive me if it rambles a bit. My point is, I'm glad to see Realtors catching on to this new trend, although I didn't mind being the only one doing it...sort of gave me an edge in my listing presentation. Here's my newest listing. I have a better version of it on my site, and on www.14303hampshirebaycircle.com, but I'm including my YouTube version for a lighter upload. Enjoy!



If you have questions, feel free to call me at 407-729-9695.

Something I hear on a daily basis from other agents is that there isn't the industry in Florida to support the increase in home prices we've seen over the past few years.

Turns out, a company called Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc, ranked Florida VERY high - 3rd to be exact. Virginia and South Carolina were 1st and 2nd. The results were based on 28 measurements including taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs and jobs lost or gained.

States ranked high on the list understand that they must be very pro-active in the international battle to keep and attract jobs

according to the company.

Pretty good stuff. Now I'd like to see how central Florida ranks compared to the rest of the state. I'll keep digging and see if I can find more information. If you have the info, feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Even with recent Florida state regulatory changes reducing the cost of reinsurance rates, we haven't seen the decreases near the 24 percent that was predicted by lawmakers in January.

Yesterday, State Farm reported that most policyholders would only see a 7 percent decline, though homeowners in Broward and Miami-Dade counties could see declines up to 9.5 percent. State Farm Florida Insurance Corp. is the state’s largest private insurer and has more than 1 million customers.The

Office of Insurance Regulation must first approve the rate request. Office Spokesman Bob Lotane says that the request

“doesn’t mean we’re going to be accepting their numbers.”

Some lawmakers believe the rate should be lower because reinsurance is cheaper in FL than anywhere else. Gov. Crist is also unhappy about this 7 percent, saying,

"The lower the rate filing the better, as far as I’m concerned, And I know that’s how the people of our state feel. I’m hopeful that we can have them lower, and that’s what I look forward to."

Thanks to 10best.com, we now have a list of Orlando's Top Rated restaurants! I'm just going to list the top 5. If you've eaten at any of these, leave your thoughts in the comments. Do you agree with with these rankings?

#1 - Chez Vincent

533 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789 · 407-599-2929
website

An intimate bistro set in Hannibal Square, this charming place courts diners with classic, if not unusual, dishes and a handful of inventive choices. Although not everyone adores escargot or frog's legs, most will take pleasure in lamb, venison, or salmon. Entrees generally come with a rich sauce that enhances but doesn't overpower the flavor of the meat; examples include cherries and port wine or cream and vermouth. Taking this idea to its next level are signature plates which feature several different meat selections, each accompanied by a particular sauce. For a special treat, try the rich, creamy mashed potatoes. Reservations recommended. Business dressy attire.

#2 - Samba Room

7468 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819 · 407-226-0550
website

Live with abandon at this sensual cafe, where spicy aromas float through the air and hip-swaying rhythms entice you to dance. Upscale and hip, the restaurant tempts diners with a Latin-inspired menu, culled from the cuisines of Cuba, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Light, fresh cocktails are served at the bar; a cigar lounge and outdoor dining are available. Smart casual attire; dinner reservations recommended.

#3 - Black Bean Deli

325 S Orlando Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789-3608 · 407-628-0294

Simple styling and uncomplicated service are the hallmarks of this small place, which serves up fantastic Cuban food. Especially good for takeout, the Deli offers traditional dishes like empanadas and tamales, supplementing them with sandwiches featuring pork, ham and more. As you might expect, the attention given to everything is first-rate, and it shows in the flavor. The black beans and rice, for which the place was named, are particularly good. If it's busy, don't be put off – just order quickly and be ready to eat. Reservations not accepted. Smart casual dress.

#4 - Habana Grill

937 W State Rd 436, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714-2927 · 407-682-6834
website

Festive and fun, Don Pepe's is a master at doing well what it knows best. Although they've broadened their approach to Cuban cuisine by incorporating dishes from other Latin countries, they maintain a sure hand with empanadas, papas rellenos and slow-roasted beef and pork. Foods are tender, savory and have a zest that patrons crave when they're away too long. The restaurant also has a substantial collection of Spanish wines that complement the robust flavors of the cuisine. Priority seating accepted. Smart casual dress.

#5 - Emeril's Orlando

6000 Universal Blvd, Universal Studios Escape's CityWalk, Orlando, FL 32819 · 407-224-2424
website

Renowned chef Emeril works his customary magic at this celebrated restaurant that bears his name. Master of Cajun and Creole cuisine, Emeril takes an innovative approach with traditional ingredients, crafting dishes such as lobster cheesecake and crabmeat strudel. He also presents grilled veal chops, quail stuffed with oyster dressing and a duck extravaganza that boasts foie gras, confit and duck breast. Pizzas and desserts also benefit from his exuberant love of food and good living. A wine cellar of more than 12,000 selections pairs with premium cigars to complete the sensory experience. Jackets are recommended, and reservations well in advance are necessary.


Now it's up to you. Go out and try a few of these restaurants. I've been to two of them and agree with them being in the top 5. If you know of a place you think would be more appropriate in the list, let us know.

I haven't mentioned this (although, I thought I did), but I'm currently attending my mandatory Broker License Post Licensing Continuing Education class. The state requires 60 hours - broken up into two 30 hour classes. I'm in a bit of a bind because I need to complete them before the end of this month....no sweat, but had no idea I was already due. I'm in class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week for the "managing a Real Estate Office" course, and taking an Investment class online.
Why do you care? Well, with all the web 2.0 goodness going around, I thought I'd open this up to everyone. Have any questions about the courses? If I can't answer it, I'll ask in class. Far stretch for a social aspect to my blog, but thought I'd try. Leave any questions in the comment section.
The class starts at 8am, I live an hour away, and that darn daylight savings thing - must get sleep.

Men's Health magazine examined the most recent data on levels of arsenic, lead, halocetic acids and total trihalomethanes (linked to cancer), and total coliform bacteria, plus the number of EPA water system violations from 1995 to 2005. They graded cities on the results. How did Florida do you ask? Well, not too bad, although Orlando ranked the worst city, but only with a "C" rating. Here are the results for FL:

80. Orlando - C
74. Jacksonville - C
66. Tampa - C
48. Miami - C
8. St. Petersburg - A

Curious about the best and worst? Here are those results:

Worst Cities

100. Phoenix, AZ - F
99. Indianapolis, IN - F
98. Charlotte, NC - F
97. Los Angeles, CA - F
96. Charleston, WV - D

Best Cities

5. Memphis, TN - A
4. Norfolk, VA - A
3. Kansas City, MO - A
2. Baton Rouge, LA - A
1. Denver, CO - A

Dirty Tricks

Last year, the Better Business Bureau took nearly 1,200 consumer complaints about water-testing companies. The most common scenario: A door-to-door salesperson performs a free water test, claims you're drinking sewage, and then sells you thousands of dollars in filtration equipment.
Of course, in reality, your water may be just fine. "In most cases, you're pretty much guaranteed it's a scam," says Steve Cox, a spokesman for the Council of Better Business Bureaus. To double-check a dire warning, contact your local water company. (Go to drinktap.org/consumerdnn/ and click on "Find it Here!" to locate your provider.)

Source: Men's Health, March 2007, Pg 80

We've been including the market conditions in our site for awhile now, but I want to give you a breakdown, and explain some of these numbers. First thing to note - the figures are for the previous month. We usually get the data on the 8th of the month, which gives the stat people time to gather the info. The following figures and information is for Orange and Seminole counties (FL) combined.

The first chart we'll analyze is Average Monthly Mortgage Rate:

You'll notice we are only slightly up from January, but down from February of last year. The overall trend seems to be that rates are low, but might start creeping up into Summer. We'll keep a close on on it through Spring.

Our next table shows Inventory:

I'm not happy with where we're going on this chart. We're up slightly from January, but almost double what we were last year. Inventory is the number of homes on the market. I'll explain the effect of this later in this post. We have all been watching this, and I'm a little surprised we weren't down this month. I thought the market was starting to swing, and the inventory was being bought up. Maybe March will reflect this. This is a good indication that it's still a great buyer's market - let's go buy a house...there are plenty to choose from!

Now we'll look at New Listings in the area:

This chart goes hand-in-hand with inventory. There was a HUGE spike in listings between Dec '06 and Jan '07 which is normal. The added listings boosted the inventory. We're almost dead even with last year, which gives a glimmer of hope that our market has corrected itself and is starting to balance out. The roller-coaster is back in the station. We dropped over a thousand new listings between January and February, so if this trend continues, we'll lower the inventory. Note to buyers - the lower the inventory, the more likely we're heading to another seller's market.

Now for New Contracts:

Let's talk about inventory again. If you take the number of homes on the market and divide it by the number of homes under contract, you'll have an estimate of the amount of inventory we have - in months. For February, we have 22,055 inventory divided by 2,387 new contracts = 9.24 months of inventory left. In other words. if we took NO new listings this year, it would take 9.24 months to sell everything we have in inventory. This is NOT a great number if you're currently trying to sell your home. I predict this number will dramatically reduce as we enter Summer. Even though it appears we're still in a decline with new contracts, the graph as a whole shows the trend for an increase.

Days on Market:

For February '07, the average days a listed house stayed on the market was 92. Ouch! If you are trying to sell your home - be patient. Last year, the average days on market was 48, and this number has grown EVERY month. There has not been a decline in the number of days on the market, and a lot of this has to do with the amount of inventory we have. With so much inventory, buyers can be very selective. Sellers are having to be creative with incentives, and financing options. Like I said before...I think this will all level out very soon. I'll do this report each month, so stay tuned.

Unemployment Rate:

Our unemployment rate has remained fairly steady this year. Last February our unemployment rate was 3.2%, and is now 3.3%. This really hasn't played a major factor in our local market, but could if it changes drastically.

If you still have questions about any of these numbers, feel free to call me. You can reach our team toll free at (888) 55-EKDAY, or locally at 407-729-9695. If you're an expert in this, and feel I have misinterpreted any of these facts, let me know in the comments.

Source: Orlando Regional Realtor Association

Many of you may already be using today's featured site, Zillow. I have to admit, I'm hooked on it. Problem is, I can't use it for my daily job. Zillow is "an online real estate service dedicated to helping you get an edge in real estate by providing you with valuable tools and information." Most of the people I know that use this site are simply trying to "estimate" their home's value. Now, I wish I could do away with creating CMAs (comperative market analysis) and just use the info Zillow provides, but the estimates tend to be inaccurate.

Here's an example: I have a house listed in Winter Garden, FL. After working with an appraiser to determine value, I concluded that the property should be listed for $699k. Today, I decided to take a look at Zillow's opinion of price, and they didn't even have the house. The neighboring homes range from $307k - $591k (except the house directly behind, which is showing $1.2m).

Again, I like Zillow as a fun tool to use when you're looking to kill time, but I wouldn't take their "estimates" too seriously.....yet. I do believe over time, they might get this right. For those of you looking to sell your home on your own, please consider other options when it comes to determining your price.

Yesterday, I told you about the new update to iTunes, and promised I'd give you a few links to RE podcasts. Here are a few that might interest you, and get you started if you're new to the world of podcasting. These links are for Apple's iTunes store, so you need iTunes installed for these to work (see yesterday's post to download itunes).

• Ekday - Central Florida Real Estate (my favorite - what can I say. Updates coming this month)
  
• Real Estate Sales Force
  
• How to Rent Vacation properties by Owner
  
• Real Estate Insiders
  
• The Real Estate guys Radio
  

These should get you going, but there are tons more. Just search itunes for real estate and choose "Podcasts" from the top of the screen. ENJOY!

I missed this by a few days, but Apple has released an update for Quicktime AND iTunes. Why do I mention this? Well, I feel there is a move in real estate toward podcasting new listings, or real estate news in general. I know most of you have iPods, and if you haven't already added podcasts to it, I recommend you search itunes for them today! They are free, and offer a better way to get your news.

There are really only two features in iTunes that I've seen updated.

The first is full-screen coverflow. Nice feature, but I was fine with it the old way. I really wish they'd make it like they showed it on the iphone - click an album and it spins to reveal the contents of the album. Maybe we'll see that this summer.

The other new feature I noticed was a new "apply sort field." I haven't really seen the benefits of this. If any of you can think of one, leave it in the comments.

I'll be posting a few links to some of my favorite real estate podcasts this week. If you haven't already updated your itunes, follow the download link below to the apple store.


Download

There are lots of things you can do to make your home less of a target for thieves, according to this article from DoItYourself.com. Among their suggestions:

• Upgrade your locks by removing what's there and installing dead bolt locks. Even better, double dead bolts locks (that need a key to be unlocked from the inside) provide the best security.
  
• You don't need to do anything very fancy to stop windows and doors from being slid open. The old reliable idea of a "stick in the track" effectively blocks them from being slid open.
  
• Burglars don't like to be seen, so install lights that will light up the outside of your home.

Any other ideas? We'd love to hear 'em.

Make Your Home Unattractive to thieves (doityourself.com)

Developers have announced plans to build more than 40 high-rise and midrise condominium projects in downtown Orlando during the past eight years. But most of these projects are stuck in limbo amid the slump in demand; only about a third are open or under construction -- a situation little changed since the Orlando Sentinel surveyed the city center six months ago.

Take a look HERE for a list of the current projects.

Here is a list of the 7 Deadly Mistakes most home-sellers make:

1. Failing to analyze why they are selling
   
2. Not preparing their home for the buyer's eye
   
3. Pricing their homes incorrectly
   
4. Selling too hard during showings
   
5. Signing a long-term listing agreement without a written performance guarantee
   
6. Making it difficult for buyers to get information on their homes
   
7. Failing to obtain a pre-approved motgage for one's next home

If you're thinking of selling your home, try your best to avoid these mistakes!