Last week during our team meeting we were discussing new apps to download on our phones that are particularly Realtor friendly. Everyone is always looking for that one super app, which will not only provide useful information but also current data. You usually have to go to several different places for listings, sold homes, school information or market activity specific to a certain neighborhood. Real Estate by smarter agent allows you to look up properties for sale or rent as well as recent sold properties in any neighborhood. Anyone can get this app on their phone or tablet. This app allows you to see a complete market report on any given property. It’s pretty cool when you can work smarter, not harder.
This got me thinking about real estate when you work with smarter agents. It goes a long way when a professional is educated in their field and competent with the process. A smarter agent is easier to work with and usually makes the transaction go smooth. If they cannot answer your question right then, a smarter agent will be able to find out for you. When you focus on your client’s needs and not their wants, buyers and sellers can realize that this real estate market is fantastic! If you are thinking about selling your home, buying a property to live in or investment, The Fooks Team is prepared to guide you through the whole process. Striving for Excellence!
Rob Petit
www.FooksTeam.com

It’s the turn of a New Year, 2012 is upon us! Realtors, buyers and sellers are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation and have returned to the streets. New listings are coming on the market everyday and we expect open houses to be jammed pack this weekend. Especially since the Patriots have a bye week for the playoffs!

We all make resolutions in the New Year to lose weight, exercise more or to quit a bad habit. How about we make resolutions in the real estate world?! Buyers should focus on cleaning up their financials and make the decision to buy a home. There are many mortgage programs available for first time buyers, veterans and investors. The guidelines will remain strict in order to qualify for a mortgage, but money is available. You could improve your credit score by challenging your report or by paying down “bad debt”. There are ways to get your score to go up by 50 points in a matter of months.

For seller, how about we get them to resolve pricing their home correctly before coming onto the MLS. That way they can stop chasing the market and get the most action starting from the very beginning. Also I would like all homes to be in tip top showing condition! Is that too much to ask?!
Realtors need to make a resolution as well. We need to improve our communication skills with all parties involved with the transaction. The whole buying/selling process can be very stressful and our job as Realtor professionals is to make the transactions go as smooth as possible. We all need to improve our skills and continue to stay current on market trends, pricing and marketing.

This is going to be an excellent and exciting year. The Fooks Team, Striving for Excellence!!
Rob Petit
www.FooksTeam.com

Real estate is not seasonal. We pray that you find peace and happiness during this Christmas Season. This past year has been exciting, fast paced and challenging. We understand that this market is always changing and we strive to stay ahead of the norm. This past year we have improved our social media presence and www.FooksTeam.com. It’s easy to search all properties for sale, view and map out an open house tour or review the opportunities when you invest in a multi family. We continue to learn and improve our services for our buyers and sellers that we work with. This allows us to keep you informed of what’s going on in the Rhode Island Real Estate market and puts our Fooks Team listing in front of thousands of people to see. We also enjoy being able to stay in contact with you! We are looking forward to an exciting 2012! Striving for Excellence!!
Rob Petit

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Rhode Island Real Estate Team

This is my 11th year of being a Veteran after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1996-2000. I think it’s kind of ironic that today is 11/11/11! It is an honor to be called a Veteran. Even though I served during a time when the country was not at war, the Coast Guard always has a mission. Whether it is search and rescue, drug enforcement or protecting our ports, the USCG is always ready. Semper Paratus! I enjoyed both of my tours onboard the USCGC Spencer and USCGC Confidence.
The military lifestyle is like that of no other. A person in the service will get more done by 10am than most people do for the entire day! Everyone follows the plan of the day and you must report to muster first thing in the morning. This will ensure you are where you’re supposed to be. PRESENT and accounted for! This keeps everyone on the same page and outlines what will be done for that day. That is why Bill and I talk every morning at 7am to line up our day and keep each other going! We were both sailors and continue our daily routine in real estate like we did at sea!
What I learned from my experience in the military has helped guide me into being a man today. I know that living in fear is not living at all. For my family and my real estate family, giving 100% is the only way. I learned that disciple and focus on the job at task will create excellent results.
Most importantly what Veteran’s Day means to me is being able to share a special bond with my Dad. He served in the Marine Corp from 1970-1972. Every year we get together and make our trips to the local Legions, VFW’s and other establishments to celebrate with other Veteran’s. We salute each other with a beer and tell our “war stories”. It is a very special day for us both. Semper Fi my friend! The Fooks Team wants to wish a Happy Veteran’s Day to all the past and present service members. Thank you all! Striving for Excellence!
Rob Petit
www.FooksTeam.com

I listed a very nice one level ranch in western Cranston last month on October 1st. We took outstanding photos of every room in the house along with the landscaped yard. The virtual tour was added to the websites within a matter of days of coming onto the market. This house was in pristine condition and priced according to the market analysis at $224,900. Within the first week we had our first showing scheduled. The feedback was received the next day by the buyer broker stating “his buyers would continue to look at other properties”. This is understandable especially in this market because buyers will look at several properties before making any decisions.
The following week we received our second call for a showing request. The buyer broker was only going to be able to bring the wife in on Wednesday because the husband could not get that day off. That evening the agent called asking if they can have a second showing for Saturday which the buyers were going to bring their family in. So I met them on Saturday to open the door and WOW they have a lot of people helping them with buying their first home. The Mom, Dad, husband and their children all showed up for the second showing. They stayed over an hour going through the property and I could tell they loved it. Later in the afternoon an offer came through on my computer.
These buyers made an offer of $215,000 with a deposit check and their approval letter for a mortgage. They were only approved for a max of $215,000 and came in with their highest and best offer to close in 30 days. I sat with my sellers and we went over all the numbers and figured out what their net dollars would be at closing. We take into account the mortgage payoff, commission, state tax stamps, deed/legal fees and estimated the prorated sewer/water/taxes. These sellers were moving to Florida after they sold this home but this offer would not net them what they wanted, so we had to decline the offer. They wanted to stay on the market and hope to get what they wanted.
Two weeks went by and we did not get any phone calls for a showing. Not one single call. During the two weeks, this lovely New England weather also gave us our first snow fall! Followed by a 60 degree day! Like they say about New England weather, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes”! I decided to call the buyer broker and asked her if her buyers had bought anything else yet? She said they looked at a few other properties but did not find anything they liked. We talked for a little longer and I suggested to her that we re-introduce the offer and we would cut our commission to increase the sellers net. We both agreed and the following day I sat down with the sellers again.
Well it did not take long after I walked through the door for them to tell me that they were glad I was back! Going through the new net numbers with them, they decided to take the offer. They were pleased to be moving forward and gave the agents credit for not giving up and helping put this deal together. I give all the credit to the crummy weather, thank you snow! Striving for Excellence!!
www.FooksTeam.com

How about we play a game? Ok, first let’s paint the picture so we all know where to start. You are a buyer in today’s real estate market, pre-approved and qualified for a mortgage of $155,000 at 4% interest for 30 years. This is going to be your first home purchase, congratulations! Your monthly payment for principal and interest is $1047.43 and the total interest paid over the life of the loan is $107,498.81. Bad news is rates will be going up to 6% in 12 months as well as property prices decreasing by $10,000. So if you decide to not buy the property now and wait to purchase a $145,000 home next year, you will spend over $50,000 in interest over the life of the loan. Check it out on your smart phone. Download the Karl’s Mortgage calculator and put in the price and terms. Your total interest paid if you wait until next year will be $162,086.59. That’s over 50K you save when you buy now at a higher price, but lower interest rate! The monthly payment on the cheaper priced home will be $1172.45, which is $124.82 more compared to the lower rate and higher priced home! And you are still going to own the same property! You can listen to what they say in the news if you want, but you will pay more. Your Fooks Team buyer broker can show you several other reasons why the time to buy is now! Striving for Excellence!
www.FooksTeam.com

This is the end… this is the end, my friend! I don’t think so and get rid of that stinkin thinkin!! It’s time to put the notion that this real estate market is in a decline and we all need to just move on! The tire kicker buyers have gone back into hibernation and people that are ready to buy are on the prowl. Rates are lower than ever and there are a number of properties for sale that are really sharp. Real Estate is never consistent and often goes in spurts. In October we have experienced a number of second showing requests on our listings. In each of the second showings, the buyers had seen at least 5 other similar properties. If you make a good first impression, buyers will remember! Even though a buyer shows interest in your property, if its not priced right, most buyers will not fear the threat of someone else coming in to buy it. They continue to shop properties and go back to preview the ones they liked. Often a second showing will result in an offer. It did this week! One deal was put together and the other offer was not accepted. We will continue to push forward and keep making things happen. I often hear comments from the sellers who failed to sell their property “we are going to wait until the market picks up in order to sell so we will get our price.” The time to sell and buy real estate is now, don’t be fooled otherwise. Striving for Excellence!!
www.FooksTeam.com

The Fooks Team attended the Get Motivated Seminar at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence this past week. It was interesting to hear the diverse stories from each presenter, as each discussed their experiences of how they ended up where they were. The common trait each person had was a positive attitude and willingness to learn or adapt to change. Get up and do something! If you are not taking action then you are really doing nothing at all. “Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new.” How else are you going to stay ahead in this fast paced world?

Technology has made getting real estate information easier than ever before. Pictures, virtual tours, phone apps, facebook and google maps are just a few ways buyers get instant access about any property. Regardless of your age, technology will have an affect on your life. One of my 80 yr old sellers was even aware of all the realtor apps you can download on your smart phone. She said her grandkids use that all the time and understood that is how buyers search for properties in today’s market!

This week we added a new Personal Assistant to our team -Brittney Vieira. We are working on improving our www.FooksTeam.com website, internet presence and our facebook and social media sites. Brittney is extremely valuable to the team as she is the glue that holds us all together. Her positive attitude and ability to pick up things very quickly have impressed us all. We think her addition will get us back to doing 100 deals next year! Striving for Excellence!