Pretty much every time I get on the phone, either speaking to a buyer or seller, the conversation evolves to our RE market here in sunny SW Florida. So what gives??? Is it all gloom and doom as the local and national news portray or are things really not THAT bad?

Well we all know that most areas of the country including SW Florida have a lot of inventory. This we know is true. We also know that some of the sellers have lost the buyers by pricing at 2005/2006 prices. If the price is too high...it's NOT selling. This of course adds to the gluten of inventory. Then there are the sellers who REAllY NEED to sell and are pricing aggressively. They are in the best position to sell. The problem is the "buyers" are taking their time. Some are looking at every home known to man and others feel that the fall/season will really show the rock bottom prices. They are NOT writing. So this leaves us with .... you got it....inventory and a lot of it.

I have seen waterfront RE go down drastically. In fact so much so that it's a hell of a good time to buy whether you think it will reduce another 15K by July or not. If you think that then GO FOR IT.... write an offer 15K, 20K or whatever you "think" it will go down by the fall. Why risk losing the opportunity? Many sellers are happy to have an offer and I haven't met one yet that is not willing to negotiate.

So.... this message is to all you buyers out there reading this blog. Seize the opportunity now because we will not be in this situation for long or ever again. If you see that Gulf Access property you have always wanted but waited tooooo long to buy then watched the prices skyrocket pass your budget ..don't let it happen again. This is your moment.....go for it! The RE maket is cyclical. Value will come back and the deals will be gone forever.

To the sellers reading this blog....hang in there because the agents have "word" .....the buyers are coming back this winter season to work out the old John Handcock.