Hi folks. I’m getting ready to head out for day 3 of Florida Mortgage Broker School. I’ve always thought getting a Real Estate license was easy. Well after 16 hours of my 24 hour class I have concluded that getting a Mortgage Broker’s license is WAY easier. Maybe it’s because I have been in the Real Estate business for so long but this class is utter foolishness. Yesterday I learned how to calculate a 10% down payment on a $100,000 loan. Luckily they passed out calculators for this one!!

I will come back and write more about this experience when time allows. Right now I’m too focused. I think today we learn how to calculate a 15% down payment. I’m stoked!!!!

Started the eviction process on one of my tenants today. I hate that. It's the last thing I ever want to do. Especially since it's a single mom with two small children. But what can you do? She was having financial troubles last month and I gave her a months free rent to try and help. I probably would have helped again this month but she hasn't called and won't answer the door when I knock. So what do you do? I had to post a three day notice. I honestly hope she can find the money before the three days are up. If not, I have to move forward. I really feel for the children but I can't support her family and mine.

Why do tenants place us in this position? The worse thing they can do is not communicate with me. I had another tenant who lost his job and couldn't pay a few months ago, but I was able to hire him as a handyman to help my wife around the house. He worked for me for three months instead of paying rent. During that time we found him a job with our lawn service and now he is back on track and paying rent. I'm not a bad person. I want to help when I can. But if they avoid me my hands are tied. I believe tenants think that landlords are rich. They don't understand that their rent pays the mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs and lawn service. We have to pay these things whether the rent is paid or not.

Well that's my story today. It bums me out. I will keep her in my prayers tonight. I hope she calls. I hope she finds the money. I hate evictions!

Ok, so I took a listing yesterday. Great house priced right, clean and ready to be sold. So what's the problem? The problem is, I am now the third person to have this home listed. These poor Sellers have been on the market for 10 months and have never had a showing! That's never, as in nada, none, nobody, no interest, zippo! These Sellers started packing back in November and have been patiently waiting for the all elusive Buyer. They are desperately wanting to move back home to Puerto Rico to be near family. Where oh where have all the Buyer's gone? I guess the real question should be, where oh where have all the professional Realtors gone?

Now my market, Poinciana FL, is teeming with "Realtors". They are definitely easy to find. They're everywhere. The magnetic sign companies have made a fortune off Realtors in Poinciana. "Call me", "Free CMA", "Visit my website", "If I don't sell it I'll buy it", "You've called the rest now call the best", "No money down", "See if you qualify today!" and on and on and on.

So, back to my Sellers. The first time they listed for 6 months. The company was a combination, Mortgage/Real Estate Services, set up. Not a discount Company, but a full service, full commission organization. The Sellers thought this would be a great choice since they did the mortgages too. No unqualified Buyers with these folks! The only problem was they didn't tell the Seller they weren't part of the MLS and they over priced the house by about $30,000. So needless to say, no showings, no sale. The Sellers wasted 6 months of their time. I bet the Company received lots of Buyer leads off their sign though. Mortgage loans and Buyers. That's what they were after and that's what they got. Good for them, bad for the Sellers.

Next the Sellers moved on to a huge National Chain. Good choice of Companies, bad choice in Realtors. Again over priced by $30,000. No showings and no sale.

So, yesterday they made a good choice, they called Tutas Towne Realty and as always, they reached me. I met with them and pulled out my CMA to discuss pricing. Now as a Professional Realtor, preparing and presenting an accurate CMA is what we are supposed to do. Well, these folks had never, ever, seen one before! Ok, If you didn't catch that, here it is again, never, ever, seen a CMA! Been on the market for 10 months with 2 different companies and had never seen a CMA. That's never, as in nada, none, zippo!

Now, I have been doing this for quite a while and go behind other Realtors often, as a major part of my marketing is going after expired and withdrawn listings. I love them. All ready made the decision to sell, just need someone that can help them. Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how many Sellers have never seen a CMA. They arrive at pricing by telling the Realtor how much they want and the Realtor says "OK." Folks, this is unethical. It is our job as professional Realtors to advise Sellers on pricing. In my opinion, this is the most important responsibility we have. Sellers are depending on us. They are hiring us for our market knowledge. They are making plans based on the equity in their home. They are planning their retirement, purchasing other homes, paying off debt or like these folks just wanting to go back home to Puerto Rico. False hope. That's what Seller's get when you are not honest about pricing. False hope. Is there anything worse than this? False hope.

I never want to be known as someone that dishes out, false hope. Maybe some Sellers won't want to work with me because of my honesty about pricing. But I can't control that. I can control my professionalism. I can be honest with Sellers, whether they want to hear what I have to say or not. And I can choose not to give people false hope. Can you? Will you?

I think I will get me some of those magnetic signs. Mine will read………..Call Broker Bryant, for the truth and nothing but the truth.

Hi folks. As most of us in this business I seem to have a lot more frustrating days than I used to. Real Estate is hard. My personal business is about 80% short sales and REOs (foreclosures). Frustrating.

I work in a very low end market and have to do lot’s of transactions every month in order to make a good living and pay the business bills. But that’s ok. So many folks have it much worse than I.

Yet, they have more strength than I could ever imagine. A perfect example is…..

.……Artist Leon Botha, one of the world’s longest surviving Progeria sufferers, and photographer Gordon Clark embark on a collaborative and artistic adventure, exploring the questions of destiny and immortality to bring us this powerful photo series Who Am I? Transgressions.

“By words one transmits thoughts to another, by means of art, one transmits feelings.” Leo Tolstoy

Did a deal yesterday in Poinciana Fl. An elderly lady had passed away after a long illness and her son the only heir gave me a call to meet with him about listing and selling his Mother’s house. While listening to him he mentioned the man next door who had been helping his Mother out over the last couple of years by mowing her grass and checking in on her daily to make sure she was Ok. The son lived in another State and was not able to do these things.

Well the son decided he wanted to do something nice for the neighbor who is 80 years old himself and was getting ready to get married. So at the son’s request we did a purchase contract for the neighbor selling him the house at a $30,000 discount with a delayed 6 months closing and giving the neighbor permission to go in the house and take what he wanted and fix it up to be resold. Also he is allowed to list the house with me and sell it for market value. Hopefully this resale will happen in about 30-45 days. With a very minimum commission being charged the neighbor will be able to realize a $25,000 profit as a gift from the deceased lady’s son. God’s Grace is alive and well in Poinciana. A story to touch the heart