Blog Northwest Florida

Love my job as I do, I sometimes wonder if I could have possibly chosen a more stressful field of work. And love my clients as I do, there are days I have to take a REALLY, REALLY deep breath and say, "It's the stress he/she is under, not the person doing this (or saying this)."

I have a range of clients because I work in a fairly small town/beach market and sell the gamut, from first time home buyers purchasing a starter home to buyers of luxury second homes or beach condominiums. For the most part, the first time home buyers and military buyers are a joy to work with. Their excitement is palatable when they realize they can really afford to own that home they've had their eye on for the past year or so. I get a thrill just being part of that transaction! And my affluent customers are great for my business; they are my biggest source of referral business! What fun to run into them on the beach and hear about how much they are enjoying that beach condo we negotiated for so fiercely.

But then there's the stress factor. After a client meltdown the other day that almost had me spinning out of control (3 minute phone call fixed the problem) I thought I would do a little research on stress and the affluent buyer. Not surprising what I found:

According to 2004 APD Research, more than 75% of all affluent business owners and self-employed professionals work in excess of 60 hours a week - many a lot more hours than that (Sounds like us Real Estate professionals, right?). People working this hard are used to obstacles in their day to day work life, but they would like their high-end purchase experience to be as close to stress free as possible. That's my goal - making it stress free. Unfortunately, we all know a real estate transaction is a complicated affair given the best of circumstances so there are occasional hiccups . . . like the one my client experienced the other day.

Working to anticipate possible problems in advance and rectifying any issues as quickly as possible has long been my game plan, but I sometimes wonder if there isn't something more I could be doing to pro-actively head off what I see as unnecessary "stress reactions." Or at least deal with them more gracefully in the moment.

So, any ideas out there?

Check out my big catch from last year!

This one was a fighter. He just about pulled me overboard and I was working hard to make sure he was my dinner instead of feeding the toothy Barricuda that was in hot pursuit! 

Gulf Red Snapper season is just around the corner - the Florida season opens April 15, and you can bet the anglers will be out in force. I know several friends are preping their boats in anticipation of the big day. 

If you plan to fish for these bright red guys, be aware that there are some new rules this year. While there are no changes to Florida's rules, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions cautions that new limits appy in federal waters (Federal waters begin 9 nautical miles off the coast.). The Federal season does not begin until April 21, and the 4 per day bag limit will only apply from April 21 to May1. May 2nd you will only be allowed two of these tasty guys.

Now, GO FISH!

Beautiful spring days in Florida make staying inside tough! Lucky for me, my office overlooks the white sands of Pensacola Beach and the Gulf of Mexico and every now and then I kick off my shoes and steal away for a stroll down the beach . . . don't tell my broker . . .

Wednesday afternoon was one of those days. I ran into Rachel (pictured here) along with her mom Cathy and brother Erin. Well a beach stroll turned into margaritas at the Tiki Bar (for Cathy and me) and of course the converstation turned to real estate. Cathy and her family are frequent visitors to Pensacola Beach from their home near New Orleans. She was surprised to learn that our condo prices on Pensacola Beach are down as much as 40% from the '05/'06 market high. Great window of opportunity for second home buyers who thought they were priced out of the market.

Well, I pride myself in being a "full service" Realtor. Tell me what you need and I'll get it done. I just received an Easter photo from two of my very best clients which reminded me of the importance of match-making . . . and I'm not just talking matching the client with the home.

About five years ago I met a young pilot living in Atlanta whose dream was to buy a Pensacola Beach condo on the water. Unfortunately, the prices had been escalating and even the most modest condo was out of his price range. I encouraged him not to give up and that I would keep my eyes open for him.

As sometimes happens, a few months later an opportunity came up. Due to divorce, a couple needed to sell their beach condo quickly. Unfortunately, the husband - a do-it-yourself kind of guy - had torn the master bath out of the condo in an ill fated attempt to renovate. Well, we all know what that means for financing! Since I remembered this young pilot telling me that he had some construction experience and wasn't afraid of a "fixer" I called him and we quickly worked out an arrangement where he would finish the renovation in return for a deep discount on the condo. I called him and he flew down from Atlanta that evening. It was a bit stressful for all of us, but in the end he got a great price and the sellers were able to move on with their lives.

This client really made an impression on me. So much so that I began talking him up every chance I got. I happened to be at lunch with another Realtor one day when she said something on the order of, "Wow, you really think a lot of this guy. When am I going to meet him?" Well, HELLO Robin . . .

Fast forward five years and meet the family - two children and five (COUNT THEM - FIVE) real estate transactions later (Yes, my friend is no longer practicing real estate as I am their Realtor. Anyway, she's much too busy raising their beautiful daughters and managing their growing real estate holdings.) This, my friends, is why I LOVE MY JOB. (For the record, my friend tells a much funnier version of this story on her blog StrivingForDevineLove@blogspot.com )

Are you a full service Realtor? Let's hear your stories!

Robin Sherman, MA, Broker Associate, CRS

Coldwell Banker United, Pensacola Beach, FL

Interesting editorial in today's Pensacola News Journal. The subject is the trickle down theory - or in this case trickle sideways theory (geographically speaking) - of jobs. There have been recent announcements of large employers (Northrop Grumman, EAS, Thyssen-Krupp) coming to Mobile, AL, only an hour's drive from Pensacola , and some Pensacolians have bemoaned the fact that here we sit with a slow housing market, a slow economy, on and on . . . ad nauseum.,

As the editorial points out, employers with projects of this size require hundreds of suppliers and they aren't all right under the principal's nose. In the case of Mobile, with a current fully employed workforce, they are definitely going to be reaching out for both goods and services and Pensacola's proximity is a plus! Couple that with a strong military and defense contracting community (Naval Air Station Pensacola, Hurlburt Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base), affordable housing and a great quality of life you have the makings of a Silicon Valley South.

I have blogged in the recent past about Pensacola's iTen Wired, an economic development initiative aimed at bringing the rapidly growing high tech businesses on the Interstate 10 corridor from Mobile to Crestview, FL, together for networking and synergy. This group recently had their first summit bringing together over 200 people interested in furthering the cause. There's never been a better time . . . once the economic pendulum swings history shows it swings quickly!

What to do on a lazy sunny Easter afternoon on the Gulf Coast? (It's 70 degrees, by the way.) This girl hit the road! The Gulf Breeze Arts and Crafts Festival was a great start!

 A glass artist in his booth.                                         This artist makes airplanes from Coke cans (Pepsi too!)

There's always something going on in Florida's Panhandle

I met this couple at the Gulf Islands National Seashore (view toward Pensacola Beach). They were on vacation, escaping the snow, and planning a drive up the coast to Mobile, AL. I was able to give them info. on the landmarks along the way. They'll enjoy fine dining in Fairhope, AL this evening!

Lots to do! Now it's almost time for a spectacular Gulf Coast sunset . . . better hunt up a glass of wine!

What a FABULOUS weekend in Pensacola - Northwest Florida. The sun was out, the tourists were out, I was out! It doesn't get much better than this. According to our Chamber of Commerce we should be in for a record tourism season.

Chaser was abandoned at the dog park. The ladies at the Garden Gate in Gulf Breeze took him in and now he lives  in a paradise of petunas and puppy pats.                                                                                                                                                               

                                            The view out across the Bay

The Perdido Key Kid's Park was a busy place.

Emerald Dolphin Balcony View - Pensacola Beach

What an AMAZING day. Much too pretty to stay inside . . . I took my camera out with me. Thought some of you might enjoy these photos!

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 Palafox Street - Downtown Pensacola                                        Downtown Marina

In a near record slow market for our area, 22 months of inventory, I recently put a $239,900 home under contract at full price within two days. How? The home was meticulously maintained and the seller, while upside down like many today, was well educated about the local market and absolutely realistic.

Gulf Breeze, FL Home - Priced Right, Sold Quickly 

We have to do our best, for our clients and ourselves, to explain the real market picture . . . ugly as it might be for a seller. I'd hazard a guess that I'm not the only one who has chased the market down with more than one listing over the past year or so. Everyone suffers in this scenario.

I remember the advice that the best time to buy is when you need to . . . same goes for selling and it isn't always when the market is hot.

Just like Oprah, women in the Greater Pensacola Bay Area (Florida) have found a way to GIVE BIG. How do you turn $1,000 into $563,000 in just four years? Read on . . .

In 2004, a group of concerned women came together with the goal of each contributing $1,000 and recruiting a total of 100 women willing to donate $1,000 a year in order to make a difference. Pensacola's IMPACT 100 was born, one of several IMPACT organizations around the country. Pensacola's group exceeded their first year goal, recruiting 233 women and putting $233,000 into the hands of local non-profit organizations.

Fast forward to 2008, and you will find this dynamic group of ladies going strong. Their ranks have grown to an incredible 563, meaning local non-profits will receive an infusion of $563,000 in funds this year!

IMPACT is a women-only, all volunteer group focusing its efforts on five community service sectors: arts and culture, education, environment, recreation and preservation, family, and health and wellness. Contributions this year will fund five grants of $112,600 each. In addition to giving women who care about their community an avenue to make a difference, the organization provides IMPACT members a broad education on local non-profits and their needs which has led to greater philanthropy overall.

One of the first projects funded by IMPACT 100 was remodeling and furnishing a clinic building and stocking medical supplies and medications for the Good Samaritan Clinic. The Clinic provides free quality health care and free medications to working, medically uninsured residents.  As a result of the 2004 grant, doctors and nurses donated over 1900 hours in 2005, lay volunteers provided over 4200 hours, more than 1500 patients were treated (over 70% women) and 75 patients were referred to and accepted by local health professionals for care that was not available at the clinic.

To bring help of this type to a community provides benefits that are hard for those of us with insurance and access to good health care to imagine, and there can be no price placed on witnessing the good works first hand and knowing you played a part. One young man who came to the clinic with problems with his eyesight was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor for which he was referred for surgery. Without access to the clinic he may not have sought help until it was too late to save his vision.

Bravo to the women of Pensacola's IMPACT 100. Just one example of the many reasons we love to call Pensacola home!