East Pass II, Holiday Isle, Destin Florida Condo – Destin Short Sale
November 5, 2009
This East Pass Towers II condo on Holiday Isle in Destin Florida is a stunner! You will have great views of both Destin harbor and the pass from two unique balconies! Upgrades galore including a spectacular kitchen for the gourmet – miles of granite counters for buffet line, baking or Top Chefing. All new appliances 2006, custom designed Kohler sink. Wetbar with bowl sink, silver leaf backsplash, silver leaf ice maker. Bamboo-look columns and bamboo floors (2006), designer lighting, pulls, faux paint add drama. Private master suite. Secondary bedrooms have separate doors to balcony. Tons of storage, pantry, shelving makes this Destin short sale condo more like a home. Armour Screen brand hurricane protection ($10,000) for see-through protection from wind. East Pass Towers is located on the end of Holiday Isle. This Destin short sale condo setting offers sparkling views of A.J.’s, harbor lights and the pass to the Gulf of Mexico. Destin beach is at your feet, as this condo is right on the water! Destin short sale offered at $475,000
When selling your Destin short sale property, hire an experienced short sale specialist.
“It’s Wendy!” Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in “Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine” and “Florida Realtor Magazine”.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner, to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
“Day in the Life” of a Destin Short Sale Agent
October 28, 2009
Just one of my normal days selling real estate and short sales in Destin, Florida…
Buyer agent emails me to say buyer is “walking” if no response from Niceville short sale lender this week.
Another buyer agent calls me to say buyer is “walking” by October 31 if no approval given on Destin short sale condo.
Another buyer agent calls and emails me three times asking when the approved Bank of America Santa Rosa Beach short sale can close.
Another buyer agent calls to ask if my seller will put $7000 in escrow for “as is” short sale for roof repair, HUH?
Bank of America emails me asking for all new financials and a revised settlement statement within two days, or they will close the file on a Sandestin short sale.
Two days before closing on Destin short sale condo, I am trying to obtain junior lien approval letter from Suntrust Bank. They have been promising the letter for a month.
Seller emails me that an agent left the door unlocked after showing his property. Seller is upset.
Buyer agent for Fort Walton Beach short sale calls to ask for status on approval.
On hold 40 minutes with PHH for Niceville Florida short sale. I ask for supervisor of supervisor, as this short sale has been in process seven months. I finally have to hang up after hold music gives me a headache.
Checking on another Suntrust approval, I am told no BPO or appraisal has been ordered after 60 days. I ask “When” is it going to be ordered. The rep tells me she would be a “rich woman” if she could answer that question every time it is asked.
Checking on Aurora Loan Services short sale. They say they have moved back all approval estimates by another 30 days.
I let Navarre short sale seller know we cannot sell her property if we cannot show it. Tenant-occupied and every showing is denied.
My computer starts typing on its own, repeating the same character ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, for ten minutes. This is the third time in two weeks. I am shut down! I replace the mouse and it starts working again.
I create a ten-point counter-offer addendum for Destin short sale seller to respond to an offer.
Another buyer agent emails me buyer is walking if my Santa Rosa Beach short sale seller won’t agree to his bank’s demands for deficiency balance to be paid.
Good email- Boeing relocation for Destin buyer (wow, non-short sale work)
Get pre-approval letter for buyer for Fort Walton Beach commercial property. Letter is dated 1999. My seller is concerned.
At the end of the day, I tell my husband I am exhausted, as it was a bit stressful. He says, “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He is right.
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Search All Destin Florida Real Estate
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Wendy Rulnick, Destin real estate agent, to list and sell your home or condo in Florida: Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field. Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine and Florida Realtor Magazine.
Do You Deliver “Knock Your Socks Off Service?”
October 27, 2009
You walk into a place of business. The receptionist does not look up. She is on the phone. No matter what you do, you get no eye contact. You stomp around and she finally hangs up. No smile. “How can I help you?”, she spurts out. You tell her you are there for an appointment. “Just a minute”, she instructs you. After ten minutes, you are ushered in.
Has that ever happened to you? Or worse? How often do you check the “courtesy” systems for your own real estate business? Here is a refresher:
1. Answer the phone after two to three rings. Anything more, and they might wonder if you are still in business.
2. When taking a transferred call, don’t make the party repeat everything they already said to the first person!
3. Ask, “May I place you on hold for a moment?”
4. When you telephone someone, don’t start into your conversation. Ask if they have time to take your call.
5. When emailing, repeat the subject line in the content of your email. Many people gloss over the subject line, and they might not realize you are talking about “unit 2B, Marbella condominiums”!
6. Are you on time? If you are going to be late, do you call, even it is only five minutes?
7. Do you make eye contact when they enter your office or during a conversation?
8. Do you address people by name, but not so much that it sounds contrived?
9. Do you thank people for their time, even a bank negotiator?
10. Gentlemen, do you open the door for your female customer?
11. When dealing with an angry client, after assisting, do you ask “Is there anything else I may help you with?”
12. If you cannot give someone your full attention on the phone, do you ask if you can call them back so you can?
13. If you cannot help someone, do you refer them to someone who can?
14. Do you tell the truth? For example, it may be more than a minute wait!
15. Do you respect others?
16. When you make a mistake, do you confess, apologize and say you will correct the problem and do better?
17. Finally, do you treat everyone, not just your buyers and sellers, but vendors, agents, repair persons, employees, short sale negotiators, salespeople, etc., like your best customer?
Some of these ideas I’ve learned over the years. Some I’ve found in my favorite customer service book, “Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service” by Kristin Anderson and Ron Zemke. I highly recommend you read it and perhaps you might elevate your business.
Thank you for your time.
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
This is a first for me. As a short sale listing agent in Destin Florida, I have a parcel of land for sale in a ritzy golf course community. It is in a newer gated neighborhood where building lots used to fetch over $200,000. When I took the short sale listing at $90,000, it seemed realistic. But the lot market near Destin has steadily declined, fluctuating between a 3 and 15 year inventory in the past two years. That means it would take at least three years to sell out all the lots for sale at the current rate of sales. A normal market is six to seven months inventory.
After a year and a continued down market, we eventually lowered the price to $23,000. When I got a contract this week the offer was for $19,000. The most recent comparable sale, a foreclosure, had commanded a whopping $18,000. So the offer was fair.
The problem came after I ordered the HUD settlement statement to provide the short sale lender, Federal Trust Bank. Of course, I had done preliminary title work a year ago, but things had changed, including the price by 75%. Not only were there past due taxes of $12,000, there were thousands of dollars in unpaid homeowner association fees. In fact, the closing costs on the HUD would pay zero to the short sale lender, and would require cash to close of several thousand dollars! You see the closing costs were well over the sale price!
The seller has no money to bring to closing and the buyer will not. The short sale lender probably won’t pay for the privilege of allowing the short sale to get not a single dollar.
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in “Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine” and “Florida Realtor Magazine”. Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner,to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
Do You Tell The Short Sale Lender “Buyer Walked”?
October 20, 2009
Karla Leahy started an interesting discussion on www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com. She asked “Do you inform the short sale lender when you no longer have an offer?”
From what I’ve seen the thought process behind not divulging the buyer walked is:
1. The lender will complete an appraisal or BPO that will speed up the next approval
2. The seller’s pre-qualification may be completed and ready for the next attempt
3. With some lenders, you can sneak in a substitute buyer
Bottom line, it “saves time” for the next buyer, the one you hope closes.
BUT– IS IT RIGHT TO NOT DISCLOSE THE BUYER WALKED? Why should the short sale system be clogged because you are trying to speed up your next offer? Is it right to allow the lender to continue to work on an approval when there is no longer a contract? Sometimes there is another twist on trying to speed up an approval. “Fake” or “starter” offers are sent in to the lenders to get an appraisal ordered, when the “buyer” has no intention of closing. The “buyer” might even be the real estate agent.
Some of the lenders have a few hundred thousand offers in process. HOW MANY ARE LEGITIMATE OFFERS? The “real” buyers (and the sellers) suffer through longer wait times because others have tried to game the system, ”dead” deals are being processed or offers with no hope for approval have been submitted. If lenders were only processing contracts that could actually close, all short sales would be speeded up, right?
So, I ask “Would YOU call the short sale lender and tell them to stop working on the sale if your buyer walked?”
It’s Wendy!
Available Short Sale Agent Training:
- The Negotiator Interview $27.00
Short Sale Agent Training Webinars 8 Hours of training and materials for $97.00 - Short Sale Listing/Submission Package $27.00 Click for details
- www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com FREE
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Fairways at Seascape, 9F, Destin Florida Short Sale
October 20, 2009
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Destin and Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Destin Short Sale Blog
Email Wendy to sell your home or buy a home: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Rulnick Realty Welcomes Grows Destin Real Estate Office
October 15, 2009
Clark was educated as a civil engineer but is a people person by experience. His personal motto is “When people work together they can move mountains!” With over 20 years in management and sales, he understands what it means to provide service, attention to detail and follow up. He can assist with helping buyers find their dream home, condo or investment opportunity all along the Emerald Coast.
Brittany McCormick serves as Office Manager of Rulnick Realty. Brittany is originally from Tennessee and has an extensive real estate administration background. She ensures the smooth operation of the office and provides great customer service to our buyers and sellers. When not at work, Brittany enjoys spending time with her family on the beaches of the Emerald Coast and reading great books. Her slogan is “Knowledge is power”.
Rulnick Realty helps buyers and sellers of Destin real estate and all surrounding towns, including Sandestin, Santa Rosa Beach, Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Crestview and vicinity. Located in the Miramar Plaza in Destin on Highway 98, the office is central to the Emerald Coast of Florida and Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County.
Call Rulnick Realty at 850-650-7883 or toll free 1-877-487-9639.
www.rulnickrealty.com
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, invites you to email itswendy@rulnickrealty.com or call if you are interested in joining a team of top real estate professionals.
Is Your Data Safe? How I Almost Lost My Entire Database
October 13, 2009
This Monday morning started out well. I was sorting through emails and structuring my week. One of my assistant’s was working on improving our short sale system and was going to add a field to our ACT database. ACT is excellent contact managment software, where one can completely customize all fields, keep detailed notes, and manage thousands of entries. ACT can be networked with multiple users accessing the information from different computers. In my custom set-up, I have fields such as short sale “approval deadline”, “loan numbers”, “negotiator name”, “payoff” and dozens of critical fields. I have hundreds of notes on phone calls and actions from time of short sale submission through approval. I also have records of every buyer and seller I’ve ever worked with since I got the system. There are almost 3000 records in my database.
This morning I asked my assistant to add a field referencing title work completion for each short sale. We do this as a matter of course when getting a new short sale listing, but I wanted a more organized location to check it off. She needed authority as “administrator” to modify the layout so I changed her authority level. Well, something went seriously wrong.
My assistant buzzed me and said she could not change the records and ACT closed down. I tried to log in and the software crashed. We tried from different computers, same result. I shut down and restarted twice. Same result. We could not get into the database. Basically, without ACT we are out of business. No records, no telephone numbers, no contacts, no history and no information. All was lost. This was not a good Monday morning.
Thankfully, I had backed up the ACT database on Friday. I use an external hard drive and Acronis True Image software for disaster recovery. I restored the database with Friday’s data and I am back in business. If you are not backing up your data you are making a serious mistake. Acronis can also back up exact disk images should your computer or data be destroyed. Backing up to an external hard drive makes sense if you are in an area with hurricane evacuations or otherwise need to physically remove the information from your office.
I used to back up when I remembered to do it. Now I have a new ACT reminder that pops up. You know what is says? “Back up data daily!”.
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
605 Rowan Circle, Rolling Ridge, Crestview Florida
Wendy Rulnick just sold this gorgeous new home in the D.R. Horton subdvision, Rolling Ridge in Crestview, Florida. The floor plan is wide open with a huge kitchen with columns facing the living room. There is formal dining room with wood floors. The master bedroom is oversized and luxurious. With this D.R. Horton home plan in Crestview, you can pick your finishes, including counter top, flooring, cabinets and more. Rolling Ridge is about 5 minutes south of I-10 and an quick commute to Eglin Air Force Base. Fast routes to Destin shopping and beaches, too.
This new Crestview home sold for $212,900 with builder incentives and much closing costs paid. VA financing is available for low or potentially no-cost closing to move in!
When buying new construction or any home in Crestview Florida, consider hiring your own experienced real estate agent.
Review my guide to buying new construction and call Wendy Rulnick at 850-259-0422 for representation.
It’s Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Crestview Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in “Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine” and “Florida Realtor Magazine”. Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner,to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
In the shade of historic Grayton Beach Florida surrounded by majestic oaks is the custom home designed by noted Architect John Geogan. Sitting on just under an acre of land in Grayton Beach and within walking distance to the Gulf of Mexico is the craftsman style home with metal roof, wrap-around porch, cement fiber siding freshly painted in 2009.It was the featured home in an Austrian design magazine and on the 2000 Library Guild Show of Homes.
Custom designed with lots of exciting features. Skilled craftsmanship is defined by the mahogany interior including the clear story windows with a “one of a kind” mahogany ceiling, kitchen cabinets, granite counters, breakfast bar, island, and in the great room, a display area with fireplace, and crown molding. The 3 bedroom plus study (office/guest room) with French doors offers a lot of usable space. The floors are oak hardwood and tile throughout the home. The master suite is large with access to the outdoors. The master bath features a separate shower with glass door, whirlpool bath, furniture designed double vanity with handmade glass tile. Lot size offers room to build guest home and pool.
This magnificent home is in the Grayton Beach section Santa Rosa Beach, Florida near Seaside and Watercolor.
Offered at $699,000
Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Rulnick Team Listing
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy Rulnick, Broker: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com
Call Rulnick Realty to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Grayton Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
