For Administrative Professionals Day, so I took my wonderful Rulnick Realty administrators, Rachel and Beth, to lunch.  We decided on Tommy Bahama’s restaurant in Grand Boulevard in Sandestin Florida, since it was on the way to our new listing in Holiday Shores.  The ambience at Tommy Bahama’s is what I call “plush”.  Throw pillows, dark wood, rattan, and paddle fans make it feel like a rich Caribbean vacation.  The food is what I call “sumptuous”.

We started with the Big Island Goat Cheese as an appetizer.  It was a cone-shaped pile of crumbly goodness, glazed with soy and covered in macadamia nut crumbles.  The cheese came with some of the most delicious, crispy flatbread I ever had.  (If no one was looking, I could have eaten it all).

For lunch, we had the Chicken Salad Junkanoo (which means music parade in the Bahamas), and a Caesar Salad.  The Chicken Salad had sweet papaya, pineapple and grape garnishes. The Caesar had two whole chicken breast fillets and un-torn lettuce with a wonderful garlicky dressing.

Since our lunch was delayed coming out, the Tommy Bahama’s restaurant manager kindly offered us free desserts.  They were too huge to eat alone, so we got half-size (still huge) Pina Colada and Triple Chocolate Cakes.

 It’s always a pleasure going to Grand Boulevard in Sandestin Florida, with its shopping and dining option (Mitchell’s Fish Market, Cafe Laredo, PF Chang’s, Fleming’s).  You don’t have to drive deep into Sandestin, but just hop off Highway 98 to 525 Grand Boulevard. I am glad we parked a distance to walk off the great lunch we had at Tommy Bahama’s! 

This Grand Boulevard, Sandestin Florida restaurant review courtesy Wendy Rulnick, Rulnick Realty, Inc., Sandestin FL real estate agent.

It’s Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204

Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Sandestin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.

Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog

The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is a yearly event held on the Emerald Coast of Florida. This year, the festival is going on right now in Pier Park, Panama City Beach Florida.

Thursday night featured saxophonist Boney James who engaged the audience with his energy - and ran around the crowd!

 George Benson, multiple Grammy Award winning jazz guitarist had the audience mesmerized. Such an incredible voice!

Alfred Gockel was a special guest artist.  His contemporary paintings are inspired by jazz music. He painted live during the performances.  Catch a glimpse.

This year’s Seabreeze Jazz Festival ends on Sunday, April 17.  What a great way to spend a day on the Emerald Coast.

It’s Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204

Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Destin FL Real Estate

Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.

Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog

When you think Destin Florida, you might think beaches, fishing, dining and golf, right? But we’ve got more now!  The new Sephora store opened today in Destin Commons!

Sephora?  What’s that? If you are a woman, you probably know.  Sephora is one of the premier cosmetics and perfume stores in the world.  And we didn’t have one in Destin – until today. Yes, that seemingly ubiquitous store you see at malls around the country.  The one where all the guys are standing around by the entrance waiting… waiting for their wives or girlfriends to come out.  Destin finally has its own Sephora!

Our adventure today was long planned. The announcement of Sephora’s opening was a “field trip” for me and my friend, Rachel.  We ventured out around 10:00 a.m. and oh my! The store was PACKED!! Seriously, it was like a Macy’s sale!  And the make-up! Aisles of Dior, NARS, Yves St. Laurent, Lancome, Smashbox, Benefit, Tarte, Lorac, shall I go on? Lipsticks, eye shadows, blushes, powders, eyeliners, nail polish, scrubs, lotions, perfume, aaaahhhhhhh.

Our adventure lasted about two hours. The aisles were jammed.  The line was long. Our feet were sore. The stash was good.

It’s Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204

Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Destin FL Real Estate

Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.

Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog

The other day an agent asked if she could have my “flight plan” to do a short sale. Per Wikipedia, a flight plan is a pilot’s outline of how he will get to his destination, including departure and arrival points, estimated time, alternate airports in case of bad weather, type of flight, etc.  This agent was sure I had such a document for short sales.  She had never had a short sale listing before, and was looking for a checklist.

Well, guess what? There is no “flight plan” that fits every short sale.  Sure, I can tell you the basic steps, but the number of variables would throw that plan off in a heartbeat. You might be trying for Wyoming, but end up in Oregon!  Here are some examples:

1.   The Seller – Every seller’s situation is different.  Bankruptcy? Multiple liens? No hardship? Your approach will change for each circumstance.

2.   The Contract – What is  the  best way to write one to get approval?

3.   The Package – Many short sale lenders have their own forms and different requirements.  Do you know what they are?

4.   The HUD -   Each lender or mortgage type has unique stipulations as to what will be approved on the settlement statement. 

5.    The Lenders – What will the senior lien pay the junior lien, and what will the junior lien accept?

6.    Other Liens – How do you handle tax liens, judgments and association liens?

7.    Cash Contributions and Promissory Notes – When do they come into play?

8.    The Deficiency Judgment– Do you know what it is and if your seller can avoid it?

These are just a few examples of the variables involved in getting a short sale approved.  There are hundreds more.  So what do you do, if you’ve never done a short sale before?    One place to start is  www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com – you’ll find over 5000 agents sharing information about daily short sale situations, problem solving, tips and tricks.

And  for some SERIOUS SHORT SALE TRAINING – watch for the upcoming short sale webinar from me and Broker Bryant.  We’ll  be covering not only basics, but in-depth negotiating skills, deal-saving strategies and special short sale situations.  So be your own pilot to short sale success, and learn, know and grow!

Wendy Rulnick and Bryant Tutas
www.ShortSaleSuperStars.com

Copyright © 2011 REGrow, LLC | All Rights Reserved

When you are representing a buyer in a real estate sale, do you remember who your client is?

I recently had an agent call to let me know he was sending me an offer on one of my listings.  We chatted a bit, and I mentioned how much I liked the property. He said, “So does my buyer.  In fact, when she walked in she said ‘I HAVE to have this home!‘” Bingo.  I knew I was going to sell it. Now I was armed with confidential information – the buyer’s motivation.

The offer came an hour later.  It was 15% lower than list price.  The Destin Florida home was a short sale, and I knew that price probably would not work with the lender.  The seller thought it was low, too, but was afraid to counter and risk losing the buyer.  I told him not to worry, because the buyer’s agent had given away his client’s position!  He “HAD to have that home”!

We counter-offered at a higher price, and the buyer accepted.

This is just one example.  Today, I had another low offer on one of my listings.  The buyer’s agent presented it and stated “the buyer will come up”.  I thought, “Thank you for letting me know! I will inform the seller.”  Maybe you think giving away your buyer’s position may help them.  But can you speak for your client without his permission?

The Realtor Code of Ethics states:

“When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client.”

What should the real estate agent do when presenting an offer?  Be pleasant and business-like, and keep MUM about your buyer’s motivation.

It’s Wendy!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.

Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204

Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com

Destin FL Real Estate

Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.

Read Wendy’s Destin Real Estate Blog