real estate prices in

Pondering Real Estate Pondering Real Estate Adam Hamilton August 23, 2002 2913 Most Americans' largest asset is their home. With chaotic and turbulent economic times upon us, how will residential real estate perform in the coming years. Some thoughts... One of the greatest blessings of writing publicly is the continual stream of feedback I am offered from folks around the world. They let me know when I am wrong, help shape my worldviews and opinions, and offer dazzling new ideas that are often absolutely brilliant. Without everyone who graciously writes in to help deepen my own understanding, my own thought processes would rapidly stagnate. I am always grateful for feedback, positive, neutral, or negative. The people who take the time to write really augment the crucial foundational base off which my thoughts articulated in these essays are formed and polished. One of the most common questions people have, especially those writing from the States, regards real estate. For Americans, real estate, in the form of their primary family home, is often the largest asset they command. The value of real estate, especially the price trend, is very important to countless folks across our great nation. Many Americans I hear from, especially those with a contrarian investor mindset, wonder what will happen to residential real estate prices in the United States. The question is a very complex and difficult one, for a whole myriad of reasons. I have been pondering this matter since the US equity bubbles burst and am finally ready to commit some tentative thoughts to paper on this vexing issue. A massive caveat is in order however. I am approaching this question about real estate price trends from the perspective of a speculator. Not having a background in real estate, these ideas may be completely worthless, so please dont act on anything in this essay without at least first discussing these concepts with a real estate professional you personally trust with decades of experience. I hope this essay will simply spur further thoughts and discussions. The primary issue that I have been wrestling with in my mind regarding residential real estate price trends in the coming years concerns inflation and deflation. Inflation and deflation are simply opposing monetary phenomena, but both seem to be attacking our fragile post-bust economy in the US with great fury from opposite sides. For some background on these two titanic forces, please see my Inflation or Deflation? essay published last December. Inflation is spawned by the hooligans at the Federal Reserve printing too much paper (or electronic) money, which they have been doing in spades in recent years in a vain and fruitless attempt to stop the normal post-bubble bust process from running its full course. In the last 12 months, the various US money supply measures have exploded up with astounding violence. The absolute year-over-year M1 inflation is 5.2%, MZM 12.7%, M2 7.9%, and M3 7.4%. These numbers are downright frightening in light of historical inflationary precedent! In an inflationary environment, relatively more money chases after relatively fewer goods, services, and real estate. If the amount of money in circulation is rising faster than available real estate in the areas in which people want to live, residential real estate prices should rise. Realtors use this inflation idea to convince their customers that land prices should perpetually rise because land is scarce. Unfortunately, thats not the whole story. While real estate professionals constantly bombard us with marketing propaganda claiming that land is scarce and no more is being made, that is a myth. One example why is evident in multi-story buildings. A 10-story structure, for example, has about 10x the usable space as a single story structure, but has the same footprint in raw land terms. Land itself is not scarce, just land in locations where people want to live. For example, the sparsely-populated state of Montana has about 147,000 square miles of area, or roughly 94m acres. Assuming that only 2/3 of Montanas land is useable (the rest might be mountains or lakes, or streets in cities), that leaves 63m acres. If the entire US population is 287m people, they could all move to Montana and each live in modest estates of almost 1/4 acre, or 9,500 square feet. If their houses took up 1/3 of their plots, and each had a basement and two aboveground stories, every American could live in Montana in individual 9,500 square feet mini-mansions! Land is not scarce in general. I have seen land sell in the North Dakota Badlands for $25 per acre. I have heard of deals involving vast tracts of land in northern Australia going for under $1 per acre. Land is relatively scarce in small areas in which lots of people want or need to live however, such as New York Citys Manhattan Island. Monetary inflation should indeed bode well for real estate prices, but where will it strike? If US monetary inflation bids on barren lands in the Western states for example, residential real estate in the big Eastern cities might not benefit. Just because the general economic environment in the US is highly inflationary thanks to the Feds obnoxious and practically criminal monetary growth, that doesnt necessarily mean real estate in a given small corner of the US will do well. And then we must consider deflation! Deflation is caused by relatively less money chasing relatively more goods, services, and real estate. In deflationary environments money supplies shrink and prices drop. As long as the American people allow the private Federal Reserve bank to continue its tyranny of inflationary theft, there will never be less money in the US economy than there is today. But, muddying the waters even further, the historical line between money and credit is now exceedingly blurry. Because Americans love going into debt, they insist on buying their houses on time, with borrowed money at high interest rates, rather than working hard, saving the funds themselves, and paying cash when they can afford to buy a house outright. While deflation in the US money supplies is probably impossible with the Fed around, deflation in debt, or credit, is already happening. With Americans not actually buying houses outright but really in effect borrowing them from banks, any contraction in available debt will leave less credit available to chase houses. With less credit chasing residential real estate, prices will be forced to fall. But, just as with inflation, it is difficult or impossible to predict how the contraction in general credit available to buy houses will affect real estate in any given small area of the United States. Confused yet? Me too. There are both titanic inflationary and monstrous deflationary forces barreling down on the United States. But, residential real estate markets are all local and many will be affected differently. Deflationary forces could win out in New York City for instance, causing home values to plummet while at the same time inflationary forces win out in Wyoming causing house prices to rise. Real estate is all local. In the stock markets, it is meaningless whether you buy a share of a publicly-traded company in New York or California. In real estate where you buy your house is everything! Location, location, location. Since all real estate markets are really local, perhaps there are some warning signs that you can watch for in your little corner of America to warn of impending real estate price drops. While national generalizations about monetary inflation or debt/credit deflation regarding real estate are tough to make, zooming in to the local level for analysis has a much higher probability of success. Stock speculators throughout history have learned to carefully monitor equity markets for danger signs of maturing bubbles. All markets, including real estate, move in great cycles throughout history, marked by rampant euphoria at the tops and popular indifference at the bottoms. Perhaps applying some common bubble warning signs in equity markets to your local real estate market will yield some interesting fruit. Three common warning signs for equity bubbles are parabolic price rises, excessive valuations, and overwhelming euphoria. In real estate, parabolic price rises happen when a local market witnesses prices rocketing up by 15%+ per year, for years in a row. If you go to your local library and look at old newspaper classified ads, or else secure local data from your hometown real estate professional, you can easily graph it in Excel. If prices of comparable homes across time are shooting up on a long-term zeroed-chart like a ballistic missile, like the bubbles in the NASDAQ 2000 and DJIA 1929, you are most likely in the belly of the beast, a local unsustainable real estate bubble. Check out bubble growth graphed, it sticks out like a central banker at a rock concert! This graph shows values indexed to 100, but you can just as easily think of them in terms of dollars, starting out at $100k. Imagine you bought a house 25 years ago for $100k, a lot of money back then. If your house price appreciated by 5% per year compounded annually, it would now be worth $339k, which is totally plausible and makes sense. On the other hand, if your house had appreciated by 15% each year, it would now be worth $3,292k, or $3.3m! This is a massive increase in price, and it ought to throw up big red warning flags all across your cranium. Does it make sense for a $100k house to become a $3.3m house in only 25 years? Absolutely not, that is just silly! As the graph above shows, abnormally high growth rates make for parabolic charts, bubbles that look just like the stock market variety. If your local real estate market is ascending parabolically like the NASDAQ of 1997-2000, you are in a bubble. History unambiguously shows that no financial trend continues in the same direction forever and all bubbles ultimately pop. Unrealistic annual growth rates are a key bubble warning sign. For a deeper discussion of unrealistic growth rates over the long-term, please see my essay The Elusive Long-Term from last August. Another warning sign of equity bubbles is excessive valuations. In the stock markets, valuations are most commonly measured by the formidable yet often scorned price-to-earnings ratio. The historical average P/E ratio for US equity markets is 13.5x earnings. We can also apply this concept to real estate holdings. While most people buy a house simply to live in, it is also possible to buy a house to use as a rental property. In a residential house used as a single-family rental, there is a price, the cash paid for the house, and an earnings stream, the rent the family pays to the owner. With a real estate P and E, we can compute a rough real estate valuation multiple. If a rental property costs $100k to buy, and rents for $1000 per month, or $12k per year, its P/E ratio is 8.3. Even though most families dont own a separate rental property, with a little legwork you can check your local newspapers and calculate some rough P/E proxies for your area. Find houses for sale similar to yours to get price data points. Find houses for rent similar to yours to get earnings data points. Divide the P by the E, and you have a rough valuation estimate. I dont know what a reasonable average long-term residential real-estate P/E is. I suspect it is probably in the 10-20 range though, as that implies a 5% to 10% return on the owners capital, which is in line with historical returns available across a broad market spectrum. If you find that houses in your area are renting for implied P/Es of under 20 or so, that is a good sign that house prices may be fair. Conversely, if you find houses in your area renting for implied P/Es of over 20, valuations are probably too high and you should be wary of a potential real estate bubble. Another common warning sign of equity bubbles is rampant and unbridled widespread euphoria. Remember the NASDAQ in 1999 and early 2000? It was unreal! All anyone ever talked about was the NASDAQ, how boring. As a hard-traveling consulting road warrior at the time, I remember even the shoeshine boys at airports were talking about their tech stock investments as they polished shoes. It was just crazy, just as brilliant historians like Charles Mackay of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds fame (written in 1841) warned us it would be. It is difficult to empirically quantify euphoria, but there is no mistaking it if you keep your ears open and pay attention to what folks are talking about in your social circles. If you find yourself in a local situation where the preferred topic of conversation at every social get-together is always residential real estate and the great wealth to be made in home ownership, chances are euphoria is setting in and you should proceed with great caution. Just as parabolic price rises, excessive valuations, and overwhelming euphoria are danger signs of bubble tops in the stock markets, they are also equally valid danger signs in local real estate markets. It is probably a wise idea to periodically monitor these three fronts. In addition to stock market-like traits, there are also other factors that affect local real estate prices. These include net local migration patterns, income trends, and interest rates. One of the most important local factors in house prices is migration. If you live in or near a community that is growing as more people move in each year, that increases the pool of potential bidders competing for local houses. Prices are far more likely to rise in an environment of net in-migration. On the other hand, if your community is shrinking, both the number of people and amount of capital available to throw at residential real estate dwindles. This is a bad omen for future real estate prices in your area. Typically cities grow and rural areas shrink as people seek the jobs available in cities. This is not always the case though. As the Information Age continues to evolve, a new population of workers is growing, the information worker. Info workers deal purely in information, like a software programmer. It is often not important where they live, as they rely on the Internet to work remotely with their colleagues and clients. Info workers often earn high salaries and have the means to bid up home prices. Zeal LLC , my company, is an example of an Information Age venture. My partners and I can research, consult, trade, and write from anywhere on Earth. It makes absolutely no difference to you whether I penned this essay in Alaska, Australia, Argentina, or the Azores. Info workers, whose ranks will grow dramatically in the coming decade, are very blessed to be able to live and work from anywhere. So, if you live in an area of exceptional natural beauty and very high quality of life, prime rural areas, an influx of urban information refugees from the decaying carcasses of the megalopoli will probably help support real estate prices in your location even through tough economic times. It may make sense to buy real estate in elite communities like the Colorado or California mountain resort towns even if the US economy faces very turbulent times ahead. The Information Age will probably totally alter the dynamics of rural real estate in prized areas. Another factor to consider is income trends in your area. Ultimately, real estate prices in a given location can never increase faster than income over the long-term. Even for the vast majority who choose to go into debt to live in a house, the level of debt service they can afford is totally dependent on their income. If general income trends in your community are rising, that is a great sign and is bullish for real estate prices. On the other hand, if general income is falling, for any reason, that suggests real estate prices will have to correct downward to adjust for the loss of debt-servicing ability necessary for folks to borrow money and buy residential real estate. Interest rate levels are also intimately tied into this whole debt service capability. As all those burdened with a mortgage know, for many years most of the monthly payments are almost totally interest. It takes a long time and a huge amount of money dumped down the mortgage black hole, into bankers pockets, before the amortization starts taking good-sized bites out of principal each month. Amazingly, in the first 2/3 of a typical 30-year mortgages lifespan, the interest portion of each monthly payment exceeds the principal portion. So, if interest rates are heading higher due to Greenspans promiscuous inflation as I have discussed in past essays including Bond Anomalies Abound , it will severely retard debt-financed residential real estate purchases nationwide. Although interest rates havent turned north yet, history suggests they will be forced higher sooner or later as the bubble excesses are painfully squeezed out of the US economy. In summary, attempting to divine real estate price trends is very difficult in a macro sense. There are a great deal of diverse variables that affect real estate prices. In addition, unlike the stock market, there is no national real estate market. All real estate is local, so national trends must be examined for your particular situation in light of the local realities in your community. Nevertheless, if you do your own due diligence and integrate local real estate data you uncover into national post-bubble trends, you should be able to emerge with a fairly good idea of where your local residential real estate prices might be heading. Adam Hamilton, CPA August 23, 2002 Do you enjoy these essays? Please subscribe to our acclaimed private Zeal Intelligence newsletter today to see the good stuff each month, including our specific stock and options trades based on our research! For more information ... Zeal Intelligence For a FREE sample ... FREE Samples! To subscribe ... Subscribe TODAY! Thank you for your generous support! Contact us at... info@zealllc.com | For optimal viewing please use 800x600 or higher resolution in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape 6.2

Real estate agents usually

Real estate brokers and sales agents Skip Navigation Links Latest Numbers U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook www.bls.gov Search the Handbook BLS Home | OOH Home | Frequently Asked Questions | A-Z Index | Contact Us Printer-friendly version ( HTML ) -- PDF ) -- Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents Nature of the Work Working Conditions Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Employment Job Outlook Earnings Related Occupations Sources of Additional Information Significant Points Real estate brokers and sales agents often work evenings and weekends and usually are on call to suit the needs of clients. A license is required in every State and the District of Columbia. Although gaining a job may be relatively easy, beginning workers may face competition fromwell-established, more experienced agents and brokers in obtaining listings and in closing an adequate number of sales. Employment is sensitive to swings in the economy, especially interest rates; during periodsof declining economic activity and increasing interest rates, the volume of sales and the resultingdemand for sales workers fall. Nature of the Work [ About this section ] Back to Top One of the most complex and significant financial events in peoples lives is the purchase or sale of a home or investment property. Because of this complexity and significance, people typically seek the help of real estate brokers and sales agents when buying or selling real estate. Real estate brokers and sales agents have a thorough knowledge of the real estate market in their communities. They know which neighborhoods will best fit clients needs and budgets. They are familiar with local zoning and tax laws and know where to obtain financing. Agents and brokers also act as intermediaries in price negotiations between buyers and sellers. Real estate agents usually are independent sales workers who provide their services to a licensed real estate broker on a contract basis. In return, the broker pays the agent a portion of the commission earned from the agents sale of the property. Brokers are independent businesspeople who sell real estate owned by others; they also may rent or manage properties for a fee. When selling real estate, brokers arrange for title searches and for meetings between buyers and sellers during which the details of the transactions are agreed upon and the new owners take possession of the property. A broker may help to arrange favorable financing from a lender for the prospective buyer; often, this makes the difference between success and failure in closing a sale. In some cases, brokers and agents assume primary responsibility for closing sales; in others, lawyers or lenders do. Brokers supervise agents who may have many of the same job duties. Brokers also supervise their own offices, advertise properties, and handle other business matters. Some combine other types of work, such as selling insurance or practicing law, with their real estate business. Besides making sales, agents and brokers must have properties to sell. Consequently, they spend a significant amount of time obtaining listings—agreements by owners to place properties for sale with the firm. When listing a property for sale, agents and brokers compare the listed property with similar properties that recently sold, in order to determine a competitive market price for the property. Once the property is sold, both the agent who sold it and the agent who obtained the listing receive a portion of the commission. Thus, agents who sell a property that they themselves have listed can increase their commission. Most real estate brokers and sales agents sell residential property. A small number—usually employed in large or specialized firms—sell commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other types of real estate. Every specialty requires knowledge of that particular type of property and clientele. Selling or leasing business property requires an understanding of leasing practices, business trends, and the location of the property. Agents who sell or lease industrial properties must know about the regions transportation, utilities, and labor supply. Whatever the type of property, the agent or broker must know how to meet the clients particular requirements. Before showing residential properties to potential buyers, agents meet with them to get a feeling for the type of home the buyers would like. In this prequalifying phase, the agent determines how much the buyers can afford to spend. In addition, the agent and the buyer usually sign a loyalty contract which states that the agent will be the only one to show houses to buyers. An agent or broker then generates lists of properties for sale, their location and description, and available sources of financing. In some cases, agents and brokers use computers to give buyers a virtual tour of properties in which they are interested. With a computer, buyers can view interior and exterior images or floor plans without leaving the real estate office. Agents may meet several times with prospective buyers to discuss and visit available properties. Agents identify and emphasize the most pertinent selling points. To a young family looking for a house, they may emphasize the convenient floor plan, the areas low crime rate, and the proximity to schools and shopping centers. To a potential investor, they may point out the tax advantages of owning a rental property and the ease of finding a renter. If bargaining over price becomes necessary, agents must follow their clients instructions carefully and may have to present counteroffers in order to get the best possible price. Once both parties have signed the contract, the real estate broker or agent must make sure that all special terms of the contract are met before the closing date. For example, the agent must make sure that the mandated and agreed-upon inspections, including that of the home and termite and radon inspections, take place. Also, if the seller agrees to any repairs, the broker or agent must see that they are made. Increasingly, brokers and agents are handling environmental problems as well, by making sure that the properties they sell meet environmental regulations. For example, they may be responsible for dealing with lead paint on the walls. While loan officers, attorneys, or other persons handle many details, the agent must ensure that they are carried out. Working Conditions [ About this section ] Back to Top Advances in telecommunications and the ability to retrieve data about properties over the Internet allow many real estate brokers and sales agents to work out of their homes instead of real estate offices. Even with this convenience, much of the time of these workers is spent away from their desks—showing properties to customers, analyzing properties for sale, meeting with prospective clients, or researching the state of the market. Agents and brokers often work more than a standard 40-hour week. They usually work evenings and weekends and are always on call to suit the needs of clients. Although the hours are long and frequently irregular, most agents and brokers have the freedom to determine their own schedule. Consequently, they can arrange their work so that they can have time off when they want it. Business usually is slower during the winter season. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement [ About this section ] Back to Top In every State and the District of Columbia, real estate brokers and sales agents must be licensed. Prospective agents must be high school graduates, be at least 18 years old, and pass a written test. The examination—more comprehensive for brokers than for agents—includes questions on basic real estate transactions and laws affecting the sale of property. Most States require candidates for the general sales license to complete between 30 and 90 hours of classroom instruction. Those seeking a brokers license need between 60 and 90 hours of formal training and a specific amount of experience selling real estate, usually 1 to 3 years. Some States waive the experience requirements for the brokers license for applicants who have a bachelors degree in real estate. State licenses typically must be renewed every 1 or 2 years; usually, no examination needs to be taken. However, many States require continuing education for license renewals. Prospective agents and brokers should contact the real estate licensing commission of the State in which they wish to work in order to verify the exact licensing requirements. As real estate transactions have become more legally complex, many firms have turned to college graduates to fill positions. A large number of agents and brokers have some college training. College courses in real estate, finance, business administration, statistics, economics, law, and English are helpful. For those who intend to start their own company, business courses such as marketing and accounting are as significant as courses in real estate or finance. Personality traits are equally as important as ones academic background. Brokers look for applicants who possess a pleasant personality, are honest, and present a neat appearance. Maturity, good judgment, trustworthiness, and enthusiasm for the job are required in order to encourage prospective customers in this highly competitive field. Agents should be well organized, be detail oriented, and have a good memory for names, faces, and business particulars. Those interested in jobs as real estate agents often begin in their own communities. Their knowledge of local neighborhoods is a clear advantage. Under the direction of an experienced agent, beginners learn the practical aspects of the job, including the use of computers to locate or list available properties and identify sources of financing. Many firms offer formal training programs for both beginners and experienced agents. Larger firms usually offer more extensive programs than smaller firms. More than a thousand universities, colleges, and junior colleges offer courses in real estate. At some, a student can earn an associates or bachelors degree with a major in real estate; several offer advanced degrees. Many local real estate associations that are members of the National Association of Realtors sponsor courses covering the fundamentals and legal aspects of the field. Advanced courses in mortgage financing, property development and management, and other subjects also are available. Advancement opportunities for agents may take the form of higher rates of commission. As agents gain knowledge and expertise, they become more efficient in closing a greater number of transactions and increase their earnings. In many large firms, experienced agents can advance to sales manager or general manager. Persons who have received their brokers license may open their own offices. Others with experience and training in estimating property value may become real estate appraisers, and people familiar with operating and maintaining rental properties may become property managers. (See the Handbook statements on property, real estate, and community association managers ; and appraisers and assessors of real estate . ) Experienced agents and brokers with a thorough knowledge of business conditions and property values in their localities may enter mortgage financing or real estate investment counseling. Employment [ About this section ] Back to Top In 2004, real estate brokers and sales agents held about 460,000 jobs; real estate sales agents held approximately 24 percent of these jobs. Many worked part time, combining their real estate activities with other careers. About 6 out of 10 real estate agents and brokers were self-employed. Real estate is sold in all areas, but employment is concentrated in large urban areas and in rapidly growing communities. Most real estate firms are relatively small; indeed, some are one-person businesses. By contrast, some large real estate firms have several hundred agents operating out of numerous branch offices. Many brokers have franchise agreements with national or regional real estate organizations. Under this type of arrangement, the broker pays a fee in exchange for the privilege of using the more widely known name of the parent organization. Although franchised brokers often receive help in training sales staff and running their offices, they bear the ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of their firms. Real estate brokers and sales agents are older, on average, than most other workers. Historically, many homemakers and retired persons were attracted to real estate sales by the flexible and part-time work schedules characteristic of the field. These individuals could enter, leave, and later return to the occupation, depending on the strength of the real estate market, their family responsibilities, or other personal circumstances. Recently, however, the attractiveness of part-time real estate work has declined, as increasingly complex legal and technological requirements are raising startup costs associated with becoming an agent. Job Outlook [ About this section ] Back to Top Employment of real estate brokers and sales agents is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through the year 2014, because of the increasing housing needs of a growing population, as well as the perception that real estate is a good investment. Relatively low interest rates should continue to stimulate sales of real estate, resulting in the need for more agents and brokers. In addition, a large number of job openings will arise each year from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. However, job growth will be somewhat limited by the increasing use of technology, which is improving the productivity of agents and brokers. For example, prospective customers often can perform their own searches for properties that meet their criteria by accessing real estate information on the Internet. The increasing use of technology is likely to be more detrimental to part-time or temporary real estate agents than to full-time agents, because part-time agents generally are not able to compete with full-time agents who have invested in new technology. Changing legal requirements, such as disclosure laws, also may dissuade some who are not serious about practicing full time from continuing to work part time. This occupation is relatively easy to enter and is attractive because of its flexible working conditions; the high interest in, and familiarity with, local real estate markets that entrants often have; and the potential for high earnings. Therefore, although gaining a job as a real estate agent or broker may be relatively easy, beginning agents and brokers may face competition from their well-established, more experienced counterparts in obtaining listings and in closing an adequate number of sales. Well-trained, ambitious people who enjoy selling—particularly those with extensive social and business connections in their communities—should have the best chance for success. Employment of real estate brokers and sales agents often is sensitive to swings in the economy, especially interest rates. During periods of declining economic activity and increasing interest rates, the volume of sales and the resulting demand for sales workers falls. As a result, the earnings of agents and brokers decline, and many work fewer hours or leave the occupation altogether. Earnings [ About this section ] Back to Top The median annual earnings of salaried real estate sales agents, including commissions, were $35,670 in May 2004.The middle 50 percent earned between $23,500 and $58,110 a year.The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,600, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,770.Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest number of real estate sales agents in May 2004 were as follows: Residential building construction $54,770 Offices of real estate agents and brokers 37,970 Activities related to real estate 32,460 Lessors of real estate 25,840 Median annual earnings of salaried real estate brokers, including commission, were $58,720in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $33,480 and $99,820 a year.Median annual earning of real estate brokers were $61,550 in offices of real estateagents and brokers and $44,920 in activities related to real estate. Commissions on sales are the main source of earnings of real estate agents and brokers.The rate of commission varies according to whatever the agent and broker agree on, the typeof property, and its value. The percentage paid on the sale of farm and commercialproperties or unimproved land is typically higher than the percentage paid for selling a home. Commissions may be divided among several agents and brokers. When the property issold, the broker or agent who obtained the listing usually shares the commission with thebroker or agent who made the sale and with the firm that employs each of them. Although anagents share varies greatly from one firm to another, often it is about half of the totalamount received by the firm. Agents who both list and sell a property maximize their commission. Income usually increases as an agent gains experience, but individual motivation,economic conditions, and the type and location of the property also affect earnings.Sales workers who are active in community organizations and in local real estate associationscan broaden their contacts and increase their earnings. A beginners earnings often areirregular, because a few weeks or even months may go by without a sale. Although some brokersallow an agent to draw against future earnings from a special account, the practice is notcommon with new employees. The beginner, therefore, should have enough money to live forabout 6 months or until commissions increase. Related Occupations [ About this section ] Back to Top Selling expensive items such as homes requires maturity, tact, and a sense of responsibility.Other sales workers who find these character traits important in their workinclude insurance sales agents ; retail salespersons ; sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing ; and securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents .Although not involving sales, the work of property, real estate, and community association managers ,as well as appraisers and assessors of real estate, requires an understanding of real estate. Sources of Additional Information [ About this section ] Back to Top Disclaimer: Links to non-BLS Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement. Information on licensing requirements for real estate brokers and sales agents is available from most local real estate organizations or from the State real estate commission or board. More information about opportunities in real estate is available on the Internet site of the following organization: National Association of Realtors. Internet: http://www.realtor.org OOH ONET Codes [ About this section ] Back to Top 41-9021.00, 41-9022.00 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook , 2006-07 Edition , Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents , on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ ocos120.htm (visited December 29, 2005 ). Last Modified Date: December 20, 2005 Occupations: Management | Professional | Service | Sales | Administrative | Farming | Construction | Installation | Production | Transportation | Armed Forces Related Links: Tomorrow's Jobs | OOH Reprints | Important Info | How to Order a Copy | Teacher's Guide to OOH Additional Links: Career Guide to Industries | Career articles from the OOQ | Employment Projections | Publications Home | BLS Home Back to Top www.dol.gov Frequently Asked Questions | Freedom of Information Act | Customer Survey Privacy & Security Statement | Linking to Our Site | Accessibility U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections Suite 2135 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20212-0001 URL: http://www.bls.gov/OCO/ Phone: (202) 691-5700 Fax: (202) 691-5745 Do you have a question about the Occupational Outlook Handbook ? Technical (web) questions: webmaster@bls.gov Other comments: feedback@bls.gov Occupations: Management Professional Service Sales Administrative Farming Construction Installation Production Transportation Armed Forces Related Links: Tomorrow's Jobs OOH Reprints Important Info How to Order a Copy Teacher's Guide to OOH Additional Links: Career Guide to Industries Career articles from the OOQ Employment Projections Publications Home BLS Home

Florida Real Estate Southwest

Florida Real Estate Florida Gulf Coast Southwest Real Estate Preconstruction Properties add submit url Houses for sale homes multiple listings mls search usa Florida Real Estate Southwest Gulf Coast Properties Your #1 Resource for Southwest Florida Real Estate My name is Myke Lucas, and Im a real estate agent specializing in Southwest Florida Gulf Coast properties . Several years ago, after 30 years of managing car dealerships in Michigan, my wife and I packed our bags and headed to The Sunshine State to begin a new chapter in our lives. Its different here in Southwest Florida. Maybe its the people who live here; they seem to be always smiling. It might be the weather, which is positively blissful year round. Or, it could be that we have some of the finest homes and living communities in the nation! Thinking of buying real estate in balmy, beautiful Southwest Florida? If youre looking for information on buying real estate in Naples , Estero , Bonita Springs , Fort Myers , and Fort Myers Beach youre right where you need to be. From magnificent golf course communities to luxurious estate homes along the beach to high rises in the sky I can show you the finest real estate Southwest Florida has to offer. Search Complete MLS listings: To do a custom search of our complete listing of fabulous real estate properties, please click here . >> Southwest Florida Real Estate Weekly Specials: Dont miss these incredible deals on Southwest Florida golf community homes, luxury homes, and more! Click here . >> Golf Communities: I have exclusive listings in almost all of the popular golf communities in Southwest Florida. I can also give you details on the cost and process of buying at pre-construction prices. To search the complete listings for golf homes, please click here . >> Click on the links below to explore some of the many available golf real estate properties in these friendly and beautiful Southwest Florida Gulf Coast communities: Naples , Florida Real Estate Gleneagle Quail Creek Mediterra Estero , Florida Real Estate Stoneybrook Pelican Sound The Vines Miromar Lakes Grandezza Bonita Springs , Florida Real Estate Bonita Bay Cedar Creek Pelican Landing Highland Woods The Strand The Brooks Spanish Wells Selling your home or property? Get a free comparison real estate market analysis for your Florida Gulf Goast real estate! If youre interested in selling your Southwest Florida real estate, please e-mail me with the correct address and the name of the legal owner of the property. I will review your information in a timely fashion and get back to you with a free comparison real estate market analysis . Member of : National Association of Realtors Bonita Springs Florida Association of Realtors Realty World A Nationwide Broker Network Women's Council of Realtors MLS I have amazing real estate listings for resale in almost all of the popular golf communities in Southwest Florida. Plus, for the communities that are still building, I can furnish needed information and counsel on the cost and specifications connected with buying at preconstruction prices. Myke Lucas Your Southwest Florida Real Estate Agent! What I like best about being a Southwest Florida real estate agent is the challenge of finding ideal solutions for the unique circumstances of my clients. I am committed to providing you with exceptional customer service and making your real estate transaction a pleasant one. Whether youre looking for a single family home in a traditional neighborhood, high rise, luxury estate home, or condo, I will be proud to serve as your Southwest Florida buyers agent and assist you in finding a Florida Gulf Coast home that fits your lifestyle and budget. Your Southwest Florida Dream Home Awaits Call Myke Today Toll Free ! 866-See-Myke or e-mail me at Thanks for your interest and please come back soon. Myke Lucas 24600 S Tamiami Trail Suite 218 Bonita Springs, Florida 34134 866-See-Myke Toll Free 239-390-0116 Office 239-398-6928 Cell 239-390-0120 Fax Florida real estate Mortgage Loan Payment Calculator Mortgage Loan Finance Refinance Add Submit URL Rental Property Guestbook Pre-construction Recommended Sites: CD Data Recovery | Bariatric Gastric Bypass Surgery | Data Recovery map | Mercedes Benz 450SL | Voice over talent

Property Search

Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation Today's Mortgage Rates 6.06% APR* 6.225% > Go to Mortgage Center > Apply now Quick Search country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda Canada Cayman Islands Dominican Republic Jamaica Mexico Nevis/St. Kitts Philippines Saint Lucia Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands or by map search by price No min $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $900,000 $1M $5M $10M to No max $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $900,000 $1M $5M $10M beds Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ baths Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ new listings in past 7 days only Detailed Search Special Properties country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada Cayman Islands China Costa Rica Dominican Republic Egypt France India Indonesia Ireland Israel Jamaica Lebanon Mexico Netherlands Nevis/St. Kitts Poland Singapore Sint Maarten Spain Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands Venezuela or by map city state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles first name last name language Any English Albanian American Sign Language Arabic Armenian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chaochou Chinese Creole Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Farsi Filipino Finnish French Gaelic German Greek Gujarati Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hindustani Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Luxembourgish Malay Mandarin Morrocan Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Serbian Shanghainese Slovak Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss Tagalog Tahitian Taiwanese Tamil Teluga Thai Tongan Turkish Ukrainian Unknown Urdu Vietnamese Yiddish Yoruba Detailed Search country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada Cayman Islands China Costa Rica Dominican Republic Egypt France India Indonesia Ireland Israel Jamaica Lebanon Mexico Netherlands Nevis/St. Kitts Poland Singapore Sint Maarten Spain Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands Venezuela or by map city state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles office name language Any English Albanian American Sign Language Arabic Armenian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chaochou Chinese Creole Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Farsi Filipino Finnish French Gaelic German Greek Gujarati Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hindustani Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Luxembourgish Malay Mandarin Morrocan Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Serbian Shanghainese Slovak Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss Tagalog Tahitian Taiwanese Tamil Teluga Thai Tongan Turkish Ukrainian Unknown Urdu Vietnamese Yiddish Yoruba Detailed Search city or by map state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles office name Detailed Search SM -- My Coldwell Banker SM Let us do the searching for you! With the Coldwell Banker Personal Retriever ® Service Learn more Sign up today! Log In Forgot your Password? Concierge Home Services International Coldwell Banker Commercial® About Us Careers Contact Us Site Map Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Buy | Sell | Contact | Learn | My Coldwell Banker © 2005 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation . Coldwell Banker ® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation.An Equal Opportunity Company.Equal Housing Opportunity.Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated Except Offices Owned and Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Home Mortgage

NY LI CT Jumbo Mortgages-first in home mortgages refinancing homeequity loans Program Rate APR 30yr Fixed 6.000 6.028 15yr Fixed 5.625 5.665 30yr Jumbo 6.250 6.262 15yr Jumbo 5.875 5.895 Adjustable 5/1 ARM 5.625 6.259 More Rates AMERICANA MORTGAGE GROUP SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY We're first in jumbomortgages , home equity loans and refinancing of residential real estate inNew York, Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Connecticut. Americana Mortgage Group is also the fastest growing mortgage brokerage in the NY tri-statearea-- with over 90% of our loans coming from returning satisfied clients andtheir referrals . We pride ourselves on proven customer service and money savingtechniques. Our reputation is your guarantee. Improve your chances of getting the home loan andmortgage interest rates you want. Apply online right now . Or contact us today at 1-888-262-6685. Here's what to expect: Best Mortgage Rates andPrograms for Loans Large or Small, Long or Short-Term. Extended Rate Locks. Free Rate Float Downs. No Prepayment Penalties. We offer a variety of residential loans -- conventional and jumbo mortgages -- and creative financing strategies--such as no incomecheck loans, below market rate programs , nomortgage insurance options, biweekly programs , 100%financing for no money down real estate purchases, no point mortgages,bridge loans, interest only mortgages. Check out today's mortgageinterest rates and use our mortgage calculator tosee what you can afford. Americana Mortgage Group also arranges financingfor: a new home purchase, co-op or condo loans first-time home buyers jumbo mortgages and refinancing for luxury homes and home equity loan dreams self-employed no income check loans a second home or investment property land and construction loans debt consolidation, and those with bad credit home equity loans for home improvements or financing a college education Personal MortgageShoppers Do All the Research for You Our mortgage loanofficers are top notch. They're skilled in shopping the mortgage rates andterms of over 100 national banks and local lenders, to find the right loanprogram and mortgage lender fit for every client. With their expertise at work,you'll get qualified faster for an earlier loan approval. Get a Mortgage Loan--Quicklyand Simply. Office Visits Optional! Our processing is so streamlined that alltransactions can be done by mail , phone, fax, and email. No matter the method,your home loan will get the same priority and attention we give to clients whoprefer to do business in-person--at either of our NewYork, LI mortgage offices in Manhasset and Southampton . Yourconfidentiality is always ensured. Apply for a Home Loan RightNow Take a few minutes to complete our secure Express Online Mortgage Application . Try our mortgage payment calculator too! Email us , or apply over the phone at 516-627-0200 x10 to talk to an expert for a free no-riskconsultation and to get today's mortgage interestrates .