Image courtesy Exothermic via Flickr.com

With great potential for foot and drive-by traffic, and proximity to the University of Memphis, this lot holds great potential for new businesses and established chains.

Rasberry CRE, Real Estate Brokerage and Development is handling the development and working on getting approval for retail right now. Rasberry CRE prides itself on developing unique properties for small businesses, meaning residents might see local businesses growing into this large space.

The lead broker on this project has been one of the top (re)developers in Cooper Young and Midtown, and is clearly ready for another challenge with creating an all new space. The beauty of the vacant half-acre is that businesses who strike early could have a chance to shape the building itself. The opportunity to influence commercial space does not come too often for those opening metropolitan businesses, making this property all the more exciting.

Memphis residents already enjoy a variety of one-of-a-kind eateries, galleries, and shops, but a creative spirit could bring life to this empty lot. Even in these early stages, potential businesses are reaching out for information on leasing and buying opportunities for this location.

Initial plans for development may include a new building of up to 4,000 square feet with the possibility of drive-through service. At this point, no plans have been finalized.

For now, Memphis locals will have to wait and see what happens next on Poplar.

About the author: Patty Brooke White is a University of Michigan graduate. She has 10 years of experience in real estate as a writer, leasing agent, and manager. She currently works as a freelance writer, specializing in real estate and non-profit organizational development. To contact Patty, send her an email to pattybrookewhite@gmail.com

Finding alternative financing or someone to purchase your home quickly may be the best option for keeping your home out of foreclosure and if you’ve found yourself in this unfortunate financial situation, there may be one suburban Boston company that can help immediately.

Ocean City Development, LLC, located in Winthrop, Massachusetts, has been providing various real estate related services to home owners all throughout the greater-Boston area for years, and foreclosure assistance happens to be their specialty. The ultimate goal for Ocean City Development clients is to keep home owners in their home while working to find a financial solution that works for everyone.  What makes Ocean City Development unique, however, is that not only do the experience and expertise of this seasoned Massachusetts real estate company provide a realistic opportunity for distressed home owners to ultimately keep their home, but they specifically focus on foreclosures and distressed real estate around the suburban Boston area, which has allowed them to gain an intimate knowledge of the local market and build strong relationships with a variety of investors and possible lending avenues.

This core strategy has enabled Ocean City Development really thrive in communities such as Saugus, Malden, Peabody, Somerville, Everett, and various parts of metropolitan Boston, but no Massachusetts community is out of reach should you need the assistance of these dynamic real estate and financial professionals.

Even if your Suburban Boston home isn’t in distress and you’re just looking for a quick cash offer, Ocean City Development may be interested—no matter the home’s condition. So if you’re located in or around Boston and are searching for a reliable and experienced real estate solutions company to aid in a variety of lending services or make a cash offer on your home today, get in touch with Ocean City Development and schedule a free consultation to see how they can help.

Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working as a Market Research Associate at Hanley Wood Market Intelligence in Chicago, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and is a managing partner at Real Estate Web Creation, LLC.

While this listing is not intended to be all inclusive of properties within Kentucky, the selected ones are representative of key growth areas in the region. Viewers will note the comprehensive way the space is covered from state incentives for development, through the minute details of certain properties, not to mention superb graphics (see below).

You’ll find existing offices to planned developments showcased very nicely. The brochure reveals everything from available industrial buildings to land data for suitable development. With hard copy of the data available too, it’s clear Tri-ED wants business to migrate to that part of the state. Taking a snapshot from NAI Isaac of Lexington from mid-year 2012, the job situation there indicates a relative growth spurt with ensuing vacancy positives in office space and elsewhere. Zoliath reports further on vacancy falls even  more recently here.

A view of the luxury lifestyle – courtesy Jay Thomas and JayFoto

In the digital world, and in the physical one too, there’s no sales medium to compare with pictures. Video or still, no single conduit for advertising, marketing or entertainment is so artistic, or effective for capturing the human imagination and attention. The Walt Disney Company said it best:

“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.”

Cooking – Courtesy Jay Thomas collection – General Corporate

Let me start by telling you, Jay Thomas was always an artistic person. The first time I remember seeing him he was playing tennis at our High School in South Georgia. His grandfather and his father, were friends of my family’s since the 50′s or before, but Jay and I knew one another through the associations of school. One thing was always certain about Jay, he would be successful at whatever he chose to do. Taking photographs, it seems, had always been a fascination of his, and accordingly, the places Jay grew up and lived in were the perfect backdrop for developing his photography skills. Fast forwarding to the now, what you will see presented here is a tiny fragment of this professionalism.

Take Away One – For the reader though, really examining how valuable wonderful imagery is, this can tell the difference between success in sales, and failure. First, take a look at the images above and below. Imagine yourself looking for a piece of property online.

Courtesy – Jay Thomas collection – Gallery 1 Leisure

Today, Jay Thomas is recognized as one of the top lifestyle/location photographers in the South. As the images within this report tell, a big focus of Jay’s work over the last few decades has been on such venues as: Resort & Hotel, tourism, lifestyle advertising, celebrity portraits, and many others. Particularly pertinent here is his work focused on residential real estate developments like Jonathan’s Landing, Seaside, Collier’s Reserve, Arvida, Callaway Gardens, Blalock Lakes, Jacksonville Country Club… Well, the list is fairly endless.

I spoke with the photographer last night about his influences, the technical and artistic means by which fantastic photographs are created, and then the uses people and businesses put them too. We spoke about perhaps the world’s most celebrated photographer, Ansel Adams, and what made his work so amazing. As a creative aside here, Jay offered this regarding how Adams had inspired him originally:

“…Ansel Adams is why I became a photographer. I fell in love with Black & White printing, and he was doing things with the black and white printing process, burning and dodging his prints, that most people can only do now thanks to the controls on Adobe Photoshop. He was truly amazing, and inspiring…”

Take Away Two – Did you look at those two images? Besides being artistically and professionally correct and perfect, what variable(s) differentiate them from your typical real estate website variants? For one thing, each of these photos contains people. Interestingly, a component Jay Thomas almost always incorporates into his work, and one the great Ansel Adams seldom did.

Together – Courtesy Jay Thomas collection – Gallery 1 Leisure

These tiny fragments of, of the American Dream if you will permit me, the images from Jay’s portfolio you see are comprised of two very crucial elements so that people might “preview” the idea of a thing. First, the spectrum of color (or lack thereof in B &W), along with varying light attitudes. Secondly, the human factor that helps us get inside these ideas, visions, dreams. That smile, the tiny shadow on a face, even the bottoms of those children’s feet up their jumping from the dock. Even if you did not take note there (I know you have now), in your mind’s eye the vision, the idea,  it became solid. Ethereal, I know, but crucial if you want to understand why imagery is so crucial.

Courtesy – Jay Thomas collection Gallery 1 Leisure

For those reading who are NOT believers in what photographs do for ads and marketing, which magazine do you tend to pick up in the waiting room of the doctor’s or dentist’s office? For further convincing here, why do the big brands spend so much money on print and digital ads? What are those ads comprised of primarily? Our subject here, Jay Thomas, has made a life and livelihood working for those very same brands.

His client list, in part, goes something like; American Express, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Delta Airlines, Toyota, Motorola, Marriott Hotels, UPS, Coca Cola, Bermuda Tourism, Maine Tourism, Georgia Pacific, Westin Hotels & Resorts, and dozens and dozens more. I mention this in part because I am proud of my friend, but also to illustrate and cement the value we are talking about here. Do you imagine all these billion dollar brands are stupid?

Take Away Three – I am sure many of you love the image above of the children and the butterflies. But what does that photo say to you? Maybe a better question is; “Are you in that photo, are your kids?” In the space of this article, and in the context of presenting Jay’s wonderful rendition of this child moment, we have actually traversed a little story here. Can you say how?

Place – Courtesy Jay Thomas collection Gallery 2 – Sporting Resort

If you are still not convinced of the ultimate power of images, a PBS tutorial (PDF) by Karen Zill is the former Manager of Educational Outreach at WETA, Washington, D.C., speaks volumes more about images and their inherent power to convey and convince. Scientifically, human beings are sensitive to visual stimuli far more than to any of the other senses. This should not be news, but as a conveyance of information, the still image is often a lot more practical and prevalent. Without going into a discertation on the uptake of visual stimuli and so forth, suffice it to say a mountain of research proves images help us construct our ideas and our world, and dramatically.

So why have so many institutions and businesses neglected to use images, or images of quality? Perhaps the perception is, photographers like Jay Thomas are just too expensive? Ah, now we have to depart into a digital marketing and ROI seminar. But not really. Audi to Coca Cola, on to Nike, and ending in Carl Zeiss and Zeno, companies have leveled massive resources at this question. In the end photography is cheap when compared to the conversion possibilities. Still unconvinced? Read about Frame of Mind via Time for Kids, The Power of Images at Vogue, there are literally thousands of research papers on this.

Take Away Four - Now looking at the sequence of these images, can you think of how our visual story has progressed? We just traversed the sentient path of home ownership, now didn’t we? A view of luxury or dream atmosphere, then a solidified sense of “home”, next our childhood cemented within the context, our sense of togetherness – marriage perhaps – superimposed, the wonder and mystery of children (us and them), togetherness again – moments of mature solitude – life coming full circle, and a reinforced sense of home (below).

Digital compilations by Jay Thomas

Perhaps the best bet for stoic disbelievers here though comes via an article in Psychologies Magazine in the UK. One finding reported their, by Peter Naish, senior lecturer in psychology at The Open University, and undertaken for Orange, revealed the relative “happiness” index of photographs. According to the article, while activities like eating and drinking affect our moods by something like 1 %, looking at photos elevated mood on the order of 11%. So an image is, in theory, 11 times more powerful than a Coca Cola? What about the power to make us want a Coca Cola?

Take Away Five – In our public relations practice we preach “telling the story”, when most people think PR is all about press releases and hype. This could not be further from the truth for true professionals. The thing you should take away from this article is that without images, no story will ever be complete. And without superb images, telling a really superb story is near impossible. That is, unless you are Hemingway. The fact is, no images or horrible ones, tell the wrong story.

To conclude, we have reported, professed, cajoled, and ranted about the necessity for business online  to have pristine branding and PR. Research shows you have approximately 5 seconds to convince a web visitor to stay on your website. Then there are myriad ways in which to either engage further, for you to run off your potential customers. Now, the whole point of our efforts has been to help you reduce what is termed “bounce rate”, and increase “conversions” – this is the Holy Grail of digital marketing, advertising, and sales. Your web efforts, without the necessary “elements”, such as the very best images, are sorely wasted.

Faithful companion – courtesy Jay Thomas and JayFoto

Need I be any more clear? The image above is reflective of this final thought, it’s up to you what the future holds.

About Jay Thomas

Jay is widely recognized lifestyle/location photographer. An expert at location production, he has worked with a very diverse group of clients over the years. Jay’s areas of focused work include; resorts & hotels, tourism, lifestyle advertising, real estate, corporate annual reports, music, sports, and celebrity portraits.

Raised in coastal Georgia, Jay is an avid outdoorsman. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he also attended UGA’s Portfolio Center prior to launching Jay Thomas Photography back in 1986. His Jay Thomas Productions handles ad and still photography production including digital manipulation and proofing. Jay lives with his family in Marietta, Georgia.

Readers can reach Jay via Jay Thomas Photography at: 770-429-8870. He can also be reached via email at: jay@jayfoto.com.

Editor’s note: All images are the property of Jay Thomas Photography and may not be copied or reproduced without the photographer’s expressed permission.

Living in Chicago however, there are two companies on the 2012 list that immediately caught my attention: Chicago Apartment Finders and @Properties. Chicago Apartment Finders is primarily an apartment finding service in the city that focuses on finding students, young professionals, and just about anyone else searching for a Chicago rental anything from quaint studio apartments to larger detached single-family homes for rent.

While Chicago Apartment Finders has only been in business since 2002, this top Chicago apartment locater has actually made the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2007, with its highest ranking being that same year at #1,032. Since it’s beginning, Chicago Apartment Finders has grown from 2 agents in a small, one-room office to 4 offices, more than 150 team members, and a branded fleet of cars agents are able use to transport clients from apartment listing to apartment listing.

@Properties is also a fairly young real estate company in Chicago, yet still considered to be of city’s top brokerages. Investing millions of dollars in state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge marketing services, it’s no wonder why @Properties is also one of the city’s most recognizable real estate companies with signage seemingly all over the downtown area. In addition, @Properties also prides itself on holding each and every agent within the company to a higher standard of customer service and professionalism.

And with previous Inc. 5000 honors for @Properties coming in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, there’s no doubt this effort and hard work has continued to pay off. Since 2008, @Properties’ revenue has climbed from $45.6 million to $60 million in 2011–a 32% growth—and there’s certainly no sign of slowing down. Along with the company’s core residential real estate business, @Properties is also an industry leader in commercial real estate, while also working to expand into property management with the recent acquisition of Venterra Sales and Management.

So congratulations to not only Chicago Apartment Finders and @Properties in Chicago, but all the 2012 Inc. 5,000 recipients and here’s to hoping 2013 brings even more success!

Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working as a Market Research Associate and writing published Market Snapshots for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence in Chicago, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and is a managing partner at Real Estate Web Creation, LLC.

Image courtesy Sportech via Flickr.com

If you’re a baseball fan, perhaps you’ve heard about the blockbuster trade between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins for superstar Hanley Ramirez. Of course, with Mr. Ramirez now officially playing in L.A., all the headlines creatively used the catch-phrase “Hanleywood” in place of “Hollywood” to welcome the starting 3^rd baseman to town with open arms.

One such headline I caught used wording such as “Welcome to Hanley-Wood,” while the MLB.com Facebook page even updated its status to: OFFICIAL: HANLEYWOOD IS BORN! So, what exactly does this have to do with real estate, you ask?

Well, what these sports outlets failed to realize is that Hanley Wood has been alive and well long before this week’s latest baseball transaction. In fact, those familiar with the real estate industry know Hanley Wood to be something much different than the latest baseball spectacle currently happening in Los Angeles.

Instead, Hanley Wood has been a cutting–edge business-to-business media and real estate data company for both the residential and commercial construction industry since 1976. With at least 14 magazine publications, over 30 websites, an Exhibitions division, Market Intelligence division, and full-service Marketing division, there’s no doubt Hanley Wood continues to make its mark among home builders, developers, and various other professionals servicing the residential and commercial construction business.

So if the Hanley Ramirez trade works out for L.A.’s beloved Dodgers and Hanleywood becomes an even bigger sensation, remember that there’s still only one true Hanley Wood, and it’s got nothing to do with baseball.

Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working in the market research sector and authoring published Market Snapshots for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and co-owns Real Estate Web Creation with his partner, Ted Guarnero, a 25+ year real estate veteran.

Debe Maxwell

As a real estate writer interested in supplying our readers with the best of resources, I am very pleased to present Debe Maxwell, founder of The Maxwell House Group and partner of Savvy + Company Real Estate in Charlotte, NC.

Recently, Debe and I talked a little bit about her life, her business, and what she believes the future holds for Charlotte real estate.

RealtyBiz: Debe, did you live all of your life in Gulfport before moving to NC?

Debe: I wish! I moved all over as a child; my father was in the Air Force, then retail so, 9 different schools from K through 12!

RealtyBiz: Did you ever practice real estate in Gulfport?

Debe: No, I moved from there as a teen.

RealtyBiz: How long have you been practicing real estate?

Debe: Over 9 years – in April it will be 10 years.

RealtyBiz: What is unique about your company – what makes it different from other agents in the area?

Debe: My company is boutique–we are a very progressive company focused on customer service and marketing. Unlike other companies, we place the customers’ needs ahead of our own–I know that sounds canned but, when we receive prospect calls and internet leads, we have a point person (me) who does an extensive interview process based upon lifestyle needs and neighborhood preferences. Rather than place the client in a ’round-robin’ rotation, we partner them with the agent that best suits the CLIENTS’ needs. We are full-service, FULL-TIMERealtors® and are very active in the community as well.

RealtyBiz: Can you share a story about the most memorable sale you’ve brokered?

Debe: My former Broker-in-Charge asked me to list her $1M home for sale. We wound up doing a lease-purchase for one year because her buyer was offering a considerable sum of money to‘hold’ the home until he could close the following year. He wound up not being able to close so, as we were preparing to put the home back on the market (refinishing the hardwood floors that had taken a beating by the tenant), I received a call from a customer who saw an old online ad that I had resumed since we were going back on the market. This customer wound up purchasing the home (cash, no less!) and it was a perfectly flawless transaction–and a sweet paycheck too!

RealtyBiz: What is the strangest/funniest question a buyer and/or seller ever asked you?

Debe: Early in my career, I didn’t realize that you REALLY had to explain the purchase process to first-time home buyers! One of my first-timers asked me, AFTER the inspection and repair process, if we could place an Offer on another home. They were worried that the seller would realize that they had the best home in Charlotte and that they wouldn’t show up at Closing to actually sell my buyers the house!

RealtyBiz: Are you optimistic about real estate in Charlotte and across the country?

Debe: Charlotte, absolutely. As for the rest of the country, I can only go by what I hear from my referral partners but, I do believe that most cities are on the recovery track.

RealtyBiz: What changes in the industry, if any, do you see taking place that will keep another real estate bubble from happening?

Debe: I believe that lending guidelines remaining strict will prevent another bubble. I truly believe we’ve learned our lesson–at least this generation of real estate professionals!

RealtyBiz: Are buyers and sellers in Charlotte apprehensive about the marketplace or confident that it will return?

Debe: We’re still seeing overly confident sellers and hesitant buyers at this point. I am, however, seeing buyers realize that the homes they view online that are in good condition and pricedright, are selling before they even have the opportunity to view the property. I see many sellers still sitting on their prices, believing that they’ll be rescued in the spring market. On the other hand, many sellers are realistic and understand that the market is going to dictate their price–if it doesn’t sell at X price, then they need to reduce until it sells–and they’re doing this.

RealtyBiz: Is there a lot of industry moving into the area?

Debe: YES! We’re strong in the financial and healthcare areas and we’re quickly moving into one ofthe most prevalent energy sectors in the nation. We’ve also landed the HQ of Chiquita, which is huge for us.

No matter your political affiliation, if you’re a Charlottean, you have to be excited about being selected as THE city for the DNC in September as well!

RealtyBiz: What are the state and city governments doing to encourage businesses to move to the area?

Debe: Our governor has been a huge asset to our local economy over the past couple of years. She and our local government officials as well as the Chamber of Commerce,have beeninstrumental in bringing thousands of jobs to Charlotte. Tax incentives, local government support, the 7th largest airport in the world and a beautiful, vibrant city that offers residents 4-seasons are some of the bonuses these corporations are finding appealing about Charlotte.

RealtyBiz: Anything else you’d like to add about yourself or your business, the industry and/or Charlotte?

Debe: Residing here for decades and being a founding member of what is now Charlotte’s largest home care facility, I can honestly say that I know nearly every nook and cranny of Charlotte! My boys attended both public and private schools in the area so, school knowledge and neighborhood knowledge are second nature to me. Helping clients find the perfectneighborhood is a passion for me! As well, I have a love for marketing and getting my sellers’ listings exposed to the masses. I challenge the competition to do any aspect of listing a home better! My marketing team is second to none and truly do make me shine!

If you enjoyed getting to know Debe as much as I did, you will be pleased to learn that she will be a contributing writer here at RealtyBizNews. Be on the lookout for some fantastic, informative articles from her in the coming months!

Donna Robinson

Donna Robinson – Real Estate Industry Expert and Realty Biz News Staff Writer

Office: 888-915-9968 

Website: www.realtybizconsulting.com 

Email: donnaconsults@reihelp.com

Donna Robinson has over 16 years experience in the real estate industry, including 8 years as a licensed real estate agent, and 10 years experience in real estate investing. She has participated in millions of dollars worth of real estate investing and rehabbing projects, and is highly respected in the investing industry for her abilities as a market analyst.

Her private clients come from all parts of the U.S. and include investing companies, professionals such as real estate brokers and appraisers, and individual investors who may be highly experienced or just beginning an investing career.

As a coach and consultant, Donna helps her clients understand how to analyze their local real estate market for investment opportunities, develop buying, selling and holding strategies, as well as profitability analysis.

Her wide range of experience as a real estate investor includes short sales, retailing, wholesaling, rehabbing, and rental property. She currently owns and manages a portfolio of rental properties, as well as a commercial storage business.

In addition, Donna also teaches her own Continuing Education course on real estate investing fundamentals and strategies, that is approved for CE credit by the Georgia Real Estate Commission.

She is the Director of Realty Biz Consulting, which offers a variety of coaching and consulting services for real estate investors. For more information on coaching and consulting, you may check her website at www.RealtyBizConsulting.com or contact her office at 888-915-9968. Her email address is donnaconsults@reihelp.com.

CEO:  MobileRealtyApps

Website: MobileRealtyApps.com

Interview by Demi Ward

While there’s no shortage of mobile home search applications on the marketplace today, the HomeSpotter mobile home finding app for the iPhone and iPad simply leaves other mobile home search tools in the proverbial dust. HomeSpotter is an augmented reality application that provides a sophisticated tool for locating recently sold and currently for sale homes within range of your mobile phone. The HomeSpotter app is just one of many mobile home search tools available from MobileRealtyApps.com.

Realty Biz News recently spoke with Aaron Kardell, the founder and CEO of MobileRealtyApps.com, to learn more about how HomeSpotter is assisting real estate brokers in the delivery of cutting edge home finding services to their clients in the home buying marketplace.

RealtyBizNews.com: Can you explain how the HomeSpotter mobile application works?

Aaron Kardell: HomeSpotter is actually not a separate mobile application, but a specific feature that is available in the suite of mobile applications that our company offers. How it works is really simple. Let’s say that you are out with a client showing properties. All you would need to do is hold up your mobile phone in front of a dwelling, and a panoramic view of homes for sale in range of your mobile device would pop up on your screen. There’s a great video on our company website at: http://www.HomeSpotter.com that provides a clear visualization of how the technology works.

RealtyBizNews.com: What are some of the bells and whistles that real estate professionals can look forward to experiencing when using the HomeSpotter feature?

Aaron Kardell: HomeSpotter is an advanced mobile home finding tool that delivers more than a bird’s eye view of MLS listings for sale by zip code. As an example, the information on the properties in the range of a realtor’s mobile device comes from a live camera feed, so as they move, the distance, direction and other information about the properties in their immediate area is instantly updated on the screen of their mobile device. This technology saves time and energy for Realtors, since there is no need to constantly enter new search criteria to find properties to show. HomeSpotter provides Realtors and home shoppers with a radically new way to search for properties – by curb appeal.

HomeSpotter's Augmented Reality technology makes home shopping fun and interactive

RealtyBizNews.com: What benefits can real estate professionals expect from the mobile marketing suite offered by your company?

Aaron Kardell: Our mobile apps, including the HomeSpotter feature, collectively function as a best-in-class lead generation tool that can be used “out-of-the-box”. The apps in our suite are white labeled, meaning they can be branded for any real estate broker or MLS. Once the apps are branded for a broker, their customers and agents can easily download their app at any time from the Apple App Store, Android Market, or BlackBerry App World. The HomeSpotter feature specifically, is currently available on iPhone and iPad, and that feature will be added to our Android apps in January 2012. The apps my company provides are a good investment for many real estate brokers, as it eliminates the time and expense of in-house development of custom mobile applications for multiple platforms. In addition, the HomeSpotter feature along with our complete mobile marketing suite provides real estate brokers with the best technology in the marketplace today, which also assists in attracting and retaining the best real estate agents in their local markets.

RealtyBizNews.com: Is the HomeSpotter feature currently available in all U.S. Markets?

Aaron Kardell: Not yet. Our goal is to first equip a select few brokers or MLS’s in each market with the technology and then gradually expand this offering to a wider market in the future. ***

If you would like to learn more about the HomeSpotter feature and its related mobile marketing suite, please visit www.MobileRealtyApps.com or www.HomeSpotter.com for further details. You may also contact Aaron Kardell by phone at: 612-284-2828 x212 or by email at:  aaron@mobilerealtyapps.com

Real Estate Investor/Distressed Real Estate Specialist: Deepa Lakhlani

President: DL Investments

Website: www.deepalakhlani.com

Deepa Lakhlani is a South Florida real estate investor and consultant who is a pro at connecting a growing clientele of domestic and international investors with the best real estate deals South Florida has to offer. Her real estate business is growing by leaps and bounds, as she delivers an air of professionalism, integrity and magnetism that stands out among the pack. She understands the promise of real estate as an engine to future wealth and prosperity for those who choose to invest in it; and those who seek out her services know that she delivers quality service that is in a class of its own.

Deepa began her real estate career in the Sales and Marketing division of the Distressed Real Estate Institute in Boca Raton, FL, which provided her with the requisite skill set to wheel and deal in the South Florida real estate market. Deepa decided to form her own company in the earlier part of 2011 because of the volume of opportunity she saw emerging for real estate investors in the area. She is heavily involved in the wholesale and rehab sector of the real estate market and works very closely with cash buyers who are seeking to capitalize on all of the great real estate deals that exist today in South Florida.

Realty Biz News recently spoke with Deepa to find out more about her role in the real estate market in South Florida and the services that she delivers to her global base of clients:

RealtyBizNews.com: Can you describe who your clients are and what their goals are?

Deepa Lakhlani: I work very closely with two different types of clients in the real estate investment arena, either buyers or sellers. In the case of sellers, the clients that I serve are owners of distressed properties, which we acquire at a bargain price. We later present these deeply discounted investment opportunities to the buyers (investors), who are also my clients. Many of the buyers that I work with are foreign investors who are looking for properties with a good investment potential, which they may at times use  as vacation homes on a periodic basis. My business brings buyers and sellers together to strike a deal that is to everyone’s benefit.

RealtyBizNews.com: What type of properties do your deals normally involve?

Deepa Lakhlani: My clients who are buyers invest in all types of properties, but there’s a large amount of investing happening right now in the residential housing market because there is so much inventory available in this category at the present time, in South Florida.

RealtyBizNews.com: What need does your business serve over what the average real estate investor provides to buyers and sellers?

Deepa Lakhlani: A lot of distressed sellers do not see beyond the conventional ways of seeking foreclosure relief. Real Estate Investors are portrayed as “sharks” to them, who are only hungry for a good deal and want to make them homeless. Not a lot of investors spend time informing distressed sellers that their assumptions are false, and that selling their house to investors is more of a win win situation, instead of a process of making them homeless. As a distressed property consultant and an investor, I provide these sellers with insights and elucidations on the advantages of selling to private investors versus waiting for the big auction date from the banks and eventually losing their house. On the other hand, buyers find it very difficult to source good deals in this market and often get outbid when they do eventually find one. I have first hand access to these deals and my network of wholesale investors, who can consistently source these bargain priced deals. Unlike many real estate investors, I do my due diligence on all potential deals, to ensure the subject property is free and clear of any liens, code violations or open permits. Conversely, many real estate investors are oblivious to this and can make common mistakes that would cost them a fortune!

RealtyBizNews.com: What is the one thing that you wish more people knew about real estate investing?

Deepa Lakhlani: That there are different ways of accessing capital for the purposes of real estate investing. I think more people would become involved in real estate investing if they realized that as a real estate investor you do not need to have cash or credit to get started. There are many private money and hard money lenders (non mortgage lenders) who provide loans that will allow them to purchase properties for investment purposes which they intend to rehab or fix-up and resell in a short time frame, allowing them to quickly pay back the private lender and walk away with a nice profit.***

If you would like to inquire about the services that Deepa provides to property sellers and real estate investors in the South Florida real estate market, you may contact her by phone at: 1-855-REI-BUYS (734-2897), by email at: contact@deepalakhlani.com or visit her website at: www.deepalakhlani.com where you can find some of the best real estate deals South Florida has to offer.