My Exclusive phone interview with the star of A&E's Flip this house-San Antonio

Neal The Real Deal Bloom with his exclusive phone interview with the star of A&E's Flip this House-San Antonio

In case some of you might not know it but I have a few partners and we have acquired property for investment reasons. We either flip..rent or hold the Real Estate we acquire. Lately I have been very intrigued about some the these shows on television about flipping property. Now ......I understand that most of the country is fighting a market that we have not seen in a long time.

About a year ago I started to watch A&E's Flip this House-San Antonio. I wanted to see what other ideas I could pick up and also see how real these shows were. While I was out of town I had some down time and decided to go onto my computer and read up a little about how these guys actually are able to be so successful at flipping property.

First thing I did was go to A&E on-line and it directed me to the stars business website so I sent him an email. I told him I am part of a Real Estate network that covers the entire U.S and I asked him if he would be interested in having me conduct an interview with him ...so I asked him if we would just do it via email ..sending him the questions and was going to produce the transcript on my post. Two weeks went by and he emailed me back saying he would and that I could send him the questions ..which I did. Another week went by and my phone rang and it was Armando Montelongo calling me to ask me if I would be able to do the interview over the phone instead of through email. I was so flattered of course I said yes and we set up a time to do the interview.

Just so you understand.. ...this was my first interview with anyone and I was a bit nervous and wanted to make sure it came out alright so when you listen to this please cut me a little slack.....Walter Cronkite I'm not.... I just a good Realtor® that knows how to blog a bit.

Please understand that this interview was a bit complex to make work correctly and the actual uncut version lasted about 50 minutes. The interview was laid out in 3 different segments and this way you can listen to it at your leisure. To me it was a very interesting interview. The first half basically talks about how he started with nothing and was able to get to where he is today and he even told me a few of his secrets on how he is so successful now and how his life as changed over the last few years. The second half we talked about the show and how he has become a popular reality TV star and a very knowledgeable businessman.

So I thought it would be a treat if I was able to actually hear about it right from the source. He is the president of Armando Montelongo Companies and the star of "A&E's Flip this House San Antonio" My telephone guest himself...please let me introduce my friend Armando Montelongo.
So I hope anyone that is interested will take the time to listen to my interview with Armando Montelongo. You might learn a thing or two about how to successfully flip homes.

Don't miss this exclusive interview.....Please listen to the three segments below.

Realtor Farming techniques.....the way it works

I spend most of my time as a Realtor® farming different neighborhoods for business. Taking listings in todays Real Estate market can be challenging. With over 35,000 homes for sale in Broward County Florida....there is an abundance of properties just sitting on the market for longer periods of time. It is a big difference from 3 years ago when there was less for sale and more buyers willing to purchase their dream home. But I still believe that if you can take as many quality listngs as you can then you will have enough inventory to sell and that will eventually translate into instant income.


Below are a few techniques that have worked for me and the process I go through getting to my initial goals.

Objective : My main objective is to list homes. My partner handles our buyers which we cultivate through print ads and through the Internet. I have been consistently farming the same neighborhoods for the last 9 years. I was looking for something different. I was looking for something that would catch a sellers eye. I felt that every other agent I was competing against was using the same old marketing ideas. Most of them were sending out post cards that would say for example.... "Just Listed" or "Just Sold". I even get anywhere from 2-5 of those a week and I generally throw them in the garbage without even looking at them. I was looking for something that would be fresh and to the point but to catch their eyes. I started thinking and I thought that if I could incorporate a few different things into one than that might work.

Fresh Content : I started to experiment with many different things I could mail out. And after some trial and error........... I started to produce my Real Estate Market Review. This newsletter will not only supply the homeowners with quarterly updates on the recent sales in the neighborhood but it also includes an intro to my listing presentation without going into it in too much detail. It was just enough to catch their eye with a teaser that most certainly will get them to want to inquire further. I also include information on the current market and my opinions. I generally write something different every quarter but sometimes I will repeat some 6 months later. Now I am even incorporating my blogging into what I write about. My reason for the repeat was that my results on some were so estounding that I keep a draft of past letters so I can use them again and for other neighborhoods. Another great thing I was able to do was to offer to feature any property in my next issue if they listed with me. It includes photos and a short description of the property and the price.

Appearance : When I first used this system...I would have a mix of a two page letter with color logos and black & white text which was printed on plain paper and mailed in a window envelope. That worked pretty good until my work was stating to be copied. The cost was a concern as well because of the printing and the first class postage. So I decided to change my format I went out and bought Microsoft publisher and started producing my templates and found a printer who would be able to produce the finished product. I also went to bulk mail and had it mailed at postcard rates. I also found a person who would pick up my production and use my mailing lists and put mailing labels on all of them and deliver them right to the post office. It has now been transformed into a 4 page glossy newsletter with updates and photos. Please see the sample to your right.

Consistency : Getting someone to notice you is not the easiest thing. It takes time to get people to read and react. Sometimes people are just too busy to read everything you put on paper so generally they will throw it out as junk mail. You need to make sure that you do this on a consistent basis. The way I do it is by producing the letter on a by-monthly basis. It is done 6 times a year. I generally was thinking of producing it every month but I thought that would be over kill and the cost would be too hi versus my rate of return. All I needed to do was to sell one and one half listings a year to cover my costs for the entire 6 mailings. If I look back...I can tell you that I am still way ahead of the game. The key to consistency is to keep repeating it so all the homeowners keep seeing your face...your name and your "free information". Don't use the "hard sell approach".Just state that you are sending them information with your compliments and that they should keep this information in their files so they can look back and compare the different market trends. If you do it that way then they will appreciate it even more. If you continue to go with the program you should start to see results within your first 3-5 mailings. but if you stop and do not do it consistently then you will be wasting your time. You want to get your foot in the door.

Getting there : Receiving a call is the most exciting thing. My first call actually came the day after my very first mailing went out. I was so excited that someone called me that I almost blew it. You better know your facts and you better be able to answer the questions over the phone. Remember you are on stage and you better hit your mark or you will look stupid. The idea is to get past the call and get the appointment.

This whole process took me a while to get results and it takes a lot of time and energy. There are plenty of listings out there. SELLERS NEED REALTORS NOW MORE THAN EVER .They need our knowledge as Realtors®. Don't just look for the quick fix...look at the future of your business.

Check out my blog The Real Deal tells it like it is in Real Estate

Neal Bloom : Real Estate Market Review Copyright 2007

South Florida Market Price or Wish Price?

Please note that I originally wrote this post on another blogging network back in October 2006. I thought it was good subject to revive here.

Unfortunately for sellers in South Florida ,they are still in that mode of selling and getting that big 25% return we were all getting the last 3-4 years, I ...as well buy property and sell, rent or flip, so I can relate to their disappointment.
But because of rising property taxes and ridiculous reasons insurance companies just drop HO's like a hot potato, the prices are starting to level off, not necessarily dropping, they were just used to the crazy returns, now in a regular market I believe 5-8% return is going to be more realistic for the moment.
I cannot tell you how many price reductions I see in the MLS , wasting time is the new meaning for most price reductions, I tell my clients , we will keep reducing until the market reacts, or if they continue to insist to price too high, then reductions will continue.
If the law for property taxes does not change soon ,and these insurance companies trying to strong arm people by dropping you and then being subject to only Citizens does not soon change, HO's will slowly take their houses off the market and wait if they are not in a rush to sell.
If that happens, the inventory will decrease and maybe change back to a sellers market, I do not believe we are in a buyers market because there are not even alot of buyers out there.
I think someone in the government really needs to hear from both the realtor's and sellers and buyers, because it will effect everyone in the long run

Weston Florida Real Estate (I'm feeling kind of sexy today

I have been working pretty hard the last few weeks. The Weston Florida Real Estate market has picked up a bit lately. I woke up this morning feeling kind of sexy today....well ok maybe I didn't feel that way but my listings felt kind of sexy. Come on! We also closed on 3 deals last week so I can't complain...."can't someone compliment me on looking and feeling sexy as well?" It figures.....it's all about the money. I personally showed 3 of our listings at the last minute. It was Saturday and the start of the labor day weekend.....basically the last real 3 day weekend for a while and most people were enjoying themselves. The last thing they probably expected was to have people track through their homes. Believe it or not...all the properties were clean and ready for showing..."that's what I call a real sexy home."

The point I am trying to make is when you list a property for sale in this market you need your Realtor® to point you in the right direction when it comes to getting as much exposure as you can get for your property. It is not just about advertising but about the overall appearance as well. The biggest mistakes I see is when we notify the seller that there will be someone coming by to see the property and they get so excited and then the other party walks into a mess or the A/C is not on when it is 95 degrees out and then there is the never ending dust bowl.


It is true people have to live their lives and do not always have time to clean up or even stage the home. When I get calls asking me when the first showing will be I have to be on my toes so I can give them some sort of educated answer. But if the homeowner is not ready.... well then they have to go on with the show the way it is. You need to remember that when your home is on the market....it is also on stage waiting for the curtain to go up and then......You are on and you better hit your mark. And if you are not ready and do not know all your lines you might just be boo'd off the stage. As your Realtor® it is my job to help you make sure the property is always ready to show. Don't forget that your critics are just waiting to see your performance. This market is very unpredictable and anything can happen.

For more information about Weston Florida Real Estate please check out the rest of the story at The Real Deal Tells it like it is in Real Estate

Neal "The Real Deal" Bloom
Weston Florida Realtor (954)608-5556 or nealb63@myacc.net
RE/MAX Hometown
2500 Weston Road ,Suite 103
Weston Florida 33331

Weston Florida Real Estate (Weston Town Center is more than just a two meal town)

Weston Town Center has all the attributes you are looking for. With it's chic art deco look and the different variety of stores gives it that exciting atmosphere all the residents of Weston are looking for.

From the fashionable shoppes of the Ana Bella Boutique to the elegant Weston Jewelers. Or you can just take a walk around the complex and look at the awesome view of this lake-front complex.

Weston Town Center offers a variety of executive suites available for immediate occupancy. For the business that needs a comfortable atmosphere along with the convenience of travel to and from work or just saving time doing all of your grocery shopping at Publix which is directly within the complex.

The clock tower is located right on main street and is located near all of your favorite restaurants and retail stores. If you are not too busy shopping at such stores as Euro Rooms.... then you will be sure to find some time to go for a romantic dinner over at the East City Grill or go for a bite to eat with the family at one of my favorite hangouts....Cheese Burger Cheese Burger.


Many people are moving to the city of Weston because of the fine variety of different attractions available within Weston's Town Center.
Be sure to check out the different array of entertainment and events that are coming this September.



Weston Town Center events calender for Sept. 2007:

Ed Morse Sawgrass Auto Mall Weekend Live Concert Series. Every Friday from (7pm-9:30pm) Come down to main street and listen to the music.
AIU School of Design Showcase. Come celebrate the schools success as their students display their works of art. Fri Sept 7th (6pm-9pm.)
A Shinning Stars Day with Martha Leduc at the Gifted Child Sat. Sept 8th (11am-2pm)
Children's Story Time Hour at Little Buttons Wed. Sept.5th (4:30pm-5:30pm)
Gallery Night Wednesday at Citibank Wed. Sept.19th (7pm-9pm)
Weston Florida is really special places to live! If you come for a visit, you will definitely fall in love with this area, and you just may want to make this wonderful place YOUR next home. Let US help you find YOUR next home here in Weston.

Welcome to the West Broward Family YMCA
Weston Florida-The Ridges single family home Real Estate Market report as of July 2007
Weston Florida-Weston Hills Country Club Real Estate Market Report
Real Estate is an art...but who paints the real picture?...I did.
True...it is a great time to buy property...but what are your real objectives?
Working together has it's rewards

For more information about Weston Florida Real Estate please check out my blog The Real Deal Tells it like it is in Real Estate

Neal "The Real Deal" Bloom
Weston Florida Realtor (954)608-5556 or nealb63@myacc.net
RE/MAX Hometown
2500 Weston Road ,Suite 103
Weston Florida 33331

Davie Florida-The Orange Drive Real Estate market report 4/07-8/07

15056 SW 33RD ST
5
4
4691
Y
Y
204
$1,051,000
4/6/07
Riverstone

13261 SW 44TH ST
5
4
3454
Y
N
149
$1,005,319
4/5/07
Imagination Farms

14954 SW 39TH ST,
5
4
3750
Y
Y
113
$850,000
4/20/07
Riverstone

12650 S WINNERS CIRCLE
5
4.5
3811
N
Y
334
$1,050,000
4/23/07
Grove Creek

3913 SW 135th Ave
5
4
4129
N
Y
75
$1,500,000
5/25/07
Imagination Farms

15377 SW 40TH ST
5
4
5194
Y
Y
36
$1,120,000
6/1/07
Riverstone

3958 SW 140TH AV
6
5
4376
Y
Y
100
$926,000
6/22/07
Imagination Farms

14801 SW 33RD ST
5
4.5
4395
Y
Y
143
$1,154,000
6/22/07
Riverstone

15338 SW 39TH ST
5
4
3750
N
Y
86
$900,000
7/10/07
Riverstone

13335 SW 43RD ST
4
3
2664
N
Y
42
$690,000
7/20/07
Imagination Farms

4320 SW 138TH AV
4
3
2664
Y
Y
129
$725,000
8/8/07
Imagination Farms

14811 SW 39TH ST
5
4.5
4500
Y
Y
137
$1,037,000
8/10/07
Riverstone

15253 SW 40TH ST
6
4.5
5807
N
Y
114
$975,000
8/13/07
Riverstone

As of August 2007 there are 85 properties currently listed for sale through-out the 3 communities located in Davie Florida
40 homes are available in Riverstone.....30 homes are available in Imagination Farms and 15 homes are available in Grove Creek Ranches.
Currently there are 3 pending sales in the combined 3 communities and 14 closed sales 4/07-8/07
Last year at this time there were less homes on the market leading us to conclude that we are definitely in a buyers market.
This information is from the South East Florida Multiple Listing Service.
For more information about Davie Florida Real Estate please check out my blog on how The Real Deal Tells it like it is in Real Estate

Working together has it's rewards

I wrote a post last week called The Best News a Realtor® could get in this market...... Seeing Survey Flags! it talked about the euphoric feeling I was getting when I saw survey flags in front of one of my listings that was under contract. I was so confident on this deal closing on time that I even was willing to praise the mortgage broker. I contacted him just to introduce myself and see if there was anything I could do for him as well as discuss the transaction. He assured me that everything would close on time and there would be not glitches. I for one was reluctant to believe him for a few reasons. First he said it would close in 2 weeks. Then he said He liked the challenge and out of respect to me he wanted to earn my business. Now most people I know in the mortgage industry will tell you that I am not the easiest Realtor® to work with if the deal is going south but on this particular deal I really felt it would go through...but in 2 weeks? I was very surprised. I don't know about you but have you heard the latest rumor about the South Florida Real Estate market spiraling into obscurity?
Well in the end I stayed positive and it closed on time.
So to my surprise we closed on the deal and everyone was happy. The buyers agent was happy...the buyer was happy...the seller was extremely happy and of course...I was happy. I promised that I would now just like to thank the president of Mortgage Advantage Lending LLC, Seth Keyser for really keeping his word and keeping all of us informed of the entire process that went very smooth. I just met Seth so I do not know a lot about him other than the fact he relocated to Weston Florida and had previously ran a few offices out of the state of Connecticut. He now is located in Weston Florida. The next time I am working with a buyer who is looking for the professional service all consumers deserve.. ...you can bet I will be recommending Seth.I even invited him to join this network. I look forward to working with him again in the near future. Thanks for coming through!
Check out my blog on how The Real Deal Tells it like it is in Real Estate

True...it is a great time to buy property...but what are your real objectives?

I keep hearing Realtors® say it is a buyers market and it is a great time to buy. But I am just wondering what the consumer is thinking. Are they buying because they intend on living in the property for at least a few years to build a family and some roots? Or are they "speculating" for the the market to go up in a short period of time just with the intentions of "flipping" the property and making a quick profit? Are you sure you are making the right decision? What is your true objective?
Helping my clients buy and sell Real Estate in South Florida are my specialties.I have bought and sold a few of my own properties as well and made money on all of them. But that didn't mean that I didn't do my homework first. I decided that since I didn't have a lot of money that I would probably be better off buying less expensive properties than high end. My reasons were simple...I didn't want the huge liability and what about if the property did not sell. I did not want all that debt. So diversified my holdings and I partnered up on a few. Well our plan worked...we only had 2 small mortgages on a few and the rest were purchased with cash. Our carrying costs were way below what we could command in the market and we did well. And we did this without even renting them out. We sold them quick and and we sold them at an attractive price to the buyers without being pigs. You see...we did all of this at the beginning of the boom and up until the demise we are in now.
We basically sold off most of them. At the end of the year I looked at some people I knew who went way overboard and purchased very expensive properties and used hard money and by the time these properties were finished and they tried to sell...they ended up with large payments each month and some are now in trouble. They were looking for the one big pay day and they could have done it the way we did where we still ended up doing well but on various projects.
When I moved my family to Pembroke Pines Florida back in 1999 our intentions were to buy a new home and live in it. For how long...I couldn't tell you. It was not our intentions to buy for the sole purpose of figuring we could sell it and make a profit or buying it as an investment. We purchased it because we wanted to put some roots down have our family grow and enjoy the time we had in the property. We made some friends and we had good times. In 2004 we started to talk about selling and buying a bigger home. We notice most of the neighbors had already moved and we were both doing well financially so we decided to sell right before the crash. We were lucky enough to sell in about 30 days and we had already close on the new house. We ended up moving to Weston Florida and we love our new home.
Even though we purchased the first home with the intentions of just living there we ended up making a good profit on it but take into account that we lived there for 7 yrs before we sold. So it actually worked out for us on both ends.
Buying and selling Real Estate in South Florida is probably going to be one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make in your life so do your home work and think carefully as to what your Real intentions are.
Check out my blog on how The Real Deal Tells it like it is in Real Estate

The Best News a Realtor® could get in this market...... Seeing Survey Flags!

Now in the past I know that a few of my friends in the mortgage business get on me because ..according to them ...I tend to rant about my "not so great experiences with lenders." Oh...I bet if you go back and read a few of my other posts you would probably feel the same. But this post isn't about a lender presenting us a commitment on time. I'll save that post for after the closing and then I'll plaster his great name all over the web! You know why? Because I promised to...just as he kept his promise I will keep mine and now I can praise instead of ranting.



This is another "great news" story I will tell you about. When a Realtor® is waiting for a deal to close on time let alone close at all...we tend to get antsy waiting and hoping there won't be any last minute snags. This is about how excited I am because this deal was given to us 2 weeks ago with the promise to close by Monday.
Everything is going great and I happen to go over to the property yesterday just to take care of a couple of small tasks. Well if it wasn't enough...I was so happy with the way things were going that when pulled up to the property I noticed something unusual...there were survey flags! Yes! survey flags.You know...those little orange things that are sticking up from the ground. Not those little flags we see here on Activerain. Usually they do this right before a closing. Most people will wait so the cost is not wasted if there is a problem. Yep...those are my proud photos!
Well the reason I am so excited to tell you this is because in my experience as a Realtor® ,I have been lucky enough that seeing those flags was a good sign that we should close this puppy. Some agents might differ in opinion but I'm so positive on this one that I am ordering my new Lexus SC 430! "Yeah right" I just know this one will be easy.

I thought this was a good sign and hopefully keeps us all in a positive frame of mind during these difficult times.

That's The Real Deal

I do not know about the rest out there but I take all of my photos on every listing we have. You would think that any agent that is listing properties in this market would be running right to the office as soon as they can to import them so they didn't lose a days market time. I wondering if these types of agents want to sell the properties or just let them sit. Maybe the word "lazy" comes to mind? Well I have an even better story. I had this listing in Pembroke Pines about a year ago. The seller was in trouble. Same story...overpaid during the boom and now owes more than it can command in our market. He called me because his relative purchased the property from a seller who had me list it. I tried for 8 months to sell it. the only showings we had were my own cultivated leads. I did three open houses and I spent money marketing the property and I took pictures. Well after all that... we could not sell it ...he called me to say he needed to take it off the market. It was a tough sale anyway and the home was bare and was in poor condition.I do take pride in the photos I take even though I left the toilet seat up in one of my recent posted listings. "ok...no one is perfect!"
I told him I would be willing to try to sell it again but he needed to price it much lower. I never heard back from him. But recently I noticed he re-listed the property with another Realtor(R).
I had no problem with that because it was a property that in my opinion was not saleable the way it was. The new Realtor(R) listed it way too high"that's her problem now" ...but as I was looking over the listing I noticed that she decided without my authorization to use all of my photos. I thought I was losing my mind but I even matched them against my old listing and they were exact.
The funniest thing was the agent was not only lazy for not taking their own photos...but was simply stupid enough to include my sign in the yard from the front exterior shot. I decided I would just play it cool and email the agent that she had absolutely no authority to use photos I spent time taking and that she needed to remove them immediately. You are talking about an agent who has been around and works for a big company. Well..it has been a week since my email and no response form the agent. I went back into the MLS today to see if she complied and believe it or not ...she did. She probably was too embarrassed to respond back. This happened to me a few years ago when an agent stole my remarks word for word and the photo he used had my car on the driveway...you could almost read my license plates. What is the the deal with that?

The point I want to make is why an agent has to not only be lazy but has to steal another agents photos? To me it is the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen in this business. Why should I let another agent ride my coat tails? If you are going to interview a Realtor(R) to market your property then you should make sure you ask them about what type of photo layout they will provide when they market it.

I refuse to leave your home until you let me price it right!

Last week my partner Steve received a call for a listing appointment. It happen to be in Century Village of Deerfield Beach Florida. Now he usually handles all of our buyers. As a matter of fact...we just sold 4 units in there in the last 3 months and they were all cash deals and they closed within 2 weeks to 1 month. We also have closed 4 rentals in there as well. we know pretty much every model in there after having showed over 100 of them to the buyers and renters we worked with so we have a pretty good idea what they want. This particular unit is a bit different from the others. It is only a two story building versus the normal 4 story high-rise. They called us from a postcard we mailed out almost 2 years ago. Most of the postcards we mailed out were delivered but about 50 came back. We never received any calls from this mailing until now. "pretty amazing huh?"
So now we go on this appointment to meet the sellers. They are probably in their 80's to 90's..."god I hope I live that long and can still function." Anyway we go to meet the people and their daughter was present as well....she actually lives there too so she wanted to be involved to protect her parents interests which was fine with us. She was really nice but she was their voice so we had to show her what the property values are in their community. We also knew going in that the property had been listed before.
I always check the history first just in case there are any surprises. The place was in pretty good condition. It also had a water view and a nice private location. We explained to them that there were over 400 units on the market there and only about 200 that closed since the beginning of the year. The range of value was anywhere from $50,000 to $85,000. Originally it was listed at $89,000 for six months.
I wanted to find out what happened and why it did not sell. I asked them how many showings they had..they told me six and no offers. I now knew we definitely had a price issue. We really were trying to convince them to price it in the low $80's range because of the averages we came up with. The daughter said.."I want to price it at $96,000 because my parents need to clear $91,000. I told the women that there was probably no chance it would sell at that price unless there was a change in the market. I feel we have another 24-36 months before we see any change for the better...we just have to suck it up in the meantime. I kept going back and forth with the daughter. I asked her that if 6 months ago you were not making any progress at $89,000 then how in the world would pricing it at a higher price help you? I could not really understand her reasons but I said..."it has been a pleasure meeting you all and we appreciate the opportunity but we have been in your home for almost 3 hours and I refuse to leave here without pricing it right or we leave now without the listing." They finally bought the idea and so after 3 hours of jousting we priced it at $84,500 which hopefully will be a good price to draw offers. They just emailed us the other day that they were very pleased when they saw all the advertising we sent them for their property. Since Century Village is a great place for adult living....... I think we might have to do a little farming there.
It just goes to show you that even though it is not a large deal...persistence pays off and honesty still rules for respect. As Realtors(R) it is our job to guide the clients in the right direction.