We are 2/3rds of a lender's business at this point and our views on our listed homes are up 2200 views over last month. We wrote 5 offers yesterday and listed 1. We are blessed to be busy but working hard. We put a few marketing things in place that seem to be really paying off.

Until next time...enjoy the last 2 weeks of summer before the kids start school!

Dear Mike, Bob, Chris, Dale and all of the "Mike Sold Me" Team,

Thank you so much for all your time, effort and hard work everyone did to sell and purchase my homes.

In our initial conversation, Mike told me "no one will work harder to sell my home than the Mike Watkins Real Estate Group." He was right! You do work hard and you are also honest, ethical, professional and thorough down to the last detail. You know the business, the markets and your customers. Best of all, you enjoy what you do and have fun!

Everything went perfectly! You far exceeded my expectations. You are way beyond good- you are excellent! I am very pleased I chose the "Mike Sold Me" Team  to represent me and will definitely recommend you to others without any hesitation.

Best wishes for continued success and my sincere thanks!

Elaine D.

With the weather finally changing we are seeing March picking up. The $8,000 first time buyer incentive and the $6,500 seller incentives are ending April 30th. Time is of the essence!

We are in the process of putting some new marketing out on the street that we feel is dynamite and will get our listings more exposure. We continue to work hard and put in the hours...we are ready for Spring!

All of our new marketing, door knocking and 12 hour days paid off! We finished the year up 6 million in sales over 2008. Our volume was up over 42 sales even though our average sales price was a little lower.

We also listed 207 homes which was down a little from 2008 but we turned down a lot of listings that we did not feel good about...either they owed more than we could sell them for or were not in good enough condition for a buyer to get a loan.

2010- Our motto for the new year is "Let's do it again in 2010!" Our outlook is one of guarded optimism. We have two tax stimulus packages working at the same time- the first time in history. This should stimulate the market through Spring. However, we need to see unemployment drop and people will spend money.

It is great to see restraunts busy and people talking optimistically. One of the best sayings I heard late in 2009 was from a restraunt server (working his second job) who said, "I'm not sure I'm any better off than last year, but I just feel better about things."

So, we had a very very good 2009 and are excited about 2010..."WE JUST FEEL BETTER ABOUT THINGS!"

If you are a homeowner that has owned a house 5 of the last 8 years and are thinking about moving....DO IT NOW! You can be eligible for the $6,500.00 tax credit. House sales are up by 21% over the same time last year, according to the Indiana Association of Realtors. There is only a 7 month supply on the market which is much lower than reported in the past and rates are currently running 4.75%-4.875% with ZERO points. If you are thinking about selling, don't wait until the spring. Right now you have $6,500.00, less competition and great rates stimulating the market.

First time buyers- the $8,000.00 tax credit does end in June but all purchase agreements must be accepted by the end of April. Please get started now so you are not rushed and you have the time and opportunity to find the right house.

Inquire today about below market 2.99% interest rates, home trade-in program, bringing your own builder, and other exciting points of interst.

The first time buyers dominoed the market up- when they bought- those sellers to then bought up and on and on.

First time buyers need to buy now- realizing the stimulus runs out December 1, 2009. They should count on purchasing before October 1st, 2009 so they can be closed by the deadline.

Rates are low- below 6%, gas is down, construction costs are down, banks are dealing on lots- great time to build a new home!

Now is the time to buy or build!

Buying a short sale can turn out to be a good investment but there are a few things you should know before submitting an offer. First, you must be in a situation where you have plenty of time to wait for a response, banks/lenders will respond on their own time. Often times it takes several weeks to get a response and it can be even longer if there is more than one lien holder involved. Secon, banks/lenders will not even consider an offer if it is contingent upon selling a home. Third, a buyer must be prepared to buy the home as-is. In most cases, sellers don't have money for repairs and thus it will become the responsibility of the new owner. Lastly, at the end of the day the bank/lender has the final say. They can always turn down the short sale request even though you waited for an answer.