The Best Day of the Year to Buy Real Estate | About.com

I would say every day especially in this market, but I guess not. Spread the word!

When is the best time of the year to buy a home? There are at least two days of the year that give buyers the edge. Would you like to guess which two days are best for buying a home?

Every spring, as tulips struggle to poke through melting snow in the North and rosebuds cautiously open in Southern climes, sure as tootin’ real estate signs begin multiplying like bunnies across the country. Soon as the For Sale signs are mounted on the posts, swarms of activity buzz in the streets as sellers, buyers and real estate agents crawl out from wherever they hibernated for the winter to welcome the spring sales season.

There is nothing like a spring real estate market. Offers fly over FAX machines and cell phones ring constantly. Everybody wants a deal, and everybody wants to sell. Typically the marketplace is flooded with inventory. There is more on the market in the spring than any other time of the year.

Read the rest here: Best Time To Buy a Home – When is the Best Time to Buy a Home? – The Best Day of the Year to Buy Real Estate

Social Networking: How Housing Might be Missing the Boat | Big Builder Online

This is a great blog post from Big Builder magazine, but will the audience it’s intended for ever find it?

This group of professionals saw an opportunity to move the needle on SG&A by reducing marketing and advertising expenditures. However, participants agreed that any reduction had to be strategic; remaining dollars in the budget had to be thoughtfully deployed to return the greatest number of serious rather than just curious prospects.

The consensus was print advertising was dead–it was deemed expensive and ultimately lukewarm in its effectiveness–which left the Web as the go-to source for fresh blood. However, there was uncertainty around how best to use the Internet to connect with younger buyers. They were aware of the growing importance of blogs, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and instant messaging technologies. However, not a soul in the room had any sure-fire ideas about how to use these interactive tools to drive builders’ businesses.

view the rest here: Big Builder Online: news and analysis exploring the management, finance, and operations of America’s big builders.

Now, if there was only someone that knew how to manage all this new “technology” stuff… hmmmm…

StreetInsider.com – More Insider Buying At Homebuilder Lennar (LEN)

October 31, 2008 1:46 PM EDT

Homebuilder Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) sees more insider buying. Director Kirk Landon disclosed today he bought 20,000 Class B shares on 10/29 at $4.24.

A few days ago, two other Lennar executives, the CFO and another Director, disclosed purchases.

Lennar Class A shares are up 10% today to $7.73. The 52-week range is $5.52 to $22.73.

via StreetInsider.com – More Insider Buying At Homebuilder Lennar (LEN)

What does this mean for Lennar? Are they in trouble or are they taking advantage of the drop in its stock price seeing a potential “light at the end of the tunnel”?

An outsider on the inside…

I think I see something… wait, guess not.

Being a part of the real estate industry over the past few years has been interesting to say the least, and continues to be on a daily basis. What I hope to accomplish through this blog is to bring to light the great things and the not-so great things about this downturn in the industry and more specifically, the Tampa Bay market. I plan to bring the knowledge and information of someone in the industry with a perspective from someone who is still trying to get his bearings on the future of the real estate industry locally and nationally.

With a focus on news, marketing, and advertising, my intent is to constructively criticize and analyze the strategies used by the companies that may be mentioned, and the news that will help shape the perception of the industry throughout the lifespan of this blog. I hope for those that read this site that they are able to take knowledge, information, and a fresh perspective on the real estate market in Tampa Bay as the industry goes through one of its most evolutionary periods.

Your comments and contributions are encouraged. Let’s have some fun.