By: Alan Aptheker

Real Estate industry researchers have made a discovery, perhaps not so startling, but a discovery nonetheless. An experiment was performed that illustrated the point that photos garner more attention than any other bits of information in a real estate listing. Forty-five potential real estate buyers looked at ten real estate listings, each with six photos of the property, inside and out. Ninety five percent of viewed the first photo – the exterior – for about 20 seconds.

After viewing the exterior 76 percent looked at the property description, but more than half, 41.5 percent, did not read the agent’s remarks, (you know the remarks that are ALL CAPS with lots of exclamation points!!! that proclaim things like “cozy cottage,” or

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The market will continue its upward trend into 2013, said Dr. John Tuccillo, chief economist for Florida Realtors, which is holding their Florida Realtors® 2013 Real Estate and Economic Forecast Conference in Orlando this week.

Other experts at the conference we just as upbeat, one reporting that distressed properties are winding down from about 5 million at the height, to about 3 million today.

The median sales prices are rising for single-family homes and condo-townhomes. Other signs of steady improvement includes the fact that 44 percent of sales were cash transactions, from January to October of this year. A good sign that investors are coming back to the table. As for sellers, the experts are predicting rising prices will bring more of them back

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By: Alan Aptheker There's a common thread that runs through my discussions with my new clients who were previously unsuccessful in selling their homes. It's a touchy subject, those 300 days on the market, and what may have gone wrong. I start with the question, "What should we NOT do this time." It might be more palatable, and the few simple solutions can flow from that goodwill.  "What I need to do" is yet another pressure point for an already pressured home seller. Let's say, "I won't do X," this time.  It sounds easier already, doesn't it.   Marketing the house "as is," shouldn't mean, "with crayon stained baseboards included."  The "as is" is less of a liability if I've done some drywall patching, painting and cleaning. I understand…