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The exciting International Sailing Competition - Volvo Ocean Race Village, is almost here!

For a limited time, Groupon is offering an amazing deal on a VIP harbor-event package - only $69.00 ($400 value)!

The exciting international sailing race - Volvo Ocean Race, is making its way around the world and the regatta arrives in Miami for 14 days on Sunday, May 6.  Read more here!

Carmelo Anthony

 

If you hear Knicks fans shouting “the Knicks are back, baby!”… Please forgive them. Beyond their obnoxious yelling and unrealistic title expectations lies ten years of sorrow and shame, as the past decade has been a painful stretch for Knicks fans due to extremely short-sighted and franchise-crippling moves by their administration - namely ex-coach Isiah Thomas. However, Knicks fans need not remorse any further; the Knicks’ triumphant victory away over the Miami Heat’s “big three” on Sunday night felt like a symbolic ushering in of the new era – the era of ‘Melo.

So, what happens to  that he had to bail on? Well, it looks like he may not have ever had plans to stay in Denver after all, as he showed some foresight by listing the property back in June of 2010. The mansion is priced to sell at $9.5 million (Anthony originally purchased the property for $12 million in 2007), and features 21,000 square feet, eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, seven fireplaces, a wine cellar, a recording studio, a home theater, a gym, and a 54-foot lap pool. Clearly, ‘Melo likes a diverse array of entertainment options at his fingertips. It’s unlikely he’ll be able to find a New York City condo with as many amenities - seven fireplaces?!?! Come on, that’s just overkill. It’s doubtful that will bother him, though, as his main priority now is morphing the Knicks into a contender.

Click here to view Carmelo Anthony's Littleton, CO mansion at Houses.com!

Click here to view additional properties in Denver, CO at Houses.com!


Scottie Pippen

  

Jordan’s right-hand man Scottie Pippen is reportedly selling his stunning Fort Lauderdale mansion for $16 million. Pippen originally purchased the home for $1.34 million in 2000, so it seems he stands to make a nice profit from the sale regardless of market conditions. The home features six bedrooms distributed over 10,000 square feet of space, a beautiful outdoor pool area, and is located on 215 feet of water frontage. Listing agent for the property, Barbara Panton, has said that the property is “…extremely special, but will take time to sell. The average market time for luxury properties in the U.S is three to four years.”

Click here to view Scottie Pippen's Ft. Lauderdale mansion at Houses.com!

Click here to view additional properties in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at Houses.com!


Tom Brady 

 

NFL MVP by day, adult version of Justin Bieber by night. Such is the dual-life of heartthrob Tom Brady, an athlete so popular with the media that he is featured in tabloids more frequently than some high profile actors. Brady is in the news again, as he recently sold his 74th floor condo in New York City’s Time Warner Center (as reported by the Wall Street Journal this weekend). The New England Patriots quarterback purchased the condo in 2006 for $14 million and reportedly never moved in! The condo has been listed for the past 2 years, during which the condo was being rented to a family for a whopping $50,000 a month. Brady and wife Gisele Bundchen are currently awaiting completion of their gigantic $20 million house in San Francisco, which may explain the decision to sell the NYC condo. Either that or he was receiving death threats from the Boston faithful for owning property in enemy territory.

Click here to view additional properties in New York, NY at Houses.com!


Dan Marino

 

The good news: Miami Dolphins legend and - more recently - commercial cameo extraordinaire, Dan Marino has finally sold his home in Weston, FL. The bad news: He sold it for $7.2 million, less than half of his original asking price of $15.9 million. The 10-bedroom, 12-bathroom lakefront home is huge (19,500 square feet), and features a gated entrance, guest house, and staff quarters. Though he sold the property for far less than he wanted to, Marino will be happy to put this ordeal behind him, as the property has been a perennial source of frustration since it was originally listed in 2005.

Click here to view additional properties in Fort Lauderdale, FL at Houses.com!

New Partnership Announced with TimeShareWeekAuction.com

Houses.com, the newly launched property portal aimed at becoming the world’s largest marketplace for houses, today announced a new partnership with TimeshareWeekAuction.com (TSWA), a new website developed and operated by auction-technology leader Xcira, Inc.

Xcira and TSWA will provide Houses.com and sister site, Condo.com, with timeshare auction listings for the Auction and For Sale sections of both websites. All timeshare auctions are being offered “absolute”, meaning there is no minimum bid or reserve price. Buyers have the opportunity to bid and buy one or more weeks at leading vacation resorts around the world for as low as $10. The highest bidder acquires the timeshare, irrespective of the bid amount.

TimeshareWeekAuction.com will provide Houses.com with thousands of timeshare interests acquired as excess inventory from individual owners, homeowner associations and developers. “The additional inventory for the site is ideal for the rapidly growing global audience on Houses.com and our goal of providing users with the biggest selection of real estate worldwide”, stated COO Matthew Pluznick.

Since the website launch this past January, Houses.com has added thousands of properties and property types through partnering with a variety industry pioneers that now includes TSWA. The Houses.com partnership with TSWA is another step towards meeting the Company’s objective of creating a transparent global marketplace for houses and now provides visitors with the ability to find a great deal on timeshares.

Xcira is the clear leader in the online auction space. They have successfully conducted over $1 billion in online auctions on behalf of clients.  “We conducted a successful online auction of a failed condo conversion with Xcira in 2010 and this new partnership expands upon our relationship. We are excited about the TSWA partnership and the ability to offer a new asset class to our audience with the transparency of an online auction process”, added CEO Richard Swerdlow.

About Houses.com
Houses.com (http://www.houses.com) is the world’s largest marketplace for houses. The site was launched on January 11, 2011 (1/11/11 at 11:11:11am UTC) showcasing over 3 million properties for sale, rent and vacation in the United States and 70+ countries around the world. The category domain, which leverages the top generic term for the residential housing industry, is one of the top domains in the world based upon the size of the housing market, the amount of available housing inventory globally and the average price per housing unit sold. In addition to property for sale and rent, users have access to a wide variety of products and services related to houses including mortgages, inspection, title, closing services, home improvement, moving and more. Houses.com is operated by the team at the, privately held, Miami-based Condo.com (www.condo.com). For more information, please visit www.houses.com.

About TSWA
Timeshareweekauction.com (www.timeshareweekauction.com) is an online bidding site for the ethical sale of timeshares in a clear, visible competition among buyers who are looking for a great deal. Since all of the timeshares offered via Timeshareweekauction.com are absolute auctions, meaning no minimum bid or reserve, the buyer has the opportunity to bid on a timeshare and purchase at his/her desired price via the convenience of the Internet. No longer are buyers required to participate in lengthy, high-pressure sales presentations instead he/she can see market value established through the transparency of the online auction process. The founders of Timeshareweekauction.com have more than a decade of experience in traditional and online auctions. Our systems have been utilized in more than 80,000 auction events resulting in $20 billion in sales.

 

This year’s Academy Awards are just around the corner. This Sunday, film enthusiasts the world over will hit the couch, break out the popcorn, and cheer on their favorite films. This year’s lineup of hits is extensive and varied; from the deeply inspiring “The King’s Speech” to the emotionally riveting “Black Swan,” 2010 was a year in which originality and creativity thrived. The list goes on, as “Inception,” “True Grit,” and “The Social Network,” were all well-received by audiences and critics alike, making this year’s awards one of the hardest in recent history to predict.

This begs the question, after being awarded to a recipient, what becomes of Oscar? After all, even little gold men affixed to podiums in their birthday suits deserve a nice place to call home. We’ve done the research for you; continue reading to learn where the little guys will end up if Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Jeremy Renner and David Fincher get their wish.


Natalie Portman
Nominated for Best Actress, “Black Swan”



Natalie Portman has high hopes heading into this Oscar season; and rightfully so, as her provocative performance as a deeply troubled ballerina in the critically acclaimed “Black Swan” received rave reviews. Natalie has been busy, as she decided to follow her serious-as-it-gets performance in Black Swan with a contrastingly lighthearted comedy, “No Strings Attached,” costarring Ashton Kutcher, and recent reports indicate that Natalie is engaged to her “Black Swan” choreographer Benjamin Millepied and that their first child is on the way. So, where does the happy couple call home?

In 2009, Natalie Portman purchased 1200 Linwood Drive, a $3.25 million mini-mansion in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. It is well known that Portman enjoys her privacy, and she has never been an easy target for the paparazzi; her Los Feliz home reflects this demeanor, as it is rather modest (comparatively) when contrasted with the gargantuan mega-mansions we’ve come to expect celebrities to live in. The home is surrounded by a beautiful landscape in excess of 18,000 square feet, and features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and beautiful aesthetics including wood floors, high ceilings, and sanctuary style windows.


David Fincher
Nominated for Best Director, “The Social Network”

Director David Fincher made waves last fall with breakthrough hit “The Social Network,” acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Fincher’s track record of success speaks for itself, as he is responsible for timeless classics “Se7en,” and “Fight Club,” in addition to more recent triumphs on the silver screen like the strange-yet-mesmerizing drama “Benjamin Button.” This year, Fincher hopes to take home his first Oscar, and if the academy favors “The Social Network” to the extent that the general public did, he certainly has a good shot of taking home some gold.

Fincher comes home to a beautiful Los Feliz, CA Mediterranean estate with 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. The home is bordered by tall trees which adds a private-feeling ambiance to the grounds, and also features a large outdoor pool, and a quaint courtyard perfect for hosting company. Fincher purchased the 7,000 square foot property in 1996, and it is currently valued at an estimated $3.75 million.


Jeff Bridges
Nominated for Best Actor, “True Grit”



Jeff Bridges hopes to follow up a strong 2010 awards season – in which he won Best Actor for his role in 2009 film “Crazy Heart” – by adding another gold statue to his mantle in 2011. This year, Bridges is nominated for his depiction of grizzled U.S Marshal Rooster Cogburn, the same role that delivered John Wayne his first and only academy award in the 1969 original. Bridges is certainly crossing his fingers in hopes that history repeats itself.

If he wins, Bridges will take another pint-sized golden man home to his Montecito, CA house, where he resides with his wife and children. The estate boasts over 8,500 square feet, and more than 6 bathrooms. The estate, which is valued at an estimated $7 million, is surrounded by expansive, beautifully landscaped grounds encompassing over 19 acres


Jeremy Renner
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor, “The Town”

Jeremy Renner’s performance opposite Ben Affleck as a Boston-bred bank robber has garnered him his second academy award nomination. His first nomination came last year, when he was nominated for best actor for his “The Hurt Locker” portrayal of Sgt. William James, a fearless, bomb diffusing squad leader stationed in Iraq. Though the film won 6 Oscars, Renner wasn’t the recipient of one, which clearly only served as further motivation, as he is on the bill for the second year in a row.

Renner’s real estate history is of particular interest. Before making it in Hollywood, the actor made a living purchasing distressed properties, renovating them, and flipping them for a profit. In 2010, for instance, Renner sold a restored 1924 Greek Revival property in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood for just over $4 million. The four-bedroom, 4.5 bathroom house has over 5,800 square feet including a wine room, screening room, pool/spa area, and private guesthouse, and Renner purchased it in 2008 for only $1.55 million! Clearly, Renner is adept at his trade, as he made improvements so extensive that the property’s value rose by about $2.5 million in two years in a down market.

Baseball players Derek Jeter and Shawn Green, and actresses Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker are selling their homes! Continue reading below to learn about the pending sales of some of your favorite celebrities’ homes.

Derek Jeter

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has been trying to sell his stunning penthouse in New York City’s Trump World Tower since September of 2010. The Captain’s 88th floor condo features a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline, and boasts over 5,400 square feet of space. Jeter purchased the condo in 2001 for $12.6 million, and placed the penthouse on the market last September at a staggering asking price of $20 million. Since September, Jeter has updated the listing to include photos depicting tasteful furnishings, as it was theorized that part of the reason nobody was bidding on the home was due to the empty, barren pictures the listing originally featured.

Nobody knows for certain why Jeter is selling his pad in Trump World Tower, but we do know that money isn’t the issue, as Jeter recently signed a new three year contract with the New York Yankees that includes $51 million in guaranteed salary. Regardless, it’s clear that Jeter is looking toward the future and eagerly anticipating the completion of his Tampa mega-mansion. Jeter’s staggering 30,875 square foot estate in Tampa is currently under construction, and features a planned seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms distributed among two spacious wings. When completed, the stunning home will make the normally impressive mansions in the surrounding area look mediocre in comparison.

Click here to view additional properties available in New York City

Shawn Green

Ex-Dodgers baseball player Shawn Green is trying to get out while he still can – out of Irvine, that is. The Irvine, CA market is reportedly still in decline, which has forced Green to reduce the asking price for his home by a stunning 38%, down to $10.9 million from an original $17.5 million. The 13,500 square foot mansion features 5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, as well as several amenities including a subterranean wine cellar, and a tunnel connecting the residence to the pool house and home theater.

Click here to view additional properties available in Irvine, CA 

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, currently starring alongside Adam Sandler in the new movie Just Go With It, has reportedly listed her Beverly Hills home for sale at $42 million. Rumors have recently swirled that Aniston is moving back to New York City, as she has been spotted touring a $15 million West Village condo, and this latest development is apparent confirmation of her rumored move. Aniston purchased the Beverly Hills mansion (recently featured in the March, 2010 issue of Architectural Digest,) for $13.5 million in 2006. The home features an outdoor fireplace, a luxurious spa, and stunning views of Los Angeles, among other amenities.

Click here to view additional properties available in Beverly Hills, CA

Brooklyn Decker & Andy Roddick

Jennifer Aniston isn’t the only Just Go With It star selling their home. Recent reports indicate that Aniston’s co-star, supermodel Brooklyn Decker and her tennis star husband Andy Roddick have placed their home on the market as well. Decker and Roddick’s Austin, TX home boasts a private tennis court, 4 bedrooms, and a gourmet kitchen, as well as a game room, media room, exercise room, and even a boat dock. The 5,558 square foot home is currently listed with an asking price of $3.6 million.

Click here to view additional homes for sale in the Austin, TX area.

 

After several years of declining property values, it looks as if the real estate market may finally be on its way back up. Thursday, a real estate industry group stated that a marked increase in home sales volume was observed over the final three months of 2010, primarily driven by more stable prices on a year-over-year basis.

Market data demonstrates that the annual rate of sales jumped to 4.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, a 15.4% increase when compared with the 4.16 million annual rate observed in the third quarter of the year. Among other factors, the increase in sales can be attributed to an observed stabilization in the price of single-family homes, as prices in the fourth quarter of 2010 rose 0.2% compared with prices during 2009’s final quarter.


What does this mean for buyers?

For potential buyers and investors, this is excellent news. Lately, the real estate market has been plagued by hesitant buyers, as continued declines in property values have forced investors and first-time homeowners alike to be concerned about getting in at the right time. Thankfully, it appears as if that time has finally arrived, or at the very least is on the near horizon.

Multiple factors observed through the end of 2010 suggest a favorable 2011 outlook for buyers and investors. Large inventories nationwide, combined with high local absorption rates (an estimate of the number of weeks it takes to sell current inventory at the present rate of sales, and a traditional indicator of a buyer’s market), have resulted in a staggering variety of choices for buyers to browse. This broad variety of choices, combined with historically low interest rates and very affordable prices, gives buyers the upper hand in their property search.

According to the National Association of Realtors, there are several lucrative advantages to owning a home rather than renting:

• Historically, home owners' net worth has ranged from 31 to 46 times that of renters.
• A fixed-rate mortgage might not change for 15 to 30 years; whereas rent typically increases 3% per year.
• Home owners are happier and healthier and enjoy a greater feeling of control over their lives.
• Studies show that there is a direct correlation between home ownership and children’s academic achievement, as homeowners move less than renters (which promotes environmental stability for children), and tend to be more involved in their children’s lives.
  
  

What significance does this have for the economy as a whole?

Although the real estate market is experiencing revitalization, the job market still has a long way to go. According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the Realtors’ group, “an improving housing market and job growth will go hand in hand. The housing recovery will mean faster job growth.”

Yun projects that there is approximately a two-to-one correlation between home sales and the creation of new jobs, meaning that for every two homes sold, one job is created as a result. Housing is perhaps the biggest driver of our national economy. Eight of the last ten recessions have ended due to robust housing markets, with the other two ending as a result of war spending. As a result, the National Association of Realtors is reaching out to the government in an attempt to emphasize this connection between housing, jobs, and the economy.

Facts concerning the relationship between the housing market and the economy as a whole are staggering:

• Every home purchased pumps $60,000 into the economy.
• Each home sale touches 80 different occupations.
• Home sales in this country generate more than 2.5 million private-sector jobs in an average year.
• Home owners pay 80% to 90% of federal income taxes, contributing to federal programs that benefit all Americans.
• Housing accounts for more than 15% of the Gross Domestic Product, making it a key driver in our national economy.

When all of this is taken into account, the solution to the economic dilemma we are facing is clear. The revitalization of the housing market is not only going to help us out of the recession, but rather lead us out of it, resulting in renewed economic stability and the much needed creation of jobs. Thankfully, the declining market appears to be stabilizing, which should ultimately lead us back to the times of economic prosperity and stability that our nation fervently desires.

New Partnership with Property Away adds Houses from 70+ Countries

Houses.com, a newly launched property portal aimed at becoming the world’s largest marketplace for houses, today announced a new partnership with industry leader Property Away (www.propertyaway.com). Property Away will supply international real estate listings including new new homes for sale, second homes, summer homes, retirement homes and international real estate investment properties.

With more than 35,000 properties in more than 70 countries, Property Away is one of the leading tools on the web for finding overseas properties and investments. Developed by Globalis Realty Search, the tool provides thousands of residential and commercial properties from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. “The additional inventory is an ideal complement to the growing global audience on Houses.com and our goal of providing users with the biggest selection real estate listings worldwide for sale or for rent”, stated COO Matthew Pluznick.

Since the website’s launch just over a month ago, Houses.com has added thousands of listings through partnering with a variety industry pioneers that includes Property Away. The Houses.com partnership with Property Away is another step towards meeting the Company’s objective of creating a transparent global marketplace for houses and now provides visitors with the ability to search a large database of international homes. International listings are a distinct subset of property catering to global buyers looking to own primary or secondary residences overseas. Property Away is becoming a leader in this space as a result of their long-standing partnerships with brokers and builders throughout Europe and Asia. “We are excited about the win-win partnership and the ability to bring their client’s international properties to our marketplace”, added CEO Richard Swerdlow.


About Houses.com
Houses.com (http://www.houses.com) is the world’s largest marketplace for houses. The site was launched on January 11, 2011 (1/11/11 at 11:11:11am UTC) showcasing over 3 million properties for sale, rent and vacation in the United States and 70+ countries around the world. The category domain, which leverages the top generic term for the residential housing industry, is one of the top domains in the world based upon the size of the housing market, the amount of available inventory globally and the average price per housing unit sold. In addition to property for sale and rent, users have access to a wide variety of products and services related to houses including mortgages, inspection, title, closing services, home improvement, moving and more. Houses.com is operated by the team at the, privately held, Miami-based Condo.com (www.condo.com). For more information, please visit www.houses.com.

Condo.com, the world’s largest condo marketplace, today announced the launch of Houses.com. The new site is a “category” or “generic” domain that combines the power and brandability of the generic domain name with the large volume of web searches for terms relating to houses. Similar in scope and design to Condo.com, the website utilizes the team, operations and online real estate platform developed during the past 4 years by the Miami-based company. The new site launched with over 3 million properties and will be adding new listings for sale, rent and vacation in the coming weeks.

The domain, Houses.com, was an undeveloped web property until it was acquired by Condo.com in December 2010 and launched just two weeks later on 1/11/11 at 11:11:11am UTC. The category domain, which leverages the generic term for its industry along the lines of Hotels.com, Cars.com and Apartments.com, may be one of the top category domains in the world based upon the size of the housing market, the amount of available inventory globally and the average price per unit sold.

"The domain acquisition and expansion into the single-family housing market made perfect sense for us", stated Houses.com CEO Richard Swerdlow. "We understand the branding power of Houses.com and how to leverage the category domain into a large and successful global internet real estate company. We became profitable with Condo.com in 2010 with a limited share of online real estate (condos represent approximately 10% of the housing market). With our acquisition and expansion through this new top level single-family housing domain, we look forward to quickly growing traffic and revenue”, added Swerdlow.

The new site will showcase properties for sale, rent and vacation – similar to Condo.com – however with much greater breadth - essentially everything for houses. In addition to property for sale and rent, users will have access to a wide variety of products and services related to houses including mortgages, inspection, title, closing services, home improvement, moving and more - all under the Houses.com "roof".

“We are extremely excited about this opportunity and will continue our core mission to connect buyers and sellers from around the world - creating liquidity for all market participants including buyers, sellers, renters, builders and service providers”, added VP Marketing Virginia Mendez. The amount of housing inventory held by financial institutions and government agencies is staggering. The Company hopes to create the definitive online marketplace and portal for anyone in the world with housing inventory or portfolios of houses. The site will deliver the largest audience on the web for houses in order to provide liquidity to the market at a time when it is needed most.

Securing a category domain name is proving to be a ladder for success across many different businesses and industries. The acquisition and launch of Houses.com takes place in the wake of several high-profile category domains and related businesses being acquired or launched in the past six months. E-commerce giant Amazon.com acquired Diapers.com and Soap.com. Others include Insurance.com, CreditCards.com and Sex.com. “The ability to leverage our team and platform across the new domain with a limited learning curve and marketing costs made the opportunity very attractive”, stated Matt Pluznick, Chief Operating Officer. “The new investors that helped fund the acquisition are a unique mixture of successful real estate developers and internet marketers, each understanding the value of a great address”, he added.

When asked about the site launch on 1/11/11 at 11:11:11 am UTC, Swerdlow commented “it was a unique opportunity that won't come around again for another thousand years in the year 3011 (2111 will have twelve ones). We wanted to connect to the unity of all things by connecting to the eleven ones at launch time. One represents unity, primacy, the first, the only. Our goal is to connect buyers, sellers and all the pieces of the real estate puzzle to help consumers and industry professionals complete transactions easily and efficiently. We will become the ONE site people think of when buying, selling or renting houses.” To account for different time zones, the launch occurred at UTC – Coordinated Universal Time.

About Condo.com
Condo.com is the world's largest condominium marketplace with over 2 million property listings valued in excess of $500 billion. The site receives over 1 million visitors monthly and is dedicated to the evolution and prosperity of the condominium real estate market. Condo.com improves and simplifies the way people buy, rent, sell, manage, market and enjoy the condo lifestyle. Condo.com lists condominiums for sale and for rent in the United States and 70+ countries around the world. The company cost-effectively delivers exposure and qualified leads to developers, brokers and owners through the seamless distribution of its listings to a global network of real estate websites visited by over 15 million viewers per month. The company’s recent acquisition and launch of Houses.com allows it to expand its core platform and operating model to include the large single-family housing segment of the online real estate market. Condo.com is privately held and headquartered in Miami, Florida. For more information, please visit www.condo.com and Houses.com.

Multi-national real estate portals Condo.com and Houses.com have partnered with feed creator XML2U.com to automate the upload of agent listings. XML2U will be announcing the facility to current and future feed clients over the next few days making them aware that their XML2U feeds will be accepted by both Condo.com and Houses.com. Condo.com and Houses.com will be referring agents and brokers looking to list with them to XML2U to create the feeds.

This comes hard on the heals of XML2U addressing the New York gathering of real estate portals earlier this month at the Property Portal Workshop run by Simon Baker’s Classified Ad Ventures.

Corin Ashbee-Waugh added, “We are delighted to be working with forward thinking portals like Condo.com and Houses.com who recognise the benefits of promoting the automation of agent and broker listings. The lack of a feed can be a real barrier to agents and brokers considering joining another portal. A great many real estate professionals do not have feeds or the technical background to create one. Even if they can create a feed, the chances are it will involve their web developers (and therefore have a significant cost) and only be compatible with a very few portals. An XML2U feed can be created and maintained for as little as £10 ($16) a month, with no setup fees, and be compatible with virtually all portals and search engines. A real estate professional with an XML2U feed is able to automate the updating of their listings on an almost unlimited number of sites at very little expense.”

XML2U.com’s speciality is in combining the use of data extraction robots to collect property listings data directly from agent and broker websites with a bespoke feed generator designed to take the property data and create feeds in multiple formats suited to more than ninety per cent of the world’s portals and search engines.

Condo.com is pleased to announce Jim Brinker as the Agent of Month for December! Jim achieved the highest sales close volume for December. His agent profile is now being promoted on Condo University.

Jim has been a mortgage lender and real estate agent for 14 years. Since living in south Florida for over 20 years, he has established a network of connections with developers, local market resources and philanthropic groups which he shares with his local and international clients seeking real estate in south Florida.

Mr. Brinker's innate ability to listen and deliver what his clients desire is what sets him apart from industry peers. He treat each client as if they were his only client and focuses on what is truly important, making sure to deliver the right product for the right price, while meeting the financial objectives of his clients.

You can become the next Agent of the Month by earning the highest monthly sales on Condo.com. Please take advantage of the useful tools and resources found on Condo University to better assist your growing client base.

If you are not already a Certified Condo Expert, please contact Jody Desnoyers at jody@condo.com for details on obtaining the CCE designation. The CCE course is available at a NEW discounted price.

Congratulations to Jim Brinker and best of luck for success in 2011!

SFK - Success for Kids, Inc. held its Inaugural 5K “Run for Success” on Sunday, December 5th, 2010 to raise money in support of the organization’s research-based character education programs taught within South Florida’s public schools.

The event which was attended by more than 350 runners, walkers, volunteers & onlookers, was the organization’s closeout event for 2010 raising more than $75,000. With support from Grammy Award winning artist Jon Secada, The Miami Heat Dancers, Burnie the Mascot and a handful of sponsors –  Condo.com, Glantz Law, Muscle Milk, Magic City Casino, SmartWater, Powerade, Bagelmania - all in attendance enjoyed the breathtaking course, incredible Miami weather and left inspired by the organization’s programs ability to empower children to transform fear into resiliency, hopelessness into a sense of purpose, and challenges into opportunities - no matter what circumstances they may face.



“It’s so exciting to see so many people come out to support the South Florida students that Success for Kids serves,” said Yossef Sagi, Executive Director, SFK-South Florida. “It is because of their support that we are able to provide programs that have helped children to overcome bullying activity, improve academic performance and classroom behavior. Not to mention helping them to realize that they have a purpose in life and can add value to the lives of others.”

5K “Run for Success” Results:

Miguel Tellez, 39, won the top overall male position finishing the race in 16 minutes and 44 seconds. Akeeba Rose, 16, won the top overall female position with a finish time of 21 minutes and 4 seconds.

Run for Success’ youngest, to win for her age category, ages 1 – 8, was 8-year-old Amaya rose who finished in 25 minutes and 47 seconds. Eighty-one year old Alberto Cortes finished the race in 33 minutes and 10 seconds as the most senior participant.

Gloria Montecino won a limited edition 2010 SmartCar manufactured by Mercedes-Benz that was raffled off at the end of the race.

About Success For Kids, Inc. (SFK)
Success for Kids, Inc. (SFK), is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering at-risk children and youth to become resilient, productive citizens by delivering innovative research-based programs that enhance four personal strengths (interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, problem solving skills and self-sufficiency) and give students a greater sense of purpose in their lives. With a dedicated staff, SFK is the largest international social emotional learning organization in the world. Since its inception in 2001, SFK has provided more than $32 million in programmatic support impacting more than 75,000 children and adolescents. A 501(c) (3), tax-exempt organization and four-star charity ranked by Charity Navigator, it ranks as one of the most efficiently operated charities in the country.

Managing Broker, Jack LaRue, shares his team's secrets in converting online leads to closings

Jack LaRue has been a Condo.com Managing Broker for nearly two years. His team excels in closing the most sales transactions for the Company’s brokerage to date. With experience in condominium management, leasing, sales, investment, finance and development, his Michigan team is well-equipped to handle a variety of real estate needs and clients. Jack shares his team’s recipe for success in the following interview.

Your team has a consistent track record of closing a large number of Condo.com leads. To what do you attribute such success?

First, I would like to attribute part of our team’s success to the Condo.com brokerage who has continually supported us in many ways. I feel an important part of our success is self-discipline. How we manage our time, leads and clients is also important.

Second, success would not be possible, without the loyal, dedicated team we have here in Michigan. In my 25 years of real estate experience, I have not witnessed a more dedicated team of individuals who is willing to put forth 100% effort, 365 days a year.

Lastly, we constantly communicate with each other and our clients throughout the day, starting as early as 7:30am until as late as 11:00pm. We are available 24 hours a day.  

Do you have any tips or best practices to pass along to other Condo.com agents?

This is a very good, but easy to answer question.

First of all don’t wait for something to happen, make it happen!

I would also advise agents to familiarize themselves with the ABC’s of real estate: ALWAYS - BE - CLOSING

And how do you do this?

Well a good start would be to constantly monitor you emails and lead account for messages and leads, and to always answer your phone. If you’re brokerage, team members or cooperating brokerages cannot contact you, how do you expect your clients to, or get them to sign on the “dotted line?

The leads and clients cost the company/brokerage millions of dollars to produce for us. Not to mention the money each of us individually spends to keep our licenses active, board membership, continuing education and more.

Condo.com supplies us with all the tools necessary to be successful in the real estate market. The rest is up to each individual team member. The market, success and commissions are ours for the taking. We need to ask ourselves, the following questions:

1. Do I want it?
2. Do I have a desire to succeed?
3. Am I cut out to handle it?

I feel the true building block foundation to success starts with the individual team member, followed by the brokerage and company.

What are your team’s strategies for converting leads and following up with leads that are short term or long-term prospects?

First, I have to thank Nikki Smith, Condo.com’s Lead Manager. Without her, we wouldn’t be converting any leads. When a lead comes in we address it immediately, by initiating contact and updating the lead status. This probably is one of the most important factors in converting the leads. Speed to lead is critical to our success!

Second, we scrub the lead finding out crucial information, by asking questions like: How soon do you plan on moving? Are you working with an agent? What are your needs? Where are you looking to relocate? What is your price cap? How do you plan on purchasing?

Third, we enter the lead into our MLS Prospect System and the Property Alert program on Condo.com that supplies the client with a daily update of properties just hitting the market that meets their individual criteria. This way they are the first to know about a property hitting the market. This saves them from having to look online, looking at the real estate classifieds in the news paper and driving around town looking at signs, etc. Between the lead platform hands free communication and the daily property updates, this allows us to move on to the next lead, while giving the client the sense of perceived value of our services, through communication and at the same time building client loyalty.

Fourth, it is critical that we personally communicate with the client regularly so that we do not let them drift away.

It is not long after this process that each individual team member builds a good size client pipeline, starts to receive request to see properties, write offers, present offers and close transactions.

In other words its not long before the train leaves the station, starts to pick up steam and momentum. When we get the client train going, there is no stopping it. A

What are the top 3 things that separate your team from competition?

1) Our team belongs to the world’s largest condominium marketplace and brokerage, having all the tools  
     at their disposal, necessary to be successful in real estate.
2) Each individual is committed and dedicated to the team and company.
3) Our team has the desire to be successful and be the best they can be.

Does your team use social media, blogging, or a personal website to interact with your leads?

I was at a brokerage the other day, the agents were all on one website or another posting and blogging. I did not see one of them communicate with a client. The two Condo.com Team members with me were so busy on their phone with clients. I could not even get a word in with them. When we have the time, we participate in the social media aspects of the web but thankfully we are too busy closing transactions to make it a core focus.

What are the biggest challenges your team faces with buyers and how are they handled?

I would say what first comes to mind is convincing them that they are working with “The Real Deal” when contacting us. That we are not another run of the mill real estate office, or agent that just received their real estate salespersons license.

We instill in them that we are a team of professionals and part of the world’s largest condo marketplace and brokerage, Condo.com. It is important that they recognize they are hiring a whole team and not just working with an agent.

In doing this we start to build a sense of perceived value, and client dedication and retention. I feel this is the basic building block to procuring a client for life. At the same time, it allows us to build brand recognition. .

Do you ask for testimonials or client feedback?

We constantly receive testimonials. In fact, some are received from clients on the other side of the transaction, which we did not represent.

If you don’t mind sharing, what are you and your team's goals for next year in real estate? What drives you?

Our Michigan team goal is the same as it always been, and that is for the team to be:

1) #1 in lead conversion
2) #1 in closed transactions
3) #1 in closed sales dollars
4) #1 recognized brand name and brokerage on the market  

The goal for the Michigan Brokerage as a whole is to have the largest market share and best long-term team member retention.

To answer what drives us, as I stated earlier, one of the advantages we have is that all team members have the desire to be successful and be the best they can be. I feel this is what motivates and drives all of us as a team, above all else.

Is there anything you would like to say in closing?

I would like invite everyone, to please visit our Michigan Condo.com team members on the bottom left hand side of the Condo.com homepage in the, Company Info, Meet Our Agents section, under Michigan. Tell your friends. We would love to hear from you!

Condo.com, the world’s largest condo marketplace, today announced a partnership with condo powerhouses ST Residential and The Marketing Directors. ST Residential is comprised of a hand-picked group of the most successful private equity investors, which form a powerful, world-class asset management company and the private component of a unique public-private partnership with the FDIC. The Marketing Directors is an Atlanta-based sales and marketing firm specializing in high-density real estate marketing.

Condo.com will initially launch an online sales and marketing program for the Mosaic Houston, a luxury two-tower condominium owned by ST Residential and exclusively represented by The Marketing Directors. By leveraging their massive site traffic of over 1 million visitors per month, Condo.com will provide lead generation services to help sales and rental activity at the project.
 
ST Residential is stabilizing a portfolio of design-driven residences with an unmatched level of design, detail, amenities and services.  With billions invested in real estate assets and loans, ST Residential is assembling strong online and offline marketing teams to successfully manage and sell their portfolio across the country. Condo.com and The Marketing Directors are amongst the list of partners chosen based on their industry-specific marketing experience.

Condo.com will promote Mosaic’s unsold inventory consisting of approximately 200 units for sale and rent on the website and route buyer and renter leads in real time to the sales center operated by The Marketing Directors. The Mosaic luxury condominiums are centrally located across from Hermann Park and steps away from the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, the historic Museum District, Rice University and a mile and half from the city center. Prices range from $150k to $500k for one and two bedroom units in the towers. “We are thrilled to be partnering with ST Residential and The Marketing Directors for this unique project and look forward to delivering qualified leads,” said Richard Swerdlow, CEO of Condo.com.

About Condo.com
Condo.com is the world's largest condominium marketplace with over 2,000,000 listings valued in excess of $500 billion. The site receives over 1 million visitors monthly and is dedicated to the evolution and prosperity of the condominium real estate market. Condo.com improves and simplifies the way people buy, rent, sell, manage, market and enjoy the condo lifestyle. Condo.com lists condominiums for sale and for rent in the United States and 70+ countries around the world. The Company cost-effectively delivers exposure and qualified leads to developers, brokers and owners through the seamless distribution of its listings to a global network of real estate websites visited by over 15 million viewers per month. Condo.com is privately held and headquartered in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit www.condo.com.

About ST Residential
ST Residential leads a public-private partnership between the FDIC and a consortium of esteemed private-equity investors, and manages a nationwide condominium-construction project portfolio. Members of the private equity consortium include Starwood Capital, TPG, Perry Capital and WLR LeFrak. By managing its portfolio with an unmatched level of detail and tailoring projects to the communities they serve, the company strives to be the standard bearer for luxury condominium projects. For more information, visit www.stresidential.com.

About The Marketing Directors
The Marketing Directors, LLC, was founded in 2007 by David Tufts.  He and Adrienne Albert, Marketing Directors, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer collaborated to create a team of the most highly experienced real estate professionals in the Southeast to service developers specializing in high density residential sales and marketing. With over 30 years of experience, The Marketing Directors is well positioned to be the solution to developers in any market condition. The Marketing Directors, LLC, represents real estate clients and developers throughout Atlanta; Houston; Boca Raton, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Huntsville, Ala.; and Memphis and Nashville, Tenn. The Southeast offices are headquartered in the Four Seasons Tower at 75 14th Street, Atlanta, Ga., and 121 South Orange Avenue, Suite 1500 in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.themarketingdirectorsinc.com or find us on Facebook.