Commissioned Painting “Peace River Woodies” by Famed Nature Artist, Thomas Brooks Unveiled

The 5th annual CBCSRE BBQ gathered over 200 clients, friends, media, and local and state officials for the unveiling of this special, commissioned painting. The fifth painting in the commissioned series, Peace River Woodies, was presented and guests were treated to a peek at the in-progress 2010 commissioned painting. The 2009 painting, created by naturalist artist Thomas Brooks (www.thomasbrooks.com), joins four other Brooks' paintings in the collection. “As a 6th-generation Floridian, I appreciate the beauty of the land and have worked with Florida land for decades, either with conservation legislative work or in real estate. It is important to capture those images to share the natural beauty of our State with others.”

Brooks’ work is recognized nationally and is selected, among other commissions, by the Florida National Wild Turkey Federation to create a five-year series of paintings for the sponsor Print of the Year from 2007–2011. Thomas was chosen to exhibit as the featured artist at the 2009 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as to create the Florida Christmas ornament for the White House tree in 2009. The works of Thomas Brooks appear in many corporate, public, and private collections, and in many publications.

State and local officials attending were:
• Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
• Ed Smith, Polk County Commission
• Randy Wilkinson, Polk County Commission
• Sam Johnson, Polk County Commission, Representative
• James Clements, Bartow City Commission, Former Mayor of Bartow
• Jean Reed, Polk County Commission
• Sally Myers, School Board
• Kelli Stargel, Florida House of Representatives, represented by Rachel Barnes

Land Market Trending for Next Year

~Excerpt from the Coldwell Banker Commercial interview with Dean Saunders, ALC for the Inside Blueprint profile feature:

Q. How would you categorize the market for land sales, currently and over the next year?

A. As has been widely reported, everything is in either recession or the very early stages of recovery.

Traditionally the markets that were most heated are usually the ones that correct the most and are the best places to buy. Land is unfortunately not in that category and trails behind most of the other commercial markets.

Disposable money is not being used for land deals. It’s often said, “Land is the first out and the last in.” However when the recovery is final, there will be a window of opportunity to capitalize on land deals.

~~~
Dean Saunders earned the distinct title of 2008 Coldwell Banker Commercial Global Sales Professional of the Year and we’re profiling him as this issue’s feature story for Inside Blueprint.

Dean is currently the president of Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate in Lakeland, Florida. Dean comes from a family with long history in Florida agriculture and his career has taken an interesting path, as he was a former Florida legislator prior to becoming the owner of a Coldwell Banker Commercial affiliate.

From the President Elect of the Lakeland Association of Realtors®

By Richard Dempsey, ALC
President Elect
The Lakeland Association of Realtors®
Lakeland, FL

I had the privilege of attending the FAR Convention in Orlando and the NAR Leadership Summit in Chicago. It was a very full week but I came away from those meetings challenged and proud to be a Realtor®. The meetings reinforced for me that as Realtors, we are a part of a professional organization that is committed to having the highest standards for all its members. More than that, we are a people that care about our communities! There were many opportunities to hear how we can be engaged in helping shape the way our communities are governed. We also heard about programs like the "School of the Future Student Design Competition" which is a middle school curriculum funded by NAR.

The FAR Convention is always a great opportunity to network with people from all over Florida. However, there were also an amazing number of seminars and training sessions to choose. If you have never attended the convention, I would encourage you to make time in your schedule next year.

One of the FAR highlights for me was the Board Leadership Forum. Listening to a panel of state and national Realtor leaders share their experience and advice was worth the trip. Florida is well represented on the national level with Moe Viessi as the 1st Vice President and NAR Past President Cathey Whatley. They were both on the Leadership panel and had major parts in the Chicago meetings as well.

I was also able to attend the RPAC and RPIC sessions and listen to updates regarding various political issues that will be impacting us. Candidates for Governor, US Senate, and Agriculture Commissioner addressed a couple of the meetings and really drove home the fact that as a group Realtors have an impact politically. On that note, you will want to come to the membership meeting September 17 to hear Ryan Houck from Floridian's for Smarter Growth discuss Amendment 4 (formerly Hometown Democracy). This issue has the potential to have tremendous impact on our State and profession.

There were many great speakers at the Leadership Summit. Alison Levine was the team leader of the first all woman team to climb Mt Everest. She had two heart surgeries before she was thirty and overcame that adversity to become an amazing leader. She made the point to keep asking questions and be persistent. Sometimes we stop too soon and settle for something less than the best. My favorite speaker though was Chris Gardner, the subject of the movie Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith and his son. He is another example of amazing vision and persistence. Doing the right thing in spite of how difficult it might be. His new book "Start from Where You Are" is worth the read. Thanks again for the opportunity to represent you!

(Richard Dempsey, ALC is a sales associate at Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate in Lakeland FL).

Are you sure you want to sell? Pricing your property below the “Clutter”

By Richard Dempsey, Realtor®
Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate

Several years ago, I saw a comic strip that showed a property owner in different conversations about his property. The scenes were all the same except that the person the owner was talking to was different in each scene. As the property buyer in the first scene, he was pointing out all the property flaws to the seller. Talking with the bank appraiser, he was pointing how much better his property was than his neighbors' properties. When the tax assessor stopped by, the property suddenly became a waste dump, and finally when a prospective buyer was talking with him, the house was the most unique property in the world.

That’s an accurate view of the way we think about our stuff!

When trying to price your property for sale, you have to guard against your ownership bias. The amount that you paid for the property has no bearing on the current market value. The fact that the property has been in your family since Noah walked the earth is meaningless in the market. The attribute that meant the most to you may or may not have any value to prospective buyers.

The open market is a cold and cruel thing. The market’s view of your property can be summed up by Sergeant Joe Friday’s famous phrase “Just the facts, ma’am.” Value is related to the cold, hard facts of the property: location, utility, physical attributes, income and expenses, etc.

If you have decided that you are serious about selling your property, taking a step back and looking at it from a prospective buyer’s point of view is very important. Removing your personal, emotional attachment and optimistic financial goals from the pricing decision are critical. Most often, it is wise to have the assistance of a professional. Selecting a real estate agent, broker, or appraiser who is knowledgeable and actively involved in the market for your type of property is very important. They can give you an unbiased opinion.

One of the first factors for making sure that your property gets noticed is pricing. It has been my experience that when you price your property below the clutter, you will attract attention. By “clutter,” I mean that realm of pricing that is reflective of conditions six months or more ago. In most markets today, an abundance of properties are available and often they have been on the market for a long time and become stale. All of those old listings that are priced based on the old market conditions create a cloud. It is easy for a property to get lost in the crowd when there are so many available. That is particularly true in a declining market. Pricing that seemed reasonable originally could be considered aggressive today.

If your property is in a market segment that is expected to have an increase in the availability of properties over the next six months due to foreclosures or other factors, pricing at the lower end or below currently available comparable properties will potentially increase the attention your property receives.

However, reaching the balance between an aggressive asking price and avoiding the impression that the pricing is a “fire sale” number can be tricky. That is why it is essential to have the assistance of a qualified professional that can help you navigate as you fly below the “clouds.”

Richard Dempsey is a Realtor® and Sales Associate at Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate in Lakeland, who specializes in large acreage tracts, citrus groves, and development properties. Dempsey can be found on Twitter at and by e-mail at richard@saundersrealestate.com.

Managing Florida Land – Complex, yet simply beautiful!

by Richard Dempsey, Sales Associate and Realtor

As a native Floridian I have seen a lot of change. Growing up in north Lakeland, I was surrounded by beautiful citrus groves that eventually gave way to cold weather or development. The citrus industry has now moved south of Interstate 4, and with the exception of the ridge along Highway 27, has moved south of Highway 60.

The southern migration generally was initiated in the 1980’s with several freeze events that killed a majority of the groves in the northern regions. Developers love citrus groves, as there are rarely wetlands issues associated with the sandy soils that enable groves to thrive. As the population of our state has increased, many former grove sites have been developed into all types of uses.

During the expansion of the last couple of years, many citrus properties were purchased by investors and national developers with the intent to develop. Not much consideration was given to the value of the ongoing citrus production operation and many times the groves were abandoned. This was a very unfortunate mistake.

The short-sighted view said that the citrus properties would be developed in the short term and there was no need to continue to properly manage the groves. However, the time-consuming processes of development pushed many of these projects beyond the immediate demand resulting in losses in more than one way.

In addition to giving up the agricultural exemption for property taxes, several crop years of fruit were forfeited during a time of historically high fruit prices. The demand for developed properties has waned and generally, the values are now closely tied to the value of the agricultural operation. Consequentially, the value of all of the planning, permitting, and engineering for properties purchased for development, may now be zero. Recent losses associated with a short-term outlook emphasize the need to properly manage land.

Ranch properties throughout the state were also subject to heavy demand for development. As most people drive past large acreage tracts, they do not recognize the complexity of the required management. Cattle operations, sod and row crop farming, wetlands issues, water use and permitting, maintaining the agricultural exemption for property taxes are just a few of the issues landowners face. Operators are also required to comply with a variety of government regulations relating to any chemicals that may be used.

A prudent land manager will also be aware of income opportunities presented by conservation easements. Whether the easement is given in favor of a public or private entity, qualifying properties can generate significant one-time income.

The case for a professional land manager can be made easily. An inexperienced land owner does not know what he does not know and that lack of knowledge can be expensive. A commercial building must be properly managed in order to return the required yield to the investor. In the same way, land must be managed properly.

~~~a little about Richard Dempsey

Richard has received numerous industry awards for outstanding sales in real estate, the most recent being recognized as #21 worldwide among all associates in the Coldwell Banker Commercial (CBC) affiliate network in 2008. In addition, Dempsey received the 2008 #2 rank in the region for sales performance by FGCAR (Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors®), as well as awards by CBC, CFCAR (Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtor®) , and FGCAR. Dempsey is President Elect for the Lakeland Association of Realtors® and serves on committees at the Coldwell Banker Commercial corporate level.

Realtors® Legislative Update 2009

[by Richard Dempsey, President Elect, Lakeland Association of Realtors® (LAR) and sales associate at CBC Saunders Real Estate]

I was honored to be one of LAR's (Lakeland Association of Realtors®) representatives to the 2009 NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings (National Association of Realtors®) in Washington and REALTOR® Days in Tallahassee. I have a deeper appreciation for how blessed we are as a nation to be able to have a voice in how our government operates. When thousands of REALTORS® gather in DC or in state capitals across the country they are noticed.

Our time in Tallahassee this year proved to be especially effective as most of the key talking points we presented to our legislators this year were passed and are awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Senate Bill 360 contained several items that FAR (Florida Association of Realtors) advocated including a two year extension of development permits and impact fee legislation. As of this writing, the Governor has not yet signed the bill. His office originally indicated that he would sign it. However, it appears that he is wavering. Call Governor Crist's office and let him know your viewpoint. It counts!

REALTORS® also had a hand in helping to defeat a very costly proposal known as the “Springs Protection Bill” That bill would have required very expensive wastewater treatment technology and other regulations even though the effectiveness of the technology has not been established and the studies have not been completed.

One of the most interesting and informative forums I attended in DC involved using technology to drive business our way. The forum panel presented the tools and methods that they are using to develop stronger relationships with their targeted consumers by implementing various technology tools. For further information about this forum you can go to the Center for REALTOR® Technology Web Log to see some of the presentations. There are also several valuable links and sources of information there.

I strongly encourage REALTORS® to begin making plans to join us in Tallahassee and Washington next year. As we saw particularly in Tallahassee this year, our united voice can make a difference. In addition, the opportunity to network and attend informative seminars is extremely valuable!

Dean Saunders Receives Global and Regional Real Estate Industry Sales Awards

Dean Saunders has recently received recognition for sales performance in 2008, taking home multiple awards from regional industry organizations, as well as Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.

Dean was recently awarded the Number One Global Sales Professional in the entire CBC affiliate network, worldwide.

He continues to lead Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate to the Commercial Elite top 15 companies in the CBC global network each year.

Coldwell Banker Commercial Awards:
• #1 Sales Professional Global
• #1 Sales Professional Domestic (USA)
• #1 Sales Professional in the State of Florida
• #1 Sales Professional by Specialty - Land
• #1 Sales Professional in Company Overall - Dean Saunders
• Circle of Distinction Award – Platinum
• Commercial Elite Office (Top 15 CBC offices worldwide)

CFCAR Awards (Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors)
• Hallmark Award - #7 Top 10 Overall Producers
• Hallmark Award - #2 Top 10 Land Producer
• Hallmark Award – Top Producer – Polk County

FGCAR Awards (Florida Gulf Coast Commercial Association of Realtors)
• Pinnacle Award - #1 Top Producer, National / LAND

Dempsey Takes Gold & Top 2% Worldwide Honors

Congratulations to Richard Dempsey of Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate!

Richard is Sales Associate and Realtor® and has received awards for outstanding sales performance in the worldwide network for 2008 from Coldwell Banker Commercial.

• Top 2% Sales Professional Worldwide
• Ranked #21 Sales Professional Worldwide
• Circle of Distinction – Gold Award

The Coldwell Banker Commercial (CBC) organization globally includes over 260 companies and almost 3,000 professionals. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, CBC presents the largest geographic footprint in the commercial real estate marketplace.

The Gold Level Circle of Distinction recognition is based on transaction revenue for 2008 and is an honor bestowed upon the top ranking producers among Coldwell Banker Commercial® professionals. It is awarded to sales professionals who produce between $550,000 and $749,000 in Closed Adjusted Gross Commission Income from franchisable commercial services for 2008.

“Achieving the Coldwell Banker Commercial Gold Level Circle of Distinction award is an honor among our sales professionals,” said Rick Davidson, President and COO of Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates Inc. “Richard Dempsey has demonstrated exceptional performance that exemplifies excellence in client service for which Coldwell Banker Commercial professionals are known. He is a true asset to our organization.”

Dempsey has been with Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate since 2000 and specializes in large acreage tracts, citrus groves, and development properties. His real estate career began in 1984 as an appraiser for the Polk County Property Appraiser’s Office and thirteen years with an agricultural lender appraising a wide variety of properties. His experience includes small residential tracts to 25,000 acre groves, along with various types of commercial properties all over the state. Having sales and appraisal experience throughout Florida, Dempsey is knowledgeable about the diverse aspects of today’s real estate market.

Dempsey is a Lakeland native and has served on the Lakeland Association of Realtors® (LAR) board of directors since February 2007. As current President Elect, he will serve as President in 2010. He has also served as treasurer for LAR and has served on the Coldwell Banker Commercial technology council. He resides in Lakeland with wife, Christy, and has three sons and three grandchildren.

For more information, please visit www.saundersrealestate.com.