Real Estate Reports

+ Michael Saunders & Co. releases first-quarter data
Michael Saunders & Co. released its sales results for the first quarter of 2010.

The company’s agents sold $342.1 million during the first three months of the year, which amounted to a 73% improvement from last year’s first quarter in dollar volume and 81% increase in year-over-year unit sales. In March alone, the company sold $149.4 million, a 52% increase from March 2009 in dollar sales and corresponding 64% increase in year-over-year unit sales. Pending sales, which usually close one to three months after a contract is executed, were up 94% from the first quarter in 2009.

“As improved as our market is, most of the improvement is clustered in the lower end among properties priced below $350,000,” said Michael Saunders & Co. founder and president Michael Saunders in a prepared statement. “The upper end is lagging in the correction and is even experiencing its first wave of foreclosures. Nevertheless, I remain cautiously optimistic that the market will continue to improve even as the tax credit expires and interest rates go up, which they did, as predicted, almost from the very moment the Federal Reserve ceased buying mortgage-backed securities. Sellers in all price ranges should not let their guards down, thinking that the market is now healthy enough to support overpriced listings, price increases or less of a willingness to negotiate. We’ve gotten as far as we have thanks to buyers who are cherry-picking the most aggressively priced properties in all neighborhoods and price ranges.”

+ Matarese, Jasmer named top producers for Re/Max
Sales associates Marnie Matarese and Dan Jasmer were named top producers for the first quarter of 2010 at Re/Max Excellence. Matarese and Jasmer closed on nine properties in Longboat Key and Sarasota during the first three months of the year.

+ Horn earns Quality Service Certified Platinum award
Maureen Horn, of Michael Saunders & Co.’s Longboat Key South office, has earned the Quality Service Certified Platinum Award in recognition of achieving 100% client satisfaction in 2009, as measured by Leading Research Corporation. Horn also received the honor for 2008.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].