Hometown News and Views

By Phyllis J. Neuberger
Pelican staff
Oakland Park - Spend five minutes with Gary Lanham, and it is clear that this is a man with a new and powerful approach for people who want to buy and sell property today.
Lanham, the creative owner of Real Estate Recovery, 3242 NE 12 Ave., Oakland Park is a licensed Realtor and broker with several additional designations. He is also a certified residential specialist, a certified international specialist and an E-Pro which means he is technologically knowledgeable with clients using the internet.
He has a staff of eight licensed Realtors and one broker assistant who is also a licensed real estate attorney in Florida and New York.
“I have chosen a team that deals in numbers as I do, and my approach works well for us,” Lanham says.  Our lawyer, Jeff Yunis is very important and reassuring to New York clients who are accustomed to a lawyer writing the contract. Three of my staff members speak English and Spanish.  We’d love to add a qualified speaker of Portuguese, Creole or French.  We are huge in social media. Our Facebook  business page brings us many clients from South America and New York who want a property in our paradise.  We have Google click-through ads which are producing many listings and buyers. In fact, we have used technology for listing and buying campaigns.”
He continues with an example.  “Let’s say we have a New Yorker who wants to sell a Florida property.  Our ad will show up whenever a prospective buyer checks the internet for available South Florida properties for sale.  This campaign has brought buyers to us helping  the seller maximize the final sales amount. Our internet campaigns have made our company very attractive to buyers and sellers and is allowing us to contribute to our South Florida Real Estate recovery.”
Kim and Bill Caruthers recently purchased a home in Coral Ridge Isles from Real Estate Recovery.  Kim, an executive with Kaplan University, wanted to be nearer to work, the beach and friends.  “We were referred to Gary by several friends who had dealt with him and liked the way they were handled. He found us a house that needed a lot of work on the interior and was priced right considering what needed to be done.  We’re very pleased with the company and the way things worked out.”
Another happy client is Al Landsberger, a Chicago resident. He and his wife, Diana Chrissis recently bought a home in Oakland Park.  Landsberger said, “We were referred to Gary by several friends and found him to be very easy to deal with and very knowledgeable.  We took advantage of the market and bought the place before we can actually live in it.  I’m a graphics designer and my wife is in marketing.  We have teen children and are not ready to retire, so we will rent our home in the interim.  Gary was very professional. He transaction was finished in just six weeks. Gary’s firm will manage it and find a responsible renter for us.  It has been a great experience.”
According to Lanham, the market is greatly improved.  He suggests that a property, priced correctly, should be in contract within 30 days. “We have no inventory right now,“ he claims. “This should encourage sellers to be realistic and take advantage of the current market to sell their properties.”
He reminds buyers that interest rates are at historic lows, saying “There will never be a better time to buy. The banks are lending to credit worthy clients.”
Real Estate Recovery services Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Pembroke Pines. Being adjacent to Wilton Manors, Lanham makes a point of saying, “We welcome gay and lesbian clients as well as anybody.  Ours is a truly non-discriminatory business.”
Visitors are frequent to the offices of this company.  And no wonder!  Drop-ins can get up-to-the minute daily foreclosure listings giving buyers a heads up on new listings as they appear.
Asked why he opened his office in Oakland Park, Lanham answers, “It’s one of the few, if not the only city in South Florida that has a master plan which is followed. It was clear to see the work of Main Street Oakland Park’s efforts.  The infrastructure has been redone. New pipes now allow for better drainage. Parks and vignette seating with fountains headline the new Oakland Park  Main Street effort.  We have Jaco Pastorius Park for concerts, major events, and movie nights.  I view this town as an up-and-coming place for a Real estate business. Growth is all around us, and it is being done according to the master plan.”
Gary Lanham
Real Estate is a second career for Lanham who moved to Oakland Park 12 years ago when he decided to retire after 25 years in the health care field.  He holds a master’s degree in hospital administration.  He says, “By the end of my first career as sales manager for a group health insurance company, I had become very savvy with technology.  This knowledge translated very well into my Real Estate business. I’m an active  volunteer with the Board of Realtors, serving on several committees.  I also serve on the board of directors for the Master Chorale which performs in Miami/Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.”
Lanham makes a point of attending the city commission meetings and willingly makes presentations to church and community organizations which can be and have been helpful to areas with high foreclosure properties.
Call 954-530-8198 for further information.