Mark Cravens-Author, Speaker
Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist
37+ years in real estate
First Quality Properties 813.948.2067
Divorce and your house
The first four steps you need to take:
- Contact an attorney and get an automatic temporary restraining order to prohibit a spouse from selling, transferring or borrowing against your home.
- Have a clear understanding of your financial standing. This will help you throughout the emotional turmoil of divorce and will keep you from making snap decisions that could severely impact your financial position. Seek a Certified Financial Divorce Specialist.
- Determine if you are going to keep the house, buyout your spouse or sell the house.
- Choose the right Realtor® who focuses specifically on helping people who are going through a divorce. They are known as Real Estate Divorce Specialists and should be trained in how to help the divorcing spouses step-by-step to protect themselves legally and financially.
This is not intended for legal advice. You need a good divorce attorney to give you advice.
When I first ventured into the real estate industry years ago, I did so with the hopes of helping sellers like you avoid the headaches often associated with the home-selling process. In my years of consulting experience, not only have I helped alleviate the stress of selling for numerous clients, but I’ve also accumulated over 30 years of knowledge to help them get more money for their homes in the least amount of time.
I truly wish there was no need for my videos, consulting, website or book.
Why? Because we are facing the topic of divorce.
I do not know of anyone who, on their wedding day, ponders a future divorce.
Nevertheless, here they find themselves. Their dream did not flourish and now face the need of trustworthy advisors.
This couple not only faces legal questions regarding their home and assets (how to divide their assets equitably, when to fight and when to walk away), but often require emotional support with the goal of recovery following the divorce process and outcome.
As I was working on my certification to become a Real Estate Divorce Specialist, I wished several things:
- I wish that there was no battling over custody, visitation, special events, school concerts, plays and games.
- I wish that divorce attorneys did not have to negotiate between spouses regarding the children. That the question never came up about “Who gets the kids for Thanksgiving and Christmas?” or “Where do the kids spend their summer vacations?”
- I wish teachers, therapists and those in ministry did not have to spend a significant amount of their time counseling individuals with wounds, guilt, and emotional scars. Or how to successfully navigate a loss of life purpose, direction and identity, by assisting them how to establish the “new normal.”
- I wish Realtors® did not have to negotiate over the painful details when selling the family home with years of memories and traditions.
- I wish that our American culture was not saturated with the pain of divorce. Millions are suffering, whether that is as an ex-spouse, child, adult child of parents going through a divorce, or In-laws and grandparents wondering how they will see the kids and grandkids each year.
- I wish that divorce did not happen today! But unfortunately, it does. Divorce is a sorrowful reality yet does not appear to be ending. Millions of couples have divorced or WILL get divorced. Sometimes, with even the best of intentions, counseling and assistance, couples may experience a breakup.
So that is why I’m trying to help. Whether that is through face-to-face meetings, resource referrals of professionals that can help along the way, this book, Best Selling Options In A Divorce, my blogs or Q&As. We all need help during times of crisis and divorce is definitely a time of crisis. Divorce ranks as number 2 on the stress list for adults and children alike.
That being said, please let me know how I can help you. If you want to setup a face-to-face meeting and discuss what is the next step, just let me know. I’m standing by, ready to assist, confident that I CAN help you.
Free Book provided by Mark Cravens, Real Estate Divorce Specialist
“Best Selling Options In A Divorce”
In This Book You’ll Learn
Selling Strategies
This book provides home selling strategies to net you the most money possible in the shortest amount of time.
Listing Tips
From getting your home ready for sale to pricing it correctly, this book offers tips to simplify the process and effectively sell your home.
Marketing Approach
This book features top- notch marketing techniques to get the most buyers in your door and the highest possible sale price for your home.
Negotiation Mistakes
Negotiations can make or break real estate deals. You’ll learn how to effectively negotiate your home sale and avoid costly mistakes.
About Mark Cravens
Mark was raised in the Chicagoland area with his sister.
At the age of 14, Mark aspired of being a manager. Never in a million years did he think he’d stumble into the real estate industry, but you can’t always predict where or when you’ll discover what you’re meant to do in life.
Mark was taught at a young age that if you want something in life, you have to work for it. So that’s what he did. And he worked hard.
As the years went by, Mark worked his way from a rental car management program to a real estate appraiser. After building up 3 offices for others, he decided to do it for himself. He opened First Quality Appraisals, Inc. in 1992 and was blessed to work with an 8-person team.
Mark noticed in the late 1990s that this thing called “The Internet” was going to enable appraisers to work from home and be his competition, so he set out to become a real estate consultant. He worked with investors in South Tampa who encouraged him to help others with his unique consulting skills. He launched his business, First Quality Homes, a year later and has received 98% of his work from referrals and repeat business.
He loves helping clients navigate through their real estate goals whether it is buying a home for the first time, selling and downsizing or facing harder life challenges like death of a spouse or a divorce.
He brings a very capable network of advisors, subcontractors, insurance and finance specialists together, so his clients receive “WOW” service and they just want to tell others about their experience.
He has truly been blessed to receive 5-star ratings on his reviews in Zillow and Trulia. He has several agents from his past closings that look for his listings so they can experience a high-level of professionalism and aptitude.
As his career advanced, Mark found his stride working with divorcing couples, successful business people that wanted to move up to lakefront properties and adult children that inherited property from their parents. Each of these clients really were looking for an expert with compassion, understanding and problem-solving skills.
Throughout his career, Mark has earned numerous accolades, including:
- 98% referral rate
- Selling/buying 15-17 homes per year, versus the average agent with 2.3 homes per year.
- 5 Star Rating on Zillow and Trulia
- Over 37 years of experience in real estate including: appraising, brokerage, development, construction and renovations.
- Author/Speaker and Radio/TV guest
- Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist
Mark lives in Lutz with his wife, Jill. He is blessed with 3 wonderful sons and their wives. In his free time, he enjoys coaching volleyball, playing Pickleball, and fishing.
Mark aims to provide the highest level of service to his clients and takes deep pride in helping them achieve their real estate goals.
Testimonials & Reviews for Mark Cravens
Here’s a list of people whom I have helped buy or sell a home, and what they said about working with me:
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