What Buyers Want In a Home
Whether you’re a seller with an eye to the future or a buyer in need of a little direction, it helps to know what’s popular in today’s homes. Here, in no particular order, are some of the most highly regarded home features: Energy efficiency – energy star rated appliances, energy efficient windows, highly rated insulation. Nine…
The MLS and Online Home Search
One of the most powerful tools for both selling and buying homes is your local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a database of residential properties, commercial properties, industrial properties, vacant lots, and rentals in your area. It’s maintained by Realtors, with a wealth of information about properties that are for sale and years…
Competitive Situations
When a real estate market gets hot, it’s common for a seller to receive multiple bids on their home. If this happens, the sellers’ agent will let the buyers’ agents know that they are in a competitive situation. The agent will request all buyers bring their highest and best offer. For the seller, a competitive…
Flood Insurance
Does your homeowners insurance policy cover flood damage? The answer is most likely “no”. The vast majority of flood insurance is written separately through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and writes or renews flood insurance for 5.6 million property owners nationwide. It’s important to…
Wind Mitigation Inspection
As anyone who lives in Florida already knows, insurance companies aren’t exactly eager to insure our homes. The common occurrence of extreme weather, including hurricanes, has been cause for many insurers to leave the state altogether. To get the best rate possible from one of the remaining insurers, you should consider having a Wind Mitigation Inspection, or…
What is a Termite Bond?
Termite infestations can happen at anytime and they’re not always readily visible. The best way to avoid having issues with termites is to buy a termite bond. A termite bond is a service contact between a home owner and a pest management company. Bonds are like termite insurance: for a small annual payment, the pest…
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Made By Buyers
What are the biggest mistakes home buyers make? Credit.com recently featured a list of their top five. Trying to fix credit scores before buying a home Homebuyers can do more harm than good if they don’t consult a financial expert first. “Even paying down credit card balances – which is a good thing as far…
Buyers Deposit
There’s an intangible cost that a seller pays when their house goes under contract: they have to pull the home off the market. It can take months to close on a home, and if something happens to prevent that, they’ve missed countless opportunities to bet a qualified buyer in the home. To offset this cost,…
Warranted vs. As-Is Contract
It’s important for both buyers and sellers to understand what is contained in a real estate contract, especially when it comes to anything that may cost either party money. Buyers have the right to inspect homes they put under contract. What is open to negotiation is whether the seller or buyer will be left to…
Condo Financing
The housing recession forced lenders and loan insurers to reassess how they deal with risk. Nowhere is that more glaring than condominium financing. To reduce the chance that these loans defaulted in the future, lenders tightened their standards considerably for condos. There are two primary ways to get financing for condos: 1) an FHA backed…
