Drew Kern
December 17, 2024
Many home buyers underestimate the importance of a home inspection. This crucial step in the home buying process could have a major impact on the property’s final sales price. It’s easy to forget that what looks completely fine to the untrained eye could turn out to be serious trouble when inspected by a trusted expert. If your inspector uncovers problems with the home, you can factor these additional expenses into your negotiations. However, you still want to be reasonable with the seller assuming you still want the home. Before we explain how to approach these conversations, let’s go over what constitutes a severe issue in need of fixing. What is a Home Inspection? During a home inspection, a professional inspector […]
December 14, 2024
Buying a home is undoubtedly worth celebrating, but finding the perfect gift for a new homeowner can be difficult. It’s not just about figuring out which household items your friend needs most. It’s also about making their home feel more welcoming, helping them express their personality, and ultimately facilitating a smooth transition into this new space. With that in mind, here are a few tasteful and useful gifts for that new homeowner in your life: Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide for New Homeowners For the one from another era: Buying a home in Miami is living the dream, and nobody captured that lifestyle better than iconic photographer Slim Aarons. When house guests see this great coffee table book, “Slim Aarons: Style” […]
December 10, 2024
When it comes to pricing a home for sale, the goal is to strike a balance between underpricing and overpricing. This sounds obvious, but it can be difficult since there are so many factors to consider in a home valuation. Finding the right price for your home takes some research but it’s surely worth the effort. If you price your home correctly right off the bat, you’ll attract more buyers and increase the likelihood of a fast sale. Here’s how we make sure your home is priced correctly: Research the Comps Comps – or “comparable” sales in your local real estate market – are recently sold homes with a similar size, age, and layout to your home. Understanding the comps […]
December 3, 2024
The South Miami housing market remains fairly competitive, with plenty of homes on the market but fewer homes sold compared to the past six months. Inventory is up by nearly 40% in South Miami, a stronger sign of a buyer’s market that we haven’t seen since before COVID. From a seller’s perspective, this suggests you should make sure your home doesn’t stay on the market for too long. South Miami Home Prices In September of 2024, the median listing home price in South Miami was $557 per square foot, putting it in the same range as nearby Coral Gables. That’s also 6.1% increase since August 2024, but within the same general ballpark as the summer and spring. How Quickly are […]
November 26, 2024
If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, it’s important to pay attention to your local housing market to see if your area is currently in a buyer’s or a seller’s market. This can give you an idea of how to approach each process and give you an advantage over other buyers or sellers. In a seller’s market, the demand for homes exceeds the supply. Based on the basic laws of supply and demand, this gives sellers the upper hand because it means that buyers have fewer houses to choose from. Under these conditions, homes typically sell very quickly, and sellers typically receive multiple offers over asking price. Here are a few more ways to tell you’re in a […]
November 19, 2024
Buying a home is a complex process with many steps. One of them is getting your dream home inspected by a licensed professional. Some home buyers may feel tempted to skip this step because they think it will speed up the purchase process. Or, they just don’t want to pay for it. But the truth is, a home inspection can save you from making a catastrophic mistake by unknowingly purchasing a home in need of major repairs. Before delving into more reasons to get a home inspection, let’s break down what a home inspector actually does: What is a Home Inspection? The purpose of a home inspection is to alert you of any potential safety hazards or usability problems in […]
November 12, 2024
Buying or selling a home is a life-changing decision. So, it’s no surprise that sometimes, a buyer or a seller will suddenly change their mind and decide to back out of a signed real estate contract, or home purchase agreement. Can someone legally do this? The short answer for both parties is yes. But whether you’re a buyer or a seller, canceling a real estate contract can come with a few consequences. In some cases, you could run into serious financial and legal implications. Can a Buyer Back Out of a Real Estate Contract? As a home buyer, yes, you can back out of a home purchase agreement. What happens next, however, is determined by the terms and conditions of […]
November 5, 2024
There might not be much snow in Miami but that doesn’t mean we don’t know how to celebrate the winter holidays. Magic city becomes even more magical this time of the year, offering a treasure trove of activities for the whole family. Here are some of our favorite family-friendly events in Miami this holiday season: Christmas Wonderland at Tropical Park November 16 – January 7 Over the holidays, Tropical Park in Olympia Heights is transformed into Christmas Wonderland, which includes stunning holiday displays and light shows along with an array of thrilling carnival rides. Younger children will love Santa’s Village, where they can meet Santa and enjoy story time with Mrs. Claus. For the grown-ups, there’s a spectacular Cirque du […]
October 29, 2024
There are two types of letters you can get from a bank when you’re looking to buy a home: a pre-qualification letter and a pre-approval letter. Pre-qualification gives you a ballpark estimate on how much you’ll be able to borrow to buy a home, whereas a pre-approval is more detailed and says exactly how much you will be able to borrow. You should have a pre-approval letter before you are ready to make an offer on a home. Why You Need a Pre-Approval Letter to Start the Buying Process For many first-time buyers, once they get their pre-approval letter from a mortgage banker, the process begins. While you can make an offer on a home with just a pre-qualification letter, it […]