Real Estate
October 8, 2019
Buying a home in South Florida is not like buying a home in other parts of the country. During a good portion of the year, we face the triple threat of heat, humidity and hurricanes. And if we happen to experience a reprieve from any of those, we might find ourselves staring down a King Tide. All that said, Florida is a great place to live as long as you take prudent steps to prepare your home for safety. That starts with getting a home inspection. Why get a home inspection? Some home buyers feel tempted to skip the home inspection either because they think it will speed up the purchase process or because they don’t want to spend money […]
August 27, 2019
Whether buying or selling a home, the words “home warranty” often get thrown into the mix as an additional offer a seller can bring to the table to entice buyers, or as something a buyer may consider voluntarily purchasing for peace of mind going into a new purchase. But what exactly is a home warranty and is it right for you? What is a home warranty? A home warranty is a product you can buy to protect yourself from major expenses related to repairs and replacements of: Electrical systems Plumbing systems HVAC systems Appliances like washers and dryers, refrigerator, oven, range, garbage disposal, and others While home warranties offer protection in these areas, it’s important to note that, though plans […]
July 23, 2019
To stay or go is always a big question. Perhaps you’ve been in your home for decades with the thought of selling only rarely creeping into your thoughts, or perhaps it’s been on your mind since nearly the day after you closed on your house. Knowing when it’s time to move on is a highly personal decision that may be approached from an emotional or financial point of view (and most likely a combination of both). As you weigh the various factors that go into selling a home, buying a home, and physically moving your personal property to that new home, there’s a lot to consider. Here are some helpful signs for determining when it may be time to move […]
July 16, 2019
There are so many moving parts to buying a home, and one of the biggest and sometimes most daunting is negotiation. Depending on the type of market – whether it’s a buyer’s market or seller’s market – one party always has the upper hand, but that doesn’t mean the other side has to accept whatever terms are put on the table. Real estate negotiations are tricky business with opportunities to negotiate on nearly every term of the offer. Here are a few key things to know about negotiations. Seeing green In real estate negotiations, price is obviously a big factor for home buyers and is often at the forefront of their negotiation efforts. Sellers want to earn the highest price […]
April 16, 2019
Whether it’s your first time buying a home or you have multiple experiences with the process, there are always a few considerations you should think through before embarking on the journey. Most importantly is ensuring your financials are in order and that you have a thorough grasp on what you can afford, but just as important is making sure you are mentally and emotionally prepared to take the leap. If you’re thinking about buying a home, ask yourself these three important questions first. What’s driving your motivations to buy? Surely there are numerous advantages to renting or staying in your existing home, so spending some time understanding what’s motivating you on your new path to purchase can be insightful […]
April 9, 2019
Many people think they can save money if they bypass a realtor. Perhaps they dislike the idea of paying commission fees or think they can navigate the transaction process themselves. But in this DIY era with How-To’s for pretty much everything on YouTube, working with an experienced real estate agent can still save you money, even when accounting for any kind of transaction commission fees. Here’s why: Time is money Finding the right home or preparing your current home for a sale is time-consuming, to say the least. While you can scour the internet for listings yourself, scheduling viewings, playing phone-tag, and driving around disparate neighborhoods in disorganized fashion can be exhausting. Whereas it’s an agent’s full-time job to […]
April 2, 2019
Searching for the perfect home can be a long journey for some, so when you finally find the right one, it can be tempting to jump right in to making an offer. While competitive markets can require us to act quickly, you want to be sure you’re prepared by taking care of these five things first. Get pre-approval from a financial lender– Before making an offer, it’s essential to have all of your financials in order and have enough on reserve to cover your deposit and closing costs. In Miami, when you’re often competing with cash-only offers, securing pre-approval is 100% necessary before you make an offer. You should have this stage complete before you begin looking at homes. […]
March 26, 2019
Perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to simplify your home life, or maybe you’ve grown tired of small-scale living and have your sights set on a bigger place with room to grow and entertain. Regardless of your motivations, phase in life, or other factors, deciding to move into a bigger or smaller home brings many of us to a crossroads. For some, it is purely a financial decision, and for others, the variables are vast. Here are a few key factors that often drive decisions to upsize or downsize: Location If high-rise, downtown living is where you want to be, there are obvious sacrifices that need to be made in order to accommodate your location preferences. While you may […]
March 19, 2019
There’s no getting around it. It’s expensive to live in South Florida. Living here means we have to pay a premium on a lot of things, like keeping our homes cool from the intense sun and heat and protecting our properties from damaging hurricane winds. All of these necessities come at a cost, which can most commonly be seen in the form of energy bills and homeowners insurance premiums. Fortunately, there is a solution that can help make an immediate impact that won’t necessitate massive changes to your monthly budget. In Miami, homeowners can make energy-efficient improvements to their homes through low-cost, long-term financing. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)-eligible home improvement projects include everything from upgrading your HVAC system […]