Snow Birds and International Buyers

Are you and International home buyer, considering an investment in 
South Florida Real Estate?

Below is a brief list of elements to consider:

1. Consider the Cost of Hurricane Shutters When Buying a Home in Florida
Hurricane Shutters are not a small investment. Most small homes are looking at a spending a minimum of $3,500 to protect their homes. If you are interested in buying a larger home and they have installed quality hurricane protection you should keep in mind how much money the sellers invested when negotiating a price.

2. Sprinkler Systems
I am sure you are aware that it can get very hot in Florida. Homes need built in sprinkler systems to maintain the beauty of the landscaping. However, there are many homes that do not have sprinkler systems and there are those that do not have functioning sprinkler systems. The cost of adding or repairing a sprinkler system is considerable.

3. Maintenance Fees
Maintenance fees can be quite high depending on where you buy. You will also have taxes and homeowners insurance costs to consider and sometimes the maintenance fees will put home buyers over their yearly budget.

5. Neighborhoods
A knowledgeable South Florida Realtor will know which neighborhoods are best suited to your needs.

6. Homeowners Insurance Deductions
Talk to your Realtor about which aspects of a home will give you a deduction on your homeowners insurance because they could save you a lot of money in the long run.

7. Owning a Home with a Pool and/or Jacuzzi
The Florida Department of Health reports, "Deaths from drowning for children less than age five in Florida are more than double the national average and are higher than any other state in the nation. More than two-thirds of these deaths occurred in swimming pools."Most people dream of having a home in Florida with a pool and it is a great dream, but everyone needs to consider pool safety. Again, ask your Realtor what you should be looking for and/or avoiding.

There are many more tips and laws that are important to International buyers. It is important for International home buyers to choose a Realtor that they can effectively communicate with who knows the Florida real estate market well and can help you choose the perfect home that meets the needs of your lifestyle.

Advice for Renters

If now is not the right time for you to buy a home, there are many options for renting. The South Florida Market provides a wide range of housing options but before jumping into the pool, it’s important to know what to consider. Below find a few handy tips to think about prior to starting your rental search.  

STEP I Choose Your Preferences

Age of the rental

   • Are you looking for a new building? Something with a vintage appeal?
Type of building

   
• Would you prefer a High Rise, Mid-Rise, Townhouse, or a Single Family Home?
Location
  
Monthly rent

   • What is your price range?

  
• Pets can decrease your renting options. If you have a pet, you should be prepared to pay a higher monthly rent and security deposit. In addition, the options for dog owners are more limited than those for cat owners.

Number of bedrooms

Additional things to consider:

   • Proximity to shopping and transportation
   • Closet space, and storage options
   • Quality of the Landlord
   • Maintenance staff
   • Amenities - Laundry, exercise room, pool, balconies
   • Security of the building

Gather the following documentation before looking at properties:

   • Driver's License 

   • Social Security number 

   • Job history including addresses and phone number of immediate supervisor, and yearly income 

   • Rental history (The landlord may require documentation including; addresses and landlord's phone number, and duration stay, 3 personal and 3 professional references, credit card and loan information.

STEP II CYA

Review the lease.
Carefully review all of the conditions of the tenancy before you sign on the dotted line.

Get everything in writing.
To avoid disputes or misunderstandings get everything in writing. Keep copies of any correspondence and follow up an oral agreement with a letter, setting out your understandings.

Protect your privacy rights.
If you understand your privacy rights it will be easier to protect them. Click below to learn more

Rights And Duties Of Tenants
Rights And Duties Of Landlords

Purchase renters' insurance.
Your landlord's insurance policy will not cover your losses due to theft or damage. Renters' insurance also covers you if you're sued by someone who claims to have been injured in your rental due to your carelessness, limit your liability.

Protect your security deposit.
To protect yourself and avoid any misunderstandings, make sure your lease or rental agreement is clear on the use and refund of security deposits, including allowable deductions.

Walk-Through

When you move in, do a walk-through with the landlord to record existing damage to the premises on a move-in statement or checklist. 

Protect your safety.
Learn whether your building and neighborhood are safe, I recommend going to the local police department and speaking with authorities there. Check out the property's vulnerability to intrusion by a criminal, and learn whether criminal incidents have already occurred on the property or nearby. If a crime is highly likely, your landlord may be obligated to take some steps to protect you. 

For more tips or to start your rental search contact me at http://www.jillsellsflhomes.com/
  

Home Staging Tricks Used by Professionals

It's About Creating Ambiance for Prospective Buyers  

Home staging is a great way to combine how you use your space in your home but to do so in such a way that it is aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing. As you enter the process or even begin to contemplate selling your home there are a few tricks I recommend employing. It is a proven fact that homes that are staged will sell quicker than those that are not. 

Enhance Curb Appeal – Your first impression, prior to a buyer even stepping inside they will notice it’s exterior. Keep the lawn, landscaping and walkways manicured. Ensure the front entry is inviting and I recommend placing flowers and a new doormat to welcome prospective buyers.

Call in Mr. Clean – When you have guests from out of town stay with you, do you clean just a little bit beyond your normal ‘clean’? I know I do, I pull out all my OCD, cleanliness is next to G-dliness.  This is the amount of clean need in your home on a regular basis. Don’t give buyers a reason to think your home is dirty.     

Take out the TRASH. . .Purge – If you don’t immediately need it  donate it, throw it out, sell it or pack it up. I encourage you to have minimum furnishings and belongings as is possible but for your property to still look livable, you need prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in your space.   

Keep it Light – Open all Window treatments and make sure windows are clean. I recommend swaping dark drapery for light sheer fabrics so that rooms look as bright and light as is possible. Sheer panels often diffuse light and make spaces glow giving magical impressions.

Color Unification – Take inventory of your colors painted on the walls as you walk through your home, be mindful of your room transitions from each room. If the living room is blue, and the bedrooms are pink and green, you’re visually chopping up the house giving the impression that rooms are smaller. This will make it feel smaller and less unified. If you’re unsure on colors – use warm camel, beiges, grays and warm whites to unify and enlarge the rooms.

Help buyers want to live there - Your perspective buyers’ picture themselves in your home.  To do this, your personal family photographs, children’s artwork on the refrigerator, and collections should be removed.  Don’t give the buyer a chance to form an opinion of your home based on your taste and personalized belongings. Let them savor your home for its characteristics and not your stuff!

Home buying is an emotional process, so appeal to their senses when staging your home. Soft music playing when perspective buyers enter your home is inviting and welcomed.  The smell of fresh baked cookies (make the night before and pop in microwave quickly before guests arrive) always warms up a buyer.  Soft throw blankets across a reading chair and soft hand towels in the bathrooms will appeal to their sense of touch and will add coziness to your home. With these tips your confidence will show in showcasing your home and an offer will come sooner than you expect. I believe that staging is worth the investment of time, money and energies so that you can sell your home swiftly and begin searching for your new home.    

First Time Home Buyer Steps

Are you a first-time Home Buyer in the South Florida Real Estate market (Boca Raton or Delray Beach) Here are steps to take to help you decide whether you're ready to take the plunge.

1.) Do some reconnaissance . . . of comparable homes' selling prices in your area. Do a quick search of actual multiple listing service, or MLS, listings in your area on a number of websites, including the National Association of Realtors.

2.) Get an idea of what you can afford, by using a mortgage calculator to figure out if you made a purchase today what your cost would be.  

3.) Don't forget to factor in taxes and homeowners insurance. In some areas, what you'll pay for your taxes and insurance escrow can almost double your mortgage payment.

4.) To get an idea of what you'll pay in insurance, pick a property in the area where you want to live and make a call to a local insurance agent for an estimate. You won't be obligated to get the insurance, but you'll have a good idea of what you'll pay if you do buy. For an idea of what you'll pay in taxes, check your local property appraisers website. Just remember that exemptions and the intricacies of local tax law can create differences between what a homeowner is currently paying and what you can expect to pay as a new homeowner.

5.) Learn about your closing costs, the upfront cost of settling on your home shouldn't be overlooked. Closing costs include origination fees charged by the lender, title and settlement fees, taxes and prepaid items like homeowners insurance or homeowners' association fees. 

6.) Look at your budget and determine how a house fits into it. Fannie Mae recommends that buyers spend no more than 28 percent of their income on housing costs. Go much past 30 percent and you risk becoming house poor.

7.) Find a reputable Realtor in your area and sit down for a consultation about the real estate climate. Do they believe prices will continue falling or do they think your area has hit bottom or will rise soon? 

8.) Think of your future plans, long range. While a buying a house is a great way to build wealth, maintaining your investment can be labor-intensive and expensive. When unexpected costs for new appliances, roof repairs and plumbing problems crop up, there's no landlord to turn to, mentally and financially prepare yourself for the new responsibilities that accompany homeownership.  

Tips to prepare for your house hunt: 

A.) Examine your credit 

Right now, blemished credit or the inability to make substantial down payment can put the kibosh on your homeownership plans. That's why it pays to look at your creditworthiness early in the home-buying process.

B.) Organize all your documents

Collect pay stubs, bank account statements, W-2s, tax returns for the last two years, statements from current loans and credit lines, and names and addresses of your landlords for the past two years. Have them ready to show to the lender. This may seem like a lot, but in this age of tight credit, don't be surprised if your lender needs a lot in the way of documentation.

C.) Find a Lender and get Pre-Approved-- Getting pre-approved for a mortgage helps you bargain from a position of strength when you are house hunting.

D.) If at first you don't succeed - keep trying . . .

If you can't find a bank willing to lend to you -- and in the current tight credit market, it's possible you won't -- consider getting an FHA loan. The Federal Housing Administration has a program that insures the mortgages of many first-time homebuyers. As a result of this guarantee, lenders who might otherwise feel queasy about your qualifications will be more inclined to lend to you. As a bonus, the FHA only requires a 3 percent to 3.5 percent down payment from first-time homebuyers.