Buyers

55+ Communities are Growing   Orlando is ranked #4 for retirees. The baby boomer population is looking toward retirement. Builders are hearing this calling and quickly filling these housing needs.   The Lakes at Harmony is only of the newest 55+ communities that opened in June. 55+ Communities are designated for retirees where at least 80% of the homes have to have one person at least age 55+.   Rare Large Floors Plans Available   The Lakes at Harmony offe...

Home Inspection Can Be Done   Home buyers are not aware they can do new home inspections during the building of their home. There are very few buyers agents that will even suggest it. It's brand new what can go wrong?   Even though the national builders are professional, things can be overlooked, and problems can arise.   Even though the specific county will conduct their own inspections, often its not long enough to do thorough job and they are not always c...

Flood insurance. The #1 disaster in the United States is flooding and Florida is no exception. Central Florida is in close proximity to waterways and yes, there are a lot of lakes. Heavy rains from Hurricanes and tropical storms are common in Central Florida.   Getting Orlando Flood Insurance when you buy a home is also a common "add on" and something that many home buyers do buy. Common misconceptions about Orlando Flood Insurance Misconception #1: Flood insurance is expensive...

Home buyer negotiations: Can a home buyer negotiate for themselves?   Sure, but they do a lousy job negotiating for themselves. Let me tell you the 4 main reasons why...   Home buyer has no clue what to negotiate.   Absolutely true.   Where do inexperienced home buyer negotiations start? The price, the closing costs, the home inspection re-negotiations? The home buyer has no clue what to negotiate. They don't know about local real estate, what is the ...

New Builds Taking Off Orange County, Florida   According to the Orlando Sentinel, new home building permits have soared to the highest level in Orange County in 10 years!   Permits for single family homes are up by 3,600 over last year.   A few theories are circulating as to why. It could be the result of pent up demand, shortages on the resales market, and lower impact fees.   Regardless of the reason, new construction real estate is booming in Ora...

Certified International Property Specialist   Certified International Property Specialist is an advanced realtor designation.   These brokers have undergone specialized training for foreign investors. Commonly called CIPS. Earning this starts with a complete 5 full day of study focusing on all aspects of working with international transactions.   These Certified International Property Specialist classes include studying regional market conditions, tax issues,...

New Construction Homes can have quality issues   ABC Action News in Tampa had a recent story about home buyers feeling their home complaints have been ignored.   The majority of complaints were about large home builders with homes built during a very busy time of 2004-2008.   In a recent article, Orange County New Homes Soaring published by Buyers Broker of Florida, illustrates that building again is at an all time high. Home buyers purchasing new constructio...

[caption id="attachment_12268" align="alignright" width="285"] short term rentals[/caption] What is a short term rental?   A short term rental is a property that is rented for a few days or a week, or monthly, typically to vacation visitors. A long term rental would be a rental with a lease of one year.   Where are short term rentals Orlando located?   Currently, short term rentals are allowed in certain areas of Central Florida. More specifically, Kissimmee, Davenp...

Home warranty...worth it? Sometimes "yes" and many times "no". Everything depends. What is a home warranty?   A home warranty is a one-year service agreement that covers the repair or replacement of many major home system components and appliances that typically breakdown over time due to normal wear and tear.   What are the two kinds of home warranty?   In a real estate transaction, there are two types of coverages. There is a sellers warranty and a buyers warranty...

New Home Builders Bargains   New home builders are feeling the crunch of competition. It's the season for home buyers to buy a home in Orlando. Prices are going up and so are interest rates.   Time to buy one of the hundreds of new construction homes popping up.   What incentives are new home builders offering?   Everything you can imagine. New home builders want your business. Free upgrade incentives up to $30,000. A free pool worth $25,000. A whopping...