Explore the Benefits of Hiring a Full-Time Orlando Real Estate Agent

Buying or selling a home has a major impact on many people's lives. So it's important not to leave the task to just anyone.

Take advantage of all the benefits that come with working with a full-time Orlando real estate agent. Since selling or buying a home can be a full-time job, it just makes sense to work with an agent that has a full-time commitment.

A full-time real estate agent can offer:

• Lots of experience – If your agent lives and breathes real estate around the clock, then he or she is better equipped to handle the many surprises that come with buying or selling a home.
• Peace of mind – You could be a first-time home buyer or seller. A full-time Orlando real estate agent has the knowledge to lead you through every step, saving you time, money and stress.
• Availability – Since your agent works full time, she is available to you when you have questions, concerns or need her for any reason.
• In-depth market knowledge – The real estate market is changing faster than ever. In order to be a successful buyer or seller, you need to be kept up to date. A full-time real estate agent stays current with what's happening each and every day.

Whatever your home-buying or home-selling goals, it’s smart to have an experienced, full-time Orlando real estate agent working for you. You'll save yourself headaches, heartache and from making home buying mistakes.

Ready to work with a full-time real estate agent? Give us a call today at 407-876-5771.

The Laws are Changing for Orlando Real Estate

Not just Orlando real estate, either. Since the end of 2007, as the real estate market started to decline, new rules, regulations, mandates and more have come down the pipeline.

State Specific Laws
Take Michigan, for instance. Ranking sixth in the nation on the number of foreclosures, Michigan legislature enacted the “Lifeline Law.” This law gives an extra 90 days for homeowners to work with banks to come up with solutions other than foreclosure. California did the same, with the California Foreclosure Prevention Act. In New York, judicial hearings are mandatory for both borrowers and lenders before foreclosure can go through.

Nationwide Laws
Other laws have been enacted throughout the United States, such as Congress lowering homeowners’ tax deductions.

Before 2009, if you used your Orlando real estate as a primary residence for at least two years out of the last five, you could keep up to $500,000 (married couples - $250,000 if single) in real estate gains on your tax return. That exemption is now pro-rated to the time you spent in the house, which could be quite substantially less than what your tax exemption would have been last year.

As well, new appraisal rules went into effect May 1, and, although they aren’t government rules, they do affect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. With the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) put into place, every lender that goes through Freddie or Fannie has to follow the HVCC to the letter. The HVCC stops mortgage brokers from having home appraisals done themselves. Instead, the home appraisals must be done by a third party appraisal management company in the same area as the home.

Laws that Affect You
Other laws have been put into place that may (or may not) effect the Orlando real estate you own or are looking to buy. However, with so many coming down the line, make sure that you ask your real estate agent what laws have been put into place that may affect your purchase, sales or ownership.

If you’re looking to buy or sell real estate and need a professional who keeps up to date on the real estate laws, we can help. Call us at 407-876-5571 for more information.

Florida Realty Resource - New Blog of Interest

Florida Real Estate Information Resource

http://blog.orlandorealtyresource.com/

The purpose of this blog is to provide useful real estate information, which will assist both buyers and sellers. We will provide you with valuable market updates, statistical data and new trends as they develop. Many consumers find it difficult to locate the information they need when looking to buy and sell a home. This site is being provided as a free service to assist buyers and sellers in the Florida housing market make informed real estate decisions. In order to better educate and inform buyers and sellers, we will continue to develop and provide a set of comprehensive FREE Florida Real Estate Reports as a FREE No-Obligation service to our visitors. In the hope, you who visit this site and in turn, consider us in order to assist you in the purchase or sale of your home.

We truly hope that you find our blog postings, information, tools and resources helpful and we look forward to building a potential business relationship in the future.

Home Buyers - Get the Most for Your Money
Home Sellers - Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar

Men vs. Women in the Orlando Real Estate Ring

Orlando real estate is one of the biggest purchases anyone will make, whether male or female. And, while it’s been scientifically proven that men and women have different approaches to life, one would think that purchasing a home is pretty much the same across genders. We each have our own concerns and important issues, but they basically all add up to, “This is what I want in my home.”

Therefore, the results of a recent survey caused quite a bit of surprise. The survey pointed out places where inherent differences were clear, as well as places where there weren’t any differences at all. So, when it comes to a match in the Orlando real estate boxing ring, who comes out on top?

Who is fastest at making up their minds on a home to buy?
Believe it or not, women grabbed the top mark at 70%. A full 8% more women made up their minds on whether to buy a house the day they walked into it. Of those that needed another visit or two, 32% were men, versus 23% of the women. Although women have a stereotype of being wishy-washy, this stereotype doesn’t hold true in the real estate market.

How close is the extended family?
If you had a choice between living closer to your extended family or closer to your job, which would you choose? According to the survey, 55% of the women would rather be closer to family, while only 37% of the men would.

What about home security?
When it came to security concerns, men and women both agree. It may be the home of your dreams, but if it’s not safe, it’s “no thank you." What was the percentage? Women grabbed 64%, while 51% of the men said the same. Security is something we appear to agree on.

How would you use a spare room?
If you had an extra 12 x 12 room, how would you use it? With men and women both, we’d rather have a spare bedroom (25%), an office or study (15%), or a family room/den (11%).

Conclusion: Couples, if you’re looking to buy Orlando real estate, sit down with your partner and lay out the rules. Find that fine line between what you each want, and no fighting, biting, kicking or scratching!

If you’re looking for the perfect home to fit what you both want, we can help! Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.

Is Your Home For Sale in Orlando Perfect for Men?

There’s a group of individuals constantly overlooked when someone has a home for sale in Orlando. It’s not just newlyweds, families and women looking for homes. Men are on the look out, too. So what are they looking for? Here are a few points on the list:

Location, location, location – Most men want a place close to their job. No long commutes, no hours on the highway. In fact, it’s one of their biggest considerations when choosing a home.

The Man Cave – Is your home for sale in Orlando set up with a man cave? Many men dream of having an extra room that can be converted into a place for recreation and entertainment. If you already have a man cave, you’re ahead of the competition!

Surrounding area – In a fun survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces examined America’s cities and marketing trends to find the “Top 50 Manliest Cities” in the U.S. Believe it or not, Nashville took the top place as the Mecca of manliness. Why? A few reasons:

-High number of NASCAR fans
-High number of BBQ restaurants
-Popularity of hunting and fishing

What other things did Sperling’s look at to decide “manliness?"

-Major league sports teams in a city, nearby NASCAR events, monster truck events and local drag racing strips, among other sports venues
-Memberships in motorcycle owner groups, bowling, hunting, woodworking, DIY home improvement
-Number of manly retail stores, such as steak houses, sports bars, general hardware stores, sportsman stores, etc.
-Percentage of houses subscribing to manly magazines

So what does all this mean to you? If you have a home for sale in Orlando with manly decor as well as surrounding attractions, you have a match made in heaven for the busy bachelor. Okay, so women like monster truck events, motorcycles and DIY, too. And, okay, so the survey is a little silly. However, if you’re trying to sell that house and are having no luck, it’s definitely something to think about.

If you’re trying to sell your home, we can help. Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.

How Can You Get Incentive Money, If You’re Not Selling Your Orlando Real Estate?

Not everybody is dealing with the worry of buying or selling Orlando real estate. Some are quite happy where they are, have no intention of moving, and selling is the last thing on their minds.

However, there are a lot of incentives out there to do something in Orlando real estate, and many are itching to dip into those incentives. So, if you’re not selling or buying, what can you do? Here are a few ideas:

Upgrades
Upgrades are something you can do to your home at any time. However, with the many government incentives out there, you can upgrade your home to be more energy efficient for less. For example, thanks to federal tax credits, you can install solar panels or a geothermal heat pump and get 30% back once you file your federal taxes.

Instead of just jumping in on upgrades, it’s best to start with an energy audit. An energy audit will tell you where your problem areas are in order of priority, as well as what incentives and credits are available to help you compensate for the cost.

In addition to getting you incentives and credits, these upgrades will raise the resale value of your home. They'll also lower your utility bills – sometimes by as much as 70%, depending on the size of the problems and the upgrades you make.

Remodeling
If you’ve always wanted to remodel, now is a great time to do it. Contractors and remodelers aren’t as busy as they have been. For you, this means the chance to save money. Bargains are available on materials, labor costs and overall remodeling costs. Be aware that there are some shady companies, so make sure you investigate before signing a contract with anyone.

Refinancing
Although refinancing isn’t the best thing to do for everyone, it’s something to look into if you’re struggling with mortgage payments. Talk to your lender and see what your choices are. If you can get better financing than you currently have, this may be a great option for you!

Just because you aren’t selling your Orlando real estate doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the down market. Look around, investigate, and see what options you have open as a homeowner to increase the property value or get the best out of the home you do have.

If you’re looking for the best upgrades and remodels to increase your home’s resale value, we can help. Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.

5 Questions to Ask Your Orlando Real Estate Agent When Selling

If you’re ready to sell your home but it’s not yet on the market, asking the right questions of your Orlando real estate agent is a good way to help your home get sold. These questions assist agents in creating a customized marketing plan for your home, as well as helping you know what to expect. The top five questions are:

1. When is the best time of year? Spring is supposedly “the” time of year to put home on the market, but it all depends on the specific area. In addition, many historic trends are completely disappearing and can’t be trusted as an indicator. Your Orlando real estate agent can help you with a good timing strategy to get the best out of your particular area.

2. What features can I accentuate? Take the time to walk through the home with your agent. Discuss with him what you’ve enjoyed about the place and listen to their suggestions as well. Together, create a list for the agent to use in his sales and marketing tactics once it goes on the market.

3. How can I de-clutter my home? Statistics show that homes sell faster and for more money when they appear roomy, clean and are clear of personal clutter. Your agent can look over your home and give you suggestions to achieve that goal.

4. What’s the bottom line price? Let your agent know what you’d like to get from the sale, as well as the lowest price you can afford to accept. Your Orlando real estate agent will evaluate your property as compared to other similar properties that have sold recently and recommend an accurate price range.

5. What do I have to disclose? You may be obligated by law to disclose certain problems about your home, as well as common insurance and utility costs. Make sure that you find out from your real estate agent exactly what you have to disclose to maintain legal compliance.

Remember, a good Orlando real estate agent is there to help you. You don’t have to do it alone, so share the responsibility.

If you want to sell your home, let us put together a custom marketing plan designed to sell your home fast and for top dollar. Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.