4 Upgrades that can help you lower your homeowner’s insurance cost

Posted on by Arona A.
reduce your insurance premium

Homeowners’ insurance premiums continue to rise each year. Here are some simple ways to not only lower your insurance premium, but they can also increase your property value.

  1. Do you have a bad roof that’s been leaking, has rotting wood, and is as old as you are? Did you know that insurers offer discounts for roof upgrades? Talk to your insurance agent and see what discounts are available with a new roof.
  2. Storm-Safe Windows and Doors can increase the value of your home, but it can also help you reduce your insurance premiums. Talk with your insurance agent to see what discounts are available to you.
  3. Install a Home Security System. This is an upgrade that’s relatively cheap and can reduce your insurance premium. Talk to your insurance agent.
  4. A Water shutoff device is another easy device that you can install which can help reduce your insurance premium. This device will alert you of moisture or leaks in places that shouldn’t have water. Talk with your insurance agent to see what discounts are available.

These are just a few of the things that can help you lower your insurance premiums. Don’t forget to contact your insurance agent when you get these upgrades to update your policy.

Is Buying a Condo Right for you?

Posted on by Arona A.
Is buying a condo right for you in florida

So you’re thinking about buying a condo? Buying a condo can make sense for most people! It’s great for retirees, singles, couples, and for 2nd homes or vacation homes.

Consider these before buying a Condo.

Is Condo living right for everyone? A Condo may offer many advantages as well as disadvantages. Here are some Pros and Cons to look at before you decide to buy a Condo.

  • Condo living is somewhat like apartment living. Not a lot of parking available for friends and family when they visit.
  • If you want privacy then Condo living is not for you.
  • Consider the extra fees that are charged for amenities whether you use them or not (pool, clubhouse, gym, game room, etc). Fees for maintenance such as yard work, upkeep for anything outside of your Condo.
  • Little or no yard space. Forget about those backyard BBQs with friends and family.

On the other hand, most Condo communities offer a lot of amenities for those who want to take advantage of them.

  • Amenities include Work out Rooms, Pools, Clubhouse, get together with neighbors, and more.
  • There is the convenience factor
  • If you like people and love to interact with your neighbors then this will be a great atmosphere for you. There is a sense of community in Condo living
  • No Yardwork ever again! Someone else takes care of the maintenance.

Living the Condo life may not be for everyone. If you love that Condo lifestyle there are lots of great Condos available in the Tampa Bay Florida area.

If you are ready to start your Condo search contact your local Realtor for more information on what’s available.

Why Investing In Florida is a Good Idea!

Posted on by Arona A.
  • Is Buying in Florida a good investment?

Buying real estate in Florida is a great investment. Not only is it a place where everyone wants to vacation. Florida has beautiful weather, that low key lifestyle, lots of attractions for the whole family.

Another attraction is Florida has no income tax.

In Florida, we have had a lot of real estate development, and that’s great for investment buyers because the prices of homes are still reasonable.

We have a strong demand for rental properties, condos, single-family homes. We have vacationers looking for options to rent besides staying at hotels.

Finding homes for investors and second home buyers
  • What are some good places to buy investment properties in Florida?

Some great places to buy an investment property in Florida are Tampa, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Kenneth City, Seminole, Largo, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Belleair, Dunedin, and Orlando.

If you are looking to invest contact us for some great investment properties.

Your Home Buying Checklist

Posted on by Arona A.
Are you a home buyer in Pinellas County, Florida
  1. Separating your wants -vs- your needs.

Here are a few tips for home buyers that are shopping for houses. How to narrow down your search.

  • What do you need in a Home?
  • What do you want in a Home?

Before you even start shopping think about what you actually need in the home for you and your family. There is a huge difference in what you want compared to what you need. If you work from home all the time you may need a home office. If you work from home once a week you can also say I need a home office. Is a home office really necessary if you only work once a week from home? The bigger the home, the more expensive, so it helps to break down needs versus wants.

Arona McGinley Realtor in Tampa florida

2. Be realistic about your finances

Look at your finances, determine what you can afford to spend monthly for your mortgage. Do you have money for a down payment? Do you have money for escrow? This will determine what price range of homes you can afford.

3. Talk to Lenders, get pre-approved.

This is a letter from a lender that you give to the sellers to show that you are serious about buying their home. It says that the lender is committed to lending you this much to purchase their home.

Once you determine that you are ready to be a homeowner talk with a Realtor about market conditions. This is one of the biggest investments don’t just wing it.


Why is the Appraisal so critical to your real estate transaction?

Posted on by Arona A.
Arona McGinley Realtor in Tampa florida

Did you know that the appraisal can make or break your real estate sale? The appraiser works for the bank, not the seller or the buyer.

In real estate transactions, we have 3 significant players – the buyer, the seller, and the lender. The Appraiser is the eyes of the lender in the field. An Appraiser plays a vital role in every real estate transaction.

For example, we have a real estate transaction of a sale price of $300,000. The buyer is putting 10% down which is $30,000. He is getting a loan in the amount of $270,000. Everyone so far thinks this home is worth $300,000, obviously, the buyer thinks this because he made an offer for the sale price of $300,000.

The lender now sends the Appraiser out to the home to get an appraisal of what the home is worth. Here is where it can become pretty tricky. When the appraiser goes out here are a few things that can happen:

  1. The appraiser determines that the value of the home is higher than the sales price, maybe its $305,000 instead of $300,000. This is great news because we can go ahead with our transaction.
  2. The appraiser, appraisers the value of the home at $300,000 which is the sales price. Excellent! We move ahead with the transaction.
  3. The appraiser values that home lower than the sales price for example $290,000. This becomes a problem for all parties involved. A couple of things can happen here which is not so great for the parties involved.
  • The Lender can still lend the buyer the money to purchase the home but only for $290,000, not the $300,000 sale price.
  • The seller can either eat the $10,000 and sell the home for $290,000 instead of $300,000. This can sometimes happen, where the seller comes down to the new appraisal price.
  • The buyer can buy the home at $300,000 but would have to bring additional money to the table. You can see this happening in a seller’s market. The loan is now $290,000 with a down payment of $29,0000, the loan amount would be $261,000. The buyer has to bring an extra $10,000 to purchase the home at $300,000.
  • The last thing that can happen is that the whole transaction blows up because neither party is willing to negotiate.

You can see how the Appraiser is vital to a real estate transaction. It does not matter what the buyer or the seller thinks the home is worth. It matters what the Appraiser thinks…that’s what counts!

Home Purchasing Costs & Fees

Posted on by Arona A.

Here are some of the costs that you will have when purchasing a home in Florida.