Second Home Buyers

Posted on by Arona A.
Finding homes for investors and second home buyers

Are you thinking of buying a second home or an investment home?

Why Should you Invest In Florida?

Florida is listed as the number one vacation destination. If you have extra cash this would be a great place to invest in a second home or even a home that you can rent out and make some extra cash.

There are many reasons that Florida is so attractive

  • The lifestyle of Florida is an attraction to people living up north. You can enjoy outdoor activities all year round, and even hang out at the beach in December.
  • Waterfront properties are accessible to buyers looking for that water view. You can invest in condos, townhouses, and single-family homes. This is something that can be an advantage if you decide to rent out your home to vacation goers. There is a strong demand for rentals close to the water.
  • Florida is a very popular vacation destination. Whether you are vacationing with your family or you’re single, there is something for everyone here. Buying a home and renting it out when you’re not using it, can give you some extra income. There are many property management companies that can take care of all the day to day services for a very reasonable fee.
  • Here in Florida property taxes is slightly lower than many other states. This depends on what county or city you may decide to purchase your home.

Finding The Right Property in Florida

When considering to purchase your home you will first have to consider what is your intention or the purpose of this home. If you are a snowbird then you will be using your Florida home during the winter months, and you can rent it out during the summer to friends, family or vacation goers. Are you planning on using a maintenance company to oversee everything? Is the income from the rental important, for example, will it be helping to pay the mortgage. These are things you will want to consider if you plan on using your home as a rental.

Some counties and cities have certain rental restrictions. Consider these rental restrictions when searching for an investment property. Some areas have restrictions such as rental agreements that can be no less than 30 days. These restrictions can affect how much rental income you can earn.

If this is an investment property you want to consider a location that is attractive to vacation goers. Think about getting something about 15 mins from the beach or close to popular entertainment districts. Your rental will generate more income if it’s in a popular location with vacation goers.

Make a list of all your must-haves when searching for your property. Don’t rush into something that you may not be happy with in the future. Ask lots of questions and take notes. If you need help with finding your property I am available to help you with buying or selling your property. Contact Arona at 727-422-9340.



Buyers Handbook

Posted on by Arona A.
Mortgage application tampa bay florida


Preparing For Your Purchase

What is a Pre-Approval letter

Posted on by Arona A.

Why should home buyers have a pre-approval letter before they start searching for homes?

A pre-approval letter is basically a document from a lender that indicates how much the lender would be willing to lend you to buy a home.  By having this letter a seller will view you as being more of a serious buyer when you place an offer on their home.

 

Financing Your New Home

Posted on by Arona A.

The whole home buying process is filled with head-scratching questions, but most particularly when it’s time to choose a home loan. To help clear up the confusion, here are some of the most common mortgage questions home buyers ask—and experts’ answers.

Trusting A Realtor With Your Biggest Investment.

Posted on by Arona A.
real estate agent

Home Sweet Home! Most people would say that in your lifetime your biggest financial investment would be your home. I would say that is true, that the biggest financial investment most of us Americans will make in our lifetime is buying a home. If that is the case when selling or buying a home who do you trust with the biggest financial investment of your lifetime?

As a homeowner myself, it’s very difficult to just trust anyone with such a huge transaction. Many of us have saved for most of our lives to have enough money to have a down payment for our dream home. Even if it’s not our dream home, it could be just a place that we want to call home, until we can afford our dream home.

You need a Realtor for this transaction, whether you are buying or selling a home. This will be something you want to do right the first time. Buying and selling a home includes tons of technical documents and having a realtor to help you navigate through this without making major mistakes is a lifesaver and can be less costly to you.

Who do you want working for you?

When interviewing an agent you want to go with the one that is not afraid of being honest with you. An agent should go above and beyond for their client, as long as it’s legal. I would say an agent that puts their clients before their commission is a keeper. Realtors have inside knowledge about pricing for neighborhoods and can direct you to a neighborhood that you may not have heard of, but one that will fit your needs and with your perfect home.

Realtors are trained to negotiate to get the best deal for you, whether you’re buying or selling your home. You may not be the only buyer looking at a particular home. A Realtor can help you negotiate whether their are contingencies or other factors to deal with.

Putting your house on the market, then get a Realtor, the more people that see your home the better chance of selling it faster and for a better price. Once you list with a Realtor you have your home listed on many websites where buyers are able to view all the information and photos of your listing.

Before you agent leaves your home and before you sign that contract, you should know what to expect from your agent. How he or she will communicate with you. Whether on a daily basis every couple of days etc. You should understand what will happen once your home is sold . He or she should have gone over the contract so that you understand exactly who will see your home and where will it be seen, whether through online website and which ones.

Marketing should be your main focus. If the agent is not marketing your home properly then no one will see it and it will not sell as quickly as you may want it to. Your agent should provide you with a detailed marketing plan or strategy on how to sell your home. And how they will show your home.

Just remember not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A Realtor is someone who belongs to the National Association of Realtors®. Realtors are held to a higher ethical standard than licensed agents and follow the Realtors® Code of Ethics. Realtors also have access to the MLS.

Realtors want to work with their clients to get the best outcome for their listings. We wear a lot of different hats through out the whole process of selling or buying a home. Our job is to make sure that our client is happy and is getting the best deal possible. We hold our client’s hand through out this whole emotional process and we want to make this process an easy one for them. It’s a job we don’t take lightly.

So when thinking about hiring a Realtor, don’t think about the commission they will be making. Realtors work hard and earn their commission. Realtors pay out of their pocket for marketing, spend time researching listings, driving around, doing showings, taking professional photos/videos and being on call for you at all times. We take pride in what we do.


If you want to buy or sell a home, it’s important to know if it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. Here’s how.

Posted on by Arona A.
Buyers or sellers market

Buyer’s Market Definition

A buyer’s market occurs when the supply (available properties for sale) exceeds demand (the number of buyers seeking to purchase properties). If you’re buying a new home, a buyer’s market is the ideal time to make your move. You might be able to buy a great home for a lower cost than you would in a seller’s market.

If you’re trying to sell your property in a buyer’s market, your home may remain on the market longer before you’re able to secure a buyer due to the large number of available properties. You may also have to lower your listing price or make other concessions in order to secure a buyer.

Seller’s Market Definition

A seller’s market occurs when demand exceeds supply, or there are more buyers seeking to purchase properties than there are available homes on the market. This often leads to multiple buyers interested in a single property, resulting in bidding wars. A seller’s market is a fantastic time to sell your home as you could secure a sale price that’s higher than your listing price, or at least more than your bottom line (the lowest price you’d be willing to accept for your home).

If you’re buying a home in a seller’s market, be aware that the seller has the advantage. If other buyers are interested in the same property you’re making an offer on, trying to get a lower sale price probably won’t work to your advantage. In fact, you could lose the opportunity to purchase the property altogether if a competing buyer makes a higher offer. Seller’s markets are sometimes called “renter’s markets” for this reason; sometimes potential buyers need to keep renting until they can save up a higher down payment and compete with other buyers in the market.

What Is My House Worth?

How to Determine If It’s a Buyer’s Market vs. Seller’s Market

The real estate market goes up and down depending on the season. There are usually a lot more homes for sale in the summer months (June – August) than any other time of year. That means that it could be a seller’s market in the winter but a buyer’s market in the summer. Whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market also depends on the area. Cities with a lot of available jobs and growing industries will often be a seller’s market, while those with struggling economies will be a buyer’s market.

One way to determine if it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market is to look at inventory, or the number of homes for sale. If inventory is low, it is most likely a seller’s market. If the current level is below 0%, that means that there are fewer homes for sale now than during this time last year, and it could be a seller’s market in your area.

Buying & Selling in Different Types of Markets

A local real estate agent will be able to come up with a strategy for getting the best deal, whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. If you’re selling, they’ll know how high of a price to ask for, and if you’re buying, they’ll know what you need to offer in order to compete with other potential homebuyers (or sway the homeowner to accept a lower price).

Article taken from Redfin.com