Real Estate Agent Blog (www.BuyVacationCondos.com & www.LANDDepo.com) 407-876-5771 A website Built by Real Estate Investors for Investors Buy Vacation Condos - LAND Depo: Orlando, Florida & North Carolina investment properties and new homes for sale. Buy Orlando vacation property and investment homes in FL. Professional real estate services includes realty listings, local information and free advice for buyers and sellers
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Horror Stories to Avoid When Buying Orlando Real Estate
Exhibit A
Sheryl (name changed to protect the innocent) is exhibit A. Now, she thought she’d bought a nice house at a good price. Everything seemed to be perfect. The one place that Sheryl went wrong was forgetting to do a home inspection on that beautiful piece of Orlando real estate.
After a pleasant day of moving in, she went to take a shower. Turning on the faucet, she noticed the water pressure wasn’t what it should be. Ignoring the indications of worse yet to come, she flipped from faucet to shower. Only a few lonely, sad drips came from the showerhead. To compound the issue, she discovered that the washer didn’t have enough pressure to get her clothes clean, washing dishes was an exercise in futility and if a hose was turned on in the garden the second story toilet wouldn’t flush.
After much ado, many phone calls and two plumbers, Sheryl found that the beautiful tree in the front yard that had sealed the deal had also burst the pipes. She now had to pay to have the tree removed (it couldn’t be saved), as well as the pipe dug up and replaced. In addition, she owed the water company for all the water lost through the break.
The moral: Don’t skimp on the details just because you’re under pressure.
Exhibit B
Bob, a real estate agent (again, name changed), still loves open houses. They’re a big deal for him and he makes plenty of contacts that way. However, even Bob, who has been in the industry for years, forgot to do a last walk through before a certain open house started. Unfortunately, he and the potential buyers found an unpleasant surprise in the upstairs bathroom, deposited thoughtfully by the current owner. In trying to take care of the surprise, he found the toilet was blocked and the bathroom fan didn’t work. Needless to say, the potential buyers didn’t stick around to tour the rest of the house.
The moral: A short walk-through can save a lot of embarrassment.
With any Orlando real estate, there’s always the chance that you’ll miss something. A homebuyer’s checklist or home seller’s checklist is a great way to make sure you don’t. If you do, try to take what comes with a grain of salt, a lot of patience and as much of a smile as you can muster.
If you’re trying to find a great home without the horror, we can help. Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.
Don’t Forget to Inspect the Orlando Homes for Sale!
What can you find out from a home inspection report?
Although many people do get a home inspection, just as many have a difficult time deciphering the reports to find out what’s serious and what isn’t. To make it worse, inspections vary from state to state. Fortunately, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, who has a list of inspectors all around the United States and Canada, has a specific set of guidelines.
General Inspection
A general inspection doesn’t require a specific license. It covers such things as:
Structure – how well the walls, ceiling, foundation and more are put together
Exterior evaluation – landscaping, elevation, drainage, windows
Plumbing – Checks the condition of piping and identifies the materials used
Roof and attic – framing, flashing, gutters, ventilation
Systems – water heaters, duct work, air conditioning, chimney, furnaces, sprinklers
Garage – Slab, firewall, garage door
Appliances – including smoke detectors
Electrical – main panel, types of wiring, grounding, circuit breakers, light fixtures and more
The inspection reports will state whether the Orlando vacation homes for sale have serious health and safety issues, bad or old roofs, systems malfunctions, foundation problems, and moisture and drainage problems.
Special Inspection
Some things require a specific license for inspection. Although you may not want to spend the extra money, these things can cause the “sick house syndrome” (people getting sick a lot for no recognizable reason). These problems should not be ignored:
-Asbestos
-Radon
-Formaldehyde
-Mold, mildew and fungi
-Rodents
-Lead
-Methane
-Radiation
Some issues aren’t big and can be dealt with fairly easily. Other things, however, are expensive fixes and usually deal breakers. Before you sign closing papers on one of the Orlando vacation property for sale, get that inspection done to find out what you’re really getting.
If you’re looking for a healthy home in good condition, we can help. Call us at 407-876-5771 for more information.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Mortgage Financing for Orlando Condo Hotels, Orlando Vacation & Investment Property
Good News!
We are fully aware of the difficulty condo hotel, resort vacation condo & investment property buyers have been facing, when securing mortgage financing. Many have been forced to use all cash for their purchases.
The good news is we have a new source of financing.
NON-Warrantable Condo Loan Program
- The down payment varies depending on your credit FICO score
- The down payment varies for Second homes and Investment Properties
- Offering Interest only and Fully Amortizing Mortgages
Call us for details 407-876-5771 Free Pre Approved
Friday, August 14, 2009
Orlando Real Estate July foreclosures up 37%
RealtyTrac, an online real estate listing business, reported 7,248 Orlando foreclosures in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties last month, up from 5,286 a year earlier. The area had 6,667 foreclosures in June.
Florida’s foreclosure volume was second only to California in July as 56,486 Florida dwellings went into foreclosure during the month, rising from 45,884 in July 2008, a 23 percent increase.
Orange County had the greatest number of foreclosure activity in July with 4,150, 41.9 percent more than a year earlier. Seminole followed with 1,133, a 67 percent increase. Lake recorded 1,010 incidents of foreclosure activity, double the number last year. Osceola trailed with 955, 19 percent fewer than in July 2008.
Nationwide, the flood of foreclosure filings continued as 360,149 default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions were reported on properties in July, an increase of nearly 7 percent from the previous month and an increase of 32 percent from July 2008. The report also shows that one in every 355 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in July.
For the 31st consecutive month, Nevada recorded the nation’s highest state foreclosure rate, with one in every 56 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in July — more than six times the national average. Vermont continued to be the lowest, with only 11 foreclosure filings in July, or one for every 28,312 housing units.
The RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report provides the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing reported between January-June of this year. Data is collected from more than 2,200 counties nationwide, accounting for more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. If more than one foreclosure document is filed against a property during the period, only the most recent filing is counted in the report.
Source: Orlando business Journal - Christopher Boyd
Need to Stop Foreclosure? Want to Save your Credit? We may have a solution - Florida Short Sale Center
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
New Search Tool: Orlando Investment Property - Orlando Vacation Property
Thursday, June 04, 2009
5 Characteristics You Want Your Orlando Real Estate Agents to Possess
When buying a home, of course everyone wants to work with a dynamic real estate agent. But sometimes, it's hard to know not only what talents you want in a real estate agent but also what you really need. While Orlando real estate agents differ, there are five traits you definitely want the agent you choose to work with to embody.
- Marketing skills – You need to work with an agent who knows the ins and outs of real estate marketing. If you have a house to sell, your agent should know how to market your home both online and offline. If you're buying a home, your agent should be aware of the latest and greatest homes on the market.
- Negotiating flair – Once you decide on a property, you don't want to overspend. A good agent will have the skills to get you the best deal around. With a good negotiator, you can have peace of mind knowing you won't be taken advantage of.
- Experience – This is understood. If you're working with Orlando real estate agents, you want them to be experienced. While there are some good people who are just getting started, nothing beats years of on-the-job training.
- Good listening skills – If an agent doesn't listen to exactly what you want, then there's no way he or she can give you the service you deserve. An agent with excellent listening skills is necessary if you want your goals met.
- Dedication – No matter how much experience or skills an agent has, it's essential that you choose someone who is ready to put in the time and commitment needed to get your deal done.
There are many Orlando real estate agents from which to choose. And you'll want to interview several agents to figure out the one who's right for you. We would be honored if you'd allow us to interview for the job of representing you as a buyer or seller.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Florida Muitiple Listing Service - Statewide Florida MLS Search
All types Florida properties are included both new and resale: Florida Single Family Homes, Florida Condos, Florida Lofts, Florida Penthouses & Towers, Florida Town Homes, Florida Condo Hotels, Florida Vacation Income Properties, Florida Active Adult, Florida Lots, Florida Homesites & Florida Land.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Distress Homeowner Solution - Orlando Short Sales
Stop Foreclosure & Save Your Credit
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Website of Interest Toronto Real Estate Listings
Find all you need for toronto real estate listings, this is a top rated, quality website we recommend highly.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Two new Top Orlando Real Estate Blogs
Topic Covered:
Orlando area Real Estate Blog - This website Blog is operated by a dedicated team of full time real estate associates who live in and service the Greater Orlando Area. This group of Top Producers have decades of experience to draw upon that will assist with any clients situation. Whether you are Looking to Buy or Looking to Sell, the Orlando Real Estate Associates can help.
Orlando Short Sales and Foreclosure Blog - We are a team of licensed Realtors and loss mitigation experts in Orlando who specialize in foreclosures, pre-foreclosures and the short sales of all types of property. There is much interest in the various stages of distressed properties these days. A lot of information, some good and some bad, is floating around. Our goal is to help provide some clarity and guidance on this complex subject.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Florida Short Sale Center - Florida Short Sale Rgents
Florida Short Sale Agents – Florida Short Sale Realty
Stop Foreclosure and Save your Credit with a Short Sale
A short sale can help people who are behind on their mortgage payments, can no longer afford their homes, but want to avoid foreclosure regardless of good or bad credit. We have a team of certified short sale specialists, who can offer foreclosure prevention services and will negotiate with your lender to help save your credit.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Orlando Bargains: Orlando Bank Foreclosures, REO's & Short Sales
There's more evidence that buyers who'd been sitting on the sidelines are now jumping into the housing market: The Mortgage Bankers Association of America reports that in its national survey last week, applications for new, conventional loans to buy houses jumped by eleven percent -- and applications for FHA insured mortgages were up by seventeen percent!
If you're thinking about picking up steeply-discounted real estate and financing it with cut-rate mortgage money -- you just might want to lock in your deals sooner, rather than later. More
Source: Realty Times
Real Estate Outlook: Buyers Off the Sidelines
by Kenneth R. Harney
Published: June 19, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Orlando Vacation Homes & Orlando Vacation Property for Sale
Most Popular Orlando Vacation Home Resort Communities
These communities experience superior rental demand which results in superior occupancy and thus cash flow. Another thing these vacation resorts have in common is full array of amenities that over recent years Orlando travelers have come to expect. Things like manned gated security, elaborate community pools and club houses, video arcades, high speed internet access, children playgrounds, fitness centers, tennis and more. Also very important feature the most popular Orlando vacation communities share is their close ideal proximity to various Orlando theme parks such as Disney, national brand restaurants, grocery stores, shopping ect…
Below are examples and prices of recent inventory in the most popular Orlando Vacation home communities -
· Emerald Island: Town Homes from $140K, Single Family Homes from $290K
· Windsor Hills: Condos from $185K, Town Homes from $230K, Single Family Homes from $400K
· Windsor Palms: Condos from $160K, Town Homes from $190K, Single Family Homes from $295K
· Terra Verde: Town Homes from $150K, Single Family Homes from $280K
Other Resort Communities include:
Acadia Estates, Aviana, Bella Toscana, Calabay Parc, Cumbrian Lakes, Emerald Island, Encantada, Formosa Gardens, Glenbrook, Hampton Lakes, High Grove, Highlands Reserve, Indian Creek, Legacy Park, Lindfields, Mission Park, Oak Island Cove, Orange Tree, Rolling Hills, Sandy Ridge, Seasons, Seven, Dwarfs, Solana, Somerset, Sunrise Lakes, Sunset Ridge, Tera Verde, The Hamlet, The Palms, Tivoli Manor, Villa Sol, Vista Cay, Tuscan Ridge, Tuscan Hills, Westbury, Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Windwood Bay
Orlando MLS Search - Florida MLS Search
Orlando MLS: All types of Orlando - Kissimmee Area properties are included both new and resale: Orlando Single Family Homes, Orlando Condos, Orlando Lofts, Orlando Penthouses & Towers, Orlando Town Homes, Orlando Condo Hotels, Orlando Vacation Income Properties, Orlando Active Adult, Orlando Lots, Orlando Homesites & Orlando Land.
Orlando – Kissimmee Metro Service Area: Altamonte Springs, Altoona, Apopka, Astatula, Astor Belle, Astor, Belle Isle, Casselberry, Celebration, Christmas, Chuluota, Clermont, Davenport, Dr. Phillips, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Geneva, Gotha, Grand Island, Groveland, Harmony, Howey in the Hills, Kissimmee, Lady Lake, Lake Mary, Leesburg, Longwood, Maitland, Mascotte, Montverde, Mt. Dora, Mt. Plymouth, Oakland, Ocoee, Orlando, Oviedo, Paisley, Poinciana, Reunion, Sanford, Sorrento, St. Cloud, Tangerine, Tavares, The Villages, Umatilla, Windermere, Winter Garden, Winter Park & Winter Springs.
Florida MLS: All types of Florida properties are included both new and resale: Florida Single Family Homes, Florida Condos, Florida Lofts, Florida Penthouses & Towers, Florida Town Homes, Florida Condo Hotels, Florida Vacation Income Properties, Florida Active Adult, Florida Lots, Florida Homesites & Florida Land.
Search all Florida Metro Areas: Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Fort Walton Beach – Crestview – Destin, Gainesville, Homosassa Springs, Jacksonville, Key West – Marathon, Lake City, Lakeland, Miami – Fort Lauderdale – Miami Beach, Naples – Marco Island, Ocala, Okeechobee, Orlando – Kissimmee, Palatka, Palm Bay – Melbourne - Titusville, Palm Coast, Panama City – Lynn Haven, Panama City – Lynn Haven, Pensacola – Ferry Pass – Brent, Port St. Lucie – Fort Piece, Punta Gorda, Sarasota – Bradenton – Venice, Sebring, Tallahassee, Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, The Villages, Vero Beach, Wauchula.
Our Exclusive Buyer Profile System saves you Time and Money. Simply enter your criteria below and get priority access to ALL homes that match your criteria, including Bank Foreclosures, Company Owned Properties and other Distress Sales.
No more wasted time looking at out-dated information in newspapers or searching the internet. Priority access means you're there first before other buyers, so you can negotiate the lowest possible price and your time is not wasted viewing homes that don't interest you.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Florida & North Carolina: top 4 places to live
Florida continues to be one of the most desirable places to live in the U.S. Second only to California in 2007, Florida has remained one the top 3 states since this Harris Poll began. Orlando and Miami were named among the top cities where people would choose to live. Harris Interactive, September 2007)
Florida's state park system is one of the largest in the country with 161 parks spanning more than 700,000 acres and 100 miles of beaches.
Easy access to the beach seems to be a key factor in deciding which state people would choose to live. According to a new Harris Poll, California remains number 1 this year, followed by Florida, which moved up from number three and Hawaii, which has dropped from number two. Florida has been in the top three ever since this question was first asked in 1997. When it comes to which city people would live in, New York City comes in as number one for the ninth time (out of the last 10 opportunities), San Diego, CA moves up one spot to second and Seattle, WA also moves up one place to be the third most popular city.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll®, a nationwide survey of 2,694 adults conducted online between August 7 and 13, 2007 by Harris Interactive®.
The next most popular states in which people would like to live are: North Carolina (#4, remaining the same as last year); Colorado (#5, moving up from #7); Texas (#6, dropping from #5); New York (#7, moving up from #8); Arizona (#8, moving up from #9); and Oregon (#9, moving up from #10). Three states are tied for the tenth spot on this list: Washington (was #6 last year); Tennessee (was #11 last year) and Virginia (was #12 last year).
Orlando Florida Real Estate North carolina Real Estate Orlando Realty
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Orlando FL 5th - Wilmington NC 2nd : Best Performing Cities 2007
1. Ocala, Florida (13)
About the Best Performing Cities Index: The Index ranks U.S. metros based on their ability to create and sustain jobs. It includes both long-term (five years) and short-term (one year) measurements of employment and salary growth. There are also four measurements of technology output growth, which are included because of technology’s crucial role in regional economic growth. This year’s Index was sponsored by Greenstreet Real Estate Partners.
Friday, September 21, 2007
New Florida Mortgage Web Site - Access Florida Mortgages
New Orlando Real Estate Web Site - Orlando Realty Experts
Remember our buyer representative services are free to you... Zero Cost
Monday, July 02, 2007
Rebate Orlando Florida - 2% Orlando Commission Rebate
Altamonte Springs, Altoona, Apopka, Astatula, Astor Belle, Astor, Belle Isle, Casselberry, Christmas, Chuluota, Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Geneva, Gotha, Grand Island, Groveland, Harmony, Howey in the Hills, Kissimmee, Lady Lake, Lake Mary, Leesburg, Longwood, Maitland, Mascotte, Montverde, Mt. Dora, Mt. Plymouth, Oakland, Ocoee, Orlando, Oviedo, Paisley, Poinciana, Reunion, Sanford, Sorrento, St. Cloud, Tangerine, Tavares, The Villages, Umatilla, Windermere, Winter Garden, Winter Park, Winter Springs
Hardee County, Highlands County, Lake County, Marion County, Okeechobee County, Orange County, Osceola County, Polk County, Seminole County, Sumter County
Here is a partial list of new home builders; we participate with all new home builders across the state of Florida.
New Home Builders – Partial List
ABD Development
Alvarez Homes
American Heritage Homes
America’s Homes
AR Homes
Arlington Homes LLC
Arvida
Arthur Rutenburg
Ashton Woods Homes
Avatar Homes
Avid Builders
Beazer Homes
Borvis
Cahill Custom Homes
Cambridge Homes
Centex Homes
Chadwell Homes
Charles Steffy Homes
Custom Craft Homes
David Weekly Homes
Deluca Homes
Derrick Builders
DR Horton
Engineered Homes
Engle Homes
Fox and Jacobs Homes
Grandview Homes
Greater Homes
Hannah Bartoletta Homes
Howard Builders
Issa Homes
Inland Homes
J & J Development
Jones-Clayton Builders Jordan
Edventures
KB Homes
Kelly Homes
Landstar Homes
Lennar Homes
Levitte & Sons Homes
Lexington Homes
Marc Rutenberg Homes
Masterpiece Homes
Mecedes Homes
M/I Homes
Morrison Homes
Nohl Crest Homes
Park Square Homes
Paytas Homes
Pulte Homes
Renar Homes
Rottlund Homes
Ryland Homes
Shamrock Homes
Southern Crafted
Suarez Housing
Sunrise Homes
Suntec Homes
TransEastern Homes
Triple Crown Homes
Westfield Homes
Whitemark Homes
Windjammer Homes
Winward Homes
US Home
US Home Rutenberg
Florida Buyers Rebate - 2% Rebates on Florida New Homes
Limited to New Homes, New Construction & PreConstruction Purchases
Now is a great time to consider new construction. In a buyers market like we are experiencing now, Builders, like sellers, have rolled out creative ways to sell their properties, including Buyer Incentives, upgrade packages and very competitive financing. Why not take advantage of the terrific deals on new construction in Florida?
Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Fort Walton Beach – Crestview – Destin, Gainesville, Homosassa Springs, Jacksonville, Key West – Marathon, Lake City, Lakeland, Miami – Fort Lauderdale – Miami Beach, Naples – Marco Island, Ocala, Okeechobee, Orlando – Kissimmee, Palatka, Palm Bay – Melbourne - Titusville, Palm Coast, Panama City – Lynn Haven, Panama City – Lynn Haven, Pensacola – Ferry Pass – Brent, Port St. Lucie – Fort Piece, Punta Gorda, Sarasota – Bradenton – Venice, Sebring, Tallahassee, Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, The Villages, Vero Beach, Wauchula
Central Florida New Home Communities in:
Hardee County, Highlands County, Lake County, Marion County, Okeechobee County, Orange County, Osceola County, Polk County, Seminole County, Sumter County
Central East Florida New Homes in:
Brevard County, Indian River County, Martin County, Saint Lucie County, Volusia County
Central West Florida New Homes in:
Citrus County, Desoto County, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas Count, Sarasota County
Northeast Florida New Homes:
Alachua County, Baker County, Bradford County, Clay County, Columbia County, Duval County, Flagler County, Nassau County, Putnam County, Saint Johns County, Union County
Northwest Florida New Homes & Townhomes in:
Bay County, Calhoun County, Dixie County, Escambia County, Franklin County, Gadsden County, Gilchrist County, Gulf County, Hamilton County, Holmes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lafayette County, Leon County, Levy County, Liberty County, Madison County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Suwannee County, Taylor County, Wakulla County, Walton County, Washington County
Southeast Florida New Real estate In:
Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County
Southwest Florida New Construction in:
Charlotte County, Collier County, Glades County, Hendry County, Lee County, Monroe County