Home Buyer services are FREE!
That's right, our services are free to you because our commission is
paid by the seller. On new construction, the builder has already
included our commission in the price of the home - you pay the same with
or without a buyers agent (be represented, it's the smart way to buy).
It's never to early to start. Whether you are 2 months
from moving or 12 months, it's the right time to establish your
relationship with your agent. The more time we have to learn your
needs, the easier your search will be.
You need to be represented by a buyers agent! Find out more
about how we represent your best interest and not the sellers when you
hire us as your Buyers Agent. Contacting the listing agent by
calling on the sign puts you at risk; the listing agent cannot, by
Florida Law, represent you as a Buyers Agent because they are already
obligated to the seller. |
Steps to Buy a Home
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Attend our Home
Buyer Workshop
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Get a free, no-obligation
mortgage pre-qualification
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Register for our free
HomeFinder service. If you are already
receiving home listings by email, have the search updated to match the
loan amount you have qualified for.
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Select properties to view and schedule
a showing appointment with your agent
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After finding a home you like, your agent
will make an offer on your behalf.
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Upon acceptance, give agreed upon deposit
to be held in escrow
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Satisfy inspection conditions with the
help of your agent
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Satisfy mortgage conditions with the help
of your loan officer
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When all conditions are satisfactory,
begin packing
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The day before closing, go to your bank
and get a certified check for your down payment and closing costs.
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Sign your mortgage paperwork and take home
the keys!
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Congratulations, you are now a home owner!
We'll search all of the homes listed in
the MLS (multiple listing service), by every real estate agent, and
email you the ones that match exactly what you are looking for.
You choose the criteria...how many bedrooms, bathrooms, square
footage, garage size, pool and more...and receive all the new listings
by email. Eliminate hours of scanning
websites and get the full listing, with full color photos, in your email to look at whenever
you have time. Every week you will get the
new updates and you won't miss your dream home. Save the ones you like and
we'll make appointments to show them to you!
Register for our HouseFinder Service today...It's FREE!
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What is a condominium?
By Ilyce R. Glink
Nationally-syndicated columnist
Usually found in urban centers or densely populated suburbs, condos (as they are commonly referred to) became popular in the 1970s when state legislatures passed laws allowing their existence.
An apartment building is converted to a condominium by means of a condominium declaration (often called a "condo dec").
New construction condominiums must also have a condo dec.
This declaration divvies up the percentage of ownership, defines which areas are commonly held by all owners, determines who is responsible for the maintenance of the property, and states the condo rules.
One of the most important things to remember about a condo is that you don't actually own the unit in which you live. Instead, you own the airspace inside the walls, ceiling, and floor of the unit, possibly the plumbing within your unit, and perhaps a parking space. (With new construction condos, you sometimes have to buy your parking space separately.)
With your neighbors, you also jointly own what's known as the common elements of the property, which may include the roof, plumbing, common walls, lobby, laundry room, garden area, garden or garage.
Developers building new condos, or renovating an old apartment building to turn it into condos, may keep control of the newly formed condo board or homeowner's association, until a certain percentage of the condos have sold.
This can present some difficulty, especially if there a physical problem with the units (such as a leak) and the homeowners decide to sue the developer.
Another issue to think about is that financing new construction can be tricky. Usually, the developer hooks up with a lender to fund the loans. But the national secondary mortgage market leaders (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) require that 70 percent of the units be occupied by homeowners before they will fund a loan. So if you decide to refinance before 70 percent of the units are occupied, you may have some trouble.
(C) 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. All rights reserved. Ilyce R. Glink is a nationally-syndicated columnist, radio talk show host and the author of many books about real estate and personal finance, including 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask (3rd Ed.). For more information, visit her website, www.thinkglink.com.
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