When I am working with buyers, there are a number of decisions we will step through between deciding to look for a new home and closing on that new home. One of those points along that continuum is determining how the to-be owners wish to take title. Some of you may think... well how many different ways can you take title? And thanks to my valued partner at First American Title, here is a resource that will help you understand what your options are.

Whether you need a home appraisal done as part of your home sale or as part of a refinancing process, making sure that your home shows its best for appraisals is important because you want to ensure that what you or someone else is paying for your home is fully recognized. This is one of the more unpredictable parts of the process and can cause anxiety and sometimes even frustration. This article provides some pointers on how to prepare for your appraisal to help increase the odds that your homes value will be appreciated and acknowledged. 

Living in Naples, Florida (Southwest Florida) means we are headed into the rainy season, which also means a chance of Hurricanes. Although there was an eleven year period between the most recent Hurricane Irma and the one prior, it is always good to be prepared each year. Here is some helpful hurricane preparation guidance provided by a local insurance company, Responsive Insurance, that I work with closely.

In Southwest Florida, furnished home purchases are much more common than in other parts of the US. This is due to the strong second home / vacation home market in the area. The thought of walking into a furnished home may seem ideal and easy, especially if you really like the furnishings. However, how to handle the furniture in the transaction is worth careful consideration.

One thing I hear often causes a little anxiety for buyers and sellers is that you don't see your final settlement statements until a few days before closing. Given that this is an important transaction with significant financial implications, people are anxious when they can't see the final financials until so close to closing. Certainly, lenders can provide estimates of their fees and costs and title companies can provide estimates of other closing costs, but some things (taxes, HOA fees, etc) may not be available until closer to closing, which is why it is delayed. In addition to having the amounts, people are often also curious about what all the different fees are. Here is a quick guide to try to help with that. 

In March 2019, The National Association of Realtors shared the top 15 improvements to homes that helped earn top dollar and quicker sales. Given that any of us who may be considering a home sale now or in the future would certainly want to get top dollar and sell quicker, I wanted to share those with you. Read on to learn more about what those 15 improvements are.

Getting a showing usually comes as a result of great photographs, well priced property and descriptions that appeal. But, getting them to come see the home in person is just the start. Once they are there, there are some things that can cause their interest to stop or stall. 

There are so many things involved in purchasing or selling a home and sometimes we take for granted and assume that everyone understands all these terms as they relate to their real estate transaction. Here are some of the more common terms to  provide a good foundation.

Do you own waterfront property in Southwest Florida that you are considering selling? Here are five considerations that are to help you prepare for such a sale to make sure you maximize your home sale launch on the market to result in the successful sale. 

You have property that you need to sell but you also need to minimize carrying costs... It can be a tough situation to be in as you are torn between renting it out to tenants for some offsetting income or biting the bullet and putting it on the market to try to sell as quickly as possible. For some, it can be attractive to get that rental in come while you try to sell it or may even be necessary. Having tenants has been shown to make it tougher to sell a home, but if you have no other option, here are some tips to help minimize any adverse impact on selling your home.