You set a budget and start shopping for your next dream home. After countless showings you just can't seem to find that special home that fits the bill. You start walking through trade-offs and which home can come closest to being a good fit... but the reality is you feel like the compromises are too great. If only that perfect home for you was on the market for you to snatch up. If you are coming up empty, perhaps you should think about one that has a majority of what you want but with some renovations it could be the one. Now you have to figure out how to fund those improvements if you don't have a bundle of money sitting in the corner waiting for you to spend it on home renovations.

In a competitive market where inventory is low and demand is high, every buyer is assessing how to make their offer the most attractive. It's no secret that sellers prefer offers that not only provide the best financial upside, but deals that are most likely to close without issue. As such, every contingency that is included in an offer is an additional risk to the seller which makes clean, simple offers with cash most attractive in many cases. So, what do you do to make your offer competitive when you need a mortgage to purchase a home? 

There are so many things to be aware of when it comes to buying and selling real estate. One topic that most buyers and sellers are not experts on is the topic of permits. The lack of knowledge on this topic can cause challenges in the buying and/or selling process. Given the potential legal nature of this, getting attorney guidance is important. Below is some guidance shared from one of our area real estate attorney's, Don Ross, related to un-permitted work and how that is handled.

Effective October 1st, there are new changes being implemented that affect flood insurance guidelines and costs. Are you familiar with the high-points of these changes? Matt Nance from Responsive Insurance has provided some a nice, high-level summary to give important insights on this change that is just around the corner.

In a sea of nearly 7,000 real estate agents in just Naples, Florida alone, how are you supposed to choose the right real estate agent for such an important life event. We'd like to share the top 10 reasons the Renee Hahn group might be the right fit for you.

You have made the decision, you are ready to find the home of your dreams. Before you get too deep into your search, it is always best to connect with a lender to help guide you to setting your purchase budget. This will save you time and headaches and make your search go smooth. It will also prepare you to make competitive and winning offers. Selecting the right lender for you is important. Let's look at some questions to help you on that path.

The home inspection process is an opportunity for discovery... to provide buyers insights about the condition of the home as a part of their home buying decision making. A study of 50,000 home inspections were analyzed and results summarized on RepairPricer.com. These are national findings and give you some insights into the more common findings.

Naples is known to attract home buyers looking for a golf lifestyle because we have over 90 championship courses in town. If you are going to consider golf communities, it is important to understand some up front overview information. This 15-minute video provider some good insights to get you started.

FIRPTA? I know, that sounds like you should say excuse me after you say this out loud. Perhaps you have never heard of FIRTPA or perhaps you have but haven't a clue what it is or how it could possible relate to real estate. FIRPTA stands for The Foreign Investor Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) and requires non-residents to pay a 15% withholding tax on the sale of any U.S. Real Property Interest.  Even if you are not a Foreign Investor you should be aware of what this is because it could impact you if you the person on the other side of a sale or purchase is.