I remember my mother saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. iBuyer companies are getting a good deal of attention and interest because of the perceived ease and financial value as an option for selling your home. This was a great article written by Eric Lapin with Old Republic National Title Insurance Company that provides some great insights into the iBuying experience.

As a seller you typically care about an appraisal and as a buyer you typically care about an appraisal. It can be one of those universal areas of interest that can create some anxiety from either party... but is also sometimes the hardest thing to decipher. 

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. 

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. 

Thanks to Hurricane Irma, we had some roof repair needs that we had to deal with. Our first round with the insurance company resulted in a denial to pay for our roof repairs because it didn't meet the 25% rule... however, we learned later that our roof tiles were no longer being produced and that the roof repairs needed were more than originally assumed... so we decided to try again with getting the insurance company to accept the claim and cover it. During this process, we came into contact with a number of roofing companies that were willing to take the lead on helping us. It was our first experience with having to consider the Assignment of Benefits, which led to some self-initiated research that I wanted to share with others.

Because most of the properties I have been the listing agent on sell quicker than competition and often for more, I have gotten the question quite a bit on why I think that is. Since the question has come up so frequently, I thought It was worth doing a post on this very topic that seems to have others scratching their heads.