Most of the time it is pretty straight forward who needs to sign listing agreements and sales contracts for real estate transactions. But, what do you do when a property is owned as an LLC? This is a topic that requires legal guidance. Since I am not qualified to give legal advise, we will defer to the experts in this area. Sam Saad, a local real estate attorney, has shared some great guidance in this article he published today. His contact information is at the bottom of the article should you have any further questions on this topic.

How many different insurances are there with home purchases... home insurance, title insurance, mortgage insurance? In my last article, I shared information about Mortgage Insurance, which is in place to protect the lender. In this article, we will talk about Title Insurance, which is in place to protect the buyer.

Mortgage Insurance is a topic most people have heard of but many don't understand. What is mortgage insurance? Who pays for mortgage insurance? Is mortgage insurance required? Who does mortgage insurance protect? These and other questions are answered in this article.

It wasn't uncommon that there was a "natural" progression to everyone's home buying activity. You would start with something smaller that might work for you as an individual or a couple... a starter home it was called. Then you would work your way up as your family composition and financial situation changed. But, do you need to follow that same path or could you make your dream home your starter home?

You searched high and low to find the ideal home for you. You've been through all the steps to get to the closing table and are inches away from owning your slice of paradise. One of the final steps  in the real estate purchase process is to conduct a final walk through. Most buyers have heard of a final walk through but does everyone fully understand what purpose it serves and how to ensure it is protecting your interests.

I had a buyer who had the property in a trust set up under his wife. He was not included at all in the trust and didn't understand why he was required to sign any contracts (listing, sales, etc) related to that property. They needed to sign off on property related contracts because In Florida, when a married couple purchases property, they have homestead rights to the property after the other's death.  --Under Florida law a surviving spouse’s rights in the couple’s marital homestead residence are spelled out in Art. X, § 4(c) of the Florida Constitution, and F.S. 732.401--. 

Because they have legal rights to the property, they must sign off on contractual commitments related to that property. Starting in 2018, there is now a waiver provision that is available to married couples who may not wish to have the property convey to the other spouse at death.

In today's age of technology, it is scary to think about how accessible our information is and how many different places our information is stored. During the home buying process, you will be providing a good deal of highly sensitive information about yourself, so it is important to take extra precautions to minimize the risk of this information falling into the wrong hands and being misused.  This infographic provides some key things you can do to stay ahead of the game in this area.

I get asked by nearly every buyer I work with about lenders I would recommend. Certainly, I have created a short list of those that my customers have had great success with when it comes to rates, fees, responsiveness and customer service, but I always give them more than one to choose from. This is important because every situation is different and each lender has different lending options available. Here are some questions that can help you pick the best lender for your needs.

Living in Florida often means that the outdoor space is even more important to home shoppers because of the emphasis on indoor/outdoor living. 

Whether you are considering selling in the future or not, it is still a good idea to have a sense of ROI (return on investment) for outdoor improvement projects. Here is a great infographic to share some of the improvements that have the highest ROI.

If you ever need recommendations for service providers that do this or other household related work, give me a call and I am happy to help you.

Does home staging really make a difference in the ability to sell homes? Absolutely. Not only does it help them sell but it often helps them sell more quickly and for more money. Here is a great infographic to convey some key information about staging.

If you are considering selling your home, make sure to ask me about the $1,000 contribution I make towards staging for my sellers.