home buying: Don’t Be Surprised by Closing Costs when Buying a Home in South FL - 08/14/17 07:07 AM
Do you know how much your home purchase is really going to cost you? Hopefully, you have already done some calculations to figure out what price range is within your budget. But you don’t want to forget to about the cash you’ll need up upfront to secure your new purchase.
Closing costs vary from state to state, and depending on where you live, the responsibility for who pays those costs can be different as well. In Florida, the buyer typically pays closing costs that average between three to four percent.
What all does that cover? Let’s take a look.
Third Party FeesSometimes when we … (1 comments)

home buying: Should You Buy a Second Home in Florida? Answer These Questions. - 08/07/17 05:59 AM
Owning your home is a smart way to build equity and create more stability in your life. But what about buying a second home? Does it offer the same advantages for buyers?
A second home can be a great way to put down roots in your favorite vacation spot or start a real estate investment portfolio. This is particularly attractive for buyers in their early fifties to late sixties. You likely have solid credit, a decent job, and you may have recently paid off your first mortgage. Plus, the kids are probably out of the house and finished with college. With their … (1 comments)

home buying: What You Should Know About Your HOA Before You Buy - 07/03/17 06:00 AM
For many home purchases in South Florida, you will be joining the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) or Condominium Owners’ Association (COA). Unlike most groups, you will join this club whether you like it or not. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though.
While the HOA board probably won’t be your best friend, they don’t have to be your enemy either. Read on to find out more about how this association can help (or hurt) your experience as a homeowner.
The Basics of HOAs and COAsIf you’re not familiar with HOAs, the concept might seem a little foreign. You could be asking, “What do you … (1 comments)

home buying: How to Tell If You’re Ready to Buy a Home in South Florida - 06/26/17 07:52 AM
Buying your first home is a part of the American dream. It’s a rite of passage that marks a new stage in your life.
But it’s also a huge purchase, often the largest single investment in your portfolio. How do you know when you’re ready to leave behind the world of rentals to join the homeowners club?
It’s not about a number.At least, it’s not about your age. Many of our milestones come at specific times in our lives. You lose your first tooth when you’re five or six. You start to drive at sixteen. And you leave your parents’ house soon after.
Buying … (0 comments)

home buying: What You Should Know Before Buying a Rental Property in South Florida - 04/03/17 06:59 AM
Investing in real estate is a tried and true method of building wealth, and buying a rental property can be an excellent way to create equity and cash flow. More fortunes have been created through real estate investment than any other method of wealth building.
But before you jump into the hot rental market in South Florida, here are some vital details to keep in mind.
2017 will likely be a renter’s market in South Florida.If you look at Miami specifically, according to the Miami Herald, “developers are expected to complete nearly 6,350 condo and rental apartment units” in this year alone. Prices have already … (0 comments)

home buying: How South Florida House Hunters Can Prepare for the Spring Season - 03/20/17 08:30 AM
While South Florida’s real estate market doesn’t have to worry about a cold snap keeping buyers indoors, we still have cycles. And spring is a busy season for buyers and sellers.
With interest rates expected to rise multiple times this year, we expect this spring and summer to be particularly frenzied as buyers try to save money on financing. So what can you do to lead the pack of house hunters? Whether this is your first house, a vacation home, or an investment property, here are a few tips to keep the process smooth.
1) Get your credit in order.Once you know you’ll be … (0 comments)

home buying: Buying Your First Home: Know About the Home Buying Process - 02/27/17 12:34 PM
Buying your first West Boca Raton home may be the most exciting day in your life, but the buying process leading up to that sale may sometimes seem a little frightening.
After all, you’ve got to figure out the financing that will fit within your budget, navigate the credit straits, and most important, make that big decision about what kind of home in West Boca Raton – condo, townhouse, single family house – will work best for you and your family.
However, Marc Jablon and the Jablon Team will help you make the experience of finding your first West Boca Raton home – and then buying that … (1 comments)

home buying: Think You Can’t Afford to Buy a Home? Think Again - 01/16/17 08:00 AM
The South Florida real estate market has been trending upwards with great momentum for some time now, although that growth is likely to begin to slow in the near future. Likewise, interest rates have remained low for a number of years, but have recently begun edging up over the past few months and are expected to continue to rise in 2017.
To put it another way, if you’ve been thinking about buying real estate – especially if you’d be a first-time homeowner – now is the time to take action before it’s too late.
For many prospective buyers, however, it isn’t a lack of … (2 comments)

home buying: Buying or Selling? Here Are 10 Reasons Why You Need a Realtor - 01/02/17 07:44 AM
No matter how you look at it, real estate can be a complicated topic. It takes a lot of effort to move a sale from start-to-finish. Regardless of which side of the transaction you’re on, attempting to make it through the process on your own can be a real challenge.
For sellers, it takes a lot more than just putting up a ‘for sale’ sign in your yard and listing your property on a few ‘for sale by owner’ websites. You need to get your home in front of the proper target market. Then, when the right buyer does come along, you … (3 comments)

home buying: 5 Things You Need to Know Before Buying Your First Condo - 12/19/16 07:48 AM
If you’re thinking about buying a condominium you’ll find there are many upsides to condo ownership. You often have access to resort-style amenities, a lower upfront cost-of-ownership, and fewer responsibilities than you would have in a single-family home. But at the same time, there are probably a few aspects of condo ownership that may very well surprise you.
Before you commit to the condominium life, here are five things that you absolutely need to know about living in a condo community:
Lack of ControlLiving in a condo means that you’re going to have fewer responsibilities. You no longer have to worry about fixing the roof … (1 comments)

home buying: How to Evaluate a Home - 10/24/16 12:11 AM
Every homebuyer wants to know all the pros and cons of a house before buying it. Although it is a very subjective decision, and varies from one buyer to another, there are common things to consider when evaluating a house:
The entrance of the home is a very important item, because it catches a visitor’s eye from the very first minute. It should be clean and appealing. However, it also should be very comfortable for the homeowner. When evaluating a house, think about how you will bring supermarket items into the house. It will be either the front door or kitchen … (1 comments)

home buying: Buying a Home in the Fall/Winter: What You Need to Know - 10/17/16 12:57 AM
Year after year, real estate experiences a seasonal slowdown during the fall and winter months.This trend definitely affects colder, northern and mid-western climates to a much greater extent than it does temperate South Florida. Nonetheless, you can still expect chillier weather to have a cooling effect on the local housing markets.
With that information safely filed away, there is still no reason to shy away from buying a home as we approach the New Year. In fact, there are a number of great reasons why you may want to become more active in the search for your next residence now that summertime … (0 comments)

home buying: The South Florida Homebuyers’ Guide to Mortgages - 10/03/16 01:05 AM
During the Great Recession, cash took over real estate as banks tightened their lending practices, effectively cutting off the supply of home loans all across the country. But now, with the economy continuing to improve and the housing market operating in full-swing, mortgages are back on the main stage of the home buying arena.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the different mortgage options that are available to today’s homebuyers, as well as other related expenses that you can expect to incur when getting a loan.
Choosing a LenderThe good part about getting a home loan – as least … (3 comments)

home buying: Homes for Sale in Boca Falls - 08/22/16 02:49 AM

Currently, there are 30 homes for sale in Boca Falls in Boca Raton, which is this week’s featured community.
Boca Falls, which was built between 1996 and 1998, consists of ten subdivisions, and 772 Mediterranean style homes.
Sizes of these homes typically vary from 1800 to over 4500 square feet, and from 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths up to 8 bedrooms and 7 baths. Asking prices currently run from $499,000 all the way up to $1,000,000. So whether your preference runs from smaller to larger homes, you’ll find a full range of choices available in Boca Falls.
Last year, 39 home sold in Boca Falls … (0 comments)

home buying: 5 Reasons Why You May Need a Buyer’s Agent - 07/17/16 11:06 PM

Thinking about buying a new home? Here are 5 reasons why you may need a buyer’s agent.
Just about everyone knows that attempting to sell property without the help of a Realtor can be a risky endeavor. Unless you’re a seasoned investor or a lawyer with experience in property law, the intricacies of a real estate transaction can be more than a little overwhelming, to say the least. But when you’re ready to purchase, the need for professional assistance may not be quite as obvious.
But before you start shopping for your next home, please take a few minutes to read this article … (2 comments)

home buying: 6 Things to Know Before Buying Your First Rental Property - 06/20/16 12:51 AM

Real estate has always been one of the most effective ways to build wealth. From small residential properties to sprawling commercial office buildings, opportunities come in all shapes and sizes to fit just about any type of investment need.
For most people, however, the best way to get started investing in real estate isn’t through a complex commercial deal, but instead by purchasing a single-family home or condo that will provide a steady stream of income each and every month.
In this article, we’re going to go over a few of the most important things that any new investor should know before purchasing their first … (0 comments)