South Florida On The Market

If you have the bug to sell your home, you may want to grab a tool belt first. Why? In today's hyper-competitive real estate market, agents often tell their clients that it's a "price war and a beauty contest". So in addition to being the best priced home on the block, you need to be sure that your home also delivers a knock out first impression. A terrific way to position your home to attract the maximum number of suitors is to provide buyers with a home that is in turn-key condition. A turn-key home is one that a buyer can move into without inheriting a list of unfinished projects. So what are the top 10 ways to increase your home's value? Let's take a look: source: trulia Siding and exterior paint One of the fastest ways to make a better first impression with buyers is to paint the exterior of the home and, if needed, to replace the siding. A fresh coat of paint will freshen up the exterior and modernize the appearance. Just be sure to use colors that wi

With property values dropping in many places, short sale has now become a common term in the mortgage business. The most intuitive way to remember what a short sale is — is by thinking that it is the sale of a house that is short on money owed on home loans. How does this happen? Well, there are a few different factors that can contribute to a short sale, but the biggest one is the low appraisal and drop in property values. Let's say for example that a family buys a house 5 years ago for $100,000. After 5 years, they have paid $20,000 into the principal. They have $80,000 left on the mortgage. So, if they need to sell their house right now, the house must appraise for at least $80,000 in order for them to break even. However, with lowering property values, the house only appraises for $50,000. This family is now short $30,000 if they sell the house. If the family decides to keep the house until the housing market gets better, it's highly likely in 5 to 10 years that the hou

If you're on the fence and thinking about the Buy vs. Rent decision, so called "rent-to-own" deals may sound like the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the exact opposite is often true. Learn more about these arrangements and whether or not it is right for you. What is Rent-to-Own? Rent-to-own (or lease-to-own as it's sometimes called) typically involves a renter paying a landlord an above-market monthly rent payment with a portion of that rent going towards the eventual down payment on the home's purchase. The renter pays a fee to the landlord/owner and sets a time frame for the lease, which is usually less than three years. In a typical arrangement, the selling price of the home is fixed for the term of the lease and the renter retains the right to decline purchasing the property when the lease has ended. These agreements can give homeowners an opportunity to move without selling at depressed prices, and they allow renters to save for a down payment whi