Inspiration Through Short Sales

 

Inspiration can be found anywhere and it’s all up to the individual and what he or she is inspired by. It can be found on a slow walk on the beach or even traveling 90 miles per hour on a speed boat.

 

Something that’s always inspired me has been helping people. Maybe it’s the mother in me, but whether it’s helping my sons put on their soccer cleats or helping someone to short sale their home and avoid foreclosure, the biggest reward for me is seeing that look on someone’s face when they’ve accomplished something that they thought to be impossible.

 

 
Sometimes it’s easy to get derailed from what’s really important in life. One minute you can be in a great mood just driving down the road then an impatient driver cuts you off or you get a flat tire. Then, all of a sudden your in a bad mood and frustrated and you allow it to ruin part or even the rest of your day.

 

 

When you look at the big picture, instances like these are just little obstacles that are part of everyday life and making them out to be anything more is just a waste of your time and energy. So don’t sweat the small stuff!

 

 
Working as a short sale realtor in Orlando, I’ve had clients get discourage and frustrated about how long it’s taking their lender to process their short sale, or if it will even get approved! They have to live with a sense of uncertainty about what the outcome will be which can be mentally draining. Although their frustration is warranted, it’s a complete waste of time and energy to worry about what’s out of your control.

 

 
Having completed thousands of short sales over the years, I’ve become a counselor for distressed homeowners in helping them to deal with the emotional side of the process. Potentially losing your home can be stressful and even mentally crippling, especially when you have a family that’s depending on you to keep a roof over their head.

 

 
A real estate agent’s role in completing a short sale is basically a middle person between the seller and the short sale lender. If a seller takes their own sweet time in sending me documents that the bank is requesting yesterday, then they’re only hurting themselves. In this case procrastination is the homeowner’s worst enemy.

 

 
I try to get my clients to maintain a positive outlook on the situation and focus on the desired results, which is to complete the short sale on their house and avoid having a foreclosure on their record and even get them a few thousand bucks back from the bank at the closing. Keeping a positive attitude throughout the process will only make things easier and help to reach their goal.

 

 

Although short sales are never guaranteed, if you have the right team fighting for you, then at least you’re giving it your best shot. If you or someone you know need help with an Orlando short sale, give me a call 407-902-7750 or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/short-sale-experts/

 

Orlando short sale agent

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Orlando Real Estate Market Still 5th In The Nation

Real Estate In Orlando Remains In Top 5 Markets For Investing

Are you looking for a great market to buy residential investment properties? Well, nothing’s a sure bet in this life, but the Orlando Real Estate Market  is one of the best in the nation for investing in single-family homes right now.

According to a list of the top twenty real estate markets for investing in the nation, Orlando comes in 5th place overall and number one in Florida.

The criteria that was used in determining was based on the growth of the population as well as job growth. Both of these circumstances are ideal for investing in single-family homes. All twenty of the markets that made the list increased in population by 2%.

 

Top 20 Real Estate Markets In The U.S For Investing:

  1. AustinRound Rock, TX
  2. HoustonBaytownSugar Land, TX
  3. RaleighCary, NC
  4. NashvilleDavidsonMurfreesboro, TN
  5. Orlando, FL
  6. Boise CityNampa, ID
  7. San Antonio, TX
  8. DenverAurora, CO
  9. CharlotteGastoniaConcord, NC
  10. North PortBradentonSarasota, FL
  11. Oklahoma City, OK
  12. PhoenixMesaScottsdale, AZ
  13. SeattleBellevueEverett, WA
  14. DallasPlanoIrving, TX
  15. OaklandFremontHayward, CA
  16. Fort WorthArlington, TX
  17. Las VegasParadise, NV
  18. Salt Lake City, UT
  19. San JoseSunnyvaleSanta Clara, CA
  20. San FranciscoSan MateoRedwood City, CA

 

Real Estate Agents In Orlando Are Elated!

Making #5 on the top twenty list in the nation is great press for attracting even more investors to the Orlando real estate market and Realtors in Orlando couldn’t be happier! Overall, most realtors have been busier this year when compared to the first quarter of 2014 and it’s because of the investor-friendly market we’re experiencing right now. Top Orlando Realtors are extremely busy right now with both buyers and sellers and will have to work even harder to keep up as we get further into 2015.

 

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7 Simple Steps to do Before Selling Your Orlando Home

Owning a home means that you are constantly doing maintenance as well as home improvements. There’s always something that needs to be repaired, replaced, or touched up. It’s lucky for us that these things happen at different times throughout the year, although sometimes it feels like everything happens at once.      Personally, I tend to procrastinate on the small things until there’s a whole bunch of little things that need my attention. These little things typically don’t get done until my wife decides to have people over the house. It seems that once I have a deadline for my to-do list, everything gets done on the same day.


When you’re selling your Orlando home, however, you should keep it in tip-top shape at all times, even the little things. Research has shown that you will not only get more money for your home but it will actually sell faster if you follow the steps that I’m about to outline for you below.  

1- Cleaning and De-cluttering: This is absolutely the most important thing you can do to improve the overall appearance of your home. As a matter of fact, if you can only do one thing on this list, this should be it. It’s hard for buyers to see themselves living in the home if it’s filled with wall-to-wall stuff everywhere. I would start by moving any large items into the garage that are making the house look smaller or just seem out of place or in the way. After the big stuff is gone, it’s time to clean like you’ve never cleaned before. I’m not talking about your routine cleaning, I mean deep cleaning everything including cabinets, walls, carpets, ceiling fans, fixtures, and whatever ever else can be cleaned.    Removing personal items like family portraits is also a good idea so that potential buyers can envision how their things will fit into a space. Also, you should lock up any guns, medicine, and valuables. Assume that every door and every drawer will be opened up by a stranger.    

2- Maximize Your Curb Appeal: That old saying ” never judge a book by its cover” doesn’t apply when selling Orlando real estate. One saying that does come to mind however is “the perception is the reality”. That means that whatever people perceive to be real is actually real to them.   The front door should make a statement by looking sharp and freshly painted with a color that pops. Keep your lawn and shrubbery perfectly trimmed and plant a few colorful flowers near the entrance. You should also pressure wash the entire house if possible or at the very least, the front.    

3- Fix It If It’s Broken: Assume that a prospective buyer will notice every detail. Don’t leave anything to chance, fix that leaky faucet or cracked window. If buyers notice that little things are in disrepair, they will automatically assume that the regular home maintenance has been neglected. The last thing buyers want is to move into a home and then have to make a bunch of small repairs to it. You should also take into account that buyers will tend to overinflate the price of repairs which may cause them to put in a lower offer.

4- Fresh Paint: There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to give your home a facelift. The painting will give you by far the biggest bang for your buck. It’s relatively cheap and makes the biggest impact on the overall appearance of your home. Stick to neutral colors like white and off-white. This will give it a clean elegant look and can be easily painted over by the new buyers if they wish.    

5- Make It Smell Good: Sometimes real estate agents will bake fresh cookies during an open house so that when you walk through, it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. You don’t have to go that far or you’d be baking cookies every time there’s a showing. You should, however, make sure that there aren’t any undesirable smells in the air like animal odors. Make sure that the house smells fresh and remove any evidence of pets like litter boxes, pet beds, etc if at all possible. It’s also a good idea to take the pets with you during showings. If that’s not an option, then I would suggest keeping them in the garage or a  crate during showings.

Cigarette smoke is also a big one. I’ve had clients not like a house solely because it smelled like cigarettes. If someone in the house is a smoker, I would highly recommend telling them to smoke away from the home from now on. Smoke tends to attach to curtains furniture and carpet. Unfortunately, getting smoke odors takes a lot more work, like having your carpets, furniture, and curtains shampooed. 

6- Windows: You don’t need to replace your windows unless they’re in bad shape. You should at least make sure that they are spotless inside and out. The same goes for the blinds and curtains. If they are in rough shape, consider replacing them or if you can’t afford it, just remove them together.

7- Lite Staging: This is an important one. I’m not saying that you should hire a professional stager to come in and re-furnish your whole house for the purpose of selling it. As an Orlando listing specialist, I also have experience in staging homes by using the existing furniture and other items in your house to make it look its best for potential buyers.

By following the steps outlined above, you will put yourself ahead of the game when it comes to getting your house sold fast for the highest amount possible.

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New Homes In Orlando Getting More Expensive

In 2014 new housing developments in Orlando became increasingly more expensive throughout the year and we can expect to see more of the same in 2015 according to Orlando Realtors. This is in part due to newly retired couples looking for a permanent move as well as vacationers wanting to have a new home away from home.

Prices on new homes in Orange county are scaring some buyers away. In fact, when compared to Lake and Osceola counties, Orange County leads the way in price per sq ft. for relatively the same quality home. Builders say that retirees and vacationers have been able to tap into their investment savings in recent years and use them to reinvest in Orlando real estate.

The rising prices of new homes in Orlando have been evident in both the high end as well as lower-end homes. New home builders see the trend and continually try to offset the higher prices by offering incentives to buyers that struggle to qualify for mortgages, especially the people that lost their homes in the market crash of 2007 to foreclosure or short sale.

Reducing the number of upgrades, less customization on the homes as well as reducing closing costs to a minimum are the most popular ways to discount pricing. Even with builders scrambling to find ways to keep costs down and increase buyer incentives, higher prices may still price many potential home buyers out of the Orlando real estate market.

However, even with the higher-priced homes, closings on new homes in Central Florida overall have continued to increase during the past year. South Orlando seems to be Central Florida’s strongest area for new home building with over 1,200 housing starts in the third quarter of 2014.

Approximately 1/3rd of those homes were in the Lake Nona area development which was the most activity for single-family residences for the quarter. Overall during the third quarter of 2014 builders began building more houses than they had sold.

THE POINTE AT HUNTERS CREEK

 New Homes In Orlando Falling Behind Schedule

This may be the cause for other developments like “The Point at Hunters Creek” formerly known as “Kailey’s Ridge” to fall way behind schedule. This development located in the much sought-after community Hunters Creek was to consist of 134 single-family homes built by both Ryan Homes and Surrey Homes and was expected to have homes for sale by October of 2014.

We’re now in January of 2015 and the new development has only gotten as far as clearing the land and paving the streets. Many potential buyers that have been patiently waiting to secure one of these new homes have opted instead to buy an older home in the community.

 

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Free Orlando Home Value Tool

The Orlando Realty Consultants team is now offering a free Orlando home value tool for homeowners that are considering selling their homes. This tool determines your property’s value by factoring in various details about the home including the current condition of the home, the square footage, upgrades, etc. All you have to do is fill in the fields on the home value estimator and within 24 hrs you’ll receive a free report prepared by a top Orlando realtor of what your home is worth in today’s real estate market.

This tool is a great way for both experienced homeowners as well as those people that just want to test the waters and aren’t really looking to sell. With new construction once again on the rise in certain neighborhoods, it’s the perfect time to find out what your house is worthwhile Orlando is still in such high demand.

Selling a home can be a very complex process and there are several factors that can affect your home’s value. For anyone in the Orlando area, our free home valuation tool is a convenient and very effective way for potential sellers to find out the true value of their home. These tools will also tell you what adjustments can be made by the potential seller to increase the home’s selling power.

Home Value Reports Prepared By Top Orlando Realtors

values

The biggest thing that sets our home valuation tool apart from other home valuation tools in the industry is that the report you receive from us is created by highly experienced Orlando listing specialists that work for us as opposed to receiving a generic report as you would get from Zillow and other similar companies.

The information that you submit goes directly to one of our Orlando listing specialists for completion. The agent then takes all of the info that was submitted and researches comparable properties in that same area. That’s why it’s important to submit as many details about the home as possible. Once the report is complete, it gets sent to the homeowner with absolutely no charge or obligation.

We also realize that some homeowners just aren’t ready to speak to a realtor which is why the agent will not contact the potential seller unless the seller requests to be contacted. Find out what your Orlando home is worth.

 

 

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