Category: Florida Real Estate

COVID-19 MIGRATES NE POPULATION TO CENTRAL FLORIDA

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Orlando Real Estate Market is Heating Up


In the latest Market Pulse, ORRA announced that our members partook in 3,634 residential homes sales in October. This is a dramatic increase of 25% from just 1 year ago.

This pattern ends up being valid as sites like Redfin.com detailed that in their second quarter, 22,000 more of their clients looked at moving to Central Florida.

Residents of New York, Texas, North Carolina, North Virginia, and numerous others are running to Florida. Many of which intend to buy a house in Orlando.

An Economic Push for Central Florida

Realtors in Orlando are saying New York’s misfortune is Orlando’s benefit. At the point when the pandemic hit the U.S. in March, telecommuters began leaving New York City and its super costly lodging. They were looking for vast areas, daylight, and moderate living spaces at an affordable cost… all of which you can discover in Orlando, Florida. Larger cities were also the hardest hit by the pandemic,… public lockdowns, and mass loss of employment.

The pattern has just heightened as the pandemic proceeds and individuals feel more sure of their distant work and school plans.
As continuous travelers transform into inhabitants, Orlando Realtors can anticipate that this should fuel the Orlando real estate market in months and even a very long time to come.

Bigger Budgets… Bigger Homes

Since these buyers come with larger budgets, it could push some of them into the mid to luxury price points… homes which they couldn’t afford in their home state.

First Time Home Buyers

For real estate agents in Orlando, this means getting ready for a rush of first-time buyers! Our year-round gorgeous weather, amenities, and affordable Orlando homes will draw thousands of new residents over the next few months… and continue throughout 2021 according to Orlando Real Estate Broker Jenny Zamora.

Research Your Area

Depending on someone’s lifestyle, wants, and needs they would be wise to start by doing some research… even before hiring an Orlando Realtor. For example, if the buyer has kids, they’d probably start by searching good school zones. Or if someone is single and interested in nightlife within walking distance, Downtown Orlando would be a great choice.

Once you’ve done some research on some neighborhoods, it’s time to seek out an Orlando Realtor who specializes in those areas. Your agent should know your desired area like the back of their hand. Once you’ve consulted with your agent, they should let you know just as soon as a home hits the market. Experienced real estate agents will have alerts set up so they can be first in line to schedule a showing.

Line Up Financing


Unless you’re paying cash for the home, you’ll have to get a mortgage. People who are planning to finance a home usually look for a suitable lender by asking for their recommendation. Most mortgage brokers offer the services of lending companies so that borrowers can choose between available mortgage deals. Mortgage brokers do not provide financing but simply advise people on different lenders who may be suitable.

In case they decide on financing their loan through a particular lender, then they will inform the borrowers about all the pros and cons of the deal. They also make it possible for the borrowers to compare the various deals and select one that best suits their requirements.


If you’re a first-time home buyer try going to https://floridahousing.org/ to see what programs you qualify for. Finance Home loans are available at a wide range of rates. The borrower must choose a mortgage loan that suits his requirement and the ability to repay. Mortgage brokers often provide instant online quotes on interest rates and other associated fees. This helps borrowers find out the right interest rate and loan type that suits their requirements. When choosing a mortgage loan, you must research all the pros and cons of the deal.

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Will The Orlando Real Estate Market Experience A Boom Post COVID-19?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Orlando, FL is a very popular city— and in a post-COVID-19 world, some home buyers may also see it as a great place to find a bargain.

Ever since the Coronavirus became a serious problem at the beginning of 2020, it’s had a dramatic effect on the country’s housing markets. The digitization of the home buying process made it easier for people to buy homes sight unseen, other than virtual tours.

Because many people shifted to working remotely, they were able to relocate to a different city. Many wealthier Americans even purchased 2nd homes in vacation towns just so they could wait out the pandemic.

As Americans are now starting to receive the 1st doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, it appears there’s an end to the pandemic insight. But just as COVID helped to fuel demand with home buyers, the return to normal life may have a dramatic effect in certain cities. It’s hard to predict which cities will experience a boom and which ones will suffer. One thing’s for sure… not all real estate markets will benefit equally from the end of the Coronavirus era.

Recently… the NAR [National Association of Realtors], compiled a list of the top ten real estate markets they expect to thrive in after COVID 19. Their list had places like Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta for example.


It was surprising to some Orlando real estate agents to see places like Des Moines, Iowa, and Madison Wisconsin on that list… and not Orlando. Realtors in Orlando, FL have very different opinions about how our local real estate market will look Post COVID-19.

Some feel that Orlando will experience a housing boom following COVID-19. Although Orlando is mostly known for parks and attractions, the Orlando real estate market remained strong despite pandemic forced shutdowns for much of 2020.

The reason for this is the diversity in employment, although many assume it’s mostly tourism-related jobs.

People in Central Florida and surrounding areas are, for the most part, still working which is fueling home sales in Orlando. The same holds for the city of Houston. Although the petroleum industry is a major employer, the City’s workforce was diverse enough to weather the COVID-19 storm.

Will Expiring Forbearance Agreements affect The Orlando RE Market

Some Realtors in Orlando believe that expiring mortgage forbearances will hurt the market. Many people are still in the term of their mortgage forbearance. Once the forbearance is over some Orlando homeowners will inevitably fall into foreclosure.

The question is… how many?? We’ve never seen such a high unemployment rate in our country and it’s uncertain how many people will return to how things were before COVID-19.

Many real estate professionals believe there will be a wave of foreclosures and Orlando short sales in 2021… We’ll have to wait and see.

In our current environment, the record low mortgage rates are creating opportunities even during the pandemic. Although whenever the economy bounces back, you can expect to see mortgage rates rise as well.

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What You Should Know About Mortgage Forbearance

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Like many Americans right now, you might be worried about making your next mortgage payment. Don’t panic just yet… Forbearance may be a good option for you! It means working together with your mortgage company to help you avoid any late penalties and eliminate any risk of being foreclosed on. You may also consider seeking the advice of an experienced real estate agent before contacting your lender.  

If you’re experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, here are some things you need to know about mortgage forbearance agreements.

What’s mortgage forbearance?

Mortgage forbearance is a program designed to provide temporary relief from your mortgage payment by either lowering your monthly payment or pausing your payments completely for a pre-determined amount of time. This is generally requested by homeowners who are going through some type of financial hardship affecting their ability to make their mortgage payments, like loss of employment, divorce, or illness.

Mortgage forbearance is not free money; you still owe the full amount of those reduced or missed payments.   

Does mortgage forbearance affect my credit?

Under normal circumstances [not during a global pandemic], it would be up to your lender whether or not to report your forbearance to any credit bureaus. However, right now mortgage lenders are providing struggling homeowners with an automatic, no documents required 3-month forbearance plan because of the coronavirus. They will not be reporting this forbearance plan to any of the credit bureaus either.  

Under normal circumstances, however, a forbearance would still be much less damaging to your credit than a few missed payments or foreclosure.

How does a mortgage forbearance work?

First of all, you have to make contact with 6your lender to see if they will approve you for a forbearance agreement. Don’t ever just stop making payments without speaking to your lender first. Normally, lender qualifications will vary slightly between different mortgage companies. The type of loan you have will also be a determining factor in what options you will be offered, or you will qualify for.

If you qualify for mortgage forbearance, your lender will work together with you to set up the terms of your agreement. Terms of forbearance may include:

  • Length of time for the forbearance period
  • Reduced payment amount required during the forbearance period.
  • Whether or not your lender will report the forbearance to credit agencies.
  • After the forbearance period ends how will you pay your mortgage moving forward, including skipped or reduced payments.

Once the forbearance period ends, you will have to pay your mortgage company back according to the terms you agreed on. Here are some typical options for paying back the missed amount:

  • Lump sum bringing the loan current in 1 single payment.
  • Adding an additional amount to your normal monthly payment until your current.
  • Normal payments will resume and missed payments will be added to your mortgage lengthening the terms of your mortgage.
  • Loan modification; when the terms of your mortgage are permanently adjusted by either a reduced payment, reduced principal or both.

How long will a mortgage forbearance last?

Mortgage forbearance is designed to provide temporary relief from your mortgage payment while you are going through a financial problem. Typically forbearance agreements do not last more than 3 months to 1 year.

Most mortgage companies will require you to provide them with regular updates during the forbearance period. If you need an extension, your lender will explain your options at that point.

Can a forbearance plan hurt my financial future?

A forbearance will usually be reported to the credit bureaus unless your lender has agreed to not report it. Right now, because of the coronavirus outbreak, almost all lenders have agreed to not report a forbearance to any of the credit bureaus. Having a forbearance on your credit history still looks much better than a foreclosure, short sale, and even a few missed payments.

Before you buy a new home in the future, you would need to re-establish yourself as a credible borrower. As long as you’ve already gone through the forbearance without missing any payments, the impact on your credit should be minimal and you may even consider applying for a new home loan from the same lender that granted you the forbearance.

How can I qualify for a mortgage forbearance?

The qualifications for mortgage forbearance are similar to that of a short sale. You start by applying. Most lenders will let you start the process online but I suggest you begin by calling your lender and take notes on every phone call… who did you speak to?… what happened on the call? etc. You can get started by gathering the following items.

  • Most recent mortgage statement.
  • List of your monthly income.
  • List of your monthly expenses.
  • Hardship letter, an explanation of why you cannot continue to make the mortgage payment (include any supporting documentation if possible).

Just like when I do a short sale in Orlando, it’s best to start communicating with your lender way before you miss any payments. If you already missed a payment before reaching out, it will show up on your credit report and stay until the loan has been made current again.

Keep in mind, if you’re filing because of a natural disaster or even a global pandemic like we’re facing currently, there’s usually a time limit in which you can file your claim.

If your request is denied, you then have an option to appeal the decision with your mortgage company. Then your application will be reviewed by a newly assigned loan officer, and they will reach out to you with an updated decision.

How do I get mortgage forbearance?

You should contact your mortgage servicer to apply for a mortgage forbearance agreement. Call the number on your monthly statement and ask for the mortgage forbearance dept to get started.

If you want unbiased advice about your financial situation, consider speaking to a housing counselor from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can make an appointment with a HUD counselor near you by going to their website. They will advise you on whether forbearance is a good choice for you in your current situation. They will also explain how different repayment plans would work.

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What Does A Real Estate Agent Do?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora


A Typical Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent

Technically, as defined in the Cambridge Dictionary, a real estate agent is someone whose business is to arrange the selling or buying of homes, vacant land, offices, or buildings for the sellers or buyers. Technically, it’s an accurate definition, however, it doesn’t tell you everything a real estate agent does on a day-to-day basis.

In my world as a Real Estate Broker, each day is different and unique; while this can seem to be an appealing aspect of being a real estate professional, it can be quite challenging, depending on the Realtor’s skill and experience level. So, exactly what does a Realtor do on a typical day?

Managing a Real Estate Brokerage

The majority of real estate agents [especially newbies] typically work inside an office provided by the broker that employs them. This is good in the sense that they can discuss opportunities and exchange ideas with their co-workers, get updates on new listings, as well as discuss buyers’ and sellers’ needs.

There are quite a few administrative tasks that occur every day at the core of a successful real estate brokerage. Depending on the size of the brokerage they may have someone who works as an administrator to make sure an office is a well-oiled machine.

A good Realtor

  • Stays current on local and regional market activity and industry news.
  • Consistently researches active, pending, and sold listings in their farm area.
  • Maintains, completes, submits, and files any paperwork, such as real estate contracts, records, etc. with the proper agencies.
  • Coordinates and schedules appointments, showings, open houses, and any meetings with clients and other agents.
  • Develops and implements marketing plans for listings and creates marketing materials like fliers and other promotional materials.
  • Responds to incoming emails and phone calls
  • Keeps their website updated with fresh content and is active on social media and real estate blogs.

Most successful real estate agents hire an assistant to assist with the day-to-day activities, allowing the agent or broker to focus on more important activities.

Real Estate Agents Sell Themselves In Addition To Selling Homes

Being able to consistently attract new clients is crucial to the success of a real estate agent. Below are a few ways a real estate agent can attract new clients:

Marketing Themselves. Competition is fierce in the world of real estate. A successful agent should have a niche in their local real estate market and become an expert in that niche. This helps differentiate agents out there and what they specialize in. A successful real estate agent has a monthly budget set for marketing themselves through their website, fliers, video, and pay-per-click advertising.

Generating Leads. Generating leads via networking with other real estate agents as well as anyone else they come in contact with such as friends, family, business associates, and so on is an extremely valuable asset to a successful Realtor.

Treating Everyone as a Prospect. Everyone lives in a home, condo, townhouse, or apartment. Therefore, to a real estate agent, anyone they meet will eventually need to buy, sell or rent a home. A real estate agent spends a substantial amount of time cultivating leads and meeting with potential buyers and sellers.

Listing Agents

Listing agents specialize in working with homeowners who need to sell their homes. They have a responsibility to understand the needs of a seller with every new listing.

They must demonstrate to the homeowner their knowledge, marketing abilities, and negotiation skills. A successful listing agent must be an expert at researching the current market activity and comparable properties to determine an accurate listing price for your property. Here are some of the responsibilities of a listing agent.

  • Staging The Home: It’s the agent’s responsibility to advise the seller on tips to make sure the home shows off it’s best features during showings. A bit of de-cluttering and some touch up paint can go a long way in making a home look its best. Depending on the situation, you may want to have the home fully staged prior to listing it.
  • Take Quality Photographs: The listing agent is required to take [or hire somebody to take] quality photos inside and out in order to prepare a proper listing presentation and advertising materials. In addition.
  • Pre-screening and Negotiating With Potential Buyers: Your listing agent is in charge of making sure potential buyers are pre-qualified before showing the house. Once you have secured a qualified buyer the agent will be in charge of helping negotiate the best price.

Buyers Agents

Buyers agents are real estate agents that specialize in working with buyers. Their responsibilities include meeting with potential buyers to determine what their real estate needs are as well as to help them get pre-qualified for a mortgage if needed.

Once the agent knows exactly what the potential buyer is looking for, they will alert the buyer as soon as a property meeting their needs hits the market and schedule a showing.

Another option that agents utilize to narrow down a search for a buyer or to perform research on the competition for sellers is the MLS tour. This allows agents and brokers to quickly gather first-hand knowledge on several available properties in the local market.

Developing Your Skills
Although continuing education is a requirement to maintain a real estate license, it is also an opportunity to develop the skills that will keep an agent at the top of their game or open a door to new real estate opportunities within the regional or local market. Continual development is crucial to the long-term success of real estate agents and brokers. Continuing education not only widens their scope of expertise, but also improves their proficiency, knowledge, and marketability as real estate professionals.

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Encore Club Short Term Vacation Home For Sale

Posted on by Jenny Zamora


This is a gorgeous short-term vacation home located at the one and only Encore Club at Reunion Resort! Come see this Beautiful six bedrooms, six bathrooms smart home just minutes from Disney World.  It features beautiful granite countertops throughout, an in-ground pool, and a spa. Walk up the brick paver driveway to a double car garage and a beautifully landscaped design.  

Step inside and you will find two stories of fully furnished luxury from the floors to the vaulted ceilings. The open kitchen overlooks the dining space and living area with a relaxing pool view. A spacious family room gives plenty of room for the whole family to gather and spend some quality time together without feeling crowded. The covered lanai overlooking your private pool may quickly become your favorite place to sip morning coffee and relax.  

Encore Resort guests experience the Best of everything: relaxation, excitement, and luxury. The resort community pool features water slides, a splash pad, beach volleyball, and other beach-side amenities. The indoor recreation includes large screen TV, gaming systems, snack market, and arcade room.   Guest Services will assist with anything from scheduling transportation to catering as well as help you navigate the monthly resort community schedule.

Located within minutes to Disney World, Universal Studios, Seaworld, International Drive shops, and much more! Excellent opportunity to expand your current portfolio of short-term rental properties which can be self-managed or use the services available within the community.   If you’re looking to make a solid investment in a short-term vacation home, then this is it! With several bookings already in place for the remainder of 2018 and into 2019 this home purchase is a no-brainer.

Call or text 407-902-7750 to schedule a showing today or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

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