Category: Orlando Real Estate

When To Fire Your Realtor….. “It’s Not Me It’s YOU!”

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Deciding to sell a home is a big deal! It may even be one of the most important decisions of your lifetime.

Choosing the best Orlando Realtor for the job is equally important. You’re looking for someone you can depend on, get along with, and most important…. Someone that will help you achieve your goal of selling your house for the highest price and in the least amount of time.

The problem is… even when you try your hardest to find a good Realtor, you could still end up with someone you’re not happy with. Whatever your reasons may be, you may want to fire your agent.

So…how do you go about it?

Unfortunately, we’ve had dozens of people ask us how to break up with their realtor because they’re not happy with them.

Perhaps you made the mistake of hiring your nephew who just passed his real estate exam last week? Or maybe you hired your friend from the gym who does real estate part-time when he’s not selling memberships?

Whatever the case may be, it’s now become crystal clear to you that you need to end your relationship with your agent…

You should be aware that firing your agent isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve already signed a listing agreement with them. Most listing contracts are legally binding which means that the realtor will have to agree to release you from the contract.

Firing your Realtor isn’t like firing your hairdresser because they took too much off the top. When you hired your Realtor, you signed a contract that legally binds you to that Realtor. You and this licensed real estate professional agreed to certain terms which guarantee that you will use this agent exclusively to sell your home.

Hopefully, you signed an “Easy Exit Listing Agreement” which allows you to end the relationship if you’re not happy like the one we use here at Orlando Realty Consultants. However, most contracts don’t work this way and your agent has to agree to release you from the contract.

Most homeowners fail to realize is that not all agents were created equally. For example, you don’t want to list your home with an agent that specializes in working with buyers. By the same token, you never want to hire a listing agent to find the house of your dreams either. Most people just assume that an agent… is an agent… is an agent….BIG MISTAKE!

Top Reasons To Fire Your Realtor

part time realtor

There are fantastic realtors, horrible realtors, and a whole bunch of average realtors in between. Anytime you take a chance on hiring somebody new in any profession, there is a much greater chance that something will go wrong….or nothing will happen at all.

Some real estate agents will only do the bare minimum to get your home sold. They’ll plop a sign in the yard, list it on the MLS and then cross their fingers and pray for a contract.

These are some of the most common reasons people want to fire their agent:

Communication Breakdown

I know It’s crazy!… but this is by far the most popular reason why people are unsatisfied with their agents. For a homeowner, selling a home will be one of the most important decisions they’ll ever make. That’s why homeowners should be kept in the loop about everything that happens during the process. Like feedback about showings… Did they like it? Did they hate it? Did they think it was too much money?

An experienced listing agent will request the buyer’s agent’s feedback from every showing and pass it on to their clients, good or bad.

Sadly, for some Realtors, selling your home may not be a top priority for them for whatever reason. Maybe they have other, more expensive homes they’re focusing on first to get a bigger payday. Some people are just bad communicators and chose to be in the wrong profession. Whatever the reason may be, they just don’t communicate…

Lack of Skills

It won’t take you long to discover if your Realtor is incompetent or not. Chances are they might not know how to price a home accurately, market a home correctly and be bad negotiators. You may also realize that your agent priced your home too high just to get the listing from you!… This is a tactic used by shady agents who will let your home sit on the market until you agree to a price reduction. This was their strategy from the beginning…

Poor Marketing Plan

The 1st time you met with your listing agent, you probably just assumed that the agent would do a good job marketing your home. Now, several months have passed and still no offers….so now you start to get curious and do some research. You check out your listing on the MLS only to find that the few pics of your home are not good… Besides that, you find out that…

  • The agent never bothered to make brochures
  • The agent never made a video of your home
  • The agent never promoted your home on social media sites
  • The agent doesn’t even have a decent website?!!

A good listing agent will know how to promote your home aggressively using multiple platforms until it gets sold.

Other Reasons To Fire Your Realtor

  • Unprofessional behavior
  • Avoiding agent duties
  • Overpricing on purpose
  • Liar liar, pants on fire
  • Breaking the law

Every situation is different and should be treated as such. However, none of the things mentioned above should be tolerated by a true real estate professional.

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Charming Downtown Orlando Home For Sale

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

This move-in-ready Downtown Orlando home has been beautifully renovated in keeping true to its downtown heritage design. From the moment you walk through the door, the quality workmanship and attention to detail are strongly evident. Stunning original hardwood floors throughout were brought back to their original beauty.

The kitchen will blow you away! High-end custom solid wood cabinetry and stainless steel appliances and fixtures are the perfect compliments to the hand-picked slab of European granite used to craft the countertops. A breakfast bar and glass tile backsplash bring it all together for that WOW! The factor you’re looking for.

Let the sunshine in!

An abundance of natural light makes this home feel larger than life. With large windows in every room, you can enjoy the surrounding beauty of Century-old oak trees and flowering landscape from any room in the house!

2020 Forest Circle Orlando, Fl 32803

Square Feet: 1,227

Bedrooms:   3

Sell A house in Orlando

Bathrooms:  1

Other Features:

New A/C

New water heater

New ceiling fans

Completely remodeled bathroom

Huge fenced in backyard

Mature landscaping

Large outside deck for entertaining

Bonus room with its own exterior entrance

Walking distance to Lake Eola, Downtown shops and restaurants, and just a short drive to World Famous attractions and Beaches. Excellent Location!

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Selling Your Orlando Home? Avoid These 5 Common Myths!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Selling an Orlando Home? Keep Your Feelings In Check!

One of the biggest events in someone’s life is selling a home. It’s also a very emotional time for a homeowner knowing that they have to say goodbye to the place they’ve called home for so long. These feelings and emotions can tend to create state-of-mind in which the homeowner is no longer thinking clearly.

There are a lot of misconceptions or myths that exist about putting a home up for sale. Some sellers actually believe that selling their home will be super easy and there isn’t any preparation involved at all. Sellers that feel this way while their home is on the market never end up getting top dollar. They either end up settling for less money or just change their mind about selling at all.

Sellers that are aware of what it takes to make their home more desirable to buyers will be in a much better position to sell for a higher dollar amount.

After 12 years in the real estate industry, we know what it takes to sell your Orlando home for top dollar no matter what the situation.

We’ve come up with a list of the 5 most common myths about selling a home in Orlando

  •   Any Orlando Realtor Can Sell My Home

Let me start by asking you a simple question. If your nephew just passed his exam to become a real estate agent two weeks ago, would you trust him to sell your home? Or would you seek out an Orlando Realtor with years of experience and a proven track record? Hopefully, you picked option 2.

Picking the right real estate agent to represent you in the sale of your home is crucial. It’s also the 1st step in the route to a successful sale! One of the biggest myths in the Orlando real estate industry is that all real estate agents were created equal. This couldn’t be further from the truth and sellers who ignore this could end up losing thousands of dollars on the sale of their homes.

The truth is that every Orlando Realtor is different, and the way they market their listings is probably also different. Old schools realtors rely strictly on newspaper ads while other, younger agents, will only rely on social media and other online advertising.

So how do you know which realtor to choose? This is where knowing how to interview a real estate agent properly comes into play.

Sellers should ask certain questions when interviewing a realtor to sell their home. These are some basic questions to ask when determining which realtor is right for you.

  • How many homes have you sold within the past year?
  • What’s your marketing plan to sell my home if I give you the listing?
  • Are you a full-time real estate agent?
  • Can you provide me with references of your most recent listing clients?
  • All Homes In Orlando Sell Fast

Far too many people in this world rely on gossip to get their information. They’ll tell you about their neighbor down the street who sold their house in one day… for the full asking price! Stories like this are unrealistic and probably aren’t true.

The truth is that not all Orlando homes sell fast with little or no effort. If this were the case, Realtors would be obsolete and I would be doing something else for a living.

There is a multitude of variables that factor into the amount of time and effort it takes to sell a home in Orlando. Like if a home is situated across from a public landfill, it’s highly likely that it will take more time, effort, and creativity in finding a buyer that doesn’t mind the smell of garbage twenty-four-seven as opposed to a home in a quiet neighborhood with a waterfall and rainbow in the backyard. Although this example is extreme… you get the idea.

The point I’m trying to make is that your home may take some time to sell. So don’t get discouraged if your home’s been on the market for 3 weeks and still hasn’t sold.

  • Overprice The Home So You Have Plenty Of Room To Negotiate

I’ve seen homeowners make this mistake over and over again… A homeowner will price their home unrealistically high thinking that they are leaving themselves some wiggle room to negotiate a fair price. DON’T DO THIS!

When a house is priced correctly from the start, it will generate a ton of interest, especially in the first few days of it being on the market. This tends to create a multiple offer situation and maybe even a bidding war…That’s what you want!

  • No Need To Have The Home Looking It’s Best

By pricing a home too high you’ll get a lot less interest and some buyers won’t even go see it thinking that the home is out of their price range. Consult with your Orlando real estate agent when it’s time to determine a listing price.

If you’ve shown as many Orlando homes as I have, you’d know the difference between showing a home that’s “show ready” and one that isn’t and how it affects a potential buyer.

A seller that takes the time and effort to make sure their home is looking its best before listing will surely come out ahead of a seller that doesn’t make the same effort. It’s like the old saying “you only get one chance to make a 1st impression”. Whoever made up that saying was probably a listing agent because it definitely applies to the residential real estate industry.

Preparing a home for sale isn’t that hard to do and doesn’t even cost that much. There are so many little things that you can do to your home that could mean the difference between getting an offer… or not getting an offer.

Here are a few basic tips to get your home ready for sale:

  • Fresh paint
  • Clean all surfaces
  • De-clutter
  • Ensure all light bulbs are working
  • Remove excessive personal items
  • Zestimates Are Accurate

A Zestimate is an auto-generated home valuation from the popular website Zillow.com. This site as well as many other sites that are similar provide homeowners with what they think their home is worth within seconds….that’s right,…seconds not even minutes!

The problem with these sites is that the home valuations that they provide are never accurate. These are not local sites… So how can a company based in California give me accurate information about how much my house is worth in Orlando?!… They can’t!

Sellers that believe these auto-generated value estimates get a rude awakening when a local Orlando real estate agent prepares a CMA [comparative market analysis] for them and it’s $15,000 less than their “Zestimate” and sometimes even more!

If you are looking to sell your Orlando home, don’t allow yourself to be guided by these popular myths and misconceptions people spread about selling a home.

Consult with an experienced Orlando realtor so that you have the knowledge to move forward intelligently and sell your home for top dollar!

For an accurate valuation on your home, GET A FREE CMA PREPARED BY A TOP ORLANDO REALTOR

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6 Reasons A Mortgage Is Denied After Pre-Approval

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Before you go house shopping in Orlando, the most important thing to do is get pre-approved for a mortgage.

With a pre-approval letter in hand, you’ll know how much you can afford to pay for a house.

This amount of the loan you get approved for is determined by your lender based on your income, your expenses, how much you can afford as a down payment, and your credit.

The whole pre-approval process is something that every potential home buyer goes through when applying for a loan.

Most people think that once you get pre-approved all you have left to do is find a house to buy and proceed to close.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and some buyers are given a rude awakening when they go to get their mortgage.

Sometimes, even though the buyer was pre-approved, the bank refuses to sign off on the loan.

After working as a real estate agent in Orlando for the past twelve years, I can give you some tips on what to watch out for and how to avoid the pitfalls of getting denied for a loan after you’ve been pre-approved.

These are the most common reasons loans get denied after they’ve been pre-approved

1- A Change in Loan Requirements

Sometimes lenders can change their requirements for mortgages without any notice. For example, a bank may have had a minimum credit score requirement of 625, but for some reason, they increased it to 675.

Although you may have already been pre-approved under the original guidelines, when you went to get the loan, the requirements have just changed. In this situation, there isn’t much you can do here except go to another lender.

2-Taking On More Debt

When you get pre-approved, it’s based on your current situation. A portion of the lender’s criteria is the amount of debt you are carrying at the time of your mortgage application. If the buyer accumulates more debt after they’ve been pre-approved for a loan, it can cause their pre-approval status to vanish into thin air.

A good mortgage broker will advise you on the do’s and don’ts of accumulating more debt while going through the loan application process.

3- Changing Jobs

One of the most important items in determining your eligibility for a loan is your employment. The bank needs to know that you’re financially capable of making your mortgage payment every month and they will put your employment history and income under the microscope.

If for some reason you change jobs during the mortgage application process then you’re taking a chance that the lender may drop you like a hot potato. It’s best to try and remain at the same job while your mortgage loan is being processed so that you don’t throw up any red flags.

Certain loan programs like FHA for instance, require the buyer to be at the same job for a minimum of 2 years. It’s best to discuss any possible job change with your mortgage advisor before making any drastic changes.

4- Negative Hits to your Credit

Someone’s credit rating can change on a regular basis because of several different factors. Failing to make a payment on time or taking on additional debt can negatively affect your credit score almost instantly.

If this happens during your loan application…. even after you’ve been pre-approved, it can cause you to be denied a mortgage.

5- Appraisal Comes In Too Low

In most Orlando real estate transactions, the appraisal value of a home is a “do or die” piece of the puzzle. In other words, if the appraisal comes in lower than the purchase amount there are two things that can happen at that point. Number 1, the seller can lower the sale price of the home to match the appraisal value, or…B, the seller refuses to lower the price and you continue home shopping.

6- Fraudulent Documentation

Although highly uncommon these days, it still does happen from time to time. This is when a borrower intentionally gives their lender falsified documentation at the time of the mortgage application.

At some point during the process when the lender finds out the buyer committed mortgage fraud, they will cancel the application in a heartbeat.

Protect yourself from being denied after being pre-approved

In some situations, things can be out of our control however it is possible to avoid many of the above-mentioned situations. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on how FICO scores work and avoid doing anything that can negatively impact your credit rating.

Seek guidance from your Orlando Realtor or your mortgage adviser before making any hasty spending or employment decisions so you can avoid any roadblocks that could keep you from getting a home loan.

Buy a Home Orlando FL

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5 Mistakes To Avoid When Selling Your Orlando Home

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

When putting your Orlando home up for sale, avoid these common mistakes that can cost you valuable time and thousands of dollars!

If you need to sell your Orlando home, it’s important that you know what not to do so that you can avoid any unnecessary hang-ups throughout the sales process.

Your goal should be to sell your home quickly for the highest dollar amount. In order to accomplish your goal, you have to avoid these common mistakes.

From our own experiences at ORC, You’re about to find out what not to do when selling your Orlando home.

1- Pricing It Too High

Setting the listing price too high on a home is probably the most common mistake made by homeowners wanting to sell. This is completely understandable, especially if a homeowner has lived in the home for many years and has poured their own blood, sweat, tears… and especially money into it! Sometimes this causes the homeowner to think they have the nicest home on the block…even if it isn’t.

Pricing your home too high is a mistake that can cause you to lose valuable time and money.

The truth is that potential buyers couldn’t care less about how much work or how much money you’ve spent on the house. They just want to buy a house at a fair price.

Don’t go about setting the price on your own. Enlist the help of an experienced Orlando realtor to decide on a realistic price for your home. If you find that the price they suggest is too low to meet your needs, you should consider waiting for the market to go up a bit.

2- Choosing the Wrong Orlando Realtor

sell my orlando home

There are literally thousands of active real estate agents in Orlando. You should be aware that only a small percentage of them are actually well qualified to sell your home.

When choosing an Orlando listing agent make sure that they are experienced in your area, have been around for a while, have a good reputation, and are able to provide you with references from past clients.

Always be sure to interview several agents before making your final decision. This will give you the best chance at hiring a top Orlando Realtor.

3- Disregarding Noticeable Repairs

Some repairs are so painfully obvious that they should be completed before putting your home on the market in order to get the best price. Sometimes it’s hard for a homeowner to know what those repairs are because after a while, they just don’t see them anymore. It’s a good idea to ask your real estate agent to help you with this.

In addition to the obvious cosmetic repairs, make sure that you address any other more serious repairs that may not be so obvious. If you let the home inspector find it before you fixed it, expect the buyer to ask for a price reduction. Having your home look its best will definitely reflect in your sale price.

4- Not Keeping It Ready for Showings

This can be a serious issue when the home is owner-occupied. I’ve seen potential buyers get so turned off by a messy house that they don’t even want to do a full walk-through. This is bad and completely avoidable.

It’s best to keep your home clean and de-cluttered while it’s listed at all times. Hire a professional cleaning service if necessary. You may also want to consider renting a storage unit for large and bulky personal items so that buyers can walk through and experience the space and beauty your house has to offer without being distracted by clutter and dirt.

Also, if you have pets, make sure they are out of the house or crated at the very least during showings

5- Making It Hard To Show

When a homeowner is proud of their home, they sometimes feel the need to be present during showings so that they can tell the buyer all about their home as well as answer any questions. However, this can make potential buyers uncomfortable about walking through your house.

The best thing to do here is to have your agent do their job and show the property for you. Take a walk or go to the neighbors’ house while your house is being shown. The less involved you are in the showings, the more likely you are to get an offer.

When you decide to sell your home, you’re setting course on a journey with the destination being a successful home sale. Throughout this journey, you must remain patient and ready to do whatever it takes to make the sale. By following the advice of your Orlando realtor, you’ll be sitting at the closing table with a smile on your face in no time at all!

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