Category: Orlando Real Estate

Orlando Realty Consultants Website Latest Improvements!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Hello and welcome to our new and improved website https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/. We’re very excited to re-introduce our Orlando Realty Consultants website with the newest state-of-the-art features available anywhere. These days real estate websites have to keep up with the ever-changing technology because today’s consumer has come to expect a higher quality online experience.

Our company makes it a point to stay on top of the latest technology as it applies to real estate. Keeping a close eye on our analytics data enables us to clearly determine what today’s consumer needs. This allows us to provide a  pleasant experience to users visiting our website. We are proud to offer our clients this all-inclusive real estate web resource.  

Here are some of the latest features that have been incorporated into the new site.

  • Search the Florida MLS from any device. Our IDX Pro software with responsive capability allows users to search the Florida MLS just like a pro from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. You see all the homes that are currently on the market without having to speak to a realtor.
  • Home Valuation Tool. This feature is also provided by our IDX Pro software. Just type in your address and answer a few questions about your home and within a few hours, you’ll receive a detailed and accurate report on your home’s true value.
  • Top Orlando realtors podcast on i-tunes. We’ve recently incorporated a podcast into our site for users that prefer to listen rather than read or watch videos. Listen to top real estate professionals give useful tips and advice for buyers, sellers and investors. Our podcast can be found on our site or just go to i-tunes and type in “top Orlando realtors”.
  • Orlando realtor blog. We’re probably best known for our real estate blog where you can find a wide array of useful information about things like Orlando short sales, market trends, home buying and selling tips, home improvement tips, and real estate news that affects the local market.
  • Our Youtube channel Top Orlando Realtors. Videos have always been a fun and effective way for us to reach the masses. Consumers can subscribe to our Top Orlando Realtors channel to be kept up to date on our latest informational videos and entertaining commercials.

Live Chat Coming Soon!

We are currently working on a live chat feature for the website. This will enable the user to live chat with one of our real estate professionals in an instant. We understand that some people need immediate assistance but not everyone wants to engage in a phone conversation. Our new chat window will solve this problem by allowing the user to receive the help they need fast without ever having to pick up the phone.

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6 Best Ways To Enhance Curb Appeal

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

As an active realtor in Orlando, I always make it a point to inform my seller clients how a home’s curb appeal is a one-time opportunity to give buyers an inviting impression of your home…so listen up! 

The front door should give potential buyers an indication of the way the home looks on the inside.  The good news is that you can enhance your curb appeal without spending a lot of money. Below are some things you can do to change your entrance from bland to grand!


Paint Your Front Door

Make your front door pop by using a bright color or even super dark color, it could be just the touch that you need to give it a modern touch. If you live in a neighborhood with a strict homeowners association, then you should find out about any color restrictions they may have or you could end up painting twice.    

Decorate Your Entrance

The entrance to your home is the main focal point of the front. If you have the space, try decorating a bit. A couple of nice porch chairs and a small table or maybe even a cozy swing could give your entry a whole new look that potential buyers will love. Be careful not to go overboard, you don’t want your entryway to look cluttered.    

Add Lighting

Having curb appeal at night is almost as important as it is during the day. Most interested buyers will drive by the home at night to see if it looks as good in the dark as it did in the daylight. Having some warm lighting at the entrance by using decorative lanterns or solar lights will enhance the appearance of any front entrance.    

Use Large and Stylish Address Numbers


One of the most annoying things for me when I’m trying to find an address is having to slow down and squint to see the house number. A small house number can also take away from the overall look of the house. Be proud of that house number! Celebrate it! Use big stylish numbers to identify your house. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference this simple step can make.    

Minor Landscaping

Most of the time all a house needs in the landscaping department is some clean-up and trimming to give it that “fresh haircut” look. If you really want to make a good first impression then add some flowers with bright colors leading up to the doorway. This will help to set the mood for people right before they walk in.    

Replace The Hardware

If you haven’t changed out your front door hardware in a long time then I would strongly recommend that you get rid of that rusty door handle and replace it with a new one. Having a new door handle and maybe even adding a door knocker and kick plate will give your entryway that brand new feel to it.     

These subtle changes and tweaks to your front doorway won’t cost much money and the best part is that you can do it yourself in less than a weekend. If want to know more about how you can enhance your curb appeal before listing your Orlando house on the MLS, call me at 407-902-7750 or visit me at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/contact/jenny-realtor/. I’m here to help.

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Finding That Perfect Orlando Neighborhood

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Choosing an Orlando neighborhood to plant your roots and live out the rest of your life is a huge deal!  Choosing the actual home in which you want to live is equally important. This will be the place where you and your family will create memories for many years to come.

Homebuyers need to consider many things before when deciding on which home to buy; like becoming part of a new community, so you need to make sure it’s a good fit. So how do you know if the neighborhood’s a good fit for you and your family?

Here’s a 5 step list to help you decide what Orlando neighborhood is right for you.

1- Make your wishlist:

Make a list of the things that would make your ideal neighborhood and put the most important items on the list at the top and things you could live without towards the bottom. Things like the commute to work and good schools always seem to rank highly for most people.

Having a list of what you don’t want is also helpful like; being too close to a highway or living across the street from Walmart.

2- Online Research:

Like everything else these days, start your research online. Take the list that you just made and Google it! Start by typing in things that are on top of the list and work your way down, “Orlando Neighborhoods with the best Elementary schools” or “Orlando best neighborhoods for pets”, you get the picture. Once you get a feel for the neighborhoods that interest you, you can use our Florida home search tool to see a list of homes are for sale in the area just like a licensed realtor.

3- Time To Visit in Person!

So you’ve done as much research as any one person can do on a computer, now it’s time to check out the area in person. Check out the local schools, supermarkets, and restaurants, and drive around the surrounding neighborhoods at different times of the day. Talking with some local residents will also be helpful.

Are there enough parks? Is there a park for your dog? Is the homeowners association controlled by robots? Can you see yourself living here for the next five, or ten years!!?

All of these are valid questions that you should be asking yourself.

4-What’s the local crime rate?

Ok so you like the neighborhood that’s good but we’re not done yet. It’s time to find out about the local criminal activity, especially if you have children. Visit sites like https://www.crimereports.com/ which offer really cool interactive maps where you can view crime data in real-time. Concerned about sex offenders? You should be, visit http://www.familywatchdog.us/ to get a list of registered sex offenders in the area.

You can even take things a step further by visiting the local police dept. and having a chat with one of the boys in blue.

5-Check local school ratings:

Whether you have kids or not, you need to research schools. It’s a known fact that school districts are usually the biggest beneficiaries of property taxes. In addition, schools that are highly sought after will typically raise the value of the surrounding homes. Check sites like greatschools.org/is a great tool for finding the best-rated schools in the area.

Finding that perfect home goes much deeper than what’s between the walls of the house itself. Take the time to do your research to make sure that the neighborhood you choose would meet all or needs, or at least most of them.

If you need help finding your perfect Orlando neighborhood, I’m happy to help. Call 407-902-7750 or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

 

 

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2015 Tips For De-Cluttering Your Orlando Home

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

With the introduction of the new year, resolutions are in full swing. It’s also the best time of the year to do a massive cleaning and de-cluttering of your Orlando home. For our family, the means to donate old toys, outdated furniture, and other objects so that we can utilize the extra space in each room. It’s actually something that I really enjoy doing because it gives me that sense of a new beginning. I don’t know what you’d call the opposite of a hoarder, but that’s me [out with the old, in with the new!].

For some people, however, this can be a painful process. Just the idea of cleaning out those daunting cabinets, closets, and drawers can make them want to run for the hills.

6 Step Guide To De-Cluttering Your Orlando House With No Stress

  1. Don’t Try to Do it All at Once! This will make the task seem overwhelming and impossible. Pick the room that’s the most cluttered in the house and start de-cluttering, one room at a time. I like to start with the biggest items and work my way down to the small stuff. You can put the things you want to keep in a storage facility or your garage and donate everything else. You will see that once you get started it’s kind of hard to stop (It is for me anyway). The more you get rid of, the better you feel.
  2. Decide What Stays and What Goes. When moving the things back into the room after cleaning, it’s a great time for you to ask yourself; does it stay or is it history? Bring the items back into the space one at a time.
  3. Get Organized! When clearing everything output similar items together in a box. This will allow you to take inventory and get rid of unnecessary duplicate items scattered throughout the house.
  4. Stay Organized! When you’re to start putting things away, make sure that you place things in a location that makes sense. For items that you use day-to-day, put them in a location that’s easy to access. For other items that may not get used that often, maybe a high cabinet space or in the closet. Having a specific place for the items you wish to keep will prevent things from ending up all over the house again.
  5. Don’t Procrastinate! Once you’ve figured out what gets thrown away and what gets donated then either throw it away or take it to the donation box immediately. Don’t put it off, the sooner you get that stuff out of your house and clear from your mind the better off you’ll be and you’ll have a better of preventing clutter from returning
  6. Clutter Prevention. It’s a good idea to not purchase items unless you need them. If you’re like my wife, then you love a good bargain and sometimes it’s hard to resist getting a good deal on something,…even if you don’t need it! Take a moment to think about where you will put it in your home, will you really use it? Where will you store it? I the answers don’t make sense, don’t make the purchase.

The key to keeping you’re home de-cluttered is to keep things organized by creating a system that enables you to keep your home free from clutter every day. Once you’ve committed yourself to be clutter-free, you’ll feel better and actually be healthier. If your home is free of clutter, then your mind will be able to focus with less effort for maximum production.

Working as an Orlando listing specialist, I’m always giving my clients tips and advice for staging the home before listing it. The first thing on my list of recommendations is always to clean and de-clutter the home. Doing this step alone will make a huge difference in the way the house shows and together with my other staging recommendations will ultimately attract more buyers and a higher selling price. If you need help or advice on helping you to sell your Orlando house, call me today! I’m happy to help.

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Another Orlando Foreclosure Stopped In A Nick Of Time!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

This is the story of Veronica from Hunters Creek, FL. I’m not using her real name or address because this short sale is still being processed. However, the fact that we’ve stopped the foreclosure sale a total of five times in the past two years I felt was worth writing about.

It’s the typical short sale stuff you hear from lenders. “We didn’t get the file”, “the financials need to be updated”, “the BPO came in too high”, “we’re still waiting to hear from the investors”, you name…on this file, we’ve heard them all.

This case, however, came with a bit of a twist at the end of the year. In December of 2014, everything was set to go, the bank had everything they needed including a solid offer for the price that they wanted. With a foreclosure sale date of January 20, 2015, there was more than enough time to get this one closed and put it behind us.

Out of nowhere, the bank decides that there isn’t time for them to process the short sale and they proceed to close the file!!? WTF? are the only three letters that make sense here. Any realtors that specialize in Orlando short sales know exactly how frustrating this can be, especially after putting so much work into something.

Although I’m not an attorney, after making hundreds of visits to the courthouse, sometimes I feel like one. My client was so disgruntled with the bank that she was ready to call it quits and just let the property go to foreclosure. I asked my client to allow me to give it one more try and asked her to write to the judge requesting a postponement and explain her side of the story. The judge immediately agreed and granted a hearing the following week. Since my client had to work on the day of the hearing, I just had her sign a power of attorney so that I could speak to the judge on her behalf.

Being that we had already stopped the foreclosure sale on four separate occasions, I was a little worried to be perfectly honest. I guess the lender’s attorney assumed this would be a slam dunk and didn’t even bother to show up! This made things a bit easier for me to explain my case to the judge. It took some explaining but after working on this file for over 2 years, I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

After hearing the entire story, the judge decided to postpone the sale date once again! He granted us another three months to get the deal closed, March 12, 2015, which also happens to be my birthday! Although we only need a few more weeks to close it, it’s nice to know we have time to spare.

Working as an Orlando short sale realtor since 2004, I have countless stories like these. If you’re looking for someone to help you avoid foreclosure and the short sale of your home, give me a call at 407-902-7750.

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