Category: Orlando Realtors

10 Best Tips To Sell Your Orlando Home

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 Sell Your Orlando Home For Top Dollar

If you need to sell your Orlando home for top dollar, then showing your home to buyers is unavoidable. So it’s important to make a good first impression on interested buyers. Here are some tips that I recommend you follow when showing your house to a potential buyer.

 1- Make Them Feel Welcome

As an Orlando real estate agent, I prefer to show houses without the sellers being there, but many times the homeowner insists on being present when other people walk through their home which is completely understandable. If it were me, I’d probably be the same way.

If you want to be there during showings, you should politely greet the potential buyers and invite them to look around. Tell them to take their time and let them know that you’d be happy to answer any questions they may have. Don’t follow them around as they walk through your house! Your presence may make them uncomfortable and restricted. Let the agent give them the 10-cent tour while going read on the patio or walk the dog. This will allow the buyers to communicate freely with their agents and voice any concerns.

 2- Be Flexible With Showings

Bending over backward to make your home available to show at any time will be advantageous to you. Most home buyers are on tight schedules because of work or other commitments. Sometimes I get out-of-state clients that only fly in for a day or two to see houses before flying back so try to be as flexible as possible about scheduling showings. If you still live in the home it’s very important that you be ready for a showing at a few moments’ notice. Some people can only see houses in the evening time and especially on weekends. Being as flexible as possible with showings will give you more opportunities for the right buyer to walk through that door and make an offer.

 3-Room Temperature

Make sure that when a potential buyer walks through that door, they feel comfortable. They don’t want to be cold during winter or hot in the summertime. If they’re not comfortable, they may not spend enough time in your home to decide if it’s an option for them or not. The last thing you want is for a buyer to rush through a showing because they can’t wait to leave.

 4- Keep It Clean

If you’re still living in the home, you should try to keep it showing ready at all times so that you’re never caught off guard. Make sure all clutter is cleaned up, run the vacuum whenever needed, and keep the kitchen and bathrooms spotless at all times. A clean and de-cluttered home appears larger as opposed to a dirty and cluttered home can appear small and uncomfortable. Having scented candles around the house is always a good idea and if you really want to make a good impression, you can bake some cookies and have them on the table. This entices the senses and they will also know that the oven works. lol!

 5-Not Everyone’s An Animal Lover

If you have a pet or pets, the best thing to do is temporarily remove them from your home or at the very least, put them in their crate. Not everyone is an animal lover and you don’t want a nervous animal distracting the buyers or making them uneasy. This will allow buyers to tour the home without any distractions. You should also remove any animal toys, dog bowls, etc.

 6-Let There Be Light

Your home should be well lit regardless of it’s day or night. When we live in a home, we develop habits of only turning on certain lights. The best thing to do is turn on all the lights during a showing. Most potential buyers won’t be drawn to a dimly lit home.

 7-Provide Documents About The Home

If you’ve recently had the AC or the roof replaced, have the warranty paperwork on the table. Did you have it appraised recently? Have that on the table as well. As a matter of fact, you should have any important paperwork regarding your home in plain view. This will make them believe that you have nothing to hide and that you are organized as is your home.

 8- Talk To Your Orlando Realtor

There are always certain things about a home or neighborhood that are not always in plain view. Educate your Orlando listing agent on things that you may want to be pointed out during showings. For example, having great neighbors is always a plus, but a potential buyer won’t know this by just walking through your house. If you have wonderful neighbors and your neighborhood is very family oriented, let them know.
9- Good Curb Appeal

The first thing a buyer will see when the drive up is the outside of your home and it’s your job as the seller to make sure your home looks as good as it can. The goal is for a potential buyer to be eager to see the inside because of how the outside looks. Make sure the lawn and shrubs are always perfectly trimmed and any flower beds are free of weeds. You’d be surprised how a little clean-up and some brightly colored flowers can enhance your curb appeal.

 10-Get Feedback
If you really want to know what they think, then place some comment cards in the home where buyers can openly leave their feedback about your home. The information they provide may help you for the next showing. Either that or it will piss you off [lol!]. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t like criticism, you may want to skip this step.

If you need to sell your Orlando home and want more tips on how to get your house “showing ready” contact us at 407-902-7750. We’re here to help!

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TOR 006: Pricing Your Orlando Home Correctly Using Comparative Market Analysis

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Today we’ll be speaking with top-rated Orlando Real Estate Broker and Listing Specialist, Jenny Zamora. She has been a listing specialist and a short sale expert since 2005. In this episode, we talk about the importance of pricing your Orlando home correctly from the start so that you can get the highest amount in the shortest amount of time.

In This Episode:
“Well, the first thing a homeowner should do is find out is How much they could sell it for in today’s market, and that way they’ll know if selling makes sense to them right now”.
 “We provide free CMA’s AKA as comparative market analysis for homeowners here in Orlando. The easiest way is Just to go to our website at www.OrlandoRealtyConsultants.com and click on the “How much is my house worth?” tab.

“When you use a website like Zillow you’re not getting the most accurate data. To get a true value of your home, you have to go a bit deeper into the details because there are so many factors that can affect the value of a home”.
“Listing agents that just go along with whatever number the homeowner wants, aren’t doing the homeowner any favors”.

“A listing agent’s job is to provide the information needed and to advise the homeowner so that they can make an informed decision on the price.”

Get Your Free CMA Here!

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Orlando Home Buyers Guide 2015

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

First-time Orlando home buyers are always bursting with questions about the home buying process, and they should be. Buying a home is one of the most if not the most important decisions of your life, especially if it’s your first time. For most people, the process can be overwhelming and even discouraging at times.

 

In a perfect world, your first home buying experience should be stress-free and enjoyable but chances are there will be a few bumps on the road to the closing table. However, with the right Orlando realtor in your corner, you can rest assured that any problems or issues that may arise will be handled diligently and professionally. 

 

Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of first-time Orlando homebuyers through the process so I decided to put together a list of questions and suggestions designed to people prepare to buy that first home.

6 Steps To The Closing Table

  1. Pre-Qualify for a loan
  2. Find a house
  3. Submit an offer
  4. Secure your financing
  5. Appraisal & Inspections
  6. Close the deal

 

How Much Can You Afford?

The answer to this question is different for everyone. Lending institutions resolve how much you can afford by looking at your monthly gross income, existing debts, and your monthly mortgage payment by using 2 ratios. The first one is the front-end ratio which compares how much your monthly mortgage payment will deduct from your monthly income. The back-end ratio compares how much your entire debt payment will deduct from your monthly income.

 

The ratios differ a bit from lender to lender but a high credit rating may help you to get a larger loan than would be normally allowed. I would advise any potential home buyers to consult with several lenders to see which one has the best rates and fees.

 

How Much $ Will You Have To Bring To The Closing?

The dollar amount that you will have to come up with to buy the house depends largely on the type of loan and the purchase price of the home. The first fee that you will be hit with is an earnest money deposit when your offer gets accepted. Inspections are also the responsibility of the buyer which can cost between $200-$800 depending on the size of the home and what kind of an inspection it is.

 

The down payment on your loan will be by far the biggest out-of-pocket expense. This is the percentage amount of the purchase price that you have to pay in order to receive the loan. There are several loan options available depending on which one you qualify. Buyers are typically required to pay for part of the closing costs on the transaction. These are fees associated with the processing of all the paperwork, notary fees, and other odds and ends provided by the title company. It’s common practice for the mortgage broker to provide you with an example of what the closing costs will be based on the size of the loan they qualified for.

 

 I always suggest that when homebuyers sit down with a mortgage specialist that they ask to be shown an example of what their closing costs would look like, based on what they qualify for.

 

  Make Your Wishlist

Put on paper what the perfect home will look like for you. Things like location, square footage, number of bedrooms, and bathrooms should be at the top of the list. Don’t let everything on the list be a deal-breaker. You don’t want to let your dream house slip away from you because the downstairs bathroom is a bit small when the rest of the house was wonderful. Remember that anything can be renovated to meet your taste eventually.

 

 What Will My Orlando Real Estate Agent Do For Me?

Your Orlando realtor is there to assist you during the home buying process from A to Z. Their job is to scour the MLS until they find you a list of homes that meet your needs based on your wishlist. Depending on the inventory that’s available, they will show you any homes that meet the criteria. When they do find a home that you love, it’s their job to negotiate the price on your behalf to make sure that you get the best deal possible. They will also prepare the purchase contract to make sure that it’s in your best interest. It’s your realtor’s responsibility to work directly with the title company, mortgage company, listing agent, inspectors, etc. to make sure that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. They should keep you in the loop every step of the way while answering any questions you may have.

What Won’t My Agent Do For Me?

A real estate agent is not qualified to provide you with legal advice and should refer you to a real estate attorney if the situation requires it. A realtor won’t provide you with financial advice either like how much you should spend on a home. Realtors are there to provide advice, give you facts about the market and provide you with all the information you need for you to make an educated decision.

 

At the end of the day, you the home buyer will be the one paying the mortgage, not your realtor, so the final decision has to rest with you. If your agent is doing anything to make you feel uncomfortable or pressured to make a decision, then either set them straight or hire another realtor.

 

Closing Costs, What’s That?

Closing costs are fees that are associated with the closing of the transaction not including your down payment. These costs include title ins policies, recording costs, appraisal, courier fees, lender fees, etc. Typically closing costs will run anywhere from two to three percent of the home’s purchase price. Closing costs are usually paid for by the seller and the buyer depending on what was agreed upon.

 

Inspections And Appraisals

A buyer should always have a home inspection done as soon as the contract has been accepted. The home inspector should address all the structural components of the home as well as things like the electrical, plumbing, A/C, roof, insulation, and appliances. This will give you peace of mind of knowing if everything’s in good shape or not.

Appraisals are a much more in-depth version of an inspection and it’s used to determine the value of a home. Many times, the value and the sale price don’t match up. The appraisal also ensures that the home meets FHA standards and is fully functional. This is beneficial for the buyer and also helps to protect the bank’s money.

What About Down Payment Assistance?

There are several down payment assistance programs available in Florida, one of the most common in Orlando is through Orange County.  The amount of assistance available is from $7,500 to $10,000 and applicants have to complete a homebuyer’s education program, as well as secure a first mortgage and the property must be located in Orange County.

As an Orlando real estate agent, I have helped countless first-time home buyers reach their goal of homeownership. If you need help finding your Orlando dream home contact me, Jenny Zamora at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/contact/

 

 

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Orlando HOAs Revealed!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Recently, I had a potential buyer call me about moving to Orlando from New Jersey. This particular buyer was interested in the neighborhood of Hunters Creek, FL because he had a young family and he knew that Hunters Creek was voted the 21st best place to live in the U.S. just a couple of years ago. In our first conversation, he says to me “Whatever, you don’t show me any houses where there is a homeowners association”. I can’t say I was surprised to hear this, I hear it all of the time. There’s a lot of bad press about HOAs, especially when it comes to short sales and trying to negotiate with them on discounting the amount owed by a seller, but that’s a different subject altogether.

My first order of business as an Orlando real estate agent was to tell this buyer that every neighborhood in Hunters Creek is governed by an HOA. I then had to educate him on how communities like these put HOAs in place to protect their residents. Imagine if everyone was allowed to paint their house any color they wanted…Yikes!!! or what if residents didn’t have to pick up after their dogs? It would be total Chaos!

I knew that if I was going to keep him as a client I would have to do one of two things; either find him another neighborhood to live in or convince him that not all HOAs are evil. It forced me to do some deep research about HOA’s. See below.

What’s An HOA?

An HOA is an organization in a planned community or condominium that makes and enforces rules for the properties under its jurisdiction. An HOA survives by collecting fees, either monthly or quarterly to pay for the upkeep of the community’s common areas like soccer fields, dog parks, tennis courts, community centers, etc. They also enforce the community rules AKA “the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions”. If there weren’t a set of rules in place, the neighborhood would be much less appealing. These are the rules that keep your neighbor from painting her house bright purple or parking their RV in the driveway. It’s true that sometimes HOAs can be overly strict in some cases, but it’s always in the best interest of the community.

What Do HOAs Cover?

It depends on what community you’re talking about because every HOA is different. You can find out what any particular HOA covers simply by contacting the one that runs the community that you’re interested in.

Who or What Runs The HOA?

The HOA is run by the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions AKA the CC&Rs. This will decide how a HOA will function including but not limited to: what’s allowed, what’s not allowed, and how elections and assessments are managed. Typically, there’s a Board of Directors that are unpaid residents of the community that make sure that the community rules and restrictions are followed and enforced. Also, there’s a management company that’s hired to collect fees and schedule maintenance to common grounds like landscapers, park maintenance, etc.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay Your HOA Fees?

The HOA has the right to put a lien on your property for non-payment. If the homeowner doesn’t pay the fees for whatever reason, the HOA can actually have the ability to foreclose on the property. This may be hard to believe but it happens all the time here in Orlando. Even though the mortgage company is in the first position if it goes into foreclosure, the HOA has the right to receive up to one year’s worth of HOA dues under Florida law

Why Do Some HOA Fees Increase?

The short answer is inflation. The fees that you pay to your HOA are based on the budget that was determined for that fiscal year. The budget covers day-to-day operations, field maintenance, pest control, landscaping, etc. Also, there should always be a reserve for any unforeseen events that may come up. If the HOA determines that the fees charged won’t cover the needs of the community, then the fees will increase. 

 

 

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Choosing The Best School For Your Child

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

If you’re a parent like I am, you know that when you make everyday choices in life it’s all about what’s best for your kids first and foremost and everything else comes second. Even the friends that we hang out with these days are other parents we’ve met either through school the soccer team or some other activity that our kids are involved in together, with the common denominator always being the kids.

Back in the day, people wouldn’t put too much weight into what school their kids would be going to when searching for a house to call home. Mostly because their options were very limited, you would either send your child to the closest public school or you would enroll them in a private school. I personally went to a Catholic school in New Jersey [and my ears still hurt]

As parents today we have so many different options that the challenge now is choosing the right school for your child. There are several factors that you should consider when determining the best educational choice. For example, if your child is a soccer star, you may want to pick a school with an outstanding soccer program. Maybe you would like for the school to be close by so that your child can walk to and from school. Whatever it is that you’re looking for in a school, you have to do some research so that you know which school will be best for you and your family.

Working as an Orlando Real Estate Agent, I always try to educate my buyers on the schools that are available in the area they’re looking to buy in. If someone’s not happy with the school that their child will be attending, then they should probably consider living in a different neighborhood if at all possible.

How To Start Researching Schools
A good start would be to write down what your child’s needs are first then the needs of your family as a whole. `
What are your child’s strengths? What are they excelling at? What’s their best shot at getting a scholarship!? For example, if your child excels in science or math, you’d be better off with a school that is known for having a strong science or math program. If your child happens to be a talented guitarist, why not send them to a school that specializes in music.

Once you’ve imagined what the perfect school would look like, you can move forward to the next step, online research. There are countless online resources available to help you get information like national testing scores and how the schools rank statewide as well as nationally.

Go In Person
It’s an amazing time we live in where we can research soo many things at the touch of our fingertips. However, when it comes to finding a school for your child, it’s worth taking that extra step to do an onsite visit of your top choices if at all possible. And if you have the option of bringing your child along, even better. Have a list of questions ready for your visit. Like the ones listed below.

Some Basic Questions To Ask On The School Tour

How many classrooms are there?
What’s the average number of students per classroom?
What facilities do they have?
What extra-curricular activities do they offer?

One of the best ways to research a school is to talk to other parents. They are experiencing the school the same way as you will be. Parents will be able to tell what they like and what they don’t like about the school within a matter of a few minutes. At the end of the day, just knowing that you have different options is a great thing.

Here are some fantastic resources for researching schoolshttp://www.greatschools.org/florida/

nces.ed.gov/

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