Category: Orlando Realtors

Orlando Realtor Busts First Time Home Buying Myths

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Some first-time home buyers believe that they can go out and find themselves a house without utilizing the services of an  Orlando Realtor in their search. I’ve known many home buyers over the years that have struck out on their own to find a house only to realize that it’s not the way to go and wind up hiring a realtor anyway. Unfortunately, there are just some people that can only learn things the hard way.

Let’s say you found a house on your own, now what? Chances are that the house you found is listed by a real estate agent. Now, if you want to actually look inside the house, you’ll either need your own agent or you’ll have to contact the seller’s agent to show it to you. Here’s the kicker, if the seller’s agent shows you around the house and you decide that you want to make an offer on it then congratulations!…you’ve just hired the seller’s agent to represent you as well. And even though an agent representing both sides of a transaction has an obligation to look out for both buyer and seller equally, you just hired an agent without knowing anything about them. My advice is to drop any notion you have of going through the home buying process without a licensed Orlando realtor. If you are buying a home, the seller is the one that pays for your real estate agent out of their proceeds. That means that it’s not costing you a dime to have a licensed real estate professional help you to find as well as buy your new home for free!

What if it’s a FSBO [for sale by owner]?

One scenario where a buyer and seller can complete a real estate transaction without the use of a real estate agent representing either party is when it’s a FSBO property. In this situation, you would be dealing directly with the seller on your own with no representation from either side. This means that the seller wouldn’t be governed by any of your state’s rules or regulations that a licensed real estate agent would have to abide by. If this doesn’t make you nervous, then it should!

I would never recommend to anyone to enter into a real estate transaction without representation, FSBO or otherwise. Think of it this way…  Would you want to represent yourself in a court of law if the other party involved had a lawyer? Of course not, that would be suicide! A buyer’s agent is obligated to look out for the best interest of a buyer from showing properties to negotiating the best price all the way to the closing of the transaction.  Unless you are trained on the ins and outs of residential real estate, you could actually end up losing more money than you set out to save by not using an agent. A buyer’s agent will not only ensure that you get the best deal possible on the property but they will stick with you throughout the whole process from reviewing the contract, setting up inspections, dealing with the title company, etc.

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Top Schools to blame for higher priced Orlando homes

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

We find ourselves in the age of Super Moms and Dads trying to raise the world’s smartest kids. Getting a great education has become an obsession for most Floridian parents. Being a parent myself, I know first-hand how expensive it can be to send your kids to a good school. And I’m not even talking about college or private schools. I’m talking about top-rated public schools. In order to send your child to a top-rated elementary school, you have to live in that particular school zone which also means that you’re more than likely paying higher than normal housing costs. It’s been proven in Orlando real estate, that the price of Orlando homes found in the zones of higher-ranked public schools are much higher than other neighborhoods that are served by schools that are ranked lower.

As an Orlando realtor, one of the first questions that I get from home buyers with children is “How are the schools around here?” If you’re a good parent then a good education for your children should be at the very top of your list when looking for a place to live. I’ve seen people pay up to $50 more per square foot for a house in an excellent zone as opposed to a house in an average school zone.  

Good News for Home-Buyers with no kids

There’s always a silver lining to every situation and this one happens to be dedicated to the home buyer without children. As parents of tomorrow’s presidents and scientists are paying more than top dollar to live close the best schools, home buyers without kids couldn’t care less how highly ranked the elementary school down the street is.

Homebuyers that aren’t concerned about school systems can get a lot more house for their buck while still living in a nice area. Just because the school systems aren’t the best in certain neighborhoods it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad place to live. Everyone just assumes that a better school district will automatically have bigger houses of much higher quality with larger lots, or a more prime location with views and quiet streets.  

There are plenty of great Orlando neighborhoods where you can still get a nice home at a fair price. We’ve found homes just a short distance apart with nearly identical attributes that are selling for drastically different prices. And when you compare the difference in price per square foot at $50 less, that can easily translate into tens of thousands of dollars on the purchase of a house.

 If you’re looking for a home to buy in Orlando, hire an Orlando Realtor to help you with your search.

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Top 3 Myths about Orlando Short Sales

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

These days the term “short sale” is a term that most people are familiar with. Especially people who either have been or are currently being threatened with foreclosure. For the people that don’t know, a short sale is a pre-foreclosure arrangement between a homeowner and their lender where the lender agrees to accept less than what’s owed on the mortgage so that the property can be sold as opposed to having to take it to foreclosure.

 Short sales have become very common since the market took a turn for the worse six years ago. Like everything else that becomes popular, people start talking about it, and before you know it there are a bunch of rumors flying around, most of which just aren’t true. When it comes to Orlando short sales, there are several myths that have been created for one reason or another.

 I’ve written the article in an attempt to try and educate homeowners on the truth about short sales and expose the myths for what they are.

 

1- You can buy a short sale super cheap, then sell it immediately for a huge profit.

When a bank agrees to the short sale of a property, it will want to get the highest dollar amount possible for the property. This is done by listing it with an Orlando realtor then once there is an offer is submitted to the bank, the bank will order a BPO [broker’s price opinion] to be done on the property which is basically a market analysis. This will ensure that the offer is very close to fair market value. These days banks are very aware of what the real estate market is doing and the chances of getting a lender to accept a low ball are slim to none.

The real money to be made in buying and selling short sales is in rehabbing properties. The only way lenders will accept extremely low offers on short-sale properties is when the property needs substantial repairs.

2- Lenders have to accept the best offer that they receive on a short-sale property.

This couldn’t be further from the truth, in a short sale situation the buck stops with the lender which means that the ultimate decision is theirs. As an Orlando short sale realtor I’ve seen it many times, after listing a property you submit offer after offer and the bank still won’t budge on what they think is fair market value. Most of the time a stubborn lender will eventually realize that the price they’re seeking is just not realistic and agree to a lower price.

As far as a lender having to accept the best offer on a short-sale home, it’s just not true. Although most lenders will eventually accept a reasonable offer, some won’t and will proceed with foreclosing on the property.

3- Short Sales are a waste of time and take forever to get approved.

After the market crash of 2007 short sales were all the rage and the market was flooded with short sale properties. This was the biggest reason why short sales would take such a long time to complete. Banks were not prepared nor equipped to handle that many short sale files at once. Short sale negotiators were bogged down with files and properties were taking a year or two to get sold. Now that the market is hot again this is no longer the case. Lenders have put systems in place to streamline the entire short sale process making it much easier for realtors to get the job done.

If you or someone you know is in need of an Orlando Short Sale or if you just have questions about short sales, feel free to contact our office by visiting  https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/ or just give us a call at 407-902-7750.

 

 

Certified Distressed Property Expert

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New Listing in Hunters Creek! – 14679 Eagles Crossing Dr.

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

VIDEO  www.OrlandoRealtyConsultants.com

THIS PROPERTY IS NOT A SHORT SALE

This is a Beautiful 3 bed, 2 bath home on a Corner Lot. No rear neighbors, just a beautiful view of Conservation.

This property boasts a huge Huge fenced-in backyard with enough space for a Pool.

With a little paint, this property will look brand new and will be move-in ready.

The seller is motivated and Ready to Move!! Call to make your appointment –

Property Stats

3 Bedroom

2 Bathroom

1,571 Sq Ft.

2 Car Garage

Fireplace

Playground

To see this or any of our other great properties please visit us at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

 

Hunter's Creek realtor

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Hunters Creek, FL – My Favorite Neighborhood

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Hunters Creek

Hunters Creek is a great place to raise a family. As a matter of fact, in 2011, the writers at both “CNN/Money” as well as “Money” magazine were soo impressed with Hunters Creek as a neighborhood that they both ranked it the 21st best place to live in the whole US on their top 100 list.

The criteria that was used to make this determination included housing, education, financial, quality of life, weather data and also leisure and culture.

Because I live and work in Hunters Creek, I can tell you first hand that Hunters Creek absolutely backs up all the hype and in my opinion, it should be even higher on that list of the best places to live in the US. I’ve always found it impressive how the planners were able to fit so many great things into one neighborhood. From the A schools to the parks and nearby shopping all nestled in untouched conservation areas that are home to just about every species of Florida wild life.  

Housing in Hunters Creek

Because of my profession as an Orlando real estate Broker, I’m very familiar with the Hunters Creek real estate market. Even through the housing market of 2007, Hunters Creek didn’t suffer as much as some other less desirable Orlando neighborhoods. And having sold hundreds of Hunters Creek homes throughout the years, I can tell you that whenever I get a listing in the Hunters Creek area it won’t last for very long. Hunters Creek property values are almost back where they were back in 2006 mainly because it seems that everyone wants to live here… I can’t say that I blame them.

The Parks at Hunters Creek

Parks located in Hunters Creek are very well laid out and are fully equipped to entertain today’s young families.  You can find the following amenities in just about any of the several parks located in Hunters Creek.

    Community center with game room for kids

kayaking

    Fishing docks

    Kayaking

    Soccer fields

    Baseball / softball fields

    Basketball courts

    Volleyball courts

    Racquetball courts

    Tennis courts

   Golf Course

    Multi-purpose fields

    Picnic tables

    Restrooms

    Walking paths

    Tot lot (shade structure)

    Dog parks

    Shuffleboard

  World's Favorite Sport

 

Hunters Creek Schools

Whether you have a newborn or a teenager as well as everyone else in between, the Schools in Hunters Creek have you covered across the board. One of my favorite things about this neighborhood is that I can walk both of my sons to an A rated elementary to school every morning. Then once they’re ready for middle school, it’s only just a few more blocks away.

Here’s a list of schools located in Hunters Creek

Pre-Kindergarten-        Primrose School of Hunter’s Creek

Elementary schools-    Hunter’s Creek Elementary School

                                          Endeavor Elementary School

                                          West Creek Elementary School

                                          John Young Elementary School

Middle School               Hunter’s Creek Middle School

                                         Freedom Middle School

High schools                   Freedom High School

In addition to everything mentioned above, Hunters Creek hosts several events throughout the year such as “Bunny in the Park” during Easter where they turn Osprey Park into a mini amusement park for both kids and adults providing games, rides, activities, raffles, food and live

entertainment. Another popular event that’s just around the corner is “Hunter’s Creep Nights” haunted house and hayride. This is a Halloween activity where kids can go through a haunted house as well enjoy a scary hay ride throughout Osprey Park. The event also allows children from the community to not only participate and be part of the haunted house but also constructing it.  

 

 

 

If you’re looking to buy or sell a property in my favorite neighborhood- Hunters Creek, it would be my pleasure to help you accomplish your goals. Just contact me, Jenny Zamora at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/   or call 407-902-7750.

Jenny Zamora Realtor

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