Tag: Orlando real estate agents

New Consumer Protection Rule Requires Lenders to Disclose Appraisals and Valuation Data to Mortgage Applicants

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

January 18th saw the kicking in of new appraisal disclosure regulations – strengthening the sentiment of prospective property buyers and sellers alike. This new consumer protection law may help the Orlando real estate market to bloom further and listing agents in Orlando and other emerging US real estate and property markets are looking forward to witnessing the change.

Under the new rule, prospective buyers have the right to demand and receive a free copy of the appraisals, reviews, and details of computer valuations used for their mortgage applications from their lenders.

And what does this mean for consumers? They can make use of increased information and insight about the processing of their mortgage applications to their advantage. For instance, homebuyers who feel they were unjustly denied an appraisal would now have better proof, more time, and stronger ammunition to challenge the erroneous appraisal.

Key aspects of the new disclosure rules

The new rules currently apply only to first loans. Home equity loans or second mortgages are not covered under the appraisal disclosure rule but reverse mortgages and construction loans fall in its jurisdiction.

Central Florida and Orlando realtors are hopeful the new rule will help buyers contest wrongful processing of mortgage applications and increase their purchase power.

Key features of the new rule include:

* Lenders must inform mortgage applicants that they would promptly receive a copy of any appraisal that is valued for them, within three days of receiving the mortgage application from the consumer.

* Consequently, lenders must provide free copies of such appraisals and valuations.

* They have until three days before the closure of the loan, to provide the free copies of appraisal reports, valuations, and other proceedings. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau however suggests reports to be sent as soon as they are completed, or three days before the loan is due to close, whichever comes earlier.

* This essentially means, home buyers are entitled to receiving their copy of the valuation and appraisal report, even if lenders fail to close their loans.

The Bureau provides lenders the option of asking a consumer to opt-out of the 3-day deadline. A consumer who agrees would thus receive his copy of the report at the time of closing of the mortgage. On the other hand, a customer who does not waive the deadline must be provided with his copy, within the stipulated time.

Orlando real estate agents feel the new law will help Orlando residents review the data used by the appraiser and contest faulty appraisals – increasing their confidence in seeking mortgages to purchase the property.

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Florida Water and Land Conservation Bill to be Put up for Voting on November Ballot

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Voters from Florida are now going to decide whether or not the Water and Land Conservation constitutional amendment should be passed, during the November 2014 ballot.

On January 16, the Water and Land Legacy of Florida – the group seeking to push through the proposed amendment, announced that it had received the number of signatures required to put the amendment proposal up for voting on the November ballot.
About the Water and Land Conservation constitutional amendment

The amendment seeks to set aside $10 billion from Florida’s state funds for the purpose of land and water conservation, over a period of 20 years. Conservationists began pushing for the amendment after the government slashed funding reserved for the Florida Forever program.

The program, which aims to purchase and manage critical pieces of land that are environmentally endangered, received most of its funding from taxes on real estate purchases and leases before the slashing of funds. The proposed amendment makes no attempts to increase the real estate spending tax and has revived the approval of a majority of the real estate agents in Orlando and Florida.

Florida’s Division of Elections website mentioned that the Water and Land Legacy had in fact overshot the required number of signatures by 2,822 by submitting an impressive 685,971 signatures on Thursday morning.
Improving land and water quality will have various positive implications

Water and land quality issues impact multiple areas of Florida’s economy, including the real estate market. In booming markets like that of central Florida and Orlando, environment-friendly campaigns like the protection of natural areas and water sources go on to boost consumer sentiments in real estate investments.

These programs also attract prospective home buyers to the neighborhood, and Orlando realtors expect to see increased activity in the Orlando real estate market. With the Water and Land Legacy group surpassing signature thresholds in 15 of the 27 Congressional districts of the state of Florida, it is clear that residents are growing increasingly concerned about the water quality issues in the state.

Will Abberger, Chairman of the campaign launched by the organization said the amendment would focus on spending funds to acquire new pieces of conservation or recreation lands, manage the existing ones and protect land and water sources that were critical for freshwater supply, in a bid to restore degrading natural systems in and around the state.

The Senate has already started working on a $220 million funding package that would be used to improve the water quality of the Lake Okeechobee and Everglades. There also exist several other spending programs in the pipeline and come November 2014, the people of Florida will put the Water and Land Conservation Amendment in action if 60 percent of the total voters pitch their votes in favor of the bill. https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

 

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Four of the Biggest Investment Sales of 2013 in Central Florida

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

2013 has ended and realtors all over Florida, including Orlando realtors, are looking forward to a stronger market in 2014. The previous year saw some very reassuring investment purchases by major private equity firms. Apart from bringing immediate dollars to the Orlando real estate market, these sales also helped boost the confidence of investors and top Orlando realtors believe Florida can expect more investment in 2014.

Here’s a look at four of the hottest deals in the Central -Florida real estate sector that shone brighter than the others in 2013.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. shells out nearly $600 million to purchase Peabody Orlando

The biggest deal of 2013 was signed on October 1, when the Peabody Exchange LLC bought the Peabody Orlando off UST Hotel Joint Venture Ltd.’s hands for an impressive $591.7 million.

The 1,641-room sporting luxury hotel located on the International Drive changed hands and flags in 2013 from the Memphis, Tennessee owner to one of Chicago’s biggest hotel brands – the Hyatt Hotels Corp. 

Peabody Orlando is especially famous for its Peabody ducks and though the ducks remain, the hotel’s name doesn’t anymore. It was renamed and is now known as the Hyatt Regency Orlando Convention Center.

  DDR Corp. purchases Winter Garden Village for around $200 million

 

The DDR Corp has already carved a niche for itself in property acquisition and July 2013 saw the Ohio-based property investment trust shell out $196 million in favor of Phoenix’s real estate investment firm – the Cole Real Estate Investment agency.

 Winter Garden Village located in Beachwood, at the Flower Groves lifestyle center is generously spread across 1.1 million square feet and this retail development, signature of West Orange County has now been put up for lease.

  Downtown Orlando’s relatively new apartment complex changes hands for close to $60 million

This deal was finalized three days prior to the sale of Winter Garden Village. Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. purchased the newly constructed SteelHouse Orlando apartment on July 16.

The Chicago-based private equity firm paid $59 million to the developer, Pollack Shores and became the owner of downtown Orlando’s new 326-unit apartment complex, which was only about 60 percent occupied at that time.

Post Properties Inc. becomes the new owner of an apartment complex near Disney World

 

The 300-unit apartment complex, Crosswater, at the Lakeside Village saw a shift of hands-on on May 29 and its eventual renaming to Post Lakeside. Post Properties – a real estate investment trust based in Atlanta paid $48.4 million to developers Boyd Development Corp, and Greenfield Partners LLC, based in Orlando and South Norwalk respectively.

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Buying a Home? – What You Need to Know

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

With gazillion home listings and realtors available out there, buying a home in Orlando can get a little overwhelming. Having a clear-cut picture of what you want can make hunting homes in Orlando a lot easier. Once you get a good idea about what you are looking for in a house, you can discuss it with your Orlando realtor to get your dream home. Read on, and we’ll tell you how to make your home buying journey a lot less stressful.

 Knowing your budget

 As tempting as it is to first pick out a nice house and then focus on the budget, let’s face it, it’s a bad idea. Chalking out a budget will give you the advantage of zeroing in on houses that are available within that range and sticking to it. Also, make sure you take additional expenses into account while planning your home budget. This could be closing costs or interest rates that add up. The location of the house greatly affects the price, if you have a particular neighborhood in mind, research the house costs. If the house needs fixing, you need to estimate the fixing costs prior to buying the house. While most sellers, renovate their houses before putting it up in the market, some offer houses at a lower price if the buyer is willing to fix the house and bear the expenses that come with it. Estimate the cost of these homes with and without repairs before you make a choice. Talk to your Orlando real estate agent , on whether you want a ready-to-move-in house or don’t mind buying one that needs some touch-up.

Features and amenities

 While the budget largely rules the kind of features the house will offer, Orlando real estate agents  say that there are a variety of homes on sale in Orlando that can cater to everyone’s budget and needs. Start by making a list of features you can’t do without in the house. This is crucial as it is easy to get carried away by that sparkling pool or that rustic library. Be it the number of bedrooms/bathrooms in the house, or the state of the kitchen, ask yourself what are the absolute essentials. Once you’ve got that done, move on to the facilities and amenities in the house. Is it what you’re looking for? Can you get some additional features installed while operating within your budget? Get a better picture of your needs and tell your Orlando realtor about them.

Search Florida Homes For Sale Just Like A Pro!

Many people like to do their own looking around before enlisting the help of a real estate professional with their search. This is the reason why we have a state-of-the-art home search tool that allows potential home buyers to search the MLS just like a realtor…All from the comfort of their own home!

Visit our website and find your Florida dream house. Within a few clicks of your mouse you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect home for you and your family.

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Latest Trends in Florida’s Real Estate Market

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

With the gaining economic strength of Florida, the housing market is also witnessing a lot of positive growth in terms of buyer interest as well as seller outlook. The market is showing major developments throughout the state but especially in Orlando where many Orlando realtors have marked continuous gains in sales prices for all kinds of houses. Some of the latest trends and positive aspects that this sector is witnessing in Florida include the following:

 

      High levels of inventory

You can find plenty of homes in all price ranges. However, you should not wait, as with high sales volume, the inventory is likely to shrink.

 

Right time to buy a house

It is the best time for a buyer to purchase his/her dream home as the volume of sales is on a rise.

 

Retirement destination

Many of those who have retired recently are coming to Orlando because of the booming Orlando real estate market which offers  many amenities. Apart from that the pleasant climate which Orlando enjoys throughout the year is another advantage.

 Incentives to buy

With the introduction of many housing programs and many amendments in the law being made, it has encouraged people to buy more.

 

 Great price

The prices of many homes have fallen so drastically in the past few years that it was natural for this kind of a boom to take place. It has led to the coming up of many short sale negotiators.

Low mortgage rates

The mortgage rates have not gone up for a long time in this region. It automatically increases the financial power of the buyers.

 

 A state of long term growth

A constant rise in population will naturally lead to creation of better job opportunities. It acts as the foundation for an overall growth including the real estate as well as for short sale realtors.

  Ideal for kids

With more and more people being able to afford their own house in Orlando, their kids get to have a better childhood. They are likely to stay at school and graduate.

 

 A better lifestyle

People here have access to a much better lifestyle.

You get a lot of benefits in terms of community development when you have your own house.

 In the end, if you are planning to buy a house, don’t forget to consider Orlando as one of your options.

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