Tag: Orlando short sale realtor

Median Orlando Home Prices in Shoot 24 Percent Up at the Close of 2013

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 Wednesday reinforced positive sentiments among Orlando realtors as the Orlando Regional Realtor Association released its yearly report about the Orlando real estate market. The report revealed that the average Orlando Home price for properties in the city saw a 24 percent hike in the previous year. This 2013 rise in median home prices marks an all-time high since the economic downturn of early 2006 that took the housing market down with it.

Key takeaways from the report

 The median home price in the core Orlando real estate market was $149,625, in 2013. Back in 2012, the corresponding figure stood $28,000 below, at $121,000. The last time Orlando real estate agents had seen such a hike was just before the housing bubble in 2005.

Median house prices rose by more than 33 percent that year. The same upturn of events was seen in 2013. The report holds that 2013 saw the sale of 6.54 percent more homes, than the previous year. Compared to the 28,765 homes that were sold in 2012, 30,645 were sold in 2013, showing just where top Orlando realtors had been busy the year.

Comparing the statistics for December alone, aggregate median home prices were up by 20.87 percent compared to the previous year. In the December of 2012, the aggregate for Orlando was $132,500. The 20.87 percent boost brought up aggregate median house prices for all of Orlando to $160,150 in the December of 2013.

The Christmas month also saw a 3.32 percent hike in the median home price of Orlando real estate properties from the previous month. Compared to the median price of $155,000 in November 2013, December registered the median price of $160,150. Real estate agents in Orlando sold 2367 homes in December – 11.55 percent more than their November tally.

Prime reasons attributed to the up-turn

 Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s chairman, Zola Szerencses remarked that the competition between investors and buyers helped reverse the sunken-mortgaged conditions for many property owners.

Industry experts list low inventory during the first two quarters as a positive influence. The second and third quarters presented prospects with low-interest rates – boosting confidence and increasing sales.

Despite the promising upturns, the median prices in the Orlando real estate industry remain considerably low compared to the peak Orlando realtors saw in July 2007. The real estate bubble was about to burst and median prices for the Orlando neighborhood homes peaked at $264,000. For 2014, economists have predicted a flattening up of the sales and price increase to about five percent.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

The Root of All Short Sales is a Valid Hardship

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

A borrower’s hardship still remains the main criterion in order for a lender to approve a short sale on a home. The simple explanation or definition of “hardship” is when someone is in “a state of affliction or misfortune” meaning that the borrower has gone or is going through something in their life whether it’s personal or financial that has affected their ability to continue paying their mortgage. There could be countless reasons that someone could be going through hardship but there always seems to be a handful that we hear about over and over again.

Working as an Orlando short sale realtor for the past 8 years, I’ve heard hardship stories that have literally brought tears to my eyes. However, listening to some of these stories has only fueled my passion for wanting to help these people that are going through a valid hardship. I also help investors that are facing foreclosure on their Orlando investment properties for whatever reason, but there’s a world of difference between losing an investment property or two or three as compared to face losing the home that you live in with your family.

Generally speaking, it’s much harder to get a short sale approved on investment property, than it is on someone’s primary residence. The truth is that some lenders are just not interested in approving a short sale on a property unless there’s a legitimate hardship at the root of it. OMG!… Does this mean that some of these loss mitigation negotiators actually have compassion for people that really need and deserve it? I’m happy to say that, yes it does. In my experience, the majority of loss mitigation reps will actually read the hardship letter and factor it into their decision of whether or not to approve a short sale.

Here are some of the main reasons why people are facing financial hardship.

1. Reduction of income

2. Loss of employment

3. Medical problems

4. Divorce

5. A death or serious injury in the family

6. Having to relocate because of employment or school.

7. Business going under

8. Drug addiction

Financial hardship alone, however, is just not enough to get a short sale approved. The biggest reason is that the home must be worth less than the full payoff of the mortgage. If not, then the home could typically be sold as a traditional listing providing that there’s enough equity to cover the closing costs of the transaction.

Here’s a basic example that can be used as a template to create a hardship letter.

Dear Lender,

I’m writing this letter to explain why I am no longer able to continue making my mortgage payments to you.

[Here is where you want to write about your personal hardship in detail]

Also, current market conditions in my area have significantly deteriorated causing my home to be worth substantially less than what is owed on my mortgage balance. As a result, I’m asking that you please consider allowing me to sell my house as a short sale.

Kindest Regards,

Distressed homeowner.

Cash Back to the Seller at Closing

Assuming that all of the other criteria of the lender are met to proceed with the short sale, the borrower may also be eligible for relocation incentives from the lender. Programs such as HAFA [Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives] will actually pay the seller anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000 back at the closing depending on the situation.

 

 

 

 

Orlando short sale expert

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Mistakes to Avoid when Flipping a House

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 With Orlando Real Estate in high demand again, experienced investors are taking advantage of these almost perfect conditions for rehabbing houses. Even new investors are turning out in record numbers to try and cash in on flipping a house. Rookie investors will always make mistakes on their first re-hab property just like I did when I first started back in 2004.

Here’s a list of the most common mistakes made by rookies when flipping a house and how to avoid them.

Trying to make a NON-DEAL into a DEAL

Some investors allow themselves to be caught up by emotion. They want to buy an investment home soo badly that they rush and end up buying a house that’s over-priced because they let their emotions take over. When trying to flip a house for profit, let cold hard facts take the lead, not emotion.

As a rule of thumb which has served me well over the years is to never, ever buy a house for anything more than 70% of the home’s repaired value. Paying more than this amount can lead to smaller profits or even a loss.

Underestimating your budget for repairs

home repairs

This is usually the most common mistake made by new investors. Another rule of thumb that I use when rehabbing a house is to take the amount of how much you think it will cost to repair the house and add $5,000.00 to it. Someone that has never renovated a house before will always underprice the cost of repairs needed to get the house ready for the Orlando Real estate market. You should always enlist the help of a general contractor to give you an accurate amount of what you will spend on the renovation. You need to factor this amount into your offer before making your bid.  

Trying to do the work yourself

New investors tend to fall in love with the idea of themselves doing all the work. They picture themselves remodeling the bathroom, painting the whole house, re-doing the landscaping, etc. and they will be done inside of a week, just like on their favorite house flipping show. Trust me, it’s best to let the pro’s handle the majority of the work load. Your time will be better spent looking for the next deal.

Taking too much time to complete the repairs

For each month that you own the property there is another month of carrying costs that you have to pay. Between the mortgage, insurance, property taxes and utilities it can add up much faster than you think. Carrying costs will not only take a monthly chunk out of your profits but can also cause you to take a loss. When you sign an agreement with your contractor, make sure that he commits to a deadline in black and white. You can also try to squeeze in a clause that charges your contractor a daily fee for everyday that the project goes past the deadline. This will keep your contractor motivated to finish the job on time and keeping you on track to get the home back on the market A.S.A.P.

Trying to Sell it on your own

Some newbie investors tend to think that they can sell the property on their own to avoid paying realtors commissions. Big mistake! You should list the house an experienced Orlando realtor that has a proven track record in working with investors. A realtor will not only fight to get you the highest price possible, but they will also assume the responsibility of making sure that everything gets done smoothly… or they don’t get paid.

Your goal as an investor should be to buy a house at the right price that you can quickly then turn around and sell for a profit. You should never let your emotions involved and become attached to any home. Always be willing to walk away from a potential deal, especially when it’s a NON-DEAL.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Choosing the right Orlando neighborhood for Re-habbing a House

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Which type of Orlando neighborhood is best for rehabbing a house?

When you’re looking for an investment home that you intend to flip for a profit you should know that choosing the right location is just as important as choosing the right home. Although it’s true that there are buyers for just about any area in Orlando, certain areas are more desirable than others making it easier on the investor.

Qualities to look for

When considering the neighborhood for a flip, there are some statistics that you should research about the area.

* Make sure that recent sales in the area are homes that sold quickly.

* Ensure that the neighborhood is mostly owner-occupied and not a mostly rental community.

* Homes in the area have maintained their values or even better, they are going up in value.

* Not many houses for sale in the area, too many houses for sale is never a good sign and creates competition for your house when it’s time to sell.

* Be aware that older homes will need much more work to get ready for the market.

 Try Keeping it Close to Home

When you make the commitment to re-hab a house you should know that even if you hire a general contractor to do all the work you will still be making frequent visits to the property. By rehabbing a property in your own area, not only will you have less driving time to get to the property but you’re probably already a bit about the area making your research easier.

However, the area must still be holding its value or going up or it just won’t make sense. A neighborhood that has falling property values because of crime, new highway construction, etc. is never a good choice no matter how close it is to your house.

 Hire an experienced Orlando Realtor

 By utilizing the skills and expertise of an experienced Orlando realtor to find your investment home, you can cut out a lot of the legwork. Realtors not only have access to the MLS but they are also able to provide you with the facts that you need about the area to make the right decision. A good realtor will be familiar with the area as well as the houses thus being able to give you valuable advice that will ultimately translate to more dollars in your pocket when it’s time to sell.

It’s also a good idea to list the property once you’ve finished the repairs. Listing the property with a realtor will give your property maximum exposure to buyers that are currently searching in the area. It’s always a good idea to interview several Orlando realtors before making your decision on which one is the best fit for you.

 

 

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

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.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields