Tag: Real estate agents

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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A Beautiful Day In Hunters Creek, FL. Come Join Me!

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

I wake up to a dense mist over the pond in my backyard, the only things I see moving are the deer grazing in the open field. It gives me the feeling of living deep in the forest as I notice the tops of the tall pines towering above. Throughout the day I get regular visits by a wide variety of native birds that swoop into the fish-filled pond to grab their meal for the day. This is a common sight to see in Hunters Creek, FL. my favorite neighborhood in the whole world. It’s a crisp and peaceful winter morning as bicyclists and joggers make their way through the many nature trails located throughout the neighborhood. 

When you live and work in a neighborhood where the quality of life can be seen just by peaking out the window or grabbing the morning paper, you have no choice but to feel fortunate and blessed. As my two boys [8 and 10] reluctantly wake up to eat breakfast, my wife and I get ready for our morning bike ride through Shingle Creek Trail. On the way to the trail, our 3rd and 5th graders join us for a few blocks until we arrive at their school, West Creek Elementary, an A school with an impeccable reputation.

As we continue on our journey to the trail we cruise through the Vista parks which include: 3 soccer fields, 4 basketball courts, a volleyball court, 2 playgrounds, gazebos, and two dog parks… all within a distance of 1/2 mile! My boys both play competitive soccer for the Hunters Creek Soccer Club which is ranked one of the top clubs in Central Fl. However, if soccer isn’t your child’s sport of choice, Hunters Creek also offers youth basketball, baseball, football, tennis, and even a volleyball league.

The community center located in Osprey park which is less than a mile from my house has so many amenities including recreational activities, classes, and programs for residents of all ages. And when the weather is nice, they have movies in the park on Friday nights where you can bring chairs, blankets, and snacks to enjoy popular family movies under the stars.

HuntersCreek

On our way back to the house my wife and I who is also an Orlando realtor decide to ride through the new development of “Hunters Point” formerly known as “Kailey’s Ridge” to see how the construction of the highly anticipated new subdivision is coming along. The area will consist of 127 homes built by “Surrey” and “Ryan” home builders. So far, the streets and sidewalks have been paved but no sign of the first foundation being laid yet.

At the end of the day we all head over to the Alehouse located at the Hunters Creek Villages, to take advantage of the weekly BBQ rib special that they offer to residents. We are fortunate enough to have a wide variety of great restaurants, bakeries, delis, frozen yogurt, and pizza places all within walking distance. If shopping is your thing, “The Loop” just 2 miles away has everything you could wish for in a mall including a state-of-the-art movie theater.

Although Hunters Creek was voted the 21st best place to live in the whole United States, in my book it’s #1. It’s obvious that enjoy Hunters Creek, the place I call home and I would love the opportunity to show you any of the limited amounts of homes that are for sale now as well as in the new community of Hunters Point. I’m sure that you would love Hunters Creek as much as I do. let’s turn your dream into an address! Contact me at 407-902-7750 or visit.  https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

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Bidding in a Hot Market

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Buyers looking for that perfect home in Orlando are finding out that they need to prepare for a fight. Because of a hot market causing lower than normal inventory, hungry buyers are engaging in bidding wars every day. Bidding in a hot market can be a fight and lately, it’s been all about who’s quicker to the punch.  

In a seller’s market, homes sell super fast once they’re listed on the MLS. Getting your offer approved amidst all the competition can be a huge challenge. In this situation, many factors are just out of your control. However, there are certain steps that you can take to make your offer more attractive to the seller.    

When house hunting, you should enlist the help of an Orlando buyer’s agent as opposed to trying to go it alone. Weeding through dozens of homes by yourself that you find on the internet to find one that suits you just isn’t very fun at all. Once you’ve found one that you love, then it’s time to place an offer on it. Many buyers will already have a number in mind but if you’re not sure how much to offer, however, your realtor should be able to assist you in finding the magic number. Experienced realtors can prove to be extremely valuable in this situation by providing the buyer information about the area like recent comparables of other properties in the area.    

Tips on getting your offer accepted, Bidding in a hot market:

  • Get your financing in order. Speak to your mortgage broker or lender before you even start looking at homes. Knowing how much mortgage you can afford in addition to having a pre-approval letter will put you way ahead of the game. You should also know that being pre-approved and pre-qualified are two different things.

The difference between Pre-Approved and Pre-Qualified

  • Pre-qualifying for a loan basically means talking with your lender about your financial situation, income, etc. then the lender will give you an approximate amount of how much you SHOULD qualify for.
  • Pre-Approval includes submitting a loan application together with income statements, a list of assets, a list of expenses, etc. With a complete loan package in hand, your mortgage broker will be able to shop out a loan that would meet your specific needs. It also gives the seller peace of mind knowing that your contract is solid and won’t fall through because of financing.
  • Don’t submit a lowball offer! In a hot market, many properties sell above the listing price. Submitting too low of an offer is the best way to get your offer denied and you may not even get a chance to counter, especially if there’s another competitive offer on the table.
  • Give them a bigger deposit than they asked for. Putting down a larger deposit, allows the seller to see how committed you are to making the deal happen.
  • Eliminate as many contingencies as possible. If the seller has to worry about the buyer selling a home or appraisal value falling short, etc. Then the offer becomes less enticing to the seller. By keeping your contingencies to a minimum, the better your offer will look to the seller.
  • Pay cash. For most people, this isn’t even an option. However, if you’re able to submit a cash offer with a quick close then this will surely get your offer to the front of the line.

Even if you do everything on the list above, it still may not get your offer approved. But by doing as many things as you can to make your offer more attractive to the seller, you’ll know that you did everything in your power to get that offer approved. If it was meant to be then you’ll be living in your dream home real soon. If you find yourself in a bidding war with other buyers, it’s good to know that you have an experienced realtor in your corner.

If you’re searching for a “never say die” type realtor to help you find your Orlando dream house, contact us at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/contact/

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Orlando Homeowners Embracing The “Green Home”

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

With all the rage about “Going Green” lately, more and more Orlando home buyers are inquiring about green features when considering properties.

There is soo many advantages to making your home a “Green Home” and homeowners are steadily waking up and joining the going green revolution regardless of whether they’re of selling or staying put.

It just makes sense. Going green increases the value of a property by making it more attractive to environmentally conscious buyers as well as lowering your monthly energy bill.

 By making a few simple changes like using energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, using a tankless water heater system, and tinting your windows, homeowners can add legitimate value to their homes.
 Here’s a quick list of things that you can do to make sure that your home is as green as can be for the echo-friendly buyer.

Simple Green Updates That Don’t Cost A lot Of Green 

Update The Lighting. By using LED and CFL low energy bulbs you can save as much as $6.00 per year on a single light bulb! That may not sound like a lot but I bet if you count every light bulb in your house and multiply that number by 6 I bet you’ll feel differently. Also, the amount of energy being used is about 75% less than with traditional bulbs.

Install A Tankless Water Heater. Traditional water heaters store a lot of water and as a result, they have to consistently heat and reheat all the water in the tank whether it gets used or not. Tankless water heaters don’t store water and because of that, they use about 50% less energy than a traditional water heater. Also, with these water heaters, you will never run out of hot water again. The water gets heated instantly by the coils contained within the unit only when you need it.

Update The Appliances. By using “Energy Star” appliances you can save some serious green over the course of a year. Sure they cost more than traditional appliances but soon they will pay for themselves because they use anywhere from 20% to 50% less than traditional appliances. Make sure to let potential buyers know how much you’re saving on the electric bill because of the appliances.

Update The Bathrooms With Low-Flow Fixtures. By using low-flow showerheads and toilets, you can reduce household water consumption by up to 50% without sacrificing water pressure. Again, there is more of an upfront cost by switching to these fixtures but well worth it in the long run.

Install Energy Trackers. You can keep track of how much energy each appliance in your house uses or for around three hundred dollars you can have a device that will monitor the energy usage of your entire home that provides you with real-time feedback on how much energy you are using and how much you’re wasting.

There are a gazillion models to choose from these days and with the new technology, they’re even syncing them with smartphones and Ipads.

Whether you’re selling your home or planning on staying for a while, turning your home into a “Green Home” just makes sense. If you want to sell, then your home will have an added value that most other homes on the market won’t be able to compete with.

On the other hand, if this is your dream home where you plan on spending your golden years, then you can start saving big money as well as help save the planet. It’s a win-win no matter how you look at it.

 

 

 

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Orlando Realtors Focus On Echo Boomers

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

These young Americans were born between the years of 1982 and 1995. They are following the “Baby Boomer” generation and are now at the age where real estate and housing is a priority for them. The idea of the”American Dream” looks very different for Echo Boomers than it did for their parents the “Baby Boomers”.

In the Old school way of thinking, owning a home was a top priority for young families. For some reason, there was an extra sense of security if you owned a home. Even though the bank was the real owner, having a mortgage statement with your name on it was something to be proud of.  

In my opinion, the Echo Boomers have the right idea. They have no mortgage commitment which gives them the freedom to pack up and move on whenever they feel like it. They also prefer to live in more social areas as opposed to living in the suburbs. In USA Today it is said that only 20 percent of Echo Boomers believe owning a home should be a top priority.

This young group is all about having freedom and let’s face it homeownership is about as far from freedom as you can get. 

Orlando Realtors Face New Challenges

The majority of this group will prefer to rent a home as opposed to buying. However, 20 percent of Echo Boomers will still pursue buying as a first option.  Because of the expectations of this new generation of home buyers, Orlando real estate agents will have to adjust and specifically appeal to what’s to this demographic.  Echo Boomers prefer to walk or ride their bikes whenever possible which means they are attracted to neighborhoods with nearby shopping, restaurants, trails, etc.

Another characteristic of this group is that they don’t like to stay at the same job for more than 2 years or so in order to survive, they need to be in a market that presents new career opportunities for them. Realtors targeting this group would be wise to embrace the same tools that they use to communicate these days, especially social media.

Chances are that when an Echo Boomer needs to hire a realtor, they will probably choose an agent that is active across the main social media sites.

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