However, almost every homeowner will tell you that these costs are definitely worth buying a FL house. Not only are you purchasing a place to call home, but you’re making a financial investment with potentially huge returns. That’s why you should always consider a home inspection before signing on that dotted line, even if the added expense isn’t one you’re looking forward to.

What is a Home Inspection?

Many people equate a home inspection with a home appraisal, and with good reason. At their core, the two processes are very similar: in both, a trained professional goes through the home and inspects it with the intent of informing all parties involved on making the smartest buying and selling decisions.

However, the similarities stop there. Home appraisals are done to give buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and financers a better idea of what the home is worth (based on “surface” things like square footage, number of rooms, and amenities like a fireplace or granite countertops). A home inspection, on the other hand, is all about informing buyers about the potential problems that lie underneath the surface.

For example, a home inspector will be able to answer the following questions:

• What is the condition of the plumbing and/or electrical system, and how easy is it to access in the event of a problem?

• What will be the realistic costs and challenges of heating or cooling the house?

• What is the state of the foundation, the roof, and other structural components?

• How many years of use will you be able to get out of the electrical/plumbing/heating systems?

• What are the potential safety hazards of the house (lead paint, radon, termites, asbestos, mold, etc.)?

What a Home Inspection Does for You

Although most home inspections cost the potential homebuyer hundreds of dollars up front, they typically end up saving homebuyers thousands of dollars in the end. When you get a home inspection, you can not only step away from a purchase that might not be right for you, but you can also require sellers to either “fix” the problems before you buy the home, or adjust the price in order to allow you to make the repairs.

Of course, there’s also the benefit of knowing that the home for sale in Orlando that you purchased is safe and comfortable. It can be difficult to know just what a house has in store for you until you’ve lived in it for a few months. A home inspection is the best way to take the house for a “test drive” before you make the investment. And with so many choices currently on the Florida real estate market, you’re in a perfect position to make a smart, financially-sound choice for your entire family.

However, if you’re simply looking at the intricate architecture and are thinking how great it would be to own a piece of the city’s history, you might want to take a step back and consider all the work involved in becoming a historic home owner.

Home Quality

The most important consideration for purchasing a historic home in Orlando is the quality of the house. Whether you’re looking at a bungalow or a mansion, you have to remember that time is rarely kind to real estate.

In addition to outdated materials (like plaster instead of drywall or lead pipes) and difficult-to-work-with architectural styles, you have to consider the costs of restoring the house with authenticity in mind. Many materials are no longer available or can be costly if you want to maintain the historic integrity of your home. The same is true of the availability and cost of craftsman qualified to work with your particular home.

Florida Housing Regulations

Many historic homes are overseen by governing bodies that regulate what you can and can’t do to your own home. If you’re in the market to purchase a historic home, make sure you know who you will have to go through to get the right permits for renovation, or if you’ll need to register and pay a fee to get your home listed as an authentic historic site. You might also want to note what kind of tourist interest you will get from having a historically-listed site.

Financial Investments

Fortunately, not everything about owning a Orlando historic home is hard work! Historic homes, when restored with authenticity, safety, and modern comfort in mind, are an incredible financial investment. Many people are willing to pay top dollar for homes that are in perfect shape or that have a keen attention to detail.

Many local governments also offer tax credits and tax freezes for those who maintain a certain level of quality in their registered historic homes. This means that a historic home can be a great investment, as well as a beautiful piece of architecture.

Finding and Buying Your Historic Home

When refurbished to contain all the modern amenities today’s families need and enjoy, a historic home can become a showpiece – both for your own visitors as well as those interested in the history of Orlando, Winter Garden and Windermere. As with all real estate purchases, however, this one should be made after much consideration and under the guidance of your trusted agent.

Choosing a home in FL based on the quality of the neighborhood is especially important. There are so many diverse and incredible places to live here that you can change your lifestyle simply by moving closer to that hip, urban center or further out, where suburban sprawl or a few acres of your own are calling.

Most people already look at neighborhoods and communities in Orlando when considering a home purchase. In fact, some of the more common considerations include:

• School districts
• Type of neighborhood (gated, urban, suburban, etc.)
• Public transportation options
• Access to commuting routes
• Proximity to shopping
• Proximity to facilities like police, fire, or medical care
• Tax rates
• Crime rates

However, although these are all very important parts of choosing a neighborhood in the Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida areas, finding the facts might not be as easy as you hope. For example, things like tax rates can be researched, but you’ll also need to look at the future of development in the area. If there’s a big plan for condos to go up in your family neighborhood, you might find that the area is gearing for development. This might mean higher tax rates as the community draws in a higher-income crowd. (It might also mean a change in the neighborhood dynamic).

It’s also important to consider the different times of day and the year in which you visit your prospective home.

• How crowded are the streets during rush hour? On the weekends?
• How safe do you feel walking around during the day? What about at night?
• How maintained are the parks and streets in the winter? In the summer?
• How is the noise level at night or in the morning? Does this change on the weekends?

In order to make the most well-informed decision possible on your new home in Orlando, it’s best to ask a trusted real estate professional like Jay Myers or to talk with current (and past) residents. Not only will you get an insider’s view on what the FL community looks like after hours and in real life, but you might also learn that the people who will become your new neighbors are an enticing draw all on their own.

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Central Florida home sales have continued to stay just over the 2000 per month mark for the fifth month in a row.  Realtors were apart of 2206 for sale transactions in Orange & Seminole Counties last month.  October of 2008, sales were nearly half of this October’s figure.  The amount of days on the market in October of 2008 was 110 days, October of 00, 98 days.  The inventory of a year ago was 24,657, now just under 15,743.  This continues to be a great time for buyers of Central Florida real estate and buying a home for sale.  Rates still in the 5% is great reason to become a home owner.  For those renting now would be a great time to buy a home with rates this low and an inventory still high.

See our next blog for more property management and real estate sales information.

Here at Orlando Realty & Property Management our motto is “We Treat Your Home Like it is Our Own.”  We rent, sell and manage homes, townhomes, and condos in Orlando, Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Windermere, Kissimmee, and other areas of Central Florida

Go to our site, http://www.407rentals.com or give us a call today at 407-641-5049.

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It looks to be true…..that is the Senate passing a bill by unamious vote to extend the $8000 tax credit for home buyers beyond its scheduled November 30, 2009 expiration date.   Now this credit would be available those who close by the end of April, 2010.  This credit will also apply to those buying a second home or subsequent home.  Currently only first time (unless its been more than 3 years) home buyers are eligble. 

Click on the link below and you can read some of the changes and see if they apply to you…..  

http://www.thejaymyersteam.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_cpg_A_pg_E_HomebuyerTaxCreditExtension

Need property management?  Need to buy or sell a home?  Looking for a home for rent?  Go to our site, http://www.407rentals.com or give us at Orlando Realty and Property Management a call at 407-641-5049.  We service all of Central Florida including Winter Park, Winter Garden, Windermere, Orlando, Maitland, Kissimmee, Altamonte Springs and the rest of Central Florida.   

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In real estate lingo, this is known as curb appeal.

Most potential homebuyers make a decision about a house within the first 30 seconds. For example, simply driving by a well-kept single family home for sale in the Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida areas is often enough to cause people to pull over and make an immediate call to their realtor. That’s because an inviting exterior promises an inviting interior.

To get the kind of curb appeal that really gets noticed, you have to be able to detach yourself from your home. You may have lived there for months or years, and have probably learned to overlook the overgrown shrubbery next to the sidewalk or the mailbox in need of repair. However, these are the first things potential homebuyers will see. You have to view your home as objectively as possible in order to begin making the necessary repairs to get noticed.

Look out for:

• Visible mold or mildew on the house, roof, or sidewalks
• Outdated exteriors
• Yard clutter
• Dirty gutters, siding, or windows
• Chipped paint
• How your home appears at dusk or even at night
• Overgrowth in the yard or on the sidewalks
• Dead plants or leaf piles
• Overly personalized doormats

Of course, if you’re really motivated to sell your home in the Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida areas, you may also want to consider upgrading your landscaping. Like staging your home or making repairs, restorative landscaping can give your house just enough polish to entice a higher level of buyers. In fact, in a recent study, it was determined that good landscaping can actually add 6 to 11 percent to your home’s sale price.

We all know that selling a home can be hard work. Increase your chances of success by making sure your potential buyers are impressed before they even get out of the car.

September, not a bad sales month in Central Florida.

Central Florida home sales have continued to stay just over the 2000 per month mark.  Realtors were apart of 2151 for sale transactions in Orange & Seminole Counties last month.  Sept of 2008, this number was only 1394.  The amount of days on the market in Sept of 2008 was 97 days, Sept of 08, 112 days.  The inventory of a year ago was 24,690, now just under 15,967.  This continues to be a great time for buyers of Central Florida real estate and buying a home for sale.  Rates still in the 5% is great reason to become a home owner.  For those renting now would be a great time to buy a home with rates this low and an inventory still high.

See our next blog for more property management and real estate sales information.

Here at Orlando Realty & Property Management our motto is “We Treat Your Home Like it is Our Own.”  We rent, sell and manage homes, townhomes, and condos in Orlando, Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Windermere, Kissimmee, and other areas of Central Florida

Go to our site, http://www.407rentals.com or give us a call today at 407-641-5049.

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Within the first minute, people decide if they could live in your home. The problem is that there are so many homes on the market right now, that if yours doesn’t catch their eye immediately, then they have other choices. The struggling housing market is forcing people to take more drastic measures to sell their homes. Many homeowners say they need all the help they can get. With the market not being so good, there are ways you can make your house stand out. Staging your home is the way to make your house stand out in the Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida areas.

The idea of home staging is to highlight your home’s best attributes and positively affect potential buyers. Staging your home isn’t about your own tastes. It is about making the home appealing to the general population. Whether you go at it alone or use a stager, you need to have the attitude that your home is no longer your home.

Following are some tips to consider:

• Take down family pictures. Potential buyers need to picture themselves in your home, not you!
• Staging your rooms to show off their true potential. Clear out clutter or other personal items that will distract buyers.
• Painting the walls yourself is the cheapest upgrading option you have. This will really attract buyers. Try a neutral tone.

Staging your home is a great option to make your home stand out in the Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida areas. Let myself, Jay Myers, your agent offer you advice about how to make your house more attractive to buyers.
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