Real Estate in Florida - the Top Ten Tips
After helping many clients to buy real estate in Florida, we've compiled the top ten tips that have helped them to make the most success of their purchase. What do you think? Please let us know if you have anything to add to this list from your experience: |
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Do your research – use the vast resources of the Internet, but bear in mind that much of the information is either out-of-date or over-hyped marketing. |
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Understand the buying process right at the start – it's very different than in the UK. |
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Decide at the beginning why you're buying – for example, if you and your family want to use the place for several holidays a year, you probably need a property in one of the limited areas zoned for short term rental. |
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Buying off-plan from the UK before making a Florida visit is high risk and has caused subsequent heartache for many buyers! |
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Don't forget that buying real estate in Florida brings legal and other costs in addition to the property price. |
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Raising mortgage finance in the USA is likely to cost more than in the UK. |
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Avoid making any up-front payments – for deposits, seminars, whatever – until you understand everything about costs, timing and your liabilities. |
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Use a Licensed Realtor, one who lives close to the area you plan to buy in, as your Buyer’s Agent. It's free (the Seller pays, that’s how things work in Florida!!), any Realtor can show you any listed property and the professional help is impossible to over-value. |
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Figuring out who you can trust to take care of your property while you’re not using it is almost as important as finding the right place to begin with – you must have lots of trust in a management company, an acquaintance or whoever. |
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You must personally confirm that payments for key expenses (property taxes, insurances and any home-owners association fees) have been credited to your account, especially if you don’t write the cheques yourself – failure to do so can be an expensive mistake! |
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| Inevitably, this is a very brief summary of complex and important issues. Please click here: Real estate in Florida and fill in the form to request more help. |
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