Home Buyers
Information for home buyers including real time listings and search options, how to get a mortgage, how to find a Realtor, down-payment help, homes for sale, etc. in the Greater Ocala, Dunnellon, Citrus Springs and surrounding cities.
June 2021 Ocala Real Estate Stats
Could we be seeing an end to the strong seller’s market in the Ocala Florida real estate market? Barring a resurgence of Covid-19, I believe we are! If you follow me on Facebook, you will see every month I post the sales stats for the Ocala and surrounding cities. This information is crucial in deciding when its the RIGHT time to buy or sell a home for your real estate goals. This month has shown a real increase in the number or active listings on the market. It has gone up 12% from the prior month, even though it is still down almost 60% from a year ago. New listings have…
Tips and Homes in The Ocala Real Estate Market
Ocala, Florida is located in North Central Florida about 30 miles south of Gainesville and an hour and a half from Orlando. Known as the “Horse Capital of the World” since 2007, Ocala also as another nickname – “Brick City”, which was due to a fire on Thanksgiving day in 1883 which destroyed the center of town. After rebuilding with brick instead of lumber, the name is still used today and there are numerous local businesses using the moniker in their name. The Ocala real estate market has been on fire since the start of the pandemic. As with most other cities in America, the severe lack of inventory…
3 Common Mortgage Myths Answered
The process of getting a mortgage can be a complex and confusing one, and all the myths around mortgages certainly don’t make the process any easier. So, the question is, what are some of the most common mortgage myths? A recent article from realtor.com busted some of the most persistent myths around mortgages and the homebuying process, including: The lowest rate is always the best choice. Many buyers think that the mortgage with the lowest rate is automatically the best option. But that’s not always true; for example, if a loan has high origination fees or early payoff penalties, it might not be as solid of an option as a mortgage with a slightly higher…
Should You Buy A Foreclosed Home From a Bank?
Buying a foreclosed home from a bank have its positives and its downfalls. Even though foreclosed homes are not as prevalent as they were following the real estate market crash of 2008, there are still deals out there. When a foreclosed home is sold by the bank or lender, it is called an “REO” or real estate owned property and typically is offered at a favorable price. But is buying a foreclosed home from a bank a bad idea? For sure, there are issues that you will have to take into account or you could end up paying much more in repairs after the purchase. A sellers disclosure is typically…
Corona Virus and Real Estate
Who hasn’t heard of the Corona virus / Covid-19 by now and what’s going on in the world. But even that dark cloud is producing a silver lining of sorts for home buyers. It’s also presented a new and unique challenge on how we will conduct business as real estate agents, buyers and sellers. The Corona virus / Covid-19 is not just a health issues and global pandemic, it also affects our economy, including the housing market. It’s amazing how much our world has changed and how what happens in one part of the world can affect our local economy. In 2003, the SARS epidemic hurt the Chinese economy. The…
Licensed Vs. Unlicensed Contractor
Should you hire a licensed or unlicensed contractor to make changes to your home? It seems every week, I am reading on our local social media groups about someone who hired a contractor and it ended badly. Many report they gave 50 percent or more down-payment to the contractor to start the work. Then it goes downhill from there. From a contractor starting the work and never coming back to finish….Or them not showing up at all once they got the money! It pays to understand that a contractor’s main purpose is to coordinate and orchestrate a group of tradesmen/women hired to actually do the work. The issue really is…
