Florida Real Estate-Relocating to Florida

Florida Property Management In Florida a good deal of homes are bought with the idea of renting them out (short or long term) to help offset costs. A good rental agent can help you immensely in this area. The pages listed in the area Real Estate sections, under property management; list local Agents or companies who specialize in these areas. Ask your agent if his company has a rental department and get the name of the agent. Important to know: Ask the rental agent-or firm the following- • The percentage the Broker keeps for rentals. (short term-long term) For more specifics on rentals see the Investment link for your area. • How the cleaning fees work. • What about maintenance---do they have handy men? • What if a hurricane is approaching-who will button up the home. • What about major repairs-AC-plumbing-electrical-who are the vendors they use. • What kind of checks do they do with prospective tenants---Long term (credit checks-references etc) • Short term-deposits. •

Florida Residential Property agents A few things to know about meeting with an agent. (either in person or by phone-email:) • When meeting with an agent ask them, how they will represent you—ask them to explain the different categories. When you arrive to look at homes: • Have a letter of pre qualification or your bankers phone number. That way, is if you do find a property you like and put in an offer, your agent can tell the listing agent that you are pre-qualified. • if you go to the trouble to have or offer proof of financial ability, you are in a position to possibly negotiate a better price or other terms, as you will be considered a real or qualified buyer. • All REALTORS work off the internet and MLS listings-so they know which properties are current. • if you pull out a Real Estate publication and ask about a specific property and it is sold-remember that the publications generally have a 45 day lead in time to place the ads. In areas where property is hot-the listin

Florida Building a Home Picking a location, buying a lot and then building a home in Florida, can be anywhere from easy to a nightmare (based on location and environmental concerns) If however you have some expertise in this area and are not in a rush, finding a lot and building your dream home may be the way to go. The cost of building will vary widely from $50.00 per square foot to $300.00 and even more. (depending on quality of construction and area resources) If you are looking to build a new home and use an established Florida builder in a developed area or one under construction, then it is much easier. Lot Prices are based on location: Most expensive to least expensive 1 Open-water—Atlantic or Gulf 2 Open-water Inter-Coastal or other Rivers-Lakes 3 Canal Homes with Open water views (Bay or Atlantic-Gulf) 4 Canal homes-Boat able and quick access to open-water 5 Dry Lots—price widely varies based on the community and area. *As to canal lots and how boat ability af

Florida Investments Because of the fast growing base of people relocating to Florida along with the tourism industry, Florida offers three unique opportunities for investments. • 1031 tax exchanges • Buying a second home/condo and using it as a rental. • Buying a commercial piece of property, from duplexes to apartments, to triple net shopping malls. The above combined with an above average appreciation rate for Real Estate make Florida a place you definitely need to consider, regardless of your financial capabilities. Due to our tourist industry both from the USA and abroad, rentals can be the answer. If you’re selling a multifamily unit (Duplexes etc) a condo or single family home and looking to possibly buy one here, Florida can be just the ticket. RENTALS/Vacation homes and Condo’s Once you’ve zeroed in on an area, depending on you payback requirements , you’ll need to determine if zoning allows rentals on a weekly, monthly or long-term basis. *This is an evolving situation