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Home > Buying > Buying in Florida
By Steve Silcock, Bardell Real Estate, Florida
Buying a home in Florida can be a wonderful experience. The climate is superb and the lifestyle makes Florida the perfect location for buying your dream holiday home property – but there are other factors that make Florida the logical place to invest:
The real estate market does however work very differently from the UK and it is important that you gain a good understanding of the process. Here are six easy steps to get you on the road to successful home ownership
This is almost as important as choosing the property itself. A realtor is a combination of a UK estate agent and a solicitor and they will represent you throughout the entire process. Licensed by the state, they have to abide to strict rules of ethics and conduct, which means that all buyers and sellers of property are dealt with fairly and in a professional manner
Make sure they have a good knowledge of the local area and the foreign investment / vacation home market. If you have any questions or concerns just ask them – they should be able to answer.
Buying a new home off plan can be a great way to gain equity in any real estate market, but resale properties, typically sold furnished, can quite often be the best investment. Talk to your realtor about what is happening in the market at this time. One thing, if you do choose to buy new NEVER buy direct from the developer - use a realtor and make sure someone is looking after your best interests not the developers.
Homes for sale in Florida are listed in a large property database called Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Using MLS a realtor can search the database and find you a home that meets your requirements irrespective of which company has it listed for sale – and the good news is that the seller pay’s the real estate commission!
When you have located the right property, your realtor will draw up the sales and purchase contract detailing the offer price, closing date etc. and handle the negotiation on your behalf. Once agreement has been reached and the seller has signed the contract it is legally binding on both parties – no gazumping in Florida.
Unless you are paying cash for your new home you will need some element of financing. Most conventional investment mortgages require a minimum deposit of 20% and you can obtain a loan in either dollars or sterling. Your realtor should be able to assist you with this part of the process.
There are many professional management companies who specialise in looking after property for “foreign investors” and they take care of everything from cutting the grass, cleaning the pool to taking care of guests who are staying in your home. It’s important so talk to several companies about their services. Your realtor should be able to guide you through this process.
Orlando’s world famous theme parks combined with Florida’s year round sunshine has generated an insatiable demand for holiday homes and a $multi-million rental market. Put simply, own a property in the sun and let other people subsidise your investment – it’s what dreams are made of.
www.bardellrealestate.com