How to Successfully Buy a Home

Trulia, Zillow, Websites, Oh My! Over the last 10

years the internet has put the job of finding the right home on the home buyer. You have websites to search and homes to see all over the internet that can just drive you crazy. Before you get online and start looking at virtual tours and homes to buy, you should read below and follow these steps so you can successfully buy your home and avoid a lot of frustration and headaches.  

How to Successfully Buy a Home

• You will need to obtain a mortgage pre-approval if you are not buying the home with cash. You should look for a local mortgage professional to assist you.
• Contact a Realtor(R) and sit down with them and discuss what you want in a home as well as what you need. My real estate consultations are necessary for me to work for you. I cannot do my job effectively without a consultation before we look at home.
• Give your Realtor(R) a full picture of you situation and what you definitely need in the home as well as specific neighborhoods or areas you wish to live in. There are a lot of homes for sale and you will want to only look at homes that fit your criteria.
• Allow your Realtor(R) to set you up with an email alert of homes that fit your criteria and discuss with them which homes you want to see. Stay off of the Internet. Zillow and Trulia are inaccurate and out dated information. If you see a home online that your Realtor(R) did not email you, there is a reason.
• Give your Realtor(R) the ability to do their job. We are trained professionals who handle real estate transactions all the time. Let our experience work for you and make your home purchase an enjoyable one.

You will then be ready to head out and look at home with the confidence that you are qualified to buy the home and you know that you are looking at homes that fit your criteria. Once we find the right home for you we will discuss your offer and contingencies of your offer and contract. Home buying should not be taken lightly and if you follow a plan you will see the homes you want to see and you will have an enjoyable experience and with the guidance of your Realtor(R) you will successfully buy the home you want.

Serving our neighbors in Trinity, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Hudson Florida. Contact me to sell your home.

written by Michael J. Gallo

Vista Lakes Community in Holiday Florida - New Homes by Ryland

Part of my business is helping people 

purchase new construction homes in the western Pasco county Florida area and in order to help my customers better, I stay informed about new communities that are available in our area.  This week I was part of a private open house that was given by Ryland homes in Vista Lakes for my Brokerage. We were invited in and given a tour of a few of the model homes available in the Vista Lakes community. 

Floor plans in this new community range from 1,804 square feet for a 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage to 3,582 square feet for a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath 2 car garage and prices range from $284,000 to $373,000+. Some of the features you will see in these homes include maple cabinets with 42" upper cabinets in the kitchen. Granite counter tops in kitchens and bath rooms with undercount sinks. GE appliances in either black or white are included but you may upgrade to stainless steel. These homes also come with pest defense tubes built into the walls which means you don't need to spray chemicals in your home.  There is really too much to say about these homes for me write here but let me just say as a real estate professional, I was impressed at the quality and beauty of these homes.

I apologize for the dark photos. Pictures were taken with a phone. 

Vista Lakes is located in Holiday Florida not too far from the Key Vista community off of Gulf Trace Rd and Straub Memorial Dr. tucked in away from the hustle and bustle of US19 and across from the mangroves that run along Straub Memorial Dr. The location of these homes is important since Holiday has a low millage rate for taxes which means these larger homes have a very affordable tax rate for the home owner. 

I am available to meet you at the model center

in Vista Lakes and we can tour the model homes together. Having a Realtor with you when buying any home is important and new construction homes are no different. You will want someone on your side to help you navigate the process and I am with my customers every step of the way.  Contact me online today to schedule your viewing on these homes. 

     

written by Michael J Gallo

Florida Home Buying Process - Things You Should Know.

The Florida Home Buying Process can be a very easy

and enjoyable experience when you use the services of the right real estate professional.  You may be unsure about the home buying process in Florida, and I understand how confusing it may seem.  This is why I wanted to share some key points about the home buying process.

Your First Step: Getting Pre-Qualified by a Lender. It is imperative to your home buying process that you are Pre-Qualified by a lender before you start looking at homes. Your qualification will tell you how much of a mortgage you can get and home much home you can buy. Your pre-qual is important to make an offer in a timely fashion. Your pre-qualification or Pre-Approval letter MUST accompany your offer on the home.

Your Second Step: Your offer was accepted and now you must deliver your escrow, if you haven't done so already. 

Your Third Step: Mortgage application. I will send your

mortgage professional a copy of the contract. Your job is to call them and get your mortgage application going. Your contract will state that you have a certain number of days to apply for the mortgage. I will generally write 3 or 5 days depending if there is a weekend. **contracts use calendar days**

Your Fourth Step: Inspections. Your offer is accepted and the contract has been signed by all parties. Now the clock is ticking and we have a limited number of days to perform all inspections and decide based on the inspections whether or not you continue with the purchase. If you decide to not buy the home you must notify the seller in writing within your inspection period as stated in the contract.

Your Fifth Step: Insurance. In Florida you will need to purchase your first years insurance policy in full prior to closing. You can have your insurance held in escrow by your lender and pay it in your monthly payment. If you do this, you still need to pay for your first year of insurance up front and prior to closing. **cash buyers need not do this**

Your Sixth Step: Wire Transfer to the Attorney or Title

Company conducting the closing. One to two days before closing you can wire your funds to close to the Title company. Your closing funds must be received by the closing agent in order to close on your home purchase.

Your Seventh Step: Walk Through. You have the ability to conduct a final walk through the day before or the day of your closing. The purpose of the walk through is to verify that any repairs were completed and that the home is empty. If you requested repairs, do your walk through the day before closing to give you time to have them repaired in case they weren't. 

Your Eighth Step: Closing. Your closing funds are already

sent. Your walk through is completed and you are ready to get the keys to your new home. If you are present at the closing, you get your keys that day. When we meet at closing you will need to have your drivers license with you. The title agent will sit us down, take your license and go make copies. Then we sign a lot of paper work for your mortgage lender and the title agent will take those pages and send them off to the lender for approval. When they return we continue signing a lot of other paperwork for the deed and disclosures. Generally, when we are done with the second round of paperwork the mortgage company approved the package that was sent and we are good to go and congratulations are in order and you receive the keys to the home you just purchased.

If you or anyone you know is interested in buying a home in Florida or if you have further questions about the home buying process in Florida, Contact Me Today