Why should you care what Davie homebuyers want? You may be thinking about selling your home. Or, perhaps you’re thinking of doing some renovations. Either way, knowing what homebuyers are looking for can give you an advantage when you enter the real estate market in Davie.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conducted a study called “What Home Buyers Really Want” for 2019. New-home builders need to keep track of homebuyer trends to ensure that their new designs change with the demands of the market, so they’re a good place to get the latest information about consumer trends. It’s logical got assume that Davie homebuyers are going to fall into the same patterns as identified in the NAHB report, so here’s a summary of some of the findings in their 300-page report.
If you watch any of the home shows, you won’t be surprised to hear that 86 percent of homebuyers want the kitchen and dining room to be completely or partly open. In fact, many of the homebuyers on television want a totally open concept, where you can see from the kitchen to the dining room, and into the family room.
Storage is on many homebuyers’ minds, given the number of people in the survey who call some of these features essential or desirable. For example, laundry rooms fall into that category for 91 percent of respondents. Garage storage isn’t far behind at 85 percent, and 83 percent of respondents rated a walk-in pantry as a necessity or desirable feature. Other interior hot buttons include hardwood flooring, and double kitchen sinks and quartz countertops in the kitchen.
Buyers are also looking for energy efficiency. The respondents rated the following features as essential or desirable: Energy Star-rated windows and appliances. Eighty-one percent of respondents believe that an Energy Star-rated home is also essential or desirable. If you’re thinking of selling and there are small tornadoes blowing in from your windows, upgrading should help your resale.
Homebuyers want patios (87 percent), exterior lighting (85 percent), and ceiling fans (85 percent), which should come as no surprise to people who live in southeast Florida.
The NAHB report also compiled information about the features that homebuyers find undesirable. Near the top of the list are elevators, at 66 percent. I imagine that will prompt home builders to build more townhomes as opposed to condominiums. However, there are still many people in areas like southeast Florida who want the convenience of a low-maintenance condo.
Other things that homebuyers didn’t want in their next home include:
I’m not sure that dual toilets in the master bath were ever that popular. Maybe it was a question the builders wanted to get answered. The two-story family room is still very impressive, but they aren’t very energy efficient. So, if you have a two-story living area, you might want to be sure that other features in your home are energy efficient. Energy efficiency is a good selling point when you list your home.
As far as communities are concerned, homebuyers weren’t looking for the following:
I think all of those things make sense. It looks like many people aren’t willing to pay more for pet washing stations or daycare centers. In our area, golf course communities are very popular, but it may be something that many people looking for lower home prices don’t want to pay for.
If you’re thinking of selling, this information about homebuyer trends should help you understand how your home is going to look to potential buyers. If you want a professional opinion, the Teri Arbogast Team can help. Davie homes for sale are in demand, but if you want top dollar for your home, a few updates may make the difference.
If you want to hire a Broward County real estate agent, please consider the Teri Arbogast Real Estate Team. Take a look at our Google reviews, and you’ll see that our clients have lots of good things to say. We’re very proud of our five-star ratings on Google, Zillow, and other real estate review websites. We’d love to make you our next successful client! Call us at 954-242-8030 or send an email today.
If you’re looking at Davie real estate, you might wonder what type of things there are to do in Davie in the fall. A visit to the Flamingo Road Nursery should definitely be on your list of things to do for fall fun.
It might seem strange to visit a plant nursery for anything more than buying plants for your home. But, in the case of Flamingo Road Nursery, there’s always something going on.
The Nursery is located at 1655 South Flamingo Road in Davie, and they’re open form 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Jim Dezell, who has realized his dream of establishing a premiere garden center, is the owner. His Flamingo Road Nursery has won many local awards and the garden center industry has awarded him national recognition. The awards are probably due to the quality of the nursery stock, along with the variety of things they offer.
You’ll love the Beetle Juice at the Juice Bar. It’s a combination of apple, carrot, lemon and beets, thus the name. It’s just one of the fresh-squeezed juices and handcrafted smoothies you can choose from. You can have breakfast or lunch at the Café in air-conditioned comfort or in the garden seating area.
Local farmers contribute to the year-round Farmer’s Market. There’s always an abundance of greens, vegetables, and tropical fruits, depending on the season. If you like fresh bread or Amish jams and jellies, the Country Market is for you. People looking for no-sugar-added products really enjoy the wide selection the Market offers.
You can make your yard a showplace with the variety of plants the Nursery stocks. They even have plant experts that can help with design ideas about the right plants and color combinations that will be eye-catching in any yard.
If you don’t have a green thumb, you don’t need to worry. The Nursery can deliver and install your purchases, along with whatever mulch, rocks or other materials you need to make your yard dreams come true. You can also pick up a houseplant or two while you’re there.
Have you ever wanted an exotic plant to grace your home or yard? Take a look at the bonsai and orchids. Bonsai come in varying sizes and include fruit, flowering, and classic bonsai trees. Not sure if you can care for them? You’ll find all the materials and techniques you need when you talk to one of the Nursery’s experts. And, you can stop by the monthly bonsai workshops to learn how to grow your own bonsai.
Another popular destination is the Butterfly Plant department. Since monarch butterflies live in Florida year-round, many people love to find the right plants to help both caterpillars and butterflies find a home in the yard.
Need a gift or something to brighten up your garden? The Gift shop holds over 5,000 square feet of decorations for the garden. Choosing a wind chime from their stock of 1,000 could be a challenge. Or, you may want to add a gnome, fountain, lighting, or furniture to your garden from their extensive collection.
If you’ve been thinking about adding some large pots to brighten up a small area, you’ll find an affordable collection at the Nursery. The experts in the Pottery Patch can help you find just the right pot, plants and potting soil to help you keep your potted plants alive and well.
If you aren’t chomping at the bit to get over to the Flamingo Road Nursery yet, the Fall Festival just might tempt you.
The Annual Fall Festival runs from September 20 to November 3, 2019. Each week is dedicated to a different aspect of fall gardening.
Besides the weekly focus, your family can enjoy the pumpkin patch, children’s craft and activity area, everything you need for outdoor fall decorations, and more. You can go on hayrides, paint a pumpkin or a pot, and wander the Kiddie Maze.
One other thing to keep in mind is that the Nursery stocks a huge forest of Fraser Firs that arrives before Thanksgiving. You can get a fresh tree for your holiday celebrations.
If you’re looking for Realtors in Broward County, look no further than the experts on the Teri Arbogast Team. We’re local professionals who love the Davie area and can provide you with all the market information you need to find your next dream home or sell the one you now own. Call us at 954-242-8030 or send an email to learn how we can help you!
In the past, unless you were going to move yourself, a traditional moving company was about your only other alternative. Today, you have another alternative with companies that offer moving containers. So, which alternative is best for you? There are pros and cons to any solution, so you’ll need to research the options and decide which one works best for you.
A company that offers moving containers is a moving company, but they work differently than a traditional firm. Here’s how a moving company that uses moving containers typically works.
You’d work with the company to determine the number and size of the moving containers required for your move. After that, the moving company delivers the moving container(s) to your existing home.
You are responsible for loading your household good into the container. Typically, you’ll have time to load the contents of your home at your own pace. You could also hire local labor to load the container for you.
When you’ve completed loading the container, the container company will pick it up, and transport it to one of two places.
Flexibility and Control: If you need flexibility and control over the stages of your move, containers are the way to go. If you’re like many people planning a move, flexibility is key. You may need time to make decisions about which items you want to move and which items you need to donate or take to the dump. It can be easier to make those decisions as you’re packing up each room. Containers give you the flexibility to do that.
You’re not limited to traditional moving practices that require you to have made all those decisions, and then have all of your belongings loaded onto a truck in one day.
Some people need to remove a large number of personal items before they list their home for home staging purposes. Using a container will let you pack those personal items and store them in the container while your home is on the market.
Storage. When you use a container, your household goods are already in a container that can be stored for as long as desired. It helps to avoid the chance of damage because your belongings are only loaded and unloaded once. If you use traditional storage, your belongings are loaded at your home, unloaded at the storage facility, loaded a second time, and then unloaded at your final destination.
Cost. Container moving companies base fees based on a number of factors. You may find that if you need flexibility, you’ll end up paying more than if you used a traditional moving company. It’s important to obtain quotes for both alternatives, especially if you’re watching the budget.
Storage Access. While the container is on your property, you have complete access. However, if you need to store your belongings, you won’t have access to them once the container company moves it to the storage facility.
Labor. If you decide to do the loading and unloading yourself, you can save money. But, as you know, moving isn’t easy. You may find that doing the work yourself is more taxing than you anticipated. And, if you hire people to load and unload for you, you’ll need to do another round of evaluations to ensure you get the reliable help you need.
Space. If you use a container, you’ll need a place to locate it while you load it, either on your property or in the street. You may not have lawn space that is big enough to hold the container, and if you keep it for an extended period, you may kill the grass it’s sitting on. Sometimes HOA rules will prohibit you from placing the container where it’s visible on your property. You’ll need to make sure that HOA and local restrictions on street parking won’t prohibit you from using a container.
No DIY. When you hire a traditional moving company, they will load your belongings into the truck themselves. Moving is usually a stressful time, and having someone else do the heavy lifting might be just what you need. They may also offer packing services that will relieve you from the work of putting everything in a box.
If you have the mover pack for you, just be aware that they will typically pack everything they see. A friend of mine has a good illustration of this phenomenon. As her packers were at work, she started looking for the goodbye gift a neighbor had dropped off. It was a gift of fresh cut flowers in a vase full of water, and she finally found it in one of the moving boxes!
Full-service movers will also unpack for you. Just be sure to read the fine print describing that service. Some movers define unpacking as taking items from boxes, unwrapping them, and placing them on the nearest horizontal surface. I’m not sure if I’d want every horizontal surface in my new home covered with individual items for me to put away.
Access to Storage. If you have traditional movers store your household for a period of time, you can usually gain access to individual items while they’re in the storage location.
Cost. Traditional movers will generally be more expensive than if you streamlined your process for using a container company. For example, if you load and unload yourself, and don’t require storage, using a container company may be less expensive.
Less Control. You won’t have much control over things such as how your belongings are loaded into the truck, for example. However, when you hire a traditional moving company, you’re paying for their expertise, so giving up some control may not be a bad thing.
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to a traditional mover or a container moving company, you need to ask the same type of questions. Here are some examples:
Are you planning to move to or from Davie, Florida? If you are, make sure that you work with a local real estate expert who knows Davie real estate inside and out. The experts on the Teri Arbogast Team are well known as Broward County Realtors and can make sure your home sale or purchase goes smoothly. Call us at (954) 242-8030 or send an email today!
Are you beginning to feel claustrophobic in a smaller room in your home? Are you thinking of selling your Davie real estate and you want to do the best job of staging your home to get the best price? In either situation, there are things you can do to make a small room look larger.
Small rooms can be charming and cozy, but they do present a design challenge. If you overstock the room, it won’t be welcoming. And, homebuyers will get the idea that your room sizes may not be large enough to make the home comfortable. Luckily, it is easy to make a small room functional and beautiful, if you follow some basic concepts.
Good lighting is an easy way to make a small room look larger and more inviting. There are any number of ways to make light your friend.
Natural light is a boon to any room, but it’s critical for small spaces. Besides the light, uncovered windows will give your room more depth because your line of sight continues beyond the confines of the room.
If you must have window coverings, use blinds that you can open during the day. Use a blind in a color similar to your wall cover to give the feeling of more space. If you must have curtains, make sure you mount them with enough room to expose the entire window when the curtains are opened.
A lamp on a table, a floor lamp, or recessed lighting in the corners of your room makes the room look as if it goes on forever.
The days of designing with mirrors covering entire walls are over. But, you can use unique full-length or picture size mirrors to create the illusion of space. The best place for a mirror is in a part of the room that will reflect the natural light from outside, bringing that light farther into the room.
Dark colors make a large room seem cozy, but they can make a small room look even smaller than it is. Use a light color palette to reflect more light within the room. You can still create a feature wall with a dark paint color, or a darker texture on one wall of a small room.
Make a small room look larger by showing a bit of leg – table legs and chair legs, that is. A small dining room isn’t the place for a floor length tablecloth or chair covers. Furniture that has light flowing above, below, and between graceful legs will create the illusion of space.
In living areas, forgo couches and chairs with no legs. Of course, you may have a family member who can’t live without their leather recliner. But you can pair midcentury furniture with the recliner to take advantage of the fine wood frames and comfy cushions.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of Fixer Upper, you’ve probably seen shiplap used on walls and ceilings. The horizontal shiplap installation takes the eye on a trip around the room. That gives the room more movement and the illusion of more space. A vertical installation emphasizes the height of the room, and makes it look larger.
Another way you can emphasize the height of the room is to install curtains that start at the ceiling and go to the floor. Just make sure you can expose the entire window when the curtains are open.
A small room will always look tiny if the scale of the furniture is too large. It’s better to have a loveseat and separate chairs in a small living room.
In a small dining room, consider positioning the table off center to create a clear walkway through the room. If you’re dealing with a centered chandelier, a simple swag installation can center the light over the table, even if it isn’t in the exact center of the room.
Cluttered rooms look smaller, regardless of their size. If your room looks like a stall in a flea market, you need to take action. Declutter a space to give it a lived-in but not disheveled look.
If you’ve found these tips interesting because you’re thinking of selling your home, keep in mind that the professional members on the Teri Arbogast Team can help you make sure you sell for top dollar. We can help you decide what you can do to your home to make it a buyer magnet.
Feel free to call us at 954-242-8030 or send an email. We know the Davie real estate market very well, and can guide you to outshine your competition.
Yes, you could. According to the FBI’s 2018 Internet Crime Report, Americans lost roughly $150,000,000 in real estate scams. One of the most popular is real estate wire fraud, and it doesn’t matter how smart you are, it’s easy to get taken in. Read on to learn the things you can do to protect yourself.
Let’s say you’re a cybercriminal and you want to find out who is in the process of buying or selling a home. How difficult would it be? You could look on the MLS, Zillow, Trulia, and any other website that publishes things like listings for Davie homes for sale.
Since you’re a great hacker, you can discover who is involved in the transaction. Then, you figure out how to hack into the email account of one of those people. Real estate transactions have a lot of potential for hackers because there are several people involved. Besides the seller and buyer, there are attorneys, title companies, mortgage lenders, and two different real estate agents.
Once you can hack into those email accounts, you can wait until the time is right. Typically, hackers will stay undetected while they monitor the email exchanges about the closing for the house. When the closing is about to happen, the cybercriminal jumps into action.
At just the right moment, the hacker will send an email to the homebuyer, giving them the account number where they should wire their closing costs. If you’ve bought homes before, you know that amount could be $60,000, $100,000, $200,000 or more. Now, assume you’re the buyer.
You see an email from your mortgage lender, attorney, or real estate agent. It looks like the others you’ve received. The logo is right. The signature is right. It looks like business as usual. So, you naturally want to do everything possible to make the closing work smoothly, so you shoot off a wire transfer as requested. The only problem is that you just gave that money away to a cybercriminal.
And, you’re not alone. These types of scams happen to everyone from first-time homebuyers and experienced professionals.
All real estate related professionals need to keep track of their network security. Anything that can be done to improve the security should be done. Using the cloud for email and other networks can help by putting a distinct focus on security. But, as we all know, cybercriminals are getting smarter all the time.
It’s up to all of us, including buyers and sellers, to be vigilant. One person discovered that the email they received was a fraud by noticing that the email addresses on the email giving the instructions were off by one letter. That helped him save the $60,000 that would have been lost.
We should all be looking at our emails to make sure they’re legitimate. There are all kinds of scams that start with a fake email.
In addition, we should be confirming any request involving money, including wire transfer instructions for a home closing, with the sender of the email. It’s sad, but it’s our world today. The best option is to avoid heartache with a simple double check.
If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Davie or the surrounding area, you can trust the members of the Teri Arbogast Team. Our clients tell the story. We’re educated, experienced and can give you the service you deserve to make sure your real estate transaction goes smoothly. Call us at 954-242-8030 or send us an email. We’re looking forward to serving you.
If you’re anything like me, light bulbs aren’t high on your list of things to think about. So, you may be suffering the same pain that I am trying to buy them. Here’s what you need to know to get up to speed.
Actually, the U.S. stopped manufacturing incd bulbs on January 1, 2014. That’s because Congress passed a law in 2007 about energy efficiency, and incd bulbs stopped meeting the federal requirements as of 2014. But, we all know that incd bulbs were available in stores long after the date when they could no longer be manufactured.
Around the same time, manufacturers tried to sell us on buying Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. Those bulbs are just small fluorescent lights, and anyone working in an office knows that fluorescent lights can drive you crazy. They do use less energy and last 7 to 10 times longer than incd bulbs, but they’re weird things. Once you turn on a CFL bulb, it takes a while for them to actually light up. Besides that, you can’t dim them, and you need to recycle because they contain mercury.
Finally, the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs were introduced to the market. Luckily, those bulbs light up right away when you turn them on. They don’t get as hot as an incd bulb. In addition, they use a bit less energy than CFLs and they say they last 20,000 to 50,000 hours.
In fact, the last pack of LED bulbs I bought are reputed to last 13 years. I just hope I can find the bulbs that were left in the package when the first ones I used burn out. The LED bulbs do cost more initially, but with a 13-year life, I imagine it won’t hurt my budget.
LED bulbs measure the brightness in terms of Lumens, not Watts. Right now, the packages have a translation for you, but I imagine that won’t last forever. So, just to simplify things, here’s a conversion chart you may find useful.
| Incandescent Bulb Wattage | LED Bulb Lumens |
| 45 | 675 |
| 60 | 900 |
| 65 | 975 |
| 75 | 1125 |
| 100 | 1500 |
| 125 | 1875 |
| 150 | 2250 |
Those may not be the exact lumens you see on a package of light bulbs, but it will give you a general idea of what you’re looking for. So, if you need a 100-watt bulb, just buy an LED with approximately 1500 lumens. Easy, right? If we convert to the metric system, this might seem easy. But, I don’t like having to learn something new just to buy a light bulb!
Here’s an example from Home Depot of the types of LED bulbs you can buy:
If you need a bulb that works in a fully enclosed case, make sure that you buy an LED bulb that is fit for that purpose. You’ll also need to buy carefully if you need a bulb to work outdoors, with a motion sensor or with a photocell.
I hope this information is helpful to you. And, if you need information about buying or selling Davie real estate, be sure to give me a call at 954-242-8030 or send us an email. Our team is knowledgeable, experienced and passionate about working with buyers and sellers in the area. We’ll make sure you have the information you need to make informed decisions. Just take a look at what our clients say about us. We’re proud that we have 43 Google reviews and a 5.0 rating We’re the best Broward County REALTORS® in town!
If you’re thinking of buying Davie homes for sale, the odds are that you’ve been driving through neighborhoods in the area. And, you may come across for sale by owner (FSBO) signs in your travels. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you should consider buying a Davie for sale by owner, and if you do, how can you protect yourself?
Why would someone sell a home on their own? One of the big advantages that is often mentioned is that the seller won’t need to pay a fee to a real estate agent. It’s rare that someone selling their home themselves do it because they are real estate experts. Here are some things to consider about a FSBO seller.
Anyone can put their home on the market themselves. The internet is making that easier all the time. However, you need to keep in mind that the seller doesn’t necessarily know what they’re doing.
The seller may not know how to set a sales price, write a purchase contract, identify the things that they must disclose about the house based on state regulations, and more. If you want to buy a Davie for sale by owner, you’ll need to educate yourself extensively to ensure that your interests are protected.
Many people looking at a FSBO listing think they will get a good deal. But, FSBO sellers typically want to “save” the real estate agent commission and keep the money for themselves. Unless they’re very motivated, most FSBO sellers won’t reduce their price by the amount of a commission. They want to get full price to increase their profit.
Real estate agents work hard to keep up with what’s happening in their local real estate market. They know how to find the right comparables. Comparables are homes that have sold in the area that are similar to the house you’re looking at.
Agents will look at comparables and make adjustments for differences between that house and the house they’re listing. Agents also know what’s happening in the market. If prices are going up, they will factor that into setting a listing price.
A FSBO seller may do things like use a Zillow Zestimate to determine what their home is worth. Few people actually research the accuracy of a Zestimate. According to Zillow, the median error rate for their estimates is 5 percent.
Therefore, half of the Zestimates are within 5 percent of the selling price and half are wrong by more than 5 percent. On a 300,000 house, the Zestimate could be off by 5 percent, or $15,000. If the Zestimate is off by 10 percent, that represents a difference of $30,000. It can be a big problem for you as a buyer if a FSBO seller sets their price without the right research.
Things to Consider When Buying a FSBOSmart homebuyers will insist that their real estate agent is involved in a Davie for sale by owner transaction. The seller must agree to pay half of the commission they would pay if they had an agent of their own. The reason homebuyers want their own representative is because their agent is the only person in the transaction who does it for a living. And, there’s a lot to know to make sure your transaction runs smoothly.
The purchase contract is the legal definition of your real estate transaction. In most states, real estate agents use an approved contract template that they can customize for each transaction. However, FSBO owners don’t necessarily need to follow the same regulations. If you’re going to buy a FSBO house, you’ll need either a real estate agent or a real estate lawyer to get involved to protect your interests.
There are many things that you need to look for in a contract. You’ll need to have contingencies identified that will give you the right to have a home inspection and obtain financing before you make a firm commitment to buy the house.
The seller needs to list certain types of things that they plan to remove from the home. For example, if there’s a chandelier that the seller wants to keep, they need to let you know that ahead of time. They also need to provide whatever disclosures are necessary in your state.
As part of making an offer, you as the buyer will need to produce a deposit called earnest money. It proves to the seller that you’re serious about your offer. The amount is negotiable, but think in terms of 1-2 percent of the purchase price.
If you buy a FSBO without your own representation, you need to be sure that your deposit is safe, and that it will be returned when appropriate. Typically, your real estate agent puts the money in an escrow account. If you’re buying without an agent, you’ll need to find a way to protect that cash until closing.
The issues discussed above are only some of the things to look out for when you’re buying a Davie for sale by owner property. If you have a lawyer or a buyer’s agent, you will be fine. If you decide to fly solo, just be careful that you don’t regret your decision later.
When you need a buyer’s agent or a listing agent, remember that we’re Realtors in Davie who know the market and can guide you through a deal that meets your goals. Give us a call at 954-242-8030 or send an email. We’re here for you!
Homeowners in Davie and surrounding areas love their swimming pools. With the weather in the Davie area, a pool is a comfort on a hot day. It’s also an excellent place to entertain by extending your home into the outside.
Caring for a pool isn’t difficult, but there are things you need to keep in mind to make your outdoor living area a true oasis.
If you own a pool, you know that you need to keep the water free from bacteria and algae. However, each pool has its own needs, and using the right mix of chemicals is critical. If the water in your pool isn’t properly treated, you and your friends and family could end up with irritated eyes and skin. You may also end up deteriorating your pool’s materials and causing premature leaks.
Avoid these problems by getting your water tested at a local pool store on a regular basis. You can use their recommendations to maintain the quality of the water in between visits to the experts. A simple testing kit will let you make sure you’re treating the water effectively.
If you aren’t using the pool often, it’s easy to let the water level go down to dangerous levels due to lack of rain and evaporation. The problem comes in when the water level goes below the level of the filters. The water won’t be circulated and you could burn out your pump.
You need to pay particular attention to the water level if you’re going to be out of town. Filling the pool higher than normal won’t do any damage, and you’ll be protecting your investment in your pool accessories.
You should run the pool pump for your Davie Swimming Pool at least eight hours a day when the weather is hot. It can be tempting to turn the pump off to save electricity, but you’ll end up with more problems later. Running the water through the filters is the only way to keep algae and bacteria from growing.
Trying to bring the pool back to normal after the water is very contaminated can be difficult. You could cut down on the hours the pump runs during the winter, but keep the circulation going.
The filters will do a much better job of keeping the pool water sparkling when the filters are clean. Make sure you clean them at least once a month. Keeping some spare filters on hand will make it easy to ensure that your filters are always clean and working at peak efficiency.
Some Davie homeowners close their pools for the winter because the water gets too cold. However, many homeowners leave their pool open all year, especially if they have a pool heater.
If you’ve never considered a pool heater, you’re probably not making the most of your pool. The heater will make your pool as much of an outdoor living space in the winter as it is in the summer. Today, many pool owners are looking into solar pool heaters. They cost a bit more to install, around $3-4,000, but you’ll save a lot on operating costs.
Here are a few things you need to do for pool maintenance in the winter:
People purchasing Davie real estate are more likely to have a swimming pool on their list of must-haves than buyers in colder regions. If you are selling your property in Davie, work with agents who know how to show your home to its best advantage.
The Teri Arbogast Team knows the Davie area real estate market well. For example, I’ve lived in Davie for 20 years and I’ve come to love the South Florida lifestyle. As a top producer, I’ve earned the tag line “Nobody Sells Homes Like Teri.”
But, don’t take my word for it. Listen to our clients. Then, give me a call at 954-242-8030, or send an email to get your home sold.
Some people think that all they need to do to put their home on the market is call their Davie REALTORS. Those people will have a harder time getting their home sold quickly and at a market price. If you want to sell your home with the least amount of stress, make sure you check the home seller guidelines below.
If you’ve lived in your home for relatively long period of time, you’ve probably grown fond of it. While you have reasons to move, you may still hold your existing home close to your heart.
This will make the entire selling process more difficult, and at times, impossible.
For example:
Consciously stop thinking of your home as “yours.” Once it goes on the market, it’s just a product you’re selling. And, you can look forward to your new home becoming your next love.
You know about many of the things that need to be fixed in your home. Those things may include peeling paint, scuffed floors or very worn carpeting.
There may well be some problems that you’re not aware of. And, that’s a problem.
In the State of Florida, there have been lawsuits about hidden problems. The Florida Supreme Court ruling indicated that if there are problems that affect the value of the property that aren’t readily seen, the seller must disclose them to the buyer.
Another ruling by the First District Court of Appeals indicated that the same ruling noted above also applies to homes that are sold “as is.”
That means that you could find yourself in the middle of a lawsuit if you don’t check on the condition of your home. The only safe way to do that is to arrange for a pre-listing inspection. That inspection will point out anything that must be addressed, or at the least, disclosed to a buyer.
Your sale will go much smoother if you fix any problems found. Your agent can help you determine which things you might be able to leave for the buyer to address, and which will be deal breakers.
We’ve talked about the difference between personal property and fixtures before. Just to review, in the State of Florida, there are three terms you need to know:
The problem is that gray area where there are fixtures that you consider to be your personal property. A lot of confusion, frustration, and sometimes lawsuits, can occur if you and your agent aren’t clear about fixtures that you consider to be personal property and want to take with you.
Here’s an example of something you might want to take with you:
Often, the best thing to do as the seller is to replace those fixtures you want to take with you before you list the house. If that doesn’t happen, then talk to your agent about how to let the buyer know if there are fixtures that you are excluding from the sale.
The same type of communication should take place for things that you might typically take with you, but you don’t want them. Let’s say that you’ve purchased a new refrigerator that fits perfectly into the kitchen in your new home. You should let the buyer know that the refrigerator is included in the sale.
These are just a few of the things that should appear on your “Home Seller Guidelines.” Don’t miss part two of this series.
And, if you are thinking of selling your home, make sure you work with agents who know all about how you can make the sale of your home a happy one. Contact us at 954.242.8030 or send an email. We’ll use our market knowledge and skills to help you sell quickly and at the highest market value!
If you’re buying real estate in Davie, Florida, there may be a Home Owners Association (HOA) in the area, regardless of whether you’re buying a single family home or a condominium. A Florida HOA will have an impact on your enjoyment of your home and your pocketbook. Therefore, it’s important that you investigate the HOA before making any final decisions about your purchase. Here’s what you need to know.
If you live in a community that has amenities used by everyone in the neighborhood, such as swimming pools and security gates, you probably will have an HOA that is responsible for maintaining the community’s assets. If you live in a condominium or townhome communities, there is usually always an HOA.
A board of directors consisting of volunteer property owners runs the HOA. Other property owners in the community elect the board members. The HOA itself is regulated by the Florida Homeowners’ Association Act. The board of directors must ensure that the operation of the HOA complies with that legislation.
Other responsibilities of the board include protecting the value of the homes and community common areas, enforcing the covenants and restrictions that are in effect, and collecting HOA fees.
The covenants and restrictions are written rules that all the homeowners have agreed to and will follow. The fees are used to do regular maintenance of the common property, and a portion is put aside as a cash reserve for more major repairs.
Before purchasing a home in a community that has an HOA, you want to be sure that you trust the operation of the HOA and can abide by the covenants and restrictions that are in place.
Recurring Fees: The most common HOA fee is the regularly assessed fees. Typically, these fees are due on a monthly or quarterly basis. Find out what the fee is, how it is determined, and how often the fee has been raised in the past. In addition, make sure you understand what the fee covers and what it doesn’t!
Special Assessments: When the HOA needs to spend money that isn’t in the budget, the Board may call for a Special Assessment. For example, let’s say that your community pool has a major problem that is going to require a major repair. If the money isn’t in the budget, a special assessment might be the only way to make the repair in a timely fashion. Find out how often special assessments have been used in the past, what the amount was per owner, and whether there are any special assessments currently under consideration.
The Reserve Fund: Some repairs or unexpected expenses can typically be paid using the Reserve Fund. Find out how the HOA manages that fund.
If recurring fees are raised often, be sure and ask why. If the board isn’t managing costs well, they’ll need to raise fees more often. If special assessments are used frequently, it may indicate that the HOA isn’t managing its reserves well, or is not planning ahead to be prepared when more major repairs are going to be needed.
You need to know what the rules are and whether you can abide by them. Does the HOA prohibit the fence you want to build for your dog? Can you paint your home any color you choose? You may be surprised at how unreasonable some of the rules may seem. But, you can’t underestimate the unreasonable things that some homeowners might do if there weren’t a rule against it.
Find out how the HOA enforces the rules. For example, ask if they have the right to fine you or put a lien on your home. If the HOA doesn’t currently allow fences, for example, is there a process for asking for a variance? Can a majority vote by the homeowners change the rules?
Keep in mind that most HOA rules are there to protect the value of all of the homeowners’ property. You may agree that you don’t want to live beside a hot pink home. But, if it looks like you can’t abide by the rules, you need to search for homes in another community.
There’s nothing worse than moving into a new home only to discover that it doesn’t follow the covenants and restrictions of the HOA. In that case, you’re the one who would be responsible for making the required changes.
Don’t assume that the Florida HOA in the area where you want to buy will be the same as the one in the area where you live currently. Each HOA has its own personality. If its personality and yours don’t get along, you won’t be happy with your new home. Always take the time to research an HOA carefully before you finalize a home purchase.
Speaking of purchasing a home. . . If you’re looking for a Broward County REALTOR®, we hope you’ll give us a call at 954-242-8030 or send us an email. Our team is knowledgeable, experienced and passionate about working with buyers and sellers in the area. We’ll make sure you have the information you need to make informed decisions. Just take a look at what our clients say about us!
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