Excellent South Florida real estate advices today from Kathleen Tamburino: A recent Redfin report throws the spotlight on Florida’s condo market, revealing some interesting shifts that are reshaping the landscape for owners and buyers alike. Data from real estate brokerage Redfin shows a whopping 28.2% jump in the number of condos for sale in January, which is a stark contrast to the 11.1% increase nationwide. The culprits? Soaring insurance and homeowner association (HOA) fees. Because of rising Association fees and increasingly-common special assessments, condos are taking much longer to sell. While Florida’s median sales prices for condos nudged up by 2.4%, thats less than the 8.4% growth for condos nationwide. Median prices for condos fell 6.5% in Jacksonville, by 4.8% in Orlando, 2.5% in Miami and by 1% in Tampa. Find extra info at https://about.me/kathleensellsflorida.com.

Renovating improves the house value says Kathleen Tamburino : Many renovators also have a tendency to underestimate the level of work required to upgrade existing services such as electrics and heating systems to make them fit for purpose. A lot of unnecessary work can be prevented in period properties (1930s and older) by adopting a ‘repair not replace’ approach. Overhauling original doors and windows and retaining period features is often cheaper than replacement, adding value in the process by enhancing period character. In many cases, the original door and window timbers and joinery were of far better quality than today’s equivalents. Fitting secondary glazing to original windows is often a good ‘best of both worlds’ solution. If modern double-glazed units have misted, you can save a lot of work by replacing just the glazing panels, rather than the whole window. With roofs, localised repair may be all that’s needed in most cases. Surveyors can sometimes pass premature death sentences when there may be another 10 or 20 years’ lifespan left.



Next up: home price trends. In November 2020, existing home prices grew by a whopping 15% compared to last year—rising to a national median of well over $300,000! This marks more than 100 straight months of year-over-year price gains.4 Sellers, this should put a big smile on your face! And hang tight, buyers—we have some advice for you too. If you’re going to buy a home in this expensive market, you absolutely must find out how much house you can really afford. Commit to staying within that budget amount no matter how much pressure you feel watching competitors pluck good homes off the market.

Hot South Florida realtor news right now from Kathleen Tamburino: Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.

Have an Emergency Fund: If you lost your job tomorrow would you have enough money to live off while you look for a new one? If not then you’re not alone. This study found that although Americans are doing a better job at saving, around 24 percent of them (57 million people) don’t have an emergency fund. Now I don’t want to be a negative Nancy or a Debbie downer, but emergencies happen all the time. They may not happen to you, but it’s always good to be prepared. You can’t predict an emergency, but you can prepare for one. The best way to do so is to set up an emergency fund of 3-6 months living expenses. That means if you lost your job tomorrow, you’d be able to live off your emergency fund for 3-6 months while you look for a new one. Net worth can seem like a tricky topic, but it’s quite simple. Your net worth is how much money you are worth. If you were to sell everything you own, then pay off everything you owe, how much money would be left? Discover extra info on Kathleen Tamburino, Florida.

Kathleen Tamburino Florida high quality real estate market opportunities right now: The most important of my home renovation tips is this: your contract should outline the schedule of which the project will be completed and at what point draws will be made. ‘Draws’ is the term for financial payments that the homeowner makes to the contractor usually in percentage form. So for example: weeks 2 & 3 will be for demolition, installation of the framing, base work for the hardwood floors, and wiring for the electrician. 10% draw. From the very beginning, you need to stick to the draw schedule to the T. Let the contractor know that any single delay any of the line items means a delay of payment. Contractors will often tell you that they need more money to finish a certain section but that makes for a slippery slope. Trust me.

Location is by far the most important part of buying real estate. You can change condition, you can change price, you can’t change the location of a house. If there is one thing a buyer should never sacrifice on its location. The location of a house will have the largest impact on its price, and potential future appreciation. One analogy we use to demonstrate how important location is this: If you take the least expensive home in the world, and you put it in downtown New York City, it is worth millions. If you start shopping homes for sale in all different locations you’ll never build a proper frame of reference to understand what constitutes a great deal, a good deal, and a lousy deal. You want to become an expert in a certain area so that when it comes time to make an offer, you can do so with conviction and confidence.

Here are several real estate advices: Before you get too excited, or worried that time is running out, it might actually be in your favor to slow play this one. Per Zillow, the best time to buy a home may be in late summer, including the months of August and September. Basically, you’ve got the slow, cold months at the start of the year where there isn’t much inventory, followed by the strong spring housing market where everyone and their mother wants to buy. Then you get a lull and perhaps even a dip in home prices during summer, which could be an attractive entry point. You might even get lucky and snag a price cut with a lot less competition while other prospective buyers are on vacation. That being said, get pre-approved NOW and set up your alerts for new listings ASAP and just be ready to pounce whenever.

Today’s buyers are very educated about comparable sales in your home’s area. You want your home to look like it is a great deal. In order to compete with other sellers, you should have your Realtor provide you with sales prices for similar homes that have already been sold in your area. Find out what your home is worth and then set your selling price 15% to 20% lower. By doing so, you will get multiple bids and more than likely end up with a bidding price that is well over what your home is worth.

Buying or selling a home in Florida is a legal transaction that requires expertise, understanding, and a desire to do right for your client. Kathleen brings her home buying and selling clients a unique experience and understanding of real estate. Once you become Kathleen’s client, she will think about you 24/7 until she meets all your real estate needs. As a former Business Education Teacher in NYC, she offers a dedication and tenacity you will not get with any other real estate agent.

Kathleen is focused on providing you with the best results and service in the industry. She listens carefully to understand your real estate goals and works hard to create solutions that make sense for you. Whether you are new to the market or an experienced investor, Kathleen has the expertise and resources to help you achieve your real estate goals. She understands that buying or selling a home can be a stressful and overwhelming process, which is why she makes it her top priority to guide her clients through every step of the transaction with patience and professionalism.

As is often said, real estate is about location. Kathleen has extensive knowledge of the Palm Beach County, FL area and can help you find the right home for you or the right buyer for your home.