Treasure Coast Real Estate Blog

1. Thou shalt not change jobs, become self-employed or quit your job.

2. Thou shalt not buy a car, truck or van (or you may be living in it)!

3. Thou shalt not use charge cards excessively or let your accounts fall behind.

4. Thou shalt not spend money you have set aside for closing.

5. Thou shalt not omit debts or liabilities from your loan application

6. Thou shalt not buy furniture.

7. Thou shalt not originate any inquiries into your credit.

8. Thou shalt not make large deposits without first checking with your loan officer.

9. Thou shalt not change bank accounts.

10. Thou shalt not co-sign a loan for anyone.

If you have any questions, or recently broke a “commandment”, call me!

Source: GoodLifeRealty.com

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

Many property owners were facing massive flood insurance increases based upon 2012 legislation which was aimed at raising artificially low flood insurance rates and making them more in line with the actual risk of

flooding. Some homeowners received bills up to 800% higher than the previous year’s bill. Thankfully, we can breathe somewhat of a sigh of relief, as what was known as the misguided Biggert-Waters Act has been amended, but rates will still be increasing, especially on rental properties and second homes. When educating your property owners as to costs of ownership, advise them to set aside up to 25% more a year for flood insurance due to the new legislation.  Source: Law Office of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, P.A.

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.ownership, advise them to set aside up to 25% more a year for flood insurance due to the new legislation.

4 Things to Consider When Searching for a Home

When searching for a home, you will  want to ask yourself a few questions; which will help you prioritize what you're looking for in both a home and a neighborhood. Ideally you'll find a home that meets all of your criteria, but considering these questions will help you make clear decisions down the line should you need to make a compromise (for example: a home's amenities versus the neighborhood's "walkability score").

Things to think about:

1. If you had to choose between a smaller home and a longer commute, which would you choose?

2. How important is it to you to be able to walk to grocery stores, restaurants, and other local businesses?

3. Are you concerned about having access to sidewalks and parks?

4. What about your current neighborhood bothers you? What do you like about it?

Keep these questions in mind as you tour homes and survey neighborhoods. You might also find this article from HGTV informative, "How to Choose a Neighborhood":

http://www.frontdoor.com/real-estate/how-to-choose-a-neighborhood

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

Home shopping can be tough when you're not sure how much you can afford. If you've wanted to live the dream of owning your own home, but haven't been sure where to start, I've put together a few tips that can make it easier to get a handle on where to start.

1. Tax benefits usually mean you can afford more than your rent. Interest deductions on taxes typically translate into significant savings. Many people find they can afford about 33% more than their current rent. To get an idea of what this might be for you, multiply your current rent by 1.33.

2. A home price two-to-three times your gross income is usually a reasonable place to begin. For example, if your household made $75,000 last year, you could begin looking in the $150,000 - $225,000 range to start.

3. Know how much you can put down. Ideally, you'd want to have 20% of the home's price set aside for a down payment. On a $200,000 home, this would be roughly $40,000. While people qualify with less, it can result in higher interest rates (which translate to higher monthly payments).

4. Determine your "debt factor." Lenders will often cite the 28/41 rule when it comes to your debt. This means that your mortgage (plus taxes and insurance) shouldn't exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. Your total payments (credit card, car loan, etc.) plus your mortgage shouldn't come to more than 41% of your gross monthly income.

I often work with first-time buyers and renters to get themselves lined up for home ownership. If you'd like to learn more, or have questions, I'd be happy to help.

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

Kolter Homes is now offering a few great opportunities for buyers to own a brand new inventory home at Tres Belle in Stuart, Florida! Discerning buyers will love this estate homes community featuring Stuart’s largest home sites and located within minutes of downtown Stuart, highways, and "A" rated Martin County schools. 

These pool homes are situated on half acre with large, private fenced yards. Program highlights include a $20,000 to S40,000 discount from the builder for a 60 day closing, closing cost incentive, and included pool and spa package.  Click here for floor plans

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

How to Make a Home Inspector Happy (6 tips!)

Sweating an upcoming home inspection? Here are six tips that will make your home inspector happy and save time and money in the process:

Everyone wants a smooth home inspection. Sellers, buyers, agents... everyone's rooting that this high-stakes moment passes without a hitch. Add to that list the home inspector, too! Save time, save money. If you're selling, there are things you can do to make the home inspector's job easier and help ensure the most accurate report possible.

1. Declutter your appliances. Get the pots off the stove, remove pans stored in the oven, take that bowl from the microwave, and check the washer and dryer bins for clothes. While all these appliances need to be tested, you don't want an inspector rummaging through your laundry or scorching a pot to do the job.

2. Replace burned-out lightbulbs. If a light switch doesn't work, the inspector must determine if it's a problem with the fixture itself. Take the time to hunt down those lightbulbs that might be out of the way, too... (Closets, attics, basements, guest rooms, etc.)

3. Keep access doors clear. You might have furniture blocking seldom-used crawlspace entrances, or the space for the pull-down stairs up to the attic may be obstructed. Clear these entryways to the inspector and save them the time and hassle of getting into hidden areas.

4. Be honest about what doesn't work. Don't deceive your home inspector or hope they'll overlook something. It's bound to come out, and failure to disclose home defects can be a legal hassle. For example, is the garbage disposal broken? Say so. Leave notes for the inspector or prepare them with an email message, etc.

5. Point out pumps and septic tank locations. If you have a healthy septic system, ensure these locations are clearly described for the inspector. Again, annotate a photo or draw a simple map if need be.

6. Check your smoke detectors. People forget to change batteries in smoke detectors, and if you've neglected yours (or taken them down to change batteries and left them in the garage!), double-check to make sure they're in place and functioning.

Naturally, this list assumes you've made any pre-inspection repairs you want to address. Want more information about the home inspection process? Get in touch with me today.

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida's Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 772-678-1600 or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please get in touch with me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign, or ad, and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

One Handy Financial Calculator

Financial health and stability depends upon making informed decisions about loans, debt, taxes, savings, and more. Unfortunately, most people (including first-time homebuyers!) lack a true understanding of how to apply math to help them clearly understand these essential areas.

While there are many specialized calculators out there for a particular area (say debt, or mortgage payments), there are few which consolidate all of the most popular financial calculators in one place. Not to mention, you can chalk up quite a bill paying $2 - $5 for each independent calculator you may need.

Recently I discovered CalcMoolator, a handy online collection of calculators which also has easy-to-use apps for both iOS and Android devices. The most popular calculators include:

* Auto Lease vs. Buy
* Auto Loan Estimate
* First-Year Baby Costs
* Estimate Your Credit Score
* Pay Off My Credit Card Debt Sooner
* My Lifetime Earnings
* Salary to Hourly Wage
* Rent vs. Buy
* What If I Pay More?
* Mortgage Payment Estimate

What's more, you can even embed web-based CalcMoolator calculators in your own website/blog. It's very handy for showing Rent vs. Buy and Mortgage Payment estimates.

Check out CalcMoolator for yourself:
http://www.calcmoolator.com/

Thinking about getting your "financial house in order" before you buy real estate? Let's connect!

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

Selling the House Through the Garage

Getting ready to sell your house? If you want to make it shine, don't forget to pay attention to the garage! Staging all your rooms can make a big difference.

Making a house on the market shine is all about attention to detail. If you're going the extra mile to ensure your home is a stand-out, you'll probably go beyond the typical touch-ups that refresh curb appeal. You might even decide to stage your home, especially if you're not living in it while it's for sale.

One "room" you don't want to forget when you stage? Your garage!

Staging a garage may sound excessive, but it's an important and frequently-used entryway to a home. While many prospective buyers may expect a dark, cluttered, unfinished concrete box, you can surprise and delight them by following these simple garage staging tips:

1. Clear out the clutter. Yes, it might mean renting storage space, but that can be a good idea anyway when you're staging a home to impress. Weed through the junk, have your garage sale, and then store the balance off-site.

2. Enhance the floors. Cracked, stained, or otherwise shoddy looking concrete flooring can be a visual turn-off. If you're not planning on sealing, priming, and painting the floor, at least get a suitable cleaning chemical or power washer to brighten up the flooring.

3. Organize what remains. A workshop area with hook boards for small tools can be appealing, especially if great care is taken to make the area look tidy and functional.

4. Create more storage space on walls or hanging from the ceiling. Provided your garage isn't low-ceilinged or particularly tight, shelving and hanging racks can show your buyers how much room they'll have to keep extra tools, seasonal decorations, or sports equipment handy.

5. Tune up the lighting. A nice hanging fluorescent fixture, plugged into outlets or existing fixture outlets can change your garage from a dungeon into a clean, inviting place. Besides, don't you want to highlight all that hard work you've done?

Want to make your house stand-out in the Treasure Coast market? I'm happy to share all the tips and tricks I have to give your home an edge. Let's connect!

This post has been authored by Eric Slifkin, REALTOR® serving South Florida’s Treasure Coast. You can reach me at 888-288-1765, or visit my Web site. As your resource for information on new or resale homes throughout the Treasure Coast, please be sure to contact me about any home you may find on the Web, yard sign or ad and I will research the property, arrange showings and handle all the details.

Say Yes to CRS

Choosing a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) to Represent You

Buying a home is one of the biggest and most emotional decisions you will ever make. So it’s important to work with someone who can provide sound advice and a steady, guiding hand when you need it. That’s why a CRS agent is the best person for the job.

A Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) is among the top 3 percent of all agents in the country. CRS agents have achieved a high volume of transactions and advanced training in areas such as business planning, real estate investing, marketing and technology. They must also maintain membership in the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and abide by its Code of Ethics. Why work with anyone else when you can work with a CRS agent?  Read more