Naples Real Estate Blog

Appraisal time is nail-biting time. House appraisals – a professional appraiser’s opinion of the value of a piece of real estate – can make or break a sale. No matter how much the seller thinks her home is worth and how much the buyer is willing to pay, it is the appraiser who determines its true value. And it’s the house appraisal that determines whether or not the bank will lend on it.

Most of the time, a savvy real estate agent gets really close to appraised value when she compiles her market analysis for the seller. Sometimes, however, the seller doesn’t take the agent’s advice and insists on listing the house for more. This is usually the problem when a house “doesn’t appraise,” meaning the appraiser’s valuation comes in lower

Buying a home can be the biggest decision of your life. You need to find a place that is ideal for you and your family, while at the same time, being sure not to over-extend yourself to the point of stress. Below are five steps to get you started – things you need to do before you buy a home.

First: Be realistic about what you can spend, and what you can lend.

Consider your expenses that keep you living the lifestyle you enjoy – and how your mortgage will be higher or lower than what you're paying in rent. Also consider how you will be the one responsible for maintenance and repairs around your new home, and how your budget will have to change to reflect that.

Second: Save, save, and save some more.

Tied in directly to being a responsible

The Obama administration has recently announced a plan to bring relief to the housing market and more than nine million homeowners. The plan, "Making Your Home Affordable" will allow for refinancing and restructuring loans to make them more affordable. Those eligible for refinancing under the program are homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments but haven't been able to refinance due to the decrease in the value of their home. The President has issued the requirements for eligibility. They are as follows:

*The loans must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

*The property must be owner occupied

*The borrower has to have income to support the new mortgage debt

Saturnia Lakes is a newer development in North Naples. Made up of mostly single-family homes the community caters to a family lifestyle with all the amenities that take family would like to enjoy.

The clubhouse is one of the largest in Naples for its kind. There is a large social hall that can be utilized by any Saturnia Lakes resident free of charge. Residents can hold weddings, dances, graduation parties, card games, and holiday parties. The pool is very large and a favorite for families. It is a resort style pool that is very shallow on one end for kids and deeper on the other. In the center of the large pool is a spa, which is under a structure that overlooks the large lake and homes in the community. Adjacent to the resort style pool is a kiddie

If you want to increase your chances of generating interest in your home and getting it sold as quickly as possible, creating curb appeal is essential. Curb appeal refers to the way the home looks from the road, or “curb,” as someone drives by. In other words, a home with curb appeal is one that creates a good first impression on potential buyers. Whether selling Washington DC real estate or real estate in Naples, creating curb appeal is an essential step toward getting your home sold. Fortunately, creating curb appeal is a relatively easy process that doesn’t need to cost a great deal of money. In fact, by following these 5 steps, your home will be sure to grab the attention of many potential buyers.

Step #1: Clean Up the Clutter

It should

When purchasing a home, you will find that there are many different forms and other items that you will need to sign. You will also find that there are several expenses in addition to the actual cost of the home. One of these additional costs will come in the form of title insurance - and regardlress of whether you're buying San Antonio real estate or a new place in Naples, it's something you'll want to give serious consideration to.

What is Title Insurance?

In short, title insurance is a form of insurance that provides you with protection against problems that may arise with the property title. If you take out a mortgage loan to help pay for your home, the mortgage lender will require you to purchase title insurance that provides protection equal

How your Down Payment Drives the Home Buying Process

So you have decided that you are ready for homeownership. Logically you think the first place to start is looking at homes on the internet. That is a worthwhile exercise as it will help with some of the initial fact-finding and questions you may have, but prior to calling an agent or rushing out to look at homes, the best place to start is with your own finances.

The reason being that the amount you have saved for a down payment and closing costs will affect every other aspect of the transaction from the contract terms, loan availability, rates you qualify for, and which homes are attainable.

Financing Options

These days, the minimum down payment for some loans can be as low as 3%, but for

What's Title Insurance and Why Do I Need It?

Just like when you purchase a car, buying a home involves taking ownership to the title of the property. Also referred to as the deed, the title contains the legal description of the property as well as the signatures of the current owners. Whether dealing in Denver Colorado luxury condos or waterfront homes in Naples, prior to finalizing the purchase of your home a title examiner will conduct a title search to ensure the person who is selling the home is the legal owner of the property. The search also includes determining whether or not there are any unsettled claims or liens against the party. While this title search should protect you from any problems in the future, there is a possibility that a

Jim Cramer recently made a logical comparison between stocks and the real estate market. His argument was that the  there were very volitile stocks that led the overall stock market then hit a wall. As this volitile sector plumetted it brought the overall market with it.

His current position is that the Florida real estate market (particularly south Florida), went up so fast then 'fell off a cliff'. However, while some parts of the country are still in a declining real estate market, Florida is starting to rebound.  In Naples, prices have been relatively flat for three years and the total inventory is sharply down.

In the same way these once volatile stocks leveled off and re-established themselves as the market directional leader, Florida is

It’s no longer a secret that international and investment buyers are swarming the coastlines of Florida’s most beautiful cities, looking to score deals and take advantage of phenomenally-low home prices in these world-class locales. While Miami and Fort Lauderdale are renowned hot-spots, Naples, Florida is yet another locale benefiting from this influx of cash. In fact, a report released by internet real estate data site Trulia.com this summer showed that Naples is the fourth-most popular city in Florida with international investors, just behind Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Cape Coral.

So what’s bringing in buyers from across the globe? Number one on the list is certainly the beaches. From Barefoot beach to Lowdermilk, the silky-white sands of these