Heather the Realtor - Orlando Area's Top Real Estate News

Sorry everyone for the crappy format. All was lost when I copied and pasted into here and Im on a cruise limited time on the net. Please enjoy 

Best time to buy Home ownership is the "American dream"; if you are in a solid place financially, and can qualify for a home, then buy! The market takes its ups and downs, some bigger than others, but at least it is a buyers' market, so you can get a good deal even if the home goes down in value a bit. Real estate is always supposed to be a long-term investment, so live in the pride of home ownership if it's the right move for you. And more importantly, don't buy more home than you can afford, then you won't be in the same boat as soooo many people losing their homes right now. Conventional wisdom says that you need to stay in a home a minimum of five years to ensure that you recoup your purchasing costs. It's All About the Market Market conditions play a huge part in any decision about when to buy. Housing market values have varied widely from region to region in recent years. Do not buy high and sell low — if your market is softening or has hit its peak and is heading south, you may want to wait on your purchase. For example, say you were to buy a $400,000 house in Boulder, Colorado, and you estimate the market will soften from the current 11% appreciation to about 9 percent annually. If you stayed in the house three years, you would recover $88,750 in equity at the end of that period; if you stayed five years, you'd realize $120,360. It's All About You The top three reasons people file for bankruptcy are change of job status, divorce, and unforeseen health expenses. If you face any of these challenges and don’t have a financial cushion, this may negatively impact your ability to pay a mortgage. Big life events dictate your readiness to buy now or to wait for a little more stability. Signs you should not buy right now: • Will you be moving within the next two years? • Will you be having kids soon? • Will you be making a job change? • Have you recently filed for bankruptcy or is your credit score below 630? If you answered yes to any of these questions, or you are experiencing other life-changing events like illness, marriage, divorce, or breakup, you may want to wait. However, it is always well advised to discuss these matters with a qualified professional. Your Financial Future Aside from life events contributing to your decision, getting your financial house in order before you begin your home search is key. Even with all the programs available for buyers with a low-or-no down payment, if your debts are growing steadily and you don’t foresee an increase in your income, you are putting yourself in greater financial risk by taking on a mortgage. With only a few exceptions, many loans for people who are still repairing their credit or recovering from bankruptcy carry higher rates than those available once your credit is in better shape. So the question comes down to this: Do you buy now, before prices appreciate higher and mortgage interest rates climb higher than you can afford, but do so with an expensive loan? Or do you wait and repair your credit, then get a favorable loan, and pay more for your home? That’s the sort of analysis you need to go over with a financial counselor or mortgage broker before you start hitting open houses. Ways to Cushion the Blow On the other hand, if you are willing to buy a home that needs a bit of work and, over time, you can afford to get it done, your home could appreciate faster, strengthening your financial position. If you are willing to take on a roommate or renter, you can also soften the expense of a mortgage, which almost always costs more than rent. Buying a home is a risk, and it’s worth asking yourself hard questions about what you’re willing to do to protect yourself from getting in over your head. If you answered “no” the life-change questions, and have the down payment or equity from your current home, you still need to look at interest rates and at how buying affects your taxes. You can’t time the stock market, but you can time interest rate hikes, as they are a little easier to predict. If they are going up fast, you can jump in before they rise too far; if they are already high, you will have to calculate how refinancing in the future affects your budget. What to Do First If you are anxious to get moving, be patient. You have a few things to do first: 1) Go to open houses. Get the lay of the land and talk to local professionals. 2) Talk to a mortgage broker to get pre-approved. 3) Interview agents. (You may want to find an agent at the same time as you look for a mortgage broker.) 4) Review credit report and scores with mortgage broker to determine if any repairs are needed. Work to repair. Ask if there are programs that will work for you. The other thing to do is sit down and think about what it is you look for in a home. Make your list as though you were going out to grocery shop. Don't leave any details out. Include areas you would like to look in. And once you have it all down, relax and have fun while shopping around for your dream home.

Everyone has that moment when the whole process of selling seems overwhelming. And that’s when you lie awake at night and the fears replay themselves in your head. But there’s help from the Fearbusters! Here’s a list of common fears of the seller, and solutions.

Fear: I'll sell my house for too little because I priced it too low.
Fearbuster: You can price your house fairly, but having an expert Realtor helping educate you in the process is the best idea. Obtain three Comparative Market Analyses from agents.

Fear: There are so many real estate agents out there, and they all claim to be super salespeople! What if the agent I decide to list my home with turns out to be a slick wheeler-dealer who’s all talk and no action?
Fearbuster: Counter with your own two-step plan of talk and action: Get on the phone and ask about showings, inquiries, Web hits, etc. If that doesn’t bring satisfactory results, let them know you’ll terminate or not renew the listing. That should get their attention. Also make sure when you sign a contract you can cancel at anytime and not owe any money.

Fear: People at an open house will go through my personal things, perhaps even my drawers — and they may steal things!
Fearbuster: Yes, people at open houses will open drawers. If there’s something you don’t want them to see — perhaps the adults-only underwear you bought your wife last Valentine’s Day — store it somewhere else. Also, though it rarely happens, con artists do sometimes go to open houses with the express purpose of stealing. Own a couple of antique Chinese vases? Don’t leave them on the mantle during the open house!

Fear: My house will languish on the market for months without a nibble, and I’ll have to suffer through multiple open houses to drum up interest.
Fearbuster: If you price your home right and keep your house neat, clean, and available for viewing to agents and buyers, you’ll get offers.

Fear: Now that I’ve invested so much time and energy in getting my home on the market, I’m losing sleep. I’m afraid I won’t know enough to stay out of legal trouble.
Fearbuster: You need your sleep. Before you negotiate with buyers and before you sign anything, make sure you have a professional — an attorney or real estate agent — on your side. Even if you feel like you can negotiate successfully, it doesn’t hurt to have that second pair of eyes.

Fear: What if the inspection reveals that termites have chomped their way through all the support beams and my house is about to collapse? This sale will fall through and I won’t be able to buy my new house, which is scheduled to close next week!
Fearbuster: Remember how smart you were. You avoided any last-minute inspection surprises by hiring your own inspector before you even listed your house for sale. He found nothing major and you already completed minor repairs. And if the fridge quits before you close, it’s no big deal. You’ll have enough money to replace it.

Let me help put your mind at ease. I educate my clients on the home selling process and continue my education through closing. I dont sell my services to get your listing. I give home sellers the tools they need to make an educated decision when choosing an agent. If you are looking to interview and agent in the Central Florida area call me at (407) 810-6304 or send me an email at Hjoubran@remax.net     

No worries. Though buying a house can be stressful, your biggest fears can be calmed with a little homework and information.

Fear: Help! Everyone has advice for me. I'm going to be overwhelmed by all the things I need to know — I'll never get a house!
Fearbuster: Take a deep breath. Remember that other people have been through this, and they survived. And purchased a house. There are lots of people out there to help, from family members who have done this before, to professional resources.  Information is your friend — the more homework you do ahead of time, the easier the whole process will be.

Fear: The neighborhood’s cool, the homes are well-maintained, and I’ve found several I like. But the housing market means prices are just beyond my budget! Will I ever find a place to call my own?
Fearbuster: Broaden your search. If housing prices in that hip Postal Code are too hot to handle, consider looking in nearby neighborhoods. They’re often overlooked, underpriced, and poised to benefit from the reflective glow. Also, make sure to check with a realtor. They know if homes you like may be overpriced or about how much you may be able to negotiate to get that price down closer to your level.

Fear: The perfect home is always sold the week before I started looking!
Fearbuster: Sit down with your real estate agent and review your description of what you’re looking for in light of the kinds of homes you’ve seen so far. Were there homes you initially ruled out that might be worth a second look? For example, could you do without a separate family room if that brought the price of a home within your range? And keep looking. The perfect home may be just around the corner.

Fear: I'm looking for an agent I, how do I select the best one who will get me the best deal?
Fearbuster: You want to do some homework when picking an agent. It’s especially important to have a list of questions to ask. Don't be shy about asking questions and you'll be fine. Inspect what you expect. Many agents will tout that they have great internet marketing....check to see they do. An agent web site will tell you a lot.

Fear: What if the seller turns us down flat?
Fearbuster: Barring an insane seller’s market, if you and your agent have presented a reasonable offer, backed by strong CMA numbers, the seller should be willing at least to make a counteroffer. If not, there’s nothing you can do except resume shopping — and be glad you won’t be dealing with someone who likely would’ve given you weeks of misery and then probably quashed the deal anyway. The good news is: Your new home must actually still be out there.

Fear: I want the house, but I'm afraid I'll have to give up too much to get it!
Fearbuster: Figure out what is really important to you about the house; that becomes your baseline negotiating point. Concentrate on that, and you will find you can probably live without some of the other contingencies.

Fear: I hate, I mean hate, confrontation. I'm worried that the seller will hate me if I negotiate.
Fearbuster: Another way to think of it is if you have a realtor, any confrontation will be directed at your realtor who is skilled in the art of negotiation and will have a good idea of what to ask for and what kind of contingencies might be needed in the offer.

Fear: Yikes, now I have a $250,000 mortgage. What if I lose my job, they foreclose on my house, and my life is ruined!
Fearbuster:  Putting money aside for a rainy day is easier said than done — particularly when you have just made the biggest investment of your life. Begin to squirrel away emergency funds and even open a line of credit, if you qualify, so you’ll have funds to get you through a rough patch.

Fear: What happens if the seller accepts my offer but my financing falls through or I lose my job?
Fearbuster: The contract should contain contingency clauses (financing condition and home inspection) designed to make it possible for you to pull out of the deal and get your initial deposit money refunded. A standard contingency is that your loan must be approved.

Fear: Something unexpected will mess up the closing and I’ll be back to square one.
Fearbuster: It’s true that closing is the last — and a very important — step. There are lots of deadlines during closing and the anxiety you feel is normal. Your realtor should be your guide including the walk through at the day of closing. It’s all about staying involved at each step of the way; that makes the closing glitch-less.

Fear: I may be buying into a declining market, in which case my hard earned downpayment could be quickly wiped out.
Fearbuster: Do your homework, find a real estate agent that knows the area you are looking in and has been in the business for a few years. Good agents will usually know how the market trends have been in their area, and have attended many educational courses giving them a strong outlook on the real estate market. In addition, a good agent should be able to answer your questions or concerns. If they are unable to answer your questions, keep lookng until you find an agent you are comfortable with.

If you are a home buyer looking to purchase a home or get more information on the buying process pick up the phone and call Heather Joubran at (407) 810-6304 or send me an email at HJoubran@remax.net  or visit www.MyFirstRealEstate.com for more buying tips

I specialize in dealing with sellers who no longer live in the area, the state or even the country. This specialization sort of bestowed itself on me. Over the years I have helped many out of area sellers sell their homes quickly and for top dollar. I feel the fact that I am constantly available via phone, email and text messaging is one key reason sellers choose me. Plus I handle all aspects for the seller which puts their mind at ease, scheduling closing details, making sure repairs are handled and billed to the title company. I stage the property for the home owner and ensure the up keep of the home, even if it's me out there weeding.

Well today I had a closing on one of my properties for my out of country sellers. He actually attended the closing which is not necessary but he was driving to  Arkansas  so he figured he would come by and meet me for the first time. It was a pleasure actually putting a face with a voice. He was extremely happy and collected his check and went about his Thanksgiving Holiday trip. He was grateful that I helped handle all repairs needed, insured all utilities were transfered and that all matters were handled appropriately with the title company.

It feels good to help someone so if you have a property in the Central Florida area and are thinking about selling your home I would love to talk with you and interview for the position of your Trusted Realtor.

Your Orlando & Lake Mary Real Estate Expert, Heather Joubran 

Guess I should start off by saying I sold a custom builders home and the bonus was a $10,000 gift certificate to the Mall at Millenia. So I have spent the first half on other people my MAC laptop a replacement iphone for my boyfriend since he already lost his 1st one and some stuff for our upcoming cruise.

We went shopping friday night and I was ready to just willy nilly spend money. I went into 3 stores one being an electronics store where I wanted to buy a new digital camcorder.

At all 3 stores I was ignored and over looked by all the people I thought hmm well forget you guys Im going else where. I went into another store asked for a pair of shoes gave her the shoe and even told her the model and yet she some how comes out with the wrong shoe. Next I explain these are the wrong shoes, she tells me I will be right back, I was on a time crunch it was already 8 pm and there were more stores I wanted to go to. So instead of going right back to get the shoes she starts talking to another customer. Im sorry was there something written on my forehead that says dont give this girl customer service.   

So needless to say I didnt spend but a few hundred dollars.

But it made me think about our service.How do you treat your customers? Do you ensure that their needs are meet? That you interact with them in the way that makes them feel good? Do you educate them on your services and how you work? So they dont feel neglected because they anticipated something different? In sales customer service is all we have, so make sure to treat all your customers with great service.

Your Orlando & Lake Mary Real Estate Experts, Heather Joubran 

Celebrate Santa's arrival to the Mall at the Main Entrance on Friday, November 16. A DJ kicks off the holiday fun at 6pm with an energetic dance party and stage show filled with lights, pyrotechnics and snowflakes cascading from the sky. Non-stop entertainment includes stilt walkers, magicians, Mrs. Claus, the elves and a host of whimsical Hollyville characters.

I was at the mall the other night and this is a must see for all kids. Come early though on Friday night there was a line of parents and kids still an hour long at 9 pm.

I just wish I would have had my camera to take pictures. If you are in Orlando you must go check it out!

Your Orlando & Lake Mary Real Estate Expert Heather Joubran