Today, we sit down at the FOX 92.5 radio station to talk with Angela Petrick, an expert on titles and closing. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report Today, I’m here at the FOX 92.5 radio station with Angela Petrick from Fidelity National Title to talk about all things title, including closing, title insurance, settlements, and more. We’re really going to dig into Angela’s knowledge and expertise on closing, and we’ll hopefully answer a lot of people’s questions. Angela, since we live in such a unique area where we serve real estate customers from around the world, tell us what closing actually means. Closing is basically the day that we transfer title. It’s the day that the new owners actually become owners and the sellers hopefully get lots of money. We’re a title company, which means we don’t need attorneys to do our closings; a lot of northerners have questions about this because many of those states require an attorney to close transactions. We save a lot of money on fees that way. We do have an underwriting attorney in case a situation comes up that’s complicated, or we just need some advice; every title company has one on hand. Where do closings typically take place?They typically take place in our office, but we are also mobile. I’ve gone to hospitals and jails for closings. We can do closings pretty much anywhere. Mail away closings are also an option for sellers living out of state. Because Fidelity is so large, we usually have an office that’s within their range, and if not, we set one up with a mobile notary. For mail away closings, we work with the lender to make sure that they are aware that the seller or buyer is not going to be present for closing. When it’s the buyer, it’s a little bit trickier because they need to get us our documents in advance. For sellers, we normally call them right off the bat when we get the contract and ask them if they’re going to be present. If they aren’t, we send those documents in advance so that we can have them back by the day of closing. If you are thinking about buying, selling, or building real estate in Southwest Florida, give us a call or shoot us a text or email. If you have any title related questions, please reach out to Angela as well at 239-476-2226. She’d be happy to help.

I recently read an interesting article in regards to millennials and homeownership. The article contained a list of three common myths about this subject that I want to relay to you. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report I recently read an interesting article in regards to millennials and homeownership. The article contained a list of three common myths about this subject that I want to relay to you. Student loans will prevent you from purchasing a home. This myth simply isn’t true. There are programs out there which are specifically designed to work with buyers who have student loans.20% down is required when purchasing. 40% of Americans buy into this myth, believing it will take at least 20% down to purchase a home. However, this is false. In reality, there are loan options out there with 0% down. Your credit score will affect your ability to buy. The truth is that your credit score doesn’t need to be nearly as high as some might believe. The majority of mortgages written lately have been for a credit score from between 600 to 750. Even if you are below 600, there are programs for credit repair you can take advantage of.The majority of mortgages written lately have been for a credit score from between 600 to 750.If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

La Corte Bistro is a restaurant that will give you a fantastic dining experience. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report Today I want to take you on a tour of La Corte Bistro in Cape Coral and talk with three of the restaurant’s four co-owners—Michael Bodetti, Sabrina Bodetti-Fontanili, and Traude Lenhert— and some of their staff to learn more about what makes this restaurant great. Michael, Sabrina, Traude, and her husband Marco Lenhert form an eclectic, international partnership group. Sabrina is from Italy, Marco and Traude are from Germany, and Michael is American. Part of the reason their partnership works so well, according to Michael, is because it’s such a good blend of characteristics, but also at a level where everyone gets along and appreciates each other’s characteristics. The four components the four of them put together to make this restaurant work are ambiance, cuisine, entertainment, and service. I’ve already mentioned their amazing ambiance, and it’s something you won’t typically find in southwest Florida. On the outside, they did a lot of work to build up their courtyard and front terrace. On the inside, they have separate rooms for private parties designed to make you feel like you’re inside someone’s home. They maintain that every review that’s written about them, including the ones that are less than five stars, notes that La Corte has the nicest ambiance they’ve ever seen.At La Corte, you can do more than just go out to eat.Their cuisine is always fresh and made with the highest-quality ingredients. From there, their head chef does an amazing job putting together their recipes. When the season is right, they have live music every night outside on their front-terrace stage. When things are a little quieter, they move the entertainment inside. When it comes to service, they only hire people they know will work well with their customers. Their motto is “Don’t look at it as going out to eat—look at it as going for an experience.” The atmosphere they cultivate allows you to have a romantic dinner, an entertaining dinner, a tranquil dinner, or a casual dinner—whatever you desire. For a full behind-the-scenes look at La Corte, including extended interviews with their servers, bartender, and head chef, watch this video. You can even get a few tips on how to make a delicious pasta by watching this video. If you’re thinking you’d like to make reservations at La Corte sometime soon, you can give them a call at (239) 542-2224, email them at [email protected], or visit their website at lacortebistro.com. If you have any more questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you.

How to avoid the biggest home inspection pitfalls & the rope-a-dope - Part 2

How to avoid the biggest home inspection pitfalls & the rope-a-dope - Part 1

I have five relief assistance tips to share to help those who’ve been impacted by Hurricane Irma. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report My team and I are out in Lehigh Acres today helping those affected by Hurricane Irma by grilling some hot dogs and passing out chips and water. This area was hit particularly hard, and there are a lot of residents that are still without electricity and other essential needs. I was able to bring my family along with me, and they were glad to lend a hand as well. We’re doing what we can to help, and if you need help or you’re wondering how you can help others affected by Hurricane Irma, here are five ways to do so: Food and water points of distribution in Lee County. Residents of Lee County who have been affected by Hurricane Irma can go to one of three points of distribution to receive food and water. These will be drive-up distribution locations, where the National Guard will be handing out MREs (meals ready-to-eat) and water.Mortgage assistance. As we now live in a federally declared disaster area (the state of Florida), if you have a mortgage, your mortgage holder is required by federal law to give you a three-month forbearance on your mortgage payments at no cost and no credit implications if requested. Call your mortgage lender for more information or assistance.FEMA disaster assistance. If you want to get FEMA disaster assistance, grants and loans are available for lost wages, personal property, property damage, and more. Some have to be repaid and some don’t. Visit DisasterAssistance.Gov for more information. Don’t hesitate to follow up on these five tips.Buying a home with no money down. You can buy a home with 0% down with an FHA 203 (H) Loan. This loan program is specially designed for victims in disaster areas. Whether you live in a rental or a home that was damaged by a hurricane, this loan program enables you to buy a different home.IRS tax returns. Those who have been affected by the storm have until January 31, 2018, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. Visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations for more information. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

I am a strong proponent of getting title insurance on any property you purchase and according to Angela it’s a no-brainer. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report In today’s interview with title expert Angela Petrick, I took the opportunity to ask her a few of our most commonly asked questions related to the closing process. With approximately 10 years of experience in the title industry, Angela is a resource that we lean on quite a bit in this area, so we wanted you to get the best information straight from the source. The first question I asked Angela was one that we frequently receive, which is, “Specifically in Southwest Florida, how are taxes prorated and what’s that process like?” She told us that in Lee County the tax bill runs from January 1st through December 31st but here it’s paid in arrears—meaning when you receive your bill, you are paying for the previous year. Also, as a buyer what you will pay for begins on the day of closing. Anything from January 1st up to the day you close on will be credited to you by the seller. The next question Angela helped us answer related to how one qualifies for the Homestead Exemption. Angela explained that in order to qualify you must be living in the residence for a minimum of six months out of the year. There are many different exemptions that may apply but the average is about $25,000 per occupant of the taxable value.   And, for the exemption to be applicable for a given year you must be living on a property as a primary residence as of January 1st and must apply by March 1st either online or at the property appraiser’s office.  I am a strong proponent of getting title insurance on any property you purchase and according to Angela it’s a no-brainer.Finally, I took the opportunity to ask Angela about title insurance. Personally, I am a strong proponent of getting title insurance on any property you purchase and according to Angela it’s a no-brainer. A given property could have liens and judgments from several years and multiple owners ago that you might not know about. Having title insurance helps to secure your ownership of a property even in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Angela, personally, notes having been through a couple of situations where she and her team ran an additional title report the day before closing on a property only to find a lien pop up that was just placed. Had the buyer moved forward without title insurance, not only would they not have known about the lien on the property but they also would have jeopardized their ownership. As a final piece of advice, Angela recommended that buyers communicate closely with their closing agents. It’s important to discuss anything that might be going on with them ahead of time so that the whole process moves smoothly. If you have any other questions or want any more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How do you know who’s the right agent to help sell your home? I’ve listed the qualities you need to watch out for. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report It’s imperative that you identify a solid real estate agent when selling your home, because the wrong agent will cost you thousands of dollars. The average Realtor nationally sells between six and eight homes per year. The average agent here in southwest Florida sells on average two per year. You want a Realtor who can create demand for your property. This is done through marketing your home to the right types of buyers. The problem is that many agents simply don’t have the budget to be able to advertise your home to the right types of buyers. The results can be catastrophic. So when the time comes to start interviewing agents, these are the things you want to look for: An expert in your market. You want an agent who sells a lot of homes in your market, can watch economic trends and act accordingly to get the home sold for top dollar, and can sell themselves, not the company that they work for.Someone who can make your home stand out. Someone who will get your home to the most viewers. You want an agent who can give your home the broadest exposure to the largest number of qualified buyers and get you the best possible price.Someone who is well-known in your market. 70% of homes are sold by co-opt agents, so you want someone who has that network.Someone who understands buyer acquisition. You also want to make sure they have the systems in place to market your home to as many buyers as possible.A strong negotiator. Negotiation is an art, and it’s important that they can be trusted to put your interests in front of their own.Someone who can get it done. It’s important that your agent knows who the best vendors are that will support you in this transaction. These include title companies, stagers, photographers, and other services.Negotiation is an art.I’ve included a list of 12 interview questions for you to ask the agent that you’re interviewing. If they can’t answer the questions quickly and confidently, then you need to keep searching. If you have another interview slot open, we’d love to fill it. If you’re looking to buy or sell your home or you have any questions about this topic, give us a call. We’d be happy to help!

If you want to build your dream home, follow these eight tips to make the process smooth and financially smart. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report If you want to build a home, there are eight tips we have for you to select the right builder: Get recommendations from your friends, family, and sources like the local association of homebuilders. You can also check with builder supply stores and code inspectors.Conduct phone interviews: Once you have a list of builders, call them and ask them whether they do your size of project, for a list of previous clients they've worked with, financial references, how busy they are, and how long they've worked with their subcontractors.Schedule a face-to-face meeting with about four of your top choices, check with the Better Business Bureau, call their references, and then meet with them.Get bids: Ask all your options to break down the cost of their materials, labor, and profit so you can compare them apples to apples.Create a payment schedule or strategy: Never pay it all up front; 10% to 20% should be sufficient to start. Then you make additional deposits along the way. Don't make your choice just based on price: A lowball bid from a builder could mean they're cutting corners or they're simply desperate. Don't make your choice based solely on price.Get it in writing: Make sure your contract clearly spells out all the details.Make sure you have a Realtor to represent your best interests: Most people don't realize that builders factor a real estate commission into their marketing plan, so it doesn't cost you anything to hire a Realtor to negotiate on your behalf. Don't just walk into a model home and think the rep will take care of you—they're there to represent the interests of the builder, not you! If you're thinking about buying a home here on the Florida Gulf Coast, give us a call or send us an email with any questions you have. We're here to help!

Is the southwest Florida real estate market in another housing bubble? I’ll explore five reasons why you shouldn’t worry about it today. Buying a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Florida Gulf Coast Home? Click here for a Home Value Report Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about a real estate bubble. People are worried about another market recession, with steep downturns in prices. Are we in a real estate bubble and is it about to burst?  I would say no, and there are five reasons why:  1. The southwest Florida market is the second-hottest market in the nation, according to Trulia. 2. Prices are on the rise. In Florida, home prices went up 7.3% compared to this time last year. Florida is one of the strongest states in the nation when it comes to price appreciation. Here in southwest Florida alone, prices rose 10% year over year, giving the average homeowner a $30,000 bump in equity.  3. Existing home sales are on the rise. Home sales are up 5.9% compared to this time last year.  4. Pending home sales are well above healthy levels. While some upper-end markets like New York City or Los Angeles have cooled off, our pending home sales are at 10%. That is a slight drop from 18%, but it’s still very strong.  5. Interest rates are still at very low levels. You can get an interest rate in the lower 4% range, making money cheap for traditional homebuyers and for investors. We are not in another housing bubble.All in all, I don’t believe that we will see another housing bubble anytime soon. If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in our current market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!