All posts by Rebecca Schmitt

How to Buy a Home and Save Thousands

How to Buy a Home and Save Thousands!

For most people paying for a home in cash isn’t always an option so it’s important to find a mortgage within their means.

The first step to getting a mortgage is pre-approval. You should have a down payment of at least 10%, but these days, some lenders require more. Remember, you don’t have to borrow the full loan amount you’re pre-approved for. Instead, stay conservative and look for homes in a price range that will keep your mortgage payments to about 25% or less of you take home pay for a 15-year note.

The 30-year mortgage was designed to enable borrowers to buy more house than they could afford by spreading the payments out over a longer term. On top of that, those homeowners pay tens even hundreds of thousands of dollars more in interest.

How to Buy a Home and Save Thousands
How to Buy a Home and Save Thousands

 

If you don’t pay cash for your home, get a 15 –year mortgage with at least a 10% down payment and monthly payments that are no more than 25% of your take-home pay.

The difference between a 15- and 30-year mortgage with a 4.5% interest rate on a $225,000 home is $101,000 over the life of the loan. What could you do with $101,000? Pay for your kid’s college? Buy a car? Add to your retirement?

Shop for homes with your head – not just your heart!

Call Rebecca Schmitt with Paz Global Real Estate for all your Real Estate needs

Rebecca Schmitt
Certified International Property Specialist, Realtor
Paz Global Real Estate
786-216-3557
rebeccastore@yahoo.com

For Sale by Owner

Is for Sale by Owner (FSBO) a Smart Option?

Some sellers are tempted to maximize their profits and avoid paying a commission to a Realtor by trying a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) transaction in the midst of a sellers’ market. They think they can sell easily without any help from a professional Realtor.

However, statistics show that selling your home with the assistance of a professional real estate agent will garner you a higher profit, enough to cover the commission as well as put more money in your pocket.

Serious buyers only shop FOR SALE BY OWNER’S to save a commission, which is probably what the seller is trying to do, hence resulting in a sale price that is significantly below market. The typical FSBO home sold for $210,000.00 compared to $249,000.00 for agent-assisted home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors.

For Sale by Owner
For Sale by Owner (FSBO)

Most buyers shop on line before even contacting a realtor, so aggressive marketing is key! Having earned the prestigious membership in the top elite international real estate network, I know the importance of gaining global exposure to attract more of the right buyers to get the highest price. Our combination of unique marketing to local, national, and international buyers has resulted in some sales as high as 20% over the market value.

Some of the important tools and practices we use but are not limited to are professional photography, aerial tour from a drone, marketing the home like a professional developer with virtual staging (if necessary). A brochure of the home, a pro-active approach to selling by having our team to get on the phone and asking hundreds of people a day if they know someone who is interested in purchasing the property, qualifying the buyers who want to view the home, and special events that actually get traffic!

FSBO’s are also missing out on 25% of the buyers in the South Florida Market. International buyers typically pay top dollar and are cash buyers which means if your house is overpriced you’re going to need cash buyers as it will not appraise.

There is also the fact that FSBO’s are missing out on the power of a third party negotiator. There are many stages of the deal where it can fall apart.

Contact Rebecca Schmitt, from Paz Global Real Estate to discuss your options at (786)216-3557