Buyers

My first recommendation, is to not begin to meet with sellers until you have in your possession, a letter of pre-qualification from a licensed source.  Our partner, First Coast Mortgage Funding, typically gets our clients pre-approved within 2 business days. For pre-approval apply at https://firstcoastmortgagefunding.my1003app.com/38818/register. 

My second recommendation for buyers is to conduct a thorough search of new construction homes in your targeted geography and budget.  Builders, like sellers, are experiencing the trends associated with rising mortgage rates, increased days on the market, and are reacting to forecasts calling for a continuing national cooling off of home sales.

Meaning, press hard for concessions and incentives.  They are available, particularly when you use their in-house financing arm.

My third recommendation is take a ‘deep dive’ when researching your target neighborhood and/or home.  Our membership in the National Association of Realtors entitles our clients and potential clients to receive a Valuation Workbook which provides 74 pages of detailed history and data on the subject property you are considering.  If you would like to receive a free copy of this report created by the Realtor’s Property Resource, please click here.

My fourth recommendation applies to new home construction only.  Prior to closing the deal (signing the contract to build) ask your sales rep “Who is the most experienced construction supervisor in this development?”  If (s)he waffles, don’t sign your contract until you’ve been assigned to their best ‘builder’.  Do not accept the construction supervisor that just started with the builder.

Our fifth recommendation applies to those buyers looking to build a custom home.  There are a plethora of quality builders that would welcome the opportunity to build your new home.  Our recommendations are to:

• Secure your building lot (assumes you have multiple builders to choose from)
• Create an RFP, a Request for Proposal, and issue it to prospective builders
• Screen the proposals and select the builders to move to the ‘evaluation’ round,
• Select the finalists and move to the ‘negotiation’ round

I read a lot of local ‘blogs’ where buyers complain about a particular builder and or their unfortunate experience with a recent home purchase.

When our clients buy an existing home we provide at no cost to the buyer(s) a comprehensive Home and Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) Inspection Reports.  This written report often becomes the basis for detailing and managing all the repairs requested of the seller prior to closing.  This pretty much eliminates any surprises once you’ve taken possession.  I mean stuff still happens, i.e. the home appliance ‘dies’ 24 hours after the expiration of the one year warranty provide by the seller, but we systematically reduce potential headaches.   

I was recently asked ‘When a client buys a new home why do they spend more time picking out back splash colors and countertop patterns then they do safeguarding their new home investment?”  It was a real question.   Picking out the stuff is fun, right?  Recognizing this, we provide at no cost to our client a Comprehensive Inspection Report scheduled to occur 48 hours prior to the builders or seller’s ‘final walk through’.  Northern Florida builders use our report as the basis for creating and managing warranty related work orders.  You can still put blue tape up on your walls.  We hold the builder or seller to a higher standard.  Honestly, they don’t mind it when we hand them a detailed report, often with 30+ items on it.  They know you mean business!

Our home inspection services are provided by our partner All-Star Homesolutions,  http://www.all-starhomesolutions.com. 

One military family that we love recently moved to Nocatee sight unseen from Pearl Harbor, HI.  All-Star’s inspection process uncovered previously undetected moisture within a wall.  The seller undertook extensive repairs to their roof, installed new flashing and gutters, replaced outdoor and interior walls, and installed new trim to rectify the problem prior to our client’s (my daughter’s family) closing.  Since it’s worked for our family, we will provide this service and make it work for your family.

North East Florida’s cities are organized by county as follows:

Duval County:  Jacksonville,  Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, 

St Johns County: St. Augustine, St Johns, Ponte Vedra Beach, Hastings 

Nassau County:  Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Hilliard, Callahan

Clay County:  Middleburg, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights

Baker County:  Macclenny, Glen Saint Mary, Sanderson

Bradford County:  Starke, Lawtey

Union County:  Raiford