Real Estate Blog - duval county real estate

Tips to Remember When Buying New Construction

Posted by Carey Frankel on March 23rd, 2009

A brand new home is the dream of many home buyers, and for good reason. From counter top materials to the number of bathrooms and the fixtures on the walls, you get to hold the reins and make all the decisions. But before you start choosing kitchen cabinets, make sure you don’t forget all of the details involved in buying new construction:

1. Understand that upgrades can cost you big in the long run. It may be very tempting to say ‘yes’ to every upgrade offered to you, but it is important to understand that upgrades often come with a hefty price. Before you know it your $250,000 home is now $280,000. When choosing upgrades for your Duval County real estate, consider upgrades that will get you a good return on your …

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Condo Benefits And Pitfalls: A Closer Look

Posted by Carey Frankel on June 6th, 2008

When searching for your Duval County real estate if you are considering the possibilities of moving into a condominium, you will want to ponder some of the common benefits and pitfalls.

The Benefits

There are many great advantages found in living in a condo today.   One of the main pleasures is convenience. Unlike a single family home, you do not have all of the maintenance, landscaping and other exterior responsibilities that are very time consuming. Another benefit is security. Today’s condominium communities often possess private, 24 hour security. In addition, many condo communities are gated. With crime always a concern, the added security from your condo complex can provide additional peace of mind.  The newest condo communities also allow you…

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What is title insurance - and didn’t I buy that at closing?

Posted by Carey Frankel on April 15th, 2008

Title insurance is an insurance policy to cover any losses if it turns out the seller of a property you purchased did not have clear title to do the selling.  Yes, indeed you did buy title insurance - but typically only for your lender.  You have to request and purchase a separate policy for yourself as the new homeowner.

Why Didn’t My Lender Tell Me?

It may have been stated in the loan forms that you were to read, but like much of the ‘boiler plate’ terms of a loan contract some of it just washes over the reader.  It is a lot of information to deal with, and often the buyer skims rather than reads in detail.

Shouldn’t My Realtor Have Told Me?

Yes, and no.  Homeowner title insurance is a voluntary item, even if it is a good idea.  It is…

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Condominiums - Apartment convenience with some benefits of ownership.

Posted by Carey Frankel on March 31st, 2008

Let us take a closer look at the common questions one may ponder when they entertain the idea of purchasing a condominium.

Good Things

Convenience, no lawn maintenance, shared amenities.

Bad Things

Surrounded by neighbors, no lawn, sharing all the amenities.

But Wait…..

That’s right, some of the good things are also the bad.  The pool, if any, is shared.  You have to schedule private parties that need the big party room.

Some of the bad things are good.  You do not have the luxury of a private rose garden, but then you do not have to weed and mow and edge yourself.

Condo living is for people who do not mind hearing their neighbors through the next wall, above and below.  It is a comfortable space for people who travel a lot, have…

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