Relocating to Florida

June 25, 2016

10 Things to Look for in a 55+ Community Social Program

There's a lot to consider when you're trying to choose an active-adult community for your new or vacation home. One thing you should always look closely at is their social programs. After all, you're moving into a 55-plus community to make new friends and stay mentally and socially active.

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June 17, 2016

Baby Boomers and the Healthy Rise in Central Florida Home Values

In 2011, when Florida and much of the nation were reeling from the housing market crash, home prices in the state had hit what would be their lowest point. But with the recent release of the latest Clear Capital Home Data Index Market Report, it's obvious things have been turning …

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April 28, 2016

Buying a Home with an HECM to Purchase Reverse Mortgage

While you may have heard of a reverse mortgage, few people are aware of a related financial product available since 2009 called a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for Purchase. For many buyers 62 and older, it's an excellent way to purchase a new (or sometimes second) home for only …

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March 4, 2016

10 Tips for Finding the Right Active-Adult Community

As the Baby Boomers have been retiring en masse in recent years—and as they will continue to do by the millions over the next several years—demand for homes in an active-adult community has gone through the roof. No pun intended. It's true in popular retirement destinations like Florida, but also …

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Feb. 17, 2016

What Is a Community Development District (CDD)?

If you start looking into buying a new or second home in a master-planned community in Florida, you're bound to encounter the term “Community Development District” (CDD) eventually. And you're bound to wonder what that means, especially if you're not from the state.

Without getting into the legal mumbo-jumbo, …

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Jan. 24, 2016

10 Tips to Maximize Your Home Sale Price

If you've been wondering whether it's a good time to sell your home in a 55+ community, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” About five years ago, the ample Baby Boomer generation began retiring, driving up demand for active-adult housing and communities. But they've just gotten started; over the next …

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Oct. 22, 2015

Hurricanes and Sinkholes and Alligators—Oh My!

As realtors and as Floridians, we've heard a lot of people give a lot of reasons for being hesitant about moving to The Sunshine State. Three that come up fairly regularly are that we have hurricanes, sinkholes, and alligators. 

And it's true. We do. But we roundly reject …

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Oct. 3, 2015

Florida Block Homes vs. Frame Homes

Nicky Martz seeks out an expert about better understanding the difference between block and frame homes in new construction. Let's meet Jim Shay, with Armstrong Homes, currently building homes in Stone Crest.

[embed]https://youtu.be/SgmTo6l3TQM[/embed]

Oct. 3, 2015

Are Modular Homes a Smart Buy in Florida?

Some Central Florida active-adult communities offer modular homes. In case you don't know, they're a type of prefabricated building. The different sections of the home (known as modules) are factory built and delivered to the home site, where the modules are installed on the foundation and attached together in a …

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Sept. 14, 2015

Should You Buy a New-Construction or Resale Home?

A fundamental question many home buyers grapple with is whether or not they should opt for a new-construction home. For some, the cleanliness and modern styling of a brand-new home is highly appealing, but on the other hand, lots of people consider new-construction homes a little too sterile, lacking character.

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