Florida Homestead Exemption

Florida Homestead Exemption can save you thousands of dollars. Learn why you should file, download the forms, and find out how to contact the Alachua County Property Appraiser.

First-Time Home Buyers – Know Your Costs

First time home buyer get educated

Many first time home buyers are faced with the fact that they may not be able to afford a newly constructed home, so they look at resales.
Although many resale homes are immaculately maintained, some resale homes are not maintained properly and need immediate attention.
Whether it is a new roof, new ac unit, [...]

Fourteen Easy Steps to Buying a Home

Whether you are buying your first home, or up-sizing or downsizing, if you follow these fourteen easy steps to buying a home, your buying process will be so much more fun and enjoyable. After all don’t you want to enjoy spending that much money?

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Accurate Information

There seems to be a lot of information floating around about the first time home buyers tax credit. Here is a link to the IRS ruling so you can be sure to be getting the correct information.

Does Paying Points on Your Loan Make Sense?

There are a LOT of choices to make when you shop for a home loan. one of the more complicated ones is whether it is worth it to pay points to “buy down” your loan. All your loan decisions are about paying as little as you can for the loan that fits your needs best. That it the case with paying for discount points too.

Is it Less Expensive to Own or Rent?

Tax credits, maintainence, association dues, equity…

Many potential first time home buyers wonder about the costs of owning home vs. continuing to rent. There are benefits and costs to both sides, and the answer really depends on your situation.

How Negotiable are Short Sales?

I have been wondering how negotiable asking prices are for short sales, so I decided to take a look at the MLS statistics for sold properties in Gainesville and Alachua County. In this article I am comparing the list prices to the sale prices based on the situation of the sale so we can understand how likely it is for offer to be accepted if it is below the asking price.

What Does the New Tax Credit Mean to You?

It’s now law: Buyers get 5 more months to sign a contract, 7 more months to close.

Click here to compare the differences between the current tax credit and extended and expanded version.

Toss Your Credit Score a Lifeline!

FICO has a new website where you can get advise about how to improve your scores and how they affect the quality and types of loans you are offered.
The website has a great tool to show you how your APR is affected by your credit scores, how your credit cards offers change, and calculators for loan costs.

What to Expect from a Home Inspector

Home inspections are one of the most important things you can do when you are buying property. There are many different things you may want inspected, depending on the property you are buying. In this article I talk about: understanding your rights, choosing an inspector, what to expect, and the report. It is part of a series on protecting your investment when buying property.