Smart Tips to Protect Your Florida Home

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Many of us leave for the holiday season to visit family out of the area. I have some tips to share that help you protect your home while you’re away. They’re all inexpensive and affordable!

Talk to a neighbor you trust. This is someone you have a rapport with. Let them know how long you’ll be gone for. If there is a security guard in your area or development, share with them when you’re leaving. Exchange cell phone numbers, in case either of you need to reach each other.

Use automatic timers for the lights in your house. Set these timers before you leave. Make sure they work before you leave. Change the light bulbs if you need to. If you don’t have lights with automatic timers, and you’re only leaving for a few days, consider leaving a single light on the entire time. With a light on in the front and the back, it looks like someone is home.

Have the post office hold your mail. This is one of the most important steps! Thieves can easily tell if you’re away when the mail is still in the mailbox. If they find a mailbox full of mail, they assume this home is temporarily vacant and target your home. Save the burden of asking a friend and handle it with the post office directly. Remember to reverse the process once you are home!

That’s my advice to protect your home while you’re away. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. As always, if you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email today! I look forward to hearing from you.

What Organizations Are Making Miami a Better Place?

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Today, we want to discuss something other than real estate since we're currently in the season of giving. If you are looking for some opportunities to help others, I have three organizations that I work with that I want to share today:

1. Operation Underground Railroad: This organization works to help children who have been enslaved in sex trafficking throughout the world. It was created by an ex-FBI agent and it works with local law enforcement around the world to conduct military-style operations to save children. When you contribute to this organization, you will get a text informing you every time children are rescued. You can find them at OurRescue.org to take a look at the work that they do.

2. Independence Fund: This organization works with veterans. They are famous for making mobile chairs to help wounded warriors move around. The chairs are very expensive, but with your help, we can provide chairs for people who have lost limbs fighting for our country. You can find more information at IndependenceFund.org.

3. Glory House of Miami: Did you know that in Miami, the sex trafficking industry makes as much as $235 million every year? Visit GloryHouseOfMiami.org to find out how you can help this group help women between the ages 18-25 who have been victimized by this horrific industry.

If you're looking for some organizations to give to this year, look no further than these great places. Doing what we can to help people who have it harder than us is what gives us meaning as people. Thank you, and have a very happy holiday season. We hope that together we can make a difference.

How Will No Credit or Bad Credit Affect Your Home Purchase?

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Today we'll discuss no credit versus bad credit-- is one better than the other?

When you have no credit, you might have all the intentions to pay on time, but you are a big question mark for the lenders because they have no way to verify your spending habits. The banks will be hesitant to loan you money if you have no credit history. You need to show you can handle debt by paying it off. Don't get into heavy debt, but have some kind of credit card or car payments lined up to build credit history.

If you have bad credit, that is usually better than no credit. Bad credit shows patterns of spending and debt that the banks may be able to live with. Maybe you had a medical emergency that led to your bad credit. If you lost your job during a particular time and bills fell behind, but got a new job and paid payments back, the bank will see that as well. The bank may decide to give you a home loan, but you may have to pay higher interest rates than someone with good credit.

The bottom line is that bad credit is better than no credit. If you have any questions for me, please do not hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

What Is the Current Market Climate in Miami?

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Let’s discuss the current climate of the housing market. The Miami real estate market is currently tilted in favor of sellers. There is less property available for sale and more buyers looking. Because of this, properties face pressure. Properties have been going up less than 1% per month on average. However, we have a few points for you to keep in mind.

Don’t expect to get rich quickly based on the high demand. Chances are you won’t make 30,000 or even 5,000 dollars profit in six months unless you property is valued in the millions.

Sellers must refrain from overpricing their property. You won’t be able to sell if your listing is overpriced, even in a hot market like it is now.

30-year mortgage rates are increasing. The mortgage rate has gone up to an average of 3.89%. A little while ago, it was at 3.79%. Because of increasing rates, buyers might be put off.

Sellers can get a very good price by targeting and pricing correctly within your range. The right price is key!

Speak with a Realtor that can do an inspection for a reasonable estimate. This Realtor should either know your area or be able to study it to conduct a physical inspection of your home. An aggressive, reliable Realtor should get a firm idea of what your price is to help you.

Buyers should speaker with a Realtor, look at your price range, and make a good offer. Don’t waste time chasing the wind. Time is money. Use a Realtor as a guide to show you three to five properties within your price range. Make a firm offer and move forward. That’s my advice to you.

This has been a great opportunity to talk about the real estate market. If you have any questions, please give me a call at 305-807-0884 or send me an email at dan@dcardona.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

What You Need to Know When Looking for a Miami Home

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Today, we'll discuss what you need to do when looking for homes here in Miami. There are three things you need to do before you start actively looking for homes.

1. Get pre-approved by a mortgage broker or bank. A lot of people say they won't have a problem. Believe me, you will have a problem. You may lose the property after you find it, and that would cause a lot of heartache. I don't want you to go through that. You need to know how much you can afford. Since mortgage brokers work with a lot of banks, they can place you with the best bank for your financial situation.
2. Find a Realtor who knows the business, works full time, and is truthful about the market. That way, you can go after the properties you can actually afford without wasting time chasing the wind.
3. Keep in mind that there are three factors in a property search: price range, location, and property features. Determine which factor drives your search and adjust the other two accordingly. For example, if you're looking in a certain price range, you can adjust the features of a home or the area of a home. This might be a tough mind shift for you to make, but I can help guide you through it.

If you have any questions about today's video or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you.