Then of course there is the choice between new and existing homes........

Firstly, new construction. The majority of new homes built today are in Planned Unit Developments or PUD's. The most obvious advantage being that the entire community will be built and completed to a set time scale by one or two builders who offer a uniform look to their designs. This is not to say that they will lack imagination. A Florida builder may offer over twenty or thirty different home designs and elevations for each development. A secondary, but important, consideration, is the creation of a Homeowners Association by the builder to regulate and maintain the common areas. Once the development is built out, the association is handed over to the residents and administrated by a professional management company. This arrangement ensures continuous upkeep of the community.

Other advantages are that, in some cases, existing floor-plans can be modified to the clients’ needs. This can be especially useful when planning some types of improvement, for example, adding a fourth bedroom without enlarging the total area of the house. Additionally, you are assured that all appliances and carpets are new, and no further expenditure should be required for some years to come. One concern on a new property may be adjacent building work and its initial effect on rentals. We can advise upon this when choosing a building plot, which would ideally be in an almost completed section of the development.

	OUR ROLE in helping you select a new home would be: • to advise on location • check the deed restrictions to ensure there is no covenant related to short-term rental, • help with the design of a suitable floor plan, • advise on a suitable lender and facilitate mortgage brokerage • act as your agent for passing correspondence during the loan application, • liaise with the builder during construction, • perform the inspections during construction, and final walk-through at time of closing, • help with furnishings if required. The best part of all is that this service is free since the developer pays the co-broke buyers’ broker fee.

An Existing Home can also have its attractions: immediate availability, location in a maturing neighborhood where there is no further building land left, or in the case of waterfront homes simply because there is no further construction allowed. A little time and money may have to be spent getting the home ready for rentals but we can advise on this and supervise any work in your absence if required.

Purchasing an existing home through the M.L.S (Multiple Listing Service) need not involve a time consuming drive around the neighborhood. Once your purchasing parameters are established a computer search will locate suitable homes in the nominated area listed by all Realtors. We can then plan a route to view homes and gain entry with an electronic key. The days of making endless phone calls to homeowners to set up viewing appointments are over.

THE ROLE of a BUYERS BROKER in purchasing a second home is invaluable. Remember, the broker legally owes allegiance to the purchaser, and will advise viewing based upon the potential purchaser’s requirements, irrespective of which selling agent is listing the property.

Time can be saved by informed research before homes are actually viewed, and any bargains located through the M.L.S.

Intimate knowledge of the surrounding area and prices can be shared, reliable tradesman can be recommended for any work required, plus financial, furnishing and deed restriction advice given. Again, there is no charge for this work, the seller’s real estate agent simply shares his fee with the buyer’s agent.