October 2016

When you are looking for a home, you undoubtedly have a wish list in mind. This wish list makes up your dream home and could include everything from a finished basement to a move-in ready home. But, first-time homebuyers aren’t often realistic about what sort of home they can actually afford and what they can truly live without. This article will detail what needs to stay on a first-time homebuyer’s wish list and what needs to come off.

What stays on

Square footage/bedrooms

Only you know how much space you need for your family. Here you should be realistic about what constitutes large or small. As a first-time homebuyer, your dreams of a 3000-square foot home may not come true. You should know how many bedrooms you need and not sacrifice on

When buying your first home or even your fifth, you are going to have to make some sacrifices. Sure, you have that image of your dream home in your head, but ask yourself if it is completely realistic. Unless you are building a custom home from scratch, the home you buy is never going to perfect. There are some things you’ll love, some things you like, some things you dislike and some things you can’t even stand. As long as you are realistic about what you can live with and what you can’t, your home buying process should go smoothly and you should be able to get some of the things on your wish list. The trick is knowing what you need on your wish list and knowing what you want on your wish list.

What do you need?

Location

There are a number

Energy use in Florida can be quite high. The results are that you’ll spend an inordinate amount of money on energy bills, plus you aren’t doing the environment any favors. Reducing your energy consumption is good for you and everyone around you. But, how do you do it?

Air conditioning

More than one quarter of the energy consumed in Florida is due to air conditioning. This makes sense in our tropical climate, but it is four times the national average. Most people in Florida use central air, which is an efficient way to cool a home, but if you can stand it, you’ll be better of turning off your air conditioning and cooling your home in less expensive ways:

• ·        Keep your blinds closed
• ·        Close doors and vents to rooms you don’t

Everyone wants to get the most money out of selling their house. No one ever said, “hey, I don’t mind losing a few thousand on my house sale”. But, did you know that pricing your home too high can actually hinder your home sale and make you lose money? Pricing your home for more than it is worth is probably the biggest mistake a home seller can make and it will definitely cost you.

The Logic

Some sellers mistakenly believe that they can follow the rules of bargaining and price their home higher than they are willing to take for it. They feel that a buyer will come in with a lower offer anyway and they’ll just accept it, but that is definitely not the case. By pricing your home too high you are:

• ·        Stopping people from seeing your