Cocoa Beach Real Estate News / Help for Buyers and Sellers


Cocoa Beach-Home of Their Dreams


Ever think you would like to build your own Cocoa Beach home and have everything just the way you want it? Lots of people do and they often start by looking at land or lots for sale. With many people the idea is to buy a lot today, get it paid off or mostly paid off and then sometime in the future, contract with a custom builder for the Home of their Dreams via Cocoa Beach.

Cocoa Beach Lot


Financially that may be a good strategy but take heed and purchase your Cocoa Beach lot with care. Why? Because it can happen that the lot you buy today is not suited at all for the Cocoa Beach home you want to build in the future. Here are some things to watch out for.

Cocoa Beach Home Improvement


Don't underestimate how much projects will cost. Expenses usually are added, not subtracted. Homeowners, even Cocoa Beach homeowners, routinely go 20% to 30% over budget. Remember, it is common to under budget cost and time.

When remodeling for resale, don't waste time with renovations that won't pay off. If you must have a pool, you still may have to lower your expectations on who will be interested in buying. The National Association of Realtors/Remodeling magazine study has identified four renovations that show the greatest return at resale: improvements to siding, windows, kitchens and bathrooms. Remember you have a lot invested in Cocoa Beach.

Cocoa Beach HOME BUYING MORTGAGE PITFALLS TO AVOID


ALL MORTGAGES ARE NOT ALIKE. There are far too many variables—type of mortgage, term, lender and amount of points to mention a few—not to investigate all of your options in Cocoa Beach. Don’t simply accept the first plan presented to you, whether it is from a mortgage broker, an agent or on the recommendation of a friend. Spend time comparing to get the best plan for you.

HOME INSPECTION – A MUST. If you should ever think about skipping the Cocoa Beach home inspection in order to save money, stop and give yourself a good shaking. In the scheme of things, the Home Inspection fee is small potatoes but it is a very important step for any buyer to take. Going without a Home Inspection or choosing an unqualified inspector puts you at risk for not knowing about potentially expensive or even hazardous defects in the property.

Guidelines for Buying Cocoa Beach


Let’s say everything is a GO! You have found the perfect Cocoa Beach home. You know you can afford it and it is actually priced below what you expected to pay. What a bargain! Yes there are bargains to be found in Cocoa Beach. At this point it is fine to put in an offer on the property but only with a well-planned contingency. Of course, it the home is going to be financed, the lender will want a Home Inspection before agreeing to lend money on the property. However, you need to protect yourself by making an offer SUBJECT TO a clean bill of health from the Home Inspector of your choice. This kind of a contingency gives you an out if the inspector finds a problem with the roof, or foundation or other structural problem that was not apparent to the seller or to your agent. This does not mean you will not buy the house but you will have a good reason to renegotiate the price with the seller.


Building Cocoa Beach Home Equity


As a Cocoa Beach homeowner you have the right to pay more towards the principle loan amount each month. Let’s say your monthly payment is $700.00 a month and $100.00 a month is being applied to the principle. If you choose to pay $900.00 instead of $700.00, the $200.00 overage will be applied entirely to the principle. Thus, instead of gaining $1,200.00 a year in Cocoa Beach home equity, you gain $3,600.00.

The only factor being considered here is Home Equity. In individual cases it may be wiser to invest than to pre-pay your home loan. It also may be wiser to pay off high-interest, non-deductible loans before considering your Cocoa Beach home equity building options. Your financial advisor is the one to consult for these matters. If you would like up-to-the-minute information about Cocoa Beach home appreciation values in your area, please call or E-mail me today.

Robin Taylor Ritchie
Broker Associate
GRI, ABR, e-Pro

Licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Florida

Titusville, FL 32780
321-698-8731