Real Estate Information Archive

3675 Thousand Oaks

Open House Saturday March 20 from 1 - 4

Beautiful four bedroom Mediterranean-style home in The Oaks, tile floors, granite countertops, upstairs bonus room with separate full bath. 

NOT a Short Sale, NOT a Foreclosure! 

Q:  What happens to my binder deposit (earnest money) if I don't get approved for the mortgage? 

A:  One of the clauses in the Northeast Florida purchase and sale agreement provides for return of the buyer’s binder deposit if they are not approved for a loan within the timeframe.  In most cases, this timeframe is 30 days from the date the contract is signed by all parties. 

 For example, if the contract is signed and accepted on March 1, you have until March 31 to get your loan approved.  If you are not approved within that timeframe, the buyer gets their binder back.  If any repairs have been done by the seller, or any closing services completed (appraisal, survey etc) those are paid for out of the binder and then the buyer gets the remainder.  

 If the earnest money was $1000, and the appraisal had already been done before the buyer finds out they are not approved, the buyer would get about $550 back, based on a $450 appraisal price. 

 This is why communicating with your lender and being proactive about getting the loan processed is so important.  The sooner you know the status of your loan, the safer your earnest money stays.  It’s important to talk about these things with an agent before beginning your home search.  The better information you have, the easier it will be to find the right home for you and your family. 

Oakleaf Plantation's Annual Polar Plunge

Saturday January 16, from 8-10 am at the Plantation Oaks Athletic Center

For those two hours, the Plantation Oaks Athletic Center pools will be open, and you can swim like arctic seals and ride one of our two twisty-twirly slides. After you dip, you’ll be able to warm up in the clubroom with a piping hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, bacon and more! The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children. RSVP with payment at either Athletic Center. Reservations will close when we reach capacity. 

Call 904-406-2200x3 with questions.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

• Did you know that a normal gynecological exam DOES NOT detect ovarian cancer?
• An estimated 1 in 58 women will develop ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

Take the time this month to talk to the women you love about the risks and symptoms.  To find out more, visit www.ovarian.org

Keller Williams Realty ranked highest in customer satisfaction for Home Buyers by JD Power and Associates

For the second year in a row, Keller Williams was recognized for its exceptional service to home buyers!  JD Power and Associates is a global marketing research firm that conducts unbiased surveys of consumers. 

If you are thinking about buying a home, call us today to find out how we can help you. 

Click here to watch video testimonials by our customers.

Want to know a super quick way to look the possible presence of mold? 

On an inside wall, there should be a line of caulk between the baseboard and the wall.  If that caulk has separated from the wall, that may be because moisture has collected behind the wall.  That moisture causes the wood to swell and contract, which will pull the caulk away from the wall. 

This may indicate the presence of moisture behind the wall, which can allow mold to grow. 

So when you're looking through homes, keep an eye out for that, and be sure to hire a good home inspector who will point out the other less obvious signs that might call for a mold inspection.  For a list of recommended service providers, email us here.

Of course, this DOES NOT mean that there is definitely mold, but it's a good little trick to know. 

As a buyer's agent, a big part of my job is helping to coordinate all the inspections and repairs necessary to get a home sold.  It's often the hardest part of my job!

Best Regards,

Melissa Tolson

I read this article about renters being scammed published by the National Association of Realtors and thought I would pass it along. The article talks about how dishonest people are looking up homes for rent, copying the information onto a Craigs List ad and changing the contact information. Then an unknowing "renter" contacts the fake number or email and is asked to send money without ever seeing the property.

  Why would anyone do this you ask? Because the properties are listed below market rental rates (sometimes as much as 40% below) and people want a good deal. So how do you avoid being scammed? My best recommendation is to only work with a reputable local Realtor who specializes in rentals.

  I would also ask the question: Why are you renting when it is cheaper to buy? Just remember, you are always buying real estate even if you are renting, its just a question of who owns it.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-071609.cfm

In an effort to answer some of the questions I’ve heard since I’ve been working as a buyer’s agent, I’m writing a series of blogs about what I do, and how buyer’s agents work.  In my last post, I talked about how buyer’s agents are paid.  Now I want to discuss some of the services and benefit a buyer’s agent offers to buyers.

At the end of May, there were 22915 active listings in the Northeast Florida MLS.  In the Oakleaf and Argyle areas that I specialize in, there were almost 600 active listings.  That is a lot of property to sort through!  One of the first benefits a buyer receives when working with a buyer’s agent is market knowledge. 

I preview and show property all the time.  If you are looking for a 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Oakleaf under 200k, I’ve probably been in it.  I can help buyers narrow down their search before they even get in the car.  Buyer’s save time by looking only at the homes that fit their needs and wants, and don’t have to look at ones that aren’t even close to what they are interested in. 

As a full time agent, I am always learning about new financing options.  I hear about the most recent legislative issues affecting real estate.  I absorb and pass on the relevant information to the buyers it applies to, so they don’t have to worry about figuring everything out on their own. 

Working with a buyer’s agent is like working with a walking, talking information machine.  Need to know what the association fees are?  They know.  Want to know how long the owners have lived there? Buyer’s agents can find out.  Concerned about what the property taxes may be?  Ask your buyer’s agent. 

I recently adopted a dachsund from the SAFE Animal Shelter in Clay County.  This wasn't your usual dog up for adoption... when Wally was found wandering Highland Lakes on Argyle, he was limping a little bit, and dragging his back foot.  Joanne, the woman who rescued him, thought maybe he'd sprained his foot, or gotten a bug bite.  Something minor.  When Wally was taken to the SAFE animal shelter, it was determined that he had a herniated disc or two in his lower spine.  This is a common back problem for dachsunds, but is a major surgery.  By this time, I'd already put in an application to adopt him, and was devastated to learn that he may not be adoptable. 

About three weeks later, the shelter called me out of the blue and told me that he had the stitches taken out after his surgery and was recovering nicely.  I was shocked that they had arranged for the surgery, and were calling me to see if I still wanted him.  For an adoption fee of $100, Wally came home with all his shots, a $4000 back surgery, and he was fixed too! I really got the impression that the staff of the shelter knew I cared and cared about Wally enough to make all this happen.

Throughout this process, I was very impressed with the way the shelter staff and volunteers treated me and the dog.  They were warm and welcoming when I came by to visit Wally, and compassionate about his situation.  They even follow up after the adoption to make sure he's doing okay!  The people at the shelter have a hard job, I can't imagine doing what they do everyday. 

If you're looking for some way to help your community, or to donate time, money or stuff, look into this shelter.  They always need dog and cat food, laundry detergent, etc. 

Check out their website or stop by.  They are at 2913 CR 220.  Turn right on 220 off of Knight Boxx, and it's on your left. 

Best Regards,

Melissa Tolson, GRI - Buyer's Specialist, the Landry Team

  I just read a great article from The Miami Herald about the $8,000 tax credit. In this article it talks about groups such as Florida Association of Realtors, Florida Home Builders Association, Florida Bankers Association, and Florida Credit Union League are planning to pressure state law makers to make the $8,000 tax credit available to first time home buyers to use as part of their down payment or to help with closing costs.

The reasoning is that according to these groups every dollar invested in real estate returns $7.00 to $10.00 to the broader economy. The groups also point out that unlike during the real estate boom there are stricter credit restrictions and no one is willing to loan money for more than the market value of the home.

 The money is something that they would get anyway, it is just now they would get it up front as opposed to waiting to file their taxes. I think this could be a great thing for the economy. As long as the banks do not get to greedy and keep responsible lending practices we should get a bump in Florida's economy which will benefit everyone. If this passes it will help many people buy their first home and bring more money into local economies. I will keep you up to date if as soon as I get more information on this great idea.