HELPFUL RESOURCES
REAL ESTATE ABC - a great website regarding Real Estate terms and definitions:
realestateabc.com for buyers and realestateabc.com for sellers
FEMA FLOOD MAP SERVICE CENTER
Whether you are in a high risk zone or not, you may need flood insurance because most homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood damage. If you live in an area with low or moderate flood risk, you are 5 times more likely to experience flood than a fire in your home over the next 30 years.
FIRPTA INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN SELLERS:
FIRPTA refers to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980. FIRPTA authorized the United States to tax foreign persons on dispositions of U.S. real property interests. A disposition means “disposition” for any purpose of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes but is not limited to a sale or exchange, liquidation, redemption, gift, transfers, etc. Persons purchasing U.S. real property interests from foreign persons, certain purchasers’ agents, and settlement officers are required to withhold 15 percent of the amount realized on the disposition. There are excemptions from FIRPTA. Before listing your property for sale talk to your accountant and your REALTOR® if excemptions might apply to you.
For more information visit the IRS website
TIPS FOR SELLERS:
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and it’s the first impression that really counts! When a potential buyer / renter surveys your home, they know within minutes whether it meets their needs or not.
How to prepare your home for a quick sale.
What’s important when you take pictures of your home.
How to show your home in the best light possible.
download home preparation checklist
REMODELING PROJECTS WITH
THE GREATEST RETURN
Which remodeling projects will pay the greatest return when a home is sold?
FOREIGN BUYERS:
Whether you’re an international investor, snowbird or a first-generation immigrant living in the United States, purchasing in an unfamiliar market can be daunting. While this guide will help you get started, it is no substitute for the expertise of experienced realtors, attorneys and accountants you will want to consult along the way.
WHO PAYS WHAT AT CLOSING
provided by Stewart Title
HOW LONG WILL YOUR HOUSE LAST
A part-by-part guide to the life expectancy of the pieces and systems in a house (list not exhaustive). Great overview for buyers as well as for sellers.
How long will my house last (pdf)
HOME EQUITY CALCULATOR
myFICO home equity calculators
ZONING MAPS:
GETTING READY FOR A HURRICANE
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Prepardness