Hurricane Ian - Helpful Resources

Hurricane Ian heads into central Florida this evening and I'm praying it is a very uneventful 24 hours for all of us. I'm thankful that this job has connected me to many people, spread all around central Florida - contractors, handymen, roofers, insurance agents, and neighbors in just about every corner. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything and I will be happy to help connect you with someone that can help if it's out of my reach. We are already seeing some flooding and limbs down in my neighborhood east of Orlando.

Below are a few helpful resources, and again, please don't hesitate to reach out - if I can't get what you need, chances are that I know someone who can.

• Orlando Citizen Help Line 407-246-HELP, of course, 911 for emergencies

• Local News 6 App - stream for weather updates from your smartphone should the power go out

• Shelter Information

• Airports, Toll Roads, & School Closures

• Evacuation Orders

• Gas Buddy - to find gas stations with gas availability

• Orlando Parking Garages Available for free, safe car parking

• For utilities service and outages and trash collection schedule check county specific websites Orange County Seminole County
  

Take care and stay safe!

As always, thanks for being here!

- Lindsey

2 Questions for Home Buyers

If you've been thinking about buying a house recently there's a good chance that you're weighing the pros and cons of purchasing as the market shifts. Last year, when interest rates were at an all-time low the biggest concerns for home buyers were lack of inventory, increased competition (multiple offers), and rapidly rising home prices (many paying over appraised value).

Today, buyers are most concerned with the rising interest rates, however, the good news is that interest rates will continue to fluctuate, and history tells us that it's just a matter of time until they fall again. The advantages of today's market include more homes to choose from (almost 25% more than this time last year), more time to decide which home to offer on and how to structure the offer, more flexibility for contract terms (inspection period, closing date, contingencies like home sale and appraisal), and of course, the ability to negotiate price, seller concessions and repairs found during inspection.

I encourage my Buyers to focus on the following two questions when deciding to make a move -

1. Why are you looking to move?

   1. Are you currently renting? How does the cost of renting compare to a monthly mortgage amount?

   2. What is missing from your current living situation? Do you need more space/rooms/garage/yard?

   3. Is location important to you? Are you switching jobs and considering a new commute? What about the schools your home is zoned for?

2. How does your answer to #1 fit into our current market conditions?

   1. How long do you think you'll live in this next home?

   2. Do you think interest rates will come back down and you could refinance in the future? Or should you consider buying down the current rate to decrease your monthly payment?

   3. Would you be open to renting the home out in the future?

   4. Overall, is the home a good investment? Consider the location, condition, opportunity to add value by renovating, etc

After reviewing the above questions be sure to discuss your answers in detail with your Realtor and Lender. There are so many ways that you and your Realtor can get creative with offer terms and negotiate to ensure you make a smart purchase, and also options to discuss with your Lender to determine the best loan for your financial situation.

As always, thanks for being here!

- Lindsey

This time, I'm making the move! :)

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - JFK

Over the past two years at my previous brokerage, I sold just under $17,000,000, helping 48 families with their home sales! I learned so much from so many good people there and look forward to working future transactions together as I'm sure our paths will cross again.

This week I made the move over to Hyser., a luxury Real Estate Brokerage in Winter Park, FL. I'm excited to take my business to the next level and continue to provide my customers with the highest level of service. I can't wait to share our innovative marketing plans with my Sellers and streamlined home buying processes to ensure my Buyers have an exciting and stress-free house hunting experience with me. More to come!

As always, thanks for being here!

- Lindsey