So many properties, what's the down side? (Miami, Orlando: short sale, foreclosures)

[floridaorbust]

Wow, justnancy, we encountered the same thing so many times! We would look at a home on the web than do a drive by. Scary

We took our time and it was a blessing that our home in OH did not sell as fast as we wanted it to. Than we never would have found our "piece of paradise"

[Fishboy Brian]

I've posted several questions regarding relocating to Florida and I've found that it just makes good sense to plan on living (renting) in the vicinity for a couple of months to both learn about the area and give yourself time to look for a home to buy.

[floridaorbust]

we were so close to renting. Even called the renter. But we ended up finding our home. My husband and I visited several areas in the vicinity for a few years. He would spend about a month, during the winter time off course then I would leave OH and join him for a bit. We looked everywhere. or it just seemed that way.
good luck to you.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Fishboy Brian

I've posted several questions regarding relocating to Florida and I've found that it just makes good sense to plan on living (renting) in the vicinity for a couple of months to both learn about the area and give yourself time to look for a home to buy.

I normally would agree, but it depends on why you're buying. If you don't have children in school or need to find a job, you've already eliminated the top 2 reasons people select an area.

You can stay in an extended stay hotel for a couple of weeks and become familiar with a town just as well as staying for a few months. Just my humble opinion, but unless you get to know people, become involved in your community, or stay in the neighborhood where you'll be living, it's not easy to make an evaluation. On the other hand, sometimes I can tell by driving through a city the first time if I want to live there.

By the way, unless you rent a turnkey furnished home/condo, it won't be easy finding a place for a few months. In the winter you'll pay top dollar. Even this condo has already been booked for Jan, Feb, March at $1,800 a month plus 11% tax. (tax is added if the lease is less than 6 months) After May there's a lot more to choose from, but it's still not easy finding a month to month rental. You didn't say what you're willing to pay, however. Be very careful answering ads in newspapers and online. If it's only for a couple of months, I'd contact a real estate agent if you live in another state and can't see the property.

[stevep111]

There are so many ways to look for a house it it about as confusing as it can get. What you need to do is get a plan. First you need to decide what kind of house you want. Floor plan square footage and age are the first things. Second what kind of extras do you want like a pool or a covered patio. Convey these to your broker and tell them to only show you these kinds of houses because you are not going to waste your time on others.

A common ploy is to take you to the junk houses and eventually work their way toward the house they want you to bid on. I don't blame them this is the way they make a sale. Make them aware that you are not interested in seeing certain kinds of houses for instance builders. My advice would be to avoid builders with car names hint hint.

Next if you have time and are in the area, after you have finished going around with your broker, go back to where you are staying, get in the right frame of mind and go back around 7pm or just before dark and drive around the neighborhood. You want to see the place in all it's glory. If you don't want to live in an area where there are lots of kids then this will be obvious. If you stop your car, get out and hear people from houses shouting and yelling then you might want to avoid these areas. If it is a gated community, look to see if there are a line of cars waiting to get in. Access to your place is important. If you can't get in or have to wait in long lines you don't want to live there.

Last on the list but not the last thing you want to look for, in fact you should notice this first is how do people keep their houses in the neighborhood. You will not find one neighborhood without a foreclosed house but if the neighbors are keeping up their place then it shows that they care about their own property values. If you see a bunch of junk houses you should avoid these areas at all costs.

If you stick to a set of values and goals you will find that the chore of trying to find a house will go much smoother. Like I said though you need to set goals and stay the course. Don't let your heart get involved as much as your brain. It is great that you love the place because you have to live there but if the house is in a place where you can't grow and get value from your house then you need to tell yourself there will be another house just like it somewhere else and move on.

[irin73]

Next if you have time and are in the area, after you have finished going around with your broker, go back to where you are staying, get in the right frame of mind and go back around 7pm or just before dark and drive around the neighborhood. You want to see the place in all it's glory. If you don't want to live in an area where there are lots of kids then this will be obvious. If you stop your car, get out and hear people from houses shouting and yelling then you might want to avoid these areas. If it is a gated community, look to see if there are a line of cars waiting to get in. Access to your place is important. If you can't get in or have to wait in long lines you don't want to live there.

Last on the list but not the last thing you want to look for, in fact you should notice this first is how do people keep their houses in the neighborhood. You will not find one neighborhood without a foreclosed house but if the neighbors are keeping up their place then it shows that they care about their own property values. If you see a bunch of junk houses you should avoid these areas at all costs.

If you stick to a set of values and goals you will find that the chore of trying to find a house will go much smoother. Like I said though you need to set goals and stay the course. Don't let your heart get involved as much as your brain. It is great that you love the place because you have to live there but if the house is in a place where you can't grow and get value from your house then you need to tell yourself there will be another house just like it somewhere else and move on.



I am agree with you

[Cruzincat]

When looking online, Google Earth can be your friend. Sometimes you can just copy/paste the address from the listing into GE and it will take you right there. Turn on Street View and you might get lucky and be able to see the neighborhood. Street view is often more recent than the satellite view. One caveat, though. Both views can be out of date. Use it to rule out neighborhoods, more so than for approving them.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Cruzincat

When looking online, Google Earth can be your friend. Sometimes you can just copy/paste the address from the listing into GE and it will take you right there. Turn on Street View and you might get lucky and be able to see the neighborhood. Street view is often more recent than the satellite view. One caveat, though. Both views can be out of date. Use it to rule out neighborhoods, more so than for approving them.

The first time I saw Google Earth and entered my home address, I was totally amazed. My car was sitting in the driveway! Good thing it's not in real time. Guess nobody can hide any more.

You can enter an address on Zillow and select bird's eye or street view without downloading Google Earth, but I'm not sure if one is more up-to-date than the other. I just checked and the current view shows my Camry in the driveway in Bonita Springs (I moved to Vero Beach in June) and my neighbor's truck (he died a year ago) but the neighborhood looks the same! However, the prices are accurate. The woman next door has her house listed for $219K and the house next to it on the corner is listed for $495K, and that's exactly what it shows. The "Zestimate" isn't always reliable, however. Oh, I also looked up the house in MA where I grew up. It shows the exact price it was sold for in Aug 2000.

I just want to add that I was put on an automatic email notification a while back. It sends me new listings and price changes in Port Saint Lucie. I've never seen anything like it .... no kidding, there are often 5 or 6 homes added in one day, and that's only in the price range I selected. Looks as if there are hundreds of 3 bedroom homes listed for under $125,000.

[stevep111]

Yeah Google earth is between 3 and 5 years old. I have been keeping up with the market as well and a lot of those homes that are listed under $125k are around 1500 sq ft, are in bad neighborhoods or are in bad shape. There are gems in those listings though and if you are carefull and take your time you can pick them out. Obviously I am not going to give the name of my street but right now there are 5 houses on my street that are either for sale or are in foreclosure. All of them can be bought for around $125k or less. Of the 5 three are dumps because the previous owners decided to trash them on the way out. The other 2 are in great shape and I can't figure out why they have not sold. One is around 1500 sq ft and has been on the market for almost a year. The bank has been checking on the property and mowing the lawn. They don't have a for sale sign on the property even though everyone knows it is for sale and is in foreclosure. May be they are sitting on it. The other house was recently painted and looks great. Heck if it had been for sale when I bought mine I might have bought it because it has a great lot.

The biggest thing that ticks me off about one of the trashed homes is the fact that the people when they moved out caved in the garage door. The house looks great from the outside but when you see the door all smashed up you have to shake your head.

[bell125]

Hi,
We currently live in New Jersey and are thinking on moving to Florida. My husband will be retiring soon. We have three children ages 11, 8, and 6. We visit Florida every year because my husband's whole family lives there, between Miami and Orlando. We are looking to settle into Port St. Lucie/Stewart area. My concerns are housing and the school system. Any advice is appreciated and welcomed.