Buying Real Estate

Hopeful Sanibel Island homebuyers saw a window of hope in the cost of buying a Sanibel home through the help of a mortgage when interest rates took a slight decrease and headlines predicted even larger ones on the horizon. 

In the last few weeks, however, the Fed hiked rates and mortgage interest rates rose again. This has led some homebuyers to question if the original forecasting and expectations of real estate and financial experts will...

Moving can be a stressful time for the entire household, including furry family members. With all the noise, changes in routine, and general hustle and bustle of a move, it’s easy for a pet to become overwhelmed. To make this big adjustment less of an ordeal for your pet, there are certain steps you can take before, during and after the transfer. Below are a few tips and tricks to help pets feel less anxious during a move.

For additional tips for moving with pets in tow, please see the accompanying resource.

Infographic created by Moving Proz. Contact the Bell Team for All Sanibel and Captiva Island Homes and Real Estate

 Buying a home on or near the beach on Sanibel Island is a dream come true for many homebuyers. But when it comes to purchasing a home near an ocean shore there are some more things to consider as compared to purchasing a traditional landlocked home. The environment is ever-changing and because of this, there are some things to make sure you check out before you make your purchase of a Sanibel Island beach home. 

Some of these things you may already be aware of or have heard about in passing advice from others when mentioning that you are shopping...

Before beginning to shop for homes it is important that potential homebuyers have a clear financial picture of their personal income and whether they will need the help of a lender to make a home purchase. When mortgaging a home it is always best to have a clear picture of what that mortgage will look like before searching for a potential home to purchase. The best way to do this is with mortgage preapproval. When it comes to home shopping some home buyers make the mistake of not looking into a clear mortgage plan or settling for prequalification.

How is mortgage preapproval different from mortgage prequalification?

Both mortgage ...

Mortgage rates and home prices have increased quite significantly over the last year. This has some people wondering if they should hold off on home buying. Even though it may be more expensive to purchase a home than it was when mortgage rates were around 2% it still can be a good time to purchase at home.

It is impossible to pick the perfect time to purchase a home by measuring factors in the housing market. This may seem like it is a bit off but if you look at the last 50 years of real estate market data the right time to purchase a house is always currently if you are within the financial ability to do so. The ...

There are a lot of things to think about when you become a homeowner. One of the most important is making sure that you don’t make any common mistakes.

What are the most common mistakes?

The most common mistake that homeowners make is not budgeting for repairs and maintenance. It’s important to remember that your home is a long-term investment, and you should plan accordingly. Set aside money each month so that you’re prepared when something needs to be fixed.  This leads to another common mistake is neglecting to update your home. As time goes on, your home will start to show its age. You might not think it’s a big deal now, but eventually, it will become an...

If you are considering purchasing a home this year but have held off because of all of the craziness that is in the real estate market right now you may be looking for an advantage to help you get ahead in the strong seller's market. Competition is still very high among buyers even with an increase of inventory coming to the market just in the last few months. With that being said there are still some strategies buyers can take to see homebuying success this year.

Purchase now instead of later

The earlier you start in your homebuying process and actually purchase a home the more beneficial it will be to you as a buyer. Mortgage rates are only expected to continue to rise throughout the year and into the next. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was expected to rise to 3.5% and has risen well above that making some buyers reluctant to purchase until things calm down.

The thing is both home prices and mortgage rates are forecasted to continue to rise so it is still much...

Currently, and especially if you look into news headlines, the economy and real estate market seem a bit crazy and maybe a little scary. If you are hoping to purchase or sell a home it might seem like leaping into the unknown. There's so much that you hear in the news swirling around that can be contradictory and many people are wondering if the housing market is going to crash.

The truth, getting the real picture requires looking at different angles of perspective

There's a lot of speculation from different people about where the housing market is going to head in the near future. But these are all headlines and opinions that...

To purchase a home with cash means you are buying it without borrowing any money as a portion of the purchase price to help you attain ownership. This means that you have the entire amount you made in your purchase offer, closing costs, etc. available in your bank account to pay in the form of a money transfer, hard cash, or check.

Over the course of the last few years, many buyers have found themselves competing against other buyers able to make cash offers on homes. While a cash offer can have many benefits as compared to the need to finance a home purchase through a mortgage there can be a few downsides to a cash offer.

Here are both the pros and cons of purchasing a home with cash

The general process of purchasing a home...