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- Certified Specialist, Real Estate Law, The State Board of Florida Board of Legal Specialization
- Title Insurance Closings - residential and commercial
- Wills – Trusts – Estate Planning
- Probate Administration
- Incorporations – LLC Formations
- Condominium Law
Buying
and Selling Real Estate
as answered in The Breeze by Attorney Sylvia E. Heldreth
as answered in The Breeze by Attorney Sylvia E. Heldreth
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I recently moved to Cape Coral and will soon begin looking for a home. My friends up north keep telling me that Florida is full of “bad” houses and that I should be very careful. One said that I should retain an attorney before I do anything. Should I be really worried?
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My mother’s house is in terrible need of repair. We decided that paying for a new roof, driveway repair, exterior and interior painting and a new septic would cause more trouble than the house is worth. So we put this nightmare on the market as a handyman’s dream. Not surprising, it hasn’t sold. A friend told me that there are real estate professionals who are not real estate brokers who sometimes buy properties like this. Would we have to pay a commission?
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My husband and I have always taken good care of our home. We have had an ongoing termite and pest service contract and we have made every repair as necessary. Some of the house is still under guarantees from the original builder. I am about to put our house on the market so that we can buy a smaller home. Do I have to have a home inspection?
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I own a small apartment building up north with my mother who has been in a nursing home close to my Cape Coral home for three years. I am in the process of buying her out of the property. The four-unit building is assessed at $200,000 and does not have a mortgage. Although all the units are currently rented, the building is in terrible shape. Property values in the area are rising. Should I take out a home-equity line of credit to fix it up to sell? Should I take out a mortgage to continue collecting rent? Should I sell it as it is?
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I would like to buy a home. My husband would not. He says he wants the flexibility of renting, that because we were once turned down for a mortgage we’ll never be able to get one anyway and there are no advantages to making a mortgage payment. Is he right?
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My husband and I are seasonal residents and would like to have a permanent home in Cape Coral, rather than renting each year. We’ve heard that manufactured homes are an affordable way to do this. What exactly is a “manufactured home”? How can we protect ourselves when taking this big step?
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I want to sell my house but I’m confused about what to ask for it. I told my Real Estate Agent that I wanted to list it for the value the County Property Appraiser gave it for tax purposes. My Real Estate Agent says I should list it for much more. Why? I’ve never understood how my property taxes are calculated but it seems that a fair asking price would be the assessed value.
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My husband and I have moved here from Minnesota where renting, rather than buying really appealed to us. We received a renter’s tax credit from the state and we moved frequently because of my husband’s job. Now we are retired and considering owning a home. After so many years of renting, I’m not really sure if there are any advantages to buying. What do you think?
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My stock portfolio has taken a recent nose dive and some of my friends have suggested that I buy some investment properties. I’ve always thought that any appreciation in value an investment property might have would be lost when I sell it and have to pay the taxes. Is this true? Can I avoid these taxes if my real estate investments are in a Real Estate Investment Trust?
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My husband and I have been fixing up our house to sell. It seems that every time we do something outside to improve the value, our neighbor does something that takes away from the value of our home. He has placed cinder blocks on our side of his fence to keep it standing. Now he has placed a pole on our side. He says he is installing an outside light to illuminate his yard. What can we do?
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I am considering selling my home myself. I sold a car that way once and it wasn’t a big deal. Am I missing something?
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My husband and I bought our first house last year. The lending officer at our bank told us that the law required that we be represented by an attorney at closing. Why? We didn’t want to spend the extra money. I think that our ages, 21 and 22, had something to do with it. Was he right?
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My husband and I are going to sell our home ourselves, without the help of a Realtor. A friend of mine told me that I’m going to have to deal with dozens of calls from interested buyers but probably hundreds of calls from Realtors who want to list my house. She suggested that I register on the Federal “Do Not Call” list. How do I do this and does this registry apply to realtors?
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I am selling a house I have been renting to a nice couple who has just moved to Cape Coral. The house is empty and they would like to move in right away so that they can get settled before looking for employment. They say that closing will not be a problem because they have good credit. Should I let them?
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This information is not intended
as specific legal advice to anyone and is based upon facts that change from time to time. Individuals should seek legal counsel before acting upon any matter involving the law. |
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1215
Miramar St., Cape Coral, FL 33904
Telephone: 239-542-8899, Facsimile: 239-542-2923 |
Contact Us: Heldreth1@aol.com