11 Steps to Finding the Perfect Rental Apartment, Townhouse, or House

In order to find the right apartment, townhouse, or house to rent, you must be prepared for what to do before you set out to look at homes, what to do during the search, and what to do once you've find the right place.

Before you start the search:

1. Create a list of everything and anything you'd like your new home to have. Would you like a dishwasher, hardwood floors, washer and dryer, or pool? Would you prefer an apartment, townhouse, multifamily home, or single family home? It's a great idea to set priorities on your preferences. Remember to make a distinction between what you want and what you need!

2. Always be prepared! Have on hand some important information that your Realtor will need. This includes:

• Credit check.
• Resume/Letter of Recommendation.
• Pay stubs/tax returns.

3. Keep in mind that many landlords will want to verify your work references. Contact your references (including your former landlord) ahead of time so that they know they may receive a call. A great tip to getting a great reference is to ask the person ahead of time, "I'm going to be looking at places to rent and I'm going to need references. If I were to put you as a reference, would you be willing to give me a glowing recommendation?" Remember, if you don't ask for it, you may not get it!

During the search:

4. It's best to look at the potential units during the daytime. It's important to know how much natural light enters a home. It's also easier to see in what condition the unit is in and whether more work is needed on the unit to make it more habitable.

5. Always do a walk-though of any unit you're seriously interested in. You're also going to want to ask about any damage you may see (always do this before you sign the lease!) Make a list of any damage you see and give this to your Realtor. Your Realtor will get the landlord's intials on the list and will attach this to your lease in order to absolve you of responsibility later. This prevents many headaches down the road!
6. Ask questions! The time to ask is before the lease is signed. Some great questions to ask are:

• How large is the water heater?
• What's the water pressure like?
• How are the neighbors like?
• Are there shopping malls/supermarkets nearby?
• What is the pet policy?
• What are the utilities that you will be responsible for?

7. Introduce yourself to your potential neighbors! The most important neighbors to meet are the ones that you will share walls with, which are the ones on the same floor and those above and below you. Find out their thoughts on noise, what they like about the area, and most importantly, find out if they're friendly!

8. Bring a tape measure and a list of your larger furniture's measurements so you can see how things will fit and what you might need to buy.

9. See a few places that fit your characteristics of a potential place to live so you can have an idea of what your budget generally gets you as a home.

Once you've found the right place:

10. Be prepared to ACT QUICKLY when you find something you like and make sure your Realtor knows how much you like the home! A rental that might be on the market one day can be gone the next day! That's why it is so imperative to act quickly and give your Realtor the initial deposit so that your Realtor can fill out and give the landlord the Memorandum to Lease! The Memorandum to Lease demonstrates your serious intent to rent the property and this generally means the property is held for you until negotiations are over between both Realtors.

11. Take a look at your lease and be sure you understand it. If you have any questions, make sure to ask your Realtor!

If you would like a free consultation and more information, please contact me, Michael Emilio Rodriguez by email and by telephone at 1-800-343-2993 x182.

Why Using a Realtor to Purchase a Home is a Great Investment

When you utilize a Realtor to assist you in the purchase of a house, one of the first things you will realize is the peace of mind during the complete process of buying a house. Acquiring the services of a buyer’s agent will provide you an amazing amount of value, such as the services provided, information by an expert in the real estate field, and most importantly, a Realtor will maximize your negotiation leverage to ensure that you will obtain the best deal possible. A good Realtor always tries to minimize your initial cash investment and makes sure that the buyer fully understands that real estate is a borrowed-money business.

Buyer’s agents utilize their real estate experience and skills to negotiate the lowest price possible for the buyer and the best terms. Remember, you make money in real estate when you buy, not when you sell. That means you must buy real estate using wholesale prices, not retail prices.A buyer’s agent offers his or her technical knowledge of a real estate transaction. This knowledge includes the proper method for filling out the often complex contract or sales agreement and how to write the contingency clauses that are of great benefit to a buyer.

The services provided by a competent Realtor include a research of any code violations (such as illegal room additions or garage conversions), zoning violations, open permits, and last but not least, if there are any outstanding liens on the subject property. By bringing these issues to light, a buyer’s agent will eliminate any future problems and headaches if you decide to buy the property. For example, if a person buys a home without a Realtor and fails to note any open permits, a code inspector from the Building Department will come back to the property after it was sold to verify that the repairs were completed property! This means any repairs or upgrades will need to be completed and it will cause additional expenses on the property to the new owner. A Realtor's expertise will prevent that situation from ever happening.

A professional Realtor will guide you in your investment by filling out all the real estate forms necessary to finalize the transaction quickly and correctly. When the verbal negotiations are over, it's time to put everything in writing, and it is the buyer’s agent who will put it in writing and that translates as a definite power in the final negotiations.

Remember, by purchasing a house with a buyer’s agent you will get the full benefits of a skilled negotiator and a specialist with current skills in the real estate market to make the deal go smoothly and less stressful.

If you would like a free consultation and more information, please contact me, Michael Emilio Rodriguez by email and by telephone at 1-800-343-2993 x182.

How to Get Organized When Moving to a New Home

When you’re moving to a new home, it can be a stressful experience for most people. It’s a pretty big project. But if you take the time to prepare yourself and take the proper steps beforehand, you can save yourself some major headaches. Here are some tips to organize yourself before the big move:

• Make yourself a detailed checklist of everything you need to take with you. It’s a good idea to purchase a notebook just for this purpose.
• Purchase moving supplies in advance. A great list of moving supplies to have on hand are markers, boxes, tape, pocket knife, scissors, plastic storage bins, newspapers, and blankets. A hand truck would be EXCELLENT to have in this situation (makes transporting the boxes around a lot easier). Boxes can be found at your local supermarket (ask an attendent) while wardrobe boxes are a great idea to purchase for your clothes.
• Having a garage sale to sell off unwanted items (or even donating items) is a good idea while you still have time before you pack. When it comes to deciding whether to keep or get rid of something, it’s a good idea to follow the two year rule: If you haven’t used it in two years, get rid of it!
• Keep detailed records of your moving expenses. Your expenses may be tax deductible depending on the reasons for your move.
• Create a floor plan of your new home to aid during packing and on moving day.
• If you have important files on your computer, make sure to back them up on disk. Make sure you have a plan on how you’re going to move your computers, as they are very delicate pieces of equipment.

If you would like a free consultation and more information, please contact me, Michael Emilio Rodriguez by email and by telephone at 1-800-343-2993 x182.

Donald Trump Home Listing for $125 Million in West Palm Beach, Florida

Real estate developer and mogul Donald Trump is listing a West Palm Beach home for $125 million, considered to be the highest listing price ever for a single-family home in the United States. The price is likely the highest ever for a single-family home in the U.S.

But Mr. Trump has run into some problems while renovating the West Palm Beach home. "I was going to do a minor job, but it turned into a major renovation," the developer says. "We're gutting the whole thing and redoing almost all of the property." Though not yet officially listed on the MLS, the home is being shown to potential buyers.

Donald Trump, 59 years old, originally purchased the seven-acre oceanfront property for $41.25 million in 2004 during an auction at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. The original owner, former health-care executive Abe Gosman, purchased the land for $12.1 million in 1986 and later built the dwelling.

If you would like a free consultation and more information, please contact me, Michael Emilio Rodriguez by email and by telephone at 1-800-343-2993 x182.