Foreclosure and Short Sale Specialist

What are the benefits of buying over renting?
- Home ownership is a big investment. Investing in the purchase of a home offers tax benefits and the ability to freely make decisions and changes to your home. Home ownership can yield a substantial profit depending on the appreciation of the home in the current housing market. Owning a home can be more costly then renting, although renting negates the ability to profit from selling your home when you decide to move.
The advantage to renting is not having to worry about maintenance and other financial obligations, such as property taxes. As well, the cost of homeownership is generally higher than renting, thus, you may be able to rent a nicer or larger home than what you may be able to purchase.

How can I improve the value of my home?
- There are many ways to improvethe value of your home. But you do have to be careful not to overdo it, some investments in your home may notpay off in the long run. For more information on improving your home in order to sell, see our "Tips on selling your home."

Is there a good return on large remodeling jobs?
- Larger remodeling jobs can vary in returns on your investment. Adding common areas, like an extra bathroom, another bedroom or remodeling a kitchen can often raise the value in your home and improve the quality of living while you are in the home. However, adding a screened in porch, hot tub or pool to your home may not always be the best idea. When selling the home, you limit the number of customers interested in your home if they do not wish to have any of the additions you added to your home. And the longer your home is on the market, the less likely it is to get near the full asking price.

What are homeowners fees and regime fees?
- Homeowners association and regime fees are fees that cover the basic maintenance of the common areas of a community. They pay for landscaping common grounds and maintaining any amenities available in your neighborhood. Generally, the more amenities available, such as golf courses, equestrian centers, community pools and clubhouses, the more expensive homeowner or regime feees will cost. Homeowner fees are generally billed annually while regime fees tend to be a monthly bill.