Ocala Real Estate Magazine

Here's What Has Changed . . . Good news! Things are looking up in the housing market. Foreclosures and short-sales are dwindling and the banks and mortgage companies are loosening up on the reins. "Mortgage rates continue to be at historical lows," said Fred Roberts Jr. of Ocala, general counsel for Roberts Real Estate. "It appears likely that they would stay at historical levels for the Continue Reading about Haven’t Bought or Sold a Home in Years?

Here's What the Experts Recommend When Susan Kahn first settled in “Horse Country,” the last thing on her mind was owning a horse farm. But, it didn’t take long for her to get the bug. Now she's the owner of Sugar Knoll Farm, an 80-acre horse farm with five brood mares and a miniature teaser pony. Susan claims she didn’t know much at the beginning but has learned a lot along the way, especially Continue Reading about Buying a Horse Farm in Ocala?

(With Help from Your Realtor) It’s not just up to the professionals to negotiate a good deal on a house. The seller or buyer also can learn how to work a transaction effectively, says Fred Roberts Jr., an Ocala real estate attorney and general counsel for Roberts Real Estate.   "Oftentimes, buyers and sellers want to negotiate in a dramatic fashion in hopes of enlisting a 'spectacular' response Continue Reading about How to Negotiate Like a Pro

The experts agree. The time to think about selling your home is the day you buy it. When you consider a home’s resale value right from the start, it will be easier to sell it when the time comes. Carolyn Roberts, president/broker of Roberts Real Estate, Inc. says “A professional real estate agent will help you identify factors that will determine your home's value." According to an article by Continue Reading about Five Factors that Affect Resale Value

Back in the ’60s, the Beatles put out a popular song called “Help!” The lyrics began like this: “Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, you know I need someone. He-e-elp!” In the world of home sales, that helper would be a real estate agent who can help guide a seller to close on a piece of property or help a buyer who is searching for just the right property. The thing is, we  Continue Reading about How to Help Your Agent Help You

Why is it some people spend more time shopping for a car, or a new outfit, or a cell phone than they do for a suitable mortgage rate? They might spend two hours at the Sprint office looking at options and then spend an equal amount of time talking to an agent at Verizon or AT&T, before they decide which service they want. Yet, when it comes to buying a house, they might visit one bank, or Continue Reading about Shopping for a Mortgage in Ocala?

“How long will it take to sell my house?” That’s a legitimate question, these days, partly because the average time for selling a home changes from year-to-year. At times, the real estate industry tends to be a seller's market. According to the National Association of Realtors, this happens when prices take a gradual turn upward and multiple bids start coming in on the same home. A seller will Continue Reading about How Long Will It Take To Sell My House?

For the last few years, many have wondered if the once lucrative real estate industry would ever again make for a good investment. The experts are saying, Yes. California and Florida were two of the hardest hit by the housing market bubble, but many of their metro areas are expected to see the greatest increase in home prices through 2016. In Florida, four of the ten metro areas where home Continue Reading about What’s My Home Really Worth?