- real estate listings

How to Quickly & Easily Sell Your Orlando Vacation Home

Orlando’s economy has steadily improved over the past few years, making this an attractive time for some vacation home owners to put their properties up for sale. If you’re not using your second home as frequently as you intended, it may not make financial sense to maintain ownership. Here are a few tips to help you sell your Orlando vacation home quickly and for the best price.

Find an Experienced Real Estate Agent– Look for a real estate agent who is not only familiar with the area, but is experienced in the sale and purchase of vacation homes. Orlando has become a true international market, with buyers coming from all over the world to purchase properties. Make sure your agent has a marketing plan to reach those potential buyers. For instance, Team…

Why You Should Buy a Vacation Home in ChampionsGate

When it comes to Orlando vacation homes, one Central Florida community stands out as the premiere tourist and commercial destination: ChampionsGate. Located just southwest of Walt Disney World in Osceola County, this 1,500 acre area is made up of residential, vacation home and resort communities.     

If you’re looking to invest in a second home or buy a primary home in Central Florida, ChampionsGate is an excellent choice. The community has a lot to offer home buyers, starting with two world-renowned golf courses, designed by champion golf pro Greg Norman. There are also plenty of resort-style amenities, including a clubhouse, aerobics studio, lazy river, tiki bar, splash park, pool, tennis courts and volleyball courts. 

Another reason why…

Why Should Vacation Home Buyers Care about REOs?

Are you in the market for an Orlando vacation home? If so, you may have come across a listing on a real estate website like Team Donovan’s that says the home is a bank owned / REO property. REO stands for Real Estate Owned, which means the home has been foreclosed upon and repossessed by the lender (which is typically a bank).

Foreclosure processes vary by state, but the end result is the same. After a bank forecloses on a property, they place the home into their inventory of real estate owned. At this point, federal agencies such as Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or HUD (Housing of Urban Development), may have to settle with the bank if there was some type of guaranteed loan involved. It doesn’t matter whether these agencies or the bank own the property,…

What You Need to Know to Buy a Holiday Home in Orlando – Part 1

Many people who travel to Orlando, Florida from outside the U.S., such as Canada or the U.K., enjoy their holidays so much, they decide to buy a second home here. If you want to make Central Florida your “home away from home,” there are some important points you need to know before you buy.  

1. Decide How to Pay for the Property - Many foreign buyers wind up purchasing a holiday home with cash, since financing can be difficult to obtain. If you plan to finance your purchase with a U.S. bank, expect that a minimum down payment of 30 percent will be required. A U.S. mortgage also generally requires far more paperwork than loans secured in other countries. Another advantage of raising finance outside the U.S. is that your holiday home purchase in…

Why a Short Sale May be Right for You

Home buyers who search for vacation homes in Orlando may occasionally come across a property that is listed as a short sale. This type of property may turn out to be a good investment. But it’s important that you understand what the short sale process involves, and whether it makes financial sense for you.

What is a Short Sale?

A homeowner who is struggling to make mortgage payments may decide to use a short sale as a way to avoid foreclosure. The homeowner sells the house for less than the amount owed on the mortgage. And as a result, the lender doesn’t get all of its money back. This usually happens when a home’s value falls, and only occurs with the lender’s permission.

The bank does not own the property in a short sale. But it must approve the…