We can all probably cite examples of irrational exuberance over the years: when home prices soared in the mid-2000s banks threw all caution to the wind and offered nothing down loans the dot.com era of the 1990’s involving the tech industry the times leading up to the stock market crash in 1929 and of course, the tulip mania in the 1600s I’m certain that at least one of the above examples...
Keeping a roof over our heads isn’t as simple as it used to be and it’s certainly getting more expensive by the day. We’re all experiencing the same frustration and it’s worth asking ourselves why, and if there is anything to be done about it. Florida’s tumultuous property insurance market amounts to nothing less than a perfect storm according to lawmakers. We will attempt to summarize the...
It will come as no surprise to you to know that the odds of being hacked today are against us. I’m sure you’ve opened your email inbox or received a text message from a complete stranger – gone are the days when it could have been from a friend of a friend. We know better now. These “phishing†tactics...
THE FLORIDA HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS JUST ANOTHER REASON TO MAKE THE SUNSHINE STATE YOUR HOME! Did you know? Though we may not have any control over the amount of taxes we pay to the Federal Government, Florida is a tax-friendly state. There are no state taxes, no inheritance taxes or estate taxes. Did you also know that Florida has very generous homestead laws? Florida law provides for lower property...
Think of a Living Trust as your Bucket List. It is filled with everything that you’ve worked hard for and were lucky enough to accumulate throughout your life. You filled it with your money, property, and other assets - stocks, bonds and perhaps even a boat or plane! You’re free to do whatever you want with the contents of your Bucket, such as selling your property or stocks while you’re...
As 2022 unfolds, we at Liberty Title are committed to helping you get where you’re going, every...step...of...the...way. All great companies are Mission Driven, and our corporate ethos is to make the home buying and selling process “Easier, More Efficient, with Excellent Customer Service.†For me, as I look forward, this is an exciting time for the...
http://videotap.wistia.com/medias/swsmwlu198?embedType=async&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=640 Equity is the value YOU own in property such as a house. It’s the difference between what’s OWED and what the property is WORTH in the current market. The example this video shows - you have a house worth $300,000 today and you owe the bank $200,000. Your equity would be...
http://videotap.wistia.com/medias/5vqdsef8xh?embedType=async&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=640 Like the video says - real estate agents aren’t paid by the hour!They’re paid a percentage of the purchase price in a successful real estate transaction. When one agent represents the sellers and another represents the buyers the commission is typically split between them. In the US,...
http://videotap.wistia.com/medias/h8ina3eyzq?embedType=async&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=640 The Prime Lending Rate - sometimes just called “Prime” - is the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans. Some consumer rates - like ARMs - are set in relation to Prime. In the US, Prime is affected by the Federal Reserve lending rate to banks; historically,...
http://videotap.wistia.com/medias/6u3yi2ieus?embedType=async&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=640 Discount points allow you to lower your interest rate. While this video simplifies things to help you remember, “points” are essentially prepaid interest with each point equaling 1% of the total loan amount. Generally, for each point paid on a 30-year mortgage the interest rate is reduced by 1/8...