Three Factors That Completely Alter Real Estate Pricing

  People looking to buy a home or investment property in Florida are often left frustrated by constantly shifting prices. The market has been hot in the Sunshine State for several years now, so the price just to get in anywhere in our state is one of the biggest challenges of any real estate market in the country. We hear from clients frequently who are left dumbfounded when a 1,500 square foot Read More

5 Common Trust Mistakes in Estate Planning

Because there are so many types of trusts, this document is widely considered to be the most versatile estate planning document. Also, having one or more trusts even makes sense for many estate planners who are not in the one percent. If you plan a strategy for getting the most out of your trusts and follow through on that strategy, your heirs and beneficiaries will probably be grateful that you saved them some Read More

What is a Lien, and Who Can Put One on My Florida Property?

A property lien is one of the most common items that can make a Florida home sale can go awry. Liens, which can be attached to real or personal property, are claims to that particular asset. After a person or entity places a property lien on someone’s house, land, or condo, they get compensated for the amount of the lien before the property owner gets money in the event of a sale. Essentially, a lien is a claim to Read More

Power of Attorney Forms Are a Must for Young Adults

Turning 18 can bring on feelings of joy, freedom, and excitement for the future. Most of us remember those days for ourselves, but the feelings are often flipped when our children turn 18. We are left with questions about what comes next and whether our children will still turn to us for guidance or lean on their newfound independence. What many families don’t recognize is what turning 18 can mean for a parent’s Read More

When is the Right Time to Refinance Your Home?

Few words make an adult queasy like the word mortgage. Many homeowners have horror stories about unfavorable mortgage loan terms that put them in a bind as they tried to buy their own home or make investment purchases. Thankfully, we are not handcuffed to the terms of our mortgage should they be less than favorable at the start. In 2021, nearly 25% of homeowners reported refinancing their mortgages – a number that Read More

What It Really Means to Buy or Sell a Home “As-is”

Searching for a home can take you and your family in a number of different directions. From starting your search online to touring numerous properties to inspecting a prospective home to ensure you’re getting the right deal, the whole experience can be emotional and a bit exhausting. But, what happens when you come across a home that is being sold “as-is?” The term can scare off a number of buyers, creating an Read More

Estate Planning Tips for “Small” Estates

Estate planning is for everyone. It’s important to state that because many people and families believe they don’t have enough to constitute an “estate,” but that’s very rarely the case. What’s true is that estates can be big or small, and each estate deserves the delicate planning needed to take care of your hard work. We can boil this thinking down further and instead of looking at an “estate” we can look at Read More

Required Disclosures in Florida Home Purchases

“Buyer beware” is an overriding principle in many purchases. It has historically been associated with real estate purchases. However, buying a house or condo is an extremely complex transaction. Few people are structural engineers, architects, or home inspectors, so are homebuyers supposed to simply trust that sellers will tell them everything they need to know?  Thankfully, no. Florida’s disclosure requirements for Read More

Probate Might Not Be What You Think

While there’s a general understanding of what probate is for those who have an estate plan, the process itself isn’t well understood. What is generally known about it tends to be negative: people believe it erodes the financial value of the state and can drag on for years, making probate something that needs to be avoided at all costs. The truth is that under some circumstances, probate can be a good thing for an Read More

End-of-Year Estate Planning Checklist

We’re inching ever closer to 2023. As the clock ticks by, 2022 dwindles to a close, and all our New Year’s Resolutions become front and center. But, our team believes you shouldn’t completely write this year off year yet. It can be easy to mail it in during the month of December and just coast through the holidays, but there are a few items you should consider knocking off your estate planning to-do list before we Read More