Guide to Buying a Florida beach house in 2022
Have you decided that buying a Florida beach house in 2022 is the right thing for you? If you have, well, congratulations are in order! We know that that was not an easy (or cheap) decision to make. But, don’t open that bottle of champagne and start celebrating just yet. Buying a Florida beach house, or buying just any property out there, will not be easy. You will have to do a lot of researching, looking, and finance organizing, among other things.
However, there is nothing to fear – as long as you have a good real estate agent by your side, you will be able to find your dream beach house that suits your budget and all of your needs. Moreover, we are also here to help you out. We prepared a list of things that you should do in order to find and buy that perfect house. So, keep on reading for some real estate advice.
Do Your Own Research First
Before you hire a real estate agent to help you with buying a Florida beach house, it would be a good idea to do your own research first. For instance, as Florida is a huge state with a lot of cities and suburbs, you should first make up your mind about where you want to live. And, when doing this, be sure to take your finances and your lifestyle into consideration.
If you are looking for something urban, expensive, and just top-notch, beach houses in Miami should be a great option. But, if you are looking for something cheaper, smaller, and low-key, you should look at more affordable beach towns in Florida such as Titusville, Daytona Beach, or Port Charlotte. Thus, do your research and consider all the factors before buying a house on the beach in Florida!
Create a List of Must-Haves
Now that you know where you want to live in Florida, it is time to create your lots of must-haves. That is, you should make a list of all the amenities and features you want to see in your beach house. For instance, you should write down the desired location, square footage, number of rooms and bedrooms, type of construction, etc. Or, write down if you want a pool, AC, solar panels, etc. By making this list, you will help your real estate agent find your dream beach house in no time!
Assess Your Finances
A part that we all hate is assessing our finances. But, this is something that must be done before buying a beach house in Florida or making any other big investment. Why? Because you need to know how much of a house you can actually afford. By knowing your budget, you will not waste your and your realtor’s time on viewing the houses you can never buy. Thus, assess your finances before anything else. For this, turn to experts. Just like you need to turn to specialists when moving into a home, or just like you need to turn to real estate agents when buying a home, you also need to turn to financial advisors, bank representatives, and mortgage lenders when assessing your finances.
Find a Local Real Estate Agent
And, once you have all the information from above (where you want to live, what kind of a house you want to buy, and how much money you have for purchasing a property), it is time to find your real estate agent. Or, to find a real estate agency. To find either of these, you have to have two priorities – they must be reliable and they must be local.
They must be reliable because, in today’s world, there are a lot of scammers, unfortunately. So, when looking for an agent or agency, ask around and do a lot of background-checking! And, they must be local because only local real estate agents know their market well – they will be able to advise you on what is best for you and to even show you houses that are not on the market.
View as Many Beach Houses as You Can
You walked into the first beach house, you fell in love with it, and now you are already closing the deal and looking for movers on bestmoversinflorida.com to help you relocate. Wrong! You should never buy the first property you see. You have to explore your options. Who knows – maybe there is a better, cheaper, and more beautiful beach house just around the corner. When buying a Florida beach house, you must view (online) and attend as many open-house events (preferably, live ones) as you can. That way, when you do purchase a house, you will be sure that you made the right decision. So, look at all the houses that fit your list of must-haves, and choose your favorite.
Have the House Professionally Inspected
Once you have chosen your favorite, that is, once you have found a convenient place to live, pay it another visit. But, this time, don’t come just with your real estate agent. Before you sign the papers and close the deal, you have to have the entire beach house professionally inspected. And, why is this important? Because many houses nowadays are full of hidden problems.
For instance, the seller might have a leaking roof, mold in the basement, or even pests in the walls. Honest sellers will tell you about this, but, unfortunately, not all sellers are that way. They will sell you with a house with a lot of problems that will be very time, energy, and money-confusing to fix. Thus, save yourself from unwanted and costly problems, and hire a professional house inspector before buying a beach house in Florida.