If you are not sure of where in South East Florida you would like to live, click on the name of each city to go to the official web site of that city. 

•  City of Miami general information
• City of South Miami  "The City of Pleasant Living"close to the University of Miami and Dadeland Shopping Center
• Village of Pinecrest   east of US1 , close to The Falls Shopping Center.  Zip code 33156
• City of Coral Gables South of the International Airport, "The City Beautiful"  zip code 33134 and 33146
• Village of Coconut Grove East of US1, neighboring Coral Gables,  lots of tropical landscape. zip code 33133
• Village of Palmetto Bay South of Pinecrest; llarge lots. zip code 33157 and 33158
• Miami Beach North or South? 
• City of Doral "For all the right reasons" Located north-east of the MIAirport, west of the Turnpike.
• Sunny Isles, Aventura, Bal Harbour, Surfside,  
• Miami (Dade) Private Schools    
• Miami (Dade) Public Schools 
• FloridaDept Of Education. Colleges, private/public schools, contacts, ...

That depends on determining how much money you have for your down payment and how much you can afford to pay on a monthly basis. Contact a lender to find out the size of mortgage you qualify for and get pre-approved. Better yet, use a mortgage broker to find you the best mortgage rate possible but watch out that the commission they charge ("points") does not offset the lower interest rate that the lender is charging.  Make sure to get their "Good faith Estimate" in writing before you make a decision of who you will choose and make sure that they state in writing that their professional and company charges will not change.  Consider that besides the mortgage and interest you will also pay Taxes and Insurance on your property. Make sure that the estimated taxes on your Good Faith Estimate are the same from all lenders because some are not realistic and will make you believe that your monthly payments will be less when in fact your taxes are based on the assessed value based on the price that you will buy your property, not on the taxes that the seller is currently paying. 

If you would like me to refer you to some reputable mortgage lenders in the area please contact me. 786-223-2061 APR@APRhomes.info

Sales statistics show that most properties being sold today in Florida fall within these three categories.

Foreclosures, also called Bank or Corporate Owned Properties or REOs(Reale estate Owned by Mortgage Lenders) are properties owned by the banks listed usually at a base price and getting usually several offers since they have usually the lowest prices in the market....but many are in need of repair and/or have no bank financing available or may get assessment charges by the associations.  Still at their purchase price they represent a great deal.  You need a Realtor who has expertise in purchasing and negotiating with banks.  Expect 30 to 120 days to get a response for your offer. 

Short Sales are properties still in the hands of individuals who owe more than what the property is being sold for.  These sellers have to get approval from their lenders to sell the property in this manner.  Lenders have their own parameters to approve this type of transaction.  Generally avoid homes that have two mortgages.  It is very difficult to negotiate the purchase of a home with two banks.  If you have a choice, place an offer on a property that has only one bank involved; the chances of getting a response are greater if only one bank is involved. Expect 60 -120 days to get a response for your offer.  All properties allowed to do a short-sale are also in Pre-foreclosure.

Use the services of the right Realtor.  Contact me  at 786-223-2061 APR@APRhomes.info