Optima Properties' Blog

Some good information! 4 Things you might not have known about your Cell Phone.   I was sent this via email and thought I would share it with you.  I did try a couple of them and they worked, so you might want to print this out and keep it in your wallet or car.   There are a few things that can ...

What do you do when the appraisal on the dream home you want to buy comes in below the price in the offer the seller has accepted—even as much as 10 to 20 percent below? Chances are that raising the cash for your down payment and closing cost has tapped you out. Finding thousands more to make up ...

Below is a list of some of the most common issues that arise when applying for a mortgage: Taxes & Insurance - make sure to find out what the lender is using for taxes, insurance, and association dues when looking at properties to ensure accuracy.  If they come in higher than what is being used t...

A sluggish housing market has caused millions of homeowners to lose their home to foreclosure, short sale, or deed in lieu of foreclosure. But once these former homeowners get a better handle on their credit, how long do they have to sit on the sidelines until they can secure future financing to ...

There is good news for military personnel who own Florida real estate.  Voters in the sunshine state approved a constitutional amendment during the November elections that will allow service members to save on their property taxes. According to a Jacksonville.com article, service members deployed...

Most people don't give much thought to their homeowner's insurance policy unless a tree punches a hole in their roof or they come home from vacation to find that the basement has been flooded.While 96 percent of homeowners have insurance, 64 percent of homes are undervalued for insurance purposes...

This "second wave" of foreclosures - combined with the fact that many people's 401(k)s have bounced back with the stock market, and most economists agree that the bottom of the recession has hit - means that competition for these foreclosed homes is, in many cases, fierce. There's a renewed, fina...

While buying a home is a huge financial expenditure, homeowners need to keep in mind that the spending doesn't stop once the home is purchased. Whether you are moving into a new or old home, homeowners need to be aware of the ongoing maintenance that any home requires. Dan Steward First, buyers s...

Buying and owning a home is a big expense -- besides the purchase price, there are the property taxes, heating and cooling costs, maintenance expenses...the list goes on. But the good news is that there are tax savings available to homeowners. Read on to find out about some of the top tax deducti...

Home values have dropped substantially across the nation, making it hard for consumers to understand why home insurance costs have increased 40%-50% during the same period.  Florida one of the top three most expensive states to insure a home ( along with Texas and Louisiana); the average policy c...