Buying Florida Property During the Busy Season

"Season" is in full swing on Marco Island and Florida in general. This is the time of year when the snowbirds from the frozen north fly down to thaw out under the famous Florida sunshine. Everyone is having fun having escaped the frigid grip of Mother Nature. Nothing could be more natural than wanting to buy a piece of real estate here when you realize that you're walking around in shorts in February.

For those of us in real estate, this is our busiest time of year. Buyers and sellers alike attempt to cram a year's worth of transactions into four months. Now, any time of year, it's essential to approach your real estate purchase with due diligence. But, in this busy real estate marketplace, you need a special strategy to ensure success. To make sure your Marco Island, Florida dreams become a reality, we've compiled a few tips that will help you prepare. The old saying, "preparation prevents poor performance" couldn't be more accurate than it is when it comes to buying real estate on Marco Island during the busy season.

Before Arrival

Let us know your schedule: Any Realtor® worth their salt has a pretty full calendar in season. Blocking off your time with an agent that knows all the ins and outs of the area is just like anything else. The sooner you do it, the better off you'll be. By reserving your time in advance, you ensure that an expert is available and can devote their undivided attention to your goals. Waiting until the last minute to schedule an appointment has a few pitfalls. You could end up in the hands of a novice. Buying any kind of real estate is just too big of a deal to entrust an amateur with the details. You want a professional focus on your goals.

Keep the lines of communication open: It takes more time and energy to set up a day of showings than you can imagine. Scheduling some properties require 24 hours notice. Others can only be accessed on particular days of the week. During season, it can be a like a Rubik's Cube of turns and twists to get everything aligned properly. If you have a change of plans, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can rearrange things successfully. We hate to have to exclude a potential favorite just because of a scheduling conflict.

Is Marco Island the right place for you? It's not uncommon to be entirely captivated when you first arrive on Marco Island. It is the stuff of dreams. That said, we have found that immediately starting a property search rarely succeeds. Get a feel for the island first. Drive around and familiarize yourself with the various neighborhoods. Sit down with a Realtor® and get a briefing on the real estate market, what to see, where to eat and stuff like that. Ask a lot of questions. Next, hit the beach or the water. Maybe, eat out a few times. Very soon, you'll find that you'll be much more confident and ready to start looking for your Marco Island home.

Once in Town

Be prepared: Get your ducks in a row. Being unprepared is a surefire way to lose your dream home at the last minute. Be sure to have a lender's pre-approval letter or proof of funds before you make an offer. Sellers want to see this to confirm that they have a legitimate offer that will make it to closing. Skipping this step will weaken your negotiation position. What's worse, in season, it isn't uncommon for a pre-approval letter to be the winning point when there are competing offers.

It's very easy to get ahead of the game before you jump into your Realtor's car. Just knock out a few items up front, and you won't waste precious minutes when the time has come to make your offer. First, choose your title company of attorney. Make sure your earnest money deposit is accessible. Make sure your pre-approval letter is ready to go. If you're paying cash, get your proof of funds document. Choose a home inspector. Your BuyMarco.com Realtor® can help you with all of this. You should know that we accept no commissions, kickbacks, gifts, favors or anything else from any vendor we recommend. We only have one criterion when we suggest a vendor - that they have done right by our clients.

Act fast: This part can't be overemphasized. I should be writing in all caps but I won't. Your favorite property is also the other guy's favorite! The four properties that you looked at that didn't excite you will be available next week. The awesome one won't be. This law applies year-round. During season it goes up a notch. The good ones fly off the shelves. It's frustratingly common to submit an offer only to hear that the property just sold. Equally common is having your nice little negotiation crashed by a competing bidder. Invariably, our lecture on this topic is met by skepticism followed by anger when a favorite house or condo is lost. Don't be fooled. Long "Days on Market" is absolutely no indication that a particular property will not sell today. To reiterate, your favorite is their favorite. Don't doubt me on this. Get ready to pounce and get any questions you need answers to out front early.

Other ways to be prepared: It's all about knowing what's coming and being ready for it. If you like to read every word of every contract, tell us and will email you a copy in advance of your appointment. We can discuss things like inspection periods, what's negotiable in an inspection and what's not, negotiation strategies, and a million other things. Not only will this preparation save valuable time when it counts, it will help you move confidently towards your goals.