Investment money transfer for Foreign Buyers

The investment in real estate properties is always a good idea. Especially when you buy your property in a moderate prices market and in a favorable location. To do so you have to have enough money to pay for it. This requirement apply for domestic buyers as well as foreign national buyers. However, there is a difference to consider between the two buyer segments and this is important to know.

When a domestic buyer buys a property it is much easier to verify his/her financial resources based on the paystubs, background checks and tax returns, that have been filed with the tax authorities. But when it comes to foreign buyers there is not such an option. Foreign national not always work in the US and earn no income that has to be filed as income. When they have an account in a US-bank and use a US credit card they may have a credit history but the background checks are hardly possible.

To get to best possible information about a potential foreign buyer it is common in the real estate business that the foreign buyers have to wire their purchase funds to an American bank account timely enough before the transaction closing and every amount above $10,000 will be reported to government authorities. These requirements are a precaution against possible money laundry activities and they are standards in many countries worldwide not only in United States.

Therefore foreign buyers should remember that the times with a briefcase full of cash are over and no serious professional and no serious business will accept such a payment method.

For assistance to get your purchase money from your home country to the United States you can reach us at info@florida-informations.com  

Are you looking for adventures abroad?

Sometimes everybody has the dream to get on the next plane and seek a new live far away from home. Before you make this huge decision you should dig a little bit deeper into your mind and make a plan. Not every country is a good choice for such an adventure.

When you still have to work for your living, you need to find out where your specific work skill and work experience is in demand. You also have to find out what requirements apply for your dream country: do you need a visa, a health insurance, a work permit. Will you get a health insurance there or do you need to speak to an insurance person and much more.

In case that you are already in retirement, you do not need to worry about creating income and all the work related requirements. Your most important objective should be where you can live on your retirement income and where the necessary health care system is available for you. Please keep also in mind you are a guest in that foreign country and should adapt yourself to the country culture.

Based on a study about common expenses like grocery, utility, transportation and entertainment abroad, the most affordable places for retirees are countries like Nepal, India and Tunisia. These countries might not be your first choice. Countries that are often selected as abroad residence are countries like the United Kingdom and France, but these countries have much higher living expenses. The most expensive retirement locations are Switzerland and Norway.

In case you are looking for more details to this topic please contact us at info@florida-informations.com    

Always check the license of a real estate professional

Every real estate professional in the United States must be licensed and each state has its own business license authority. In Florida the DBPR – Department of Business and Professional Regulations – has the authority to issue real estate licenses after the applicant has successful completed his/her education and passed the state exam. This license is only issued for two years and needs to be renewed at the end of every two years.

A properly licensed real estate agent has his/her state license always in the wallet because the license has only the size of a check or credit card. When the license is expired the real estate is no longer allowed to practice the real estate profession. The expiration date is stated on the license and easy to check.

Buying and selling of a property is for the most people a big deal and therefore you have to be careful with whom you are dealing. Unlicensed individuals do not know the proper procedure how to perform a real estate transaction correctly. They often try to scam you and sell or rent you poorly maintained properties with cloudy and dirty titles. When you realize this issues later on they have already disappeared and you have lost your invested money. I do not think that you want to make that experience – right?

In case you need more information to this topic please contact us at andrea@florida-informations.com or find details in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Residence-Paradise-Property-Purchase/dp/0986252913

  

Energy efficiency is trump

Over the last two years the utility bills have constantly increased and every home owner or tenant is interested to safe money in living energy efficient. Based on this many buyers are looking for energy efficient items in their home when they are on the house hunt. Even the former top wish - updated kitchen - is less important than energy efficient items. You as a home seller can win when you have prepared your house for these new buyer requirements.

The most important features buyers are looking for are energy saving light bulbs in the house. When you have already sealed your air leaks from house to the outside, that will be a great plus too and this upgrade doesn’t cost much. New and energy efficient appliances are the next item on the wish list of potential buyers and the programmable thermostat for the A/C system.

Many of these things can be done quickly with little costs and personal effort. With all these little changes it will be easy to achieve the most important goal of the energy saving: the change of your own energy use habits.

With this in mind you will make your home buyer happy and you will save much money on your power bill in your new home too when you keep these habits.

The exchange of my old A/C system with a new one put $200.00 into my pocket.

You want to know more, please contact us at info@florida-informations.com

Cyber insurance - what is that?

Nearly every day you hear in the news that there was a hacker attack and a well-known company had a data breach. Such a data breach is costly for the breached company and they often have no possibility to recoup their losses from the hacker. Therefore it is a good idea to think about a cyber-insurance.

Maybe you think, you have a business liability insurance that covers these issues too. Don’t be fooled, such a risk is not covered by your liability insurance. Also the argument, such a cyber insurance is very expensive maybe not the correct argument because in the case of a data breach the data loss will be much more costly for you because you will lose your data and the trust of your customers.

To find the matching cyber insurance you should consult your business insurance broker and assess with him/her your business risk. You have to cover your own business risk as well as the third-party risk like your customers.

With such a cyber-insurance you not only get the coverage for your risk but you will get very valuable information too how to protect and secure your IT-systems.

For more information you can contact us at info@florida-informations.com

What are the best upgrades when I want to sell?

Forget the recommendation from yesterday for your remodeling project. The expectation and the taste of the buyers are constantly changing. To get the best price for your home you should wisely choose the best upgrade options for you.

It is not always easy to keep up with the buyer’s wish list for their new home. It also doesn’t make sense to spend too much for a renovation that will not pay back at the closing table. Therefore here only a few tips what to consider:
Granite countertops are out, today's buyers are looking for quartz countertops.

The wish for stainless steel appliances still stand and if you would like to upgrade your appliances you should keep this in mind and look for energy efficient ones.

The best bet for the backyard are fire pits and outdoor kitchens, especially to consider in Florida, where nearly everybody enjoys the outdoor lifestyle.

The newest trend for bathroom updates is the freestanding tub, when you have enough room for this upgrade.

If you are looking for more tips you can reach us at andrea@florida-informations.com

The big spenders in real estate

The rich and super rich like to invest in real estate. They have normally more than four properties and at least two of them are vacation retreats. A very interesting point is that the primary residence of these superrich are not the biggest and most expensive that they own. Their vacation hideaways are often more luxurious and bigger and also more expensive.

These vacation homes are sitting on huge lots and often have twice the size of the primary residence. The most important decision-making point for these mansions is their hobby or a specific passion.

The superrich who reside outside the United States prefer to buy properties in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and France. Only one third of the United States superrich people purchase property abroad. In case they do so they choose countries like the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia and France.

Florida with its exquisite and luxurious mansions is also a preferred location for this property owner segment.
For further information please contact us at andrea@florida-informations.com