Ray Peckham Real Estate

Surfside Homes Summary

Surfside Home Improvement

Homeowners hear a lot about improvements that might add value to houses. But less attention is paid to what to avoid. Steer clear of renovations that will cost you money at resale time.

If an Surfside home becomes conspicuously larger -- and more expensive -- than those around it will risk becoming hard to sell. Additions tend not to return their entire investment. The 2005 "Cost vs. Value Report" found that homeowners were able to recoup only 83% of the cost of a family-room addition and 82% of a midrange master suite.

Guidelines for Buying Surfside

Whether you are a seasoned veteran of real estate transactions or a first time buyer, my advice is the same: Know the Market, Know Yourself and Rely on Experts to give you the whole picture of what you are buying.

Know the Surfside Market. Another way of stating this is Research, Research, Research. Of course the Internet is a great way to give an overview of Surfside homes or homes in any given area but may not be enough, especially if you are looking to buy a home some distance from where you currently live. If you are looking to buy locally you can drive the neighborhoods that you are focusing on to get an idea if there are any problems you need to be aware of. Does part of the development back up to a busy highway? If so and if you want to avoid looking at homes in that area, know what streets are involved so you can recognize listings that may be involved.

Buying a Surfside Fixer-Upper

This, of course, depends on the condition of the Surfside home and the estimated cost of the repairs you must make. Surfside real estate in a good neighborhood that is priced about 25% lower than others that are in good shape may be a good deal if it simply needs cosmetic or minor structural repairs. If the house is a gut job, that is the entire inside will be torn out and rebuilt the 25% rule may work and may not so estimate your costs as closely as possible.

Shopping by neighborhood makes good sense when considering the purchase of a fixer upper. As a buyer, the more you know about the Surfside homes in a particular area the better able you are when it comes time to judge whether or not a home your are considering meets the financial parameters you are looking for.

Buying Surfside Below Market

While the perfect Surfside option at the right price might come on the market within a couple of weeks, don’t expect that kind of time frame. You must be prepared to wait months for right property, and the Surfside is no exception. Remember, most sellers tend to ask MORE than their property is worth, not less so bargains don’t pop up every day. Often times, homes that are on the market for too long a period of time will come down in price as the homeowners get tired of having their house for sale but unless the seller is really pressed, home prices tend to come down is small increments unless there is an unfortunate circumstance that might cause the homeowner to price the Surfside under market for the specific purpose of getting a fast sale.

Surfside ADVANTAGE

The advantages of buying in any particular city or area depend on the buyer’s individual needs. Factors include proximity to schools, work, shopping, recreation, cultural opportunities and health care. Affordability is another important factor. So your first step in considering Surfside or any other city is to determine which of your needs are met and which are not met.

Surfside APPEAL

A large part of the appeal of the real estate market in any area is the architecture or the style of the homes themselves. The appeal of Surfside is its appropriateness to the region in terms of style, history and weather conditions.