Selling Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Choice One Real Estate

6 Reasons to Reduce Your Home Price

by Robert MacDougall | Jan 27, 2015 | Selling, Uncategorized

While you’d like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price.

Home not selling? That could happen for a number of reasons you can’t control, like a unique home layout or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage. There is one factor you can control: your home price.

These six signs may be telling you it’s time to lower your price.

1. You’re drawing few lookers.

You get the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports there have been fewer buyers calling about and asking to tour your home than there have been for other homes in your area, that may be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.

2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have no offers.

If you’ve had 30 sets of potential buyers come through your home and not a single one has made an offer, something is off. What are other agents telling your agent about your home? An overly high price may be discouraging buyers from making an offer.

3. Your home’s been on the market longer than similar homes.

Ask your real estate agent about the average number of days it takes to sell a home in your market. If the answer is 30 and you’re pushing 45, your price may be affecting buyer interest. When a home sits on the market, buyers can begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with it, which can delay a sale even further. At least consider lowering your asking price.

4. You have a deadline.

If you’ve got to sell soon because of a job transfer or you’ve already purchased another home, it may be necessary to generate buyer interest by dropping your price so your home is a little lower priced than comparable homes in your area. Remember: It’s not how much money you need that determines the sale price of your home, it’s how much money a buyer is willing to spend.

5. You can’t make upgrades.

Maybe you’re plum out of cash and don’t have the funds to put fresh paint on the walls, clean the carpets, and add curb appeal. But the feedback your agent is reporting from buyers is that your home isn’t as well-appointed as similarly priced homes. When your home has been on the market longer than comparable homes in better condition, it’s time to accept that buyers expect to pay less for a home that doesn’t show as well as others.

6. The competition has changed.

If weeks go by with no offers, continue to check out the competition. What have comparable homes sold for and what’s still on the market? What new listings have been added since you listed your home for sale? If comparable home sales or new listings show your price is too steep, consider a price reduction.

8 Super-Secret Hiding Places for Holiday Presents

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 18, 2014 | Homeownership, Real Estate, Selling

Published: November 21, 2012

After you’ve fought the crowds for the best bargains, you’ll face another dilemma: Where to hide all those presents?

Whether you’ve got a nosy spouse or a curious kid, you need a good hiding place to squirrel away those gifts until you find time to get them wrapped and under the tree. Here are some ideas we came up with:

1. Borrow a friend’s house. Swap storage spaces with a trusted friend or neighbor, and you won’t spoil any surprises. This is particularly useful if you’re buying someone a big present, like a bicycle or a car — you might talk a neighbor into letting you borrow space in their garage until Christmas morning.

2. Pop the trunk. This won’t work if you have an SUV or hatchback, but if you’ve got a car with a trunk that’s closed off from the backseat, it’s a primo place to hide gifts. Small children will never get in there.

3. Make your office work for you. If your office is a safe, secure place, squirrel some presents there. This is only an option if you work out of your home, though — home offices are prime targets for prying eyes.

4. Take stock of kitchen pots. Got a huge stock pot? Unless you’re planning to make a giant vat of soup anytime soon, the stock pot can hold a load of small gifts, and chances are your family will never think to look there.

5. Make use of your underwear drawer. Small presents can easily fit there. Your spouse probably won’t hesitate to look there, but your kids might stop short of rifling through your skivvies. (We hope.)

6. Crack the crawl space. If you don’t mind a little dirt and some creepy-crawlies, the crawl space can hold some sizable presents. Don’t store anything there for too long, though — unless your crawl space is insulated. Moisture and temperature changes could damage items. Plastic toys are OK to keep outside; electronics should be stored inside.

7. Rent a storage space. If you’ve got a ton of presents to hide, you’ll need to look outside your house. Some storage units offer one-month-minimum specials for as low as $25. Check the storage units in your area for deals.

8. Go for the cleaning supply closet. Worst-case scenario: Your kids might find presents there, but they’d also find the cleaning supplies, which means they might actually clean something. Now that would be a Christmas miracle.

Where do you hide holiday presents?

How to Assess the Real Cost of a Fixer-Upper House

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Buying, Homeownership, Real Estate, Selling

When you buy a fixer-upper house, you can save a ton of money, or get yourself in a financial fix.

Trying to decide whether to buy a fixer-upper house? Follow these seven steps, and you’ll know how much you can afford, how much to offer, and whether a fixer-upper house is right for you.

1. Decide what you can do yourself.

TV remodeling shows make home improvement work look like a snap. In the real world, attempting a difficult remodeling job that you don’t know how to do will take longer than you think and can lead to less-than-professional results that won’t increase the value of your fixer-upper house.

Do you really have the skills to do it? Some tasks, like stripping wallpaper and painting, are relatively easy. Others, like electrical work, can be dangerous when done by amateurs.

Do you really have the time and desire to do it? Can you take time off work to renovate your fixer-upper house? If not, will you be stressed out by living in a work zone for months while you complete projects on the weekends?

2. Price the cost of repairs and remodeling before you make an offer.

Get your contractor into the house to do a walk-through, so he can give you a written cost estimate on the tasks he’s going to do.

If you’re doing the work yourself, price the supplies.

Either way, tack on 10% to 20% to cover unforeseen problems that often arise with a fixer-upper house.

3. Check permit costs.

Ask local officials if the work you’re going to do requires a permit and how much that permit costs. Doing work without a permit may save money, but it’ll cause problems when you resell your home.

Decide if you want to get the permits yourself or have the contractor arrange for them. Getting permits can be time-consuming and frustrating. Inspectors may force you to do additional work, or change the way you want to do a project, before they give you the permit.

Factor the time and aggravation of permits into your plans.

4. Doublecheck pricing on structural work.

If your fixer-upper home needs major structural work, hire a structural engineer for $500 to $700 to inspect the home before you put in an offer so you can be confident you’ve uncovered and conservatively budgeted for the full extent of the problems.

Get written estimates for repairs before you commit to buying a home with structural issues.

Don’t purchase a home that needs major structural work unless:

You’re getting it at a steep discount

You’re sure you’ve uncovered the extent of the problem

You know the problem can be fixed

You have a binding written estimate for the repairs

5. Check the cost of financing.

Be sure you have enough money for a downpayment, closing costs, and repairs without draining your savings.

If you’re planning to fund the repairs with a home equity or home improvement loan:

Get yourself pre-approved for both loans before you make an offer.

Make the deal contingent on getting both the purchase money loan and the renovation money loan, so you’re not forced to close the sale when you have no loan to fix the house.

Consider the Federal Housing Administration’s Section 203(k) program, which is designed to help home owners who are purchasing or refinancing a home that needs rehabilitation. The program wraps the purchase/refinance and rehabilitation costs into a single mortgage. To qualify for the loan, the total value of the property must fall within the FHA mortgage limit for your area, as with other FHA loans. A streamlined 203(k) program provides an additional amount for rehabilitation, up to $35,000, on top of an existing mortgage. It’s a simpler process than obtaining the standard 203(k).

6. Calculate your fair purchase offer.

Take the fair market value of the property (what it would be worth if it were in good condition and remodeled to current tastes) and subtract the upgrade and repair costs.

For example: Your target fixer-upper house has a 1960s kitchen, metallic wallpaper, shag carpet, and high levels of radon in the basement.

Your comparison house, in the same subdivision, sold last month for $200,000. That house had a newer kitchen, no wallpaper, was recently recarpeted, and has a radon mitigation system in its basement.

The cost to remodel the kitchen, remove the wallpaper, carpet the house, and put in a radon mitigation system is $40,000. Your bid for the house should be $160,000.

Ask your real estate agent if it’s a good idea to share your cost estimates with the sellers, to prove your offer is fair.

7. Include inspection contingencies in your offer.

Don’t rely on your friends or your contractor to eyeball your fixer-upper house. Hire pros to do common inspections like:

Home inspection. This is key in a fixer-upper assessment. The home inspector will uncover hidden issues in need of replacement or repair. You may know you want to replace those 1970s kitchen cabinets, but the home inspector has a meter that will detect the water leak behind them.

Radon, mold, lead-based paint

Septic and well

Pest

Most home inspection contingencies let you go back to the sellers and ask them to do the repairs, or give you cash at closing to pay for the repairs. The seller can also opt to simply back out of the deal, as can you, if the inspection turns up something you don’t want to deal with.

If that happens, this isn’t the right fixer-upper house for you. Go back to the top of this list and start again.

7 Steps to a Stress-Free Home Closing

by Robert MacDougall | Oct 16, 2014 | Buying, Homeownership, Real Estate, Selling

Simple Steps to a Stress Free Home Closing

This cheat sheet helps you do your homework, so you know what you’re signing when you close the sale of your home.

You’ve already cleared several hurdles by finding the right home, negotiating the best price, and getting approved for a mortgage. The last obstacle on your homebuying track is the closing, which can be both tedious and tense. By knowing what to expect and doing some legwork, you can smoothly put your closing behind you. These seven steps will guide you.

1. Set a Closing Date

Ask your title company to set a closing date and time that meshes with the end of your lease or the sale of your existing home. Don’t want to skip work? Ask for an evening or weekend closing. Tight on cash? Schedule your closing for the end of the month. That’s when you’ll pay the least amount of interest at the closing table.

2. Gather Your Funds

Buyers usually have to bring money to the closing. Ask the title company what forms of payment it accepts. Chances are you can’t use a personal check.

If you have to move money into your bank account to pay your closing costs, do so a week ahead to avoid last-minute problems. If the title company requires the funds in the form of a cashier’s check, stop by the bank a few days before closing to pick it up.

3. Purchase Title Insurance

If you’re getting a mortgage, you have to buy a title insurance policy. Think it protects you against problems with the title of your home? Nope, it protects the lender in case the sellers really didn’t own the home or someone else had a claim on it.

To cover yourself, you can buy an owner’s title policy from the same insurance company that sells you the lender’s title policy. Or, shop online at Closing.com, EasyTitleQuote.com, or FreeTitleQuote.com. An owner’s title policy insures you against losses from fraudulent claims against your ownership and errors in earlier sales. In some areas, sellers traditionally pay for the buyer’s title policy.

Whether or not you get the owner’s policy, if you buy a title policy from the same company that issued the prior owner’s title insurance, you can ask for a reissue discount or “bring-down” rate. There’s a discount because the title company only has to check the records filed since that prior owner bought the home, not since the dawn of time.

4. Line Up Homeowners Insurance

Get quotes and compare policies to be sure coverage will start by your closing date. An annual policy should run $500 to $1,000, depending on your home’s size, age, and amenities. To get a lower premium, opt for a high deductible or buy your homeowners insurance from the same company that insures your car.

If you live in an area where natural disasters occur, like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes, you’ll need separate insurance to protect your home from those hazards.

5. Review Your Good Faith Estimate and HUD-1 Settlement Sheet

Your lender already gave you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that showed your estimated closing fees. Some of the fees on your GFE can’t change and others can rise by 10%. Before you go to the closing, compare the numbers on your GFE with the numbers on your HUD-1 settlement statement. Question your loan officer about any fees that increased.

6. Do a Walk-Through

Schedule an appointment to walk through the home one last time just before your closing.

Make sure repairs you requested have been made.
Look for major changes since you last viewed the property.
See if the sellers left everything they promised to leave.
Check to see that the sellers took all their personal belongings.
Test electronics and appliances to ensure they’re still working.
Turn on the HVAC and hot water. Are they functioning right?
Walk the yard to be sure no plants or shrubs have been removed.

7. Resolve Issues Identified in Your Walk-Through

If your walk-through uncovers problems:

1. Delay the closing until the seller corrects them (if your state allows it). But that’s often not feasible because your lease is probably over and you’ve already scheduled movers.

2. Negotiate a discount to your sales price to cover the cost of the work needed. If the air conditioning is on the fritz and a contractor says the repair will cost $500, ask that the sales price be reduced by that amount. If you make that request at closing, however, be ready for a delay while the title company redoes the paperwork.

3. Have the title company hold a portion of the seller’s proceeds in escrow until the dispute is resolved. Once that happens, the funds will be released to you or the seller, depending on the outcome.

Related:

Do You Have the Right Amount of Homeowners Insurance?

Do You Need an Umbrella Policy?

Why Go Green

by Robert MacDougall | Oct 14, 2014 | Green Living, Homeownership, Selling

REASONS THAT GOING GREEN MAKES SENSE

There is a variety of reasons to go green, but most come back to supply and demand. We have a limited amount of resources available and more and more people using them up. If we want our future generations to enjoy the same standard of living we’ve experienced, we need to take action.

Green building is a great place to start, as buildings consume 14% of potable water, 40% of raw materials, and 39% of energy in the United States alone (according to the US Green Building Council). That’s 15 trillion gallons of water and 3 billion tons of raw materials each year! If that’s not enough to convince you, here are some other reasons to go green:

For The Environment

Want to make the world a better place? Implementing green practices into your home or office can help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, improve both air and water quality, and protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

For The Savings

Want to make your dollar go further? Green systems and materials reduce energy consumption, which in turn reduce your energy bills. They also increase asset value and profits and decrease marketing time; making your dollar go further for longer.

For Your Health

Want to live healthier? Green building isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also good for YOU. Sustainable design and technology enhance a resident’s overall quality of life by improving air and water quality and reducing noise pollution. According to a 2006 study by the Center of the Built Environment, University of California, green office buildings improve productivity and employee satisfaction in the workplace.

Budget Kitchen Remodeling: 5 Money-Saving Steps

by Robert MacDougall | Oct 14, 2014 | Homeownership, Selling

Can’t afford an entire kitchen remodel in one fell swoop? You can complete the work in 5 budget-saving stages (and still cook dinner during the down time).

By: Gretchen Roberts

Major kitchen remodels are among the most popular home improvements, but a revamped cooking and gathering space can set you back a pretty penny. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2014 Cost vs. Value Report, a major, 200-sq.-ft. kitchen remodel costs about $55,000, with a 74.2% return on investment come selling time.

If you can’t come up with all that cash or take out a loan to do the remodel in one shot, a good strategy is to proceed in stages. By breaking down the kitchen remodeling process, you’ll be able to proceed at your own pace, as time and money allow.

Stage one: Start with a complete design plan

Your plan should be comprehensive and detailed — everything from the location of the refrigerator to which direction the cabinet doors will open to whether you need a spice drawer.

To save time (and money) during tear-out and construction, plan on using your existing walls and kitchen configuration. That’ll keep plumbing and electrical systems mostly intact, and you won’t have the added expense — and mess — of tearing out walls.

Joseph Feinberg, vice president of Allied Kitchen and Bath in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recommends hiring a professional designer, such as an architect or a certified kitchen designer, who can make sure the details of your plans are complete. You’ll pay about 10% of the total project for a pro designer, but you’ll save a whole bunch of headaches that would likely cost as much — or more — to fix. Plus, a pro is likely to offer smart solutions you hadn’t thought of.

For a nominal fee, you also can get design help from a major home improvement store. However, you’ll be expected to purchase some of your cabinets and appliances from that store.

Cost: professional designer: $5,800 (10% of total)

Key strategies: Once your plans are set, you can hold onto them until you’re ready to remodel.

Time frame: 3-6 months

Read on to learn more budget kitchen remodeling tips:

Stage two: Order the cabinets, appliances, and lighting fixtures
Stage three: Gut the kitchen and do the electrical and plumbing work
Stage four: Install cabinets, countertop, appliances, flooring, and fixtures
Final phases: Upgrade if necessary

Stage two: Order the cabinets, appliances, and lighting fixtures

Cabinets and appliances are the biggest investments in your kitchen remodeling project. If you’re remodeling in stages, you can order them any time after the plans are complete and store them in a garage (away from moisture) or in a spare room until you’re ready to pull the trigger on the installation.

Remember that it may take 4-6 weeks from the day you order them for your cabinets to be delivered.

If you can’t afford all new appliances, keep your old ones for now — but plan to buy either the same sizes, or choose larger sizes and design your cabinets around those larger measurements. You can replace appliances as budget permits later on.

The same goes for your lighting fixtures: If you can live with your old ones for now, you’ll save money by reusing them.

You’ll have to decide about flooring, too — one of the trickier decisions to make because it also affects how and when you install cabinets.

You’ll need to know if your old flooring runs underneath your cabinets, or if the flooring butts up against the cabinet sides and toe kicks. If the flooring runs underneath, you’ll have some leeway for new cabinet configurations — just be sure the old flooring will cover any newly exposed floor areas. Here are points to remember:

Keep old flooring for cost savings. This works if your new cabinets match your old layout, so that the new cabinets fit exactly into the old flooring configuration. If the existing flooring runs underneath your cabinets and covers all flooring area, then any new cabinet configuration will be fine.

Keep your old flooring for now and cover it or replace it later. Again, this works if your cabinet configuration is identical to the old layout.

However, if you plan to cover your old flooring or tear it out and replace it at some point in the future, remember that your new flooring might raise the height of your floor, effectively lowering your cabinet height.

For thin new floor coverings, such as vinyl and linoleum, the change is imperceptible. For thicker floorings, such as wood and tile, you might want to take into account the change in floor height by installing your new cabinets on shims.

Cost: cabinets: $16,000 (27% of total); appliances and lighting fixtures: $8,500 (15% of total); vinyl flooring: $1,000 (2% of total)

Key strategy: Keep old appliances, lighting fixtures, and flooring and use them until you can afford new ones.

Time frame: 2-3 weeks

Stage three: Gut the kitchen and do the electrical and plumbing work

Here’s where the remodel gets messy. Old cabinetry and appliances are removed, and walls may have to be opened up for new electrical circuits. Keep in close contact with your contractor during this stage so you can answer questions and clear up any problems quickly. A major kitchen remodel can take 6 to 10 weeks, depending on how extensive the project is.

During this stage, haul your refrigerator, microwave, and toaster oven to another room — near the laundry or the garage, for example — so you’ve got the means to cook meals. Feinberg suggests tackling this stage in the summer, when you can easily grill and eat outside. That’ll reduce the temptation to eat at restaurants, and will help keep your day-to-day costs under control.

Cost: $14,500 for tear-out and installation of new plumbing and electrical (25% of total)

Key strategies: Encourage your contractor to expedite the tear-out and installation of new systems. Plan a makeshift kitchen while the work is progressing. Schedule this work for summer when you can grill and eat outside.

Time frame: 6-10 weeks

Stage four: Install cabinets, countertop, appliances, flooring, and fixtures

If you’ve done your homework and bought key components in advance, you should roll through this phase. You’ve now got a (mostly) finished kitchen.

A high-end countertop and backsplash can be a sizable sum of money. If you can’t quite swing it, put down a temporary top, such as painted marine plywood or inexpensive laminate. Later, you can upgrade to granite, tile, solid surface, or marble.

Cost: $12,000 (21% of total)

Key strategy: Install an inexpensive countertop; upgrade when you’re able.

Time frame: 1-2 weeks

Final phases: Upgrade if necessary

Replace the inexpensive countertop, pull up the laminate flooring, and put in tile or hardwood, or buy that new refrigerator you wanted but couldn’t afford during the remodel. (Just make sure it fits in the space!)

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James Piggot

13:17 08 Mar 18

My experience purchasing my first home through Choice One was fantastic from start to finish. Marco and Kristin made the process simple to understand and they were always available to help with any questions I had. I've owned my home for 2 years now and they have even been there over the last 2 years when I had questions about many issues such as the Homestead Act, taxes, Mortgage questions and even helped me find ways to optimize my homeowners insurance to ensure I was making the right choices. I saved a significant amount after reviewing with them just recently. Whether you are looking for a new home or another home, I can't express enough how great Choice One is and their individualized family touch will help you be assured that you've made the best "choice" possible with people who care. Thanks Choice One!

Alan Piggot

21:10 07 Mar 18

As a first time home buyer, when we started looking for our first home I had only heard how stressful and intense buying a home could be. At my brothers recommendation I contacted Marcos and Kristin at Choice One. What really stood out through our journey with them was their honesty and expertise in the south Miami area. Marcos is very humble and honest. He let us know what to expect every step of the way and was excellent at helping us determine what features of a home we desired, and what the value of those features were at that time in the market. When we found a house we loved for a price we thought was great, Marcos had my wife and I walk through the house together making funny requests, like stand in the kitchen, walk past each other in the laundry room etc. My wife and I then quickly realized what living in the home would be like compared to just liking the home. It was little things he did that change our perspective in big ways on the homes we saw. Looking back, I would have to say that buying a home was actually easier and more fun than buying a car or anything else I have ever bought. The staff and everyone we worked with at Choice One were absolute professionals. We used the title and insurance services from Choice One and all around, everyone was extremely competent and speedy with getting our paperwork signed, sealed, and delivered. 5 stars for sure!!!!!

Alex falgons

01:30 08 Mar 18

I purchased a home through Choice One Real Estate and could not be happier with my overal experience. It was my first home so naturally I was nervous but Kristin and Marcos guided me through the whole process. Long story short we were able to close on the house in just 2 weeks! Everything was fast and easy... I would definitely recommend them to anyone and everyone looking to purchase or sell their home.

Chuck Roast

15:17 09 Mar 18

Marcos & Kristin Fullana exceeded our expectations. We were looking for a very quick sale and was willing to make concessions on our house to help with a quick sale. Marcos & Kristin asked us to have faith in their ability's and not under cut the value of our house. 7 days later, were accepted and offer and were under contract. 30 days after that, we were closing on our house. Marcos & Kristin are strait shooters and are very direct when you sit and talk with them, which is very uncommon these days.Thank you Marcos & KristinJamie and Sarah Zweydoff

Amparo Villanueva

23:18 07 Mar 18

Choice One Real Estate are professional, honest, approachable and reliable. Ready to assist, always prompt and sold my house in less than six months! We would use them again. Santos and Amparo Villanueva

Cindy Hinton

14:09 18 Mar 18

I would highly recommend Choice One with your selling or buying of a home. They were terrific when my mom was selling her home could not have done it without them. They will go the extra mile for their clients. Always willing to help out if needed. Thanks again for all your help in selling of my mother's home. Would definitely use them again........

Amanda Tappendorf

18:20 17 Mar 18

Kristin, Marcos & their team went above and beyond over and over again for our family. They were extremely knowledgable, did extensive research, and provided us with well thought out and flexible (to our needs) marketing plans to sell our home. I cannot recommend them enough!

kandice deMoya

22:07 09 Jul 18

I was so happy I chose Choice One reality, Holly Arguelles was my realtor. She made every aspect of selling my home smooth and stress free. The entire experience was great thanks to my realtor and Choice One. I would highly recommend !

mike mcgowan

13:55 06 Aug 18

To call Laura Derrick good or great or amazing wouldn’t do her justice. The only word I can think of that adequately describes her is ‘perfect’. We got what we wanted for our house and it sold and closed super quickly. It was painless and exactly what we were looking for. A+, 5 stars, 10/10!

Lori Schubert

17:42 17 Sep 18

Working with Laura and Ron Derrick was a pleasure. They are a professional power couple that gets things done. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend!

Jason Poppell

18:43 06 Nov 18

If you are looking for a realtor team that you can trust and will take a personal interest in your property goals look no further than Kristen and Marcos Fullana. They were both extremely professional and diligent making sure I received the best deal possible for my house when I put it on the market. I could not have been happier with the results I received from their work.

Elizabeth Carlisle

02:26 15 Feb 19

Laura Derrick is wonderful! We would never have found our wonderful rental property without her dedication and superb local knowledge. She is professional, kind and passionate about matching her clients with the right home for their needs. We cannot recommend her enough and if you trust Laura and Choice One Real Estate you will not be disappointed!!

Jill Volovar

19:55 15 Feb 19

Working with Laura was awesome. She was always available and cheerful. She was super creative and had new ideas all the time. Consider Laura Derick as your realtor at Choice One Real Estate!!!!

Jacq'ee C

12:34 23 Mar 19

Laura is an A+MAZING realtor! It is rare to encounter such professionalism in Miami Dade county and she knows her stuff. I wasted 10 months with a large well known company hoping that my realtor would close the deal, but it never happened. Thankfully a friend told me about how Laura helped them sell and buy their home and how wonderful she was throughout the entire process. I have to say that she is incredible and true to her word. She worked hard and stayed in constant communication with me and in less than two months, my house was off the market. I couldn't be happier with my experience. Thank you Laura and Choice One Real Estate!

Alejandra Tamayo

02:19 30 Mar 19

We can't speak highly enough of our experience with Marcos Fullana. He’s knowledgeable, honest and cares about his clients. Additionally, he always answered every call, text and email. We highly recommend Marcos Fullana, he’s someone you can trust and a pleasure to work with.

Ryne Phillips

18:35 18 Jun 19

Marcos promised us a 5 star experience and he did not disappoint. His knowledge and experience made my wife and I feel at ease throughout the entire sale of our house. He was never to busy for us and was always there to answer our questions.

Aj Miller

01:17 22 Jul 19

BLUF - Laura Derrick and the team is amazing!This might be a little long, but I always like more information than too little. I first met Laura and the team at Choice One when I bought my house. She represented the sellers and honestly, by the end of my closing I was talking to her more than my own Realtor. My fault, when I bought my house, I did a bad job researching my real estate agent and my purchase almost suffered for it. Laura actually handle a large portion of my purchase... see I have strange luck and the most random things kept happening with the home. For example, the survey company accidentally added the land of my soon to be home into the purchase of the property behind the house, so the house was good to sell, but the land the house was on was owned by another person (complete accident found out during the survey). My real estate agent didn't have a clue what to do, but Laura and the team came to the rescue. They worked with the courts and the legal team to get everything fixed, crazy thing after crazy thing. Laura worked with my Realtor to ensure I was able to close with in a few days of my original date, even with all the random issues. In fact, Laura is the one that I saw more often than my own Realtor. So when it came time to sell, I went to Laura to represent me. Again, cause its me, random stuff happens. My work moved me to a new location after only be in Miami for less than a year. Yup, I owned the house for less than a year. Want to talk about stress! I had to sell the house, try to make up my expenses, not loose too much, and do it all in a short time period. Again, Laura the woman with a plan came to the rescue. She is honest and always up front about everything. She will not sugar coat anything to make you feel better. She gives you the hard facts so you know exactly where you stand and what to expect. But at the same time, she will do what it is you want. I knew I was pricing the house a little high, but she worked with me. She showed me the numbers so I knew what I was up against. I ended up pricing about 10000 less than I wanted, but there was no way that I was going to get that on a house I lived in for only a year. When the offer came it, she gave me an honest thoughts on the offer and walked me through everything. EVERYTHING.Through out the whole process she was amazing. I have fur-children that she would take care of during showings, making sure to open the doggie door for them after and giving them tons of love while she was showing. I mean, couldn't have been better. She even straightened up one time when she had a last minute showing for me! Laura also had professional photos done for the house and helped me stage it.For closing, Laura and the team were rushing to once again help a buyer. The buyers team of people... well they were not at the same standard as Choice One. They messed up the loan rate lock date, so Laura and her team were rushing to try and close about a week early. They were so nice to help the new family out. I had a house hunting trip planned, so I was going to be out of town, Choice One went over all the paperwork with me ahead of time and we did a POA so they could sign for me since I would be out of town. Just amazing team work.I cannot express how amazing this team is, for buying and selling.Thank you Choice One and Laura for the hard work!

Stephanie Manjarres

20:02 02 Aug 19

My experience with Marcos was great. He is very professional, punctual, and overall a very pleasant buying experience. Thank you for helping me buy my “lake house”.

Jessy Pineda

19:31 21 Aug 19

Everyone at Choice One is exceptional. From finding your home, helping with the financing, to obtaining the proper homeowners insurance - they are true professionals. They always do their best to find the lowest insurance premiums for auto, too. Choice One is truly a gem. A true one stop shop.

Carol Fink

19:11 14 Dec 19

Laura Derrick was so professional and helpful in selling our home. When the buyers’ real estate agent dragged his feet, she was able to light a fire under him and get the closing finalized. Thank you Laura, you’re a gem!

Christine Nall

20:54 22 Apr 20

Absolutely amazing! When I decided to move out with they son, I told Laura exactly what I wanted and my price range and she exceeded expectations and also made the process as painless and headache free as possible! We all know looking for places can be a hassle but I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about with her the second I reached out for help. She’s very patient, kind and attentive to everyone’s needs. I would highly recommend not only her, but also her colleagues. They make a truly amazing team.

Karen Neher

02:39 08 Apr 20

Marcos Fullana is very professional. He explained the entire process very clearly and always responded quickly to any questions we had. We were very impressed by how well he represented us. Through his skillful negotiations, he obtained an offer of the asking price on the first day the house was shown. He is very honest and reliable. We are extremely satisfied with his service and highly recommend him!

02:32 16 Apr 20

Update: The review below I wrote two years ago when we bought our first home. Well, we found our dream home and Marcos and the whole team at choice one helped us get into it. I wanted to provide another review that nothing has changed with Marcos and Choice One. Marcos provided that same "attention to every detail" type of service. We are so pleased with Marcos that we recommend him to anyone we know looking for a home to buy or rent.** From 2 years ago****As a first time home buyer, when we started looking for our first home I had only heard how stressful and intense buying a home could be. At my brothers recommendation I contacted Marcos and Kristin at Choice One. What really stood out through our journey with them was their honesty and expertise in the south Miami area. Marcos is very humble and honest. He let us know what to expect every step of the way and was excellent at helping us determine what features of a home we desired, and what the value of those features were at that time in the market. When we found a house we loved for a price we thought was great, Marcos had my wife and I walk through the house together making funny requests, like stand in the kitchen, walk past each other in the laundry room etc. My wife and I then quickly realized what living in the home would be like compared to just liking the home. It was little things he did that change our perspective in big ways on the homes we saw. Looking back, I would have to say that buying a home was actually easier and more fun than buying a car or anything else I have ever bought. The staff and everyone we worked with at Choice One were absolute professionals. We used the title and insurance services from Choice One and all around, everyone was extremely competent and speedy with getting our paperwork signed, sealed, and delivered. 5 stars for sure!!!!!

A Google User

16:58 12 Jul 20

Marcos was the best real state agent I have ever had. I have purchased/sold 7 homes in my life (that’s 13 real state agents. He sold my house the first day on the market. He kept me abreast on everything that was going on in the process. If I ever need a realtor again, I will select him.

noemi

18:32 13 Jul 20

The realtor, Marcos Fullana, went above & beyond in making sure my property was sold expediously & with the utmost professionalism. He is extremely knowledgeable in real estate & helped guide me through everything. He was involved in everything from day one from paperwork, including, inspections to assure I was protected. His wife Kirsten was also amazing in helping me as well. They are both tenacious, ethical & professional. I highly recommend you hiring them for real estate, mortgages or insurance & I will certainly use them again. Thank you immensely Marcos & Kirsten Fullana !!

Ines Grant

23:40 19 Aug 20

Before choosing a real estate agent, I conducted a lot of research to see who would be the best choice based on the investment they make into selling the property (time and effort, not necessarily financially) and how they promote their listings. My best friend Martha knew of my concerns and highly recommended ChoiceOne Companies/Marcos to handle all my real estate needs and I now understand why!We spoke with Marcos and then met with him at our home. He spent hours answering our questions, providing objective data regarding how many homes they sell, how long their listings typically stay on the market, and providing tons of information on comps in the area. We were concerned that our house, which was an older home and although had lots of updates might be tough to sell. Marcos made the process incredibly easy and took extra steps many other Realtors don't (but should), like givIng us staging tips, having professional photographs taken and a lot more.When we saw our listing, we were blown away. His hard work and knowledge of what it takes to sell a home really paid off. Our listing looked amazing and knocked out the competition. We had a buyer put in an offer sight unseen!!!Our house went under contract 2 days after we put it on the market at 10K above our asking price. We accepted and Marcos walked us through every step of the closing process. It couldn't have been a more pleasant experience.I've recommended ChoiceOne/Marcos to everyone I know. He's a true professional and a genuinely nice guy. I realize it won't always be this easy to sell your home, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better Realtor.

Drake Peterson

21:23 29 Sep 20

Marcos was amazing to work with when purchasing my new home. He knows a wealth of information and was always on top of the closing process. Very organized, professional, responsive, and a pleasure to work with. 10/10 would recommend reaching out to him for any real estate advice or help. He knows a great deal about insurance and any questions someone like myself who was purchasing a house for the first time didn't know. He never missed a beat! Thank you again Marcos!