Purchasing in FL

[petunia]

I hear that though prices of homes in the US have gone up, they are still relatively low. My question is are the stories of getting a "4 bedroom home with pool" for $100,000 for real? I often hear of offers being accepted way lower than asking or foreclosures, does anyone have any idea/experience of this being true? Thx

 

[FigmentSpark]

I can only tell you that Mattamy (a Canadian and American builder) is offering new homes in the Orlando area under $300000. You can check out their site, if you're interested or look on MLS sites for that area to see what's available.

 

[michelb]

You can maybe get a townhome for that price but you won't find a single poolhome for $100k around Disney. That said, if you have some room in your budget, I suspect that for $175k, you could probably get a 4 bed fully furnished home with a pool within 15 minutes of Disney.

I haven't purchased but I suspect you can get a fair amount below asking but I just don't see you getting 50% below asking (asking price for 4bed pool home is probably close to $200k). In case you haven't done any research, as a Canadian buyer, financing is likely the biggest hurdle. You likely *can* get a mortgage from a US bank but you'll probably need 40% down (or more) so you are looking at roughly $100k CND down.

Personally, with all the available properties, I would not recommend buying a new home (I suspect that for the price of a new home, you can get a resale that bigger, closer and fully furnished).

 

[petunia]

You can maybe get a townhome for that price but you won't find a single poolhome for $100k around Disney. That said, if you have some room in your budget, I suspect that for $175k, you could probably get a 4 bed fully furnished home with a pool within 15 minutes of Disney.

I haven't purchased but I suspect you can get a fair amount below asking but I just don't see you getting 50% below asking (asking price for 4bed pool home is probably close to $200k). In case you haven't done any research, as a Canadian buyer, financing is likely the biggest hurdle. You likely *can* get a mortgage from a US bank but you'll probably need 40% down (or more) so you are looking at roughly $100k CND down.

Personally, with all the available properties, I would not recommend buying a new home (I suspect that for the price of a new home, you can get a resale that bigger, closer and fully furnished).

Yes, I have found some nice townhomes (4 bed) for around the $100000 US mark..I have heard about financing in US is not easy, hence the small budget. we cant seem to decide if a condo which has HOA fees as well as property tax is better, or sole home, with no HOAs but who will watch over/mow lawn..both ways seems like the monthly expense is quite a lot more than I anticipated.

 

[bababear_50]

Hi Petunia
There is so much to know and learn about purchasing a home away from home in the USA.
I think this link has alot of good info:
http://www.snowbirds.org/home

I know my dad took a couple of years to travel and meet others before deciding upon a home away from home.
He eventually decided upon McAllen Texas, and they had a home built there.
Have fun exploring all the possibilities.
Hugs Mel

 

[michelb]

Yes, I have found some nice townhomes (4 bed) for around the $100000 US mark..I have heard about financing in US is not easy, hence the small budget. we cant seem to decide if a condo which has HOA fees as well as property tax is better, or sole home, with no HOAs but who will watch over/mow lawn..both ways seems like the monthly expense is quite a lot more than I anticipated.

If you are buying in the Kissimmee / Orlando area, you'll likely have HOA fees whether you get a townhome or a single. Fees vary greatly depending on the community so you have to look at it on a house to house basis but don't think that home = no HOA.

Maintenance of a remote property is certainly an issue (also pest control, pool/spa maintenance (if you have one). There are tons of companies that do it but it's a matter of finding a good one at a reasonable price.