When Is AS IS Not Necessarily AS IS...

...Especially when things go sideways without warning

The #1 thing that seems to go wrong

are issues that pop up during the inspection period

that no one could have predicted upfront

• the seller may not have been aware
• the buyer didn't see it during the showing
• the agents didn't notice it during the showing
• the issue may have occurred after the showing

so does that mean the buyer is "stuck" with that issue

or is there some recourse for them if they want it resolved

most purchase contracts have an inspection period

and a buyer can request items to be repaired/replaced

the seller is under no obligation to agree to the requests

but many will agree to do some/all of what the buyer asks for

as the buyer does have the right to cancel the contract

and get their escrow deposit back

as long as they cancel within the inspection period

AS IS contracts are used in the majority of home sales

understanding the nuances of the agreements is critical

today's show breaks it all down for you

Protecting Yourself When Writing An Offer...

...so that you don't feel trapped if things go wrong

There are number of contingencies that can be put into an offer

that would help a buyer feel more comfortable while under contract

keep in mind that adding a lot of moving parts might

make the deal more complex and less attractive to a seller

if it's a competitive offer siutation it would make sense to limit these

some of the basic and somewhat customary contingencies are:

• time for seller to accept the offer
• number of days to make escrow
• home inspection period
• appraisal contingency
• loan approval
• sale of the buyers home
• closing date

there are a number of other contingency clauses

that can be used for special circumstances

and in most deals there is some give and take

between the buyer and seller where they find common ground

tune into todays show for all the details on contingencies

How To Pay Less Property Tax...

...by using The Florida Save Our Homes Amendment (SOH)

this is a discount available for home owners for their primary residence

it was designed to help homeowners with high property value appreciation

there is a 3% tax increase cap per year

the assessed value of the home is used for the tax calculation

not the market value of the home

this can save homeowners hundreds of dollars per year

the assessed value does reset the following year after a home is sold

so future owners will pay more tax in most cases

there is also a portability option for those that are selling their homes

and want to apply the discount to their next home

when you buy a home and close by December 31, 2025

you are able to apply for this up until March 2,2026

you can purchase this year and have a similar timeline to apply as well

today's show breaks it all down and gives some resources for more information

Joining The Flipping Game...

...when you are seemingly cash deficient to make it work

sometimes you have the $$$ and don't realize it

for anyone that bought a property in the last 5+ years

there is a real possibility that you have a significant amount of equity

that you could unlock to make real estate investments

there are definitely a large number of people that just want to pay off their home

there is nothing wrong with that

others look at that trapped equity as a dead asset

investors want to keep their money working and growing

a home equity line of credit could be the ticket

to purchasing your 1st investment property

there is also a way to tap into your 401k to buy real estate

definitely contact your plan administrator

and your financial adviser for the details on these strategies

todays show discusses the path to getting in the game

You Are About To Hire Your Friend To Sell Your Property...

...and it might not be the best decision in a market such as this

pretty much everyone has a friend or a family member with a real estate license

before you do anything, ask yourself these 4 questions

• are they active and full time in the business?
• did they sell more than 1 home last year?
• do they have a solid track record and a lot of 5 star reviews?
• do they have a significant marketing budget?

It has been reported that 70% of all agents didn't sell a home in 2025

while that number might be a little skewed

the majority of homes were sold by the top 10%-20% of all agents

In reality - hiring the wrong agent may very well cost you BIG $$$

If you are even able to sell the home at all

most agents use the 3 P's to sell home

• Put it on the mls with low quality photos
• Put a sign in the ground
• Pray that it sells

if you are even thinking of hiring a friend or family member

tune in to today's show for my surprising insights

it will be well worth the time and make you more $$$

Leasing Your Home When The Rent Is Lower Than Your Mortgage Payment...

... it definitely seems like a MAJOR problem but it doesn't have to be

there are a growing number of "Accidental Landlords" out there

homeowners that never planned to rent out their home

are finding themselves in a precarious situation where they might just have to

it usually happens when the owner does not have sufficient equity

to sell their home in the current real estate market

and most don't want to (or can't) bring cash to closing to make the deal work

so they end up trying to rent out the home

and list the rental price high enough to cover the mortgage payment

in many cases they find that the home sits empty

and they are forced to lower the rent to the market rate

every month its unrented is money that is lost forever

what if that the rental price ends up being $200 less than the mortgage payment

it doesn't have to be the end of the world

as there are 3 specific ways to win

1- The mortgage balance is most likely going down by at least that much each month

2- the property value will likely go up 3%-4% over the next year

3- you can get a write off on your taxes for depreciation

tune in to today's show as we break down all the details

The Fed Is Keeping Rates The Same...

...and its not at all shocking to me

The Fed has lowered rates by .25% 3 meetings in a row

for a total of .75% recent interest rate reductions

The President recently authorized $2 Billion in bond purchases

to add liquidity to the market and encourage more lending by banks

it makes sense for the Fed to pause

and examine the economy before making more moves

There are 2 more meetings before the end of Fed Chair Jerome Powells' term

my suspicion is that we will see a rate reduction at 1 of those 2 meetings

The real moves will most likely happen once the new Fed Chair is named

and we could very well see a more aggressive strategy over the summer months

tune in to todays show for more details

Pivotal Fed Meeting This Week...

...that will set the tone for the next few months of real estate sales

There is a lot of uncertainty as to the Fed's direction at this time

They have reduced rates 3 meetings in a row

and there is some sentiment that they will hold rates where they are

The meeting will take place January 27-28

if rates remain unchanged, they will be in a holding pattern

until the next meeting March 17-18

There are a total of 3 more meetings left

before the current Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's term expires

chances are that there will be 1 or 2 rate reductions before the new chair takes over

and it is widely anticipated that the new chair will be more aggressive

its going to be interesting to see what the fed chooses to do this week