Buy your northwest Florida beach house.
Before you embark on the search for your beach property, we recommend you first identify your reasons for purchasing. There are unique financing and tax implications we can help you understand and consider.
Finding Your Purchase Property
Looking at properties in person can be exciting, but often it’s not the best way to search. The properties you like could be gone by the time you’re done seeing all of them, and vacation rental “turns” between guests can limit the number of properties that can be seen at a given time. You’re in the best position to take decisive action when we’ve narrowed your search for properties that truly work for you.
Creating a complimentary account on this site gives you access to every listing currently available in our local multiple listing services. You can instantly notify us when a property interests you by marking it as a favorite.
We can send you these property emails at frequencies that align with your urgency and the availability of properties that meet your requirements.
In the event there is limited inventory for properties that meet your requirements, our virtual back office platform gives our agents the ability to post and broadcast to each other the needs of those customers who have created an account on this site.
In high-demand segments of our market, the listings you see already on the market are not as important as those you do not. We maintain an inventory of off-market listings and share them exclusively with those customers who have created an account on this site. It is perhaps the single greatest benefit to working with a Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty agent.
Funding Your Purchase
The reasons you work with different real estate agents in different markets are the same reasons we recommend our buyers pursuing financing use a local lender. While loyalty to a hometown lender is commendable, that loyalty isn’t always enough to see the purchase of a beach property through to the finish line.
When it comes to condo financing, our local lenders are especially astute, and can help avoid obstacles that invariably lead to lost time or in some cases a lost contract.
Making Offers
Once you’ve settled on a property, we’ll conduct a comparative market analysis to determine how accurately the list price reflects current market value. When purchasing an investment property it’s especially important we conduct an analysis to evaluate the cost-to-own and projected rental income.
In addition to determining your offer price, we’ll work to ascertain the motivation of the seller and use that knowledge to help you determine what terms you’d like to incorporate into your offer.
The Process from Contract to Close
Once you’re under contract on your beach property, it’s up to us to guide you through the process from contract to close, ensuring your interests remain protected, and that closing proceeds according to the timeline set forth in the contract. Below is a list of items that are regularly part of the process.
- Open title and perform a title search. We can connect you with a local title company to perform these tasks on your behalf.
- Apply for financing with a local lender – if applicable – and obtain loan approval within the financing contingency period.
- Order an appraisal.
- Order and schedule the necessary inspections within the due diligence period.
- Order a wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspection.
- Identify the warranted repair items identified by the inspections and negotiate repairs.
- Obtain a wind mitigation report for home insurance.
- Order and bind the necessary insurance policies. We suggest obtaining multiple quotes for property, flood and wind insurance.
- Order a flood elevation survey to obtain a flood elevation certificate for flood insurance as needed.
- Order the estoppel letter. You have 72 hours to review upon receipt.
- Order re-inspections, as necessary.
- Review the closing disclosures. You have 72 hours to do so.
- Coordinate the closing with the title company. Closing may occur in person or remotely via mail-out.
