Meet Jose, a Real Estate Agent in Miami Florida

Jose is an enthusiastic and dependable real-estate broker in the southern region of Florida. His top priority is customer service, adeptly and skillfully guiding clients through the process of purchasing or selling a property. In his words: "My ultimate goal is the client's complete satisfaction. To accomplish that, I carefully listen to their needs and desires for their new property and tirelessly search the market to find their ideal home at the best price." Jose is committed to his clients and will give a high level of dedication and support until the transaction is completed.

He is currently working with the builders of Aria on the Bay, a 53-story building located in South Beach across from the breathtaking Biscayne Bay with unobstructed water views.

1. What do you enjoy about working as a realtor in Miami, Florida?

Working from the sunshine state, it's a true joy to wake up and seeing the sun shining, and the warmth of the weather brings families from across the globe. As a real-estate broker, you have the tools and resources to help clients achieve their goals. Whether you are purchasing your first home or an investment property, it's one of the biggest investments most Americans make in their lives. This is very fulfilling to see clients have a true sense of security, and trust in your ability to deliver results is key. Working with all the different cultures from Canada to Asia and South America is always an added bonus because you grow through diversity of cultures and beliefs.

2. When you think about the condos in the new Aria on the Bay building, what are some details that make these homes extra special?

There are various properties that are in the pre-construction phase in Miami, but Aria oy the Bay is a true gem that stands out from the rest, and the reason is its LOCATION. The condo sits in the downtown area of Miami that is off the main strip or Biscayne Blvd and is located on North Bay Shore Drive which is an parallel street to Biscayne. The property is within a 2-mile radius of 95 Interstate, so you don't have to cross the hustle and bustle traffic of downtown.

3. I noticed that Aria on the Bay has condos available in many different sizes, offering from 1000 to 6000 square feet of space--plus over 21,00 square feet of amenities. Are you seeing a lot of interest in this building so far?

The building has many different sizes to fit everyone's budget: the studio and the smaller units that are 815 sqft are selling in the mid 400's. If a client would like a more spacious unit and more bedrooms in the condo, the 3-4 bedrooms are priced from 1.5 Million to 2 Million depending on the floor and the view. The association fees are very reasonable, and they start at .75 cents a sqft There is a tremendous amount of interest in this building, and investors are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into escrow accounts in many different brokerage firms across the city.

4. What are some of your favorite things about the building in terms of its design and amenities?

All of the 21,000 finishing touches are going to be spectacular, with European touches throughout the property. The building will have high ceilings, Italian kitchens, a gym, a spa, a children's play room, a business conference center, tennis courts, a volleyball court, and an outdoor fire pit with seating for all of your family. The building also has its own beauty salon located inside the complex, so you don’t even have to hop in the car for a quick trim or blow dry for work or any special event. Aria oy the Bay is is the place to be and be seen here in South Florida.

5. Where in Miami is Aria on the Bay located, and why do you think this particular area is a desirable one, especially for buyers in search of luxury condo living?

Aria by the Bay over looks a beautiful park and the blue waters of Biscayne Bay: this is its true unique quality, and I say this because if you were to purchase a property over looking Central Park in NYC/Manhattan, you would be paying several thousand per sqft along with higher association fees, not to mention the frigid winters of New York. The city protects the park, so the property owners are guaranteed unobstructed views of the water. With the units' creators Melo Group in conjunction with world famous Arquitectonica International Corporation, led by Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Faia, the condo is going to be a huge hit when it's finished in 2018. The building has its own private elevators for its clients and home owners. Arquitectonica has been building master pieces since 1977 and has been exhibiting his work from across the globe.

Thanks, Jose!

Meet Terry Gangaram, Founder of Drexel Mortgage Corporation

With 30+ years of real estate experience, Terry Gangaram founded Drexel Mortgage in 1995 to help Americans nationwide make their American Dream a reality. Starting with residential mortgages, Terry has helped thousands of homeowners buy their first house, investment properties, and commercial real estate to grow their business. Terry's team at Drexel is committed to finding you the financing you want for the home you want.

Learn more by visiting the websites for Drexel Residential Lending and Drexel Commercial Lending.

1. What made you decide to focus your career on working in the home mortgage field?

I wanted to help people become homeowners. Just like the American dream, I wanted to own a home rather than renting, and that's when I wanted to help others do the same. With decades of experience pursuing my entrepreneurial passion providing loans to clients, I built the Drexel Mortgage brand to become one of New York City's top mortgage providers.

2. What are some of the differences for consumers when it comes to working with a local agency like Drexel Mortgage rather than a large national company?

Drexel Mortgage offers great advantages with a hands-on approach to real estate. We're not quick to say no right away with a lot of red tape. For example, when it comes to credit, Drexel Mortgage works with the individual to repair their credit so they become creditworthy to become homeowners. We dispute charges, challenge charge-offs, and help fix delinquincies by advising clients how to prepare their credit for homeownership. Traditional lenders tend to cherry-pick who they want to work with, ignoring many borrowers who are only a few simple steps away from their own homes. We advise clients on a personal level to tailor-fit every loan for each borrower's needs. For example, we advise borrowers to have a co-signer, or have a family member assist them with the loan process to make the loan process comfortable and easy-going.

3. In addition to helping people who want to purchase a new home, what services do you provide for refinancing and debt consolidation?

Once people become a homeowner, they call Drexel Mortgage to utilize the equity in their home to purchase investment properties, consolidate their high interest credit card payments into one low monthly mortgage payment, or pay off bills. Refinancing has many benefits, and Drexel makes it easy for customers to refinance to renovate their homes, fix their credit, and even to finance major purchases.

4. Are there any common questions you get or misconceptions you regularly see regarding home mortgages and personal finance?

Being in the mortgage industry for decades, I've seen a lot of recurring mysteries and common questions. For example, people assume the mortgage process is a mystery that takes a long time. At Drexel, I make it easy for homebuyers to understand that buying a home is an exciting and simple process. Drexel understands buying real estate; mortgages can look like a daunting endeavor--after all, it's probably one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make. But the reality is, at Drexel Mortgage we take the time to assure you're comfortable with achieving your goals.

Another real estate misconception is that you need a lot of income with a huge down payment to own a home. With Drexel Mortgage, we put these popular myths to rest very quickly. I'm often asked what kind of houses are clients qualified for. Clients commonly think they need a high 700 credit score with 20% down just to qualify for a mortgage. Those days are long over, and today's real estate market understands that there are clients from all over the credit/income spectrum who can qualify for a home. At Drexel Mortgage, with flexibility to tailor loans based on the individual's needs we can provide loans to clients with a 600 credit score, with 3.5% down payment.

5. For people considering buying or selling a home in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of New York where your office is located, do you have any locally-specific advice?

New York City, where Drexel Mortgage is located, is one of the most sought after real estate markets in the country. New Yorkers are fast-paced, high-speed people who want it all yesterday. If you're buying a home in NYC, save yourself some time by getting pre-qualified first. Providing a Pre-Qualification is a free service we offer. We look at the income, assets, and credit of the individual to let them know what purchase price their income can support. Sometimes we can offer a pre-approval letter, to save some time for the realtors as well. With a pre-approval letter, the realtors, homebuyers, and appraisers can make fast, intelligent decisions to buy a home and start the loan.

Feel free to call me directly with any questions at (718) 441-1515, terry@drexelmortgage.com, www.terrygangaram.com.

Thanks, Terry!

Meet Don McClain of EZ House Buyers

Based in Houston, Texas, Don McClain of EZ House Buyers provides a way to sell your house fast.

1. Who can benefit from EZ House Buyers?

EZ House Buyers provides an alternative to the traditional sales channels of hiring a realtor, cleaning up the property, doing open houses and showings, negotiating a contract, inspections, long closings, costly repairs, etc. We assist property owners by providing them with a quick solution and a fair price. We buy properties "as is, where is", and we pay the closing costs. In short, we provide a valuable alternative to property owners who want to sell quickly.

2. What is the average closing time for these transactions?

All we need is to get title work done and make sure there are no outstanding liens on the property that are not being paid. We have closed deals in as little as two days. Sometimes we need the seller's assistance in tracking down missing heirs. Other than that, we can close very quickly--sometimes much faster than the seller was aware that we could.

3. What are the most common reasons for selling a property through EZ House Buyers?

There are many reasons that a property owner would want to sell quickly. Some of the most common are: loss of job, pending foreclosure, illness, divorce, costly repairs, investment property that needs to be sold, death in the family that results in a situation where heirs would rather have the cash than the property. There are many reasons, and EZ House Buyers custom tailors a solution for each seller.

4. What is fair market value price for these properties?

We typically pay more than anyone else in the market. The amount depends on the property type and location, and if it is rural or urban property. We run comparables on the property and typically can pay up to 65% for rural properties and up to 75% for urban properties.

5. How is EZ House Buyers better than other realtors or home buyers for cash?

EZ House Buyers evaluates each situation carefully. We customize a solution for each property owner. If a seller needs to stay in the property for a time after closing, for example, we can do a lease-back to them. Also, we work with the property owners to help them clear title on properties that may have title issues. On each and every deal, we work to make sure everyone is pleased, and we work to get the property owners as much for their property as possible.

Thanks, Don!

Introducing Singapore Property Review

If you ever feel curious about the variety of real estate properties available in Singapore, check out Singapore Property Review. The front page of the site contains links to detailed postings about new condo/apartment developments. The posts about each development are thorough in their descriptions and contain a nice selection of images to give you an idea about the design and location of each specific property.

The site could be a useful tool for someone looking for residential property in Singapore. But there's other information on the site as well which could be of interest for businesspeople as well as real estate investors. There's a menu across the top of the page which allows you to access a variety of other real estate related information, such as listings for commercial and industrial properties.

The property news page gives an overview of relevant news stories related to new developments, potential investments, and more. And if you are curious about when new construction will be underway, the new projects page contains a timeline with links to information about upcoming building work.

This is an interesting resource to browse if you're curious about real estate and Singapore. You'll find information on a range of projects and lots of links to keep you busy reading and learning more.