should I move to cocoa beach fl

Why Cocoa Beach FL is a Great Place to Live

Cocoa Beach is a hidden jewel right in the heart of Brevard County Florida. Some may think there are other great beach cities in Florida but this place has a lot of reasons why it is a fantastic place to live with even greater amount of growth coming its way.

The population size is around 17,000 people and the people that call Cocoa Beach their home range from the typicalcocoa beach fl real estate tanned beach bum 20-somethings all the way to the white-haired snowbirds. The median house cost in Cocoa is right at $94,000, which is very affordable for most, and the cost of living is 12.70% lower than the rest of the US. Oh and that isn’t all, the unemployment rate is 6.30% and still falling.

Just to scratch the surface of Brevard county, it has a lot of large companies paired with a low cost of living. Many professionals live here and work at companies like Harris Corp, Brown and Brown insurance and Halifax Media group. There has also been a recent addition of a lot of aerospace and engineering jobs thanks to the privatized space flight industry.

This town at one point was voted as one of the worst places for employment and the very best place to retire in America, however, those tables seem to be turning. Considering this recent growth in employment opportunities with a very low cost of living and reasonably priced housing you may be getting in on the ground floor of a big upswing if you decide to buy a home in Cocoa Beach, FL.

Cocoa’s best qualities aren’t all about economic growth; there is also plenty to do and it is an awesome place to raise a family.

First and foremost would be the benefits of the beach, between fishing and surfing along with boating and kayaking. There are many other activities ranging from casino cruises to the Brevard zoo…There are always a ton of fun things going on. Also the distance from Cocoa to Orlando is only about 45 minutes so if you are fan of the the thrill rides and roller coasters or if your family wants to go visit Mickey Mouse at Disney it is only a quick drive inland for a day trip to one of Orlando’s many theme parks.

The other aspect would be the tourist industry; the Port of Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval authority and one of the biggest cruise ports in the world. There are nearly 2.8 million multi-day cruise passengers per year and other larger ships destined to be added.

Besides the higher education school “Eastern Florida States College” formerly known as Brevard Community College, there are other great grade schools local to Cocoa Florida. There are 4 primary and secondary schools with one of the elementary schools “Freedom 7 Elementary School of International Studies,” having a rating of 10/10. The following junior/senior school grades 7-12 are also scoring high with a rating of 9/10.

In summary you can understand why Cocoa Beach has many great reasons to live here. I didn’t even get into the weather or the year around flip-flop and bathing suit attire. There are many other great reasons but you have to find what works for your situation, whether it’s the kids, living the single life or even wanting to drive the convertible year round, Cocoa Florida may be perfect for you. To help you make your decision on where to move in Florida take a look at the www.moversatlas.com MoveMap to research cities, communities, and neighborhoods in FL.

Buying a Home After Bankruptcy

Sometimes no matter how hard you work and how careful you are in the financial aspect of your life you can still have issues and problems comecan you buy a house after filing for bankruptcy up.  The American dream can sometimes seem to be at an impossible distance in certain situations whether it was a divorce, job loss or the market tanked.  Bankruptcy is not fun for anyone but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.  There is a good probability that you will be able to pick up the pieces and recapture what has been lost so quickly.  Buying a house after filing bankruptcy is possible and sometimes can be a viable option much sooner than you think.

The biggest change happened when a new policy was approved from the Federal Housing Administration announced (August 15th 2013) that some could get approved with an FHA backed mortgage as soon as one year after the bankruptcy.  This is of course the best-case scenario but there are other possibilities to get approved for a mortgage in a timely manner.  Other things to keep in mind are the different situations as some may have just a bankruptcy and others could have had short sales or other foreclosures on their plate as well.

When you are interested in getting back to the world of homeownership it is important to understand a minimal timeframe of one year is required from the date of bankruptcy discharge OR if you had a short sale it would be from that closing date, same goes for a foreclosure. Other rules for this particular situation would be that your bankruptcy and the loss of your home has to fall under what FHA calls an “economic event”.  Some of these rules include loosing your income for at least six months, 20% job loss or a major pay reduction.  This may nix you out of this avenue but even without this loophole a traditional turnaround time to purchase a home could be as soon as 2 years.

After going through such a big financial ordeal like bankruptcy two years may be just enough time for you to get back on your feet.  At one point I have heard roomers that it can take up to seven years before you could qualify for a mortgage, but in more recent days it has taken some much less time.  The key things to keep in mind are as follows

  • Try and rebuild your credit or just have no credit (as opposed to bad credit). This would include making your payments on time, set up automatic payments and regulate your credit report.  This would be similar with no credit score except you will have to pay cash for everything and have no credit cards or credit lines of any kind.

  • Save up for a down payment. Believe it or not this really is being required for almost everyone, not just the people with a foreclosure on his or her record.  The idea is at least 20% should be saved for a down payment but when in doubt, the more you save the better chance you have of the lender qualifying you for the house.  Showing the lender that you are serious on doing right by the house note and have a good financial means to back it makes the chances much higher when being reviewed by the underwriter.

  • Eliminate debt and keep it away.  When going about these steps don’t acquire more debt, no additional car loans or other credit lines to your favorite clothing store.  None of this will look good when applying for a home loan.

  • Keep your income stable.  If you are one that jumps around from job to job it really can look negative on your mortgage application.  Ideally you will want to have a good stable income for around two years to show reliable income.

There are other items you may come across such as higher interest rates or even having to look at a less expensive home than you thought you could afford.  It would be wise to find a place that could be easily paid off with a 15-year mortgage this way hopefully you wont run into this situation again.  The moral of the story is that buying a home after bankruptcy is possible and in some instances sooner than you think and each situation is different, do your own research and don’t lose faith!

If you are ready to buy a home check out www.moversatlas.com to research the neighborhoods and communities that you are interested in buying real estate. We provide everything you need to know to make an informed decision on buying your new home!

 

4 Serious Warning Signs To Look For When Buying A Home

Buying a home is one of the most stressful things a person can go through. But for some people the stress doesn’t end when they finally close on what they thought was there dream home. Occasionally there are instances where new things to look for when buying a homehomeowners find major issues with their home that were not known by the previous owner leaving them stuck with even more expenses and frustration. Well we want to try and prevent that from happening to you! There are some specific warning signs you should look when searching a home that may save you from the above situation.

There are items that may seem to be “warning signs” but in reality are things that are just unappealing and can, for the most part, be overlooked such as outdated appliances, cabinets and what I consider “misguided” paint selections.  What we are going to focus on in this post are more serious problems that are much more costly to fix.

The first line of defense and probably one of the most important things you should do when buying a home is to get a home inspection! The home inspection needs to be completed by a licensed professional and they will be able to point out most problems but you will still need to go through the inspection reports and determine whether you are comfortable with the problems or if you would want to walk away from the deal.  Keep in mind some of the issues may be great opportunities for negotiating a lower price but some of the issues could be REAL deal breakers.

1. Roof replacement – although roofs can last for many years, the weather is very harsh particularly in the state of Florida where the heat is extreme and the rain and storms can be even worse.  Even if the report shows the roof is not leaking nor has no history of problems it is wise to potentially get a second opinion from a roofing contractor.  Even if the roof has a 30 year shingle on it does not mean it will hold up for 30 years.  Oh and for the record the replacement cost could range anywhere from $8,000-$30,000 depending on the size of the house and type of roof.
2. Flood Zones – Even though the entire state of Florida is pretty much right at sea level does not mean you are in a flood zone….technically.  The biggest issue with being in a flood zone besides the water potentially coming into your house is the previous damage that could have already happened that you may never know which could cause mold and rotting wood.  Just remember you can’t predict the weather but if you are buying a house in a flood zone you could be setting yourself up for problems in the future.
3. Electrical system – It doesn’t take an electrician to know if the electrical system is old, your first clue will be the age of the main panel box and the age of the house.  Typically if the panel looks as old as the house and the house is close to 30 years old, there is a huge chance you could have a fire hazard on your hands.  Replacement cost is in the thousands of dollars.
4. Plumbing system – This is just another part of the infrastructure that will be thoroughly inspected by the home inspection.  Some plumbing issues could be easily overlooked by the inspector for instance if the toilet flushes slowly, this goes the same for any of the sinks or baths if they don’t drain properly.  The inspector could make a note of the minor issue they noticed and you may find out later on that drain-o isn’t the solution and there could be a larger issue with pipes and plumbing system.  If there is any question I would hire a professional to further investigate.

Bottom line is, if you don’t ask you will never find out.  It seems like a lot of work but do as much due diligence as possible, remember you are making a huge investment and we want to make sure you make the right decision!

Above and beyond issues with the house itself you will also want to do some research on the neighborhood and community that your potential new house is in…That’s where MoversAtlas comes into play! Our interactive MoveMap shows you all sorts of useful information that will help you determine whether the Florida neighborhood or community that your potential house is in is right for you!