TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE

Okaloosa County (850)651-7301
Santa Rosa County (850)939-1259
Walton County (850)892-8121

Ask for the taxes by your Parcel ID number (obtained earlier from the appraiser’s). After a short delay, the clerk will return with the tax figure for the preceding year.

FINANCING OPTIONS

If you have a mortgage, your next call is perhaps the most important of all. Call the loan service department of the company that holds your mortgage. Identify yourself and give your mortgage account number. This number is usually on the monthly loan statement that is mailed to you, or if you use coupons it will be on the cover of your coupon book.

Tell the representative you wish the following information:

1. Current loan balance
2. Term remaining on loan
3. Percent of interest on loan
4. Can present loan be assumed?
5. Can it be assumed at the current rate of interest?
6. If not, what rate will it escalate to if assumed by a new purchaser?
7. What is the amount of the assumption fee?
8. Must a new buyer qualify to assume your loan?
9. In case the purchaser is wishing to make a new loan on your home (a commonplace procedure if you have a lot of equity in your home) what is the prepayment penalty, if any, to you. This is your expense at closing. Knowing of this expense in advance can save you hundreds of dollars when confronted with a prospective purchaser who wishes to purchase your home via new conventional financing. Most loan companies will waive this penalty if the new loan goes through them - so insist that new loans go through your loan company and thus save this expense.

So now, you have accumulated a wealth of information. How this information will be used will be explained in the section “The Professional Brochure.”

PROPER PRICING

No doubt, this will be one of the most difficult things to do and you should be letter-perfect in your figures because you are going to have to defend this price to your prospective purchasers.
If you are priced too high, your phone inquiries or showings will be of a short duration. If you are priced too low, you might end up with a quick sale but lose many thousands of dollars in the process.

previous page  |  next page