Jupiter Florida Real Estate Broker

Where can I find information what school district a property is in?

These days this is an easy one.  Look the property up in the property appraisers web site (https://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/papa/) then click on ‘View Map’ then ‘Tools’ and finally ‘School Attendance Zone’.  This will tell you what school zone that particular property is in according to The School District of Palm Beach County.

If you know the school you would like your children to attend then you can see the school district boundaries by visiting this page.

Palm Beach County School District Map

What I recommend people do is to print out the neighborhood map for the general area (say Jupiter or Palm Beach Gardens) where the school district is they like and then transpose the school boundary from the County web site onto that map.  These are the communities where you should be looking.

Why is every property I call or enquire on under contract?

If I had a nickel…well, you know.  Here’s the long and the short of it.  All of the data your are looking at originates from the local multiple listings services or MLS.  It does not matter whose web site you use, mine, Realtor.com, Zillow they all get there data from the same place, the local MLS.  The local agent enters the data into the MLS.  Then, this data is then passed along to the various vendors such as myself or Zillow where it is manipulated to make it look pretty.

In the local market the MLS properties are classified as New, Active, Back on Market, Active Active Under Contract, Pending and Closed as well as Expired, Temporary Off Market etc.  I say the ‘local market’ as not all of the MLS cooperatives across the US use the same status classifications.  Since they don’t all use the same data fields they can not be treated the same by a computerized system.

Here’s where a decision was made to include in the data that was being pulled from the local MLS those properties which are ‘Active Active Under Contract’.  Technically a Buyer could submit a Coming Soon offer on these properties but most likely it’s a waste of time as there’s about a 90% close rate.  Also, there are so few properties for sale right now that property is flying off the market again.

If you look on my web site and use the full search on the drop down menu then you can choose to see only Active, and not Active Active Under Contract, properties.  Or, if you’re looking at the property details sheet you can see the Status description as being either Active or Active Active Under Contract.

If you would like to avoid this altogether then simply send me an email and I will set up a search for you in the MLS.

This the number one question I get.  Chris, what’s all this going to cost me, the Buyer?

Here’s the way it breaks down in APPROXIMATE numbers:

BUYERS:

-Property inspection – $400.

-Termite inspection – $80.

-Loan application – $250.

-Condominium or Home Owners Association application – $200/occupant over 18

-Lenders Title Insurance policy-$500.

-Documentary stamps on the Mortgage at 0.35% (0.0035) x Loan Amount.

-Intangibles tax on loan at 0.2% (0.002) x Loan Amount

-Record the deed and mortgage in the public record-$200.

-Survey of the property-$400.

-Loan Closing Fee-$500

-Escrow account initial deposit which is typically 3 months of property tax and insurance escrow amounts.

-Property Insurance – VARIES DRAMATICALLY, from $2,000 to $6,000+

-Lender Origination fees – Again, VARIES DRAMTICALLY from $0 to 2% of the Loan Amount

The Lender expenses are the largest unknown.  When you make application for a loan your lender will provide you with a Truth in Lending (TiL) statement which will have the estimated expenses associated with your loan.  DON’T BE ALARMED.  The TiL statement does not take into account what the Contract specifies.  Most notable it is normal and customary in Palm Beach County for the Seller to provide you with a deed with the Documentary Stamps paid on it and ready to record.  This is 0.7% of the Purchase Price that the Seller will Pay.  Also, the Seller will pay for the Owners Title Insurance premium.

If you have any questions call me at the office at 561-626-8550.