What is it like to live in a Florida HOA community?

What an HOA actually is HOA fees fund everything a homeowners association does — and understanding them starts with knowing what an HOA actually is. A homeowners association is a governing body made up of residents in a planned community. The HOA sets and enforces rules, maintains shared spaces, and manages a budget funded by … Read more

Where do Tampa Bay locals go to beat the summer heat?

The honest reality of Florida summer Florida summer is not the beach vacation version of summer. It is hot in a specific, subtropical way that takes some adjustment, especially coming from somewhere with four distinct seasons. The humidity makes the temperature feel different than it does anywhere else you’ve lived. What it actually looks and … Read more

Is a condo, a villa, or a smaller house the better choice when you right-size?

What right-sizing actually means In Tampa Bay, right-sizing is not about finding the smallest space that works. It’s about finding a home that fits the life you’re building now, not the one you had when you needed four bedrooms and a yard big enough for a swing set. For most people I work with, right-sizing … Read more

Should you buy out your spouse or sell the house when you divorce?

When a marriage ends and there is a house involved, one of the first financial decisions you will face is whether to buy out your spouse or sell and split the proceeds. Both options are valid. Neither is automatic. The right answer depends on specifics that are completely personal to your situation, and a lot … Read more

No offers after three weeks on the market: here is your next move

Three weeks. No offers. You have had the sign up, the listing is live, and the weekends have passed. Maybe there were a few showings, maybe there were not. Either way, the phone is not ringing the way you expected. If you have been wondering whether something is wrong, you are asking the right question. … Read more