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 Estate agents in Florida are licensed and the industry is highly regulated. After attending
mandatory classes a 100 question examination must be passed, and there are periodic extensive re-exams. Agents must operate under a broker - an experienced person who has passed the even tougher broker's exam.
After becoming a broker, Kati then became a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) - the highest designation for international brokers. She is also a licensed Mortgage Broker and can
arrange mortgages in England or America to suit your situation.
Unlike the UK, buying and selling does not require a solicitor, although you can use one if you
like, and is much quicker, The broker handles the transaction, engaging specialists like title search, valuers, inspectors, etc. We therefore strongly advise anyone buying an investment home to check ALL licenses, and ask if the broker has CIPS designation. Using a licensed agent gives you
recourse through the Florida Real Estate Commission if anything goes wrong - and it certainly can!
CAVEAT EMPTOR !
Adverts appear in British newspapers for "Investment villas near Orlando," and salespeople accompany buyers to make sure you don't meet anyone they don't want you to
meet. This is illegal - unless the agent is licensed in Florida. If they are not you may find yourself with little or no recourse in the event of a problem, even a simple one like furniture and fittings not
being what you ordered. DONT BE AFRAID - ASK TO SEE THEIR FLORIDA LICENSE!
WHY NOT BUY DIRECT FROM A BUILDER?
We never cease to be amazed how many people from overseas, (not just The UK either) decide
to buy a house from a builder, with whom they have absolutely no experience, or even bothered to check his reputation. They then fly home and happily tell friends they have bought a dream house
in Orlando. A caring friend might ask "who's checking on the building?" and the answer would be, "well nobody - but we trust them."
It is irresponsible not to have a qualified person oversee the building, check the structure and materials used in one of the biggest investments you probably ever made. Are the fittings what
were paid for, is it the correct cooker, are the doors even in the right place? It is true a building inspector will make periodic visits, but he is only interested in code compliance, and not the rest of
a very complicated structure, comprising the whole house.
If the same buyers were having a house built in their own country, they would be visiting the site every weekend, no
doubt finding many things which they would query with the builder.
A good real estate agent will "keep tabs" on your new investment, e-mailing photographs from time to time, and
generally making sure the place is being built to your wishes. There are a thousand things which can go unnoticed -
nothing to do with the building inspector - and which sometimes cannot be rectified past a certain stage.
We will be pleased to offer references to anyone who doubts this, from very grateful clients we have saved from a
multitude of problems and heartaches, which they would otherwise have to sort out themselves.
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