This Brand-New Citrus Springs Home Just Dropped $15,000!

[00:00:05]This home in Citrus Springs just got a $15,000 price reduction.

[00:00:12]We're touring a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, closing costs help, and reduced rates fixed for 30 years, as well as down payment assistance options if you need it. 1,833 sq ft. This is the Goldenrod by Kev, sitting on a 0.28-acre lot with no HOA and no CDD.

[00:00:38]Here is the agenda for today.

[00:00:41]We're going to start off by doing a full home tour of this beautiful property.

[00:00:46]We're going to talk about things to do in the area, dining, grocery, shopping, entertainment, theme parks, beaches, and local employers as well.

[00:00:59]I'm in the mortgage industry, so we're also going to do some mortgage math and talk about numbers to get into this property and how you can get payments as low as the low 2,000s or the high 1,000s a month, depending on your down payment.

[00:01:14]So, let's get started.

[00:01:17]If you're a returning viewer, welcome back to the channel.

[00:01:20]If this is your first time here, welcome. My name is Joe Denney.

[00:01:25]I'm a local Florida realtor and mortgage broker as well.

[00:01:29]I've been in the business since 2018 and helped hundreds of families buy, sell, invest, move up, move down, mortgages, refinance, so many different scenarios.

[00:01:41]I'm originally from New York City. I lived in the Bronx, I lived in Manhattan, I lived in different places.

[00:01:47]So, I understand big moves, especially state to state. So, a lot of buyers like connecting with me because I've already helped people make that move, and I've done that move myself. I also help a lot of people in Florida move around.

[00:02:01]Whether it's moving up, down, left, right, I can help you anywhere in Florida. We have a team of several agents, several loan officers, so we have the resources to help you.

[00:02:11]You might not be ready for a phone call.

[00:02:14]So, I make these videos that you can have the full home tour, the home buying process, things to do, and what to look for in buying a house. There are many YouTube realtors out there, and I've been told by a lot that the attention to detail that I put into my craft is unmatched. So, while you have bigger realtors out there with more views and everything, they've said that they've talked to those realtors and they just don't feel that connection that they feel with me.

[00:02:42]Now, I have a QR code. If you're not ready for the phone call, scan that QR code. There's something called the VIP buyer list. On that VIP buyer list, you'll find a bunch of resources, but at the top, you'll be able to see the form that allows you to put your information so I can get property sent to you directly without the phone call.

[00:03:01]So, if you're just looking right now and you want to see the beautiful homes in your email, just join that VIP buyer list. I'll send you a text introducing myself, and then if you want to talk, we can have a conversation. I run multiple Facebook groups in these areas because sometimes it's good for you to try before you buy when looking into a new area. So, if you need to join any of my Living in Ocala, Living in Citrus Springs Facebook groups, you'll find them on that QR code as well. And lastly, our team is expanding. If you're looking to get into real estate, move brokerages, or into mortgages somewhere in Orlando, Ocala, and those areas, reach out to me. We have different things that we're doing. We have thousands of leads. Not everybody's ready to buy homes right away. Some people need nurture. So, we have different processes in place to help um create different strategies through content, cold calling, all these different things that everyone else is doing. So, we're looking for people, so if you need to join a team or want to get into the business, reach out to me as well. Let's get started on this home tour.

[00:04:01]This is your property.

[00:04:08]$15,000 price reduction, no HOA, no CDD.

[00:04:12].28 You have a well and septic for the sewer and the water, but I don't see a lot of builders do this. It looks like they added a filtration system for the water. So, if that's the case, if that's a plus for you, let me know and I'll double check cuz I'm not sure if that's going to be like included in closing or some sort of lease, cuz I've heard of different scenarios on how they do those where they can lease it or sell it to you.

[00:04:51]Let's go around the property.

[00:04:58]You got some pups in the backyard.

[00:05:02]This home is really elevated, as you can see.

[00:05:06]It goes downhill.

[00:05:15]Hello.

[00:05:19]And then this piece right over here, this is for the pests. So, they have something set up where when the pest control comes in, they just come in through here and it's like behind the walls. So, that's something that clients like a lot about with the with the pest control.

[00:05:45]And you have your little lanai, or big lanai, right back here.

[00:05:52]And the builder already has some blinds on the windows as well, so you'll get those blinds.

[00:05:57]And they've already sodded your yard, they put the grass.

[00:06:01]Some builders will sell you the house and they won't put grass completely around the entire property line. They'll just put enough to get what's called the CO, the certificate of occupancy, and then they'll just sell you the house that way. They'll say, "Hey, all right, you put the rest of the grass."

[00:06:16]But not this one. They're doing special rates, rate buy-downs, closing costs help, possibly water filtration system help as well, which I haven't seen that in a lot of builders in this price point.

[00:06:27]And they're giving you all the grass on this beautiful lot.

[00:06:35]Now, let's go inside to your brand new Florida home.

[00:06:54]Let me give you the lay of the land. Two rooms here with a bathroom.

[00:07:00]Bedroom number one.

[00:07:05]Bathroom.

[00:07:09]Bedroom.

[00:07:13]Garage to my right.

[00:07:16]This is your kitchen.

[00:07:20]So, you have the island.

[00:07:23]Nice size walk-in pantry.

[00:07:27]Stainless steel appliances. Look at this refrigerator. This is the big boy.

[00:07:33]They already have these custom shelves over here for you.

[00:07:39]There goes is living, dining, kitchen all in one.

[00:07:47]They even added some backsplash to the kitchen.

[00:07:53]Subway tile backsplash there, and some backsplash to like the entrance, as well as your primary bedroom. You're going to see these as well.

[00:08:05]Nothing crazy, standard two-car garage with a garage door opener. Some builders will not give you a garage door opener.

[00:08:18]Here is bedroom number three.

[00:08:25]You have the sliding doors. Those aren't those uh harmonica doors that some clients don't like. Those are the sliding doors.

[00:08:32]I don't like the harmonica doors either cuz my kids sometimes will get their fingers pinched in those things.

[00:08:37]Super frustrating.

[00:08:44]And right this way is your primary suite. You can see the wall.

[00:08:49]They gave us some accents on that wall.

[00:08:52]It's a pretty good look.

[00:08:55]This is your primary suite.

[00:08:58]Window overlooks the backyard. So, if you guys put a pool or do something back there, you can kind of you see that.

[00:09:06]This is primary bathroom. Dual sink vanity with space here to do something.

[00:09:14]Maybe put like a a vanity there for her or something.

[00:09:18]This is your toilet with the privacy door and the glass enclosure on the shower. A lot of builders will not put the glass there. This builder did not go cheap.

[00:09:28]They put the glass for you.

[00:09:30]Here's my best part of my favorite part about this primary bedroom. It's this walk-in closet.

[00:09:38]That a nice size closet.

[00:09:40]For your payments to be like in the low 2000s, this this house really checks off a lot of those boxes for me.

[00:09:49]And I hope it does for you, too.

[00:09:51]Welcome to part two of the video. So, 3810 West Mariana Drive.

[00:09:57]Currently offered at $289,990 after a $15,000 price reduction. We're seeing some really good price reductions in the market. You know, when the rates go higher, the prices start to reduce a little bit. And then the opposite's true. When the rates start getting better, more people enter the market. There were some crazy statistics out there where it's like every time the rate goes down like 1%, like millions of buyers enter the market um that were just sitting on the sidelines.

[00:10:28]I actually do have a few pre-approvals out there, not millions of them, I wish.

[00:10:32]Um that once rates get better, they're going to enter the market. But, you know, there's always this um when is the right time to buy, when is the right time to sell? Everybody has different circumstances in their lives and some people might buy cuz of a job promotion or a job demotion or new life in their life like a baby or someone's, you know, at the end of their life, they passed away and you have to sell the house.

[00:10:59]So, you're breaking up with someone or you're getting together and getting married with someone. The reasons why people buy houses and sell houses, you know, historically haven't really changed. What's happening right now is the people that are just moving to move are pa- on pause. There were people a few years ago that were like, "Wow, I don't need to buy a house. I don't need to sell my house, but houses are selling for a lot more now, so let me sell my house, buy a house." Those people that are, you know, not super motivated right now aren't buying.

[00:11:29]This builder is K. Hovnanian Homes.

[00:11:31]What's cool is no HOA, no CDD, flood zone X.

[00:11:35]So, no flood insurance required, 2026, and you get builder warranty as well.

[00:11:39]Home will qualify for VA, FHA, conventional. There's USDA in some areas as well, and then there's also down payment assistance programs. If you need help with that, I can help you with that as well. These are some of the things that buyers love about this home. Open floor plan, split bedroom, nearly a third of an acre on the lot, so 0.28, quartz countertops and island, walk-in pantry, two-car garage, and warranty as well.

[00:12:02]Let's talk about distance of where this property is and what's around here.

[00:12:07]Groceries are 2 to 5 minutes, restaurants are 5 to 15 minutes, Rainbow Springs 15 to 20 minutes, KP Hole 15 20 minutes, Crystal River 30 minutes, World Equestrian Center for some entertainment.

[00:12:20]Um, I recently went there and tried the pizza. It was okay.

[00:12:24]Um, kind of expensive, but, you know, it's like a venue where things are going to be more expensive.

[00:12:29]Um, Disney, Universal 1 hour, 35 minutes to 40 minutes away. Clearwater Beach within 2 hours. So, theme parks, beaches, everything you need within 2 hours or less. More important things like daily things like grocery, dining, you know, 10 minutes, 15 minutes or less. So, you're not too far out there.

[00:12:49]Now, there's a Publix just minutes away.

[00:12:52]And there's Walmart, pharmacies, Dollar General, and local shops as well within minutes.

[00:12:58]You're going to have access to Rainbow Springs and Rainbow River, KP Hole County Park. So, it's a beloved local gem for tubing and river access along the Rainbow River, which is family-friendly, affordable, and just a short drive away.

[00:13:12]Crystal River and Gulf Coast. So, you get to swim with manatees, fish the flats, or cruise the Gulf waters.

[00:13:19]Crystal River is only about 30 minutes away. Fort Island Golf Beach is within 45 minutes away, smaller beach. So, downtown Dunnellon and local dining. You get that charming small town atmosphere with local restaurants, cafes, shops, golf courses, and year-round community events just minutes from your front door. Let's talk about health care cuz that's important. Health care nearby, Tampa General Health, HCA Florida Citrus Hospital, AdventHealth Ocala, and then you have local medical centers and urgent cares in the area as well. So, you're not too far from medical and health care. Employers, let's say you're looking for a job. Citrus County School District, Citrus County Government, Publix and Walmart, Tampa General Health and HCA Florida, Duke Energy, and World Equestrian Center for some employment opportunities there as well. These are some of the reasons why people are moving here. Affordable new construction, lower cost of living, growing health care access, natural springs, outdoor lifestyle, large lots, no HOA, remote work-friendly. So, if you're a remote worker, this is a friendly place for you to be and friendly on your bank account as well.

[00:14:23]Let's talk about some of the local growth and future development. So, there's some residential expansion happening, health care investment, infrastructure improvements, and population influx as well in the area.

[00:14:34]Let's talk numbers. I have a mortgage license, so my team can help you with mortgages as well. On a cash purchase, estimated closing costs are about 1% of the purchase price, so let's just factor in 2,900 bucks. Seller's motivated, so they'll help you with that.

[00:14:48]Monthly payments, um no monthly payment on the mortgage, but there's taxes and insurances still got to pay and utilities. VA loan all the way down to conventional 20%, closing costs are going to range around 11,600, but the down payment is different. So, with the VA loan, 100% financing, no down payment, $0 there, but you still have closing costs. And with the right agent, me, I'm able to negotiate some, most, or all of your closing costs.

[00:15:16]Monthly payments are ranging from the high 1,000s to the low 2,000s, depending on which loan product you go and how much money you put down.

[00:15:24]Could you afford this home? These three scenarios here, pause the video and watch and read them.

[00:15:29]Talk about three different um couples, families, or financing profiles of different affordability matrix or matrices matrices here.

[00:15:40]Pros and cons, my honest assessment about the area. So, some of the cons.

[00:15:46]You're further away from Orlando employment. Fewer larger shopping options, limited nightlife, longer drives to theme parks, and you're in a rural atmosphere. Some of the pros are the affordable new construction, larger lots, you're closer to Rainbow River and the Springs, quiet peaceful neighborhood, outdoor lifestyle year-round, and you're it's a growing area with appreciation potential.

[00:16:08]Now, appreciation is weird because sometimes the market takes a dip and then it goes right back up. So, it's kind of like a roller coaster.

[00:16:15]So, the appreciation could take 3 to 5 years, maybe longer.

[00:16:20]Why work with me? Florida realtor, uh real broker LLC, mortgage broker, and we do the mortgages as well. We do the YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and then got my website joedanny.com. My direct number is 407-759-5677.

[00:16:35]This is my email, joedanny@gmail, and that's my website there as well. Let's talk about the home buying process to give you guys an idea of like some of the steps that are involved. So, step one, you want to talk to a realtor, which is me.

[00:16:46]You can call me, email me, text me, whatever is easier for you. If you need financing, we'll be able to get you a pre-approval on the mortgage side with one credit pull. I'm able to shop up to 50, 60 different lenders.

[00:16:58]That's better than when you're like buying a car and you're trying to get multiple opinions and they're shopping your credit. Your credit's being pulled multiple times. That's not what we're doing here. We're going to do it one time.

[00:17:08]So, you'll submit documents.

[00:17:09]They're trying to figure out if for the next 30 years you're going to pay this bill on time and assess the risk based on your last 2 years of your financial profile, your income, your credit, your assets, and how you pretty much navigate finances. So, they have a hard job of trying to figure all this out with 2 years of like data for the next 30 years. So, we're going to know your buying powers. Um we're going to figure out credit options, and if you don't qualify right away, we're going to figure out different action plans to help you get uh approved.

[00:17:43]Home search. We're going to set up a portal where you're going to have the criteria set up of what you're looking for, and you're going to get the properties emailed to you whenever they pop up. And then you're going to be able to favorite the ones that you like, little heart icon on the system, and then we're going to tour properties whenever you're ready to see them, and then we're going to narrow it down to find the house that you like. When it's time to make an offer, we do it in writing, and we'll submit the offer. We'll go back and forth and renegotiate until we're under contract. Then when you're under contract, the initial deposit, which is also known as earnest money deposit or escrow deposit, is sent um once the contract is executed. I don't hold any of the money. Sometimes it's the seller if it's a builder, and sometimes it's a title company if it's like a resale home.

[00:18:27]This is next step is the inspection period. You hire a professional home inspector, and if you need recommendations, I have a few in the area, and then they'll go, they'll look for issues at the property, and then we'll renegotiate if we have to.

[00:18:39]After the inspection's done, the next step is to hire an appraiser whose job is to determine the value of the property.

[00:18:48]Appraisal's in, inspection's in, you go into underwriting, and then your loan gets approved.

[00:18:53]Loan approvals sometimes have something called a conditional approval where they'll say, "Your loan's conditionally approved, but just help me figure out these 10 items." And it'll be overwhelming cuz they'll be like, "What are these random deposits going in every week?" Or withdrawals. They'll try to like dig a little bit deeper with the loan approval and the conditions. Once you clear all the conditions, we'll get what's called the clear to close, the final approval, where docs are being prepared for you to do your final walk-through and get to closing.

[00:19:20]The conditions process is probably the most nerve-wracking piece because this is where you're going to feel like, "Why didn't they ask for this up front?" Or, "Why are they asking me for another bank statement?" Or, "Do this or that?"

[00:19:31]They're just trying to piece together missing puzzle pieces of your profile.

[00:19:35]And sometimes when things look weird, they might ask you to provide some sort of explanation. And that's where my processors help you with what's called a letter of explanation. Or, if we're missing some money and it was coming from a gift fund, we'll help you generate those gift letters as well.

[00:19:51]So, we want to get all that done before the clear to close and then the final walk-through, and then we'll get to closing, and then you will be a homeowner. Now, to officially hire me or any realtor, you have to fill out a form called an exclusive buyer broker agreement. This is a sample of what that looks like, and these are some things to look out for when you're filling out that form, whether it's with me or with someone else. So, parties are going to be the buyers and the broker. So, you're going to be the consumer, and the broker's information is going to go here. The term is going to be, "What's the start date, and when's the end date?"

[00:20:24]Type of property is going to go here, and the location we're looking in as well. Section four outlines all of the broker's obligation in this agreement {slash} agency between you and the broker. Section five outlines your obligations, the consumer's obligation in that process. One of the things that happened sometimes, that's happened recently with one of my peers, is you'll be like in a buyer broker agreement, and then you'll go to a builder without us, and you won't even tell the builder you have a realtor. You don't actually save money that way, but then you need us to like help, you know, through the process, to you know, do the paperwork and figure out the inspections and the protections that protect you, and then it's too late cuz you already went to the builder without us. So, always reach out to us first if you're going to go to a builder so we can register you in case of that. Now, a retainer, which I do not have a retainer, some agents have a retainer where they'll charge you money up front to start working for you, and then in some scenarios, they'll credit it towards like your fees, or they'll just keep it, or it's non-refundable if like you just stop working with them. So, some agents been business a little bit longer than me, they have retainers. I do not have a retainer. Compensation is a fancy way of saying the commission or how we get paid. The way that it works is, I will charge the compensation to the seller, so the seller pays me.

[00:21:41]Different sellers have different amount that they pay. I've done deals where the compensation has been 0.75%.

[00:21:47]I've done deals where the compensation is 10%. So, the seller pays me the compensation, and then I help you find the property.

[00:21:56]The conditional termination, if we're not vibing and you're like, all right, I want to try something else with a different realtor, totally fine. Just text me the word terminate or cancel. No explanation needed, $0 to terminate. You can go on and work with a different agent. Sometimes buyers do that, and they come right back. Sometimes buyers leave other agents, and they come to me.

[00:22:15]So, just make sure that before you do any of that, read the documents before you sign them, cuz I have heard of agents having a termination fee there, 1,000 bucks, 5,000 bucks, and then the buyer doesn't want to pay that to terminate the contract. So, just make sure you read what you're signing before you sign it. This next document is the compensation agreement. Now, this is the actual document that I use to ask the seller or the broker to help us with the compensation. So, you wouldn't sign this document as the buyer. I just show it to you for transparency when I'm putting offers together.

[00:22:51]This next one is the DPA program guide.

[00:22:54]So, being in the mortgage industry, I can help you with down payment assistance options as well. There's a ton of programs, like mid-July, Hometown Heroes is back, where you can get up to 5% up to $35,000 towards your down payment and closing costs to buy a home.

[00:23:10]Florida Bond is a good program. Rosebud, Chenoa, 0% down, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Marion County, Lake County.

[00:23:18]Um, there's so many different down payment assistance programs out there.

[00:23:21]The easiest way to figure out which one is the best fit for you is to start an application with us, and then I'll just shop the lenders to see what they can offer us.

[00:23:30]We have what's called AEs, which are account executives with each bank, and they all want to earn your business. So, what happens is if we get a new file, we contact them and we say, "Hey, what do you got for this? What do you got for this? What do you got for this?" And then they're giving us their best offers up front, whether it's additional discounts on the interest rate, or waive appraisal fees, cuz they all want to earn your business. And that's the cool thing about working with a broker, and I have all those AEs um motivated to earn your business.

[00:23:57]But if you were to go straight to a lender yourself, then the deal that they're giving you is the deal that they're giving you.

[00:24:03]Um, and what happens is sometimes you're trying to do your own research on figuring out which bank is going to help you with what, and you're trying to figure out um you're trying to fit yourself in the box of like the guidelines, where it's like if you just run an app, I can basically see which one approves you or not in the system. So, there's the hard way to do things, and then there's the easy way.

[00:24:22]Now, let's talk about an as is residential contract. So, with some of the smaller builders and resale homes, we use this contract. But for this builder, they have their own paperwork that they do, but I want to kind of show you what goes in a contract because of some of the items that are in here also apply to the bigger builders as well.

[00:24:38]So, in this section, parties, which is the buyers and the sellers, this section here outlines what personal property is included. Sometimes you'll see like the refrigerator not included on a builder's deal, or washer and dryer at the property, um but not included. So, you want to make sure that it's in the contract right in here. Purchase price is basically the offer that you're offering, and then the initial deposit is that escrow money deposit we talked about earlier.

[00:25:06]Now, we want to give the seller enough time to consider our offer, so we usually do like 48 hours, like 2 days. And then we want to pick a closing date. Usually, if it's like a cash offer, closing dates can be like 10 days or sooner. Financing is like anywhere between 21 days to like 45 days, depending on all the different scenarios that have to go on, like in your financing profile.

[00:25:28]One of the first things I want to talk about, um as far as protection goes, is the financing contingency. So, a contingency is a fancy way of saying that we're adding something to the contract to protect you or do something.

[00:25:42]In this case, that financing contingency protects your deposit for a certain number of days should something happen with the financing.

[00:25:50]But if you lie, or if you withhold information, or if you don't use diligent effort, then you should hire a lawyer at that point, because I'm not able to get your deposit back if you're holding something back from the lender.

[00:26:03]That's why if the buyers fail to use good faith and diligent effort to obtain the loan approval during the loan approval period, then you can be breaching the contract. And I'm not a lawyer, but breaching contracts are not a good thing. So, if you're super transparent, ready to buy this house, nothing hidden, and you qualify to buy the house, it should be smooth sailing.

[00:26:25]But if there's something that's there that you're not saying, and they find out later, then I don't really have a way to protect your deposit if you withheld that information. So, the more honest you are, the better it could be.

[00:26:36]Now, closing costs are what they call the fees to buy a property.

[00:26:42]The seller has closing costs, and the buyer also has closing costs. This section here outlines what some of the fees are for the seller, and this section here outlines what some of the fees are for the buyer.

[00:26:52]Whatever loan officer you go with, whether it's me or a different one, we should be able to give you something called a fee worksheet or loan estimate, which shows you a breakdown of all these numbers um of what they would cost.

[00:27:06]Some of the builders offer home warranties. Most builders offer offer home warranties.

[00:27:10]Now, with resale homes and the smaller builders, you get a right to cancel period. So, with every transaction you do, you have the right to do a property inspection.

[00:27:21]But, the bigger builders don't have a right to cancel period. They're going to do their best to fix whatever the issues are. Smaller builders um and resale homes, they have that right to cancel period, so if you just want to back out, you could put a certain number of days where you can back out if you're not satisfied with what you saw or what happened during the inspection.

[00:27:39]Now, when we add additional terms to the contract, it's called an addendum if it's one or addenda if it's plural.

[00:27:47]These are some of the addenda addenda that I have used historically with clients and what some of them mean. So, when we're putting an offer in and we're using financing, we want to add an appraisal contingency. We want to make sure that, you know, we're going to submit an aggressive offer, but what if 3 weeks later prices in the area start dropping and our home is worth a little bit less? Well, if you do not add an appraisal contingency, let's assume that you're going to cover the gap to get to closing. And that's not pretty because you'd have to bring in your down payment, your closing costs, and then whatever that gap is in cash. The appraisal contingency protects you from having to go through that, and that's something that we want to add to your offer, the appraisal contingency.

[00:28:28]Another one that we use commonly is sale of buyer's property. Let's say you're selling a home to buy a home, but you don't want to be like homeless in the middle, and you don't want to fully sell it to then start looking. You can actually go under contract now if you're going to sell your home, and then we can just tell the seller that we can only really finalize it once we're our home fully sells. And then one of the other ones I use is the buyer the compensation for the buyer's broker compensation. So, there's different addenda here that we use to enhance the contract. This section here will be the additional terms. So, if we're asking for any closing costs or anything like that, it would be in this section here. So, that's pretty much a breakdown of like what the process looks like writing an offer, some payment scenarios, things to do in the area. If you found any value in the video, drop a like, share with a friend or family member, and then if you need help buying a house, just reach out 407-759-5677, and I will see you guys on the next video.