We would love to help you find your home!
Why work with us?
When you work with Monarch Realty, you are working with a dedicated team whose sole goal is to find you the finest property and give you the best possible experience.
Be at ease knowing that you are working with an experienced broker with over seven years of experience and a 5-star Zillow Rating.
Consultation
Searching for properties can be a fun and exciting process but without defined goals, you will commit time & resources inefficiently.
This consultation will help establish important criteria, including:
- Property use: Is this an investment property? A second home?
- Property criteria: Do you need a 3 bed/2 bath home? Or are you looking for a condo within certain proximity to the University of Florida?
- Price Range: Do you have a specific budget? Or a monthly payment amount range? We can help you with these calculations, so that we can identify your price range.
- Availability for tours: Are you only available after 5pm to tour properties? Or are you out of town and can only visit properties during the weekends? Establishing potential tour dates and times is very important to have a strong work partnership with your agent.
- Time frame to secure a property: Do you need to secure a property prior to the end of your lease? Or are you relocating for a job and would like to have a property under contract prior to your start date?
- Preferred communication: Do you prefer to be called for updates? Or text updates during business hours? Our team will adjust our communication based on your preference.
- Level of service you require: Are you in a time-sensitive situation and need daily property updates? Or are you looking for opportunities but don’t want to reach out until a suitable property becomes available?
Property Searches
After our first consultation, our team will create a custom search for properties based on the criteria discussed. This search will provide you with immediate updates on newly available properties on the market that meet your criteria, as they are entering the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)!
Third party websites, such as Zillow, may not reflect new properties on the market until after 24 hours after they are placed on the MLS.
Our team will empower you to have immediate inventory updates, as well as allow you to search the MLS directly through your custom portal so that you can be ahead of the competition.
Scheduling Tours
Many buyers who do not work with a real estate agent spend a lot of time managing appointments between various brokerage companies and listing agents. When you work with Monarch Realty, our team will work with you to create a list of properties to tour at your earliest convenience.
Our team will coordinate communication & arrange access between:
- Brokers & Real Estate Agents from other companies/brokerages
- Tenants
- Owners
Just pick the properties you want to tour, and we will do the rest!
Easy Communication – Email , Text, Video Call
Do you rarely check your email? Do you prefer a text message rather than a phone call? Are you out of town but would like to tour a property?
Our team will communicate with you in a prompt & timely manner and conduct virtual tours on various platforms.
FOR VIRTUAL TOURS: Zoom, Google Hangouts, Google Meets and Duo, WhatsApp
ONGOING COMMUNICATION: Text Messages, Email, Phone Calls, Video Calls, WhatsApp Voicemail/recorded messages
Vetted Lenders Contacts
Every buyer has a different financial picture & real estate goals.
Similarly, not all lenders offer the same products and/or can finance the same types of properties. Our broker, Cinthya Gaxiola, spent much of her real estate career developing strong professional relationships with lenders that have a proven track record of delivering great customer service and offer strong lending options to our customers.
Our list of lenders can help you finance properties with any of the following criteria below:
- Condo properties (less than 20% down payment)
- First time buyer loans (no origination fee on modest income buyers)
- VA loans
- FHA loans
- Non-FHA qualifying condos with 20% down payment
- Condo loans that don’t require condo approval
- No income producing investment properties
- Investment Properties
- Mobile Homes
Fees and Rates
Fees for buyer services
Helping you find your home is an important part of our business. Many sellers do offer to compensate the buyer’s agent, but not all will. If there is compensation for the buyer’s agent from the seller, the buyer will be credited what they paid upfront. You will know the compensation agreement before you tour a property.
We have two options available for buyer services.
Option 1 is an hourly rate model.
- $500 retainer
- $100/hr for work during normal business hours
- $150/hr for after hours
- $700 for managing transaction
Option 2 is a monthly retainer with a percentage of the sale price.
- $500 retainer every 30 days until under contract
- 1.5% only on closing
Feel free to call us and discuss which model is right for you. You are under no obligation until you sign an agreement.
Areas of Expertise
Preparing Offers
Preparing an offer is one of the most important first steps in buying real estate. Our team will guide you with the offer process, and will provide you with the following information:
- Information on recent comparable sales
- Inform you of typical buyer costs (e.g. survey, appraisal, inspections, etc.)
- Market conditions
Negotiation Strategies
Did you know that the terms & contingencies that are presented are just as important as the offer price?
Below are some contingencies and negotiation tools commonly used in the past two years:
- Shorter Inspection period (from 15 – 10 days)
- Escalation Clause
- Appraisal Gap Contingency (offering to pay the difference in appraisal value & list price if any)
Having a broker who can help you navigate the process is key to presenting a competitive offer and obtaining the best possible deal.
Scheduling Vendors
Throughout the contract process, it is necessary to schedule and provide access to vendors ranging from Home Inspectors to Appraisers and Surveyors. Our team will schedule & arrange any appointments and inspections needed on your behalf.
Below are some of the most commonly used vendors:
- Lenders
- Handymen
- Roofing Contractors
- Painters
- Surveyors
- Mold Inspectors
- Real Estate Attorneys
- Arborists
Additionally, Monarch Realty’s broker, Cinthya Gaxiola, has dedicated a large part of her career establishing professional relationships with local vendors that may help guide and shape your purchase. Our vetted & tried vendors will ensure that you have an expert team on your side.
Contract Coordinator
Most Florida Real Estate contracts have a section called “TIME: Time is of the essence in this contract;” this is repeated multiple times throughout Florida’s “As Is” Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase and the Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase. Not meeting your contract deadlines can cost you thousands of dollars and may compromise your binder deposit.
Our team will help you keep track of your deadlines. Among the most important contract deadlines are included:
- Inspection Period
- Loan Approval Period
- Appraisal Contingency Period
- Final Walkthrough
Managing Ongoing Communication
Some of the elements that we will need to juggle are:
- Lenders
- Inspectors
- Cooperating real estate agents
- Appraisers
- Repairs
- Closing attorneys
It’s a full-time job!
Our team will coordinate all communication with third parties professionally and timely while keeping you informed about the progress. We understand that you are busy, and we will make every effort to facilitate the process.
Investor Buyers
Thinking about buying multifamily properties? Or are you searching for student units to rent on a per-room basis? Did you know that properties near UF do not necessarily yield the highest net earnings?
Having an experienced brokerage that understands the various rental markets and trends will help you make informed decisions.
Our team will provide you with:
- CAP Rate Analysis
- Comparable Sales
- Rental Rates
- Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) on a property of interest
- Assist you in obtaining estimates from needed/recommended improvements
FHA Buyers
FHA Loans are common among first-time buyers. Unfortunately, not understanding FHA guidelines and criteria may make it difficult to successfully purchase a property. Having an agent who understands the FHA process and guidelines, will help you successfully find and close on a property with an FHA loan.
FHA loans have:
- A cap on the amount that sellers can contribute towards a buyer’s closing costs.
- A longer loan approval process than conventional loans.
- Condition requirements that the property has to meet.
New Construction
Building a house is exciting! However, it is also one of the lengthier & more involved Real Estate Purchases than you will ever make.
- Many builder contracts do not have completion dates.
- Custom builders may require you to have a construction loan. This means that you may need a loan requiring a high down payment (between 20% – 30%) that will intermittently provide payment to the builder as the project is completed.
- Delays with materials, labor shortages, and weather can dramatically impact the completion date of your property. Delays can possibly add over a year to your schedule.
Our broker has helped many customers build homes with various builders. From choosing the builder to helping you select your interior finishes, having a team with experience in the construction process will help make this lengthy process smooth and enjoyable.
VA Buyers
Our Veterans deserve the best service they can receive!
While the VA loans have stringent criteria designed to make sure that the properties they finance meet or exceed safety & code standards, sometimes the restrictions can cause unexpected difficulties during the Real Estate process. Having a real estate team that is experienced with VA loans will not only ensure that our veterans find an amazing property, but also will improve their buying experience.
UF Student & Parent Buyers
GO GATORS! Did your son or daughter receive admission to UF and are thinking of purchasing a condo for the duration of their academic career? Or are you a professional student recently admitted to UF Medical School and would like to secure a property near UF for the next 3 – 5 years?
As a UF alumna, our broker, Cinthya, understands the unique housing needs of our upcoming & current UF Students and Faculty. Since the start of her Real Estate Career, Cinthya has helped many UF Students, UF Parents, and UF Faculty & Staff buy & sell property near the University of Florida.
You can be at ease knowing that by working with Cinthya, you are working with one of the few Realtors in Gainesville who have specialized knowledge & expertise in the UF student and residential market.