First-time home buyers in Cutler Bay: every step explained first

An older detached house gives you land and character, and it asks you to budget for what a house of that age needs. The roof, the updates and anything added over the years all deserve a close look. Cutler Bay lets you look up permit and inspection records online, so you can see what was permitted before you fall for a room that may not have been. Some first-time buyers love the idea of improving a house over time. Others learn during the inspection period that they'd rather not, and it's better to know that about yourself early.

A townhome or attached home usually trades some space for less exterior upkeep, and it almost always comes with an association. Lakes by the Bay, for example, includes attached options across several sections, and those sections differ in their association arrangements. The fees, the rules and the association's budget become part of what you're buying, so I make sure you get the association documents early, before you sign anything. Lakes by the Bay has its own page if it's on your list.

A home in a newer subdivision may give you a more recent floor plan. It can also carry association costs, and it still needs the same flood check as every other address in town.

Many first-time buyers tell me the contract stage is where they felt most lost. The inspection period, usually 15 days in my contracts, is your window to have the home inspected and understand what you're buying. I recommend having the inspection done within the first 5 to 10 days, depending on the property. On an older Cutler Bay house, I'd use part of that window to compare the inspector's findings with the town's permit records. On an association home, it's when we confirm the documents say what we expected them to say.

Your deposit is held in escrow by the title company, and the amount is your decision. The closing is usually handled by a title company, which the buyer typically chooses. Before I show you a single home, we sign a written buyer broker agreement, and I go through it with you line by line. You'll hear every explanation from me directly, in English or Spanish. The full approach is on my first-time buyers page.

Mike G. described buying with me this way: "Nanci is awesome and helped us find the perfect house for us! She is patient, kind and willing to negotiate. She listened to our needs and was available for anything we needed through the whole process. Highly recommend!"

Your first months as a Cutler Bay homeowner come with a few tasks worth knowing about in advance. If the home is your primary residence, ask the county property appraiser about the homestead exemption. Keep your closing documents, your inspection report, your elevation certificate if there is one, and your insurance papers together, because you'll want them again when you renew a policy, renovate or sell.

If you plan to add a room or rework the house later, check the town's permit requirements before you start. The same online records you used as a buyer will one day be read by the person who buys from you, and a clean permit history is part of what you'll be able to hand them. When a question comes up about a contractor or an insurance renewal, you can call me with it. My commitment doesn't end at the closing table.