For Buyers | John Andrew Homes — Orlando & Central Florida Real Estate

For Buyers

The price is the smallest number in the deal.

Everybody negotiates hard over the sale price and then gets blindsided by everything else. In Central Florida, “everything else” is a lot: HOA dues, CDD bond debt, insurance that reprices every renewal, property taxes that reset the year after you close, and a roof or an AC that may be closer to the end of its life than the disclosure suggests.

My company services hundreds of homes in these communities. I know what these systems cost to fix because my crews are the ones fixing them. So before you write an offer, I'll put a real monthly number in front of you — not the payment estimate on a listing site.

And I'll tell you when to walk. That's not a sales line; it's the most valuable thing I do.

Front porch of a new home in a Central Florida community

New construction & resale across Orange, Osceola & Polk

The Real Cost

What I check before you get emotionally attached.

HOA health, not just HOA dues

Reserves, recent special assessments, pending litigation, and what the board has been discussing. A low monthly due with an empty reserve fund is a bill you haven't received yet.

CDD bonds

Many Central Florida communities carry Community Development District debt on top of taxes, sometimes for decades. It's often buried in the tax bill and missed entirely.

Insurance before you're under contract

Florida insurance can make or break the payment, and roof age drives it. We get a real quote early, not a placeholder the lender guessed at.

Taxes after reassessment

The seller's tax bill is not your tax bill. If they had a homestead exemption and a long-held Save Our Homes cap, your number can be dramatically higher. We calculate yours.

Roof, AC and water heater age

The three items most likely to hand you a five-figure bill in your first few years. I'll give you my honest estimate of remaining life and replacement cost in this market.

Rental rules, if that matters to you

Whether a community allows long-term, mid-term or short-term rental is set by the association documents and local ordinance — not by what the listing says. We verify it in writing.

How It Goes

The process, start to finish.

A real conversation first

What you want, what you can comfortably carry every month, and what your life looks like in three years. No representation agreement required to have this conversation.

Get properly pre-approved

Not pre-qualified — pre-approved, with documents reviewed. I'll introduce you to lenders who actually pick up the phone, and you can use anyone you like.

Narrow the map before the houses

We settle on communities first. It's far easier to compare three houses in the right area than thirty houses across four counties.

Tour with someone who looks past the staging

I'm checking the attic, the air handler, the drainage and the roof line while you're looking at the kitchen. Both matter. Only one of them is expensive.

Offer strategy that fits the actual market

Inventory and days-on-market vary sharply community to community here. We price your offer to the real conditions on that street, not to a national headline.

Inspection, and what to do with it

An inspection report is a list, not a verdict. I'll tell you which items are genuinely serious, what they cost to fix, and which ones are worth pushing on in the repair negotiation.

Close — and then still have my number

Need a cleaner before move-in, a handyman for the punch list, or a roofer in year two? That's my other company. You don't start over hunting for contractors on Google.

What You're Buying Into

New construction, resale, or investment.

Each one is a different game with different traps. I'll tell you which one actually fits what you're trying to do.

Home under construction in a Central Florida community — New Construction

Kitchen in a Central Florida home — Resale Homes

Open living space in a Central Florida home — Investment Property

Buying new construction

The builder's sales agent works for the builder. Bring your own representation — it typically costs you nothing and it matters at the design center, on the incentive package, on the lender tie-in, and on the walkthrough punch list. Register me on your first visit; after that it can be too late.

Buying resale

Older homes in established areas often deliver better value per square foot — if you go in with clear eyes on the roof, the electrical panel, the plumbing and the windows. This is where my maintenance background pays for itself.

Buying investment

I'll model it honestly: realistic rent, vacancy, management, turnover, maintenance reserve, insurance and taxes. If the deal only works on optimistic assumptions, I'll say so. Short-term rental eligibility must be confirmed in the association documents and local ordinance for the specific address — never assumed.

Common questions

How much do I need for a down payment?

Less than most people assume, and it depends on the loan program. There are options well under 20%, and Florida has down-payment assistance programs some buyers qualify for. The real constraint is usually the monthly payment, not the down payment — which is why we start there.

What does it cost me to have you as my agent?

We'll put it in writing before we tour anything, so there are no surprises. Buyer-agent compensation is negotiable and can be structured in several ways — including being paid by the seller or the builder. I'll walk you through the options and what each one means for your cash to close.

Is now a good time to buy?

That depends entirely on you, not on the market. If you're stable, you plan to stay several years, and the payment fits comfortably — timing matters much less than people think. If any of those three isn't true, I'll tell you to wait, and I'll mean it.

Can I buy a home and rent it on Airbnb?

Sometimes — and it is far more restricted across Central Florida than it used to be. Eligibility depends on the specific community's association documents, the zoning, and the county or city ordinance, plus state and county licensing and tourist-tax registration. I won't let you buy on an assumption. We verify it in writing for that exact address before you're committed.

I'm buying from out of state. Does that work?

Yes, and it's common here. We do video tours, remote inspections and remote closings. The part that trips people up is underestimating insurance and HOA costs from a distance — which is exactly the part I'm going to be blunt with you about.

Let's Talk

Let's run your real numbers first.

Tell me your budget, your timeline and the areas you're considering. I'll come back with an honest monthly cost of ownership — before you tour anything and get attached.

Call or Text: 863-443-6890
Email: john@vacationhomehelp.com
Book a Call: Grab a time on my calendar →
Serving: Orange, Osceola & Polk Counties, Florida

Get a straight answer

I read every one of these myself. Usually back to you same day.

Your Name

Phone

I'm looking to

Area you're interested in

Anything I should know?

By sending this you're asking me to reach out — nothing more. No obligation, no representation agreement, and I don't sell or share your information.

I'll talk you out of the wrong house as fast as I'll talk you into the right one.