Why should You choose Michael J. Gallo, Realtor® and Florida Luxury Realty

When it comes time to sell your home, you want to hire the

best real estate professional for the job.  Your home is your family's largest investment and having an experienced Realtor® on your side is very important.  The Gulf Home Sales Team and Florida Luxury Realty are here to assist you with all of your real estate needs.  I take the time to listen to you, understand your goals and provide you with the information you need to make the right decisions about the sale of your home.

Starting my real estate career as a loan originator for a local mortgage broker, you can count on my years of experience in the industry to make the sale of your home easier. The Gulf Home Sales Team's goal is to provide you with the best service possible and Florida Luxury Realty allows us to do this through the stellar support and technology of the Brokerage. Leaving a big franchise and moving to Florida Luxury Realty allowed my team and myself to assist customers better with more training and education and a luxury home program and education that is of the highest quality. 

Over the past few years I have served on the West Pasco

Board of Realtors Education Committee and I was the 2013 Co-Chairperson and the 2014 Chairperson. My dedication to education and training has assisted me to help customers just like you better.  Our technology and marketing programs which help you get your home sold are unparalleled in our industry.

Contact me today to schedule your private consultation to discuss your family's real estate needs and goals.

Michael J. Gallo, Realtor® & The Gulf Home Sales Team 

"Moving You Forward"

Ballantrae in Land O'Lakes Florida - Elegant Family Living

Ballantrae in Land O'Lakes Florida encompasses 436 acres of

land along State Road 54 in Land O'Lakes Florida. Located just east of Trinity and just north of Odessa, Ballantrae is a highly desired community of varied home styles and values just minutes from the Suncoast Parkway and approximately 20 miles north of Tampa. Ballantrae Community Development District is responsible for financing and maintenance of the communities infrastructure and common amenities for the 969 homes in the community. You may search for available homes in Ballantrae here.

Ballantrae amenities include:
Ballantrae Park, Clubhouse, Community Pool, Children's Play

area, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts and also includes the gazebo in Ayrshire and the enclosed pool in Straiton.  Ballantrae is a family oriented community which provides activities for residents of all ages. School information can be found here.

Residences in Ballantrae vary in design and style and each home provides you with elegant living while maintaining a sense of community and family lifestyle.  The Gulf Home Sales team as created by Michael J. Gallo, Realtor provides homeowners in Ballantrae the highest level of real estate service and professionalism.  We also provide comprehensive services to home buyers who wish to purchase a residence in Ballantrae.  Contact me to schedule your private and confidential real estate consultation to discuss your specific real estate needs and goals.
written by Michael J. Gallo, Realtor

The Florida Home Buying Process for All Home Buyers

The Florida Home Buying Process can be a very easy

and enjoyable experience when you use the services of the right real estate professional.  You may be unsure about the home buying process in Florida, and I understand how confusing it may seem.  This is why I wanted to share some key points about the home buying process.

Your First Step: Getting Pre-Qualified by a Lender. It is imperative to your home buying process that you are Pre-Qualified by a lender before you start looking at homes. Your qualification will tell you how much of a mortgage you can get and home much home you can buy. Your pre-qual is important to make an offer in a timely fashion. Your pre-qualification or Pre-Approval letter MUST accompany your offer on the home.

Your Second Step: Your offer was accepted and now you must deliver your escrow, if you haven't done so already. 

Your Third Step: Mortgage application. I will send your

mortgage professional a copy of the contract. Your job is to call them and get your mortgage application going. Your contract will state that you have a certain number of days to apply for the mortgage. I will generally write 3 or 5 days depending if there is a weekend. **contracts use calendar days**

Your Fourth Step: Inspections. Your offer is accepted and the contract has been signed by all parties. Now the clock is ticking and we have a limited number of days to perform all inspections and decide based on the inspections whether or not you continue with the purchase. If you decide to not buy the home you must notify the seller in writing within your inspection period as stated in the contract.

Your Fifth Step: Insurance. In Florida you will need to purchase your first years insurance policy in full prior to closing. You can have your insurance held in escrow by your lender and pay it in your monthly payment. If you do this, you still need to pay for your first year of insurance up front and prior to closing. **cash buyers need not do this**

Your Sixth Step: Wire Transfer to the Attorney or Title

Company conducting the closing. One to two days before closing you can wire your funds to close to the Title company. Your closing funds must be received by the closing agent in order to close on your home purchase.

Your Seventh Step: Walk Through. You have the ability to conduct a final walk through the day before or the day of your closing. The purpose of the walk through is to verify that any repairs were completed and that the home is empty. If you requested repairs, do your walk through the day before closing to give you time to have them repaired in case they weren't. 

Your Eighth Step: Closing. Your closing funds are already

sent. Your walk through is completed and you are ready to get the keys to your new home. If you are present at the closing, you get your keys that day. When we meet at closing you will need to have your drivers license with you. The title agent will sit us down, take your license and go make copies. Then we sign a lot of paper work for your mortgage lender and the title agent will take those pages and send them off to the lender for approval. When they return we continue signing a lot of other paperwork for the deed and disclosures. Generally, when we are done with the second round of paperwork the mortgage company approved the package that was sent and we are good to go and congratulations are in order and you receive the keys to the home you just purchased.

If you or anyone you know is interested in buying a home in Florida or if you have further questions about the home buying process in Florida, Contact Me Today