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Can I Buy a New Home Before I Sell My Current Home?

There are a few circumstances where you can and may prefer to purchase a new home before selling your previous home. If you are in a hot seller’s market where homes are selling quickly, for example. If you are buying new construction, you have extra time to sell your current home while your new home is being built. But what options do you have if you are buying a new home that is move-in ready?

The first thing to do is see if you can qualify to carry both mortgages at the same time. Since you will own two homes […]

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Buying Your First Home? Our Tips on How to Furnish It

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Congratulations on becoming a first-time homeowner!

If you’re younger, it’s a major part of adulting. If you’re older, it’s a satisfying goal reached. You’re probably ready to assume the expenses and obligations involved, but you may not have thought much about how you’ll fill your new spaces.

Furnishing your new home is a bit more complicated than assuming you’ll transfer everything in your current home, to your new one. To start, you’ll likely have more space than you’ve had in the past, which can be intimidating.

Read on for tips on how to furnish your first new home.
Inventory what you have
Well before […]

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How to Be a Good New Neighbor, Part II

In Part I, we talked about how you and your family can become welcome members of your new Florida community.

To sum it up, if you want good neighbors, be one. Many of you likely heeded the tactics in Part I during previous moves.

But, let’s talk about the one topic that can cause neighborly strife: pets.

Our pets are family members and most folks understand that. Not everyone loves pets, however. And there’s no quicker way to get on a new neighbor’s wrong side than having to apologize for your best animal buddy.

So read on for some practical, neighborly ways to […]

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How to Be a Good New Neighbor, Part I

Whether you’ve just moved into a new custom Florida home, or are in the process of doing so, assimilating into your new neighborhood should matter to you and yours.

Getting to know your neighbors, and perhaps making some new friends, can improve the quality of everyone’s community life. Kids grow up with their buddies down the street. Adults share advice, pizza, beverages and yard tools.

Involved — or least cognizant — neighbors can ensure the Homeowners Association works for, and benefits everyone (preferably without drama!).

There are lots of reasons to be a good new neighbor. Here are some helpful reminders.
Limit your […]

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Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need: Home-Buying Choices to Avoid

Searching for a new custom Florida home means making many crucial decisions. Some already might be made for you if you’re moving to a certain place due to job changes, retirement or for family reasons.

But the decisions about what kind of community you’d like to live in, and what types of services, shopping and recreational amenities you’d like nearby, sometimes feel like the tip of the decision iceberg. There are so many things to consider when buying a new home, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Being focused, however, does pay off. Overspending on things you don’t need is one […]

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Buying a New Energy-Efficient Home? Don’t Forget These Tried and True Tactics

Being mindful of the environment is a must for many home buyers and builders today.

If you’re shopping for a new custom Florida home with a priority on energy efficiency, well, you’re in the right place with ICI Homes.

We’ve been building custom homes all over the state of Florida for more than four decades, and every home we build is an EQ Factor home. That means cutting-edge building techniques, materials and a dedication to environmentally friendly homes.

You know you’ll have an airtight, healthy and cost-efficient new abode to feel good about. But once you move in, you can contribute too. […]

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Beige is Okay: How to Use This Versatile, Timeless Color

If you’re one of those people who thinks beige is the planet’s most boring color, we at ICI Homes are here to convince you otherwise.

Any color can be boring if it’s overused, underutilized, or the tired default choice because “it goes with everything.” But there’s much more to beige than the color most of us don’t even notice because it’s so common.

Read on for some fresh ideas on how to use this versatile, timeless color.

Beige is more than one color

The easiest way to understand this is to visit a paint store. Or, the paint department of a home improvement […]

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How Does My Loan Type Affect My Appraisal?

You might think all appraisals are the same, but a buyer’s choice of financing has an impact on the process. It can affect who can perform the appraisal, the minimum health and safety standards the house must meet, and the cost of the appraisal.

Appraiser qualifications
Not all appraisers can perform every type of loan appraisal. Appraisers must be individually certified to do conventional, VA, and FHA appraisals. Your lender will typically order conventional and FHA appraisals from an AMC (Appraisal Management Company). VA appraisals must be ordered directly from the VA.
Property standards
While all appraisers must comply with Uniform Standards of […]

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Home-Buying Lingo Explained: What’s a Leaseback?

We at ICI Homes thought you might like us to define some of the terms used in the homebuilding industry.

Unfamiliar slang and jargon can confuse potential customers searching for, or building, a new custom Florida home. And who wants to go through such an important process feeling like you need a Homebuilding 101 translation app on your smartphone?

If you don’t understand a term, your alternatives are to (A) simply ask for an explanation, (B) pretend you know what the term means, or (C) google the term once you’re out of sight of the person who used it!

Our goal is […]

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How to Keep Your Guest Room Ready Year-Round

You live in Florida. Know what that means?

Visitors.

If you’ve just moved to Florida or are planning to, be sure the new custom home you’ll build with us is equipped with at least one guest room and handy guest bathroom.

You probably have extended family members and friends who can’t wait until you move, so they can visit you and enjoy the nearest beach, Florida attractions and balmy weather. And yes, plan for that guest room to get a regular workout.

Never had a guest room? Read on for helpful hints on how to keep yours prepared year-round.
It can’t be the junk […]

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