Randal Jenkins Team Blog

Amendment 3 and Your Property Taxes: What It Actually Does

October 7th, 2026

On November 3, Florida voters will decide Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment that changes how homestead property is taxed. It needs at least 60% of the vote to pass.

I get asked about this a lot, so here is what it does in plain terms. I’m not going to tell you how to vote. That’s your decision. My job is to explain what is on the ballot and what it could mean for your property.

What changes for homesteaded homeowners

If Amendment 3 passes, the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes rises to $150,000 starting in 2027 and to $250,000 starting in 2028. After that, it adjusts for inflation.

School taxes are not affected. Non-school taxes are the county, city, and special district portions of your bill, such as a fire district.

What it could save you

Florida TaxWatch estimates homeowner savings in 2027 ranging from about $352 to $1,810, depending on where you live. Your actual number depends on your assessed value and your local tax rates, so a calculator is a better guide than an average.

If you’re moving to Florida

This part gets missed. People who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, get the current exemption when they first qualify. The higher exemption begins in their fifth year of eligibility.

If you’re relocating here and buying in the next couple of years, budget your taxes on today’s exemption, not the new one.

Rentals and commercial property

For non-homestead property, such as rentals and commercial buildings, the annual cap on assessment increases drops from 10% to 5%. Investors don’t get the homestead exemption, but their assessed values would rise more slowly.

The other side of the ledger

Property taxes pay for local services. State estimates put the reduction in local revenue at about $5 billion statewide in the first fiscal year, growing to roughly $11.9 billion a year once fully in effect. The amendment does not provide replacement revenue. It requires counties and cities to direct property tax dollars to listed core purposes, including public safety, schools, and infrastructure.

Closer to home, a Florida Policy Institute calculator flags Pasco’s fire district bond as one of the larger local funding impacts.

Supporters point to lower tax bills for homeowners. Opponents worry about how local governments fill the gap. Both are fair questions, and both are worth understanding before you vote.

What it means if you’re buying or selling

The tax figure on a listing reflects the current owner’s exemptions and assessment. It was never a reliable estimate of what a new buyer will pay, and if Amendment 3 passes, the gap between the listing number and your number could change again in 2027 and 2028.

Before you make an expensive decision, run the tax number for your situation, not the seller’s.

If you have questions about how this could affect a home you own or one you’re looking at, call me. Straight answers.

Randal Jenkins
Florida Real Estate Partners, Real Estate Broker
American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)

Sources: Florida Chamber, Amendment 3 overview and revenue estimates; City of Port St. Lucie, What Florida Voters Should Know; ClickOrlando on the Florida TaxWatch estimates; Fox 13 on the Florida Policy Institute calculator. This post is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check your own numbers with the Pasco County Property Appraiser or a tax professional.
Rates Just Crossed 7%. If Your Home Has Been Sitting, Here’s the Reset.

October 7th, 2026
If your home has been on the market for a few months and the showings have slowed down, the market may have moved without telling you.

On October 1, Freddie Mac’s average 30-year fixed rate was 7.28%. A year ago it was 6.34%. That was the fourth straight weekly increase, and Federal Reserve officials have signaled they may not be done raising rates.

Here’s what that does to a buyer in Pasco County.

The math your buyer is doing

Take a $380,000 home with 10% down. At 6.34%, principal and interest run about $2,126 a month. At 7.28%, about $2,340. Same house, about $214 more every month, before taxes and insurance.

Now turn it around. The buyer who was comfortable at $2,126 a month last year can now carry a home of about $345,000 for the same payment.

If your price was set off last spring’s sales, some of your buyers just priced themselves out. You’ll feel it in showings before you see it in offers.

Price off what sold, not what’s listed

Ask for a fresh comparative market analysis built on homes that closed in the last 30 to 60 days. Active listings tell you what other sellers hope to get. Solds tell you what buyers actually paid.

If comparable homes closed below your asking price, buyers already know it. A 1% or 2% reduction rarely changes anything. A price that lines up with the solds usually does.

Listen to the feedback

Showing feedback is free information. If you hear “dated kitchen,” “smells musty,” or “price is high” more than once, that’s not an opinion anymore. That’s a pattern.

Do the small repairs. Deep clean, declutter, fix the leaky faucet, clean up the front yard. For big items like an older roof, a credit at closing is often cleaner than a rushed repair.

Solve the payment, not just the price

This is where higher rates actually give you something to work with. The buyer’s problem right now is the monthly payment. A seller-paid rate buydown or a closing cost credit goes straight at that problem.

Sometimes the same dollars do more for a buyer as a buydown than as a price reduction. Sometimes they don’t. Before you cut, have a lender run both numbers so you can see what each one does to the buyer’s payment and to your net. I’m also a licensed loan officer, so this is a conversation I have from both sides of the table.

If the price can’t move

Some sellers can’t go lower because of what they owe or what they need to walk away with. That changes the strategy. It does not eliminate your options.
- Owner financing. If you don’t need all of your cash at closing, carrying the note can open the door to buyers a bank won’t approve. Get legal advice before you offer it.
- Rent it. If you’re set up to be a landlord, renting buys time for the market to shift.
- Sell as-is. A cash buyer or investor will pay less, but if the home needs major work or time matters more than price, it can be the right call.
The bottom line

Rates moved. Buyers moved with them. A listing priced for last spring is competing in a market that no longer exists.

If your home has been sitting and you want a second opinion on price, presentation, or what a buydown would actually do for a buyer, call me. Let’s look at your options. No pressure.

Randal Jenkins
Florida Real Estate Partners, Real Estate Broker
American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)

Rate data: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 1, 2026. Payment examples are principal and interest only on a 30-year fixed loan with 10% down, for illustration. They are not a loan offer or a commitment to lend. Your rate and payment depend on your credit, loan program, and the market on the day you lock.
Why the Seller Is Selling Changes Everything

October 6th, 2026
Every seller wants the same three things. The most money, in the least amount of time, with the least amount of stress.

Nobody gets all three at full strength. Which one gives depends on one question: why are you selling?

That answer shapes the price, the timeline, the terms, and how the negotiation goes. It’s also the first thing a sharp buyer’s agent tries to figure out.

Motivation sets the trade-offs

Think about two sellers with the same house on the same street.

One is retiring and wants to move closer to the grandkids “sometime next year.” No mortgage pressure, no deadline. That seller can hold firm on price and wait for the right buyer.

The other has a job starting in another state in 60 days and is about to carry two house payments. That seller cares more about a clean, certain closing than squeezing out the last few thousand dollars.

Same house. Very different negotiations.

Motivation affects:
- Price flexibility. A seller with time can wait. A seller with a deadline often can’t.
- Timeline. A fast close, a delayed close, or a rent-back after closing can be worth more to some sellers than price.
- Terms. Seller credits for closing costs, selling as-is, repairs, even seller financing. What a seller will agree to follows what they need.
- How hard they push back. A seller who doesn’t have to sell can say no. That changes the whole tone.
How buyers and agents read it

Good agents ask. In this business we use a checklist for every new client called LPMAMA: location, price, motivation, agent, mortgage, appointment. Motivation is right in the middle because everything else depends on it.

When a buyer’s agent can’t ask the seller directly, they look for clues:
- The house is vacant
- It’s been on the market a long time, or the price has dropped more than once
- It’s an estate sale, or the owner lives out of state
- The listing remarks say “motivated seller,” “must sell,” or “bring all offers”
- Public records show the owner already bought another home
- The listing agent says too much on the phone
That last one happens more than you’d think. A buyer’s agent calls and asks, “What’s the story with the sellers?” and gets an answer like “They already closed on their place in Tennessee, they just want out.” That one sentence just cost the seller money.

Sellers: be careful what you say

If you’re selling, guard your reasons the same way you’d guard your bottom line.
- Don’t tell buyers at showings or open houses why you’re moving or when you need to be gone.
- Don’t post your moving date or your new house on social media while you’re under contract or on the market.
- Talk to your listing agent about what can be shared. Agree on it in advance.
On that last point: in Florida, a transaction broker generally can’t disclose a party’s motivation, or that a seller will take less than the asking price, unless you waive that in writing. Even so, have the conversation with your agent up front. Make sure everyone in their office who answers the phone about your listing knows the answer to “why are they selling” is “they’re ready for their next chapter,” and nothing more.

And if your agent writes “motivated seller” in your listing remarks, ask why. That phrase rarely brings a higher offer. It brings lower ones. I’d let that agent go.

Buyers: ask, then listen

If you’re buying, ask your agent to find out what matters to the seller. Sometimes the best offer isn’t the highest price. It’s the closing date the seller needs, or a quick inspection period, or letting them stay two weeks after closing. Give the seller what they need and you may not have to give them as much money.

Why someone is selling tells you more about the deal than the asking price does.

If you’re thinking about selling, or you’re looking at a house and want help reading the situation, call or text me at 727-409-4663. Before you make an expensive decision, let’s look at the complete picture.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
Signed a Buyer Broker Agreement? Read It Before You Switch Agents

October 6th, 2026
Here’s a situation I keep hearing about. A buyer signs paperwork with an agent, looks at houses for a while, finds nothing and drifts away. A month later they call a different agent about a house, or walk into a new construction sales office and sign a contract.

Then the first agent shows up with the agreement the buyer forgot they signed, saying a commission is owed.

We talked about this on the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour because I keep seeing these stories from agents in real estate mastermind groups. It’s avoidable.

What changed in August 2024

After the national lawsuits over real estate commissions, the industry changed how buyer agents work. Since August 2024, an agent generally needs a written agreement with you before showing you homes. Commissions are negotiable, and offers of buyer-agent pay no longer appear in the MLS.

The result is that almost every buyer now signs a buyer broker agreement early on. Many sign it quickly and forget about it.

What the agreement covers

A buyer broker agreement spells out the relationship:
- What the agent will do for you
- Their availability for showings
- How long the agreement lasts
- How the agent gets paid, and how much
That last one matters most. These agreements commonly say that if the seller doesn’t pay your agent’s commission, you will.

Here’s how that plays out. Your agent asks the listing agent whether the seller will pay the amount in your agreement. If the answer is no, your agent comes back and asks whether you still want to see the house. That’s a polite way of asking whether you’re prepared to cover it.

Before you sign

Read it. Check the term. If it says you’re working with this agent for a year, you are, whether you’re still talking to them or not.

Ask whether you can cancel. My own buyer agreements are cancelable. Say the word and we’re done. If I haven’t found you a house, I’m not going to hold you to a piece of paper.

Not every agent works that way. Some won’t show homes without a firm commitment, and that’s their choice. You just need to know which kind you’re signing.

Sellers can ask for the same flexibility. My brother Eric’s listing agreements let a seller release him at no cost any time before the home goes pending.

If you want out

Don’t just stop answering the phone and buy through someone else. While the agreement is in force, don’t buy a house without that agent.

Ask the agent to release you, in writing. If they won’t, go to their broker. Explain what’s going on and ask to be let out. The broker may or may not agree, but that conversation is far better than a commission dispute after you’ve already bought a house. If it does turn into a dispute, talk to a real estate attorney.

A buyer broker agreement doesn’t go away just because you forgot about it.

If you’re about to start shopping and want an agreement you can walk away from, call or text me at 727-409-4663. No pressure. Straight answers.

Watch the full episode: Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour on YouTube

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
Your Home Search Is Only as Good as the Filters Behind It

October 6th, 2026
You tell your agent what you want. Three bedrooms, two baths, two-car garage, under $500,000. A list of homes comes back, and you assume that’s everything on the market.

It usually isn’t.

On the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour, I ran live searches in the Pasco County MLS to show how much a buyer can miss without knowing it. The numbers below are what the MLS showed when we taped in mid-July 2026. They change every day. The lesson doesn’t.

“Exactly” is not what you want

When I searched for exactly three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage under $500,000, I got roughly 600 homes.

But would you take a four-bedroom? Probably. Three baths? Sure. A three-car garage? Of course.

When I changed each of those to “or more,” the count jumped to more than 1,500. Same budget. Same county. More than twice the choices.

If your search uses exact matches, you’re looking at a fraction of the homes that fit your needs. Ask your agent how the search is set up.

The checkboxes are only as good as whoever filled them in

Listing agents fill out a data entry form for every MLS listing. Plenty of fields get skipped, guessed at or filled in wrong. That hides homes from buyers and costs sellers buyers they never hear about.

A few examples from the show:
- Big dogs. When I checked only the small-dog option, about 30 homes came up. Adding the larger dog sizes brought it past 700. Homes with no deed restrictions, which generally means no pet limits, added hundreds more, and that field is often left unchecked. In one community, Plantation Palms, I called the HOA for five straight days before someone confirmed there were no pet size restrictions. Not one of the other listings in that neighborhood said so.
- Horses. About 78 Pasco listings were coded “zoned for horses.” When I searched for an acre or more with agricultural-type zoning instead, I found about 195. Over half the properties that might allow a horse weren’t tagged that way.
- Gulf access. The MLS lets agents describe a canal as brackish or saltwater. Buyers looking for Gulf access tend to search saltwater. In one neighborhood where I recently listed a home, three homes with Gulf access were marked brackish. Anyone filtering for saltwater never saw them.
What to do as a buyer
- Tell your agent what you’d accept, not just what you want. “Three or more bedrooms” is a different search than “three bedrooms.”
- Ask your agent to search by the underlying facts, like acreage, zoning or no HOA, instead of relying only on checkboxes.
- Don’t trust a listing’s pet, lease or deed restriction fields. Verify with the HOA or the documents, and confirm zoning with the county.
- Know the limits of Zillow. The MLS lets agents search on far more criteria than Zillow does. Zillow is fine for browsing, but it can’t search for many of these details.
If you’re selling

Same problem, other side of the table. If your listing leaves out the details your buyer is searching for, that buyer may never see your home. Ask your agent which fields they filled in and what keywords are in the public remarks.

The MLS is more than a listing platform. It’s a buyer-matching system, and it can only match what someone told it.

If you’re shopping in Pasco or the rest of Tampa Bay and want a search built the right way, call or text me at 727-409-4663. Let’s look at your options.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
The One Question to Ask Every Agent You Interview

October 6th, 2026
You can pull up a home value estimate, school ratings, a payment calculator and every active listing on your phone in five minutes. So what are you paying a Realtor for?

That question came up on the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour when we talked about AI and what it’s changing in real estate. My answer: you’re not paying for information anymore. Information is free. You’re paying for judgment.

Information is free. Judgment is not.

Travel agents used to control access to airline schedules. Stockbrokers used to control access to trades. Realtors used to control access to listings. The internet ended all three.

AI can now write a listing description, pull comparable sales, answer common questions, schedule showings and summarize an inspection report. It’s useful, and good agents use it.

Here’s what it can’t do. It can’t read the room in a tense negotiation. It can’t talk a hesitant seller into pricing realistically. It can’t keep a buyer steady in a multiple-offer situation. It won’t tell a buyer to walk away when walking away is the right call.

That’s the work you’re hiring. Nobody pays a commission because someone opened a door. You pay because you expect to net more, lose less, reduce risk, save time and avoid expensive mistakes.

Ask this question

If you’re interviewing agents to sell your home, ask each one: “What do you do different or better than other Realtors?”

Then listen closely.

If the answer is “I give great service,” “I really care about my clients” or “I’ve been doing this a long time,” you’ve learned nothing. Every agent says that.

If the answer is “I’ll put it in the MLS and it’ll go out to Zillow,” technology already does that.

A good answer is specific. It sounds like a list of things the agent actually does. When a seller asks me, I go down mine. A few of the items:
- A premium spot on Realtor.com, plus retargeting ads that follow people who clicked on the listing
- A 3D Matterport tour, QR codes on the sign and a lighted sign
- MLS remarks written with the keywords buyers search for, including features Zillow doesn’t let them filter on
- A marketing group of agents from other companies who also promote my listings
- An info tube with paperwork so drive-by buyers can grab the details
- A pre-listing inspection when it makes sense
- Disclosing other offers to buyers’ agents, which in my experience brings in stronger offers
You don’t have to want every item on that list. The point is that the agent should be able to tell you exactly what they’ll do for your home and why it matters.

Check their footprint before you call

Most people size up an agent online long before they pick up the phone. Use that.

Look at their social media and website. If all you find is holiday graphics, motivational quotes and a “just listed” post now and then, you still don’t know whether they know what they’re doing.

If you find market explanations, neighborhood updates, inspection lessons and closing stories, you’re seeing how they think before you ever meet them.

Read their reviews, too. Testimonials are the clients talking, not the agent.

The takeaway

Any agent can promise effort. The one worth hiring can tell you what they do differently and explain how it gets you a better result.

Thinking about selling and want to hear the full list? Call or text me at 727-409-4663. No pressure. Straight answers.

Watch the full episode: Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour on YouTube

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
Down Payment Assistance Isn’t Charity. It’s an Affordability Tool.

October 6th, 2026
Most people who plan to buy a house aren’t buying today. They’re getting ready to buy in three months, six months, a year.

So the real question is what you should be doing right now. My answer: work on your credit, and find out what down payment assistance you qualify for. Before you look at a single house.

Eric and I covered this on the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour, and it’s the topic I get the most pushback on. People hear “assistance” and decide it isn’t for them.

What down payment assistance is

Down payment assistance is money from state, county, city and other programs that helps buyers with the down payment, closing costs, or both. It comes in several forms:
- Grants you don’t pay back
- Loans you do pay back, sometimes with interest, like a second mortgage
- Loans with no payments or interest due while you own the home
- Loans that are forgiven if you stay in the house a certain number of years
There’s at least one program in every county, and some areas have dozens. Here in Florida that includes programs like Florida Hometown Heroes, which has been expanded to many people working for Florida employers, and county programs like SHIP in Pasco. Rules and funding change, so check what’s open when you’re ready.

Who it helps

More people than you’d think. Eligibility usually depends on things like household income, household size, the price of the home, where it is, and sometimes your job. Many programs are aimed at first-time buyers, and that definition is often broader than people assume.

Here’s what it can look like. A couple of years ago, a client of mine bought a $280,000 home with a $65,000 grant from Pinellas County. That’s the most I’ve ever seen, and most programs are smaller, but it shows what’s possible. What matters isn’t what you pay for the house. It’s how much you have to borrow.

The misconceptions

“I don’t need it. I have money.” Maybe. But assistance isn’t a safety net for people who can’t afford a house. It can lower what you bring to closing, help you buy a little more house, or, depending on the program, help buy down your interest rate. Ask yourself: can I buy without dipping into my emergency fund or my kids’ college money? That’s where these programs earn their keep.

“It’s free money, so it’s easy.” It isn’t. You fill out applications on a platform, sometimes more than once. Some programs require a homebuyer class. You might be asked for paperwork you don’t have handy. This is a hoop-jumping contest, and the people who jump get the house.

“I’ll find the house first, then figure out the money.” This is backwards. Programs have price limits and property rules. Find out what you qualify for first, then shop for homes that fit.

Why it’s worth the effort

Run the numbers. On a $300,000 house with an FHA loan, 3.5% down is about $10,500. Add closing costs, which I estimated on the show at around $8,000, and you’re near $20,000 before you get the keys. Assistance can cut that number way down, or free up money to lower your payment for the next 30 years.

How to find out what you qualify for

Start here:
- Watch my one-hour down payment assistance webinar. It walks through how these programs work and what to expect.
- Use my down payment assistance search and application portal. You enter your information and it shows which programs you may qualify for. It’s a Realtor-sponsored platform, and you can look up a specific house to see how many programs it may qualify for.
Then talk to me. I’m a loan officer with American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417, and I can walk you through the results, which programs fit, and how they work with your loan. If you don’t qualify yet, I’ll tell you what to work on so you’re ready in a year or two.

Don’t shop for a house first. Shop for the money first.

Call or text me at 727-409-4663. No pressure. Straight answers.

Watch the full episode: Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour on YouTube

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
MLS, a Sign, and a Prayer Is Not a Marketing Plan

October 6th, 2026
Every seller wants the same three things. The most money, in the least amount of time, with the least amount of stress.

So when you’re interviewing Realtors to sell your house, there’s one question that matters more than the rest. What are you going to do that the other agents won’t?

Eric and I spent a whole episode of the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour on this. I asked AI for a thousand ways to sell a property. It told me there aren’t a thousand, and gave me 170. Most of them were the same handful of ideas cut into smaller pieces. That’s actually the useful part. Selling a house comes down to a few things done well.

The three-point marketing plan

There’s an old joke in this business. The three-point marketing plan: put it on MLS, put a sign in the yard, and pray.

A lot of listings are marketed exactly that way. MLS matters. It feeds Zillow, Realtor.com and the other sites automatically. But being on MLS is the minimum. Every agent does it. It doesn’t set your house apart from the other twenty in the same price range.

A property doesn’t sell because it’s on MLS. It sells because the right buyers saw it, understood it, and had their questions answered before they asked.

What a real plan looks like

Here’s what I’d expect to hear from an agent who’s earning the listing:
- Pictures that match the house. Photos can make a house look better than it is, worse than it is, or like it is. Aim for “like it is” or a little better. If buyers walk in and feel misled, you’ve lost them, and you’ve wasted everyone’s showing time.
- Remarks that lead with features. Three bedroom, two bath, two-car garage, block home, fenced yard. Put that on the first line. Buyers scroll fast. Nobody needs a paragraph telling them a kitchen is where you cook.
- The right keywords. MLS has hundreds of searchable fields, from flood zone to septic to pets. Financing words matter too: FHA, VA, conventional, cash. If your house qualifies for something a buyer is filtering for, it needs to show up.
- A sign that works after dark. A lighted sign, a flyer box, and a QR code that goes to a single-property website. A lot of people don’t want to call an agent. They just want the price. Let them get it.
- Video and 3D walkthroughs. Out-of-state buyers are common here. A walkthrough lets them see the layout before they get on a plane.
- Paid exposure. Some agents pay for enhanced placement on sites like Realtor.com and Homes.com so your listing gets pushed to buyers searching for what you have. I do. Ask whether they do.
- Neighborhood outreach. Door knocking to invite neighbors to an open house, neighborhood newsletters, just-listed mailers. Neighbors often know who wants to move in.
Two things to watch for

First, don’t confuse pretty with effective. I’ve seen plenty of expired listings with professional photos and professional video. They didn’t sell. On a luxury home, professional media is a must. On a typical three-two in the middle of the market, price and accuracy matter more than polish.

Second, pricing is still the foundation. Good marketing gets more buyers to look. It won’t get them to pay more than the market supports. If an agent tells you what you want to hear on price, ask them to show you the sales that back it up. And if you’re stuck between what you want and what the agent says, a pre-sale appraisal can settle the argument with someone who has no stake in it.

What to ask in the interview

Ask every agent the same question: “Walk me through exactly how you’ll market my house in the first two weeks.” Then compare the answers. The agent who says “MLS and a sign” is telling you the truth about their plan.

The market decides the price. Your agent decides how many of the right buyers find out about it.

If you’re thinking about selling and want to see what I’d do with your house, call or text me at 727-409-4663. Let’s look at your options.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
You Have a Pre-Approval. Do You Have a Loan Estimate?

October 6th, 2026
You call a Realtor. You say, “I’m pre-approved.” The Realtor says, “Great, let’s go shopping.”

That’s the usual conversation. It skips the most important question.

The question is: do you have a Loan Estimate?

This came up on the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour when Bill Yingling, team lead of the Yingling Group at LPT Realty, joined me. We were talking about what goes wrong for buyers, and we landed in the same place. The biggest complaints people have about buying a house usually come from two things. Nobody followed up, and the mortgage turned into a nightmare. A lot of that nightmare starts right here.

A pre-approval is not a price

A pre-approval tells you a lender is willing to lend you a certain amount. That’s it. It does not tell you what the loan is going to cost.

A Loan Estimate does. It’s a standard form lenders give you after you apply, and it lays out the interest rate, the monthly payment, the lender’s fees, any points you’re paying, and the cash you’ll need at closing. Because every lender uses the same form, you can lay two of them side by side and compare.

Here’s what most buyers are never told. Those numbers are negotiable.

The rate is negotiable. The lender fees are negotiable. You can shop the same loan with more than one lender and see who gives you the better deal. A pre-approval letter can’t show you any of that. A Loan Estimate can.

What to compare

When you have two or three Loan Estimates in front of you, look at:
- The interest rate, and whether you’re paying points to get it
- The origination and lender charges
- The estimated cash to close
- The monthly payment, including taxes and insurance
Don’t just look at the rate. A low rate with high fees can cost you more than a slightly higher rate with low fees, depending on how long you keep the loan. Ask the lender to walk you through it line by line. If they won’t, that tells you something.

And don’t let fear of your credit score stop you from shopping. Mortgage credit checks done within a short window are generally treated as a single inquiry for scoring purposes.

The surprise at the closing table

Bill made a point I agree with completely. Agents worry about the first impression. The impression that matters most is the last one.

Picture this. You’re at the closing table. The title company slides the numbers across. There’s an amount on there you weren’t expecting. Nobody warned you. Nobody helped you compare. You’re signing anyway because the moving truck is already loaded.

Who do you think that buyer blames? The Realtor, usually. And they’re not wrong to expect more.

I’ve told agents for years that our job is more like air traffic control. We’re told to stay in our lane and let the lender and title company do their thing. But when nobody is watching the fees, the buyer pays for it. Asking about the Loan Estimate early is how you avoid that.

Yes, I’m a loan officer

Full disclosure: I’m a loan officer with American Mortgage Services, and a broker with Florida Real Estate Partners. So take this for what it’s worth.

Shop me too. Get my Loan Estimate and put it next to somebody else’s. If theirs is better, take it. I’d rather you get the right loan than the wrong one from me.

A pre-approval gets you in the door. A Loan Estimate tells you what you’re actually paying.

If you want a second set of eyes on a Loan Estimate you already have, or you want to know what one should look like before you start shopping, call or text me at 727-409-4663. No pressure. Straight answers.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)
Before You Buy Vacant Land: A Due Diligence Checklist

October 6th, 2026
You can learn a lot about a house by walking through it. Vacant land doesn’t tell you much. You can’t see zoning, easements, wetlands, flood risk, or whether power can reach the lot. The most expensive surprises are usually underground or on paper.

We spent a whole segment on this on the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour in June. Here’s the checklist version.

Start with one question

What do you want to do with the property?

A homesite, horse property, RV living, a mobile home, commercial use, or a long-term hold each need different checks. A parcel can be perfect for one and worthless for another.

The checklist

Zoning and use:
- What is the current zoning, and can you build?
- What’s the minimum lot size, and what are the setbacks?
- Are mobile homes, RVs, or animals allowed?
- Verify with the county’s planning and zoning staff, and get the answer in writing. Never assume.
- Check the county’s long-range plan to see where water, sewer, and roads are planned.
Deed restrictions:
- Even if zoning allows it, the deed may not. RV storage, mobile homes, livestock, and commercial use are often restricted.
Access:
- Physical access isn’t the same as legal access. A road can exist without you having a right to use it.
- Is the road public or private? Are there recorded easements and a maintenance agreement? Is the parcel landlocked?
- If the road is dirt, ask whether a future paving assessment could fall on the property owners.
Utilities:
- Is electric available? Public water? Sewer? Natural gas? Internet?
- If power isn’t at the lot, a new pole can run $5,000 to $7,000.
Septic:
- Can the soil support a septic system and drain field, and will the county approve it? Budget $15,000 to $20,000. A site that fails septic may not be buildable.
Well:
- How deep are nearby wells, and what are the water quality and quantity? Plan on $15,000 to $30,000 or more, depending on location.
Flood zone:
- Check the FEMA flood maps. A flood zone can mean higher building costs, an elevated foundation, insurance requirements, and less buildable area. Talk to your builder.
Wetlands and soil:
- Wetlands can change everything. A 5-acre parcel may have only one acre you can build on.
- Review wetland maps and delineation studies. Look for poor drainage, fill requirements, sinkhole concerns, and unsuitable soils. You may need a geotechnical study.
Gopher tortoises:
- In Florida, gopher tortoises are listed as threatened, and both the tortoises and their burrows are protected under state law. They have to be relocated, with a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, before land clearing or development. If you see burrows, budget for it. MyFWC.com has details.
Environmental history:
- Was it a dump, fuel storage site, farm, or near industrial use? Contamination can create real liability. You buy it, you own it.
Survey and title:
- Have the title company order the survey, in time for closing, so your title insurance covers the boundaries. They usually get a better price, too.
- Metes-and-bounds descriptions cost more to survey than lot-and-block, especially when a corner sits out in the wetlands.
- Check for liens, judgments, boundary disputes, and mineral rights issues.
- Confirm the seller is the actual owner. Vacant land is a favorite target for deed fraud.
Total cost and financing:
- Add impact fees, clearing, fill dirt, a driveway, well, septic, and utilities. A $50,000 lot can need $75,000 or more before construction begins.
- Land loans usually mean larger down payments, higher rates, shorter terms, and fewer lenders.
Access problems can sometimes be fixed

I once had a seller with a landlocked parcel left over from a divorce split. Nobody would buy it. We worked out a swap with the neighbor: we gave them some of our land plus some cash, and they gave us a 40-foot strip along the length of their parcel. That strip became the access road and made the parcel a flag lot. Some problems can be fixed like that. Some can’t. Know which kind you have before you buy.

The real question isn’t “Can I buy this property?” It’s “Can I legally and economically use it the way I intend?”

I have a full due diligence checklist for land buyers. Call or text me at 727-409-4663 and I’ll send it over. Before you make an expensive decision, let’s look at the complete picture.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)

What changes for homesteaded homeowners

What it could save you

If you’re moving to Florida

Rentals and commercial property

The other side of the ledger

What it means if you’re buying or selling

The math your buyer is doing

Price off what sold, not what’s listed

Listen to the feedback

Solve the payment, not just the price

If the price can’t move

The bottom line

Motivation sets the trade-offs

How buyers and agents read it

Sellers: be careful what you say

Buyers: ask, then listen

What changed in August 2024

What the agreement covers

Before you sign

If you want out

“Exactly” is not what you want

The checkboxes are only as good as whoever filled them in

What to do as a buyer

If you’re selling

Information is free. Judgment is not.

Ask this question

Check their footprint before you call

The takeaway

What down payment assistance is

Who it helps

The misconceptions

Why it’s worth the effort

How to find out what you qualify for

The three-point marketing plan

What a real plan looks like

Two things to watch for

What to ask in the interview

A pre-approval is not a price

What to compare

The surprise at the closing table

Yes, I’m a loan officer

Start with one question

The checklist

Access problems can sometimes be fixed