FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

• You can retire to this wonderful environment pregnant with natural beauty, fresh clean breeze 
• Surrounded by rich history
• You can enjoy the best health care facilities in the region at the just completed Scarborough general Hospital
• Raise you family in the peaceful natural environment
• Build a vacation home in the serenely peaceful Arnos Vale Tobago.

How you fulfill your dreams? We have two options!

1. Choose one of our reasonably priced nine (9) road front plots and build your unique design. Or contract APEX CONSTRUCTION Consultants and Contractors Limited to develop a design with you and build your dream house
2. Alternatively, you can make a down payment on one of our condos, which will be built on Plot # 11. 

DECORATING IDEAS

So you have finally secured your new property! 
It's time to fix it up. Consider these decorating tips for your various spaces from these sites:

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/index.html

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/living-rooms

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/quick-easy-home-decorating-ideas-0612#slide-1

 


APEX can supply any interior decor finish that you desire.

FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS - TIPS

Are you a first-time home buyer eager to get into the market? Here are steps to take to help you decide whether you're ready to take the plunge.

1. Check the selling prices of comparable homes in Tobago. Real estate web sites can give you a general idea of what you should expect to pay. 

2. See what you can afford. Use a mortgage calculator to see what your payment would be. To get a sense of the maximum you should spend. 

3. Find out what your total monthly housing cost would be, including taxes and homeowners insurance. To get a feel for the maximum amount you should spend, including taxes and insurance, use a home affordability calculator. 

4. To get an idea of what you'll pay in insurance, pick a property in the area where you want to live and make a call to a local insurance agent for an estimate. You won't be obligated to get the insurance, but you'll have a good idea of what you'll pay if you buy. . Just remember that exemptions and the intricacies of local tax laws can create differences between what a homeowner is currently paying and what you can expect to pay as a new homeowner.

5. Look at your budget and determine how a house fits into it. Fannie Mae recommends that buyers spend no more than 28% of their income on housing costs. Go much past 30% and you risk becoming house poor.

4. Find out how much you'll likely pay in closing costs. The upfront cost of settling on your home shouldn't be overlooked. Closing costs include origination fees charged by the lender, title and settlement fees, taxes and prepaid items such as homeowners insurance or homeowners association fees. 

6. Talk to reputable real-estate agents in your area about the real-estate climate. Do they believe prices will continue falling or do they think your area has hit bottom or will rise soon? So consider whether you're ready for the expense and effort of homeownership before pulling the trigger

7. Remember to look at the big picture. While buying a house is a great way to build wealth, maintaining your investment can be labor-intensive and expensive. When unexpected costs for new appliances, roof repairs and plumbing problems crop up, there's no landlord to turn to, and these costs can drain your bank account.

FINAL WALK THROUGH

Final walk-throughs are not a home inspection. It's not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it a contingency. A final walk-through is an inspection performed anywhere from a few hours to five days before closing, and its primary purpose is to make certain that the property is in the condition you agreed to buy -- that agreed-upon repairs, if any, were made and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it.

Buyers are often pressed for time as the day draws near for closing, which means buyers can be tempted to pass on the final walk-through. It is never a good idea to forgo the final walk-through.

What to look for

You should use the final walk-through to make sure everything is as it should be with the property. While it may be tempting to relish the moment, you really need to look over the home with unbiased eyes.

In your purchase agreement there will be a list of items that are staying with the house. Make sure all of these items are still there. If you negotiated for the crystal chandelier, make sure it hasn’t been removed or replaced with something else.

Likewise, everything that isn’t staying with the house should have been removed or at least neatly boxed up. Assume that all the articles in and around the house will be there when you move in. Check the garage, basement and attics, as well as the yards, for unwanted items and junk.

Also in the purchase agreement there might be a list of repairs that were to be made before closing. Have they been completed? The best way to be sure is to ask for copies of receipts for work done.

Make sure there is no new damage. In the process of moving out, did the seller’s furniture scratch the floors or walls? Also, look for signs of mold or water damage that developed after you had the property inspected.

Make sure everything works

Go through the house room by room, making sure all lights, faucets and appliances are functional. Turn on appliances such as the washing machine and dishwasher to make sure they work. Make sure you have copies of warranties and owner’s manuals for appliances.

Make sure all doors and windows open and close easily and can lock and that there are no missing screens or storm windows. Determine whether the cooling systems operate properly. Check to see if electrical outlets are in place and undamaged, and if circuit breakers are labeled. Outside lights, hoses and so on also need to be checked. Don’t forget to go through the garage.

What if something’s wrong?

If you spot defects, tell your Agent, who will help you get them cleared up before the closing. The seller, having spent untold hours on the sale of this property, is very eager to close the deal and will most likely comply with any request.

If you’re thorough in the final walk-through there will be no surprises after the closing. Then you can put all your attention on setting up your home just the way you want it.

THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG WITH REAL ESTATE SALES

When closing the deal on a real estate sale, a combination of stress and excitement can lead to mistakes being made. Little slip-ups and oversights can cause major delays and frustration when it is time for closing. Having an idea of what problems you can expect will keep these common errors from happening in your sale as well.

Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is not reading the details of paperwork closely enough. Even simple errors like typos and the misspelling of names can take hours to correct once the papers have been signed. Catching these errors early will speed along the process.

Another problem to look out for is a money transfer not getting to the seller by the appointed day. This is usually a bank problem, with the delay being on their end. However, you can prevent this from happening by either bringing a check to the closing meeting, or wiring the money to the seller a few days in advance.

One final problem to look out for is the loan documents going missing. If sent by mail to you, there may be inexplicable delays that force an alteration in the deadlines. Keep this from happening by demanding expedited shipping with tracking

The appraisal kills the deal

When a seller wants to sell a home and finds a buyer who wants to buy it, you'd think they'd have a deal. What could go wrong?

These days, plenty. In this tough financial climate, there are both longstanding pitfalls and a crop of new ones. At best, these can cost you time or money. Or both. At worst, the home you want could slip from your grasp.

Even after you and the seller have agreed on a price, the appraiser — the expert assigned by the bank to authenticate the home's value — can ruin everything.

A little background: Your lender needs to know that the home you're buying is worth what you're paying. Banks are touchy on this subject at the moment. They own countless foreclosed homes and stand to inherit millions more from defaulting borrowers. Your lender wants to be sure your new home won't be added to this pile.

Appraisers arrive at a home's value in part by comparing recent sales of nearby homes. But falling prices, and foreclosures and short sales in the neighborhood, make these comparisons tough.

Your sale can suffer if the appraiser doesn't know the neighborhood, which can lead to sloppy, hasty and inaccurate appraisals.

QUALITY FINISHES

QUALITY ALL THE WAY THROUGH

APEX has for the last six years assisted in the purchase of land suitable to the needs of several clients in Tobago and produced the finest quality homes to suit their needs on these lands.

Our owner has had over 20 years experience in producing quality homes prior to founding APEX.

OUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY HOUSING PRODUCTS SUPPORTS OUR QUALITY GUARANTEE TO YOU

SAFETY

SAFETY

Tobago continues to enjoy the lowest levels of crime in the region. With family oriented culture people still maintain a casual vigilance on each other's property. Any strange or unusual visitors to the village are noted by passers by. Everyone knows who theirs neighbours are. 

Several communities are still close knit and caring.  Homes are not readily built with burglar proof but alarm systems  are now included in several modern constructions.  THIS FACT MAKES IT THE IDEAL COUNTRY TO HAVE A RELATIVELY CRIME FREE LIFE.

Apex Construction advises on, procures and oversees the installation of the most suitable alarm system for your home, (should you desire it).

There is an old saying, “a man’s home is his castle,” but what if someone invades your castle; stealing your personal possessions and potentially, harming your family? 

A well thought out home security system may be the answer to such an occurrence. What are the benefits of having home alarms?

Security against unwanted entry: Regardless of the motive, any home invasion is always unwanted. When a security system is purchased and installed, part of the package are window stickers and yard signs. This is the first psychological barrier against unwanted home invasion. If the thief knows the home is secured with an alarm system, he may think twice about attempting to break in.

Loss prevention: Burglars are considered opportunistic criminals, they have no intention of hitting a particular house; they roam around a neighborhood, find a likely soft target and break in. A security system is something that will, in most cases, force them to find a more likely target of opportunity.

Safeguarding lives: Some burglars may become hostile if they are interrupted by the homeowner while they are robbing the place. If they don’t get in to start with, the chances of a violent encounter are remote but if they do, you will be forewarned by the alarm and sit tight until help arrives.

Insurance discounts: Most home security reviews indicate that insurance companies, on average, give a 20% discount on the home insurance premium if you have a security system installed. The insurance companies do this because they know that homes that are secured are less likely to be burglarized.

Upgrading of property value: Should you move, your home will have a higher resale value because of the security system which is in existence. The new owner will only have to change the monitoring plan to his name, no further expense will be necessary.

Relaxation: When you get home after a hard day’s work, all you really want to do is relax in the comfort of your home. A home security system makes you feel safer and more secure.

Value for money: Many home security systems are tied to fire alarms and flood sensors. You get far more than just a system that will help prevent break-ins.

When you consider the alternatives, I think you will agree that the benefits of having a home security system far out-weigh the costs.

MORTGAGE NEWS

The Central Bank reported today (June 2, 2014) that the Mortgage Market Reference Rate remains unchanged at 2.25 percent in June 2014.

The report noted that the commercial banks and their affiliated non-bank financial institutions are expected to apply the MMRR plus a margin to all existing residential mortgage loans that are due to be re-priced as well as new mortgages granted from June 2, 2014.

The margin will be negotiated between the commercial bank and customer. The margin takes into account the customer’s credit rating, the location of the property, the size of the down payment and the size and quality of collateral. The next MMRR announcement is scheduled for September 1.

During his second Monetary Policy Forum in Tobago on May 27, the Central Bank Governor, Jwala Rambarran noted that "Record low mortgage rates continue to spur demand for real estate mortgage financing.


Although such loans continue to record double-digit growth to March 2014, and there has been an increase in property prices, there is no compelling evidence to suggest overheating in the residential property market. More importantly, commercial banks have maintained their prudent mortgage lending standards."

://www.central-bank.org.tt/pdf/Public%20Education%20Pamphlets/The%20Residential%20Mortgage%20Market%20in%20T&T.pdf

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE

Given all of the expenses that come with owning a home, it's reasonable to wonder if homeowners insurance is just another seemingly useless expense. The answer is no, it's not useless -- in fact, homeowners insurance is essential. Not only will a good policy save you money in the event that something happens to your home or belongings, an insurance company can also help you with other matters, like making your home more resistant to natural disasters. And though having homeowners insurance isn't required by law, most mortgage lenders require you to have homeowners insurance in order to borrow money from them. If you live in a condominium you may also be required by your tenants' agreement to have homeowners insurance.

Even if you have a relatively new, well maintained house, homeowners insurance can help you in situations that may not be preventable. Say, for example, that you are having a dinner party at your house. A group of guests is gathered on the back patio, and one of the guests trips on a loose tile and breaks his ankle. You, as the homeowner, are potentially liable for the guest's injury. The right homeowners insurance policy should protect you against legal action and pay for the injured man's medical bills.

Different policies exist for renters, owners of mobile homes, people seeking bare bones coverage and those living in homes that are very old, but most homeowners will purchase what is called an HO-3 policy. This insurance policy covers your home and its contents against damage and theft, as well as you, the owner, against personal liability if someone is injured while on your property. 

This coverage also includes damage caused by pets and most major disasters, though floods and earthquakes require separate policies. Homeowners insurance does not cover problems that result from poor maintenance or general wear and tear. A basic homeowners insurance policy should also cover other structures on your property and should provide for living expenses in case you are not able to live at home after a fire or other insured disaster. The amount of coverage provided for each of these items varies depending on the insurer and the type of policy.

One of the first things you need to know about your policy is the liability limit. The liability limit determines how much coverage you have should something happen to your home. These limits usually start at $100,000, but policies can be purchased with much higher limits. Most experts recommend that you have at least $300,000 to $500,000 of coverage, depending on the value of your home.

When someone talks about the amount of coverage they have, or their liability limit, they are probably referring to the coverage for their home -- that is, for the amount of money it would cost to rebuild their home given the price of materials and labor in the area. This amount is not the same as the purchase price of your home, which accounts for factors like the value of the land. A quick estimate of your rebuilding cost can be done by multiplying your home's total square footage by the building cost per square foot .

While your liability limit is a reflection of the amount of coverage for your actual home, other structures on your property, such as a garage, are usually covered for 10 percent of that amount. Coverage for personal belongings usually falls somewhere between 50 percent and 70 percent of the amount of coverage on the structure of the home. And, as mentioned earlier, in case you have to live somewhere else because of damage to your home, most plans cover costs of living away from home -- hotel, restaurants/food, etc. -- up to 20 percent of your home's liability limit. Other policies may provide unlimited coverage for living expenses but only for a limited period of time.

Now that you know why you need it, take a look at what it is you're buying from these companies;

Sagicor - https://www.sagicor.com/Pages/default.aspx 
Pan American - http://www.palig.com/

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES



Building your home is a major investment. In addition to 'foundation to finish' construction, APEX Construction offers Design, Design Build and Turnkey services.

Just accept one of our designs available upon request or bring your own and apex will procure all approvals and construct your home to all specifications and to the highest quality standards, to meet your budget.