End Veteran Homelessness!

Make A Difference To End Veterans Homelessness!

To become a HUD-VASH landlord In Hillsborough County contact Tampa Housing Authority 813-253-0551 and ask for Sue Peacoe sue.peacoe@thafl.com or go to the websitehttp://www.thafl.com/Depar.../Assisted-Housing/HUD-VASH.aspx

To become an SSVF landlord in Hillsborough County contact 1. St. Vincent de Paul at 813-999-8967 Greg Williams greg@svdpsp.org or 2. Tampa Crossroads at 813-238-8557 Ext. 301 for Marie Galbraith mgalbraith@tampacrossroads.com

You have the means to make a huge difference, by becoming involved in these programs. If you are a landlord, please consider these options! Click on the link above for more information.

Diversity Across the USA!

Most recent "diversity" map for the US is pictured above.  To see how the country has evolved from the 1960's to now.... and projections for the future, click on the "Diversity Map" link below.  A very interesting read, for sure!  See how YOUR state ranks!

Diversity Map, 1960's to the 2000's....

2015 Gearing Up To Be A Successful Real Estate Year!

Hopeful Signs for Real Estate in 2015!

2014 saw some stability in housing prices.  Builders have seen a renewed increase in sales.  Interest rates are still at historical lows, allowing buyers to purchase "more house" for less payment.  Here's hoping the market continues to increase at a steady pace!  Click on the "Hopeful Signs" link above for the complete article from the National Association of Realtors!

TBT- 1987, My First Home!

TBT takes me back to my first home.  Purchased in 1987 for $49,000, this lovely 900sf 2BR 1 BA home with a detached 2 car garage on a 30ft wide, 125 ft. deep lot, in Riverdale, IL.  It is a 1952 post-Korean War bungalow, typical in many of the Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs.  Lathe and plaster walls, real brick, gravity heat (big old octopus arms in the basement with a huge chamber, NO air conditioning.  First project was to build a bar in the basement, followed by the deck off the back, then creating sliders from the kitchen to the deck.  I loved this house!  One of the favorite things here was to decorate and entertain for Christmas.  I have included a few different shots of the exterior at the holidays and the first "village" I did in the basement, which stayed up all year, but was added to, each year.  Many of you were in this home, jam packed, on occasion, as I remember over 110 people in the house for one party!!  It was after that one I decided to have multiple parties, focusing on different groups.  One never forgets their first home purchase.  I lived here for 9-1/2 years.  I sold this home for $69,000, just couldn't crack that $70,000 mark!! haha

TBT: My First Closed Sale

TBT for the blog!!  This is the first closed sale I made as a Florida Realtor!  One always remembers their "first"!  Biggest issues for the client......  "There aren't enough phone jacks in the house!"  "Why isn't there a phone jack in the kitchen?"  "You would think people would have put a phone jack here!"  "I cannot make an offer on a house that doesn't have enough phone jacks!"  Once I convinced him they can actually put more in....... we made a decision! LOL!! 

 

It has been a wonderful ride since this home, taking me to all points of the Tampa Bay area!  Hundreds of satisfied clients later, I still enjoy seeing the faces of folks when they finally get that perfect home....

 

 

As of Friday, November 15, 2013, our office will be moving to the Shoppes of Boyette, near Riverview High School.  For the next few days, phone service to the office may be interrupted, so please be patient.  You may always reach me directly at 813-494-4702.  We are very excited about this move!

The Single Buyer!

More singles are entering into the market! Properties make a great investment and could be turned into rental property should marital status change. Click on the title for the complete article!

15 yr. rate below 4% and 30 yr. still below 5%!

The signs are still there that this is a great time to purchase that home! With rates this low, it makes sense! Click on the title for the complete article! There are a lot of options out there. Let me know how I may assist you in your next purchase.

Rates drop under 5%!

Rates took a dip, under 5% this week. Click on the title for the full article. Prices are low and rates are low.... Perfect combination to purchase!

Interest rates inch higher!

Interest rates are STILL at historical lows. Now is a GREAT time to purchase! Click on the headline to get the rest of the story!

Home sales up in December!

Everything is pointing in the right direction to get off the fence and purchase a home. Click on the title for the complete story, then contact me to purchase your next home!

New Listing! South Bay Lakes

Lovely 1414sf 3/2/2 home in South Bay Lakes. No CDD fees, yet the community has a pool and playground for the residents. This home is sold in conjunction with the military HAP program and is listed at $105,000! Click on the title and it will take you to the listing for your review.

Tampa Bay Prices Unchanged, NOT Down!

Tampa, Florida
May 2009 Home Price Index
One-Month Change: 0.0%
One-Year Change From May 2008: -20.8%
Peak Month: July 2006
Source: S+P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index

Prices Rise for First Time Since 2006!

According to the latest S+P/Case-Shiller data, the 20-city index rose 0.5 percent from April to May, although it is still down 17.1 percent year over year from last May. After 16 consecutive months of record annual declines, beginning in October 2007 and ending in January 2009, the index has now shown four consecutive months of improvement.

Pending Home Sales UP For Third Month!

WASHINGTON – June 2, 2009 – Record low mortgage interest rates boosted pending home sales for the third consecutive month, with some benefit now from the first-time buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in April, rose 6.7 percent to 90.3 from a reading of 84.6 in March, and is 3.2 percent above April 2008 when it was 87.5.

“Housing affordability conditions have been at historic highs, but now the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit is beginning to impact the market,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “Since first-time buyers must finalize their purchase by Nov. 30 to get the credit, we expect greater activity in the months ahead, and that should spark more sales by repeat buyers.”

The Pending Home Sales Index in the Northeast shot up 32.6 percent to 78.9 in April and is 0.8 percent above a year ago. In the Midwest the index rose 9.8 percent to 90.4 and is 11.1 percent above April 2008. The index in the South slipped 0.2 percent to 93.0 in April but is 3.5 percent higher than a year ago. In the West, the index rose 1.8 percent to 94.8 but is 2.9 percent below April 2008.

NAR President Charles McMillan says there are numerous buyer assistance programs around the country. “Some states are offering bridge loans that allow first-time buyers to use the tax credit for downpayment and closing costs, but there are many other local government and nonprofit programs available to buyers, depending on location.

“Just last week, HUD announced that qualifying buyers can use the tax credit for closing costs on FHA loans to buy down the interest rate or make a larger downpayment.”

NAR’s Housing Affordability Index (HAI) is in record territory. The index rose to 174.8 in April from an upwardly revised 171.9 in March, and was the second highest monthly reading on record after peaking at 176.9 in January of this year. The HAI is a broad measure of housing affordability using consistent values and assumptions over time, which examines the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income. Tracking began in 1970.

A median-income family, earning $60,900, could afford a home costing $296,800 in April with a 20 percent downpayment, assuming 25 percent of gross income is devoted to mortgage principal and interest. Affordability conditions for first-time buyers with the same income and small downpayments are roughly 80 percent of that amount. The affordable price was well above the median existing single-family home price in April, which was $169,800.

Yun cautions that the reporting sample for pending home sales is smaller than that of existing-home sales, so it is subject to greater variability.

“In addition, the relationship between contracts on pending home sales and closings on existing-home sales is taking longer than in the past for several reasons,” Yun says. “Mortgage processing time has increased, it is taking many months to close on those homes requiring short sales with lender approval, and some sales are falling through at the last moment.”

The total number of existing-home sales is expected to improve but with dramatic local market variation in the timing of recovery. “The market has already bottomed in some areas, but this is an unusual housing cycle with some areas improving rapidly while others languish or decline,” Yun says.

© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Details of FHA's $8K Downpayment Advance

WASHINGTON – May 29, 2009 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released more details today about its program to help first-time homebuyers use a tax credit as part of a downpayment.

HUD announced the program on May 12 at the National Association of Realtors® Housing Summit. In the interim, HUD posted an announcement and then immediately took it down, leading to speculation that the program would be pulled. In response, HUD said the rules had simply not been finalized, and the original announcement had been posted in error.

“We’ve been eager for word from the federal government since the new FHA downpayment assistance plan was announced, and even more so after the program details were first published and then quickly pulled,” says John Sebree, FAR vice president of public policy. “Luckily, that turns out to be a minor setback and there will be a federal downpayment program to complement the $30 million we were successful in securing in the Florida budget.”

The most significant change involves the amount of downpayment required by qualified first-time homebuyers. FHA mortgages require a 3.5 percent downpayment, and the $8,000 tax credit cannot be used to override that requirement. Once the 3.5 percent downpayment requirement has been met, however, the tax credit can be applied to additional costs, including a higher downpayment, paying points to lower the mortgage rate, and/or closing costs. Lenders will treat the tax credit money as a second lien on the home until it’s paid back.

“Mortgage industry leaders have indicated that this type of product may not be immediately available to consumers,” says Sebree. Since lenders will oversee the tax credit loan, they must create internal programs to handle the process.

Lenders have some flexibility on payback requirements for the upfront loan of the tax credit, though HUD also created rules to protect homebuyers from onerous terms. To read the complete overview in Mortgagee Letter 2009-15, go here.

© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Two Points!

The $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit has received a lot of attention lately, but it has also overshadowed another big reason to buy a home now: record-low interest rates.

In May, 30-year mortgage rates of 5 percent were widely available. That's down from January's already-low 5.8 percent, and two percentage points less than in August 2008.

How important is two points? On a $200,000 home, a buyer could save $257 per month ($3,084 per year) by buying now rather than last August. On a $200,000, 30-year fixed rate mortgage, the monthly payment difference is:

• 7 percent: $1,330 monthly (rates in August 2008)
• 6 percent: $1,199 monthly (rates in December 2008)
• 5 percent: $1,073 monthly (rates in May 2009)

© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Home Sales UP!!!!!

Sales of existing single-family homes in Florida rose 25 percent in first quarter 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to FAR - the third consecutive quarter for higher existing home sales. Statewide existing condo sales in the first quarter rose 19 percent compared to 1Q 2008. Nationally, NAR says sales of all housing types slipped in the first quarter.

Lakes Of Cristina New Listing!

This MacKay, former model, Grand Aruba floor plan has well over 2700sf of open living space, 5BR, 4BA, POOL and a THREE car garage! The home boasts custom molding, built-in wall unit that can house a large screened TV, wired for surround sound andsliders leading to the screened pool. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet, dual sinks and a coffee bar with small refrigerator. The Bonus Room (5th BR) comes complete with a full bath! The kitchen has plenty of light oak cabinetry, including 42" uppers, built-in desk, pantry, breakfast bar and more. There is plenty of room to entertain in this home and additional space is available out on the ample lanai. The large laundry area has a built-in ironing board. The home comes with hurrucane shutters that cover the lanai. There are many other features you will have to view to appreciate. The home is located in an excellent school district and is walking distance from Riverview High. The home's location allows an easy commute to Tampa and surrounding areas. This home has everything you want and more! Priced at $289,900!

Fast Fixes to Sell a Home!

It's not rocket science: Houses that look fresh and attractive sell faster than beat-up homes. Here are some cheap tricks from Money Magazine for boosting appeal:

• Buy a new mailbox, house numbers, doorbell and knocker: $200
• Green the grass with nitrogen-rich fertilizer: $50 to $200, depending on the lawn's size
• Edge and mulch flowerbeds: $300 to $600, depending on the number of beds
• Replace the bathroom faucet: $300
• Install beadboard over dated bathroom tile: $800 to $1,000
• New paint: $60 to $100 per room if homeowners do it themselves
• Replace switch plates and outlet covers: 50 cents each
• Install stone tile over existing Formica countertops: $500 to $1,000