Mortgage lenders optimistic about 2017
Tuesday, 18 April 2017
NEW YORK – April 12, 2017 – Continued economic improvement should give first-time homebuyers the boost they need to enter the market. In fact, about three in five independent mortgage lenders (59 percent) in a recent survey predict an increase in first-time homebuyers in 2017. The prediction comes from The Lenders One Cooperative, a national
- Published in General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
Developers move forward with 36-story condo tower in Channel district
Sunday, 16 April 2017
Tampa developers are reviving plans for Del Villar, a long-dead Channel district condominium tower. Mercury Advisors, the group behind the $90 million Channel Club— a Publix Super Markets Inc. store and 21-story apartment tower under construction on East Twiggs Street — are planning a 36-story condo tower at the corner of East Whiting Street and
- Published in General, Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is enjoying a hotel boom. Could a five-star be coming?
Thursday, 13 April 2017
With the opening of the Opal Sands and Wyndham resorts on Clearwater Beach in the last 14 months, the Tampa Bay area gained 678 new hotel rooms. Sound impressive? Wait until you see what’s coming. Over the next few years, at least 27 new hotels with a total of 4,000 rooms are expected to start
Developers break ground on new Marriott hotel on Rocky Point
Sunday, 09 April 2017
Hotel developers, Lifsey Real Estate & Holdings Inc. and Pinnacle Hotel Management, held a ground breaking ceremony Thursday to celebrate the start of construction on a new hotel called Current, an Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott, located at 2500 North Rocky Point Dr., in Tampa. TAMPA — Officials broke ground on a 10-story hotel
- Published in Clearwater, General, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, Tampa Bay
Could rising mortgage rates be good for housing?
Saturday, 01 April 2017
NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve is finally taking more action to raise its short-term rates. Last week, it voted to raise the Fed funds rate by 25 basis points. That is expected to add pressure to mortgage rates, too. Many housing analysts fear that rising mortgage rates could further impact home affordability and lead
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
Reverse mortgages: Myths vs. realities
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
STUART – There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding reverse mortgages. I’ve highlighted six here that seem to come up most often in conversations with clients. I hope these will help when considering whether a reverse mortgage is the right path for you. Myth No. 1: The lender owns the home You will retain the
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Local, Mortgage, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
How will housing change over the next decade?
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
NEW YORK – March 7, 2017 – Your 10-year outlook: Expect business to get busier, but be ready for some major demographic shifts in housing. Housing demand over the next decade will be significantly higher than today, predicts Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), in his latest column at Forbes.com.
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
Kitchen features buyers will pay more for
Thursday, 16 March 2017
CHICAGO – Dec. 6, 2016 – A great kitchen can help sell a home, and real estate professionals are spotlighting it in their marketing. Of all the homes listed for sale on realtor.com, 69 percent of the listing descriptions highlight the kitchen as a selling point. Forty-nine percent mentioned the bedrooms and 35 percent highlighted the
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
Move-up buyers: Sell or rent out your original house?
Sunday, 12 March 2017
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 30, 2017 – Many homeowners who need to move decide to sell their current home so they can have plenty of cash to buy their next digs. Still, though, some might wonder: Should I sell or rent out my house? It’s a good question. Owning rental property, after all, brings in
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, Real Estate
Home improvements: Which ones recoup the most money?
Wednesday, 08 March 2017
NEW YORK – Jan. 19, 2017 – If a home improvement project costs $1,000, how much money will the homeowner get back if he sells the home – his return on investment (ROI)? In 2017, only attic insulation recoups more than its cost. The 2017 Cost vs. Value Report looked at 99 U.S. markets and
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate