Tips to prepare your budget before buying a home
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
It’s virtually impossible to know what size home you can afford if you aren’t fully aware of how much money you are earning and how much you are spending each month. Start with your income: How much do you bring home after taxes and retirement plan contributions? Next, look at your expenses: What are your
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Important, Mortgage, Real Estate
Flood insurance: facts, fiction
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
ERIE, Pa. – June 20, 2017 – If a flood swamps your home, will insurance cover the damage? That depends on the value of your home, the amount of water damage and whether you have a flood insurance policy. Just a couple days after a heavy storm soaked the Erie area, let’s look at some
25 tips for first-time home buyers
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Buying a home can be a nerve-racking experience, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. Not only is it probably the biggest purchase of your life, but the process is complicated and fraught with unfamiliar lingo and surprise expenses. To make the first-time home buying journey a little less stressful, NerdWallet has compiled these 25
- Published in General, Housing Market, Local, Mortgage, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
Survey: Rising mortgage rates worry young buyers
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
CHICAGO – May 24, 2017 – Brokers should be happy to know that consumers are optimistic about both the U.S. economy and the real estate market, according to the latest Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices quarterly Homeowner Sentiment Survey. However, the possibility of rising interest rates has many potential homebuyers concerned – especially millennials. According to the
- Published in Housing Market, Investors, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
NAR: International sales to shape future real estate demand
Friday, 26 May 2017
WASHINGTON – May 22, 2017 – U.S. real estate markets are becoming increasingly international. Two trends – changing demographics from immigration and a growing interest from foreigners – are positioned to bolster home sales activity and prices, according to speakers at an international real estate forum organized by Realtor® University’s Richard J. Rosenthal Center for
- Published in Clearwater, General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
Study: Tampa Bay is nation’s second best area for first-time homebuyers
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
For first- time homebuyers, you can’t beat the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas. Despite steadily rising prices, both are relatively affordable compared to the West Coast and Northeast at a time when nearly half of all buyers are first-timers, a new Zillow report says. As millennials — those in the 18-34 age group — “reach
- Published in Blog, General, Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
First-time homebuyer mortgage options
Sunday, 14 May 2017
NEW YORK – Buying a home for the first time can be daunting. In addition to mountains of paperwork and new financial terms to sort through, you’ll face costs and fees that can quickly add up. Fortunately, many grants and programs exist to help first-time homebuyers. Here are some of them: FHA loan With this
- Published in Housing Market, Local, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
Property tax cap heads to 2018 ballot
Monday, 08 May 2017
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A top legislative priority of Florida Realtors passed on Wednesday. It gives voters the chance to make permanent a 10 percent cap in non-homestead property tax increases during the 2018 general election. The passage of SJR 76/HJR 21 successfully ends a nearly year-long effort by Florida Realtors to get the proposed amendment
- Published in Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
When will mortgage rates rise? What happens when they do?
Thursday, 04 May 2017
NEW YORK – At some point, mortgage rates will rise again. Americans have, so far, been resilient to rising mortgage rates, but a bigger impact could come soon, say Goldman Sachs economists. Housing’s share of the economy rose above normal levels from November to January, despite mortgage rates surging 60 basis points at the time.
- Published in General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, Tampa Bay
Will mortgage rates below 4% spur market?
Monday, 01 May 2017
WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates dropped below 4 percent last week for the first time since November, just as the crucial spring selling season gets under way. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.97 percent from 4.08 percent a week earlier; in mid-March, the FRM averaged 4.3 percent. The drop could encourage
- Published in General, Housing Market, Local, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, Tampa Bay
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