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
March madness for Tampa Bay home sales with double-digit price increases
Sunday, 23 April 2017
This home in Land O’ Lakes sold for $1.125 million in March, making it Pasco County’s top sale of the month. [Courtesy of Tom Carr/Christopher Williams] This gulf-front home in Belleair Shore sold for $4.809 million in March, making it Pinellas County’s top sale of the month. [Courtesy of Cary John] This home in
- Published in General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, Tampa Bay
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
Tampa Listed As One of the Nation’s Healthiest Housing Markets
Wednesday, 05 April 2017
Diana Olick | @DianaOlick Monday, 27 Mar 2017 | 1:30 PM ETCNBC.com Sluggish housing recovery takes a bite out of the economy Monday, 27 Mar 2017 | 8:23 AM ET | 03:23 Housing remains in high demand in most of the nation, but the housing recovery looks increasingly uneven, depending on location. Whether buyers are shopping
- Published in Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg, 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
Granite countertops take second place to quartz
Thursday, 23 February 2017
WASHINGTON – Jan. 25, 2017 – Granite is falling out of favor with homeowners. The engineered stone of quartz instead is displacing the long-reigning granite as the top-choice for kitchen countertops. “About 75 percent of our clients are opting for quartz over granite,” says Bill Millholland, executive vice president of the design-build firm Case. “More
- Published in General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg