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
Real estate investing: Who they are, where they buy
Saturday, 04 March 2017
IRVINE, Calif. – Feb. 23, 2017 – Who is buying homes? A study by ATTOM and Clear Capital, “Landlord Land,” analyzes the “who.” It’s a deeper look at the recent real estate boom that has seen home prices flirt with all-time highs even as the national homeownership rate remains near its 50-year low. “Though prices
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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
Higher inflation one more reason to buy a home now
Sunday, 19 February 2017
NEW YORK – Jan. 20, 2017 – Annual inflation hit a 21/2-year high in December amid rising gasoline prices as a core measure of inflation increased moderately. The consumer price index rose 0.3 percent, the Labor Department said Wednesday, matching economists’ estimates. Prices were up 2.1 percent the past year, the largest annual jump since
- Published in General, Housing Market, Important, Investors, Local, Luxury, Mortgage, News, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
4 reasons luxury real estate will flourish in 2017
Saturday, 11 February 2017
NEW YORK – Jan. 16, 2017 – Luxury real estate agents should start 2017 with enthusiasm they have reason to be optimistic about their sector. This year will bring its share of exciting developments, innovative design, progressive trends and brand new technology to the high-end real estate market. There is never a standstill in this
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Which Tampa Bay neighborhood home values will rise most this year? The answer may surprise you.
Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Most Tampa Bay residents have never heard of Westminster Heights. But the St. Petersburg neighborhood could give a lot of bang for the buck when it comes to investing in real estate this year. Lying south of Central Avenue between 49th and 58th Streets S, Westminster Heights tops Zillow’s list of the five bay area
- Published in General, Housing Market, Investors, Local, Luxury, Real Estate, South Tampa, St Petersburg
How can buyers get a lower mortgage rate?
Friday, 03 February 2017
NEW YORK – Jan. 10, 2017 – Though mortgage rates have jumped in recent weeks, it’s still possible for buyers to get a lower rate if they “buy the rate down,” also known as “paying points.” But they should weigh the pros and cons carefully to decide if that’s the best move. “Buying your rate
- Published in General, Housing Market, Mortgage, Real Estate
Tampa, once dubbed dangerous for bicycling, now one of ’50 Best’ in U.S.
Monday, 30 January 2017
TAMPA — Just two years ago, Tampa was receiving brickbats for being one of the most dangerous cities to navigate on two wheels. The Tampa Bay region had just been named one of the worst metropolitan areas for bicyclists and pedestrians. The same report by the National Complete Streets Coalition dubbed Florida the most dangerous
- Published in Blog, General, Local, News, South Tampa