Archive for the 'Buyer News and Tips' Category
Palm Harbor Realtors on Why Getting a Mortgage Gets Tougher Every Day
August 25th, 2010 categories: Buyer News and Tips, Mortgage Updates
Palm Harbor Realtors on Upcoming Mortgage Industry Changes
As Palm Harbor Realtors we’ve been studying up on the Financial Reform Act that became law last month. Government regulators will be interpreting the law and creating rules for years to come, so it’s too early to tell how many of the facets of this sweeping legislation will affect you the homeowner.
In July, RISMedia reported that CMPS Institute (a leader in the mortgage industry) had this to say: “The main takeaway for homeowners and buyers is that mortgage rates are currently very low, and lending guidelines are not as bad as they could be once the new law goes into effect. This means that if you can qualify for a mortgage now, you should do so, and not gamble your homeownership goals on the future impact of the new law”.
They cited that it’s going to get harder to qualify for a mortgage even if you’ve got a great credit score, plenty of equity in your home (should you have one already), and have plenty of cash. And they certainly aren’t alone with their prediction that we’ll all be Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Pinellas Homes for Sale: Is Asbestos Lurking? What to Do.
November 30th, 2009 categories: Buyer News and Tips
Older Pinellas Homes for sale can contain asbestos. This post comes to us from Joe Lederman from the Mesothelioma Cancer Center and Asbestos.com. Joe’s a writer that’s been recognized by the New York Times, and we are publishing this post to help spread the word about the dangers of asbestos. ***
With its location in the southeastern part of the United States, Florida is known for its tropical weather, sandy beaches, tourist and culture hub. With so many incredible and diverse features, what potential home buyer would not take the opportunity to call this state their home?
The journey to purchasing a home is an enjoyable time in one’s life. But it is one that will bring many additional responsibilities. Having the assistance of a reliable and experienced Tampa/Sun Coast Florida real estate agent can make all of the difference during this process.
Asbestos
Many older homes built prior to 1980 may still harvest obsolete and corrosive building materials which can create health concerns. Living in the 21st century, there is a renewed importance towards environmental sustainability, green construction and Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: No Comments »
Predictions for the Tampa Bay Real Estate Market … When Will we Hit Bottom?
December 17th, 2008 categories: Buyer News and Tips
The #1 question on the minds of those thinking of buying a Dunedin home or a Palm Harbor home is “When will we hit bottom?”. Timing the real estate market is no easier than trying to time the stock market. This graph illustrates this point.
We recently reviewed the benefits to buying a Pinellas home now. Pinellas real estate over the long term has always historically appreciated, n0t to mention there are many tax saving and intangible emotional benefits to home ownership. And whoa ….. interest rates are ridiculously low. If you’re a first time homebuyer looking for an FHA loan, you’ve got critical timing issues to consider that can affect your wallet.
Now is the time to be investing in Pinellas real estate, because by time the bottom has been officially announced in the St. Pete Times, it will be staring at us in the rear view mirror.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Buying a Dunedin Home? All about the $7,500 Tax Credit and Is It Good for Me?
December 9th, 2008 categories: Buyer News and Tips
Since HR3221 went into effect on July 30th, there’s been enough nationwide analysis and debate to make even a Palm Harbor Real Estate professional’s head spin! Today, let’s focus on one wonderful little piece of that legislation – the $7,500 tax credit!
Am I Eligible?
- The $7,500 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only for any home in the U.S. If I haven’t owned a home in the past 3 years, I qualify!
- I must be a U.S. Citizen and file my taxes.
Will the Palm Harbor Home I’d Like to Buy Qualify?
- Any Tampa Bay home qualifies as long as it’s my principle residence.
Do I Earn to Much Money to Qualify?
- Dunedin home buyers filing as single or head-of-household can claim the full $7,500 if my adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $75,000.
- Married couples filing jointly can double that to $150,000.
- Single or head-of-household taxpayers who earn between $75,000 and $95,000 are Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: No Comments »
Surf the Tampa Bay MLS Like a Realtor
November 15th, 2008 categories: Buyer News and Tips, Greater Tampa Bay Homes
There’s this cool new technology that will let you search for that nice piece of Dunedin real estate by surfing the Tampa Bay MLS just like a Realtor does. It’s free, it’s easy, and you can sign up here.
It’s called Listingbook. You’ll see new listings as they hit the market, price changes, contracts that go pending, how many days a home has been on the market and so on, just like we do. You get to drive the bus and customize your searches any way you like, and as often as you like.
We’ve been offering Listingbook for a while now, but we heard it can offer a lot more, not just for those of you wanting to purchase a Clearwater Beach condo, but for our Crystal Beach FLhome sellers, too. So, yesterday, we jumped at the chance to attended a free advanced training session presented by Tara Jacobsen of Marketing Artfully and sponsored by Joyce Smith of Somers Titleand Ingegrity First Funding Group in Dunedin. Tara blew our hair off. We’re going to be working hard in the next few weeks to bring you all of the bells and whistles we learned about to help make you the most informed Pinellas home buyers and sellers out there!
Sign up and tell us what you think. Surfs up! (yes, that’s Matt being an off-duty Realtor and our son catching a few waves at Lido Key in Sarasota).
| Discussion: 3 Comments »
Is There Leeway in Making a Lower offer on a Dunedin Short Sale?
November 11th, 2008 categories: Buyer News and Tips, Dunedin Homes
A Dunedin Short Sale Question:
Q: I’m thinking about putting an offer your listing in Baywood Shores MLS 7346686. I see that it’s a bank preapproved short sale at $283k (subject to 3rd party lender 
approval). My question is, how much leeway do you think there is on making a lower offer?
Also, I know that sometimes banks can take several months to accept/deny an offer. Is it because they are waiting to see if they can get a better offer? If so, is there a way to write into a contract that if they receive a better offer during this “waiting period” that we may consider renegotiating ours at a higher bid?
A: Hi Tina – Please give us a call and we’ll fill you in completely on the particulars of where we are with both lenders, other offers, suggested offer amounts, etc.
We are Pinellas short short sale experts and would be happy to fully familiarize you with how short sales work. Generally speaking, the banks are taking so long because they are so overwhelmed with case files that they can’t keep up with the workload. Pinellas short sales are unusual in that the homeowner doesn’t have a vested interest in the amount the home sells for (they just want to know that they are out from under the house payments), so it’s just the lender(s) we are negotiating with. The bright side of this is that the banks Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: No Comments »
