SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

Real Estate buyers in the Tampa Bay area have been in the driver’s seat for nearly a year with the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, slumping real estate prices and incredibly low mortgage interest rates. If all of those factors were not reason enough to make that long dreamed about real estate purchase, the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA’s) announcement of impending tightening of lending requirements should get buyers to take action in short order. According to the Realty Times article, Tighter Requirements for FHA Loans Loom , “After notice and comment periods, but beginning this spring, the FHA will raise mortgage insurance fees that borrowers must pay, cap the amount of cash that sellers can contribute for closing costs and require higher down payments for the borrowers with poor credit scores.” FHA has become more exposed to mortgage defaults as it has become the main avenue to financing for many in this country since the subprime market collapsed. Vice President of Real...

Realtors in Tampa, Florida are finding themselves very busy, the phones are ringing, and the deadline is approaching for home buyers to qualify for the federal tax credit. The now extended First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit offers up to an $8,000 tax credit to first-time home buyers and the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 offers up to a $6,500 tax credit to move-up or repeat home buyers. In order for people to take advantage of these tax credits, buyers must have a fully executed sales contract by April 30, 2010 and the deal must close by June 30, 2010. The saying “time is of the essence” really applies here. The looming deadline of the federal tax credit, drastically reduced home prices and near record low interest rates have real estate professionals hopping. Transactions are closing, inventory is being reduced and many people are becoming home owners for the first time in their lives. These are all positive factors for the real estate market here in the Tam...

An interesting thing is happening in the Tampa Bay real estate market. Have you tried to put a contract out on a house that is unbelievably priced only to find that there are already several offers on the table? If so, you are not alone. Housing inventory is drying up. The drastic dip in supply is due to several factors. With fewer foreclosures, bargain basement prices on homes for sale, and incredible tax incentives being offered, investors and first-time home buyers are gobbling up Tampa housing inventory. Current demand has definitely reduced available housing supply. The National Association of Home Builders article Slow Recovery May Be Leading to Serious Housing Shortages addresses this saying “NAHB economists project that the industry will need to deliver 16 million homes over the next 10 years to keep pace with the demand. As the excess inventory is worked off, which is likely by the end of 2012, the long-run demand for new housing – based on population growth, immigration an...

Experts tell us, the end of the foreclosure crisis is finally in sight. This is good news indeed for the real estate market in Tampa, Florida. “Housing is on a path to recovery,” said Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research in a FloridaRealtors.org News and Events article titled Fewer People Behind on Home Loans . Jay Brinkmann, the trade group’s chief economist added the figures probably mark “the beginning of the end” of the crisis. In an effort to bring some relief to homeowners who are experiencing problems with their mortgage payments, the Obama administration’s $75 billion mortgage-relief effort is underway. All borrowers who are experiencing problems with their mortgages may not qualify for help under this plan, but it is a big step in the right direction for many homeowners. In addition to the $75 billion mortgage-relief effort which lowers payments and extends mortgage loan terms, President Obama has also stated that Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan an...

Great news for those wish to buy a home or sell your real estate in Tampa, Florida! Mortgage rates are hovering at near record lows. Freddie Mac performed a Primary Mortgage Market Survey® and the results show that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.93 percent. The 15-year FRM averaged 4.33 percent, and the 1-year Treasury –indexed adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 4.23 percent. What does that mean in the big scheme of things for the real estate market? It means buyers have the ability to obtain financing at near historically low rates. It is also good news for sellers as buyers have more reasons to get off the fence and purchase that home they have been dreaming of but thought they could not afford. It’s a win-win for buyers and sellers. We have heard for months that the time to buy is now! It could also mean the time to list or sell your home is also now. Buyers are abundant. RealtyTimes® article Mortgage Rates Hover Near Record Lows adds “The National Association ...

This is a must see video.  Please share with your real estate and financial partners. http://www.thinkbigworksmall.com/mypage/player/tbws/23088/1559063

Don’t Miss the Boat! Part 2 of a 2-Part Series Are you a home owner in Tampa Bay, Florida and wish to move up to a larger home or even downsize? Are you uncertain whether you are financially able to make that move in today’s real estate market? Well, think again. Many people are unaware that tax credits are now available for existing and repeat home buyers. Time is of the essence. Time is ticking on this soon-to-expire opportunity! With historically low interest rates, an abundance of aggressively priced homes listed for sale, and the home buyer tax credit being offered, nobody is excluded in today’s real estate market. Everyone is included. Who is eligible for the $6,500 tax credit? U.S. citizens or those with permanent resident status who have owned and lived in the same home for at least 5 consecutive years of the 8 years prior to purchasing are eligible for this tax credit. What are the income limits for this tax credit? Single taxpayers can earn up to $125,000, and marri...