SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

1.5 million potential buyers There is new hope on the horizon for those who lost their homes due to the recession. The current administration has created a new rule regarding the waiting period for obtaining a new real estate mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration .   Previously, home owners who experienced a foreclosure or bankruptcy had to wait for three years before they could apply for a new mortgage. The new regulation makes it possible for those who have repaired their credit score, can prove their income, and have gone through a full recovery, to be eligible for a new mortgage loan in as little as one year. Many agree on the fact that this is a very positive sign for the real estate market and states such as Florida Nevada, and Arizona, have already taken advantage of this opportunity by redesigning their marketing campaigns to attract clients who have proved themselves to be financially stable after going through a foreclosure. These so-ca...

Since 2009, existing home sales have never been so high. July 2013 recorded and increase of 6.5% in comparison to June of the same year. A seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.06 million in June went up to 5.39 million in the month of July. This indicates a double-digit year-over-year increase in the real estate market. The median price for existing homes was $213,500 in July which was 13.7 % more than in the previous year at the same time. Also, 15% of the July sales were distressed homes foreclosures and short sales which indicated the lowest share since October 2008.   “The size of the increase was a surprise,” given the number of people applying for mortgages has dropped sharply since rates began to rise in early June, said Patrick Newport , an economist at IHS Global Insight. The increasing mortgage rates also play a big role in this.   According the Freddie Mac , “fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.37% in July from 4.07% in June; being the highest since July 2011. ...

Homeowners are thrilled to see the values of their homes continue to increase as the real estate industry is recovering and stabilizing.   The strong demand for housing and the low supply of inventory have continued to drive up home prices in the Florida real estate market, as well as nationwide!   Buyers are expected to be prepared to make strong offers due to the rising prices and mortgage rates. We have been witnessing multiple offers and bidding wars taking place in today’s market too. This appears to be great news for sellers, as they are now receiving offers equal to or above their listing prices. Sellers do, however, need to be mindful of how an appraisal can create challenges in closing their real estate transaction.   We noted earlier this year that appraisers were finally beginning to place higher values on homes, allowing for more sales to go through and for the market to gain strength. Recently, however, it appears in some cases as though appraisers a...

The year of 2013 has been proven to be an eventful time for the real estate market, especially here in Tampa, Florida. So far this year, we have discussed: the impact of international investors on the recovery of the housing market, the significant presence of Millenials as first-time home buyers, the recent mortgage rate activity with predictions of what to expect, the low housing inventory levels, and the encouraging signs of home value increases. So what can we expect to see as the next big move in real estate? The latest headline to grab the attention of the Tampa market came from a CNN Money article labeling Tampa, Florida at third place out of the top ten cities with highest percentage of all-cash home sales throughout the country. This is a positive sign of correction and stabilization returning to our real estate market. An astonishing 58% of all home sales in Tampa last month were settled in cash. This group of purchasers is made up of both international inves...

In the last two years, there has been an unstoppable positive turn in demand for real estate. This resulted in increased home buyer’s motivation to purchase. In addition, this newest trend boosted builder’s confidence in the real estate market as well.   According to Mr. Jay McCanless, an analyst for Sterne Agee, “Housing demand, whether its rental or ownership, is a positive indicator,” the main reason for this is a steady job creation over the past three years which especially helped the private sector. Tampa Bay area is no exception; there has been a larger demand for multi-family and single family rentals and ownership. What does this mean for potential home buyers or sellers? The overall positive attitude amongst the members of builders associations and customers seeking new homes caused an increase of six points in the Housing Market Index in July 2013. This was the strongest increase since January 2006 and it also showed that builders are being more confident in bui...

Last week we discussed the importance of understanding the effects that rising home prices have on mortgage rates and the buying power of consumers in the market to both buy and sell.   The recent mortgage rate activity has caught the attention of the nation, and of course our local Florida real estate market.     Since May 2013, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose from approximately 3.3% to 4.87% according to Freddie Mac.   Executive vice president of McCue Mortgage, Kim Neilson, states that the market hasn’t seen an increase of this magnitude in years.   Despite the recent jump, however, rates are expected to remain steady between 4-5% throughout the remainder of 2013.   There are two main reasons for this situation on the market. Firstly, the Federal Reserve chairman Fred Bernanke indicated in mid-June that he might slow down the purchase of mortgage-backed bonds. These were designed to strengthen the secondary market for lenders and ...

In today’s real estate market, we are seeing more and more home buyers come forward in part from the low mortgage rates and increasing job stability.   The demand for home ownership continues to increase.   An increase in home prices is expected to continue throughout this year while our property inventory continues to be at an extremely low level.   Prices of homes in the U.S. rose by more than 12% since May 2012, which is the highest increase that the real estate market has seen in over seven years.   For most, this appears that the market is continuing to gain strength.   It is prudent to understand what impact home prices and interest rates have in the long run and how they may affect the rapid recovery of our real estate market in our Tampa Bay area.   Potential effects of recent mortgage rate changes may include a slight reduction in borrowing power of buyers.     However, it is possible that the rising rates could spark ...