SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

FOR SALE ~20437 Autumn Fern Avenue~ Absolutely pristine 4 bedroom, 3 bath home located on a picturesque conservation lot in Live Oak. Just built in 2011 and has ample space for your family to grow and stretch in this 2600 sq ft, 2 story, 2 car garage home!!  Just listed for $286,900! Beautiful 42” espresso cabinets and granite counter tops accent the generous gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances. Easy access to your huge screened in lanai to complete your outdoor space. The flex room downstairs is perfect for any office, den, library or even a formal dining room.  Upstairs you’re greeted by a loft space with lots of natural light. Down the hall, you’ll find the Master suite complete with dual vanities, granite counter tops, your walk-in shower and garden tub.  The community of Live Oak offers many amenities and recreational activities to enjoy such as: a clubhouse with fitness center, multiple pools, tennis courts, a covered playground, an...

As spring flourishes around us, the real estate market blooms as well! Are you considering making a move this year? Now is the perfect time to prepare for this home selling season! Keeping in mind a few simple marketing tricks to make your home stand out from the competition! First and foremost, jump on the spring cleaning bandwagon! Sometimes the small details of cleaning the inside of closets and clearing away clutter are forgotten, but these particulars are noticeable to potential home buyers. As articulated by Michele Lerner of Realtor.com, “While everyone has clutter, buyers want to see a fantasy version of your house in which they can envision living”. You can do it! While cleaning, take notice that all of the small repairs that have fallen by the wayside have now become more apparent. Take advantage of this time to move those repairs to the top of your to do list. Replacing doorknobs, updating fixtures, pressure washing the exterior of your home, and adding fresh m...

As the buzz of New Year celebrations have settled down, many people are taking a closer look at the pulse of the real estate market for the year ahead. Whether you are considering buying a new home or selling your existing home, 2017 is looking like a promising year for your potential real estate transactions! Kicking off 2017, Realtor.com has released their yearly forecast, predicting a sales volume increase of 4.17% across the southern Florida market. Despite South Florida’s strong population growth and stable job creation, 2016 saw a decrease in home and condo sales – making this year’s sales prediction music to the ears of Realtors and investors! “There is more inventory on the market [in South Florida] than a year ago and prices haven’t fully recovered so it is more of a value play for buyers than other parts of the country” says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Realtor.com . Additionally, our neighbors in Jacksonville and Orlando, FL are among the top 10 markets e...

Searching for a home to purchase? You’ve probably noticed the increasing inventory of new construction homes available. Builders are developing new communities all over Florida, especially in the greater Tampa Bay area. If you’re ready to start exploring the option of purchasing a model or builder home, don’t go it alone! There are countless advantages of having an agent with connections to builders and the community, along with new construction experience, by your side for a new home purchase… Always use a Realtor ® As you admire the freshly built model home, you may be surprised to learn that the “new home sales consultant” greeting you might not actually be a Realtor. Builders employ sales agents and staff to sell their homes, but these individuals are not necessarily required to have a real estate license. While not hiring a Realtor may seem like a thrifty choice, it is always in your best interest to have representation in negotiating your purchase, sel...

Real Estate Season - Home Buying and Selling Hot Springtime Demand About To Start!     The first month of each year when home buying starts to heat up is always April. Experts at the Florida Association of Realtors are expecting the next 4 months (April to July) to have the highest number of buyer and seller transactions all year. Considering real estate transactions have already started this year off at an extremely fast pace, it is exciting to think about the upcoming spring season of 2016.   Sellers will remain in the driver’s seat at all pricing levels. Inventory of homes around $100 to $125K are sparse and extremely competitive, down 8.6% since January of last year. At this price point, there are typically investor type properties needing work and / or updating. You can also find homes and townhomes that attract first time homebuyers looking to step into the real estate market. Overall inventory has been sub 4 month levels all year long here in Florida, a...

Now that the Real Estate industry has final numbers from 2015, they are releasing that data and the subsequent results of last year. As we have reported many times throughout the last 12 months, 2015 was a very strong year in the housing market. After reflecting on 2015, FL Realtors President Matey Veissi states “Florida’s economy is in growth mode, more jobs are being created and mortgage interest rates remain at historically low levels which will continue to drive the state’s housing market in 2016.” Let’s see what else the 2015 FL housing market report says and the impressive numbers it contains. We are going to grade the major indicators we talk about and how we feel they did in the last year’s market.   Total closed sales on existing homes  is always a leading indicator for housing market experts. In 2015, there were 274,769 resale transactions! That is an increase of 12.4% from 2014, which is enormous. On the pricing side of resales, there was another sharp increas...

All year long we have been watching the real estate market heat up in Florida. There are many reasons why we are seeing a different resurgence this year!   A few of the key catalysts are: the Florida Legislature, interest rates and PMI insurance reductions. Each of these played a high valued role in the 2015 housing market. Combining all three, we can see housing is more affordable and there are a lot more people looking for housing!   Florida Governor Rick Scott is very enthusiastic about the housing market citing this past month as another remarkable one for the state. He is particularly proud of his tax cuts, saying “our work to cut taxes and create a business friendly environment is creating jobs and attracting more families to Florida because there are so many opportunities for success.” The team at SI Real Estate could not agree more. We have been helping families relocate to the Tampa area all year long, and know many more families are relocating this year,...

Tampa Bay investors are finding out how hot the area is lately, ranking #6 among the top 50 cities for Real Estate investing. Everyone likes generating wealth, especially if the return (ROI) is on a real estate investment. It is extremely satisfying when you put your money to work for you. Real Estate investors look all over the place searching for the best property to invest their money in. Their money has been working extra hard here in Tampa. Over the past 12 months, Tampa’s investors have averaged 16.7 percent gross return on their investment. That is incredibly high, a very attractive rate of return and savvy financial or real estate professionals know it!  Good numbers equal good returns.   The housing market has been on a steady and stable uptick all year. This has led to the increased activity in the real estate market that we are now seeing.  As more people learn and hear about the stabilization here in Florida, they want in on the action. Not so fast, ...

It’s no secret by now that Florida is pushing past the recession this year in 2015. Economists and experts have been optimistic all year, and the data is continuing to back them up. Sean Snaith, a highly respected economist at UCF says Florida’s GDP will continue to climb at least through 2018. Could we really see economic growth lasting that long? Snaith fully believes so, citing average housing prices up, payroll being up and real gross state product steadily rising for a while now. The SI Real Estate team fully agrees, as we are seeing rising home prices as well as increasing rents here in Tampa, Florida. After all, our state boasts sunshine, beaches, palm trees, sand, and year-round weather which are all basically recession proof. The desire for people to own homes in Florida or relocate here has never dwindled. The appeal of Florida has always been strong considering all that this state offers. The issue people were facing was selling their current homes, whi...

It’s no secret the housing market is making a strong comeback. Inventory is incredibly scarce.  Buyers are confident enough in the economy to be actively searching for real estate to purchase. This is leading to a shortage of ready-to-move-in homes. When there is a housing shortage, buyers need to act quickly and sellers are now stepping in. This has been the driving force behind skyrocketing pending home sale statistics. Probably the most positive statistic (there are many this month) is “45% of homes sold within 30 days of being listed”. That is a staggering number compared to what we were seeing since the recession began. Another major factor leading to the housing market surge is because of the historically low mortgage rates. If you could afford a $300,000 home last year, you can get approved for a $330,000 mortgage today. This is due to rates hovering right at 4% and buyers have more purchasing power after sitting out last year. We have not seen this much bu...

Big gains in March Home Sales Florida and National market is heating up in 2015 SI Real Estate has been monitoring and reporting the increased activity in the housing market this year. Last month we reported about skyrocketing first quarter new home sales. This month all of the home-sales reports, including both new homes and resale homes echo those same sentiments. Some of the markets reporting sharp rises in March 2015 home sales include the following: Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Atlanta, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Houston, and Seattle. The Real Estate market in Florida has been scorching hot, especially in Miami, Boca Raton and Tampa Bay. Our neighbors to the North (Georgia) are also seeing the same trends. Nancy See, of Atlanta Fine Homes says “I’m seeing a lot of multiple-offer scenarios when a house is well-priced… Buyers are having to act very quickly to get the house they want. It’s almost like a buying frenzy”. This type of great news has not been reported since ...

Almost everyone over the age of 20 has said the phrase “that’s it, I’m moving to Florida” at some point during their life. Usually it is said out of frustration with the weather, or another popular reason being high taxes elsewhere. In the 90’s and early 2000’s, Florida was an incredibly popular destination to move to. The younger crowds flocked to Miami or Tampa, the wealthy to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and then the retirees to Naples or Fort Myers.   Since 2007 though we have been lagging behind…. Until recently. Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida, says Florida's economy is now solidly passing the Nation’s. Not only are we recovering fully, but we are about to start leading the pack again. Tourism is back to full throttle. Booking hotel rooms or going out to dinner is becoming a serious issue again with all of the traffic. People are spending money again and are confident the economy has stabi...

Summer is always a tremendously popular time of year for families and movers changing homes across the United States. According to the American Moving and Stora ge Association, 15.3 million Americans moved between the summer months of June and August last year. Moving into a new home can be a stressful and overwhelming task. Fortunately, a little preparation and careful planning is all it takes to reduce stress, and ensure a smooth transition into your new home. Save time and reduce stress with these helpful tips provided by Mattress Firm, Inc., and Homes.com. Be ahead of the game :  Saving all your tasks for one day is not the best idea, but planning ahead is a great way to stay organized and make your move much easier. Start planning your move as early as possible, and be sure to mark your move in date.  Utilizing a calendar is a great tool to visualize your move. You can schedule a day for each room, and save the most used rooms for a later date.  Storing all ...

Miami Heat fans were in shock when MVP LeBron James, announced that he would be leaving the Heat and returning to the Cavaliers. James holds two NBA titles, and has now decided to return home to Cleveland where his basketball career began. He states, “ My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball.”  James writes that he has a responsibi lity to be a leader in the court, as well as in his home state. Cleveland is excited to have LeBron James back however, James holds humble and realistic expectations for the upcoming season. He says that he is “not promising a championship” because he knows “how hard that is to deliver.” Although James wants to win next year, he is prepared for the road ahead, and says that “it will be a long process.” James is hopeful for the future, and intends to bring a championship to Cleveland. After four years with James, co-star and teammate Chris Bosch declares that he and James will always be brothers, and holds no hard feelings tow...

So far, 2014 has been very positive for the housing market and for the overall economy. Steady increases in home prices and home sales are indicating a continuous trend of strong buyer and seller confidence. The outlook towards real estate is improving quarter by quarter and we are expecting it to stay this way for the upcoming months and years. According to Fannie Mae’s April 2014 National Survey, “for the third month straight, the share of respond ents who believe now is a good time to sell a home increased and hit 42%, an all-time survey high.” One of the other factors feeding the economic upturn is the low mortgage delinquency rate. TransUnion’s latest mortgage report states that in the first quarter of 2014, the rate fell to 3.61% which is a 24% decrease in comparison to last year, and it is now exactly at the same level as it was in the second quarter of 2008. It’s encouraging to see mortgage delinquencies drop once again, especially during a period when mortgage origin...

As the 1 st quarter of 2014 comes to a close, it is a great time to monitor the good news published across the Sunshine State in real estate headlines. In a recent report from Freddie Mac, utilizing its Multi-Indicator Market Index, analysts discovered that Florida’s housing market showed the most improvement in the entire country during 2013.  It also continued to show the most improvement month-to-month in January. The goal of the market index is to effectively measure the market’s stable range, proximity to “normal” and current trends. In an article by Florida Realtors, Freddie Mac Deputy Chief Economist Len Kiefer said, “a better employment picture, along with some income growth, makes it possible for more people who are considering buying a home to stay within reasonable payment-to-income ratios on their monthly mortgages.” Employment opportunities and income growth are essential components to the continual housing market stabilization in Florida, as well as nati...

Let’s be honest…it is far too easy to take for granted everything a city has to offer after spending countless years living in it.  What is quite refreshing, however, is taking time to reflect on and appreciate some of the achievements of a city and the offerings it provides for its residents.   Tampa is the third most populous city in the state of Florida with over 350,000 residents, and is home to the largest port in Florida, Tampa Bay. One great aspect of this city is the prevalence of strong multicultural influences within the city and the residents who both live and visit our city!   Tampa, as a destination for the world, allows for people from all across the globe to share their cultural heritage and traditions with others who have a genuine interest in learning and experiencing.  Authentic recipes from every corner of the globe can be easily found in diverse restaurants throughout the city.  As Tampa was the selected location for this yea...

When working diligently, it is often disheartening for a Realtor to hear from clients, “I think I’m just going to rent for a while longer.” The hard work and countless miles traveled over the last month seem wasted, but is this really a waste? It is most definitely not. You never know what that relationship could develop into. Some of the most successful real estate agents are those with strong interpersonal communication and networking skills. Those who provide an unsurpassed level of quality service for clients do not go unrecognized. Success in this industry is highly dependent on one’s ability to stay in contact with clients, even long after a phone call, showing, or transaction. In providing premium customer service for your clients, regardless of their current needs, you are much more likely to be referred to a friend, family member, or work associate in the future.  And after all, word-of-mouth marketing is still perhaps the most effective form of advertisement. ...