SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

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 ...

Pending home sales rose last month to the highest level since 2006! Contract activity is also out pacing the December 2006 levels. While this activity is great, we should also be cognizant of interest rates and the pace at which they are rising. Some buyers are racing to the closing table so they can lock in current rates. At the same time, some sellers are doing whatever is necessary to secure a sale, even if that means taking a lower purchase price. The pace at which home prices are rising cannot continue forever as it is healthy when prices, sales and contracts are fluctuating in the right direction. Call us today to ask how you can take advantage of your local real estate market. SI Real Estate offers highly personalized, multilingual, full-spectrum real estate purchase and sales services. We are a boutique for sophisticated investors, select owners or renters who may be upgrading locally, or those making traditional relocations. We also provide turnkey landlord and tenant man...

Every now and then it is prudent to analyze our real estate market pulse, both locally in Tampa and nationally, so we have an improved indication of what the market is doing and why it is behaving as such. Real Estate professionals and consumers have been inundated with reports and surveys that are demonstrating how the real estate market is now thriving.  By taking a closer look, we can say with certainty that the real estate recovery is making more movement than ever before. The month of May marked the 19 th consecutive month that home values have risen.  We have not seen measureable housing starts at this level since the summer of 2004. Home buyer traffic is also up above 29% from this time last year.  Looking back on this time last year, national home values have increased by 5.4%. Our local Tampa, Florida market saw an increase of 15.5% from a year ago, which translates to approximately a $17,000 increase !  Zillow projects home values ...

We are hearing more and more about Millenials in the news, and how this new group of 90 million “Generation Y-ers” is finally reaching the time to consider homeownership. While many will point out that student debt and credit standards may keep these potential homebuyers on the sideline, even more hold high expectations that the largest demographic in the nation’s history will continue to be a major player in today’s real estate market. Encouraging signs that timing is working in favor of the Millenials show that median debt of households made up of people ages 35 and below has diminished by 29% from 2007- 2010. For example, a recent survey by a national home builder shows that over 65% of renters’ ages 18-34 have an income of more than $50K. This same survey shows that 30% of home sales are to first time home buyers who fall into the 18-34 year old age group. Tampa, Florida has seen increased building permits and home starts this year as inventory continues to evaporate and a lar...