SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

If the thought of buying a home has crossed your mind lately, market conditions suggest that now may be the right time to make your move. The Real Estate market is reaching a critical point for home-buyers and conditions have not been better in the past 12 months. Many people dream of becoming homeowners, and mortgage rates, the qualification process and more seem to keep some home buyers on the side line.  Conditions for purchasing real estate have greatly improved. For example, according to this Housingwire article, 30-year fixed mortgage rates have hit a nine- month low.  In fact, mortgage rates have been declining for 5 weeks straight. Some may attribute this to 2014’s slow start to the fiscal year, but it’s evident that now is the time to buy a home to ensure the most affordable rate to make a house your home. If you’ve been renting or leasing a home over the past few years and are thinking about becoming a homeowner, the New York Times posted this in dep...

     During the summer, Memorial Day is one of America’s favorite holidays (second only to Independence Day). Summer events draw much attention to the four day weekend, such as barbecues or events such as Tampa Bay Margarita Festival and Winter Haven’s Floatilla . During these relaxing and fun times, have we lost sight of what Memorial Day is about?      Memorial Day is a United States holiday to honor and remember the people who served in our military branches. Boeing’s 2007 commercial tugged at the heartstrings of friends and family who served in the military.  The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs gives a beautiful history of the holiday.      After the civil war ended, Major General John A. Logan declared “Decoration Day,” a holiday to honor the soldiers who lost their life in the Civil War. The Grand Army of the Republic would gather to decorate the graves of the fallen on May 30th, when all the flowers would be in bloom...

A recent report indicated that Tampa is the 7 th best city in the country for renters on the move. With a vacancy rate of 13%, there are plentiful opportunities to make this great city a place to call “home.”  With the increasing demand for residential construction, it is apparent that more people are choosing Tampa as their permanent location of residence. Here are 10 reasons why Tampa is so loved by both residents and visitors: 1.      Beaches – Within close proximity, you have access to some of the world’s top-rated beaches. Fort DeSoto Park was recently named America’s “Best Family Beach” by USA Today . Clearwater Beach was also named by USA Today as the “Best Beach Town” in January of last year. And if you’re looking for a bit of privacy, take a ferry to the Caladesi Island State park and enjoy the sandy shores of this barrier island. 2.      Theme Parks – Busch Gardens provides fun for the whole family with some of Florid...

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 spring season is just around the corner, American optimism towards the housing market is gaining momentum. According to the latest Fannie Mae National Housing Survey, 38% of all respondents say that now is the right time to sell a home. This is an increase of 12% in comparison to the same time last year. This clearly indicates an improvement in homebuyers’ and homeowners’ market confidence. In addition, 52% of people share the opinion that it is easier to get a mortgage in the current economy, which matches the all-time survey high. This means that great financing options, combined with motivated homebuyers and homeowners, are going to continue fuelling the economic recovery. Moreover, Americans are now beginning to feel more comfortable with their personal finances. Only 12% are expecting their financial situations to worsen in comparison to 21% from last year. Furthermore, 40% of respondents say that their financial situation has gotten better over the past couple ye...