THE HOUSE IS PRICED FINE, IT IS YOUR SALES CHART THAT IS IS UPSIDE DOWN- AT LEAST WHEN BUYING 3 BEDROOM 2 BATH HOMES IN ST CLOUD FLORIDA. How we perceive information determines how we react.  Remember the commercial for Career Builder.com, where the chimps dressed in business suits and have a party because sales were up, until the human points out the chart is upside down? It is worth seeing in case you somehow missed it. Click here  Lately, that is what the Real Estate Market has been like here. We are seeing a trend in 3 bedroom 2 bath homes for sale in St Cloud Florida.  Despite what the market is doing based on comparable home sales, the asking prices are not reflecting the current sales.    WHAT A SELLER SEES- Asking Prices for Comparable Homes For Sale     WHAT A HOUSE FLIPPER SEE... 02/13/2013

Quick Flip, bite your lip, the comp may come back to bite you.  We have been searching for the perfect St Cloud Home for a lovely couple. A "New listing" just hit the market. Having been unsuccessful previously, the buyer wasted no time in making an appointment to preview the home. The smell of fresh paint, and the hollow "ting" of new ceramic flooring, the appliances gleaming and sparkly new, made the home very appealing.  The price was paletable.  Given what we have seen, and the market attempting to rebound, we thought we had found a real gem, in this freshly renovated home. The Buyers disclosure had had written "Unknow" as the answer to EVERY Question.  In bold letters in the public remarks section of the listing were the words: "SELLER AND LISTING AGENT HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF PROPERT... 02/12/2013

Wish List vs Reality: How much is too much to ask for when an offer is signed?  In my market of St. Cloud Florida homes, we are experiencing a Seller's Market.  Whch means buyers are fiercely competing for homes.  When a well kept, well priced one comes on the market, you can be assured there will be many lookers. And there will be offers. Recently, a contract got kicked, because the buyer simply asked for too much.  The offer was $10,000 below asking price. One Concession on the sellers part. The seller accepted the "As-Is" Offer, wishing to settle their loved ones estate. Things were going fairly smoothly, until it came time for the Apprasial to be ordered.  The appraiser had already pulled the comps and was confident that the property was within the correct value range, on his prelim... 02/06/2013

4 TIPS FOR VIEWING HOMES: You Should Know Before You Go Searching for the perfect St Cloud/Kissimmee Florida Home can be a daunting task.  Too often a potential buyer faces the frustration of calling on homes which are already under contract, or do not meet their budget.  Working with a trained professional is one way which will streamline the process and make the tranistion from potential home buyer to successful home buyer seamless. Here are Four  Quick Tips to consider when viewing homes that will help you.   #1) NEVER preview a home at dusk or in the dark.  Keep in mind in the winter months it gets dark earlier. Schedule your viewing during daylight hours so you can see obvious things both inside and out.   #2) Take a notebook and camera with you. Taking photos and making notes of t... 02/06/2013

"As-Is" Means Just That--Put Away Your Punch List.  Homes In my area, Homes in St. Cloud Florida are selling. In fact sales are up over 6% from this period last year.  The shift to a Seller's Market, has left some buyers a bit confused. When Homes in  Kissimmee/St Cloud are offered "As-Is", that basically means that what you see is what you get, and yes, you still can have a home inspection performed to verify things which are not blatantly obvious.  We recommend that buyers ALWAYS have a home inpection performed.  Making an offer on an "As-Is" property, means that the seller is unwilling or unable to make repairs you may deem desirable.  Signing an "As-Is" Purchase Agreement, means you can not backtrack later on and present a punch-list to the seller before you close.  On a standard Re... 02/04/2013

Five Reasons why Florida Home Owners Insurance is so expensive.  Two major things happened in 2004-2005 in Florida: the Real Estate Market in Florida peeked and so did the hurricane season.  As a result of the major hurricanes back in 2004-2005 Florida home owners insurance premiums have skyrocketed even though the Housing Market has crashed. 1) As a result of the record number of claims made during that time period a Catastrophe Fund was established to help offset shortfalls Insurers "might" have in the event of another disaster.  Over six million drivers and Property Owners pay additional assessments ranging from 1% to 1.3% to fund the Catastrophe Fund and prevent a shortfall. 2) The additional assessments were due to expire in 2013.  That has now been extended to July 1, 2016 costing... 12/18/2012

Non-Distress Home Sales Are Making A Come-Back in St. Cloud, Florida. You read that right. Non-Distress Home Sales. Not short-sales, not foreclosures, regular sales between a real seller and real buyer. The way Real Estate used to be. Buyers by the hand full who are fed-up and frustrated that banks juggle multiple offers and they always seems to end up on the short end of the stick, are revisiting traditional sales. Short-Sales and Foreclosures are typically discounted seventeen to twenty-five percent (17-25%) off of fair market value. So a traditional sale may cost a little more. But what a traditional sale offers that discount properties do no,t is a shorter response time to offers, and ability to negotiate. In a Foreclosure sale, the bank knows NOTHING about the property they now own... 11/10/2012

THERE IS NOTHING SCARY ABOUT BUYING A HOME IN ST CLOUD FLORIDA- The process of buying a home in St. Cloud Florida is not as "scary" as it may seem.  Really the process is actually very simple.  If you or someone you know is thinking about buying a home in St Cloud Florida the most important thing you will need to know is what your credit worthiness is.  This can be done by visiting any local bank, or mortgage company.  It is free and easy. The loan officer will ask you what your income and expenses are. They will help determine what you income to debt ratio is and how much home you can afford. If there are no credit issues, they will give you a letter of Pre-Approval. This is important.  BEFORE you begin to look for homes, you need to know if you will qualify for a home loan. Once that ... 10/25/2012

Non-Distress Home Sales Are Making A Come-Back in St. Cloud, Florida. You read that right. Non-Distress Sales. Not short-sales, not foreclosures, regular sales between a real seller and real buyer. The way Real Estate used to be. Buyers by the hand full who are fed-up and frustrated that banks juggle multiple offers on properties or wait for up-to a month to review an offer while the buyer lingers in limbo and then seem to end up on the short end of the stick, are re-visiting traditional sales. Short-Sales and Foreclosure Homes in St Cloud Florida, are typically discounted seventeen to twenty-five percent (17-25%) off of fair market value. So a traditional sale may cost a little more. But, what a traditional sale offers that discount properties do not is a shorter response time to offer... 09/29/2012

  Tutas Towne Realty and Bryant Tutas  just had another successful St Cloud Florida Short Sale closing with Chase.  The property:   Primary Residence. 4 bedroom 3 bath single family pool home located in Saint Cloud Florida. This home has 2,333 sq ft of living area and was built in 2004. It was purchased new in  2005 for $258,500. It Sold 8/30/2012 for $180,000. That's a decline in value of 24% in 9 years.    Liens: 1st Mortgage with Chase for $336,000 HOA Lien for $5,750     Hardship:  Loss of income.  Summary:   Tutas Towne Realty placed the property on the market April 2012 for $210,000. 6 weeks later we negotiated a deal at $180,000. It took just under 3 months to have the HAFA short sale approved. 2 days after having the short sale approved the seller was served foreclosure papers. ... 09/18/2012

Yep, You heard that right! For the fifth consecutive month existing home sales across the country are up. St Cloud Florida homes sales are showing impressive gains. The median sales price of existing Homes in St Cloud Florida rose to $185,299, and supply of existing homes is at 6.8 months. Factors contributing the the increase of over 6% over last years figures, are historic low mortgage interest, combined with a pent up buyer demand. Buyers are turning to "traditional" sales; those which are not shorts-sales or foreclosures. As rents continue to rise, buyers who are qualified for home loans are moving for faster acceptance on offers, and are avoiding the distressed properties which often entail longer waits and obstacles to closing in favor of dealing directly with a seller not an inst... 08/27/2012

Tips for St.Cloud Home  Buyers Florida Real Estate us heating up along with our temperatures. To make your St Cloud Florida Home Buying Experience easier there are a few thing you need to know before you go:1) Realtor "Relationships". There are two sides to every Real Estate Transaction. The Buyer's Side and the Seller's side.  The yard signs  you see everywhere are put there by the Listing Agent. The Listing Agent works for the Seller. There is no  savings to you the buyer.  You can and should have your own representation. A professional Buyers Agent who will be working for you.  The object in negotiating is to get the best price, and terms on the property you want.   Consider utilizing the services of a Buyer's Agent to represent you. There is no additional fee for this service. Realt... 06/01/2012

Selling Your Kissimmee Area Home- Insider tips from a local Real Estate BrokerIs your Realtor® inflating your ego by telling you what you want to hear, or what you need to know? Too often in order to obtain a listing Real Estate Professionals despite what the market analysis reveals, will take an over priced listing to placate a seller. The result is predictable; the house does not sell. This is particularly true in my market, where we see homes for sale in Kissimmee, St Cloud Florida all over the place. Our current housing market is price driven. There are so many properties for sale in Kissimmee and St Cloud Florida including bank owned, and short sales (where the seller owes more than the house is worth) and foreclosure properties (where the bank now owns the property and must liquid... 05/31/2012

3444 KAISER AVE, SAINT CLOUD FL 34772                                                                            $$$ 355,000 $$$ Exterior Front Aerial View Kitchen Living Room Den/Family/Great Room Master Bedroom Master Bath/Spa Bedroom 2 Bath2 Bedroom 3 Swimming Pool/Hot Tub/Sauna Other: 1800 square ft. detached workshop has a small kitchen and half bathroom. It is air conditioned and could easily be converted into and in-law suite or game room. Great opportunity to own a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home on almost 3 acres of land in Saint Cloud.  This quiet property is amazing.   Starting with the main house there is just so much family fun space with an oversized living room, spacious kitchen with granite counter tops and eating space, and a great family room with sliding glass doors overlo... 05/30/2012

Examining the St Cloud Florida Rental Market Why developments don't work as good investments. While planned developments appeal to the average consumer, they can be money pits in disguise. The park-like settings, and Norman Rockwell appeal comes with a hefty price tag.  Let's take a page out of the Shark Tank Manual. Investments are designed to do one key thing. Make money.  The more you have to spend, the less money you are are going to make. It is that simple.  The more added expenses in upkeep, fees, and property taxes, the less will be on your bottom line. Consumers want nice amenities. They want community pools, and fancy clubhouses, fitness centers, and lighted sidewalks for evening strolls. All of these things cost the builders money. Or does it? CDD fees (community District Dev... 05/29/2012

Short Sale Questions: What if there are tenants in the property? There is no law about tenants. The homeowner owns the home up to the time you sell it or it gets foreclosed on and sold at the sheriffs auction. The lease with the tenant is in force until the contract expires, or ownership is transfered. They are obligated to pay rent regardless of your mortgage being paid, that is none of the tenants business legally. But it does become a problem at some point if they refuse to pay rent. Then they will have to be evicted. They will become aware at some point what is transpiring. Here is the timeline: The property owner misses 3 payments and becomes 90 days past due. At this time, the account gets transfered to the loss mitigation department of the lender. In most cases the phone calls fr... 05/11/2012

12 Thrifty Things to do on a tight budget in St. Cloud Florida.  The drag on the economy has certainly put a pinch on most people. But in St. Cloud Florida there are plenty of thrift ways to have fun for free. 1) Enjoy a stroll along beautiful Lake Shore Drive abutting Lake Toho.  The magnificent tree lined streets, and  meandering pathways are the perfect place to relax, and rejuvenate the soul. While soaking up the beautiful view Lake Toho is famous for. 2) A Day at the Beach- St. Cloud Florida has its own beach on the southern shore of Lake Toho. There are pavilions which are free to residents to use, and cookout grills, as well as a beach volleyball net in place to set the stage for a lovely "Day at the Beach" in the convenience of your own back yard. 3) Fishing off the pier- Yes, Y... 05/11/2012

Lease To Own Kissimmee St Cloud Homes, not a new idea by any means but seems like it is an increasingly popular idea. With would be buyers. With Sellers...not so much.  The concept of "leasing to own" or "Lease With The Option to Buy" is designed for renters to be able to apply a portion of the monthly rent to a down payment to purchase the property at a later date. (Typically within a year of the lease agreement)  Increased demand for housing, has lead some renters to make more inquires about Lease Options, or Rent to Own properties. But in a distressed area such as Kissimmee or parts of St Cloud Florida, that can be a very risky proposition.  If the landlord/property owner is in default you could end up losing everything you have down. For Sellers, there is NO benefit in a rising mark... 05/10/2012

Just as each one of our buyers and sellers at St. Cloud Homes is unique, their reasons for buying and selling are as varied as their backgrounds, we strive to individualize our services. Unique you- The individual quest to stand out from all others. In a world that is constantly changing and competition ever increasing, the quest to stand out presents many challenges. We looked for something different. Something that would make us memorable to our clients and in the community of St Cloud Florida. Something that would allow St Cloud Homes to be identifiable. Our quest to be unique, allowed us to combine good old fashioned customer service with integrated technology and attention getting marketing.   04/23/2012

St. Cloud Florida Foreclosed Homes & Distress Sale Properties: Are you Really getting a bargain?  A new wave of foreclosed homes have recently crept back onto the market  without much fanfare. For months sales of existing homes in St. Cloud Florida has been struggling to make marginal gains in price appreciation. In a year over year comparison home values had risen 6%.  Making many people that housing market was posturing itself for a minimal recovery.  But with a five year inventory of foreclosed homes and as many as 1.2 million set to foreclose by years end; banks have begun releasing some of the inventory they have been holding pending the 25 Billion dollar settlement for alleged wrong doings in foreclosure processing and procedures. So what has changed?  The prices predominantly. Th... 03/13/2012