When you're thinking about making a move, the first steps in the home buying process are: 1. Deciding when you want to make your move 2. Considering how much money you would like to spend 3. Thinking about what needs you have in a home 4. Deciding where you would like to live The next step is usually finding out how much loan you can qualify for and deciding the type of financing that will work best for you. If you're in the "thinking" stage, you will want to speak with a lender about receiving pre-qualification. If you choose to become pre-qualified, the lender will determine how much you can borrow based on financial information you provide to the lender. Pre-qualification is useful for making preliminary decisions about how much home you can afford, but does not assess your creditwor... 06/24/2008

A recent series of articles on the CNN/Money.com website sited 6 areas of the country for real estate bargains, one of which was the Tampa Bay Area. CNN/Money Article The news article started by saying that the Gulf Coast is not Atlantic coast of Florida, with symbols of opulence like lavish Palm Beach estates or multimillion-dollar spec homes. The article went on to say that "Tampa, with its more blue-collar feel, offers the same brand of South Florida living at a far more affordable price". The author went on to say that "Tampa lived large during the boom years; prices rose 100% from 2001 to 2006. That was fueled in large part by speculators just looking to flip, and when they started vanishing in 2006, thanks to the slowing market and a tightening of credit, so did those massive ann... 06/24/2008

Southern Oaks Grove is conviently located one block north of Hwy 60, just off of Mount Carmelin Valrico. It is a new subdivision with no CDD's and a small annual HOA. The builder is Southern Heritage, a builder of quality homes. Southern Oaks Grove will have just over 140 homes when completed. The homes are contemporary in style and start in the low 200,000's. Southern Heritage s a premier nice builder with inspiration from South Tampa. Southern Heritiage is determined to create beautiful neighborhoods with low HOAs and no CDDs that you would be proud to call home. Southern Oaks Grove in Valrico offers ready access to Tampa, MacDill Air Force Base, Lakeland, including West Coast beaches and major tourist attractions.  While the town enjoy the serenity of small-town living, it is  close ... 06/17/2008

Mason Oaks is quiet, well establised community of larger homes on gorgeous lots, perfect for a growing family with prices from the 300's. Brandon Lakewood Estates is located off of Lithia Pinecrest just minutes from Bloomingdale. Nearby schools are Lithia Pinecrest Elementary and Bloomingdale High. Conveniently located near schools, shopping, and major highways for easy commuting, Mason Oaks  has all the comforts that Tampa Bay has to offer.         The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Pinellas and Hillsborough area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes.  Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Info... 06/14/2008

Valrico, Fl has been growing. It has had several new subdivisions in the last several years including Southern Oaks Grove, Abbey Grove, Oakwood Terrace and Valterra. It also has a growth in dining experiences from fast food to fine dining. There is are two new Chilis one on Bloomingdale and Lithia Pinecrest, the other on Hwy 60, a Cracker Barrel, Ruby Tuesdays and more. There is also a New Lowes on Hwy 60 and Mount Carmel. A short drive west on Hwy 60 takes you to the Brandon Westfield Shopping Center with over 130 stores.  Close to Valrico, there are the Tampa and St. Petersburg museums and Performing Arts. Valrico also has a variety of recreational opportunities including golf courses, parks, youth and adult sports leagues. The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and... 06/14/2008

Twin Lakes is a night gated, master-planned community with an entrance located at the end of Bloomingdale. Twin Lakes offers a wonderful lifestyle for its homeowners with a blend of open areas, creeks, lakes and abundant landscaping and wildlife. Twin Lakes has approximately 1,500 homes with prices starting the 100's and up.  Twin Lakes has a community pool and a heavily wooded park. Twin Lakes is close to newly built commercial centers with dining, shopping and office establishments. A YMCA is also conviently located nearby. Twin Lakes offers ready access to Tampa, MacDill Air Force Base, Lakeland, West Coast Beaches and major tourist attractions. If Twin Lakes is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search for the... 06/13/2008

 Valrico Real Estate Update (Month of May 2008) Total Properties Listed (Including New) =   698 New Properties Listed =  139 Properties Sold =   55 Properties Expired from the market (EXPIRED) =  35 Properties under contract (PENDING) = 124 If you would like more information about  Valrico, just contact us at www.tampahomeguides.com.         The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Pinellas and Hillsborough area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes.  Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Information is provided in this blog with the intent to educate homeowners and buyers about Tampa, St. Petersburg,... 06/06/2008

A lease option is the abbreviated form of the real estate term lease with option to purchase. It is a type of contract used in residential real estate. The contract is typically between two parties: the tenant (also called the lessee), who will occupy a house or apartment, and the landlord (lessor), who owns the property. Lease-Option contracts can help sell a hard-to-sell property during a sluggish housing market. They can be used for buyers who need to save more for a down payment, patch their credit report, sell a house somewhere else etc.  Here are the basics of how a Lease-Option works: A seller agrees to rent a property to an interested buyer for a set period of time, normally one to three years. At the end of the lease period or anytime before the expiration, the buyer has the op... 05/31/2008

      Valrico Single Family Homes Valrico Florida   If you're interested in buying a new home in Valrico. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models in Valrico or throughout Hillsbough County.     Custom MLS Search all Tampa Homes for sale now     By combining their individual talents, knowledge, and expertise. Nappi Group will ensure you a professional service you will be happy with, whether it is buying or selling your home in the South Shore and Tampa area.   Below are our home listings. Click on the picture below to obtain more information on the home. We are able to gather information on any home or help you purchase any home you find on this Web site. Click here for all the Tampa FL listings.   Helping you locate... 05/22/2008

      Southern Oaks Grove New Single Family Homes Valrico florida   If you're interested in buying a new home in Valrico. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models in Valrico or throughout Hillsbough County.     Custom MLS Search all Tampa Homes for sale now    By combining their individual talents, knowledge, and expertise. Nappi Group will ensure you a professional service you will be happy with, whether it is buying or selling your home in the South Shore and Tampa area.   Below are our home listings. Click on the picture below to obtain more information on the home. We are able to gather information on any home or help you purchase any home you find on this Web site. Click here for all the Tampa FL listings.   Hel... 05/22/2008

      Brandon Brook Single Family Homes Valrico Florida Search All Riverwoods Homes For Sale Now   Search All Bloomingdale Homes For Sale Now   Searh All Winthrop Homes for sale now Search All Moss Landing Riverview For Sale Now Search All Panther Trace MLS Search For Sale Now Search All Rivercrest Homes For sale For Sale Now  Search All Moss Landing Homes For Sale Now  Search All Riverwalk Townhomes For Sale Now  Search All Lake St Charles Homes Riverview For Sale Now  Search All St charles Homes For Sale Now  Searh All Winthrop Homes For sale now  Call Today 813-546-9725 Richard M Nappi 813-546-9725 Fallon & Associates If you're interested in buying a new home in Riverview. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models ... 05/22/2008

    Through years of working with first time home buyers, there seem to be five common mistakes that are made on a regular basis. Armed with the knowledge of what these mistakes are before entering into the home buying process  should be beneficial.  FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS DON"T: 1. Ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best deal.2. Act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house. 3. Find the right agent who's willing to help them through the home-buying process.4. Do enough to make their offer look appealing to a seller. 5. Think about resale before they buy. The average first-time buyer only stays in a home for four years. Please give Florida's Beautiful Homes a call or e-mail us any questions that you may have about the buying process. 05/21/2008

Tampa Bay Area Investors Checklist  Homeowners look for one set of criteria when buying - school district, curb appeal, low crime rate, proximity to job, number of bedrooms, right layout, perfect-sized yard. While location is still a primary factor when you invest in real estate, most investors also add these to their checklist: 1.      New single-family construction 2.      A neighborhood that is mostly a primary-home community (rather than renters) 3.      Square footage between 1400 and 1600 4.      3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with 2-car garage 5.      Nice yard but no pool (too much of up-keep and liability) 6.      Safe neighborhood with little or no graffiti on public structures, fences, etc. Another factor to consider is close proximity to your own home. Especially when starting out, y... 05/15/2008

NAR Economist Advises Turnaround Imminent One hundred of the Tampa Bay Area's top real estate agents listened eagerly to Dr. Lawrence Yun yesterday at the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors auditorium, hoping for some good news.  Yun is the National Association of Realtors (NAR) top economist, and has been named among the top 10 economic forecasters by USA Today. Yun is ranked fifth on the list and is responsible for NAR's real estate statistics and economic forecasting. Dr. Yun offered the local agents a glimmer of hope for the future by predicting that home prices should stabilize and start rising again in early 2009. "The worst conditions in the Tampa market may have already passed, how strong will the recovery be? I can't say" said Yun.  Dr. Yun also stated "I think the second ha... 05/08/2008

Eighth in a Series for First Time Home Buyers When thinking of buying a home, most people research various neighborhood amenities, including local schools. Regardless of whether you have children, schools can affect property values and are an important consideration when buying a home. Here are four ways to tell if area schools are having problems: Local test scores low or droppingLow test scores can be a product of resource shortages, poor teachers, and lack of commitment by the school district or parents. Student enrollment droppingIf fewer families are moving into the neighborhood, or parents are choosing schools outside the neighborhood, the school may be having problems. Poorly maintained or vandalized buildingsInadequate upkeep may be a sign of funding shortages and low involvemen... 05/05/2008

    Copper Ridge Homes For Sale Valrico Florida    If you're interested in buying a new home in Valrico. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models in Valrico or throughout Hillsbough County.     Custom MLS Search all Tampa Homes for sale now    By combining their individual talents, knowledge, and expertise. Nappi Group will ensure you a professional service you will be happy with, whether it is buying or selling your home in the South Shore and Tampa area.   Below are our home listings. Click on the picture below to obtain more information on the home. We are able to gather information on any home or help you purchase any home you find on this Web site. Click here for all the Tampa FL listings.   Helping you locate T... 05/03/2008

    Parade Of Homes #4 Rottlund Homes Biscayne Oakwood Terrace Valrcio Florida   If you're interested in buying a new home in Valrico. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models in Valrico or throughout Hillsbough County.     Custom MLS Search all Tampa Homes for sale now    By combining their individual talents, knowledge, and expertise. Nappi Group will ensure you a professional service you will be happy with, whether it is buying or selling your home in the South Shore and Tampa area.   Below are our home listings. Click on the picture below to obtain more information on the home. We are able to gather information on any home or help you purchase any home you find on this Web site. Click here for all the Tampa FL li... 05/03/2008

Real Estate Investment Team in the Tampa Bay Area While serial investors (who buy additional rental properties without selling their current ones) are likely to invest with only the help of a real estate agent, other investors benefit from surrounding themselves with a team of experts. In addition to a real estate agent, some team members for you to consider are: 1.      A builder, general contractor or home inspector can evaluate the structural integrity of a unit 2.      A specialist in leases who is experienced in writing contracts 3.      An attorney who specializes in the practice of real estate law 4.      A mortgage professional who can offer you different financing options 5.      A CPA or accountant/tax specialist An investor or group of investors that have surrounded themselve... 05/03/2008

    Windsor Woods Homes For Sale Valrico Florida  If you're interested in buying a new home in Valrico. We can help your find new home builders that will show you communities, neighborhoods, and multiple home models in Valrico or throughout Hillsbough County.     Custom MLS Search all Tampa Homes for sale now    Richie@Tampaflhomesearch.com     By combining their individual talents, knowledge, and expertise. Nappi Group will ensure you a professional service you will be happy with, whether it is buying or selling your home in the South Shore and Tampa area.   Below are our home listings. Click on the picture below to obtain more information on the home. We are able to gather information on any home or help you purchase any home you find on this Web site. Click here for all the Tampa FL ... 05/01/2008

  There are lots of reasons to ask your lender for an FHA loan instead of taking a conventional or an expensive and risky sub-prime mortgage loan. Why not take advantage of the many benefits and protections that only come with FHA: Easier to Qualify - Because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders are more willing to give loans with lower qualifying requirements so it's easier for you to qualify. Less than Perfect Credit - Even if you have had credit problems, such as bankruptcy, it's easier for you to qualify for an FHA loan than a conventional loan. Low Down payment - FHA has a low 3% down payment, and that money can come from a family member, employer or charitable organization. Other loans don't allow this. For a limited time, you can pay $100 down. Call us for details. Costs Less - Ma... 04/29/2008