Archive for February 2012
What is Selling Your Home “As-Is”?
February 25, 2012 | 
Author Wow – is there ever confusion over what ‘as-is’ means. To many sellers it means that they can call a Realtor and list their home this afternoon – just as it is with clutter galore and the breakfast dishes in the kitchen sink. WRONG!
An “As-Is” sale is one where the seller is not promising to make any repairs to the home. The home is sold in the condition it is in on the day the contract is signed. Note: if this condition changes like appliances break or the roof leaks, the seller must bring it back to the condition it was in on the day the contract was signed.
Repair Limits: Before the early 2000′s most sales included a specific repair limit. The standard in the Florida contract at that time was 1.5%. The seller agreed to make any repairs up to that price level. If the home inspection found that the repairs would total more than that either the seller could make additional repairs, the buyer would accept the home with the agreed upon limit and make the rest of the repairs himself, or either party could provide notice that they wanted out of the contract.
Then the “As-Is” contract became popular as the market became a seller’s market
A contract written with the “As-Is” verbiage means that buyer and seller would agree on a price level for repairs needed. If the home inspector found that more repairs were needed, the buyer and seller could negotiate as above. But the buyer could legally dissolve the contract because the home needed more repairs than he thought. The key is that the seller did not agree to make any repairs.
What we see today is seller who got accustomed to the hot market when they only had to stick a sign in the yard and offers came pouring in. Not the case anymore!
If you want to sell your home “As-Is” go for it. This is still standard in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. But you still have to clean the house up, get rid of the clutter, paint, … and whatever else is needed to make a buyer choose your home over another home on the market.
If this sounds a lot like the preparation you would do if you weren’t selling your home “As-Is” you are right.
“As-Is” relates to the contract NOT to your preparation in getting your home on the market.
Posted in 
Waterfront Condos Going Fast!
What a great headline to see in the St. Pete/Tampa Bay Times yesterday (Feb 14). My office has been very busy – both showing properties and writing contracts. Water’s Edge has only 30 units left. In downtown St Pete along beautiful Beach Drive, the message is the same.
Developers, owners and banks have cut their prices to stimulate sales. And the article notes that developers did not overbuild the Tampa Bay area. No one is expecting any new luxury construction for the next several years. Inventory is quite limited right now and is this is our ‘high’ season activity is high.
Word is that even the Miami condo market is picking up. If you’re considering a purchase of beach or waterfront property in Florida – what are you waiting for?
More Short Sale Authority for Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae gains more short-sale authority
WASHINGTON – Five mortgage insurers have granted Fannie Mae mortgage servicers the authority to complete a short sale or deeds in lieu of foreclosure without getting their separate approval.
Traditionally, mortgage insurance groups have had to give the OK before a short sale can be processed on a property with a guaranteed loan. Now, without that extra step, Fannie mortgage servicers may be able to speed up short sale approvals on Fannie-backed loans.
The PMI Group, which filed for bankruptcy in November, is the latest mortgage insurer to grant Fannie the authority to no longer wait for its approval on short sales. The other four mortgage insurers also giving Fannie the authority are: Genworth, MGIC, Republic Mortgage Insurance Co., and Radian Guaranty.
Regardless, Fannie has instructed its mortgage servicers to make sure a short sale does not conflict with any existing mortgage insurance coverage before approving it.
Source: “PMI Group Latest Mortgage Insurer to Give Fannie Mae Short-Sale Authority,” HousingWire (Feb. 2, 2012)
© Copyright 2012 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
10 Easy Steps To An Organized Home Office When Selling Your Home
Without the structure of an office outside of our homes, it is easy to scatter anything work related all over the house. We still need to complete our work in a timely and efficient manner. After all, the less time we spend working, the more time we have with our family. An organized home office will make for a faster and more pleasant workday. Here are a few ideas to get you and your home office organized.
1) Do you have a home office? You don’t necessarily need an entire room, but you should have a well-defined space to contain all your office essentials and files.
A desk in your bedroom that will hold your files, paper, pens, calculator and of course computer will do fine, especially in the beginning.
If your “office” consists of the dining room table, some of the drawers in your kitchen, a file cabinet in the basement and the computer in the bedroom, you may want to think about organizing everything in one spot.
Are you spending a lot of time searching for a particular document, running from room to room to find it? Consider moving all your files and papers to one central location, preferably close to the computer if that’s where you are doing the bulk of your work.
2) Keep your personal files and papers separate from your business things.
You will eventually have enough paperwork to deal with without having your personal bills, magazines and the kids’ after-school schedule mixed in there. Create a separate spot for those somewhere outside of your home office space.
3) Create a file system that works for you. Remember, you may be working for someone else, but when it comes to your home office, you are your own boss.
Think about how you look for a particular file or piece of paper. What will be the easiest way for you to find it? Then create a file system that works for you. Don’t worry, if you don’t get it right the first time, you can always resort and try again. Sooner or later you will come up with a system that is “just right” for you.
4) Take a good look at your work area. Do you have piles of papers, files, mail, floppy discs and CDs lying around? Do you notice anything else piling up? Set aside a few hours and put everything away. Use your new file system and find “homes” for anything else.
5) Now that you have your office organized, set aside a few minutes at the end of your workday to keep it that way. Try to “leave work” for the day with a clean, empty desk. You will appreciate it the next morning. This will also prevent you from ever coming across a huge pile of papers again.
6) Add a personal touch to your office. Bring in some pictures of the kids; add some pretty plants, inspirational quotes, or anything else you can think of that will make your office a pleasant place to work in. In addition to getting and keeping you in a good mood whenever you step in your office, you are more likely to keep it clean and organized if it is a place you treasure. So splurge a little on some special office décor.
7) Let’s talk about the files on your computer. You can waist just as much time searching for an online document as for a piece of paper. If your computer is used for work as well as for personal use, create a work folder and use subfolders for particular employers, projects etc.
Again, come up with a file system that works for you and keep your work files separate from your personal files. This is particularly important if other family members access the computer as well. If that’s the case, and you are using Windows XP, I strongly recommend setting up a separate user account just for work and password protecting it. This will prevent other family members from accidentally changing or deleting your work files.
8) In addition to your regular files, you also want to keep your emails organized. Let’s be honest, we have all wasted time searching for a particular email that contained some vital information we needed fast. Setting up folders for different clients and projects has worked well for me, but again find a system that works for you and stick with it. Sort the email as soon as you read it. It only takes a second or two to drop it in the appropriate folder, but will save you a lot of time if you have to find it later.
9) Now that you have a good filing system (both physical and digital) in place, set aside a little time every few months (or weeks if appropriate) to purge your files. We can quickly accumulate a lot of documents both in our file cabinet and on our hard drive that we no longer need. At the very least, try to purge your files twice a year.
10) Now that your office is organized, you may also want to take a look at organizing your time. Again, come up with a system that works well for you.
I encourage you to start with a few of these ideas to get your office and yourself more organized. You will be surprised by how much time you will save not searching for files, papers or the stapler. Before long, you won’t know how you ever functioned without an organized home office.
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
Home Decorating Ideas To Quickly Update Any Room To Sell
Not all home decorating ideas require a heavy investment of time and money. If you’re looking for a few affordable home interior decorating ideas to freshen up a room over a weekend, try these ten:
1. Rearrange The Furniture- Pull your furniture away from the walls. Try positioning it at intriguing angles. For example, a sofa arranged diagonally across a narrow living room will make the room look wider.
2. Paint A Wall- Paint one wall your favorite color and make it the focal point. Hang interesting art on that wall and move a nice piece of furniture there. (Note: Make sure that the color is one that is shared with several other objects and fabrics in the room.)
3. Bring In Plants- Greenery always adds a breath of fresh air to a room. If you don’t have a green thumb, try silk plants and trees. The quality has gotten so good that its hard to distinguish them from the real thing.
4. Lay An Area Rug- An area rug is a wonderful way of defining a conversation area. Try one that complements the room. Lay it at an angle beneath your coffee table.
5. Hang Pictures or Mirror- Hang pictures that reflect your personality. Try frames that are more ornate. When hanging a mirror, try and position it so that it reflects and nice view or an interesting architectural element.
6. Group Figurines- Pull out your favorite collectibles. Show off your personality. Find a display area and group related objects together, in sets of three or five. Try and vary the shapes.
7. Add Decorative Pillows- The good news about decorative pillows is that they are an easy way to add textures and patterns to a room. Still better, they can be changed to jazz up a sofa or chair before your room is ready for a major makeover.
8. Replace Lamps- Lamps are probably the one thing in your home that will give others a clue that your room is outdated. Seek out new and fresh lamps that make a statement.
9. Add A Throw Or Afghan- Similar to decorative pillows, throws and afghans add texture to your furniture. They come in all kinds of natural and man made fabrics. Find a pattern and style that you like.
10. Eliminate Clutter- Clutter has a way of eliminating the desired mood and effect of any room. Find storage spaces for papers, toys, and other items that take from the personality of a room.
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
Housing Markets Show Improvement Again!
NAHB: Nearly 100 house markets improving
WASHINGTON – Feb. 6, 2012 – The list of housing markets showing measurable improvement expanded by 29 metros in February for a total of 98 entries on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI).
With the latest addition of Miami, the list now includes seven Florida cities: Cape Coral, Deltona, Jacksonville, Miami, North Port, Punta Gorda and Tampa. Thirty-six states have at least one metro area that’s improving.
The index lists metropolitan areas that have shown improvement in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. The February index adds some metropolitan areas that have been particularly weak. The IMI measures improvement from an economic trough, and NAHB says new notable entrants with six months of an upswing include Miami along with Boston; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Salt Lake City.
“The number of improving housing markets has risen for six consecutive months,” says NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen. “Despite the many challenges that continue to drag on a housing recovery – including the tight lending environment for builders and buyers – improving conditions are slowly but surely spreading from one housing market to the next.”
“While many of the markets on the February IMI are far from fully recovered, the index points out where employment, home prices and housing production are no longer retreating and have held above their lowest recession troughs for six months or more,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “This is a sign that a large cross section of the country is starting to turn the corner as local economic conditions stabilize.”
The IMI measures three sets of independent monthly data to get a mark on the top improving Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA). The three indicators are employment growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, house price appreciation from Freddie Mac, and single-family housing permit growth from the U.S. Census Bureau. An MSA must have improvement in all three areas for at least six months following their respective troughs to be included on the improving markets list.
Seven markets dropped from the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index in February as they experienced softening house prices: San Jose, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Kankakee, Ill.; New Orleans; Worcester, Mass.; Jackson, Miss.; and Sherman, Tex.
A complete list of all 98 metropolitan areas currently on the IMI, and a separate breakout of metros newly added to the list in February, is available at: www.nahb.org/imi.
© 2012 Florida Realtors®
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
Accessorizing the Bathroom: The Smallest Details Complete the Look
How you style a bathroom depends on a number of factors.
First, there is the general style of your home. If everything in your home has a classic country sort of feel, having an ocean theme in your bathroom may seem out of place. Second, there’s the concept of the feel you want to create with the bathroom. For kids, you may choose a fun, cartoon theme; for those who are looking for a relaxing atmosphere, a place where it’s possible to fully unwind at the end of a long day, peaceful colors like those in a spa would be ideal.
Similarly, the types of colors that you’re like – along with the overall brightness of your bathroom – can determine whether you look for brightly colored accessories or those that are muted in color. Finally, there’s your personality, or the personality of the person who will be using the bathroom the most.
In general, there are four styles that are commonly used when accessorizing the bathroom – classy, muted, bright and fun.
In a classy bathroom, you may find yourself choosing bath accessories in muted colors, perhaps with a subtle floral tone. Toilet seat covers, towels, bath mats as wall as bath accessories for the counter – a soap dish or soap pump, a toothbrush holder and such – can all be coordinated with the shower curtain. You may start with a shower curtain that is a neutral color like beige with a rose colored embellishment and match the other bath accessories to the rose shade.
If instead you were trying to create a muted look in your bathroom, you’re likely to choose soft tones as well, but rather than a floral look, you may choose slightly more modern bath accessories like those that you might find at a spa retreat. Muted shades of green or blue, natural colors that resemble stone or clay are all good base colors for your bathroom. Consider a solid color shower curtain or one that is patchwork – squares of complementary colors. Choose a matching bath rug, bath towels, a toilet seat to match and simple chrome plated bath accessories.
Alternately, if bright, modern colors appeal to you, you’ll find that bright, single colored shower curtains, window dressings, bath towels and shower mats can create a crisp, modern look. From using a number of different bright, solid colors in your bathroom to choosing the same pieces that feature bright colors in geometric patters or simple stripes, you’ll find that you are able to bring the look of your bathroom together, to create a bright theme even if the items don’t necessarily match.
Using blocks of color can be fun, but for some it’s just not fun enough. Whether you’re accessorizing the bathroom for kids or just for those who are young at heart, sometimes you just feel playful. You may make the choice to use a bright, aquarium theme for your bathroom – tropical fish on the shower curtain, bright towels with a wave-like geometric pattern, a fish shaped bath mat or even an acrylic toilet seat designed to look like a fish bowl (complete with colorful fish). You might choose dolphins, or even cartoon characters as the central theme for your bathroom.
For example, someone who still carries a fondness for Betty Boop may decide to use the character as a theme for his or her bathroom. A Betty Boop shower curtain and bath accessories set with a toothbrush holder, a trash can and a soap dish could be used with red or black towels and a red or black bath mat and toilet seat.
Of course, these aren’t the only four styles for a bathroom; whatever your interests are, whatever inspires you, that’s going to be the foundation for decorating your bathroom. Whether you choose colorful flowers, solid colors, muted tones or something altogether different – a clean, modern look using all white for example – it’s the small details that bring it all together. Choosing bath towels that don’t quite fit in with your chosen color scheme, combining an aquarium theme toilet seat with a bamboo shower curtain: these things simply don’t create a cohesive look.
Fortunately, it’s easy to find bath accessories that will allow you to bring the whole look together – that is, once you decide what kind of look and feel you are looking to create.
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
A “Wild” Idea To Make a Statement When Selling Your Home to Get It Sold
When looking for great ideas on making your home more noticeable in the sea of homes for sale Megan Bower is a professional who is happy to give out many tips and tricks as well as market information to help in your decision making galore! If your looking to buy or sell your home stay tuned for more ideas and market information posted on a regular basis. If you’re looking to buy or sell immediately please give us a call 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule an appointment with us right now we’re always happy to help!
Florida Foreclosures by USA Today
Charles Ricardson on Tampa Foreclosure Market
This USA Today report talks about the the foreclosure market in the Tampa Bay area, where almost 25% of the sales area short sales or foreclosures.
HOWEVER, these are predominantly in the low end single family home areas. Very few foreclosures on the beaches or in seasonal areas. The prices are low enough that buyers jump at them as short sales and the bank never takes the property back.
