Even with all the homes up for sale, some people just have to have new construction. It's clean, it's new and nobody else has lived in it. Understandable, but a word to the wise. If you go for a newly constructed home, bring your Tampa real estate agent.

Why? Isn't there a site agent on hand to help you? Well, yes... and no. Here are a few good reasons why a personal agent, or buyer's agent, is a good idea:

Conflict of Interests

While the builder has an agent on site, that agent is not working in your best interests. Consider, if the site agent got a better deal for you (which takes money out of the builder's hands), would they still have a job? No. However, your own agent is there to make sure you get a good deal. End of story.

Being Informed

A builder's agent doesn't have to tell you about the negatives of a deal. They'll push the positives and even sometimes use high-pressure tactics to get you to sign the contract. Having your own Tampa real estate agent is having a professional you know is on your side. You will know the drawbacks of the transaction as well as the positives.

Contacts

Agents get around; they go everywhere. As a result, they tend to gather a lot of professional contacts and information. If you're choosing a builder with a bad reputation, your agent might have heard about it. Your agent will have contacts to good home inspectors to go through the house when it's finished. Your agent will know if the builder's lender is reputable, and if not, your agent will be able to recommend a highly regarded lender to you. In short, your Tampa real estate agent is a rolodex of home buying and selling resources.

If you're looking at new construction and need a personal real estate agent, I can help. Call me today at 813-469-3163 or email me at Info@SweetHomeTampa.com for more information.

Although the housing market has had its fair share of ups and down, many home buyers, particularly first-time home buyers, are reaping the benefits. If you're thinking about purchasing a Tampa home, there are many good reasons to make your move today. Here are six of them:

1. Low interest rates - Right now, interest rates are lower than ever before. This means you can get an extremely affordable loan and save big on interest payments.
2. Cheaper home prices - Not only are interest rates low, but homes all around are cheaper. Since the market is packed with homes for sale, selling has become harder. As a result, prices have fallen significantly, allowing you to get a more expensive home for less money.
3. Potential tax credits - As a first-time buyer, you could be eligible for thousands of dollars in tax credits. Best of all, you do not have to pay it back, as opposed to previous years. You can even get the $8,000 tax credit as an advance.
4. Less competition - Many people no longer have the money to purchase homes, so fewer people are visiting model homes and open houses. This is great news for you. If you're ready to buy a Tampa home, you don't have to worry about floods of people bidding up the price on the property.
5. Huge inventory - With new homes constantly being built, not to mention an array of existing homes, you can take your pick from a wide variety of available properties.
6. Big bargaining power - Because so many people are trying to sell their homes, they're more willing to be flexible. As a buyer, you could greatly benefit and may be able to save on closing costs, upgrades, repairs and more. Work with a skilled real estate agent who can negotiate a great contract for you.

If you have the funds to step out and purchase one of the many Tampa homes for sale, now is the best time to take advantage of all the possibilities. I'm ready, willing and able to negotiate the best price and terms for you. Call me today at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.

If your Tampa home has been sitting on the market for more than three months, it's already an "old property." Being an old property hurts sales because buyers looking in that community wonder what is wrong with your home that's keeping it from selling. Even in today's slower market, that holds true. It's human nature to think something must be wrong with an item that hasn't sold quickly. There are things you can do, however, to spruce up your home to make it more appealing and help it sell faster.

A second look from potential buyers can be a life-saver to you when selling your Tampa home. If a previous looker was on the fence, just a few little changes might make them reconsider. Ask your real estate agent to share negative comments from walkthroughs. Don't be offended, instead, find a way to overcome that dissatisfaction. If one person felt a room was too dark, too crowded, too cluttered, it is likely others will too.

After you address those issues, consider how your Tampa home really looks. If you haven't had time to do much landscaping get out there and plant a few border plants along the walk, or line the front of your house with some attractive flowers. At the very least, make sure lawn, trees and shrubs are trimmed, pruned and weeded to make your yard look as neat as possible.

Paint the inside. If you walls haven't been painted recently, chances are they could use some sprucing up. Your buyers want a home to sparkle and a new coat of paint is a cheap way to make that happen.

If you would like more ideas on how to make your home more attractive to buyers, I can help. Contact me now at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.

You've finally decided you want to buy a piece of Tampa real estate. What do you do now? Here are a few tips for getting the best deal for your money:

Check Out Your Credit

The first thing you'll want to do is order a copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Look for inaccuracies in:

• Name
• Address
• Creditors
• Late payments
• Delinquencies

After you've reviewed your credit report and know your credit score, you're ready to make improvements to your report, if your credit score is too low. Send a written "Notice of Correction" to the credit bureaus. It can be up to 200 words. If needed, you can explain why you fell behind on a particular debt, and every time a lender accesses the report, they'll see your explanation.

It can take several months to for your credit score to go up. However, it's well worth the effort to get a better interest rate. It can save you thousands on your Tampa real estate.

Get Pre-approved

Before you start looking at properties, it's a good idea to get a pre-approval letter from a lender. The lender takes into consideration your income and credit history. Then the lender determines the loan amount for which you qualify.

Most pre-approval letters list the maximum amount for which you are approved, not necessarily the amount you can afford. Look carefully at your budget so that you don't get too excited about the number and get into more house than you can afford.

There are several benefits to getting pre-approved. It allows you and your Tampa real estate agent to narrow down the house search. That way you won't waste time seeing properties you can't afford. Also, sellers will give your bid more weight if you're pre-approved.

It may be best to get pre-approved by a well known local lender or national lender. When you make an offer many sellers and their Realtors will feel more comfortable with the pre-approval from a lender they know rather than a pre-approval from some unknown Internet company or one run out of someone's apartment.

Are you a first-time buyer? You have just made a fabulous decision for your future. There are tons of great buys in the Tampa real estate market. I'm a specialist in this community and would love to help you buy the home of your dreams. Call me now at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.

There are many wonderful reasons to want a home of your own. Right now is an excellent time to pick up a great deal on Tampa real estate. It's definitely a buyer's market where you can purchase homes at historically low prices. To be sure the time is right for you; answer a few simple questions for yourself:

Are you ready to stay put for more than three years?

If you move around a lot, have a job that sends you to different locales all the time, or just haven't found the area you want to settle down in, it can be a bad time to buy Tampa real estate no matter how great the price. Selling a home and moving is much harder than just switching apartments or other rental units. However, if you are ready to settle in a spot for a number of years, the value you get from owning your own home is well worth it, especially now.

Can you afford it?

There's more to owning a home than just the cost of the mortgage. Other costs added to a typical mortgage include homeowner's insurance and property taxes. These add hundreds of dollars a month to the simple mortgage costs. On top of those are routine repairs and upkeep that will be your responsibility instead of a landlord's.

Do you value the pride of ownership?

For many people, the pride of owning their own home is a primary factor in purchasing Tampa real estate. There is a feeling of success and security when you own your home that won't be fulfilled with any rental.

If you'd like help determining if now is the right time for you to buy a home, give me a call at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.

The housing plan included in President Obama's stimulus package has many good qualities that will help those seeking Tampa real estate.

There are two main points to the housing plan:

1. To help people once again obtain reasonable mortgages to afford the home of their dreams.
2. To keep people in the homes they already have. If it works the way it is planned, it is reason for a collective sigh of relief for millions of homeowners feeling threatened by foreclosures.

That's really it in a nutshell. There are many incentives wrapped up in each of those two areas to help both homeowners and prospective home buyers, but the very impetus behind the stimulus housing package is simple.

For Current Homeowners

If you have a current mortgage that you can't handle, now is the time to talk to your mortgage company. Don't wait too long because some of the detailed elements of Obama's housing plan are meant to be short-term in their offer so as not to over-tax the budget. While you have the chance, see if your mortgage can be reduced to reflect current home values. That can provide you with the equity you would have already built up but lost due to a drop in housing values. It will also lower your monthly mortgage to a manageable level.

For New Home Buyers

This is your market now. The Tampa real estate prices are much lower which gives you a chance to buy a home you might not have been able to afford before. President Obama's housing plan provides tax incentives for you. However, just like with current homeowners, the time to do this is now. Because of the stimulus to the Tampa real estate market, housing values are not going to stay as low as they currently are. Also, many of the incentives like the tax credits are valid for a very limited time.

If you're ready to take advantage of the stimulus package benefits by buying a home, I can help. Call me now at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.

Last week Shaun Donovan the HUD Secretary spoke at a National Association of Realtors Conference stating how the FHA will allow first time homebuyers to use the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit as a down payment toward a home.

The way this was supposed to work is that the buyer would get a bridge loan that would give them the $8,000 up front, they would buy a home, and then when they get the tax credit they would pay off the loan.

There were many unanswered questions on who would be allowed to give these loans and the process; however the reports of it were to be found everywhere. 

We find out now that apparently the HUD Secretary misspoke or maybe just announced the program too early.

In fact we now find that the information has been removed from the HUD website and the mortgagee letter has been pulled, though HUD has made no official comment, one of the lenders I use is treating this as rescinded. HUD states they will let the lenders know if and when there is a change.

Selling your property, whether it is a primary home or income property, is easier if you have the information your buyers are likely to want to know on hand. Type up an info sheet answering the most commonly asked questions buyers have when looking at Tampa real estate for sale such as:

• How old is the roof?
• What comes with the property? Window treatments? Do all of the appliances come with the property?
• How old are the appliances?
• Where are the hot water heater, the electrical service panel, and other important maintenance items located? Are they easy to access?
• Are you open to owner financing?
• What is the age and condition of the plumbing and wiring?
• Are there schools nearby?
• What is the average utility cost per month/year?
• Have you had any major problems in the past? Your normal seller's disclosure does not require you to list every single problem you had and have fixed. Some sellers would like to know what those problems were. It can give them an idea if they are likely to be a recurring problem (like flood damage) or if the fact that you already had the issue and fixed it they will not likely have to deal with that particular problem in the future.

Of course, you should always have the general information about your Tampa real estate available such as square footage of the building, property size, elevation certificates if applicable, zoning, surveys and any restrictions or easements.

Having all of the information on hand will prove to potential buyers that you're serious, that you're prepared to be upfront with them about any issues your home may have, and that you've taken excellent care of your home.

Thinking of selling your home? I specialize in selling homes in your area quickly and at the highest price. Find out more by calling me today at 813-469-3163 or emailing me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com