FHA 203K Rehab/Home Improvement Loan in Florida  With all the Bank-Owned, Foreclosure, Short Sale and Aging properties on the market today the 203k loan is becoming the answer on a growing number of real estate purchase transactions. This HUD approved FHA 203k loan gives buyers the MONEY they need for property repairs and Improvements at closing. It's an FHA loan that requires only 3.5% down at closing. All homes are sold AS-IS and an escrow account is set up to pay for the improvements.  Everyone is winning with this program. My company an I offer a 1 hour training class at no cost by a HUD Certified 203K Instructor that is done at your office for anyone who is interested in hearing more about the 203k loan program. The FHA 203K Streamline Rehabilitation Program Process is simple when ... 09/24/2011

UNDER CONTRACT in Belleair Highlands Clearwater Florida 33756 After being on the market for over 500 days, Lana Robbins brought buyers to make an offer on this home in Belleair Highlands in Clearwater Florida.She can do the same for you. If you are thinking about selling your home in Belleair Highlands or elsewhere in Clearwater Florida call Lana Robbins for a FREE market analysis at (727) 376-0530. Or feel free to contact her via email at Lana@LanaRobbins.com     09/22/2011

Coldwell Banker Clearwater Florida Office After Quantitative Easing 2 and Quantitative Easing 3, some families in the Clearwater Florida area will be struggling more than they already have. Coldwell Banker Clearwater Florida is proud to be a sponsor of Clearwater Florida's Homeless Emergency Project's Bring Items of Necessity (BIN) Program. For the month of September 2011 Clearwater Florida's Homeless Emergency Project is looking for the following items: Personal Care Items: Shampoo Bars of soap Toothbrushes Toothpaste Shaving cream and razors Shower shoes/flip-flops/rubber slippers Feminine hygiene products Linens: Twin sheet sets Pillow cases Twin blankets Towels Wash cloths Clothing: Socks Underwear The bins were designed to resemble houses to collect toiletries, canned food, gently ... 09/22/2011

The Greater Tampa real estate market saw a continued strengthening in the relative supply of homes for the month of August 2011. Relative supply is measured in terms of months of supply when measured against the current rate of demand. The following real estate supply and demand graph shows that the Tampa MLS currently has just under 6 months of supply, which is a perfectly balanced market. Most real estate professionals identify a balanced market (a market at equilibrium) when the relative supply of homes for sale falls between 5 and 6 months. Tampa Real Estate Supply And Demand August 2011 In the real estate graph above, the one-year trend of home sales is shown in green, the current supply of homes for sale is shown in red, and the resulting relative supply is shown in purple and mea... 09/17/2011

Clearwater Florida Market Report for August 2011 shows that there were 109 single family homes sold. This list starts off with a 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath pool home in the gated Countryside community of Woodsong. This 5930 sq ft beauty backs up to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course. Listed at $875,000, it sold after being on the market for 274 days for $835,000. On the other end of this list of single family homes we find a modest 2 bedroom, 1 bath bank owned home that has 683 sq ft of living space. This home was listed at $22,900 and sold after being on the market for 263 days for $19,900. In the category of townhomes, villas and condos we begin with a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath condo located in downtown Clearwater in Water's Edge. This 9th floor 2425 sq ft condo with views of Clearwater's intercoast... 09/15/2011

Stein Mart of Northwood Plaza in Clearwater Florida is one of my favorite places to go shopping. There are always wonderful selections that are marked down and parking is never a problem. Right next door to Stein Mart is Talbots, another great shop for ladies apparel. Northwood Plaza on McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater Florida is also home to several great restaurants, a Publix grocery store and a CVS Pharmacy. That is what I call one stop shopping. If you don't shop at Northwood Plaza, you really need to check it out. If you are thinking of relocating, you really should give me a call for assistance. :-)       09/13/2011

Aldi is the place to go for your groceries! If you have never been to an Aldi, there is one here in Clearwater Florida on US 19N just north of Sunset Point Road on the West side of the street. I have shopped at Aldi since the early 1970's, when I was living in Germany. Aldi has prices that cannot be beat on many items! As with anything, you need to compare prices. But many items are so inexpensive. I purchased a container of fig filled cookies today for 99 cents! If that isn't reason enough to check it out, in November they get a large shipment of German holiday specialties, such as Nuernbergerlebkuchen (Gingerbread from Nuremberg) and many other items that are found in the homes of Germany during the holiday season. Aldi, now also in the United States, has a store in Clearwater Florida... 09/12/2011

Coldwell Banker Tampa Bay Florida Remembers It is a somber day which brings many bad memories and sadness to many. It is the anniversary of innocents who perished. Over 3,000 human beings perished. They lost their life. Many lost the love of their life. At Coldwell Banker Tampa Bay Florida... we remember. Where was I? I was watching the morning news that day. I saw people jump to their death. It was very sad and traumatizing to see. No words can express my condolescences to those who died and to those who lost the love of their life. 09/11/2011

The Greater Tampa real estate market saw a continued reversal in the relative supply of homes for the month of July 2011. Relative supply is measured in terms of months of supply when measured against the current rate of demand. The following real estate supply and demand graph shows that the Tampa MLS currently has just under 6 months of supply, which is the magic level needed to be considered a balanced market. Most real estate professionals identify a balanced market (a market at equilibrium) when the relative supply of homes for sale falls between 5 and 6 months. Tampa Real Estate Supply And Demand August 2011 In the real estate graph above, the one-year trend of home sales is shown in green, the current supply of homes for sale is shown in red, and the resulting relative supply is ... 09/06/2011

Realtors? Are You Getting Pre-Approved Buyer Leads Who Are Moving To Your Prospective Areas From Your Loan Officers?  If not perhaps you should arm yourself by using a loan officer who has an SEO presence. Find out which local loan originators are getting the calls from the buyers prior to them making the trip to Florida to find a home. Reach out to these Loan Officers. Often an email is enough to introduce yourself as someone who would like to be added to his/her list of Realtors for your prospective areas. Phone calls and personal one on one meetings don't hurt either. Begin by searching Active Rain for top loan originators in your neck of the woods. It doesn't get any easier than that to build a relationship. Obviously working with a loan originator to get a loan closed is the best w... 08/31/2011

There's A Boat Load of Out Of State Buyers Moving To Florida How do I know this you might ask. Well I don't have any inside information or based on statistics data for you to look at; but what I do have is my own personal experiences from my SEO work through the Active Rain Professional Networking Site. After 14 Months of posting daily blogs on subject matter that scans my 20 plus years of experience as a mortgage broker I have optained the Holy Grail that all professional bloggers covet. I have found my links on virtually every first page search I can think of for home mortgage loans in Tampa Florida. Type in just about any combination of search words your can think of in search of a home loan in TAMPA and I will have a link on the first page. Other search words that work well are sear... 08/31/2011

Clearwater Florida Market Report for July 2011 is as follows: There were 92 Single Family Homes that closed during July 2011. On the top of that list we find a 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath newly built home in Renaissance Oaks that is 4184 sq ft of living space. This beauty was on the market for 3 days and sold for the list price of $771,570. At the other end of this list is a small bank owned home on Garden Avenue that is a 2 bedroom 1 bath with 744 sq ft. This home was listed at $9,000 and sold for $8,250 after 71 days on the market. These 92 homes were on the market for an average of 139 days. When we look at townhomes, condos and villas we find 82 closings that took place during July 2011. This list starts with a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath condo at Water's Edge that boasts 2425 sq ft. This beautiful ... 08/25/2011

  The Pro's and Con's of FHA/VA/USDA Home Loans In  Clearwater Florida If you want a loan with a No Money Down Option then you must be a veteran or you must purchase a home in a HUD Approved Area for Rural Housing. The VA and USDA Loan are the only type loans that offer the No Down Payment Option for buying a home. The FHA loan is the most popular type loan at this time because the down payment requirement is only 3.5% compared to the Conventional Loans which require 5% down. Both require the added cost of Mortgage Insurance any time less than 20% down is used. The VA and USDA Loans do not require mortgage Insurance but have a funding fee that is financed into the loan. The USDA funding fee is currently 3.5% but expected to rise with the growing number of defaults. The VA funding fee va... 08/08/2011

ResMac Mortgage is a direct lender in Tampa. We offer the best rates and fees in the industry with in house underwriting and processing, allowing us to close loans in 21 days or less. We are a full service direct lender with no lender overlays with Stated Income loans, Conventional, Jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, HUD Homes, My Community, Home Path and Hard Money to 70%.I also have access to Down Payment Assistance Programs in most Counties.• 600 Mid Score on FHA Financing, 620 Mid Score on Conventional, VA & USDA Financing, 640 Mid Score on HomePath, also Stated Income Loan Program• REO, Short Sale, Foreclosure & Probate Purchase's• Up to 100% Financing On VA & USDA• Up to 97% Financing On HomePath• No Monthly Mortgage Insurance Payments (HomePath, VA & USDA)• Fixed Rate, ARM & Interest Only Opt... 08/06/2011

  Which Government Backed Home Loan Is Best Suited For Purchasing My New Home? If you want a loan with a No Money Down Option then you must be a veteran or you must purchase a home in a HUD Approved Area for Rural Housing. The VA and USDA Loan are the only type loans that offer the No Down Payment Option for buying a home. The FHA loan is the most popular type loan at this time because the down payment requirement is only 3.5% compared to the Conventional Loans which require 5% down. Both require the added cost of Mortgage Insurance any time less than 20% down is used. The VA and USDA Loans do not require mortgage Insurance but have a funding fee that is financed into the loan. The USDA funding fee is currently 3.5% but expected to rise with the growing number of defaults. The VA fundin... 08/01/2011

Clearwater Florida Market Report for the First Half of 2011 is as follows:In the category of Single Family Homes there were 614 sales. They ranged from a high list price of $1,100,000 that sold after 199 days on the market for $830,000. This home has 5 bedrooms, 6.5 baths and 6021 sq ft of living space, with just under an acre of land. At the other end of the spectrum is a bank owned 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with 1301 sq ft that was listed for $5,000 and sold for $32,500 after 209 days on the market.On average for the first half of 2011 single family homes were on the market for 121 days. In the category of townhomes, villas and condos there were 547 sales. These ranged from a high list price of $1,143,450 for a waterfront condo on Clearwater Harbor that sold after a single day on the mar... 07/27/2011

Clearwater's Bella Rosa is a where you want to call home. Why just have a home, when you can live in a resort type setting. Bella Rosa is a beautifully designed mediterranean building. It also has incrediable amenities. Walk directly onto the beach for enjoyment of the beautiful sandy beach. Pool, spa, tennis court, gas grills and exercise room, add further enjoyment.  Homeowners will enjoy all beach and waterfront activities, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, jet ski's, boat rentals, sight seeing tours and all the greatest beach restaurants and entertainment you can stand. Bella Rosa is a  condo complex building that is in an ideal location on Clearwater Beach. Bella Rosa is one of the best built buildings on the beach.  This waterfront condo complex is located in the Sand Key area.  San... 07/24/2011

Non-Occupying Co-Signers Are On The Increase for Purchase Transactions In Tampa Non-Occupying Co-Signers - FHA allows a direct family member to co-sign with the buyer and still live at another property even if it is located in another State. This allows individuals who are directly related to buyers with high Debt-To-Income Ratios to Co-Sign and add additional income to the application in an effort to bring the ratios in-line with the lenders guidelines. The Non-Occupying Co-Signer can also gift the buyer the money for the down payment or simply pay it out of their own funds. A Non-Occupying Co-Signer has been a popular sales tool for my Realtors who cater to younger first time buyers who's incomes are still fairly low but who's parents are more then happy to help their children qualif... 07/18/2011

Loans for Commercial and Multi-Unit Properties in Clearwater Florida The process for obtaining a Commercial Loan begins with the entry of an EXECUTIVE SUMMERY FORM.  The form covers several important areas of information that are used to conduct a search of available lenders and their Rate and Terms for a particular loan type. 1) Contact Information 2) Property Description 3) Additional Collateral 4) Borrowers Desired Loan Terms 5) Personal Information Via Resumes, 1003's and Financial Statements for all borrowers 6) If it is income producing then a Rent Roll or Profit and Loss Statement is needed 7) Credit Files all borrowers 8) Property Appraisal 9) Use of Funds Statement 10) Transaction Description and Exit strategy   07/18/2011

Five Good Reasons To Get Approved For A Government Backed FHA/USDA Loan Today  1) Limited Funds. There is a certain amount allocated each year by congress and getting additional funds allocated in the 4th Quarter to offset shortfalls is HIGHLY unlikely giving the on-going battle over deficit spending. With the increased demand for FHA loans brought on by QRM (Quantitative Risk Management) which is looming and likely to happen there will be an increased demand for FHA Mortgages for their lower down payment requirements. Increased demand for something with limited supply forces prices higher. In short; the 4th Quarter of 2011 could see far less and far more expensive financing for those with less than 20% down. 2) Limited Funds.  The FHA does not have sufficient reserves so they increase... 07/18/2011