Back in the day, a borrower had to be behind in payments or even in pre-foreclosure before the lender would consider a loan modification.  The logic was simple "Why modify a loan that is current?"  That was then, today is different....with many lenders.  Most homeowners know they're drowning in debt before they actually miss a mortgage payment.  This is the critical point - call your lender BEFORE you miss that payment. Be prepared when you call.   Use this short check list: amount of monthly income - use take home pay being careful to note if deductions are taken out for health insurance, 401k contribution, etc. have a list of your monthly expenses - include items such as food, gas, prescriptions, kids lunch money, church tithing, dry cleaners, insurance, real estate taxes, utilities, ... 06/25/2008

The Beach Market is not dead! Don't listen to everything you hear that is all doom and gloom, The Tim Team just recently had one condo and one home go under contract (one closed last Friday!) In this market there are very specific things you need to do to get a sale! Presentation HAS to be perfect (or near perfect) because it is a beauty contest out there! You also have to have a great agent to market it and determine correct marketing price. As you may know, price is everything in this market! Diane Thompson | Keller Williams | garnetdiane@yahoo.com | 727-216-9279 19029 US 19N HIGHWAY 22B , Clearwater, FL BEAUTIFUL 55+ COMMUNITY WITH AMMENITIES GALORE! 2BR/2BA Condo offered at $163,500 Year Built 1978 Sq Footage 1,400 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified ... 06/17/2008

Bellagio's condos are also beautiful inside, as you can see from these photos! Right now there are some really wonderful deals available due to the current number of foreclosures. If you are considering purchasing a condo or townhome in Clearwater, be sure to check out Bellagio! This is a beautiful community to move into! Convenient to Tampa and downtown St Petersburg/ Clearwater, it is also close to shops and malls!   06/14/2008

As you can tell, I took a lot of photos while I was there!!! The area is just so beautiful that I had to be able to share this! This is such a lovely retreat to be able to come home to! And with all of the foreclosures and preforeclosures going on right now, this community has some sweet deals!!! Above are the entrance ways to some of the townhomes in Bellagio! Beautiful canal front townhomes! There are several different styles of homes available here in Bellagio! If you would like to view them, give us a call today! We would be happy to take you over to this community directly on Tampa Bay! Whether you are interested in townhomes (like the one pictured above) or a condo, both are available!     06/14/2008

Bellagio is indeed a wonderful community. Located directly on Tampa Bay, it offers wonderful waterfront views! With dockside slips for your boat and dockside sunbathing, this community has thought of everything. There are playgrounds for the kids, volleyball, basketball, tennis courts, paths to walk your dog - everything you could possibly want in a luxury facility. Buildings are mixed with condos and townhomes. There are garages for some of the homes and reserved parking spaces for all units. Prices right now are unbelievable! If you are considering purchasing a condo or townhome in the Clearwater area you owe it to yourself to check out Bellagio!!! Give us a call today to arrange to see what Bellagio has to offer!   06/14/2008

There is so much to see at Bellagio that I had to break these photos up into several posts. It is the kind of community that you don't see everyday in Clearwater - unless you are lucky enough to call it home! Located directly on beautiful Tampa Bay, Bellagio is indeed worth looking into if you are considering a condo or townhome in the Clearwater area! With prices unbelievably below what they were last year, you owe it to yourself to check Bellagio out!!! Convenient to Tampa, Bellagio is located just east of US 19 in Clearwater! What a wonderful place! Convenient to schools, shopping and the malls - Bellagio - your next home is waiting for you here! 06/14/2008

Bellagio is a lovely community of townhomes and condos right on Tampa Bay. If you have ever been to Venice and liked it, you will love Bellagio! This is the entrance to the clubhouse at Bellagio! It has everything you could possibly want, including rooms for meetings, an office to use computers and send faxes, a workout center and one of the nicest pools around. At Bellagio you can live like a king (or queen) in this splendid waterfront community!!! Condos are selling from the 200 thousands on up...... there are a lot of real bargins to be had right now! Like every other community in the States, even in Bellagio there are foreclosures and pre-foreclosures at unbelievable prices! Give us a call for more information on what is currently available in this fantastic community! Complete with... 06/14/2008

Clearwater, FL Real Estate Update (Month of May 2008) Total Properties Listed (Including New) =   2550 New Properties Listed =  408 Properties Sold =   148 Properties Expired from the market (EXPIRED) =  292 Properties under contract (PENDING) = 270 If you would like more information about  Clearwater, FL , just contact us at www.tampahomeguides.com. Source of numbers is Midflorida regional MLS.         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 inten... 06/08/2008

With all the media discussion about predator lending, bent mortgage brokers and greedy sales agents, while half of the country are losing their homes in foreclosure - many of you might have gotten the impression that real estate is not totally, sparkling clean.    The truth is, this housing crisis occurred because in the last few years many people who couldn't really afford houses bought them anyway. Using very creative mortgages, and very creative loan applications, these buyers thought they could afford these home for some inexplicable reason and did not question their good luck. Subject I touched on HERE not long ago. At time of this newsletter, the government still hadn't figured out exactly what to do, other than hoping really hard for the problem to go away.  But as bad as all tha... 05/29/2008

Lots of un-sold homes dump into the rental pool as property owners struggle to make mortgage payments on vacant houses that didn't sell. Many investors in our area have seen their cash flow eaten up with higher property taxes and insurance costs.   These days if you can break-even on a rental, you're doing pretty good.   All too frequently I see the same name several times on the Lis Pendens list - a sure sign that an investor is going down. I've gotten used to that but what bothers me is that the tenants have little or no rights - all too often I encounter a tenant that has been paying rent but the property owner has not paid the mortgage payments.  Fortunately, in this state, the occupant of a property is included in the service list.  Most of the time, the serving of the summons is e... 05/28/2008

Deed-in-Lieu of foreclosure is when a homeowner transfers or gives their property to the lender in exchange for cancellation of the mortgage; also referred to as "cash for keys". In the past the rules or policies that governed DIL s were basic and a bit rigid; the home had to be owner occupied and the first mortgage had to be the only lien.  From there the requirements were somewhat standardized, typically 60 to 90 days on the market and the homeowner had to submit documentation supporting an inability to make payments.   In the wake of current tidal wave of foreclosures and short sales, a few lenders are beginning to think ‘outside the box' by considering DILs that previously would not have fit the criteria.    For instance, Washington Mutual tentatively agreed to a DIL on a non-owner ... 05/28/2008

The Federal Housing Administration(FHA) will start charging upfront mortgage insurance premiums based on the borrower's credit score and down payment starting July 14, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Upfront premiums paid at closing will range from 1.25% to 2.25% under the new pricing schedule that will apply to all FHA loans. Currently all FHA borrowers pay a 1.5% upfront premium regardless of risk. By charging slightly higher premiums based on credit risk, HUD expects to create a more financially sound FHA program and reach more borrowers struggling to keep up with their payments on high-cost subprime mortgages. Risk-based pricing will also be used for refinancing delinquent borrowers under the FHA Secure program starting in July. HUD is expanding the FH... 05/14/2008

Live the Florida lifestyle in this luxury waterfront condo complex on lovely Island Estates. Island Estates community has its own grocery store, churches, post office, restaurants and other retail establishments within walking distance. The Sunwatch complex has 2 pools, jacazzi, BBQ area, tennis courts, fitness center, community dock, billard room rental unit for guests of owners. secured under-building parking and locked lobby.    Boat slips occasionally available for sale/rent.  No pet restrictions.         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 ... 05/12/2008

Station Square is located in downtown Clearwater. It will be a mixed unit complex with 126 residential condominums. The building amenities will include a 6th floor rooftop pool, entertainment room, access controlled parking and to living floors, concierge service, fitness center, and retail shops on the ground floor. The units are one and two bedrooms, two bathrooms with square footage from 1,180 to 2,825 square feet. The kitchens are modern with granite counter tops, lots of windows for spectacular views, utility rooms and walk-in closets.         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 ... 05/12/2008

Sand Key Condo offers sweeping views of the Intracoastal,  and a short walk across the street to the beach along the Gulf of Mexico! The lush grounds provide a wonderful feeling of space.  The common area pool looks out over the Intercoastal as well.  Sand Key is a hop, skip and a jump from Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, but features wide open, quiet spaces.  Residents can enjoy playing tennis nearby, sailing or kayaking at the Clearwater Sailing Center, stroll through beautiful Sand Key Park or enjoy shopping & restaurants at the Shoppes of Sand Key. No need for a car to go to  Clearwater Beach and downtown Clearwater you can just ride the trolley.     The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Pinell... 05/12/2008

Island Estates is located on an island between downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach. It is a retail and waterfront residential. Island Estates has condominum complexes and single family homes. The views from the homes are of beautiful, sparkling waters that are either on the intracostal waterways or a canal that empties into the intracostal waters. For those that live on the Island Estates they are just minutes from Clearwater Beach, they can even ride the trolley to the beach. They are also just minutes to downtown Clearwater. Island Estates has a grocery store, gas station and other retail shopping. Island Estates is a community that offers a convenient location to beaches and downtown Clearwater  but with a quick commute to downtown Tampa or St. Petersburg, shopping, entertainmen... 05/06/2008

Grand Venezia is a luxurious condo complex. This gorgeous building was built in 2001 and has 1,2, and 3 bedroom units.  Amenities Galore Include: 24-Hour guardhouse, full-time concierge service, private and luxurious clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness center with a personal trainer if you want,  private tanning salon, sauna, massage therapy center, lockers,  24-Hour business center with internet, fax, and copier, a heated sparkling pool  and  jacuzzi, and a redwood Sauna.  Also available for residentsis  a full service house keeping, car care center, fishing and boating.  There is a 1 mile lighted waterfront promenade for jogging, walking, roller blading, lighted tennis courts, volleyball courts, children s playground, BBQ grills, and picnic areas.  If you like to be pampered this luxu... 05/06/2008

Countryside is a popular address in Clearwater. Countryside is a master-planned comunity started by US Homes in the 1970's, built around the Countryside Golf Course. Some of the neighborhoods have little or no deed restrictions or HOAs.  Close to Countryside  are hospitals, shopping malls, grocery stores, churches, recreation center, parks, and restaurants. It is only 30 minutes to Tampa Airport and 7 miles from beach. It has a variety of type of homes, villas, townhomes and single family homes.  The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Tampa Bay and Clearwater 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 Hi... 05/06/2008

Consider using your tax return to maximize your future financial situation. As tax season settles, consumers throughout the nation anxiously await their tax refund and rebate. According to the latest IRS estimate, tax refunds will be almost 5 percent higher this year, with an average $2,480 returned to taxpayer's hands. This financial boost couldn't come at a better time. Get ahead of the tough economic situation by spending your tax rebate wisely. Below are a few suggestions on how to make the most of your tax refund and rebate: Refinance to a Lower Rate Yes, that new flat screen television is tempting, but in order to get the most out of your rebate dollars consider maximizing your current investments. By refinancing to a fixed and/or lower interest rate, you can improve your mortgag... 05/05/2008

Coachmen Reserve is a gated single-level carriage home community built in 2008. It is located off of Palmetto street in Clearwater. Coachman Reserve has four spacious floor plans starting from the low $200's. These elegant homes in Coachman Reseve are from 1,554 to 2,054 square feet. Coachman Reserve was developed by Pulte Homes. Coachman Reserve is conveniently locate just minutes from the gulf beaches. Coachman Reserve is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, St. Pete Times Forum, Lowry Park Zoo, Sunken Gardens, Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, Ruth Eckerd Hall and to the nightlife at downtown St. Petersburg. Several golf courses are also conveniently close by. Coachman Reserve also offers a quick commute over the bridges to Hillsborough Count... 04/27/2008