How Lakeland Fl Home Buyers Use Technology   When searching for a Lakeland Fl real estate agent, make sure he or she is tech savvy. The internet has changed the way buyers search for homes and your agent must be able to make use of technology to market your home to these tech savvy buyers.   90% of homebuyers use the internet to search for homes. But not all these buyers are glued on their screens searching on their computers. Nearly all home buyers today are mobile and even mobile applications have made it possible for buyers to search for homes. Being "mobile" doesn't necessarily mean these buyers are on the move, but it means they might just be sitting on their desks and using their smart phones before even opening their laptop or computers.   Almost 30% shop for homes on their smart... 03/29/2013

Tips on Buying a Lakeland Fl Home In A Buyer’s Market   Home prices and mortgage rates are still at historic lows, now is the best time to buy a Lakeland Fl home while the overall existing housing market in Lakeland FL is still a buyer's market.   In some places, it may be still a buyer's market with the number of sellers growing more than the number of potential buyers. This results in home price decreases, which makes buyers even happier. But on the other hand, this could also complicate things for buyers since it gives them too many choices for homes. Buyers are also getting confused if they should buy now or wait it out a few more months to see if prices of homes will continue to fall.   Here are some tips to help you in buying a Lakeland Fl home in a buyer's market:   1. When you f... 03/28/2013

What Is The Best Way To Search For Lakeland FL Homes? Over 90% of buyers today searching for homes online.  They are looking at sites such as Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow. Last week I took a couple from out of state to view homes in Lakeland and the surrounding areas.  They picked the homes that they wanted to view and I made sure these homes were still available when I arranged for appointments.  One of the homes they picked was not listed in the Multiple Listing (MLS) however when I researched the home it appeared on Trulia. Another home a friend found on Trulia was online however it was an old listing from a couple of years ago and the price did not match the current MLS listing. When you look at sites such as Trulia, you may soon realize that the home you found is priced within yo... 03/27/2013

The Closing Process for your Lakeland Fl Home   Wouldn’t it be great if buying a Lakeland Fl home could be as easy as buying a new TV, just go to the shop, pick the model you like, and pay for it at the register? Unfortunately, real estate transactions aren’t that simple. The complex process of buying or selling a Lakeland Fl home involves many players including the buyer, seller, real estate agents, attorneys, lenders, appraisers, inspectors, and sometimes contractors. Add to that, a real estate transaction takes generally around 30-45 days to close.   Right after a buyer finds the right home and makes an offer to the seller, the closing process begins.   The closing process starts with the seller’s acceptance of the buyer’s offer which is prepared by the parties themselves, the Lakela... 03/24/2013

Lakeland FL Carillon Lakes Homes for Sale | Market Report for February 2013   Carillon Lakes in Lakeland Florida was developed over ten years ago and it is a deed restricted community. There are a variety of homes and condominiums situated throughout this lovely neighborhood that was developed in the early 2000. This community provides plenty of activities for its residents as well as for children. The community’s monthly calendar is filled with entertainment like, water aerobics, book buffs, game night, investment clubs and much, much more. The appearance of this community shows pride with manicured lawns and walkways throughout the community and its surrounding lakes. The Carillon Lakes Community in Lakeland FL offer low monthly home owners association fee, provide 24 hr gated manned ... 03/22/2013

Overall Existing Lakeland FL Housing Market - February 2013 There are so many ways to show and predict the real estate market in Lakeland. You can look at month-over-month numbers and year-over-year, and compare it to zip codes, single family homes, condominiums, manufactured homes and square-foot costs to closed sales, you can manipulate it in every way possible to make the stats say just about anything you want them to say. You can say sales prices are going up because homes sold for more this month than they did the same month last year, but that doesn’t take into account the fact that we have fewer homes for sale.   While this chart below shows the Lakeland Fl real estate market as a "buyer's market" with over 7 month of supply, I must caution though that this is most likely due to ... 03/21/2013

Good News For Lakeland FL Short Sales this 2013   Short sellers and distressed owners of Lakeland Fl homes and throughout this country now can breathe a sigh of relief with the extended  The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation. As part of the Fiscal Cliff Bill, the congress has made this act available to homeowners until January 1, 2014 from its original expiry in December 31, 2012.   Just recently, being a Lakeland Florida Short sale agent, I experienced my sellers excitement because of extension of the Mortgage Debt Relief Act being extended. Without this act, homeowners who have gone through short sales in Lakeland Fl and everywhere else would have to pay a “Phantom Income Tax” to the IRS. Although not every homeowner will not be qualified, this act covers a hu... 03/20/2013

Lakeland FL Sandpiper Homes - February 2013 Real Estate Market Update   Sandpiper Golf & Country Club, an active 55+ community, is located in North Lakeland FL with easy access to I-4, top medical facilities, shopping a dining. The homes were built in the late 80’s through the late 90’s and contain approximately 1200 single homes and villas from over 900 – 2,000 square feet. Homes have 2 or 3 bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, and offer a variety of floor plans and upgrades, such as enclosed patio, flooring, kitchen, appliances, etc. They are mostly used as vacation homes for our Snow Birds as their winter resident; however year around living shows an active lifestyle in this community, such as golfing, swimming, social gatherings, walking, exercising, dining and much more.     A snapshot of ... 03/19/2013

Budgeting for Your First Lakeland Fl Home   Now that you have all your finances in order and are ready to buy your first Lakeland Fl home, are you sure your budget is really enough to afford it? Some first time homebuyers find out too late that they can’t really afford the home they had already made an offer on simply because they failed to factor in other costs associated with homeownership.   You can avoid making the same mistake by knowing what these additional costs and expenses are, so you could be better prepared for them and include them in your budget for buying your Lakeland Fl home.   Aside from the down payment, which is typically 3.5%-20% of the home’s selling price, there are other costs and expenses you need to consider all the way to closing and moving in such as:   1. Ho... 03/18/2013

Lakeland FL - Bicycle Friendly Community There is no day that goes by where you will see bicyclist ride their bicycles around the various lakes located around Lakeland FL.  In fact, Lakeland is known to have a bicycle trail from Lake-to-Lake and the two-wheel enthusiast take this sport very serious.  There are teams that ride their well equipped bicycle on a daily basis on to the rolling hills of Lakeland. Lakeland FL received previous accolades, In recent years Money Magazine ranked Lakeland at the 10th “Best Place to Live in America” and in an article by Business Insider, Mamta Batkar considered that Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL is one of the best 15 housing markets in the next five years.   BikeLakeland began the process in March 2012 by making a formal request to the City of Lakeland t... 03/17/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33812 for March 2013 Home prices not only vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL, they also vary by neighborhoods. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code. Lakeland, FL 33812 is located located Southeastern part of Lakeland, South of Polk Parkway and west of HWY 98S, you will find communities such as Emerald Ridge, Lakeland Highlands Club Hill Estates, Highlands-By-The-Lake, Vintage View, Clubhill Estates, Summerland Hills and many more as well as rural country living. Easy access to shopping, dining, schools. The interstate to Orlando and Tampa or to the sandy white beaches and attractions is within a short commute of about 10-15 minutes to Polk Parkway. Real estate market data for Lakeland, FL 33812 is provided by Pe... 03/14/2013

Do I Really Need A Lakeland Fl Home Inspection? One of the first things you should do before you decide on buying a Lakeland Fl home for sale it to have it professionally checked by a home inspector. Buying a home is already expensive enough as it is, why shell out an additional $450 for a home inspection if it’s not really a requirement? Is it really worth the investment? Can’t I just inspect the home myself? If you are asking yourself these questions and are hesitant on getting a professional home inspection, read on for the reasons why you should not skip this optional step. It’s true that the goal of a home inspection is to check the safety, quality, and general condition of all the visible things within the home (as well as a few exteriors). Visible things means those components th... 03/13/2013

Why Do Lakeland Fl Short Sales Fall Through On The Buyer’s Side?   As an experienced short sale agent helping homeowners with their short sale in the Lakeland Florida area, I sit down with the homeowners not only go through every step of the short sale transaction, I also explain and raise awareness why buyers choose to cancel the contracts and walk away from short sale. While the number one reason is that a short sale takes a long time, here are a few more reasons why Lakeland Fl short sales fall through on the buyer's side: 1. The buyer is not qualified or approved for the loanSometimes, even if a buyer is approved for a loan, he or she may find out later on that he or she was inappropriately pre-qualified by an unskilled or overzealous loan officer.The pre-approval or pre-qualificati... 03/12/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33810 for March 2013 Home prices vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code. Lakeland, FL 33810 is located located Northwest off Interstate 4,  between HWY 98 N and Hillsborough County line you will find communities such as the Grandview Landings, Bloomfield, Huntington Hills Golf & Country Club, Huntington Summit, Ashley Estates, Grand Pines, Copper Ridge Oaks, Pebblebrooke Estates and many more as well as rural country living. Easy access to shopping, dining, schools. The interstate to Orlando and Tampa or to the sandy white beaches and attractions is within a short commute of about 10-15 minutes to Interstate 4. Real estate market data for Lakeland, FL 33810 is provided by Petra ... 03/10/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33811 for March 2013 Home prices vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code. Lakeland, FL 33811 is located just South of Toll Road 570 between East off South Florida Avenue and West of County Line Road.  You will find communities such as Carillon Lakes, Deer Brooke, Oakview Estates, Forestwood, Poley Creek, Reflections West and many more. Easy access to shopping, dining, schools. The interstate to Orlando and Tampa or to the sandy white beaches and attractions is within a short commute of about 10-15 minutes to Interstate 4. Real estate market data for Lakeland, FL 33811 is provided by Petra Norris of CDV Transatlantic, Inc. Real Estate Brokerage.   Lakeland FL 33811 Home Prices We ... 03/10/2013

Why You Need To Get Pre-Approved Before Buying a Lakeland Fl Home? Nowadays, for most first-time homebuyers, it would be impossible to buy a Lakeland Fl home, or any home, without a mortgage loan. Mortgages  allow homebuyers to pay off the total cost of the home by breaking the amount into monthly installments over a long period of time, usually up to 30 years. Lenders make money on this by charging interest. Lenders can pre-approve a mortgage loan even before a buyer purchases a home. This pre-approval is a necessary step in buying a home. It is actually the first step any buyer should do before even looking for a home.Notice I did not write pre-qualified. So what’s so important about getting pre-approved for a loan and how does it affect the buyer?The first step in getting a home loan... 03/08/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33809 for March 2013 Home prices vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code. Lakeland, FL 33809 is located in the Northern part of Lakeland. Located East of US HYW 98 N and West of Interstate 4, this North Lakeland area has is within minutes to Shopping, Dining, Hospital and other specialized medical facilities.   Nearby locations are Lake Gibson, which is great for boating, waterski and fishing. Lake Parker which has over 100 acres of native Florida vegetation, it is a great setting for all ages of sports enthusiasts. The Detroit Tigers hold their annual Spring Training at Tiger Town in the Joker Marchant Stadium.  You will find neighborhood such as Sherwood Forest, Hunters Run, Hu... 03/07/2013

Highland Fairways is a 55+ gated golf community located in sunny central Florida.  Every winter people across the country and Canada discover the mild climate in central Florida is the best place to spend the colder months on vacation or all year long.  Many residents enjoy the private, year-round golf course.      "Life at Highland Fairways feels like a vacation every day of the year."         Highland Fairways Homes The land for this beautiful community was originally purchased in 1985 and developed by Florida Leisure Communities.  The plan was to build a large mobile home community.  Those plans changed after the first 60 homes were sold.  The developer then built and finished the community with another 600 site built homes featuring 10 floor plans including the Rob Roy, McKenzie, Fa... 03/07/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33803 for March 2013   Home prices vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code.   Lakeland, FL 33803 is located in the heart of Lakeland.  Nearby locations are Lake Hollingsworth, Dixieland, and Florida Southern College   You will find communities such as Easton Woods, Highland Hills, Lakeland Heights, Grasslands Communities, Bridgefield, Boger Terrace, and luxurious estates around Lake Hollingsworth.   Real estate market data for Lakeland, FL 33803 is provided by Petra Norris of CDV Transatlantic, Inc. Real Estate Brokerage.     Lakeland FL 33803 Home Prices   We have seen for the past few months that median list prices have remained steady although for March 2013 home prices have i... 03/06/2013

Home Prices in Lakeland FL 33813 for March 2013   Home prices vary from zip code to zip code within Lakeland, FL. To give you a more concise report, I separate my analysis by zip code.   Lakeland, FL 33813 is located just South of Toll Road 570 between South Florida Avenue located east to W. Carter Road.  You will find communities such as Christina, Eaglebrooke, Highlands in the Woods, Highland Vista, Benford Estates, Hamilton Place, Breckenridge and many more. Easy access to shopping, dining, schools. The interstate to Orlando and Tampa or to the sandy white beaches and attractions is within a short commute of about 10-15 minutes.    Real estate market data for Lakeland, FL 33813 is provided by Petra Norris of CDV Transatlantic, Inc. Real Estate Brokerage.     Lakeland FL 33813 Home Pr... 03/06/2013