It’s been alleged that a year is 365 days long. But we can’t say that we’re convinced. Because we’re pretty confident that this year lasted a total of four minutes. Maybe five, tops.
So in case you blinked and missed some of our best blogs this year – or just blinked and missed 2018 like we did – we’ve rounded up our top-5 best Tampa real estate blogs of 2018. That way, you can go into 2019 armed with everything you need to know to make it your year for savvy, informed and prosperous real estate (ad)ventures.
Homeowners Have $5.5 Trillion in ‘Tappable’ Home Equity
“More and more homeowners are sitting pretty – and in the money, according to Black Knight Data & Analytics which studies the mortgage industry.
“Homeowners reached an all-time high of equity at their disposal in the third quarter of last year with 42 million mortgage-holding homeowners having a collective $5.5 trillion in ‘tappable’ equity – or the amount available for homeowners to borrow before reaching 80 percent of debt-to-value against their home – according to the research firm.
“For context, that is $3 trillion more than what was available when the housing market bottomed out in 2012 after the financial crisis.
“Approximately 90 percent of Tampa homeowners now have equity they can use, which, in turn, could further fuel the economy.”
Read more about how rising home prices of the last two years have returned borrowers right-side up – and well beyond – here.
These Are The Zips To Flip
“So often we’re asked about the process of flipping a house – finding the right property with the right value, demand, and ‘flippability’ in order to turn a profit.
“And though it’s true that with home prices steadily rising, it’s getting ever harder to find a good candidate for house flipping in the Tampa Bay area, we are still ranked third among major metro areas last year with a flip rate of 9 percent.
“Simply put: One in every 11 homes sold was a flip, with ‘flip’ defined as ‘ … a home sold twice within 12 months in an arm’s length transaction.’
“Want to know where to go to get the best bang for your buck?”
Read more about the nine Tampa Bay area ZIP code with the highest gross return on investment on flips here.
It’s Official: Tampa Is The BEST Market For First-Time Homebuyers
“While many first-time buyers looking for an affordable home in the Tampa Bay area may be surprised – or even dubious – when reading that headline, according to a Zillow report released on PR Newswire, it’s true: Tampa made the top of their 2018 Best Markets for First-Time Buyers Analysis list.
“According to their analysis, the ‘best markets’ for first-time home shoppers are those that offer more affordable homes in a less competitive environment.
Read more about how Zillow determined what constituted the best markets for first-time buyers here.
Ready to Flip: These Are The Hottest Tampa Bay ZIPs
“The Tampa Bay area ranked third among the 52 largest metro areas in the percentage of flips – which defines flips as sales that occur within 12 months of the last time the property changed possession. One in every 11 Tampa Bay homes met that criteria, giving the area a flip rate of 9 percent, trailing only to Memphis and Las Vegas.
“And while some of these statistics may make those who experienced the last market crash nervous, experts say that this time, it’s different.”
Read more about how flippers in Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough and Hernando experienced gross returns exceeding an average of 50 percent in 74 of the 122 Tampa Bay ZIP code areas here.
Get It While It’s Hot: Tampa Bay’s Real Estate Market Values Continue To Rise
“The sky is blue. The grass is green. And Tampa Bay’s housing market is white hot.
“Facts are facts, and the fact remains that while it seemed that just when we thought the Tampa Bay real estate market couldn’t get any hotter, the Tampa Bay Times says it will.
“Property appraiser estimates show that taxable values are up nearly 10 percent in Hillsborough County, the biggest increase since the real estate market crashed in 2007.
“Expert projections are equally positive for the area’s two biggest cities according to the article, with the taxable value of property rising by 10.4 percent in Tampa and 9.5 percent in St. Petersburg, while taxable values in neighboring Pasco and Pinellas counties are up about 8.5 percent.”
Read more about how these sizeable increases are largely attributed to rising home values and nearly $3.4 billion worth of new construction in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties here.
It’s the season of giving, after all, so we wanted to package up five of our best blogs of 2018 with a neat little cyber bow for your reading enjoyment.
This year and every other, we have felt so honored to partner with each and every one of you as you’ve made some of the most important decisions of your life and look forward to continuing to serve you 2019!
Because at DeLeon Sheffield Company, ‘We’re More Than Realty; We’re Family.’
