Love It Or Hate It: Daylight Saving Is Here To Stay …For Now.
Look. We don’t make a habit of getting political. But we’ve had enough – and thankfully, our representatives in government from both sides of the aisle agree, too. What bipartisan topic could possibly bridge the political divide? Daylight saving. And it’s barreling straight toward us at 2 a.m. this Sunday, November 3. WOMP. WOMP. Don’t […]
Did You Know: 25 Incredible Facts About Tampa
While exploring the rabbit hole also known as the internet, we came across this article on Mental Floss. Considering how long we’ve lived here, we’re amazed by some of these facts that we never knew – and thought you might enjoy them, too! Did you know … 1. The name Tampa is believed to come […]
The Happiness ROI For Home Renovations
Often, when we talk about home renovations, it’s with ROI in mind. But what value do home renovations have beyond the material, tangible and financial? A lot actually, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2019 Remodeling Impact Report, a study of 20 projects, surveyed real estate agents, consumers who have taken on home renovation […]
BREAKING: Appraisals No Longer Required On Some Home Sales $400,000 & Under
The Federal Reserve issued the following press release: September 27, 2019 “Agencies issue final rule to exempt residential real estate transactions of $400,000 or less from appraisal requirements “The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have adopted a final rule that increases the threshold for […]
As-Is Homes: Everything You Need To Know
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And when it comes to as-is contracts, the same adage holds true except that in this case, ‘beauty’ is more akin to ‘opportunity.’ With an as-is home, what you see is what you get so you have to ask yourself: What, exactly, do you […]
Tampa Ranks As One Of The Least Affordable Cities – Again
Move over, LA, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, and Boston. There’s a new unaffordable city in town: Tampa. Yup. You read that right. Tampa now ranks as one of the least affordable cities for homeowners, according to the RealtyHop Housing Affordability Index. (Though if you’re currently in the market for a new home in […]
Harvard Report: Annual Home Improvement & Repair Market Over $400 Billion
A recent report – the 20th-anniversary report, as a matter of fact – from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies found that the U.S. market for home improvement and repair is now well over $400 billion annually as the housing stock faces pressure to meet the nation’s growing and changing housing needs. The report […]
Tampa Bay Real Estate Q2 Market Report Highlights
As we’ve discussed previously, we don’t often take the time to review reports, statistics, numbers, and percentages for the Tampa Bay single-family home market here. But it’s the end of another quarter and considering that our very last post was about the ominous prospect of a will-it-or-won’t-it bubble, we thought it would be best to […]
Experts Weigh In: How To Choose Your Real Estate Agent
Let’s face it: Buying or selling a home is exciting. Sure, it can – at least initially – feel overwhelming to navigate and ultimately decide on The One, but much like dating, the exhilaration is undeniable. And do you know the best way to combat any fears, concerns, questions, and doubts? Knowing – beyond the […]
Home Appraisals: What To Expect Before, During & After
With an offer in hand, it’s time for the next home buying or selling hurdle: the dreaded appraisal. And it’s no surprise home appraisals have quite the reputation. Twenty-five percent of home sales get delayed before closing, and appraisals cause a whopping 20% of those delays. So what can buyers and sellers expect – and […]
Real Estate Bubble or Bankable
Recall with us, if you will, the year 2005. Everyone bought houses. House prices exploded and loans flowed freely as lots of people made lots of money. Until they didn’t. But then, the proverbial record scratched in 2009 and it all came crashing down. The bubble had burst, as had every single bank account dependant […]
Tampa Bay Real Estate By the Numbers
We don’t often take the time to review reports and inundate you with statistics, numbers and percentages for the Tampa Bay single-family home market. But considering that more and more ominous headlines allude to the prospect of an ever-menacing bubble – more on that to come next week – we thought it would be best […]