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Why we should embrace change
2008-01-15 04:00:00
I actually found this video while looking at the 1000 Watt Blog as I was waiting on hold for customer support for over an hour for something that has in my mind been broken. You may notice that I have not been posting on as regular a basis as I had anticipated for the New Year, This is due in large part to my hosting service company having major technical issues that they cannot seem to get resolved. Anyways less I digress here, the relation to Real Estate is really very apropos. As Marc Davison comments on his Blog “ Why not fix what isn’t broken? Would that not be a great way to gain advantage over the masses embracing complacency? “ Take a look at the Video below: OK, I am experiencing technical difficulties at the moment that prevent me from directly posting the video (embedding) so I have to post the link instead. After you view the video please continue with the rest of the post http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtkoje4-e M Now that you have seen this…most people lo...
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Central Florida First Time Home Buyers Workshops
2008-01-11 01:10:00
First Time Home buyer Workshops–Updated Calendar for 2008 I have noticed quite a few in-bound links lately from those looking for more information about First Time Home Buyers programs and classes in Florida . Our post last year had a very good response and I had been planning on making an update but was waiting for the CCCS to update their list and it looks like they just recently did. Your local community has tailor made programs to help ensure you have all the pertinent information that you will need as you make one of the biggest decisions of your life, that of becoming a home owner. They will take you step-by-step, from contract to closing, through the home buying process. You will learn what it takes to qualify for a mortgage, how to save for a down payment and even provide information regarding down payment assistance. Should you have additional questions or when you are ready to start your search after completing the classes. please be sure to email either Theresa or Marie...
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A Real Estate Story of another cyclical time
2008-01-08 19:01:00
Most every thing related to Real Estate sales is cyclical. Even if we had not had all the issues with the sub-prime market conditions…the bubble had to burst. The gains made by many here in Florida over the last year…at the height of the industry were rather ridiculous and I think this resetting will normalize things out. During the Holiday’s I visited my ailing Father in California who at 90 still recalls his heyday in the market and also a large down turn. He was very big into Real Estate in the early to mid 60’s for about 6 years. He was active in the Oakland Bay Area Real Estate scene and even had his Brokers license. He recalls that about 3 years into his business that the market started a correction and prices and commissions went down along with many of the Realtors. The later 2 years, as a full time Realtor he took on odd jobs in the shipyards in San Francisco because he had a family of 6 to provide for. My mother was a stay at home mom with two tod...
More About: A Real Estate , Story , Time

Pricing your home to Sell
2008-01-03 21:11:00
Looks like the 2007 year ended pretty much as predicted here in the Greater Tampa Bay. The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) released their latest statistics comparing November 2006 to November 2007 this week and I don?t think any one was surprised. The synopsis for the year: Sales down 30 percent Prices down 15 percent That’s for single family ...
More About: Economy , Technology , Home , Sell

Happy New Years from Tampa Florida
2008-01-01 05:03:00
To a Great 2008 Well it’s finally the New Year and many are talking about resolutions, well just what the heck is a resolution anyways ? Here’s one example as applied to Realtors: Resolution:   The new year resolution is one example of the rolling forecast-method of planning. According to this method, plans are established at regular short or medium-term ...
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The New Year Count down for RealEstate
2007-12-31 22:24:00
You know it?s almost New Year s. The tell tale signs have been everywhere. In our News Papers all the adds for Weight Loss and Final Year End Sales at the malls, not to be out-done by the late night infomercial’s and local news casts extolling the virtues of a healthier you and the ...
More About: Count , Realestate

Video Blogging ready for prime time RealEstate ?
2007-12-27 23:12:00
Ok Christmas is over and soon the New Year will be upon us. So what have we been doing besides eating way more than we should ? Well we have been doing a lot of research and making plans to kick the doors off of this BLOG and bring the content and readership into ...
More About: Video , Technology , Time , Blogging , Prime

Christmas Greetings from Tampa Florida
2007-12-25 07:16:00
It has been a hectic couple of weeks leading up to Christmas this year. It?s now past 1:00 AM, we are just completing the last of the gift wrapping and getting the kids presents all set. Earlier in the evening we met with family and friends and then joined together at our local church ...
More About: Florida , Tampa , Merry Christmas , Christmas greetings

Home Town Democracy petition drive heats up
2007-12-20 21:10:00
There has been a few more articles written this Month on the entire Home Town Democracy debacle or as we can call it now a battle. What I find interesting is that most local citizenry in North Florida areas, especially the Greater Tampa Bay Area, do not even know the truth about this issue. The ...
More About: Economy , Finance , Real Estate , Drive

Florida Housing Statistics for December 2007
2007-12-18 23:04:00
A company called Altos Research has issued a new report that will add some real time perspective to market conditions. Since most of the reports take months to generate, Altos intends to lower the playing field by providing quicker market statistics. Their inaugural report looks at 20 major metro markets which allows them to publish ...
More About: Finance , Listings , Florida , Mortgage , Statistics

How big is it ?
2007-12-13 17:44:00
As the numbers continue to stack up in the never ending saga, it is interesting to be able to obtain a comparative analysis of just how big the entire U.S Mortgage crisis is ? Unless you you recall previous word events and add them into the mix you really have no idea of the ...
More About: Finance

NAR?s spoon full of sugar before medicine
2007-12-11 06:28:00
It never ceases to amaze me how NAR?s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, comes up with his trade talk. I often wonder what he uses for his Oracle as his vision is not what is projected in the market. Today NAR released a report indicating that Existing home sales would trend up in 2008 ?? Mr. Yun ...
More About: Finance , Medicine , Sugar , Mortgage , Full

New listing and OPEN HOUSE - Holiday, Fl 34690
2007-12-06 23:34:00
Charming Well Maintained 2 Bedroom 1.5 Bath Home. 2141 Dixie Garden Loop, Holiday Fl,34690   Asking Price: $99,900   Beds: 2 Baths: 1.50 SQFT: 936.00 HOA: $0.00 Parking: 1 Year Built: 1962 MLS NUMBER: T2284312 This Home has been in the family since it was First Built. It would make the Perfect Starter or Retirement Home. It is ...
More About: House , Open , Listing , Open House

Deerpath home in Oldsmar sells fast -SOLD-
2007-12-04 22:22:00
Future Home Realty and the Greater Tampa Bay Real Estate Team of Marie Becklund and Theresa Townsend announce the Sale of 20 Woodglenn Ct. a spectacular home in the Deerpath development within the East Lake Woodlands community of Oldsmar Florida. We would like to say Congratulations and Thank You to our Proud New Owners ...
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Is Alex Sink - Florida?s Virginia Woolf ?
2007-12-01 20:49:00
Florida sure is grabbing all of the wrong headlines lately.For months we have heard about the Real Estate slump nationally, but Florida continues to get bad press. Yeah we all know we are in the running for the lead with Nevada and California on the number of foreclosures. We have also lead in home builders ...
More About: Economy , Finance , Florida , Virginia , Alex

Home Town Democracy - John Thraser or Times Lying ?
2007-11-30 03:54:00
“Do you know what Home Town Democracy is ? It?s about Voters, yep you and me, having our say on what and how we want to Develop Florida. The initiative on the ballot concerning anti-growth that many of us signed. The Florida Hometown Democracy?s citizen initiative would amend Florida?s Constitution to allow Floridians to give ...
More About: Economy , John , Lying

Will rate resets spoil the New Year ?
2007-11-27 21:39:00
According to a WSJ article based upon Bank of America Data. The Real Crest of the ARM reset wave is yet to come. Now the real crest of the reset wave is coming. This means more pain for borrowers, lenders and Wall Street. We have all observed the bad media over the last year and ...
More About: Economy , New Year , Finance , Mortgage , Year

Is there an upside to real estate downturn ?
2007-11-26 07:30:00
The current situation here in the Tampa Real Estate Market has some would be homeowners downright frustrated. Wondering when the market will bottom out so buyers can buy at the best price or for sellers wondering when the buyers will get off the fence and buy what they are selling now. If it’s not a ...
More About: Economy , Finance , Real Estate

Oldsmar
2007-11-26 02:44:00
Oldsmar is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,910 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,706 Oldsmar’s history dates to 1913 when automobile pioneer Ransom E. Olds purchased 37,541 acres (152 km²) of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay to ...

Clearwater
2007-11-26 02:04:00
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787; however, according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau’s estimates, the city’s population fell slightly to 108,687. It is the county seat of Pinellas County. It is ...
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Pasco County
2007-11-25 23:28:00
Pasco County , Florida Map Location in the state of Florida Florida’s location in the USA Statistics Seat Dade City Area - Total - Land - Water 868 sq mi (2,248 km²) 745 sq mi (1,930 km²) 123 sq mi (319 km²), 14.18% Population - (2006) - Density 450,171 464/sq mi (179/km²) Website: www.pascocountyfl.net Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The 2006 census ...
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Pinellas County
2007-11-25 23:03:00
Pinellas County , Florida Map Location in the state of Florida Florida’s location in the USA Statistics Seat Clearwater Largest City St. Petersburg Area - Total - Land - Water 608 sq mi (1,575 km²) 280 sq mi (725 km²) 328 sq mi (850 km²), 53.94% Population - (2005) - Density 928,031 3,292/sq mi (1,271/km²) Website: www.pinellascounty.org/ Pinellas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest ...
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Hillsborough County
2007-11-25 22:44:00
Hillsborough County , Florida Map Location in the state of Florida Florida’s location in the USA Statistics Seat Tampa Area - Total - Land - Water 1,266 sq mi (3,279 km²) 1,051 sq mi (2,722 km²) 215 sq mi (557 km²), 17.00% Population - (2006(est.)) - Density 1,177,060 951/sq mi (367/km²) Website: www.hillsboroughcounty.org Hillsborough County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2000 population was 998,948. In 2007, the Hillsborough County Planning ...
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Newspaper ads for listings a dying breed
2007-11-23 20:15:00
New Report by media experts Borrell Associates Inc.forecast the demise of newspaper advertising as one of the staples for Real Estate listings. “Real estate brokers and agents will continue to devote more marketing budgets to online media. This year they will spend $2.6 billion on online media and by 2012 online will ...
More About: Technology , Web 2 , Real Estate Marketing , Listings , Dying

Thanksgiving in Tampa - Home & Holiday Traditions
2007-11-22 19:24:00
Not sure how many folks will even turn on their computer today. But thought in the event that a few were scouring around looking for Holiday gift ideas, I thought I might take a moment to reflect on Thanksgiving here in Tampa Florida. This is typically a day where most of us take the time to ...
More About: Home , Traditions

Zillow Zindex indicates Floridians lost home equity
2007-11-21 18:03:00
Zillow on Tuesday released their quarterly report, referred to as a Zindex. OK, so what’s a Zindex? The Zindex home valuation index is the median Zestimate valuation for a given geographic area on a given day. According to their report: Nearly 16% of Home owners Who Bought in the Past Year Have Negative Equity as Home Values Decline for ...
More About: Economy , Lost , Finance , Mortgage

NAR members with Ostrich syndrome on Web 2.0
2007-11-20 00:08:00
it was interesting to digest the Blogging Communities take on the convention . Their was some very notable presence by quite a few of the front runners on the Technology side.
More About: Economy , Real Estate Marketing , Syndrome , New Media

HR 3915-Mortgage Reform passes House muster
2007-11-17 20:38:00
I wrote about this last week shortly after this bill was introduced. I mentioned that the Mort gage Industry was all up in arms about this particularly the provision on yield spread premiums paid to mortgage brokers. I had several comments from readers that were a bit offed by my posting. I just want to remind ...
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Zillow Newspaper advertising alliance - So What ?
2007-11-15 06:30:00
The press is a buzz with the news that Zillow has signed a deal with 11 major publishers that equates to 282 Newspapers. With the new arrangement, real estate ads placed with these news papers will automatically get placement on Zillows web site. I say so what ? While this may be good for Zillow in raking ...
More About: Economy , Technology , Advertising , Listings

Palm Harbor Townhome - PRICE JUST REDUCED - 10K
2007-11-14 06:30:00
BEAUTIFUL 2 STORY TOWNHOME in North Pinellas County **RECENT PRICE REDUCTION** NOW $389,000 Property Details Beds 3 Baths 3 Stories 2 SQFT 2200 Covered Parking 2 Year Built 2001 HOA Fees 1050.00 MLS Number T2255356 Description: LOVELY 2 STORY TOWNHOME at Lost Oaks in a gated community in the Heart of North Pinellas County. This home is finished with Luxury. Professionally painted with White Crown Molding & base boards. Beautiful & Tasteful WOOD ...
More About: Palm , Harbor , Price , Townhome