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Welcome to the Real Opinionated Blog from Tampa
2007-02-26 22:40:03
For those of you who didn’t know, this blog has been designed and built by Jim Cronin and Jason Benesch over at the Real Estate Tomato. I’m extremely pleased with it, and I’m happy to be off of the blogger platform (Jonathan Dalton recently recommended that we dump blogger). This is a real estate blog about Tampa Bay and the surrounding area. We live and work in Land O Lakes, which is on the northern border with Tampa and Lutz. Come back to us anytime you want to see hearty, inspired, and accurate commentary on the Tampa Bay Real Estate market. Why do they call us “Real Opinion ated?” Good question. Bookmark this page and come back often to find out. We may not be the best writers on the planet, but we promise to be more interesting than a redneck fornicating with a bobcat in a phone booth. Wrap your mind around that one. P.S. I realize that the various pages aren’t working. I’m waiting on my web gurus over at the Tomato to construct ...
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The Tale of the Terrible ?F? Bomb
2007-02-26 22:40:03
I know what you?re thinking. Yes. I am a potty mouth, but that?s not where we?re going with this one. Instead, I?d like to spin a tale of tragedy and despair for your reading pleasure. Long, long ago (yesterday) in a land far, far away (in South Tampa) there was a house. The owner of this house called a dashing and well-spoken Realtor (me) for a listing appointment, and all was right in the universe?.until our hero arrived. Upon seeing said house, he immediately dropped several ?F? bombs that I?d like to share with you now. Take heed, gentle reader, that you should steer clear of the same fate: 1) ?F?inish Projects: He was dumbfounded by the condition of this property. Holes were patched with plaster but not sanded and painted. Flooring had been ripped up but not replaced. A partially installed lighting fixture hung maladroitly in the dimming light of sunset (how?s that for prose?). And all the while, our gentle hero (the dashing Realtor) sung songs of sweet sorrow ...
More About: Bomb , Terri , Tale

The Tampa Area FSBO Survival Guide
2007-02-26 22:40:03
Why would a Realtor write a survival guide to help a For Sale By Owner get his home sold? I dunno. Maybe I’m crazy. But maybe, just maybe, you know somebody else who needs to sell a home that DOES want to use a Realtor. And, we hope, you’ll be compelled to send them our way after reading our handy-dandy guide to FSBO survival in Tampa Bay. So, with no further ado, here is what you need to do to get your home sold FSBO: MARKETING: Yard Signs: Buy some. If you’re feeling froggy, go and have some made. Typically, a generic For Sale By Owner sign should cost $10-$12. If you have them made, they’ll run $25-$50. In addition to putting signs in your yard, you need signs on every road leading up to your neighborhood. Otherwise, how will people know to come and look at your house? The farther you live from a major road, the more signs you need. Common sense dictates. Internet Advertising: Probably the most important thing that you can do is put your hou...
More About: Guide , Area , Survival , Guid

Buying Your First Home In Tampa
2007-02-26 04:38:03
With interest rates low, may renters are thinking of taking the leap and purchasing a new home of their own.  While the simple Rental costs vs. Mortgage Cost comparison may make you happier than Tinkerbell in a pile full of pixie dust, buying a home is a serious commitment and there are lots of other factors to consider. How Long Are You Going To Live There? Buying and selling homes can get pretty expensive.  So, you want to make sure that you are going to be able to live in the house long enough to avoid losing money when you sell.  If typical appreciation sits right around 5% per year (not this year, but normally) you would need to live in the house at least 3 to 4 years before you would have enough equity to sell without breaking the bank. The real estate market swings harder than an 8 year old on a jungle gym, so make sure that you’re paying attention to the market.  In this case, you might need to hold the home for 5 years before you sell because of the slow (or nonexiste...
More About: Home , Your , First , Tampa

The Tale of the Terrible ?F? Bomb
2007-02-25 16:37:02
I know what you?re thinking.  Yes. I am a potty mouth, but that?s not where we?re going with this one.  Instead, I?d like to spin a tale of tragedy and despair for your reading pleasure. Long, long ago (yesterday) in a land far, far away (in South Tampa) there was a house.  The owner of this house called a dashing and well-spoken Realtor (me) for a listing appointment, and all was right in the universe?.until our hero arrived. Upon seeing said house, he immediately dropped several ?F? bombs that I?d like to share with you now.  Take heed, gentle reader, that you should steer clear of the same fate: 1)      ?F?inish Projects:  He was dumbfounded by the condition of this property.  Holes were patched with plaster but not sanded and painted.  Flooring had been ripped up but not replaced.  A partially installed lighting fixture hung maladroitly in the dimming light of sunset (how?s that for prose?). And all the while, our gentle hero (the dashing Realtor) sung songs of sweet sorrow t...
More About: Bomb , Terri , Tale

The Tampa Area FSBO Survival Guide
2007-02-25 16:37:02
Why would a Realtor write a survival guide to help a For Sale By Owner get his home sold? I dunno. Maybe I’m crazy. But maybe, just maybe, you know somebody else who needs to sell a home that DOES want to use a Realtor. And, we hope, you’ll be compelled to send them our way after reading our handy-dandy guide to FSBO survival in Tampa Bay. So, with no further ado, here is what you need to do to get your home sold FSBO: MARKETING: Yard Signs: Buy some. If you’re feeling froggy, go and have some made. Typically, a generic For Sale By Owner sign should cost $10-$12. If you have them made, they’ll run $25-$50. In addition to putting signs in your yard, you need signs on every road leading up to your neighborhood. Otherwise, how will people know to come and look at your house? The farther you live from a major road, the more signs you need. Common sense dictates. Internet Advertising: Probably the most important thing that you can do is put your hous...
More About: Guide , Area , Survival , Guid

Why is Price Important in Tampa?
2007-02-25 16:37:02
So, if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll notice that I don’t hand out very many exotic strategies for getting a home sold.  That’s because there are only two strategies that matter:  Price and Quality. Let me put on my economist hat for a moment: Since we live in a capitalist, free market society, the laws of supply and demand are always at work. The simple fact of the matter is that the consumer wants the best quality product at the best possible price all the time.  You’re the same way.  Would you knowingly pay more for a new car if you know that the dealership down the road has the same care for a lower price?  Of course not.  You want to get fair market value for your home without overpricing it.  It’s a delicate balance. Fair Market Value:  In real estate terms, the fair market value of a home is that value which, given the current condition of the property, will cause that home to sell in 30 to 90 days. If the price ...
More About: Port , Rice , Tampa , Import

Common Buyers Errors
2007-02-25 16:37:02
Buying a home is a lengthy process, and much could go wrong. So, let me begin by making a small caveat (feel free to ignore my silly sales pitch): Team Greene will represent you for free if you want to buy a home. As in you pay nothing. As in not a cent, ever. There. Now that we’ve dispensed with the disclaimers, feel free to look at my handy-dandy guide to avoiding the most common home buying mistakes that people make: Most Common Mistakes Made By Home Buyer s Buying a new home is an emotional experience (especially for my wife). But, it’s also a business transaction and should be treated as such. If you mess it up, the most common things that will happen are: Paying Too Much Losing the Home to Another Buyer Buying the Wrong Home I tend to like to focus on the positive, so instead of listing the mistakes people make, I’d like to instead offer a series of home buying tips. Obviously, doing the opposite of the tips would be the mistake, right? OK: Get Go...
More About: Errors , Error , Buyers

Welcome to the Real Opinionated Blog from Tampa
2007-02-25 16:37:02
For those of you who didn’t know, this blog has been designed and built by Jim Cronin and Jason Benesch over at the Real Estate Tomato. I’m extremely pleased with it, and I’m happy to be off of the blogger platform (Jonathan Dalton recently recommended that we dump blogger). This is a real estate blog about Tampa Bay and the surrounding area. We live and work in Land O Lakes, which is on the northern border with Tampa and Lutz. Come back to us anytime you want to see hearty, inspired, and accurate commentary on the Tampa Bay Real Estate market. Why do they call us “Real Opinion ated?” Good question. Bookmark this page and come back often to find out. We may not be the best writers on the planet, but we promise to be more interesting than a redneck fornicating with a bobcat in a phone booth. Wrap your mind around that one. P.S. I realize that the various pages aren’t working. I’m waiting on my web gurus over at the Tomato to construct ...
More About: Welcome , Blog