First-Time Home Buyer Tips1. Don't just focus on the monthly mortgage payment that you can afford each month. There are also other expenses that you need to think about, like property insurance, taxes, homeowner association dues, utility bills, and maintenance. There are going to be other expenses as a new home owner that you will need to budget for.  Make sure you have a realistic budget. 2. When you are looking at mortgage programs and the amount that you want to put down towards your home purchase, be careful not to completely empty your bank accounts for the down payment.  For example if you are wanting to go with conventional financing with 20% down so that you can avoid mortgage insurance, keep in mind a rainy day comes to everyone. You need to keep a good padding in your account ... 10/07/2015

Top 4 Major Considerations before Buying Sunset Park Homes in South Tampa Before you make any decisions about buying Sunset Park homes for sale in South Tampa, you should take time to consider whether it is the right choice for you. Since this is probably one of the biggest financial transactions that you will undertake, it is important to know the many factors that come into play and what to consider when buying a home. Read on for some major considerations that you should think about. 1. Your emotional stateThe emotional state of a buyer is one of the most important considerations during the process or purchasing South Tampa homes for sale in Sunset Park. Although this factor may sound so simple, the truth is homeownership is not for everyone. Buying a home is a major financial commit... 10/06/2015

   It’s no secret by now that Florida is pushing past the recession this year in 2015. Economists and experts have been optimistic all year, and the data is continuing to back them up. Sean Snaith, a highly respected economist at UCF says Florida’s GDP will continue to climb at least through 2018. Could we really see economic growth lasting that long? Snaith fully believes so, citing average housing prices up, payroll being up and real gross state product steadily rising for a while now. The SI Real Estate team fully agrees, as we are seeing rising home prices as well as increasing rents here in Tampa, Florida. After all, our state boasts sunshine, beaches, palm trees, sand, and year-round weather which are all basically recession proof.     The desire for people to own homes in Florida... 10/06/2015

3 Common South Tampa Real Estate Myths You Should Know Real estate myths are often passed around among buyers and sellers. While some of them have some truth, there are others that are outright false. These tall tales and outdated assumptions can affect your home selling experience. If you are planning to put your Sunset Park homes for sale in South Tampa on the market, you need to educate yourself so that you can make the smartest choice. Here are some commonly heard and misconstrued by the general population.1. Your home does not need to be prepared for saleThis real estate myth can cost a seller thousands of dollars. It is extremely important that you do not list your home before it is ready. If you want your South Tampa home for sale in Sunset Park to sell fast, you need to properly... 09/29/2015

Updated Home for Sale in Town and Country Tampa FL | 10228 Oslin St Create wonderful memories in this gorgeous 2 bedroom home for sale in Tampa FL which features newly updated granite countertops, ceramic tile flooring all throughout the home, a separate utility area, an open floor plan, and a large outdoor deck that’s perfect for entertaining family and friends.Located in Town and Country in Hillsborough county,  this home sits on 0.28 acres of land that offers a lot of parking for RVs, boats, utility vehicles, and more. Built in 1991, it’s conveniently located nearby a Walmart neighborhood market, dozens of restaurants, schools, boutique stores, and more.Step inside and be instantly amazed with ceramic tile floors all throughout this updated home. Fill the living room with your choice... 09/25/2015

4 Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Selling South Tampa Homes Finding the right buyer for homes for sale in South Tampa area demands a great deal of your time and your effort. After all, selling a home is a challenging undertaking. Sometimes, despite the seller’s desire of seeing their property sell quickly at a high profit, many properties still languish on the market for months without any offer. This may be due to the common mistakes on the part of the home seller. Read on to avoid common home selling pitfalls.1. Selling your home on your ownAvoid making the mistake of selling your own home just to be able to save the fees associated with a real estate agent. For most of the time, going solo can end up being a costly mistake. It may be difficult to begin and push through with the home bu... 09/22/2015

Best Dining Options near Palma Ceia Homes for Sale in South Tampa FL If you are in the area to view Palma Ceia homes for sale in South Tampa FL, you should also grab the opportunity to check out the amazing array of dining destinations in the community. These must-try dining spots will make your South Tampa experience worth your time and effort. Read on for the best dining options in the area. 1. Yoko’s Japanese RestaurantAddress: 3217 S MacDill Avenue Tampa, FL 33629Phone:  813-835-4311 If you want a taste of classic Japanese cuisine near homes for sale in Palma Ceia South Tampa, come and visit Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant. The place has friendly staff who provides excellent service. The sushi menu contains a description of each roll so no need to guess what was in each roll. Although yo... 09/14/2015

How to Save Down Payment for South Tampa Homes in Maryland Manor Buying your own home is a major milestone in many people’s lifetime to-do lists. However, homeownership can also cause financial fear, especially if you are not prepared. To help you with the home buying process, here are some ways to help you boost your savings in order to attain that coveted 20 percent down payment for South Tampa Homes in Maryland Manor.How to Save Down Payment for South Tampa Homes in Maryland Manor Buying your own home is a major milestone in many people’s lifetime to-do lists. However, homeownership can also cause financial fear, especially if you are not prepared. To help you with the home buying process, here are some ways to help you boost your savings in order to attain that coveted 20 percent do... 09/09/2015

4 Ways to Update the Exterior of Your Sunset Park Home for Sale Your home’s exterior deserves the same care and interest as the interior. Paying careful attention to the exterior of your Sunset Park home for sale in South Tampa can increase its neighborhood appeal and market value. If you’re working with a small budget, here are some ideas that you can use on your property.1. Check your curb appealTake a good look at your yard, landscaping, sidewalk, and front entryway. Tidying up these areas can go a long way. Make sure to cut and trim grass, rake leaves, and clear fallen tree debris around the yard.  Give your exterior a good power wash, touch up paint trim, mow your lawn and spread fresh mulch over flower and plant beds. Try to conceal trash cans and recycle bins out of sight. These ... 09/01/2015

5 Bedroom Home for Sale in Cross Creek New Tampa FL | 10213 Grant Creek Dr   You'll be impressed with this stunning 5 bedroom New Tampa home for sale in Cross Creek. It's amazingly located near the premium outlets and hospitals in Florida. If there's no need to step out of the house why not step into the fenced backyard to enjoy a different kind of privacy outdoors. Another great way to enjoy your time is by preparing homemade meals. This home features a spacious kitchen with dishwasher, range and microwave. It even has a modern addition of a breakfast bar.  There’s nothing like this lovely 5 bedroom home for sale in New Tampa FL. Call me, Mary Diaz at (813) 245-9677 today for a visit to your future home. Overview Maps Photos Features Video Market Stats $234,000 Single Family Home Main... 08/28/2015

Cross Creek 5 Bedroom Home for Sale in New Tampa | 10213 Grant Creek Dr You are in for a treat with this Cross Creek 5 bedroom home for sale in New Tampa. It’s just like love at first sight — everything you’ll see upfront will make you want to see more of this awesome home. Imagine yourself enjoying a lovely Saturday afternoon within the comforts this dream home that is stylishly located at the end of a cul-de-sac. Your future home is in such a great location in Cross Creek. It is a wonderful neighborhood in New Tampa that provides good access to I-75. You will also enjoy the benefits of living near the New Tampa library, new Premium outlet stores and Florida hospitals. You have everything you’ll ever need inside and outside of the house. You won’t have to go far just to get your fix of... 08/27/2015

How to Make a Good First Impression on Buyers of South Tampa Homes Nothing matters more than making a good first impression when it comes to selling your home. If you want potential buyers to notice your property, make sure it stands out from the rest of homes for sale in South Tampa. Here are four tips to help your home make a good first impression. 1. Clear the entrywayA cluttered entryway can send a negative impact to potential buyers. Before showing your South Tampa area real estate for sale, make sure that the entry way is neat and clear. Remove items that are near the front door. You may also scrub and polish the floor and set up attractive decoration to highlight your home’s entrance.  2. Check on evening appearanceEven if you are sure that your home looks best during the day, it... 08/25/2015

4 Ways to Handle Stress When Buying South Tampa Homes in Palma Ceia The home buying process can be pretty stressful sometimes. After all, purchasing Palma Ceia homes for sale in South Tampa FL is a huge financial commitment that with a big impact on your life. However, there are several ways to minimize the stress and make this experience go much smoother. Read on for some tips on reducing stress when buying a home. 1. Get educatedBuying a house becomes even more frightening when you feel have no idea about the whole process. Not understanding what “escrow” entails, how the offer process goes, and other real estate terminologies can be overwhelming. You can deal with stress if you understand the home-buying process. Do your research and get necessary information.  2. Set clear house-hun... 08/18/2015

Top 4 Things Sellers Should Not Do during an Open House An open house is about showcasing your home to the right population of prospective buyers. As a seller, your objective is to make buyers looking for homes for sale in South Tampa area fall in love with your property. If you want to make your open house a hit, here are some things that you should avoid doing.1. Leaving a messOne of the biggest mistakes that a seller can make is showing messy, dirty homes to potential buyers. If you want your luxury homes for sale in South Tampa to get that sold sign, you should not leave any mess anywhere and clean up all evidence of your homes’ residents. Don’t assume that buyers would overlook your clutter. Make your home neat and presentable on the big day. 2. Complicate buyer’s access to the pro... 08/11/2015

Back To School Splash Event At Tampa Zoo.Back To School Splash Party At Tampa Zoo! August 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A great day for the kids before they head back to school at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. Visit the Billabong splash pad in Wallaroo Station where the kids can play games, enjoy snacks, and learn about back-to-school safety and health tips. As an extra added bonus, at Tampa Zoo Back To School Splash: with each full-priced adult admission purchased, two kids (ages 3-11) can get into the Zoo for Back to School Splash day. This offer is valid 8/22/15 only.Did you know you can adopt animals at the zoo?  Look into this symbolic adoption. Click here for the website.Come out and visit Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. It's one of the most fun places in Tampa Bay, and it's open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.... 08/07/2015

Top 5 Things to Do When Searching for Real Estate Listings in South Tampa People have different reasons why they want to move. Whatever your reason may be, the big change always involves finding your next home. If you are looking for South Tampa homes in Maryland Manor, the tips below will help save you a lot of future pain and make sure you enjoy your next home. 1. Start saving right awayIt will be easier for you if your will start saving for your downpayment early on. Normally you need to save up at least 20% of your next home’s purchase price to use as down payment.  In some cases it may be less. You will put yourself in a better position if you start your home fund early on. 2. Begin with property portalsWhen looking for South Tampa Maryland Manor real estate for sale, it is wise to... 08/04/2015

5 Best Ways to Keep Your South Tampa Home Cool This Summer Keeping your home as cool as possible during these hot summer months is quite a challenge, especially if there are buyers viewing your property. As a seller, you can make your house stand out from the many Sunset Park homes for sale in South Tampa by making your potential buyers feel comfortable inside your property. Listed below are some tips on how to keep your home cool:1. Invest on ceiling fansOne of the most effective ways of beating the summer heat is installing ceiling fans in your South Tampa home for sale in Sunset Park. Ceiling fans can make a room feel 6 or 7 degrees cooler. Your potential buyers will surely appreciate the fact that a ceiling fan only costs less than $10 a month to use if you keep it on for 12 hours a... 07/28/2015

Tampa Real Estate Market Update – June 2015 The overall real estate market in the Tampa area during June 2015 was the best since the bottom of the market in 2011. Some of the highlights were: Number of single family homes sold: 2,386Total number of homes for sale: 5,797Properties under contract but not yet closed: 4,522The median sales price was: $205,175Homes sold for an average of 95% of Listing priceOn average a home took 65 days to sell The overall Greater Tampa area market absorption rate for June was 2.43 which signifies a very strong Sellers’ Market, which means that if no new homes came to market they would sell in about two and on half months. Sellers currently have the upper hand, and well-priced homes are selling fast, with multiple offers for those in excellent locations and... 07/20/2015

South Tampa FL Home for Sale with a Pool and Spa | 4104 W Leona St   Come and view this unique and handsomely updated pool/spa South Tampa home for sale, sitting on a huge (100 x 120) lot featuring a single car attached garage as well as a detached and gated 2 car garage. Updates include 900 square feet of dark chestnut hardwood floors in the living / dining / kitchen area. An open kitchen has a newly installed level D granite counter top, custom cabinetry, top of the line stainless steel appliances including a Wolf gas stove and double convection oven. Kitchen also overlooks over-sized, newly landscaped and peaceful back yard with newly pavered deck, all fenced in. Both bathrooms have been re-tiled, and enjoy Carrara marble surfaces as well as new fixtures and all three bedroom have b... 07/15/2015

It’s no secret the housing market is making a strong comeback. Inventory is incredibly scarce.  Buyers are confident enough in the economy to be actively searching for real estate to purchase. This is leading to a shortage of ready-to-move-in homes. When there is a housing shortage, buyers need to act quickly and sellers are now stepping in. This has been the driving force behind skyrocketing pending home sale statistics. Probably the most positive statistic (there are many this month) is “45% of homes sold within 30 days of being listed”. That is a staggering number compared to what we were seeing since the recession began.   Another major factor leading to the housing market surge is because of the historically low mortgage rates. If you could afford a $300,000 home last year, you can... 07/13/2015