Brandon FL Real Estate Blog

I have been getting this question quite a bit lately and so thought this would be an excellent topic for discussion!

WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?

A short sale is the sale of a property for less that what is owed on it.  A typical scenario might be a home that was purchased for $260,000 in 2005 that would now sell for $230,000.  The mortgage owed is $258,000.  The goal is to get an offer at the current market price and convince the bank to take less than what is owed to them to go ahead and get rid of the property before having to forclose on it.

You are a candidate for a short sale if:

1. You are behind on payments or getting ready to be behind
2. You owe more to the bank than what your home is worth
3. You have had a considerable life change that is going to affect how you can make your payments on time in the future.

Do not wait to sell your home if you have been put in a situation where you cannot make your payments!  the more you delay the worse the situation will get and the harder it will be to get your home sold in time.

In addition to selling homes I also provide counseling on how to keep your home and what your best situation might be.  Please don’t be afraid to call me today to discuss your situation.

**There can be tax and legal implications regarding short sales and forclosures.  I cannot give legal or accounting advice**

I am pleased to announce that Beginning December 15th I will be perfoming property management services for my clients in the Riverview and Brandon areas.  Before getting into general real estate I managed large aprtment communites for over 6 years so this new addition to my services will be a perfect fit! Service will include:

• rental advertising and marketing to procure tenants
• background checks,
• application processing and approvals,
• move in and move out inspections with video tape,
• maintenance punch outs,
• ongoing repair scheduling and follow up, (extra charges may be incured)
• tenant follow up,
• rental collection and disbursements,
• monthly property exterior inspections
• eviction processes when necessary (extra charges may be incured)

All properties placed into property management will have to have lawn service in place on the property and the properties will be advertised as having lawn service included.  HOS fees and mortgages must be up to date to be placed into property management.  Fees charged will be $25/month advertising fee plus 1/2 months rent ($600 if the property is under $1200 per month)when a tenant is procured.  $300 of the tenant procurement fee will be awarded to a participating agent that brings a tenant. Monthly management fees are 10% of the rental income.

To participate in the property management services or get more information please give Amy Soto a call at 813-433-6556!

There are new flood maps out for Hillsborough County Florida.  If you are thinking about selling or buying a home this could be vital information for you!  many properties not formerly in flood zones now are and some that used to be in flood zones have been taken out of them.  The flood map is easy to use just click here and enter in the address of the home you wish to research.

With the slow market we have had in the Tampa Bay Area it is even more important to make sure your home is in top showing condition BEFORE you put it on the market.  I get feedback on showings from my current listings and here is what I have learned that every seller must do before putting your home on the market.  These items won’t cost you much-if anything- but will give you a big return and help your home sell faster!

AMY’S TOP TWELVE HOME SELLING TIPS

1. Pressure wash all outside sidewalks and driveways as well as patios and lanais. Also pressure wash (at a much lower pressure setting) any sides or corners of your home with mildew or wasp nests.
2. Make sure flower borders are neat and weed free.  Fill borders with RED MULCH for color and a fresh look and smell.  Trust me the red looks great with any house color and really jazzes up the appearance! You can even extend your borders to areas grass will not grow quickly and easily by adding a bit of round up and filling areas with red mulch and a few plants.
3. Make porches and lanais inviting by adding potted greenery (Costco has some really great live greenery and they are usually only about $15.00 each) and sitting areas. Make sure to remove dirty grills, lawn equipment and toys from these areas so they do not look cluttered.  You don’t want the buyer to think about work when they are sitting on your lanai. It should be peaceful and relaxing!
4. Inside remove all clutter and as many pictures as you can.  Rent a storage space if you have to but get it out of the house.  The less clutter you have the larger the home looks and the less distracted the buyer is.  You want the buyer to be able to imagine their own belongings in your home, not be distracted by yours!
5.   Kitchens are especially important, get stuff off counters and off the refrigerator! (I’m talking magnets and the top of the fridge).  Organize cabinets and panties so that they look spacious. Make sure floors and cabinets are clean.  Wipe wood cabinets down with lemon oil for a clean shiny look. Do not leave persoanl medications out in the open.  Hide them in an out of the way cabinet.
6. Make sure your home smells fresh and inviting.  Invite some friends over and ask them what the first thing they smelled was when they walked in the door.  If they say smoke,dog, cat, food spices or notice a damp smell- correct it.  Clean carpets, paint walls, don’t smoke inside the house and maybe even find an alternative living arrangement for your pets for a few weeks.
7. Neutralize the colors of your home as much as you can.  Lighter colors are better because they can match most decors. Get rid of reds, greens blues, pinks and purples.  Painting is a pain and buyers see it as work they would prefer not to do.  Spend a weekend  and do it ahead of time to ensure a faster sale.  A little elbow work can gain you thousands of dollars!
8. Organize your closets.  Pack the clothes you are not using and if necessary buy some wire organizers and install for extra space.  Storage space is a big seller in today’s market.  Make sure all your closets and stoarge areas are neat and clean and well organized.
9. Don’t forget the garage! As you know , Florida’s garages tend to take the place of the northern homes basement.  Take advantage of wall shelves and cabinets for storage. Add wall organizers and make sure the floors are neat and clean.  Plastic bins on shelves are a great way to find items quickly yet still have a neat and organized appearance. Try to keep the garbage outside somewhere if allowed to avoid smells.  If not buy a garbage can with a tight lock lid.
10. POOP STINKS! Baby diapers and dog poop are deal killers.  Diaper Genies don’t work!  Make sure to take diapers straught out to the main garbage (see above) and make sure to clean up after your pet (inside and outside) There is nothing worse for a buyer than being so turned off by a smell they can’t stand to look at your home.  Even worse if they happen to step in it!  Hire a service for a few weeks if you cannot keep up with it yourself.
11. Do any repairs that need to be done to your house ahead of time.  Don’t let a buyer walk into your home and think “WORK”  After doing the repairs make sure you are offering a Home Warranty when you sell your home.  It is inexpensive and gives buyers peace of mind.  Never sell a home “as is” or “as is for the seller’s convenience” this is a sure way to get only low ball offers on your home-if any offers at all!
12. Polish your front door.  It should be shiny, clean and inviting!

These are the things I have found that really help a home show better and sell better.  I am always available to answer your questions regarding what you should do to help your home sell.  You can also visit my website tips for even more info!

Yes, I can finally say that the market in Brandon and Riverview Florida is starting to pick up.  This month our office wrote more contracts than we took listings for the second month in a row!  Pricing seems to be dropping just a bit more but I expect this to stabilize soon.  Interest rates are still holding steady, making this the perfect time for buyers to make their move!

If you are considering selling a home, the summer is the best time in this area to attract buyers.  Pricing is the key, so make sure you have your house priced appropriately and make sure it shows perfectly! Look for my future post on tips for making your home show ready!

When your buying a home, whether for the first time or your move up home, it is a good idea to have a real estate agent on your side.  Your real estate agent can even help you with purchasing New Construction Homes from builders. Our special VIP Buyer Program can help you with your new home purchase in several ways:

1) With our VIP Buyer Program we are on a contract with you to find you the home of your dreams.  We commit ourselves to searching every day twice a day for a home for you! (Most agents take your name and number and maybe send you an automated e-mail of homes for sale that they haven’t even personally looked at yet- you are just a number for them)

 2) We help you find the best mortgage approval at rates and terms that are acceptable to your financial goals.

 3) Our first visit with you is a free consultation to sit down and talk about YOU and YOUR NEEDS.  We strongly believe that to find you the best home we have to get to know you.  The smallest things can make a big difference when it comes to finding that perfect home.  The more we know the more we are able to locate homes that fit YOU and YOUR lifestyle.  We don’t play “the matching game” (ever see the C-21 commercial where the woman thanks her agent for showing her 30 homes?)  We don’t want to show you 30 so-so homes and hope we find the needle in the haystack.  That’s a waste of your time and very confusing!  We wan’t to find those few perfect homes that meet your distinctive criteria.  There is a lot more to a home than just “3 bedroom, 2 bath in Riverview”!  It is our jobs as your professional advisors to not only find out your criteria but the reasons behind it to find you your dream.  Many people will say they want a big yard, but really what is a big yard?  To one person it may be a little space behind their home that affords privacy.  To another person it is room to put some horses or a separate garage.  The average agent will assume what you want.  We don’t assume- we ask questions to get the true picture of your wants and desires.

4)  Our VIP Buyer Program costs you no money out of your pocket! Just as a listing agent lists homes for sale for their clients we also sign a buyer agreement with you - legally obligating us to work for you, however , untimately the seller in the transaction pays our fee.  If you’ve ever tried to call agent after agent to get either no response or generic lists, I am sure you will recognize the immense value of having someone working on your side every day looking out for your best interests!

5) Once we find you the perfect home we will expertly negotiate on your behalf to get you the best and most fair deal possible.

6) After we are under contract for a home purchase is when the work starts!  We advise you on home inspections and mortgages and the next steps to take.  We follow up with all the necessary parties to make sure things run smoothly. (Please remember we are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice)

7) We ensure you have a smooth move, including pizza on moving day!!

8) We can work with you to buy a new home as well.  With our New Construstion Home Buyer Program , we narrow your search for a new home, help you negotiate to get the best possible deal, help you with lot selection so there are no surprises and take you through the whole process, including recommending a home inspector to follow up on the buidler job.  Make sure to call us before beginning you new home search for you 1% home rebate!

For your free consultation to decise wether we are the right agents for you, please call us today at 813-433-6556.

        If you are looking tp purchase new construction - a buyer’s agent can be a valuable source of information.  Many buyer’s wander from model home to model home searching aimlessly for that one home that may fit their needs.  When they find it , they often set up an appointment with the model salesperson who is the BUILDER’S REPRESENTATIVE.  This person is looking out for the best interests of the builder- not you!  There are many aspects to building a new home that a buyer’s agent can make you aware of so that you are not only getting the best deal out there ,but also so that you plan according to what your wants and needs may be.  For instance- do you want a lot with the ability to put a water softener loop in the garage?  Have you thought about what your neighbor’s floorplan may be and how their house windows might align perfectly with yours if they have picked the same plan in reverse?  All these and more are considerations that an agent experienced in new construction can guide you through.

The best part of having a buyer’s agent working for you with your new construction home?  IT DOES NOT COST YOU ANYTHING!  Builders have these costs already covered in their prices and they do not discount the price just because you are not using a REALTOR!

So if you are thinking about buying a new home, have an experienced REALTOR compile a list of all homes in your price range a desired area.  You can save yourself so much time and effort AND find the home of your dreams!

The Soto Team would like to invite you to tour this wonderful three bedroom, two bath home in the heart of Brandon!  This home is located in the neighborhood of Sterling Ranch which is close to shopping, dining and the Crosstown Expressway! This home has new paint, a new roof, and a very large sunroom in addition to it’s heated square footage. It is located on a large corner lot that is fenced in and also has a very nice pond view-perfect for enjoying our beautiful fall evenings! This home is located at 1901 Elk Spring Drive, Brandon FL 33511.  Map of 1901 Elk Spring Dr
Brandon, FL 33511-1724, US”

OPEN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28TH 2006 FROM 11A.M. TO 2P.M.!

Hello, and welcome to my Brandon Florida real estate blog! On this blog I will be discussing current trends in the local real estate market.  Statistics on home sales and articles on how to get your home sold or buy a home will also be included.  Please feel free to check back often or subscribe for instant updates!  Your comments would also be greatly appreciated and may even be posted!

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