Save info   Get password
Home Submit your blog Edit Account Rules RSS-Archive Contact
Show All




Web Catalog F305 C905 webbutveckling Article Directory




Make a Map With Aardvark
2007-04-18 00:49:37
<!– iFrame code for AardvarkMap.net End –> I found a cool little tool for creating interactive maps for your blog. If Google Maps wasn’t easy enough for you, try Aardvark Maps (nothing is ever easy enough for me). You can see the map that I created here. I listed my favorite Mexican Restaurant, my favorite night spot, and my favorite sports bar. The real estate implications should be obvious. This is way beyond cool. You can even put video into the comments for each location. Stay tuned, and I’ll bring you a Real Opinionated guide to Tampa Bay, video style. Should be fun. Bookmark this article:


Longleaf: David Weekley Homes
2007-04-17 22:41:50
Click here for more photos  David Weekley Homes start from the $360’s in Longleaf (located in New Port Richey, FL).  David Weekley Homes offers eight highly customizable homes that you may choose from. The Bellmeade - Starts at $369,990.  With the option of either 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, detached 2 car garage, and up to 2054 square feet of living area this home has plenty of options for the growing family. The Southwick - Starts at $373,990.  Features 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms, attached 2 car garage with optional garage retreat, and up to 2143 square feet of living area all on one floor. The Woodspring - Starts at $377,990.  This home offers the choice of 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms, plus the option to add an upstairs bonus room with either 1/2 bath or full bath.  With up to 2304 square feet of living almost any family could make this their home. The Summerland (click above link) - Starts at $384,990.  This one story home features up to 2459 square feet,


Food Drive This Weekend in Land O Lakes
2007-04-17 21:12:39
Team Greene Realty has teamed up with Second Harvest of Tampa Bay to put on a food drive this coming weekend.  Most people don’t have any idea how many hungry families there are in the Tampa Bay area, but we know.  We want to do something to help. Team Greene will donate $100 from every home that we sell to Second Harvest of Tampa Bay.  It’s one way that we like to give back to the community. In addition, We’ll be collecting food at our office on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 to 2:00.  To help you remember, we’ll be passing out flyers at the local Publix supermarkets in the days prior to the event.  If you want to do something to help a great charity in the Tampa Bay area, why not swing by the office and donate some non-perishable goods to the hungry.  Our office address is as follows: 21035 Leonard Rd., Lutz, FL 33558 The food bank has need of non-perishable foods as well as personal hygiene items.  If you can spare anything, please don’t hesitat
Read more: Lakes , Weekend

Top 3 New Home Communities in Pasco County
2007-04-16 02:45:05
I like to do these posts from time to time just to weigh in on how I feel about things.  This is my personal opinion, albeit a highly qualified opinion, and involves my personal taste to a great extent.  So, if you go to these communities and don’t love them, it’s probably because you have much more sophisticated taste than me (LOL).  Here are the best new home communities in Pasco County : 1) Longleaf.  I don’t know, I’m just a sucker for a themed development, and this one reminds me of my grandmothers neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina.  It has beautiful homes, great common areas, wonderful classic Southern architecture, and lots of awesome builders to choose from.  It’s located six miles West of the Suncoast Parkway.  For more info and some pictures, click here. 2) Connerton.  This great Pasco County neighborhood is setting itself up to be a juggernaut. I love the conservation areas, the great amenities, and the overall direction for the
Read more: Communities , New Home

Why Do You Need a Buyers Agent?
2007-04-16 00:26:32
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the intrinsic value of being represented by a Realtor when purchasing a home. More succinctly, the discussion has been about who pays the buyers agent. Our stance is that it doesn’t matter who pays the buyers agent, you still need one. There are several arguments for why you might want to go it alone without representation: 1) You’re a private person. You don’t want anybody in your business. You would prefer to not be pressured into buying a home, and you certainly have eyes of your own. You don’t need somebody to point out the obvious benefits and flaws of a home for you. 2) You think you can save money off of the purchase price by cutting out the buyers agent. This one is common, and it’s a valid argument in theory. It depends greatly upon who you think pays the buyers agent to begin with, but I digress. If you can talk to the owner, you can probably get them to lower the price of the home by 3
Read more: Agent , Buyers

Tampa Area Neighborhood Review: Longleaf
2007-04-15 00:28:36
Longleaf, a Pasco County neighborhood located approximately 6 miles West of the Suncoast Parkway, is both an established neighborhood and a new home community. The first neighborhood was apparently built in the late 90’s, at which point Crosland was retained to oversee the development of the new neighborhoods. Longleaf is a new neighborhood with a traditional style. Here’s what the community website has to say about the development: “We’re building a different kind of community in Tampa Bay. A true small town where neighbors laugh. Children play. Families love. A new home community with a unique character and a warm spirit. With village greens. A town meeting hall. Nearby shops and offices. Harmonious architecture. Tree-lined streets with wide sidewalks. A variety of new home styles from single-family and country estate homes to maintenance-free townhomes and apartments. Roomy front porches with swings and rocking chairs. White picket fences. A recreational po
Read more: Neighborhood

Windward Homes Not Blogger Friendly
2007-04-13 21:14:14
As part of my effort to inform the consumer in the Greater Tampa Bay area, I routinely write reviews of new home communities. My wife writes informational posts about individual builders and the products that they offer. I assume that it is my first ammendment right to offer commentary about any product that I feel like commenting on as long as I don’t engage in libel of any form. However, we recognize that it is up to the judgement of the builder whether or not we display photos of their properties. It is, until they sell it, their property. I contacted the good folks over at Windward homes to let them know that I intended to write a post about their new homes in Longleaf, a new home community in Pasco County just west of the Suncoast Parkway. I was instructed to contact the Marketing Manager of the Tampa office. Let’s just call her Sharon. Usually, builders will do almost anything to get good, positive publicity. I expected that Windward homes would be no differe
Read more: Blogger , Friendly , Homes

Private Mortgage Insurance - What is it?
2007-04-13 19:58:50
Recently, a Tampa buyer and I sat down to discuss his best loan options. For his particular loan, he was required to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). He was curious as to what PMI really was and why he had to pay it. After our discussion, it was clear this would be a great educational topic for other buyers, not only in our Tampa market, but everywhere! Before PMI, banks would require a borrower to put 20% down in order to provide a mortgage for a property. This was what the bank felt would help lower their risk. PMI is a form of insurance that was created to protect mortgage lenders against financial losses due to foreclosure. (This is not insurance for the borrower, this is insurance for the bank, two seperate things.) With PMI, borrowers who were not able to put 20% down on a home could now purchase a property with a smaller down payment and still be financed by the bank. (Nearly half of all borrowers put less than 20% down when buying a home.) PMI should be considered


Military PCS: Should I sell My Home or Rent It Out?
2007-04-13 00:54:35
So, I got an email from a military person today who is scheduled to PCS to Rhode Island from MacDill Air Force Base (thanks for emailing me, by the way). This individual wanted to know whether it was a better idea to rent the home out or to sell it. Hmmm….depends. 1) Your Equity Position. Can you sell the home for a profit? If so, then you probably should unless you’re an experienced land lord. Managing property, or paying somebody to do it for you, is often more trouble than it’s worth to the inexperienced investor (especially from thousands of miles away). When you’re trying to decide if you have enough equity to sell, remember to factor in approximately 6% commission for Realtors, and reasonable closing costs. I don’t advise going “For Sale By Owner” to save on commission in this market, because you have a military time line and a “report-not-later-than” date to keep. 2) Can you rent the property for enough to cover your
Read more: Military

Land O Lakes: I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter
2007-04-12 02:49:53
So, what is Land O Lakes anyway? Is it a spread that’s great on toast? Well, yes. But it’s also one of the fastest growing bedroom communities in suburban Tampa Bay. If you haven’t checked out Land O Lakes lately, you’re missing out on one of the tastiest neighborhoods in the Bay area, no pun intended. Here’s 5 reasons why we love to work and play in Land O Lakes: 1) It has lots of *gasp* Lakes. There are waterfront homes, waterfront stores, and waterfront restaurants. There are boats, alligators, and fish. There are so many lakes that, when the founding fathers couldn’t agree upon a name, they went for the obvious. There is skiing, boating, and swimming. If you love the water, you’ll love Land O Lakes. 2) Interesting people. Land O Lakes has all sorts of neat folks. From the Caliente nudists to that guy with the way-oversized pickup truck, you can find all kinds wandering our streets in fair Pasco County. There’s never a du
Read more: Butter

Real Opinionated Radio
2007-04-19 20:30:18
I’m working on a new and top secret project for the Real Opinionated Blog: Real Opinionated Radio .  Let me just say, it’s almost as entertaining as watching a guy get kicked in the junk on AFV….and nearly as impossible to turn away from. Just kidding.  Seriously, I am putting together a podcast that will go out once per week and cover local Tampa Bay real estate and current events.  Feel free to check back tomorrow.  I hope to be done with the first edition by then. The podcast will showcase some of my guitar and mixing skills (produced entirely by yours truly utilizing my Zoom 8 track digital recorder).  I may even throw down a beat or two to keep it interesting.  Just call me Timberland. Bookmark this article:


5 Ways to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market
2007-04-20 23:49:11
Oh, the difference a year makes.  At this time last year, sellers had it good.  You could pretty much price your home where you wanted and the offers would roll in.  Now, it seems as if buyers are getting payback in a major way, by being picky and miserly (which is in their best interest).  So, if you want to get your home sold in a slow market, here’s 5 good ways to get started: 1) Have a barbecue.   Invite everybody in your neighborhood, as well as all of your friends and relatives.  Then, once everybody is partying the night away, make the announcement that you’re planning to sell your home and ask if anybody knows of somebody who might be interested.  Take it a step farther and ask people individually if they would be willing to ask around work for any prospects.  Use your people network for all it’s worth. 2) Price aggressively.  Try to be the lowest priced house in your neighborhood because, truth be told, you may only see one potential buyer.  When th
Read more: Market

Homestead Exemptions Are Not an Answer
2007-04-19 22:35:32
Tampa, FL–Governor Christ is a Tampa native, so we try to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to policy initiatives. His most recent crusade is to try to make housing more affordable to the common folk (an initiative which we support fully), but he may be going about it the wrong way. One of his ideas is to increase the homestead exemption in Florida to $50K. For those of you who don’t know, a homestead exemption is a benefit of owning in home by which the taxable value of your primary residence is depreciated (or lowered) for the purpose of figuring your annual tax bill. For instance, the current homestead exemption in Florida is $25K. My home has a taxable value of $250K. Because my home is my primary residence, the homestead exemption applies and my taxable value is lowered to $225K. Thus, I pay less in taxes. Pretty cool, right? There’s only one problem: There are two main factors that determine how much you pay in taxes. One is the taxable va


FSBO in Tampa: A Bare Minimum
2007-04-22 15:40:51
I drove around several neighborhoods yesterday and looked at some properties.  Along the way, I noticed about twenty FSBO homes.  Looking at them, I noticed some commonalities that were interesting, and which led me to compose this post. There are certain things that you must do as a FSBO if you hope to sell your home.  The reason I say this with such certainty is because I understand the process, and to a great degree what leads people to purchase homes.   My advice, take it or leave it, is as follows: 1) Get signs and place them in strategic locations.  Unless your FSBO is on a major highway, you need to have signs directing people to your location.  This is especially true if you don’t have an MLS listing for your property.  In business, we understand that the key to developing presence is “Location, Location, Location,”  It’s particularly important in Real Estate sales.  If nobody knows where your home is, you can’t sell it.  If you’re
Read more: Minimum , Tampa

Do Unto Others….
2007-04-24 03:05:49
Normally I don’t do this stuff, but since it’s a (mostly) Real Estate thing, I figure what the hell, right? I found this post over on The Future of Real Estate Technology Blog and thought it worth reposting. If you’ve got a link from me on this post, be a good neighbor and link back. Make it worth everybody’s time to participate in the Real Estate Blogosphere. My New Faves: Northwest Real Estate Update Fave the site Minneapolis Luxury Real Estate Blog Fave the site Delaware Ohio Real Estate Fave the site Original Faves: Beachamptons Blog Fave the site Rancho Santa Margarita Lifestles Fave the site Coyote BlogFave the site The Future of Real Estate Technology Fave the site The Optimized Life Fave the site Bigger Pockets Fave the site The Real Estate Schmoozer Fave the site Gossip Juice Fave the site The Blog World Fave the site Kelly Cho Fave the site SEO expert Fave the site Flipping Rich - Fave The Site Stock Trading 101 - Fave The Site eMoms at Home - Fa
Read more: hellip , Others

Consumer Oriented Real Estate Carnival: General Wiggles Presiding
2007-04-23 20:43:35
Hello. I’m General Wiggles, and I’ve been asked to preside over the very important “Consumer Oriented Real Estate Carnival ” for this week. To the left, you can see a picture of me when I was Airman Wiggles, some time ago. I’m quite scary, mind you. Let me begin by saying that, despite the casualties, we are winning the war against consumer ignorance in the Real Estate blogosphere. So, square yourself away, strap your boots on, and grab some ammunition. It’s time for war, blogging style! Every good army needs a private or two. Otherwise, who would we have to sweep the steps? I hope you don’t think General Wiggles is going to do it? I think not. Our privates for this week are Nigel Swaby with his post entitled “Deadlines in Real Estate You Can’t Afford to Miss,” and Dan Melson who writes “Misplaced Improvements in Real Estate.“ And who, exactly, is supposed to ensure that the Privates are sweeping the steps


Deerfield Lakes: Parkview Homes
2007-04-23 19:24:15
Parkview Homes start in the $220’s at Deerfield Lakes  (located just North of Land O Lakes in Spring Hill).  With 28 home designs to choose from, anyone is bound to find what they are looking for. Two Bedroom Homes The Carlisle II - Starting at $228,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 1745 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Devonshire (featured in above slideshow) - Starting at $230,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 1833 square feet, and 2 car garage. Three Bedroom Homes The Andover - Starting at $240,900 with 2 bathrooms, 1990 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Stonebrooke I - Starting at $245,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 2043 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Fairfax I - Starting at $255,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 2173 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Kingswood - Starting at $261,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 2260 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Fairfax II (featured in above slideshow) - Starting at $267,900 with 2.5 bathrooms, 2351 square feet, and 2 car garage. The Stonebrooke IV - Starting


Top 4 Counter-Intuitive Real Estate Truths
2007-04-29 23:56:44
I call them “Counter -intuitive” because, when put in similar circumstances, most consumers make the wrong choice.  Common sense almost always leads you in the right direction.  The following are a few examples of when it’s not best to follow your gut: 1) Starting with a lower price just might net you more money.  Most folks want to start at a higher price and lower the asking price when there’s little or no interest.  I can appreciate your strategy.  You want to make as much money as possible, and you think there’s a chance that somebody just might buy your home if it’s only 1% or 2% overpriced.  Wrong.  In this market, if you’re 2% overpriced nobody will even look at your home.  Starting with a lower asking price is key for generating buzz about your home, and just might end up in a bidding war that nets you more than what you wanted to start with.  Even if it doesn’t, at least your
Read more: Estate , Intuitive

Live Writer Review
2007-04-29 02:39:29
I’m just sitting here playing with Microsofts new Beta version of Windows Writer .htm">Live Writer . My initial impression is that this tool is a little more intuitive and easy to use than the regular wordpress backend editor.  You should probably check out this new tool while the price is right, if you know what I mean. Features of Live Writer that immediately impressed me were as follows: 1) True WYSIWYG: Live Writer takes WYSIWYG to the next level by actually showing me what my post will look like, with the correct proportions and styling downloaded from my custom wordpress site, in real time.  It takes the guess work out of whether my pictures are too large or too small, whether my text wraps in a way that will ultimately annoy me, and whether my article needs to have a “more” tag inserted. 2) Basic Photo Editing: I love being able to add a “Real Opinionated” watermark to my photos, not that anybody is exactly standing in line to rip off my stuff, but yo


A Little Preoccupied
2007-04-29 02:08:22
“Daddy, your singing is awful!” Sorry for not posting much this weekend. As you can see, I was preoccupied with my little girl’s first birthday. I promise more good content next week, so don’t dump me from the feed reader just yet. Cheers! Bookmark this article:


How to Retract an Offer on a House
2007-04-26 22:54:00
I received this search query earlier from Google for some combination of words that are already on my blog somewhere, but I know that I’ve never properly addressed the topic. So, here goes: Offer and Acceptance:  In the State of Florida, a formal “contract” is made between the buyer and the seller once “offer and acceptance” has taken place.  In other words, the buyer makes an offer, and the seller accepts it.  Or, the buyer makes and offer and the seller counters with a different offer which is then accepted by the buyer.  You get the point.  The idea is to have a genuine meeting of the minds on the issues at hand, and to put it in writing. Once you’re in contract, you’re obligated to perform in accordance with the language of the contract.  This is another reason why it’s important to have a good Realtor representing you in the purchase of your home.  Unless you have some contingencies built into your contract, you’re on th
Read more: House

The Secret: Is It A Religion?
2007-04-26 18:59:11
I recognize that you probably didn’t come to this blog to read about “The Secret,” so I created a new blog where I can unload my randon musings about the Universe in general.  Check it out here. Sorry for the bait and switch routine.  Won’t happen again. Bookmark this article:
Read more: Religion

Real Opinionated Influences Public Policy
2007-04-26 01:38:35
Some of you may remember this blog post where I wrote about the asinine, ridiculous, borderline reckless speed limit signs recently thrown up in my neighborhood, Asbel Creek.  I was pretty irritated about it, and hoping that my “blogging mojo” might do something to help correct the situation.  Enter Chuin-Wei Yap, a writer from the St. Petersburg Times. Yap happened to be perusing the blogosphere while researching another topic and happened upon my post.  With a wave of the magic writing stick, Yap managed to bust out an article and turn up the heat on the barely-functional “powers that be.”  And just like that….the authorities have promised to remedy the situation. Sometimes blogging power is great, but not quite as great as real, bona-fide journalistic influence.  Thanks for the help, Yap.  Next time throw us a link in the article (Can’t have your cake and eat it too, right?). Bookmark this article:
Read more: Policy , Public

Mortgage Implosion: A Home Buyers Perspective
2007-04-25 22:26:56
Warning: This post is intended to start a dialog on the topic for the general edification of everyone involved. I’m not billing myself as an expert on the subject. I’ve been the recipient of much love from Google as of late for the search terms “Mortgage Implosion .” Frankly, when the whole thing went down, I had no idea what was going on. That’s one of the main reasons why I brought on the Mortgage Godess….to explain it to me and everybody else. She broke it down Barney style. Now I’ve pretty much got the hang of it. Here’s what it means to the potential home buyer: 1) You can still buy a house. There’s no need to panic. There are still houses for sale, and there are still ways to get into them. There are many great first time home buyers programs out there that can even help you if you don’t have much of a down payment. Certain municipalities will even give you a grant for the down payment. I know… 2) Down
Read more: Buyers , Home Buyers , Perspective

Maybe I Should Lower My Price….Duh!
2007-04-25 14:58:41
How do you know when it’s time to amend the price of your listing?  The following is a true story of a call that I received yesterday from a seller who isn’t even listed with me.  In fact, he’s a FSBO.  Check it out: Me: “Hello.” Seller: “Hi.  This is James.  You sent me a letter?” Me: “Well, James, that definitely sounds like something I would do.  How can I help you?” Seller: “I just wanted some advice.  I wanted a second opinion about lowering my price.” Me: “OK.  Tell me about the house.” Seller: “Well, I’ve had about ten people stop by to see it, and they all said it was overpriced.  I’ve had about three Realtors come by and say it was overpriced as well.  I just don’t think it’s overpriced.  It’s a beautiful house.” Me: “Uh-huh.” Here’s a little note on “Free Market Economies.” Whatever the buyer is willing to pay is what
Read more: hellip , Lower , Maybe

Why Do Different People Have Different Mortgage Rates
2007-04-24 21:52:40
Have you ever heard (or thought to yourself)…”My cousin (brother, co-worker, neighbor) has an interest rate at 5.25%, why isn’t my interest rate the same?” I HAVE! It is a great question for consumers to ask. It helps to understand why you are receiving the interest rate you are, so you know why and don’t feel taken advantage of! I have complied a simple list of the… TOP 5 REASONS YOUR RATE IS DIFFERENT THAN YOUR COUSIN SALLY’S: 1. LOAN TO VALUE: The value your home is worth (or purchased at) versus the loan amount you have. If you are putting 20% down on your home purchase, chances are you are going to have a pretty darn good interest rate because the bank is not carrying all the risk. On the other hand, if you are taking out a mortgage for the full value of your home (or 100% LTV in mortgage lingo), you are going to be paying a higher interest rate than the person putting 20% down. 2. CREDIT SCORE: Okay, you have seen the commercial&hellip
Read more: Mortgage , Mortgage Rates , Rates

Mortgage Implosion and Local Real Estate Appraisals
2007-05-01 23:10:26
The mortgage implosion spider is continuing to weave it web!  We are nowing seeing the more affects of defaulting mortgages as they relate to current mortgage qualifying.  In previous blogs, we have discussed the Mortgage Implosion in general and some clarification of what to expect.  But here is one thing most consumers don’t think about…their appraisal and future property value! So, what’s the BIG deal?  Simple…decreasing values and a small check box our appraisers have to fill out.  They have three options when it comes to rating the property values of a neighborhood:  1.  Increasing Values  2. Stable Values  3. Decreasing Values.  Which one is the issue…Door 3!! It’s no surprise that in our local Tampa market, we have seen increasing values for the past couple years, but now homes are not increasing at the rate they were before.  The issue is when the appraiser says…Yep, this is an area of decreasing values...We (the le
Read more: Estate , Local , Real Estate

M/I Homes Takes a Beating and Sells Land
2007-04-30 01:22:21
M/I homes, one of the nations leading home builders, posting a seriously dissappointing first quarter profit a few days ago.  We all knew that new homes sales were in the toilet, but nobody had any idea that M/I was in trouble.  Now, it seems as if M/I has offloaded their remaining inventory in Asbel Creek to another builder, Adams Homes .  The website for Adams Homes has very little information about the builder, except to say that “In 1991, Adams Homes was founded upon over 20 years of construction and management experience to formulate the company’s policies. That experience has helped make Adams Homes one of the fastest growing builders in the Southeast.” Seriously, never heard of them.  But still, is M/I in greater trouble than their earnings report let on? Is Adams Homes somehow connected to M/I, or did they step in to capitalize on the misfortnes of a competitor?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Technorati tags: M/I Homes, Q1 2007, Se
Page 1 of 2 « < 1 2 > »
Copyright 2006 - 2007. TopBlogArea.com All Rights reserved. Created by SEOMinds.com
eXTReMe Tracker