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Florida County Map – A Must Have Resource to Explore Your Options

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:23:11 +0000

If you are retiring to or buying a home in Florida, a Florida County Map will serve you better than a Florida Counties list in terms of orienting you to the State and one county to another. When you start to research Florida’s counties and Florida’s cities for your new home, you may feel overwhelmed at first. There are an incredible variety of options to choose from. But you can start with some basic information on the different regions of the state. When people discuss Florida’s counties and cities, they usually describe them as being in one of eight very different and distinct regions: Northwest and North Central (normally referred to together as the Panhandle), Northeast, Central West, Central, Central East, Southwest, and Southeast.

The Panhandle area reaches from Alabama to the Suwannee River and youll see on your Florida County map that it is a rather thin and flat shape that resembles the ‘handle’ of the rest of the state. Some of the largest of Florida’s cities in this area of the state are Tallahassee, the state capital, and Pensacola and Panama City on the Gulf Coast. It has some of the loveliest stretches of coastline in the state.

Some of the most historic of Florida’s counties and towns are located in the Northeast region. The oldest settlement town in the United States, St. Augustine, is found here in St. John’s County. The largest city in the region is Jacksonville in Duval County, which spans an incredible 841 square miles across the region.

If you are looking for a fast growing region with some of the world’s whitest beaches, then Central West may be right for you. The cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, and Clearwater are all here. The metropolitan area around Tampa in Hillsborough County is actually the largest in the state – even larger than the city of Miami. The incredibly white beaches stretch about 90 miles along the Gulf Coast. The property in this region is in demand, and Pinellas County is not only one of the most expensive in the state, but it is also the most densely populated.

Known as the ‘heartland’, if you have ever vacationed in Florida, you have likely been to Central Florida – especially if you have children in your life. This region contains the world’s largest concentration of amusement and theme parks, with most of them concentrated around the city of Orlando. Or try one of the 1,000 lakes of Lake County.

Those cities and counties that are famous to race fans and space fans are found in the Central East region. It is the location of the Daytona 500 and other car races, and the home of the NASA Kennedy Space Center. You can tour the center and, if you time it right, watch a Space Shuttle launch.

If a resort area is more your style, you could pick a location in the Southwest region. The cities of Naples and Venice have some excellent choices. Or, the islands of Captiva, Marco, or Sanibel might just fulfill your needs on the Gulf Coast. Your Florida County Map will depict an unusual coast line, where more than 10,000 islands dot the landscape.

Starting at Palm Beach and reaching down to the Keys, Southeast Florida is the region that draws the rich and famous from around the world. You can often find movie stars, rock stars, millionaires and their hangers-on romping around the famous nightlife spots in this region, known as the Gold Coast. You’ve at least heard of the largest cities in this region, even if you haven’t visited them yet: Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Key West, to name a few. A Florida County Map that you can download free of charge can be found at florida-retirement.net.

Florida County Map – A Must Have Resource to Explore Your Options is a post from: Pinellas Home

Tampa: One Of America’s Premier Cities For The Outdoors

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:20:04 +0000

Some say it means “sticks of fire” in the language of a Native American tribe called the Calusa; others contend it is a reference to the frequent lightening strikes seen in the region during the summer months. Whatever it stands for, Tampa has scads of parks and beaches to keep nature lovers on their toes, plus a wealth of theme parks, cultural attractions and sporting venues to entertain people of all ages with varying interests. Though the city’s population of 350,000 and counting may not seem like much, it still ranks among the country’s 60 largest cities hardly a surprise given that it helps anchor the Gulf Coast region, where booming industries such as fishing and tourism are heavily concentrated.

If you’re the outdoorsy type, you’ll no doubt find a home away from home in Tampa, which in 2008 was ranked as the 5th best city for the outdoors by Forbes magazine. You’ll feel immersed in the wilderness as Tampa features an estimated 7.8 million trees and close to 200 verdant parks. Sunbathers will appreciate plenty of sugar white Gulf Coast beach frontage at St. Pete Beach and Indian Rocks Beach, both of which are located roughly an hour away in Pinellas County.

Sports fans rejoice: Tampa is part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, home to the aptly-named Tampa Bay Lightening, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Derby Darlins, University of South Florida Bulls and University of Tampa Spartans. The city is well-steeped in history, entertainment and the arts, featuring the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa Museum of Art and Tampa Bay History Center. What’s more, nightlife is alive and well in downtown Tampa, where travelers can find a number of lively clubs and bars. Opened to the public in 1982, the Museum of Science & Industry features one of 250 IMAX Dome theatres found in the world the only one in Florida to boast a dome screen.

Admirers of wildlife can venture to the Lowry Park Zoo, which features more than 2,000 animals, educational shows and hands-on exhibits. Some of the most daring roller coasters in the world are found nearby at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where everything from authentic handicrafts to up-close animal encounters create an authentic African experience. Additionally, the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival takes place along Bayshore Boulevard and runs through downtown Tampa.

In the heart of Tampa Bay lies Sailport Waterfront Suites on Tampa Bay, the gulf coast city’s only all-waterfront, all-suite hotel. The property boasts spacious suites with fully-equipped kitchens and balconies that afford great bay views. In addition, travelers can unwind in the heated swimming pool or practice their volleyball serve in the recreation area. Here’s yet another nice touch: Breakfast, newspapers, shuttle service, covered parking and internet access are all complimentary.

For a dose of history and plenty of tranquility, visit the recently renovated Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. The 2,000-year-old natural mineral springs that run directly beneath the luxury resort, which spans 22 acres of Tampa Bay coastline, were first discovered by explorers in search of the Fountain of Youth. So treasured are these springs that they’re used for spa treatments and pumped into three on-site swimming pools. Rooms are fitted with comfortable furniture, and many bring balconies or patios that offer city views.

Fitness and sports enthusiasts will love Saddlebrook Resort and Spa, which comprises a half-million gallon swimming pool, two 18-hole Arnold Palmer signature golf courses, two volleyball courts, a basketball court, fitness center and sports field. Once it’s time to recharge the batteries, travelers can avail themselves of a 7,000 square-foot Spa, featuring 12 private treatment rooms, a couple’s room with soaking tub, whirlpools, saunas and courtyard terrace.

Whether you’re a theme park junkie, sports fanatic, history buff, or nature lover, Tampa offers something for everyone.

Tampa: One Of America’s Premier Cities For The Outdoors is a post from: Pinellas Home

Living In Paradise – St. Petersburg, Florida

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:46:39 +0000

For aging baby boomers, the decision on where to retire is made difficult by so many beautiful North American venues. Historically, many have chosen to buy Florida property, particularly in the Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg Florida marketplace because of the warm climate, beautiful beaches, friendly people, fine health care, no personal income tax and a variety of other reasons.
Yes, the City of St. Petersburg has experienced periods of glory, disrepair and now, revitalization. In 1875, Detroit resident General John Williams purchased 2,500 acres of land on Tampa Bay. The General had visions of a grand and vibrant city with elegant parks and broad streets, which today are the trademark of St. Petersburg’s cityscape.
Within a dozen years, the Russian aristocrat Peter Demens brought the Orange Belt Railway to St. Petersburg. The first train arrived on June 8, 1888. Shortly thereafter Demens named the city after his birthplace, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Florida’s love affair with baseball soon brought professional baseball’s spring training to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1914. Al Lang, the city’s former mayor, convinced Branch Rickey to move his St. Louis Browns to the Sunshine City for spring training.
The state’s first big growth boom in the 1920′s resulted in an invasion of tourists arriving by auto, railroad, and yacht. The Gandy Bridge opened in 1924, reducing travel time to Tampa by more than half and positioning St. Petersburg to become Pinellas County’s largest city. The 1920s also brought beautiful architecture to downtown St. Petersburg and adjoining neighborhoods. The city’s architecture reflected a Mediterranean Revival motif. Snell Isle, a 275 acre subdivision was the result of Perry Snell’s love of the Tampa Bay area. Snell Isle owes its existence to Snell first visiting St. Petersburg on his wedding trip in 1898. Upon returning the following year, his first purchase was the waterfront property located at First Street and Fourth Avenue North, now known as North Shore Park.
St. Petersburg’s makeover is evident in several Mediterranean Revival buildings including The Vinoy Hotel, the Princess Martha, the Snell Arcade, and the Jungle Country Club Hotel. Others can be seen in the Spanish castles and homes along Coffee Pot Bayou and in the Jungle Prada neighborhood.
St. Petersburg continued to have strong tourist years through the 20s. Like many other areas of the state, the real estate boom crashed during The Great Depression. But, St. Petersburg recovered, with the help of large Public Works Administration projects in the 1930s, bringing $10 million in new investment. St. Petersburg’s City Hall was built with New Deal federal funds in 1939.
The city experienced phenomenal growth throughout the 1940s. St. Pete was home to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Bayboro Harbor as a training base for World War II troops. Anti-submarine air patrols were made over the Gulf of Mexico during WWII. The War Department later selected St. Petersburg as a major training center for the Army Air Corps. More than 100,000 pilots and trainees occupied every hotel in the city. As a result, the population grew fast and created a housing shortage with families of military men looking for a place to live. Post war, many of the soldiers stationed in the Tampa Bay area returned to live with their families or to visit as tourists until their retirement.
The 1950s and 60s were notable for the wide spread use of air conditioning, which resulted in a considerable amount of housing for retirees. Mirroring national trends, the Central Plaza and Tyrone Gardens shopping centers attracted local businesses to relocate from the downtown area. The population grew beyond 200,000. As the automobile became the prime mode of transport, streetcar tracks were removed to make way for better roads. The 1960s experienced building of the municipal marina, the main library, the Bayfront Center and the Museum of Fine Arts.
St. Petersburg’s quest for a Major League Baseball franchise began in the 1970s. It was not until 20 years later that the arrival of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998 saw the team move their permanent home to downtown’s Tropicana Field.
Today, the downtown core is experiencing a period revitalization with municipal projects that include retail shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. More than 900 community events bring millions of people each year to experience yacht races, triathlons, baseball, basketball, cycling, cultural exhibits, motor racing and music. Seven museums in the downtown district attract tourists. A state university, 10 marine institutes and more than two dozen galleries attest to the city’s commitment to education and health care. Much movement into the historic neighborhoods continues as residents invest in their communities with a great source of pride.

Living In Paradise – St. Petersburg, Florida is a post from: Pinellas Home

Is There a Low Risk Way to Invest in Residential Real Estate? (Second in a Series)

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:27:22 +0000

I first got interested in real estate investing when I was a commodity futures broker on the east coast of Florida twenty years ago. I did what everyone did. I went to a seminar. The promoter of the seminar soon went to jail and I joined the huge crowd of people that knew you could not invest in real estate. I was lucky enough to have a disaster in my conventional real estate dealing show me the big picture.
Maryan and I had bought a home in Boca Raton and when we decided to move back to Pinellas County (Tampa Bay area) we had become aware that the home we bought was a mile away from where a garbage burning incinerator was to be built. The person who sold us the house may have known about the plans, but we did not. When we were ready to sell everyone knew and we could not sell the house.
We left the house with a Realtor and moved to Palm Harbor to start a new business. Not real estate. Months later the Realtor called to say a “nice young couple” wanted to buy our house and wanted us to finance it. We were terrified because we had learned the conventional wisdom that banks make mortgage loans and people get the loans. But it was sell that way or not sell for a long time, so we did the financing.
It eventually worked out, the people, who really were a nice young couple, refinanced a couple of years later and I was fascinated with creative real estate. We bought a couple of foreclosures, which were pretty big in the late 80′s as they are now, that needed very little work and sold with owner financing, since we had learned thatfinancing moved houses fast and finally bought a really ugly house to do our first real rehab.
The house cost about $17,000 and we paid about $12,000 to fix it up and quickly leased it with an option to buy at $50,000. The tenant buyer was paying us $550 a month. I thought this was terrific. I had never seen anything like this in the stock market or commodities market.
We thought this was pretty good until a mortgage broker we know, let’s call her “Mary,” mostly because that is her real name, approached us and said.
“Forget taxes, repairs and insurance for simplicity and tell me what your rate of return is?”
“And would you be interested if I could show you how to make a LOT more, and if I do will it is okay if I make a profit too?”
“Sure,” we said. “If it is really rented all year (and it may not be) we will have $6,600 in rent and since we have about $30,000 of our own money in it, the return is 22 per cent a year and we will make some more off the back-end when the tenants refinance and cash us out.”
“So, if I were to loan you the $30,000 that you have in it at 8%, you would pay me $2,400 a year, a whole lot more than what I can make off of CDs, you would have an income of $4,200 and you would have all of your money back so you could buy and renovate another house and your return of $4,200 on a zero investment would be better than 22 per cent.”
We thought that was pretty convincing logic. We took the loan and everything went well until the tenants refinanced and cashed us out. WE had to take another check of a little under $20,000, on what was now a zero investment. But we decided we could get used to it.
Mary suggested we should “walk the mortgage.” That means we shifted the mortgage to another property so Mary could continue to received the8 per cent interest and we did not have to come up with the $30,000 to pay her off. So the check we got was really closer to $50,000 than $20,000.
I always think of this early experience when people tell me that real estate is risky. It is and thousands and thousands of people who considered themselves to be real estate investors have gone through terrible stress, foreclosure and bankruptcy. But as we said at the beginning of the first article in this series. “there are real estate investments and then there are real estate investments.
Many of those recently departed investors bought at full price when the market was high and hoped the market would go up so they could re sell and make a profit. That only worked when the market is going up. When it stopped, they lost substantial amounts of money.
Being a partner of a person rehabbing a property bought below the market may have less risk than outright speculation, but it still has risk. There are always a variety of things that can go wrong.
Even the strategy that Mary showed us has its risk, but it seems to me it is less than most of the vehicles available for investment of any kind. You cannot buy IBM below the market price because the stock certificates are torn and get paid for taping them back together. You stand a pretty good chance of getting paid for fixing houses that need repair and are selling below market because most other people think it will cost a lot more to fix than we have found to be the case.

Is There a Low Risk Way to Invest in Residential Real Estate? (Second in a Series) is a post from: Pinellas Home

2009 Year Review – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From The American Political Class

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:10:06 +0000

Throughout 2009, while the country and its citizens were facing a terrible economy, foreign wars, extreme Congressional partisanship and sniping, no improvements in the major issues facing this country such as the soaring national debt, high unemployment, failing public schools, wide spread drug addiction problems, rising health care costs, and other major issues, what were the politicians worried about? Looking back on 2009, there appears to have been three distinct categories of American political class behavior: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

By all accounts, 2009 was a rough year in America. The good news is that I could actually identify some areas where the political class did some good things. The bad news is I could only come up with three examples where the actions of the political class had taxpayers and fellow citizens in mind when they executed their actions:

1) The first example is based on personal experience. I live in Pinellas county in Florida and over the past four years my property taxes have gone down on a year over year basis. They have gone down so much that I now pay about 40% in less in property taxes today than I paid four years ago with a significant portion of that decrease occurring in 2009. There are probably a number of factors, both political and non-political, that have gone into this decrease but the bottom line is that they have gone down significantly. And here is the good news: I still have police protection, I still have fire protection, the schools are still open, the parks are still open, most of the libraries are still open and the roads and traffic lights are still in good shape. This is proof, that on a very local level, excess waste can be taken out of government without substantial reduction in essential protection and services. The primary word in that previous sentence is essential.

2) The second example comes from the U.S. Senate and it was a suggestion and formal proposal to the Senate from Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. His reasoning: since the Federal government paid about $60 billion of U.S. taxpayer money to acquire a 60% share of General Motors and theoretically save it from bankruptcy, shouldn’t each American taxpayer get stock certificates and partial ownership of GM rather than the Washington bureaucrats? After all, since government is able to function only because it takes money from taxpayers, if government acquires ownership in a private company, doesn’t that mean that the taxpayers own the company since it was their money? Senator Alexander was the single politician this year that showed he understood the relationship between paying taxes and government spending. Giving individual citizens those shares of GM would ensure more interest in how GM performed going forward since each citizen would have had a stake in its survival, probably giving GM a better shot at survival than it has with government ownership. Unfortunately, the Senators suggestion was not approved by the Senate.

3) The final example comes from a small town in south Florida, Miami Gardens. In the past year, Miami Gardens city government took the following actions:

How was Miami Gardens able to do all of these positive things in light of a very, very deep recession and the fact that they are not a city of wealthy residents? According to interviews with city officials:

Thus, much like the first example above, the Miami Gardens politicians have shown that running a lean, efficient government operation is possible if you are respectful of taxpayers’ dollars. All it takes is a little planning and the ability to just say No.

In life you have to take the good with the bad so now let’s review some of the less than glorious antics that the political class served us with in the second half of 2009:

If these actions were not serious and far reaching, they would be comical. Conflicts of interest, trivial projects, wastes of money, sad but true in 2009.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, it is difficult to find much beauty in any of the following Federally funded projects since they waste Federal tax dollars on local projects that contribute nothing to solving the major, national issues facing the country today. The only beauty is in the eye of incumbent politicians who waste these taxpayer dollars to support their re-election efforts:

These are just a couple dozen programs that waste hard earned taxpayer dollars. The 2010 budget bills have over 11,000 other such programs, even though President Obama campaigned to keep the number of pork projects like these well under 2,000. The reasons we have state and local governments is to handle state and local needs. It should not be the role of the Federal government to fund local bike paths, widen local roads, renovate theaters, etc. It diverts time, money, and resources from the truly national problems like the two wars we are currently involved in, soaring Federal deficits, high unemployment levels, Social Security and Medicare heading for insolvency, failing public schools, high drug addiction rates and the associated crime problems, the lacking of a national strategic energy plan, etc.

Then why does the political class spend/waste time and money on these clearly local issues and needs? It helps guarantee them re-election by attempting to prove to their own voters that they are adept at stealing money from other U.S. taxpayers and funneling into their home districts and states. Remember, the government pays for nothing, it funds programs with taxpayer money taken from all American taxpayers. Thus, the bike trail in Michigan is being financed in part by taxpayers in Arizona who will never ride that trail. The Polynesian Voyaging Society is being funded in part by taxpayers in Vermont who will never get any benefits from the Society.

A long time ago, the Statue Of Liberty, an enduing symbol of this entire country and its freedom, was in badly need of repair and renovation. The country rose up to privately donate enough funds to restore this national symbol. If the Statue Of Liberty did not merit Federal money several decades ago, why do farmers markets and bike paths merit such Federal support today?

This pilfering of national tax dollars possibly hides a more dangerous reality. It could be that this generation of politicians, and the ones that have come immediately before them, do not know how to solve the real national problems facing America today. In the 1960s, Nixon declared war on drugs but we still have a major drug problem in this country. In the 1970s, Carter was President when we lived through the energy crises but we still no do not have a national strategic energy program in place. In the early 1980s, the Reagan administration identified the danger of our failing public school systems but today many of our public schools are still failing. In the 1990s, despite numerous wake-up calls (first World Trade Center attacks, U.S. embassy terrorist bombings in Africa, USS Cole attack, etc.) we still do not have the terrorist threat under control, as witnessed by the almost catastrophic airline security breakdown on the Christmas day KLM flight into Detroit.

Thus, it could be that our current politicians work on useless and wasteful local spending programs and worry about the sound volume on television commercials because they are incapable of doing anything else. If they were, than many of our national problems would have been addressed and solved already. That is why the following steps need to be taken to start reducing The Bad and The Ugly and expanding the The Good from the political class:

Step 1 – start reducing Federal spending by 10% a year, for five years, in order to begin weeding out the wasteful, but politically convenient, local wastes of money. Step 2 – allow only individual citizens to contribute to political election campaigns since many of the wasteful programs are really bribes, directing taxpayer dollars to companies, unions, and lobbyists in order to get reciprocal campaign donations for incumbents re-election campaigns. Step 3 – hold Congressional committee and subcommittee members accountable for their performance, removing them from committee posts when their efforts are unsatisfactory and wasteful. Step 4 – establish term limits for all Senators and Congressmen since allowing them to serve forever is not working. If the President, the most important elected official in the world, has term limits, less important Senate and House of Representative seats should also be limited in term length. Step 5 – no Federal money could be spent on any program or project unless it materially affects a substantial number of residents in at least five states, i.e. spend Federal tax dollars on national needs, let state and local governments and private citizens handle the local needs.

While The Good, The Bad and The Ugly made for a good Clint Eastwood movie, it does not make for effective and efficient governance. Lets hope that 2010 is better and that somehow some of the steps listed above take hold this year, resulting in a 2010 list of wasteful spending programs and negative political antics that is far smaller than in 2009.

Note: only credible, well known news sources were used for the information included in this article. These sources included, but were not limited to, the New York Times, the St. Petersburg Times, CNN, the Associated Pres, The Week Magazine, and Reason Magazine and does not include personal opinions or information from highly partisan sources. For detailed information on the sources please refer to www.loathemygovernment.blogspot.com where all of these facts and figures have been previously identified and discussed.Visit our website at www.loathemygovernment.com to learn about “Love My Country, Loathe My Government – Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom and Destroying The American Political Class”.

2009 Year Review – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From The American Political Class is a post from: Pinellas Home

Buying Florida Condos At Gulf Beaches

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:55:50 +0000

When it comes to buying vacation properties in any part of the USA, Florida is the first choice of most of the Americans. And there are plenty of reasons for this.Just imagine lazing around in the miles of white beaches or surfing the sea waves with dolphins showing their antics in the distance. Or just imagine gazing at the setting sun right from your private patio or hitting the sea for a morning splash at the break of the day.

Florida condos at popular beach town can offer you all these and many more. Each unit is fully furnished with a well appointed kitchen. By buying a unit in a condominium, you become entitled to all on- site amenities including club, spa, fitness centers and swimming pool. Many of the luxurious Florida condos will offer you twenty four hours concierge services. To get the taste of local cuisine, you can hit the restaurant in the complex or visit the retail stores in search of some unusual picks.

In short Florida condos will offer you everything to make you Floridian stay comfortable and enjoyable. No wonder, most tourists these days prefer condo-accommodations over hotels to enjoy their holidays comfortably and affordably. Before recession struck, the sale of Florida vacation condos surpassed the million marks. With recession slowly fading away, investors are slowly returning to the market. The Florida condos at the popular Gulf Beach towns are currently high in demand. And the reason is obvious; the unique combination of sun, surf and sand are perfect for drawing tourists especially during the summer months.

Florida condos are not only attracting Americans but also the buyers from across the Atlantic. Many prestigious developments are available for sale on the Gulf Beaches, especially on Tampa Bay in Pinellas County. The condos in the small beach towns are becoming popular among the global tourists. If you are looking for suitable vacation condos— which can double up as your investment property—you can explore the condos market in such popular beaches as Clearwater Beach or Tierra Verde. Investment in Florida condos can also be available in these tourists’ hubs like Treasure Island, North Redington and Redington Beach, St. Pete Beach, Belleair Beach, Madeira Beach and Indian Rocks Beach.

Before buying Florida condos you should research the property well. If you are buying pre-construction unit, then carefully go through the floor plans and other unit details. If you are buying resale Florida condos, then check out with condo association rules and regulations. In both cases, keep the factors of appreciation and resale value in mind before taking the final decision.

Buying Florida Condos At Gulf Beaches is a post from: Pinellas Home

Free Tampa Foreclosure Listings ? Top Reasons for Buying and Useful Tips on Finding the Best Deals

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:10:04 +0000

Located in Florida, Tampa is a one of the most vibrant international cities of America. Due to the tough economic times many properties in this city are getting foreclosed which you can find through various free Tampa foreclosure listings. Buying a house in Tampa would be a great choice as well as a great bargain deal if you choose a foreclosed property which you can easily find through various online free listing services.Various reasons like Tampas rich Florida history, cultural diversity and flourishing industries make this city an ideal place to buy a property through free Tampa foreclosure listings: Americas most liveable community Whether you seek big city downtown living, quiet golf course communities, a waterfront lifestyle, majestic horse farms or historic neighbourhoods, the diverse counties of Tampa like Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota provide a mix of lifestyles like nowhere else in the country. Thriving Arts and Culture – The Florida Orchestra, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Centre, Tampa Theatre and the Tampa Museum of Art providing enriching performances and exhibits are a vital component of this city which makes it an ideal choice for buying a property through free Tampa foreclosure listings. Educational, entertaining and recreational attractions – With family venues such as zoos, aquariums and theme parks like the Busch Gardens and the Lowry Park Zoo and a climate ideal for outdoor activities like beach-going and canoeing, families love Tampa Bay making it a great choice for buying a home through free Tampa foreclosure listings.Looking up free Tampa foreclosure listings is a great way to find your property, provided you keep the following useful tips in mind. Filter Information – As there is an overwhelming amount of information on foreclosures available on the internet you may need to filter out your search criteria to get more specific results. Subscribe – Free Tampa foreclosure listings are mostly on a trial basis for a limited time offer and you have to subscribe to their service after the trial period to continue access. Compare free listings – Researching and comparing different free Tampa foreclosure listings is very important in determining a site that would be helpful in successfully finding your ideal home.

Free Tampa Foreclosure Listings ? Top Reasons for Buying and Useful Tips on Finding the Best Deals is a post from: Pinellas Home

What Does it Mean if your Market is “significantly Depreciating”

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:41:29 +0000

The topic I am touching on today is in regards to property values. Broward County is one of the latest counties to be put on a list that some lenders are using that indicates this is a market where values are “Significantly Depreciating”. Broward joins the following Florida counties on this list:

Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Escambia, Hernando, Hillsboro, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, St. Lucie, and Volusia

What does this mean to homeowners here?

Lenders base all of their lending practices on some basic items, one of which is the value of the collateral (your house) vs the amount borrowed against it. This is known in LoanSpeak as your LTV (Loan -To-Value). Contrary to popular beleif, the property does not simply have to appraise for what you are wanting to borrow for you to get approved. There are entirely different approval rules depending on that LTV percentage. If you are at 100% LTV – this means you are looking for a loan for the same amount of money as the property is worth. This was getting very commonplace before the massive changes and fallout in the mortgage business this year. Traditionally this was tough to get, because the lender always should be looking at the worst-case scenario – you may not pay them back in a timely fashion. In this worse-case scenario they would have to foreclose on the property, and then sell it – a business they do not want to be in. Lenders really want to loan the money and get back regular monthly payments as agreed upon, not take back properties with equity in them, even a lot of equity!

Back on topic – the lower your LTV the more likely you may get a loan. While there are still 100% financing programs available (we have these) it is much more difficult to come by that was last year. As you try to borrow less the guidelines relax. So someone that may not be able to obtain a 100% loan will have a better shot at a 95% or 90% or 80% loan. But there are circumstances where the most someone can borrow is 65% of the value of the property (current loan is in default). And there is going to be a maximum LTV that people can get. Now – the declining markets “tag” comes into play here – what lenders are doing is reducing the maximum LTV% that you can get if your property is in one of these counties. This is especially true if you are a self employed person and need to use a No Income Verification Program.

What this does, in effect is really hurt some peoples chances right now of getting a loan that might better their situation. If the maximum LTV they qualified for considering their credit and income situation was 80%, they will only be lent 75% perhaps just because their property is in one of these counties! Not only are homeowners having to contend with the property value declining, but they are reducing it even further for some borrowers! The danger this represents is that with all of the foreclosures that are hitting the market, things are likely to get worse in the short term. These foreclosures can really hurt the comparable sales in a neighborhood – thereby reducing your value on paper right now. Long term the market will rebound, but in the immediate future (next 12 months) things are uncertain. If you have an ARM loan that is set to adjust in the next 12 months it would be very wise to look at your options right now if you are concerned about what your payment might become once the loan adjusts.

It is possible that waiting until later, in the short term, could seriously limit the kind of mortgage that you can get later – either due to further mortgage industry difficulties, or declining values in your neighborhood. If you don’t do something now you are putting the control of your future options in the hands of the people in your neighborhood who currently have their homes on the market. If someone decides they just want to dump their property, or they cant pay and get foreclosed on, this could hurt your chances of changing loans in the future. If you want to check out your options now, we would be glad to help – rates are very good right now on fixed rate loans – please contact our office – 877-8GO-GREEN or 954-217-9518 or email craig@bridgecapitallending.com, or visit us online at http://www.bridgecapitallending.com

What Does it Mean if your Market is “significantly Depreciating” is a post from: Pinellas Home

Commercial Lenders fear to finance in Downtown Tampa

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:34:08 +0000

Residential real estate market is not performing very well. We all know. Should we take care of neighborhood shopping center, condo project or office park goes bust?

According to experts, the meltdown of commercial real estate after collapse of housing could prolong and we have already seen unemployment slogging.

Till now real estate foreclosures had been seen proceeding smoothly for commercial missteps. It is evident from the case of St. Peterburgs BayWalk entertainment complex and also the never-built Westshore Beach Club in Tampa.

In the Tampa Bay, the office properties and also the shopping centers have shed about 30% of their value. This is, when combined with the debt of commercial real estate coming due over next 3 years which is $1.2 trillion.Let us take note of the following also:

The community banks in Florida started investing in the commercial real estate after the meltdown of residential housing there. At least fifty percent of the lending in real estate there is commercial, construction and also land development loans. It has surpassed the residential lending. The failures of banks will lead more tightening in credit. This will result in depriving the businesses of capital in their operation and expansion there. Hence, it may drive down unemployment in the area. After the ongoing residential foreclosures the judges in the Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco fear too much of commercial foreclosures. This has also leading in delaying of the selling and appraising process of those real estate that are troubled.

Chief Judge Thomas McGrady of Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit says, It is coming And it could break the whole system.

One thing is sure. Everyone of us fear catastrophe. According to Eric Odom, broker of Tampa commercial real estate, at the time of last real estate bust in early 1990s, too many office buildings were empty in the downtown Tampa. The important troubled projects that can be easily recalled were the skyscrapers SunTrust Financial Center and the 100 North Tampa.

Odom said, We dont have the towers standing empty like we did last time Most of the speculation this time around was in residential real estate.However, the attorneys of real estate, Marsh Rainey and Scott Brown, who are surveying the market spotted recently too many turmoil on the ground.

He says that it is not usually the big office projects causing the problems, but it is the glut of office strips. He adds that shopping centers and also the subdivisions which were not either occupied completely or built fully are defaulting on debts.

Real Estate Commercial Group suggest any business owner facing financial difficulties, get proactive and get prepared to provide a solution for your bank. Mr. Sanchez, 15 year SBA experience, recommends re-underwriting your current financials, create a business plan with realistic, obtainable goals projected for the next 2 to 4 years based on current business trends. Have 2 (two) solutions for your banker. Obtaining a commercial loan modification is a option.

Then call your banker and propose the solutions before you reserve cash runs out.

If you are searching the internet for commercial loan workout help, be careful, suggest Mr. Sanchez because his company is reporting 2 calls a day about residential loan modification companies wanting to get into the commercial loan modification business. Residential loan modifications are completely different from commercial loan modifications. My team of commercial underwriters, commercial loan officers only work with commercial loans. said Mr. Sanchez.

For more information, please contact Mr. Sanchez at 480-214-4040 x 2310 or visit www.recommercialgroup.com . Commercial loan modification

Commercial Lenders fear to finance in Downtown Tampa is a post from: Pinellas Home

How Mold Affects Your Pets

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:37:40 +0000

How Mold Affects Your Pets

Anyone can suffer from living with mold especially infants, senior citizens, persons with immune deficiencies and our beloved pets. Pets are especially susceptible to the harmful effects associated with mold because and their noses go where mold likes to grow and in many cases, their lungs are smaller. Some examples of mold induced illness include sinusitis (sneezing, runny nose), dermatitis (itchy, scaly patches), otitis (ear infections), nervous conditions (increased anxiety, barking) and even pneumonia. Often, mold induced illnesses are mistreated for allergies; unfortunately, as long as the mold stays, the symptoms dont go away.Pet owners must caution that both indoor mold and outdoor mold can negatively affect your pet. If you take your pet, such as your cat or dog, outdoors, beware that mold spores are plentiful during late fall. Concentrations of decaying matter, such as fallen leaves, are a haven for mold growth. In most of Florida (considered a hot spot for mold growth and allergens), especially in the Tampa Bay, residents tend to experience a long fall season with the absence of a true winter. Thus, the possibility of your pup running into mold-infested decaying matter is quite high. In addition, lawns that are not mowed can be a great hiding spot for mold spores. How can you protect your pet from mold while outdoors? First off, talk to a veterinarian about managing your pets allergies. Ensure that your pet is not suffering from any other allergen or issue (food allergies often cause symptoms similar to mold-induced illness). Next, limit exposure and keep your pet indoors if possible. If you have a dog and must venture outside, keep to mowed lawns and packed dirt for potty time. During a walk, keep your furry friend on the sidewalk if possible. Finally, upon returning from a walk, brush your dog and bathe often. Just as much as fleas love to hide in your puppys coat, so do mold spores and other outdoor allergens. A good rule of thumb is to brush the dog upon returning from a walk and bathe weekly. In addition to taking these extra precautions for your pet, in general, homeowners can create a less mold-friendly environment by cleaning up decaying leaves as soon as possible. As well, mow the lawn as necessary. Pet owners must also take precautions indoors to help protect their pets. Mold and dust mites are two of the top indoor allergens that affect both pets and people alike. To help protect your pets from reactions to indoor mold, there are several things you can do. First off, wash all of your pets beds and bedding weekly in hot water. There are laundry additives you can use that kill dust mites in cold water as well. Make sure to completely dry the bedding before giving it back to your animal. If the pet bed cannot be washed, experts recommend that you throw away all stuffed dog beds after a year (i.e. foam). Use a HEPA filter to clean the air. Vacuum often and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter in it. Use a dehumidifier to prevent mold growth and dust mites. Bathe your pet regularly if possible. Some pets are not supposed to be bathed so check with your veterinarian. If you have a dog, for instance, there are several anti-allergy shampoos available. Experts recommend natural shampoos and conditioners because many ingredients in commercial products can actually stimulate an allergic reaction. Be aware of your pets food: t is best to dispose of your pets uneaten food daily, especially if it is fresh or wet. In the case of birds, remove uneaten bird food and fallen plant matter from the room or cage each day. Such items are prone to quickly grow mold. Finally, take notice of the pet-safe anti-dust mite treatments that are available. From furniture sprays to carpet powders, there are several effective allergy reducing treatments that you as a home owner can take to make your home a safer home for you and your pets. Further to allergies, if your home has any black mold, it can prove to be fatal. The first case of toxic black mold in pets was documented in 2007 when two Florida cats died because of exposure to black mold. It was later learned that the home the cats had lived in had black mold growing in it due to unremediated water damage sustained in a hurricane a few years before. The bottom line to black mold is if your home or property has ever suffered severe water damage, contact a restoration company immediately. Furthermore, if your animal is suffering any symptoms of illness at all, make sure you speak to your vet about the possibility of mold in your home, especially if you live in a high-risk area like New Port Richey, Sarasota or Fort Walton BeachIf you find or suspect mold anywhere in your home, contact a mold remediation specialist immediately. An expert remediation company will inspect your home completely, test it for mold and finally, remediate it so it can be a mold-safe place for you, your family and your pets to thrive. For more information on how to protect your pets from mold, please contact Advanced Restoration, Inc. or call 1-800-DRY-ME-OUT. Some of the areas we proudly service are Hillsborough county (Wesley Chapel, Town and Country, Brandon, Ruskin and more), Pinellas County (Oldsmar, Tarpon Springs, Largo, Pinellas Park and more), Pasco County (Trinity, Springhill, Zephyrhills and more), Manatee County (Bradenton, Palmetto, Anna Maria and more) and Okaloosa County (Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Shalimar and more).

How Mold Affects Your Pets is a post from: Pinellas Home