2010 is off to a GREAT start and many buyers arerushing to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit due to expire less than justtwo months from now.  I am rejoicing as we see the banks starting torelease some of their bank-owned homes.  These properties offer manygreat opportunities for buyers.  The best part is you can often moveinto these properties pretty quickly. From the "hip" areas ofTampa, to the popular communities in the suburbs, to homesoverlooking the water, there are numerous bargains to be found!

Reflecting back, 2009 was year that filled myheart with much joy.  I was so thrilled to get to help so many first-timehomebuyers fulfill their dream and obtain the coveted $8,000 taxcredit.  It was interesting to see the wide variety of homebuyers - asingle young man, a retiree from the cold North, newlyweds just beginning theirlife together, a growing family and many renters all who decided to takeadvantage of the scaled-back housing prices and the historically lowinterest rates.  It was such a joy to see some truly great people get someamazing deals on the biggest investment of a person or family's life.  Iwas even able to help some of these buyers obtain 100% financing.  Many ofmy clients chose to embark on the short sale "journey" with me andthey soon discovered patience and persistence were the keysto keeping their sanity throughout the worthwhile process.  Butat the end of their short sale "journey" all were so pleased with thegreat deals they were able to obtain on life's biggest investment, and not justmonetarily, but also sentimentally as it is such a big step for a family tohave a house of their own to call home.  

 

One of my favorite families from 2009 is stillwaiting to close in 2010.  And after a few short sale detours and birth oftheir beautiful new baby it looks like they will be moving their family into abrand new home with all the bells and whistles very, very soon.  There is so much to rejoice andto celebrate with this young family.  I cannot fully express to youhow much I sincerely treasure such an opportunity to be a part of this and manyfamilies' journey to home ownership at such a joyful time in their lives.

 

If you know anybody looking to buy or sell ahome, I would greatly appreciate your referral.  I would love to put my 24years of experience to work to help save them time and money!

                                     

         Help has arrived for first-time homebuyers to own their first home! Currently, there is an incredible tax credit for first-time homebuyers as well as many other programs to assist.  There are also, incentives for people who have not owned a home in the past three years and for displaced homemakers.

With so many different types of programs it is hard to know where to begin.  That is why you want to make sure to have someone that values their real estate education and stays current with the latest programs, in order to better serve you. I just attended a wonderful seminar to learn how to best help my buyers find and take advantage of the wonderful opportunities out there for them. 100% financing is just one of the perks that is still available for homebuyers that qualify.  In addition, bond programs will help some first-time homebuyers get started with a nice $10,000 in assistance. The city and the county also, offer programs that can offer a first-time homebuyer additional aid. For a few buyers, it may seem that now may not be the right time.  You may have credit issues or other things that need to get resolved before you can buy a home. But you should be aware that there is a Homebuyers Club to help them get on the right path, so there really is no reason to miss out on all of these once in a lifetime opportunities.

The most important step is to get qualified for these wonderful opportunities and to contact me!  As your Realtor, I will help you get enrolled in the necessary homebuyer education classes that you need to acquire all of these benefits.  These classes are free and do fill up fast. The funding for many of these programs only becomes available at certain times of the year.  Therefore it is crucial to get the education requirement fulfilled, so you will be prepared to move forward when the funds are available.  Don't miss out on these incredible opportunities!

What an honor and joy it is to be part of someone's journey as they search for their dream home.  Not just a house or a bargain, but a place where many wonderful memories will be made.  Over the past couple weeks, I have been fortunate to work with several first-time home buyers.  Two of the couples have found their special  home and it has been so exciting to see their joy.

A home is place where so many wonderful memories are made. We rejoice together during special occasions, watch our children grow up and celebrate life.  My son-in-law, Jonathan proposed to Janelle at our home.  It was such a special evening and so wonderful that our home will always be filled with the memories of the joy we all felt that night. 

                                                 

Recently, when we attended Molly's beautiful wedding up in Destin, it reminded me of Janelle and Jonathan's wedding almost a year ago already.  I fondly recall many of Janelle's special wedding projects that she assigned to Jonathan and I to complete.  Whether it was filling a countertop full of little glass jars with the exact amount of M&Ms, sitting around the kitchen table assembling the wedding programs,  or wrapping the ribbon around each fan in the family room - the home was filled with wedding preparations.  I remember her trying on her wedding dress in her bedroom and giving her girlfriends a sneak peek of what a beautiful bride she would be.    

               
     
Over the years my buyers' homes may be filled with the excitement that filled our house a few weeks ago.  My daughter, Jessica, turned the big 1-6 and 14 of her closest friends joined her to celebrate.  It began with a scavenger hunt throughout Brandon.  Janelle and her husband, Jonathan, organized and planned the scavenger.  All that I know is Janelle missed her calling and should have been a party planner.  There were teenage girls talking boys into doing the hula, children wearing bunny ears and hopping around and teachers singing Happy Birthday to Jessica.  When they returned it was time to view the pictures and videos and add up the points to determine the winning team.  The home was filled with dancing and singing and laughter until 2am.

When I see the excitement and anticipation on each of these couples faces, I can only imagine the special memories their family will make in their new home.  Home is truly where the heart is.

                                 

Opportunity is knocking for first time home buyers.  These are the golden days your children will talk about as they reflect back years from now as the time when you could buy a home for $120,000 with interest rates as low as 5 ½%.  It is such a buyer's market right now with current home prices are rolled back to 2004 pricing.  Mortgage rates are lower than they have been since 1972, back when gas was 39 cents a gallon.  Already many financial experts foresee double digit interest rates in the near future. 

Those who gamble to see if housing prices will steep lower, will see mortgage rates tick up and by that point those taking on a gamble will have missed out.  This weekend I went bargain hunting and I discovered some great opportunities for first-time home buyers.  There are still amazing programs out there which require very little money down.  Not to mention the special buying opportunities for teachers, police officers and firefighters.  As it stands today, there are still top housing choices available in the market.  By the time the headlines read “Buy Now” typically the prime time to buy has already passed.

I know that it can be a very overwhelming process for a first time home buyer with so many choices out there and so many variables to take into consideration.  The maze of finance options alone can be extremely mind-boggling.  However, this is what Realtors are for and I enjoy helping buyers sort through the many choices and discover the best mortgage option available for them.  A Realtor is a professional with the experience that truly helps in the real estate market.  Uncle Joe may have the best intentions as he freely share his real estate “expertise” from his own experience, but in a market like this buyers need a professional in order to get the best deal for them.  Buyers should not underestimate finding a Realtor that has experience in helping people live the American dream of owning their very own home.

Homes are being sold, mortgages are being approved and savvy buyers are getting off the fence and grabbing this golden opportunity.  Real estate is one of those markets that has always been cyclical.  All that we are experiencing now has happened before and will happen again.  What goes down will come back up and over time home values will certainly continue their historical trend of appreciation over time. With realistic expectations real estate remains a proven path to financial wealth.

With some home builders offering fixed mortgage rates under 4% and pricing lower than we have seen in several years, combined with the $8,000 tax credit first-time home buyers may qualify for, buyers can have their cake and eat it to.

Contact Tammy at Tammy@TammySellsTampa.com to grab your opportunity today!

What an exciting day it is as I take a few minutes to write my very first blog entry.  I reflect on the past as I look forward to my future with Keller Williams with great anticipation.

After 23 years of matching buyers with their dream homes, I still get a thrill every time a buyer gets that look in their eye and I know "they found it".  Some say relationships don't exist in real estate anymore and it is all about the price.  While we will all agree price is very important in today's market, we are selling more than a bonus of a free washer and dryer.  I don't believe buyers are shop for the "deal."  Homebuyers buy a community, a lifestyle, a future where memories will be made.   

I can still picture my very first homebuyers finding their first home in Lakeview Village.  He was an Air Force pilot returning with his family from overseas.  Of course a lot of the their decision was based on if they could afford the house, and with the fantastic VA financing available he saw great benefits to invest in a home for their family's future.  But he and his wife also saw it as a place to meet neighbors, have BBQs and teach their children to ride their bikes on the quiet cul-de-sac street they chose to live on.  Back in those days interest rates were double digits, which happens to be a huge advantage for today's buyer with historically low interest rates.  The resale market offers incredible opportunities as well as builders are operating off of much lower margins than they have in many years.

So it is with much excitement I continue my real estate path with Keller Williams.  I feel honored to be able to be a part of my homebuyer's journey as they fulfill their dream to own a new home.

If you would like information on some of the great programs available to first-time homebuyers, teachers, police or firefighters please contact me at tammy@tammysellstampa.com.

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.