home percent sales credit pinellas florida homes market beach county mortgage buyers price 2009 rates prices median association clearwater foreclosure petersburg realtors realtor short water family energy island park properties insurance homeowners 2008 buyer purchase money federal house seminole loans
Pinellas Property Online - News, Articles, Facts and Lists of homes in Pinellas County Florida
Be Aware of Water Usage and Conservation
Monday, 28 December 2009 10:01 | 
Most of us take water for granted. Water is piped into our homes and landscapes; we turn on the faucet or irrigation system and there it is. Water conservation goes way beyond watering efficiently, which is the second principle of the nine major principles emphasized by Florida Yards & Neighborhoods. Naturally, checking our irrigation systems for leaks and misdirected or broken heads, making repairs, and calibrating the system to apply ¾” per application are all good practices.
We can do more, including following local water restrictions. The Tampa Bay area has been in a four year drought. While we have had some recent rains the drought is not over. We can still see the effects of it in our lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Recently the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) eased water restrictions from Phase III to Phase II. We are still limited to one day a week watering before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. and will need above normal rainfall this winter to bring our levels up enough to lift restrictions further.
Clearwater Green City Certified
Friday, 18 December 2009 10:39 |
“Municipalities awarded with this distinction are recognized as more environmentally efficient than other municipalities,” a city press release said. “The designation focuses on improving environmental performance in areas such as energy, water, air, land and waste.”
To be certified as a green city, a list of criteria must be met, including environmental programs, initiatives and events.
“This is a great accomplishment for the city of Clearwater and its residents,” said Mayor Frank Hibbard in a press release, “and I am proud of the hard work that our residents, volunteers and staff do on a continual basis to preserve Clearwater’s sustainability.”
Marketplace Statistics for the Month of October Now Available
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 10:56 |
Heading into the two final months of 2009, we’re seeing a much brighter picture than what we endured in 2008. We’ve moved out of the extreme buyer’s market into a buyer’s market. We are edging closer and closer to a balanced market. There is continued concern about growing job losses that undermine confidence. At the same time low mortgage rates contribute to a favorable buying environment.
Single family unit sales at 718 were 37.3% higher than last year in October, and following the usual September to October pattern, sales were almost the same for both months. The number of listings on the market also held fairly steady, but were down almost 27% from the previous year.
Contact me as your Pinellas County Realtor right away for up to the day statistics and a free evalauation of your home buying or selling situation.
Treasury sets guidance to simplify" short sales"
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 10:36 |
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program provides financial incentives and simplifies the procedures for completing short sales, a growing practice in which a lender agrees to accept the sale price of a home to pay off a mortgage even if the price falls short of the amount owed, according to an announcement on the Treasury's website.
Guidelines address barriers that have often sidelined short sales by setting limits on the time it takes a bank to approve an offer, freeing borrowers from debt and capping claims of subordinate lenders.
Understanding what is Regulation X: New Good Faith Estimate
Tuesday, 01 December 2009 09:57 |
Keeping Home Records is Still CrucialTuesday, 01 December 2009 09:55 |
As soon as a personal residence is placed on the market, it will be prudent for the seller to gather together all records of what was spent on improving the property while he or she owned it. When Revenue Code 1211 went into effect in 1997, some financial advisors suggested that we no longer needed to hold on to such records. With an exemption amounting to $250,000 for single taxpayers and $500,000 for married taxpayers filing together, it seemed unlikely to these advisors that home values could rise enough so that potentially taxable gains (profits from the sale) would exceed these limits.
But they did. Home values skyrocketed for several years and, especially with luxury homes, home sellers discovered to their alarm that they were receiving more than the property gains exemption covered. Let us assume that Frank Homebuyer, a single taxpayer, had bought his home for $250,000, and had immediately installed a swimming pool and new landscaping after his purchase closed. The completed work cost him a total of $60,000. When he eventually sold the home he’d paid $250,000 for nearly a decade ago, it fetched $550,000, very roughly a $300,000 gain.2 That is $50,000 more than the tax law allows a single taxpayer to exempt from taxation. Common Florida Citrus ProblemsWednesday, 25 November 2009 13:56 |
Leafminers: This is another common problem on citrus. Leaves will look misshapen and one can see serpentine tunnels on the leaf surface. Mature trees are not harmed by this slight damage to their leaves. Not much control is available. Either accept the damage and do nothing, or during the spring growth flush spray the tree with horticultural oil twice, spaced two weeks apart. Very young trees can be hurt by the loss of leaf surface that leafminers cause. Young trees should be treated with horticultural oil during the spring growth flush.
Questions and Answers clears the air about homebuyer tax creditsWednesday, 25 November 2009 13:45 |
If you’re in the market for a home, the world is your oyster. Interest rates are at record lows. Housing prices in many parts of the country are still depressed. And you may be eligible for a generous tax break, even if the home you buy isn’t your first.
On Nov. 6, President Obama signed legislation that provides a $6,500 tax credit for some current homeowners who buy another home. The law also extends the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, scheduled to expire Nov. 30, until next spring. A lot of people are interested in taking advantage of this tax break, but the expanded credit also has whipped up a lot of confusion. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions: Q: How do I qualify for the $6,500 credit? A: This credit is available for homebuyers who sign a binding contract on a new or existing home by April 30, 2010, and settle by July 1 (deadlines that also apply to the first-time homebuyer credit). You must have lived in your existing home for five consecutive years out of the last eight. The home you purchase must be your primary residence. However, the law doesn’t require you to sell your old home, says Bob Meighan, vice president at TurboTax, the tax software provider. You can use it as a second home or a rental and still claim the credit, he says. Q: I sold a home I had lived in for more than five years and bought a new one in August. Do I qualify for a tax credit? A: No. For existing homeowners, the $6,500 credit is limited to homes purchased after Nov. 6. Q: Does the home I buy have to be more expensive than the one I own now? Florida’s existing home, condo sales up in October 2009Tuesday, 24 November 2009 10:25 |
Florida’s existing home sales rose in October, marking 14 months that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. October’s statewide sales also increased over sales activity in September in both the existing home and existing condominium markets.
Existing home sales rose 45 percent last month with a total of 15,160 homes sold statewide compared to 10,444 homes sold in October 2008, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide existing home sales last month increased 5.1 percent over statewide sales activity in September. Florida Realtors also reported an 82 percent increase in statewide sales of existing condos in October compared to the previous year’s sales figure; statewide existing condo sales last month rose 6.1 percent over the total units sold in September. All of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing home sales and higher condo sales in October. A majority of the state’s MSAs have reported increased sales for 16 consecutive months. |
Rust mites: A common occurrence this time of year is to see oranges that have brown, rough areas. This is most likely rust mite damage (unless it smells rotten). Rust mite damage is nothing to worry about as it doesn’t affect the taste of the fruit, it just makes the outside not look completely orange.
