Come Enjoy Siesta Key in Sarasota Florida

Siesta Key's famous soft white powdery beach is unsurpassed in its beauty. Residents and tourists marvel at its beauty from dawn to romantic evening sunsets. But just back from that marvelous beach is an artist and writer's colony with shops, fine restaurants, and boutiques as well as homes and condos to match every taste.

Siesta Key real estate includes every imaginable form of home from simple beachfront seasonal and year-round waterfront homes and condos to elegant estates.

Go sailing, boating or fishing every day of the year. Play tennis, go shopping or just relax under the warm sun on that deligthful powdery soft, white beach. There is a waterfront home or condo for sale to suit every taste on the Siesta Key real estate market in Sarasota Florida.

Come experience the exhilarating fun of Siesta Key.

Welcome to Tampa Florida

It's no wonder Tampa is the "heart" of Tampa Bay. The climate, low cost of living and wide variety of activities and events are ideal for young families and retirees alike. Tampa Bay's weather will delight you. The average year-round temperature is 72°, a refreshing 60° in January and a warm average of 82° in August.

Our phenomenal weather fosters an abundance of outdoor recreation. The Hillsborough River, stretching 56 miles, offers endless activities including canoeing, fishing, camping and hiking. There are nearly 200 parks, 136 picnic areas and 80 playgrounds. For sports, there are swimming pools, tennis and racquet ball courts, golf courses and playing fields as wellas professional baseball, hockey and football teams, including the SuperBowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Lowry Park Zoo thrills and entertains families with frequent events as does the Florida Acquarium. Those seeking art, music, dance and theater find a wealth of galleries and museums such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Museum of Science & Industry and USF's Contemporary Art Museum. Music lovers can hear everything from blues to reggae at local venues. Busy seasons of plays, Broadway musicals and operas excite thousands of patrons in alternative and community theaters as well as at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Tampa's unique culture is enhanced by several annual events. The most well known area festivity is the celebration of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest, Tampa's own version of Mardi Gras, complete with parades, arts and entertainment. There's also the annual Strawberry Festival in Plant City and the Air Fest at MacDill AFB. Add dozens of arts and crafts shows, parades, street festivals and you'll understand why Tampa Florida is the entertainment mecca of the Florida West Coast.

In Tampa and surrounding communities in Hillsborough and Pasco County, there are homes, townhomes and condominiums from the most luxurious to the most affordable. There is something for everyone in Tampa Bay Florida

For more info on popular Tampa Bay communities, visit the Tampa Florida website of Cheryl Stimac. She would be delighted to show you all that Tampa Bay Florida has to offer. Or, you may E-Mail Cheryl Stimac at your convenience.

Why Selling Right Now Might be A Smart Move

At first, it might seem counter-intuitive, but if you think about it, right now might be the best time to sell your home.

Every home has things about it that you wish you could change but you can't. You may or may not have noticed these issues when you bought the home but you can't fix them now for any number of reasons. Maybe the cost would be prohibitive driving your investment in the home beyond what the local market will support. Or, maybe your home cannot be changed enough to suit your current needs and desires because of its physical structure, its lot size, its location, or your own circumstances. Maybe it was near a great school when you bought it, but now with the kids grown, that school nearby is just a source of noise and traffic congestion. Realtors call these problems with a home, it's "unchangeables."

"But why is this good time to sell when prices have dropped as much as 20%," you ask. Well, here's why. While the price you can get for your current home may be down, so is the price of a home that doesn't have the drawbacks, or "unchangebales" of your current home. With interest rates historically low and recent home price declines, this may be the right time for you to step up to the home you originally wanted but just couldn't afford.

Let's take an example. Supposing you bought your home originally for $300,000, but it has lost 20% of its value and can now be sold for closer to $240.000 -- you're down $60,000. But, the home you originally wanted that sold then for $425,000 is now down by that same 20% to $340,000, a drop of $85,000, almost one and a half times the reduction your own current home took.

And with so many homes currently on the market, if the seller of that $425,000 homw that's now worth only $340,000 needs to sell, it is very possible that, with the help of an aggressive Realtor, you can negotiate that price down substantially lower. If you can afford the home you originally paid $300,000 for, you can probably afford the home you always wanted if you buy it now when prices are depressed.

As a bonus, when home prices start to rebound, you'll not only have the nicer home, but that new home's price will rise even faster than your old one with those troublesome "unchangeables."

For help in finding the right home for you, visit Cheryl Stimac's Tampa Florida Real Estate website. In Sarasota Florida, visit Beverly Rabalais' Sarasota Real Estate website. If you are in the Atlanta or Marietta Georgia real estate market, visit Mike Lazazzara's Atlanta Georgia real estate website. You'll be glad you did.

For general information about Florida or Georgia real estate and listings of professionals who provide real estate or real estate-related services in Florida and Georgia, you may want to check out our Best Realtors in Florida website.

April is "Fair Housing Month"

“Forty years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, an alarming number of people are still being denied housing and still need the protections this landmark law offers,” said Kim Kendrick, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This report underscores the importance of HUD’s continued enforcement, education, and outreach activities to ensure that all Americans have equal access to housing opportunities.”

More than 10,000 people filed housing discrimination complaints last year, most from persons with disabilities. HUD also found that race-based housing discrimination was the second most frequent reason individuals filed complaints.


Read the full article on HUD's website.

Sarasota Cuts Budget to Cover Property Tax Reductions - Others Will Follow

Sarasota Florida city manager, Robert Bartolotta, said last week that $8 million is being cut from the city's projected $10.2 million deficit . He announced elimination of 89 jobs, with the Sarasota Police Department bearing one-third of the staffing cuts.

27 Sarasota city police positions were cut while another 62 open positions were eliminated. "The police force reductions, however, did not include "street level" officers and will not affect resident safety," Bartolotta said. Police Chief Peter Abbott said his focus will be on keeping the same number of officers out patrolling the streets.

Read the full article. Then view any of these Florida real estate websites.

Rich Stover, Sarasota Florida Realtor or Cheryl Stimac, Tampa Florida Realtor or Mary Bernas, Longboat Key luxury homes expert, or Bob Henley Sarasota & Venice Real Estate expert for nformation on the great home and condo bargains available now on the Florida real estate market.

Is Now the Time to Start Shopping For a Florida Home

Now is a great time to buy a home, say the financial gurus at the Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal on March 11, 2008 called this a "buyers market." While the advice the Journal offered is sound, you needs to keep several things in mind as you consider buying a home in Florida or anywhere else at this point.

A home should not be seen as similar to a stock market investment. A home is a place to live; to raise a family or to retire. It may very likely take six or seven years of living in the home to be able to sell it and come out ahead.

Make sure the home you want is "affordable" on your income. At last, lenders are returning to the old standby guidelines of wanting home buyers to spend no more than 28% to 30% of their gross monthly income on mortgage payments, property taxes, and home insurance. They also want to see the total of all your recurring monthly payments not exceed more than about 36% of your gross monthly income including things beyond the home cost such as student loans and auto leases. If you are a potential buyer, don't count on stretching beyond these guidelines because reputable lenders won’t approve such a loan any more.

Cash in the Bank is still King. Having enough money in the bank to pay your closing costs, which typically are 2% - 3% of the price of the home plus another 5% or more for a down payment is necessary. If you don't have it yet, you're probably not ready to start shopping for a home unless a relative has promised to help you with that cost.

Location. Location, location. As good real estate professionals know, homes in established neighborhoods in good school districts with low crime rates are much more likely to hold or increase in value over time than others.

Compare. Prospective buyers should ask their Realtor to show them the selling prices for comparable homes sold recently in the same neighborhood. You don't want to pay too much for a home.

And, finally don't fall for the For Sale By Owner pitch. Many such homes are badly overpriced. That's why they are being sold by the owner directly. No reputable Realtor will take a listing where the seller wants much more than the home is worth in today's market.

If you'd like real estate advice, particularly in the Sarasota real estate market
contact Rich Stover, Sarasota Realtor or in the Tampa market, Cheryl Stimac, Tampa Bay real estate expert.

RE/MAX Merger Creates Largest RE/MAX Office in Florida

RE/MAX Properties and RE/MAX Gulfstream Realty recently announced their merger. The union will create Florida's largest RE/MAX office with combined sales transactions of 3,280 in 2007 . The new company will be named RE/MAX Alliance Group.

The two companies combined have a solid history of serving Florida's southwest coast for almost 20 years. Both companies have been recognized by RE/MAX International with several prestigious awards.

RE/MAX Alliance Group will be comprised of over 400 agents in 12 offices and
rank first in the state among all RE/MAX offices. The company has outlined
several new initiatives to serve customers and agents including:

-- An expanded International Division complete with agent certifications and
property exposure in international markets.

-- A commitment to Green Living principles offering agent training and
certification as well as sustainable housing information and services for
the environmentally conscious home buyer.

Peter Crowley will be President of the the newly formed RE/MAX Alliance Group. Crowley, former President of RE/MAX Properties, stated: "This merger will allow us to better serve our agents and customers alike. The two companies have complementary ideas and synergies. The new name represents a combined effort that is stronger
than each stand alone company. Our forward thinking initiatives make for a
powerful and dynamic union."

RE/MAX Alliance Group will offer insurance, mortgage, and title services
for residential and commercial real estate properties. The company will have 12 offices servicing Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

You may visit the websites of three of the top realtors in the new REMAX Aliance Group's Sarasota office at Andree Huffine's website, 941-232-4053, or Bob Henley's website, direct line 941-724-3352, or Rich Stover's website, direct line 941-266-1799. Or you may call their office toll-free at 800-954-5454. All three are anxious to be of service to those interested in buying or selling Sarasota real estate.