David Price received the Top Sales Award for all Coldwell Banker agents in NE St. Pete in Units and Volume for May 2010

A very hot March
(MLS stats Click Here .pdf)

Absorption Rate: With falling inventory and the trend for increased sales, the absorption rate continued to rise to 11.5 percent for single-family and 9.5 percent for condos. Currently the months’ supply of inventory is 5.5 single-family and 7.6 condo.

Inventory: The number of listings on the market continues to drop on a year-over-year basis. After a slight increase in listings earlier this year, listings dropped again in March. They were down nearly 16 percent for single-family and over 17 percent for condos since March 2009.

Units Sold: The biggest gain took place in sales. Single-family unit sales were up dramatically at nearly 27 percent over March 2009. Condo unit sales increased a whopping 58.5 percent over last year. That’s a pretty torrid pace considering how difficult the condo market has been for the past three years.

Median Price: The median sales price for single-family homes was barely below the March 2009 level, with a 1.1 percent decline. The condo median price fell 12 percent from last year.

Contracts Pending: With single family pending contracts up 60 percent and condo pending contracts up 32 percent from last year, there is great promise of a couple more good months ahead.

Most of the single-family home sales were in the $100,000 to $200,000 range at 37.4 percent and the second highest grouping was in the below $100,000 range at 33 percent. In the higher ranges, 24.7 percent sold in the $200,000 to $400,000 category while 4.7 percent were sold at more than $400,000. Around 1 percent were sold for $1 million or more.

Condo sales were brisk in the below $100,000 range at 46.7 percent. It is interesting to see 12.1 percent selling in the over-$400,000 category, with a surprising 3.1 percent sold at more than $1 million. Are we seeing recovery in the luxury market? The $100,000 to $200,000 range pulled in 26 percent of the sales, while 15.3 percent were in the $200,000 to 400,000 segment.

Pinellas County looks attractive again!

Don’t miss out on this GREAT TIME to buy or you could be sorry!

A record number of desperate borrowers have registered for a traveling mortgage relief marathon that “sounds too good to be true.”

The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America’s Save the Dream Tour opens 9 a.m. Thursday at the Miami Beach Convention Center, offering thousands of struggling homeowners a chance to modify their loans – at no cost.

The event, which offers free counseling and face-to-face contact with lender representative, runs 24 hours a day. Doors close at 8 p.m. on April 19.

Bruce Marks, CEO of the Boston-based nonprofit, said Wednesday morning that a company record 15,000 had already registered for Thursday’s event.

“We’ve had a huge response,” he said, even though the tour made a stop in West Palm Beach just last February.

Darren Duarte, spokesman for NACA, said the overwhelming number of people who showed up for help in Palm Beach County led the tour, which makes stops around the county, back to South Florida.

“During the last day the crowd was extremely large and we got to see a lot of people but there were a lot of people we didn’t get a chance to see,” Duarte said about the February event. “So we saw there is still a need here and a demand here.”

More than 24,000 applied for mortgage relief at the Palm Beach County event, leading to nearly 11,000 modifications, Duarte said.

Greg Calley said he was among those who benefited. The American Airlines mechanic said he was poised to short-sell his Jupiter townhome after a year of trying unsuccessfully to work with Chase to modify his loan, which he struggled to pay.

Then he heard about Save the Dream.

“I thought it was too good to be true,” he said, echoing a common skepticism about whether the nonprofit really can help mortgage holders receive a free, same-day loan modification.

But Calley said that by the time he left the Palm Beach event, his monthly payment was $1,000 cheaper and his interest rate reduced by 4.5 percentage points.

The tour’s arrival in South Florida comes on the heels of a month that set a new South Florida record for property repossessions in March, with 3,707 in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to a report by real estate consulting firm CondoVultures Realty.

Those who attend the workshop are encouraged to register and are urged to bring pay stubs, tax forms and other financial documents.

More info: http://www.naca.com

If you are like many American’s who purchase or refinanced their home during the heat of the real estate boom this could be the program that was designed to help YOU! Over the past 2 years I’ve been working to help many clients who have found themselves upside down and need financial help to correct their housing situation. It’s been a long and hard road for many of these good people whose lives have changed in one way or another.

Finally it looks like our government has taken a step in the right direction to streamline the process of helping these good hardworking people.

There are two program: The first is called HAMP, and this is how it works:
The Home Affordable Modification Program is designed to help as many as 3 to 4 million financially struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure by modifying loans to a level that is affordable for borrowers now and sustainable over the long term. The program provides clear and consistent loan modification guidelines that the entire mortgage industry can use.

Borrower eligibility is based on meeting specific criteria including:
1) borrower is delinquent on their mortgage or faces imminent risk of default
2) property is occupied as borrower’s primary residence
3) mortgage was originated on or before Jan. 1, 2009 and unpaid principal balance must be no greater than $729,750 for one-unit properties.

After determining a borrower’s eligibility, a servicer will take a series of steps to adjust the monthly mortgage payment to 31% of a borrower’s total pretax monthly income:

•First, reduce the interest rate to as low as 2%,
•Next, if necessary, extend the loan term to 40 years,
•Finally, if necessary, forbear (defer) a portion of the principal until the loan is paid off and waive interest on the deferred amount.
Note: Servicers may elect to forgive principal under HAMP on a stand alone basis or before any modification step in order to achieve the target monthly mortgage payment.
The Home Affordable Modification Program includes incentives for borrowers, servicers and investors – For More Info Click Here

If you can’t complete the HAMP program for one or a number of reasons than you maybe (should be able to) go in to the second program call HAFA.

Here is the info on HAFA: How HAFA Can Help

The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program was designed to complement the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) by helping current homeowners with mortgage debt who are eligible for HAMP but still cannot keep their home.

When a borrower applies for help from HAMP, not everyone succeeds with the program. Sometimes their lender is unable to approve a loan modification. Other times the borrower declines the terms of the loan modification. Some borrowers are approved and accept the terms of the modification, but fail to complete the program for various reasons. Before HAFA, these borrowers were usually headed for foreclosure.

HAFA gives those borrowers a viable alternative to foreclosure. If they have or want to find a buyer for their home, they may request approval for a short sale with pre-approval short sale terms and minimum acceptable net proceeds. If not, they may request approval for a deed-in-lieu . When a borrower applies for help with one of the HAFA solutions, the program already has their financial and hardship information from their HAMP application.

HAFA also imposes limits on the lender to help the borrower. Under the terms of this program, a lender must release the borrower from all future liability for the first mortgage debt. The lender may not ask the borrower for cash or a promissory note, and the lender may not ask a court for a deficiency judgment. The program also prohibits the lender from asking the listing real estate agent to discount their commission at the closing of a short sale.

All documents have been standardized and procedures, time frames, and deadlines have been streamlined under HAFA to make the process easier for both borrowers and lenders.

HAFA also provides financial incentives for both borrowers and lenders to participate in the program. Borrowers are entitled to receive $1,500 in relocation assistance , to be paid at closing. Lenders or loan servicers may receive up to $1,000 to help with administrative costs. There are also financial incentives for the lender or investor on the first mortgage to allow some of the proceeds from the sale of the property to be paid to subordinate lienholders.

Finally, participation in the HAFA program puts the foreclosure process on hold for the borrower. The lender may initiate the foreclosure process, but if the borrower is in the middle of the application process, or if any approved short sale or deed-in-lieu agreement has not been completed or reached its deadline, the lender may not complete the foreclosure process.

For more information Click Here

There are a lot of people who need this information so please forward to a friend or RT on twitter

According to the national association of Realtors only 11% of the American public knows about the real estate tax credit. WOW! I’m shocked it so low!

If you have not heard the government is offering an $8,000 & a $6,500 tax credit to buyers who buy a home.

The $8,000 is for 1st time buyers, this doesn’t mean you have to be a true 1st time buyer an example could be own a home and moved out 3 years ago, you rent the home and have been renting for 3 years.

The 2nd credit is for people who own and want to move, example you purchased a home in 2000 and now want to move.

If you are under contract before April 30th 2010 and close on or before July 30th 2010 you could qualify for the tax credit for more info check out www.IRS.gov for more info.

If you know anyone who is renting right now, please pass this info on to them and ask them to consider buying as this is a buyers market and interest rates are low. However we are seeing in most areas of Pinellas that homes in good condition under $200,000 are going fast, homes under $100k in good condition and not short sales are like gold! No time to think or to pray, if you find something you like you need to act fast.

I’ve been showing homes to people who rent and they feel the will be saving money by buying now!

Don’t forget to check out our MLS Search from the main page. If you need any help or advice call me anytime.

What’s going on this weekend in Tampa Bay?

http://www.macdill-airfest.com/
http://www.gpstpete.com/

See you there!

I’m a pleased to announce that in addition to successfully negotiating and closing over 40 short sales in the past 24 months, I’ve also completed the “Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource course” The only course approved by the Board of Realtors. I’m now SFR certified, yes…

Over the past 2 years I have developed a system to help my clients through this changing market, often I’m referred clients from other real estate agents both at Coldwell Banker and other offices because of my proven track record and success in negotiating short sales. There are still many agents who don’t know what they are doing or don’t want to deal with short sales. I didn’t want to pass off my clients to someone else, and I love a challange and wanted to do all I can to help people in need.

So don’t loose your home to foreclosure and suffer the huge credit hit and the inability to purchase a home for 5 years or more, with our holp we can help you keep your credit and put you in a position to purchase a home in just 24 months taking advantage of the low home pricing I feel will still be around.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a confidential consultation today.

New Listing at Signature Place, amazing views! $360,000

Click to view the Signature Place Condos for sale

Don’t forget to connect with me on facebook.com & send to a friend! Thanks, David Price

If you are like many home buyers who are trying to break into the real estate market in Tampa Bay, you know there are some amazing deals out there. Homes that sold in 2005 for over $200,000 are now selling for $100,000 or less in some areas! This makes buying a home a lot of fun today, you would think!

Many buyers are frustrated, 70% of the homes sales in recent months in the Tampa Bay area are distressed properties, short sales and pre-foreclosures. Getting these homes closed it just too much for some buyers. Often by the time it takes to get a short sale or pre-foreclosures approved by the seller’s lender, 50% of the buyers have walked before getting lender approval.

Most short sale deals take at least four months or more to get approval from the seller’s bank and if they have a PMI or MI insurance, a second mortgage or HELOC you could be looking six to twelve months or not getting approved at all! After the seller gets the lenders approval, the seller than has to agree to the lenders terms of the short sale. Which could include them signing a note for the balance or bring cash to the closing table. If the seller isn’t willing or able to accept these terms the deal could be dead! The buyer is then out 4-6 months of waiting.

Adding to this, homes under $100,000 are now starting to see bidding wars. Buyers used have been able to think about a home overnight but these days you need to move quickly to snatch up a good deal!

Home sales in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater areas rose 28 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, and the median sales price hit $138,800. That’s down 42 percent since prices peaked at $239,600 in June 2006.

Time is also running on federal tax credit for 1st time and move up home buyers, putting a short sale under contract at this point and getting it closed in time to meet the dead lines may not be possible. Buyer’s must be under contract by 4-30-10 and close no later than 6-30-10 to get the tax credit. There are other stipulations to the credit, you can get the info at www.irs.gov

I’m telling my buyers at this point they need to make a decision, if the tax credit is the big reason they want to buy a home this year they many need to focus on REO (bank owned properties) or look for homes where the seller has equity so they can close in time. For a list of REO properties check out this link Bank Owned Homes List Click Here

If you don’t care about the tax credit, and you are focused on just getting the right home for you and your family as the market is returning from the bottom then short sales and pre-foreclosures should be on your list.

If you are looking for a newer community, taking the trip across the Skyway Bridge could get you more than you could dream of. I’ve been showing property in Manatee County over the past few weeks, where newer homes that were selling in the $500,000 range that can be purchased at a 50% discount. I’ve shown property built in 2005 with 4 beds 2.5 baths 2 car garage and 2,500 sqft selling for only $180k. Pulte Homes will build you a new 3,000 sqft home for just $212,000 WOW!

Let me know if I can help you with your home search!

Florida expected to start adding residents again after population decline.

March 3, 2010 – It’s a small bounce, but Florida’s population should rebound this year from its first loss in more than half a century in a hopeful sign for the struggling state economy, new estimates from the University of Florida (UF) show.

The Sunshine State is expected to add about 23,000 residents between April 1, 2009, and April 1, 2010, following a loss of almost 57,000 residents the previous year, according to population projections released yesterday by UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

“Based on changes in electric customer data, we believe Florida’s population has increased slightly over the past year,” says bureau Director Stan Smith who led the research. “This may be an indication the state’s economy is no longer declining at the rate it had been before.”

Although the state’s unemployment rate remains very high, there are signs that the housing market is starting to pick up in a number of places. “It appears the state’s population loss was a one-year occurrence,” he says. “Even so, Florida’s growth will be very slow during the early years of the new decade.”

Not until 2014 or 2015 will the state return to annual population gains that are close to 300,000, the average annual increase over the past 30 to 40 years, Smith said. Population grew by more than 400,000 residents a year during the housing boom between 2003 and 2006.

The economy has such a big impact on Florida’s population growth because it drives migration, Smith says. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s who move to the state for jobs are the largest group of newcomers, followed by retirees and foreign immigrants.

“Even retirees are affected by economic conditions because of the housing market,” he says. “If it’s difficult for them to sell their homes, they may have to delay a retirement move to Florida even if that is what they had been planning to do.”

Due to the bursting of the housing bubble and the severe national recession, Florida lost more than 800,000 jobs between the fall of 2007 and the fall of 2009, and the state unemployment rate rose from about 4 to 11 percent. The declining economy led to a huge slowdown in population growth between 2007 and 2008 and a population loss between 2008 and 2009. The loss was the first since military personnel left the state at the end of World War II.

The bureau estimates the total number of state residents will grow from 18,750,000 to 18,773,000 between April 2009 and April 2010. According to long-term projections, state population is expected to reach approximately 21,247,000 in 2020, 22,574,000 in 2025, 23,821,000 in 2030, and 24,971,000 in 2035.

The biggest numerical increases forecast between 2010 and 2035 are in large counties. Orange County is projected to add the most new residents, 512,200; followed by Hillsborough, 471,800; and Miami-Dade, 457,200.

“Population growth has a lot of momentum in the sense that places that have been growing rapidly in one time period tend to grow rapidly in the following time period as well,” Smith says. “Large markets attract businesses and have more opportunities to draw job seekers. Also, migrants are often attracted by social and family connections with people who moved to an area previously.”

In terms of percentage increases, the biggest leaders over the next quarter century are projected to be Sumter and Flagler counties, growing by 111 percent and 109 percent, respectively.

“The main driving force to Sumter County’s growth is The Villages, a huge retirement community that has been adding a large numbers of residents,” Smith says. “Flagler County also has added a lot of retirees but has a rapidly growing working-age population as well.”

Monroe is the only county projected to lose population over the next 25 years, declining by about 4 percent. The county has little vacant land that can be developed and the area has a high cost of living. Some counties are expected to grow quite slowly, such as Pinellas, with an expected quarter century population increase of less than 2 percent. As the state’s most densely populated county, it has little available space.