Provided By Annette Bohannon, Team Bohannon Real Estate Consultants, Keller Williams Tampa Properties
Happy Monday from Annette Bohannon!
Today, we’re going to review March home sales for two of Tampa’s most popular communities — New Tampa (33647) and Wesley Chapel (33544).
New Tampa
Wesley Chapel
(Want a customized evaluation of your home and neighborhood, based on comparable homes that have sold recently? Call Annette Bohannon at 813-431-2840 and get a FREE detailed, market evaluation of your home or you can get a Free Market Report by following this link.
Now let’s take a quick look at some of the more interesting and helpful blog posts and articles about buying and selling a home, mortgage rates, and goings on in and around Tampa.
From the Blog:
If You Are Thinking of Selling, Now Is The Time
Jonathan Smoke, the Chief Economist of realtor.com, in a recent article revealed that:
“Would-be buyers face a dilemma: There will be more homes on the market over each week of the next three to four months, but there will also be even more prospective buyers. We are entering the busiest season of home buying with the lowest amount of inventory in three years. To be competitive, buyers should get pre-approved for a mortgage and be ready to act quickly if they find a home that meets their needs.”
Buying a Home is 36% Less Expensive Than Renting Nationwide!
In the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia, they explained that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States.
The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 5% less expensive in Orange County (CA) all the way up to 46% in Houston (TX), and 36% Nationwide!
Tampa Lifestyle:
It’s decided: Museum of Science and Industry will move to downtown Tampa
Just five days after a consultant’s report said the struggling science center would thrive in a downtown location, museum leaders voted to initiate a strategic plan and enlist a task force that will guide a move to Tampa’s urban core. Planning efforts are expected to take a year.
Amazon prepping to launch Prime Now in Tampa area
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) appears to be preparing to launch Prime Now, its one- and two-hour delivery services, in the Tampa region.
In the Adamo Distribution Center, a massive industrial complex on Adamo Drive, Amazon has leased about 30,000 square feet of warehouse space for Prime Now. Orientation for new employees is underway in its space, and the company is hiring part-time seasonal associates for Prime Now in Tampa.
Advice for Buyers:
8 Critical Things to Do Before Buying a Home: How Many Have You Done?
So you’re finally ready to get serious and buy a house—chalk it up to the amazing spring weather, or maybe a precious bun baking in the oven, or that much anticipated promotion at work. Whatever the reason, you feel primed to start poring over listings and spending your weekends open-house hopping. Exciting!
Yet while you might feel prepared for this next giant step, just remember—there’s a lot of planning and prep work that goes into this purchase, even before you start to look at homes. So make sure you’ve got all your mallards in a row first! Use this checklist to figure out if there are any things you may have missed.
Young homebuyers cringe on credit scores
About a third of future first-time homebuyers say their credit score might hurt their ability to buy a home and that 45 percent said they have delayed a home purchase in order to improve their credit, according to a new survey by Experian. One in 5 said they were likely to opt out of the mortgage process or buying a home all together for the next five to 10 years.
Advice for Sellers
10 Ways to Dazzle Homebuyers This Spring
Spring is a key time in the property market and, thankfully, it’s easier to make your home look sparkling and inviting when the sun’s shining. Use the warmer weather and longer days to prepare your home for sale by following these tips, which don’t cost much but make a world of difference. The sooner you sell, the sooner you can be moving into your new home.
Green Features: Do They Sell a Home?
Whether they’re environmentalists or not, today’s home buyers appreciate hearing about a home’s geothermal system, solar panels, Energy Star-rated appliances or LEED certification.
Home builders and sellers of upgraded homes with “green” features want their prospective buyers to know about these features because they likely spent a good amount of money on them. But do the buyers always care? Will they pay extra — and does “green” actually sell a home? The answer is, it all depends.
The most important features to sell your home faster and at a higher price (15 Photos)
Between January 2014 and March 2016, Zillow Digs screened over 2 million home listings and searched for the keywords that had the best effect on the asking price. Here are the top 15 design features that tend to add value to a home:
Home Loans
Mortgage Rates Staying Near Yearly Lows
Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending April 21:
- 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.59 percent, with an average 0.6 point, rising from last week’s 3.58 percent average. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 3.65 percent.
- 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.85 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 2.86 percent average. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 2.92 percent.
- 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.81 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 2.84 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.84 percent.
Source: Freddie Mac
Have a Fantastic week!
–Annette Bohannon, Team Bohannon, Keller Williams, 813-431-2840 www.teambohannon.com
