Special Reports by AgentFrances

Free App to customize for your home search

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:57:00 +0000

CHECK OUT WHAT THIS APP CAN DO!!!

TOP 5 Reasons to Hire A Real Estate Agent... but wait there's more

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:53:00 +0000

Charlotte County Local Market Insight by Smart Charts ~ February 2021

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:42:00 +0000

All States and Metro Employment

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:16:00 +0000

Latest State and Metro Employment - August-2015

Posted in Economic Updates, by Lawrence Yun, PhD., Chief Economist and Senior Vice President on October 12, 2015

Click graph to read story

Applications for Purchase Mortgages

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:15:00 +0000

Applications for Purchase Mortgages

Posted in Economist Commentaries, by Ken Fears, Director, Regional Economics and Housing Finance on October 7, 2015

Click graph to read story

Loans are getting Approved

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:13:00 +0000

More Loans Getting Approved, But Applications Still Low

Posted in Economist Commentaries, by Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton, Research Economist on October 7, 2015

Click graph to read story

Expectant Price Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:11:00 +0000

REALTORS® Expect Price Growth Moderate in Next 12 Months

Posted in Economist Commentaries, by Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton, Research Economist on October 5, 2015

Click graph to read story

EHS Over Ten Years

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:10:00 +0000

August 2015 EHS Over Ten Years

Posted in Economist Commentaries, by Michael Hyman, Research Data Specialist

Click graph to read story

Watch this video for area information

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 21:05:00 +0000

Watch this video for information on the
Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, North Port, Englewood -Charlotte & S Sarasota areas

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 20:13:00 +0000

Creditor protection:

Four types of creditors can still force the sale of a homestead to collect debts owed to them.

These are:

The State of Florida and its counties or municipalities, to collect past due property taxes;
Parties to whom the property was specifically pledged as credit for a mortgage;
Mechanics who are owed money for work performed in repairing or improving the property.
Any creditor with a lien that pre-dates the establishment of homestead. This usually includes condominium and mandatory homeowner association liens, depending on the language and age of the covenants.

How do you know if someone even opened your email?

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 15:56:00 +0000

Vendors of Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 19:56:00 +0000

Suggested Vendors
Consider these licensed and insured contractors:

Insurance, yes the dreaded pool to throw money at for JUST in CASE. Look for a reputable company that will allow you to choose and give you all the options in order to get the best price and company.

Brian Chapman State Insurance

Leaking pipes? Inspection for possible issues?

Reroute of pipes or renovation?Consider these licensed and insured Plumbing contractors

TitanZ Plumbing

Titanz Plumbing is a family-owned plumbing business established in 2007. We are a Florida State certified licensed Southwest Florida plumbing contractor serving Charlotte, Lee and southern Sarasota counties. We believe in flat rate pricing, so the customer knows the cost before we start the project. We never charge an overtime or weekend rate for emergencies!

Our showroom is by appointment only and located in Port Charlotte at 2705-A Tamiami Tr. Port Charlotte, FL 33952. Our service department is open 24/7 for your emergency plumbing repairs.
Come visit us to see our latest line of kitchen and bathroom fixtures and vanities for your home. Our showroom offers a selection of products for your bath or kitchen remodel, including Delta, Brizo, Insinkerator, Moen, Kohler, Vigo, and Fairmont Designs. We are registered dealers in Port Charlotte for Kohler, Moen, Delta, and Brizo.

PipeDream Plumbing
Donald and Megan Guynn established PIPEDREAM PLUMBING OF SW FL., INC., to offer the community quality and dependable plumbing service. Handles all phases of residential and commercial plumbing. Call us today, the dream team, Pipedream Plumbing of SW FL., Inc. 941-624-3150.

Charlotte Plumbing
Charlotte Plumbing Inc. has been providing our residential, industrial and commercial customers with quality plumbing services and repairs for over 30 years. We specialize in all types of new construction projects and plumbing additions. We pride ourselves in knowing that we provide our clients with reasonable rates and experience technicians capable of handling all aspects of plumbing including: new construction, sewer back ups, commercial work, repipes, and plumbing repair services.

Moolah, makes the world go round . .

Yes, some of us need to borrow. Whether you want a Home Mortgage, Home Equity Line or a Personal Loan.

Which is better?

Pre-Qualification

The estimation of your borrowing power from a lender and can be accomplished with a simple phone call.

Pre-Approval

A written commitment issued by a lender after a comprehensive analysis of the creditworthiness of the applicant, including verification of income, resources, and other such matters as is typically done as part of a normal credit evaluation program.

The pre-approval is a more complete and formalized process where the borrower actually meets with the lender and supplies him with the last 2 years income tax returns, bank statements, W2’s, etc. The lender asks about employment and runs a credit report. A pre-approval helps take the guesswork out of buying. There is a firm figure that you, the purchaser and seller can work with in confidence. Securing the commitment from the mortgage company is much closer to reality with a pre-qualification than with a pre-approval - which is of tremendous benefit during deal negotiations. By speaking with a lender, affordability parameters and appropriate loan programs are identified. Details such as the amount of cash required to close are also determined which is essential information for the purchaser of the property.

Consider these to start your comparison

BB&T Bank

Mortgage Loan Officer, Assistant Vice President

VanDyke Mortgage

Elizabeth Bsales, Loan Originator

Top 10 home improvements to gain by

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 12:39:00 +0000

These add the most to home sellers' bottom line, and are recommended by over 600 real estate professionals across the nation.

The top 10 home improvements are listed by the greatest return on investment (ROI):

Cleaning and de-cluttering ($290 cost / $1,990 price increase / 586% ROI)
Lightening and brightening ($375 cost / $1,550 price increase / 313% ROI)
Home staging ($550 cost / $2,194 price increase / 299% ROI)
Landscaping ($540 cost / $1,932 price increase / 258% ROI)
Repairing electrical or plumbing ($535 cost / $1,505 price increase / 181% ROI)
Kitchen and bathroom ($1,265 cost/$3,435 price increase/172% ROI)
Replace or shampoo carpets ($647 cost/$1,730 price increase/169% ROI
Paint interior ($1,012 cost/$2,112 price increase/109% ROI)
Repair floors ($931 cost/$1,924 price increase/107% ROI)
Paint exterior ($1,467 cost/$2,222 price increase/51% ROI)

What’s New on the Mortgage Front?

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:21:00 +0000

From low down payment options for first-time buyers to jumbo loan options for move-up purchases, find out what lenders are offering buyers today.

Article posted in Realtor Magazine September 2014 | By G.M. Filisko

Buyers’ loan options may have changed more than you may realize. Restrictive lending requirements since the Great Recession are starting to loosen up, and lenders are offering more flexible financing options for borrowers. Here’s a reference guide of new products (as of mid-September 2014) that you can recommend to new buyers, move-up clients, and home owners who want to refinance. But always advise your clients to check with lenders or mortgage brokers for the latest terms and conditions of any loan product.

Chase Mortgage Banking	Chase’s DreaMaker loan is geared for low- to moderate-income borrowers, including first-timers, says Jim Manelis, senior vice president in Phoenix. Funds are available for up to 95 percent of the home’s value, and there’s no upfront private mortgage insurance. Unlike FHA loans, interest rates don’t increase or decrease based on borrowers’ FICO score, and borrowers can cancel PMI when they get to an 80 percent loan-to-value ratio. “In some cases, we think this is cheaper than an FHA loan,” says Manelis. In late September, Chase will introduce fixed-rate and adjustable jumbo loans with a maximum 85 percent LTV. Maximum loan amounts will be $1.5 million with a minimum 740 FICO score. Chase will also offer fixed and adjustable jumbo loans with 80 percent LTV. Maximum loan amounts are $2 million; these also require a 740 minimum FICO score. Chase is also expanding its loans for nonowner-occupied properties in late September. Post-recession, it offered only 15-year amortization; 30-year amortization will now be available. It’s also expanding these loans to states it had previously not offered them following the recession, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Though not at the volume it reached before the recession, Manelis says Chase is also seeing its home equity business warm up. “As values come back, to finance home-improvement projects or fund kids going to college, our volumes are way up.”
Guaranteed Rate	“We’re seeing the reemergence of lower down payments needed in the jumbo market,” reports Dan Gjeldum, Chicago-based senior vice president Guaranteed Rate is offering 80-10-10 jumbo loans of up to $1 million, in which borrowers put 10 percent down and then do a first mortgage of 80 percent of the home’s value coupled with a second mortgage for the remaining 10 percent. Borrowers need a minimum 720 FICO score and will pay about 1/8 percent more on their interest rate than if they’d have put 20 percent down. The caveat: Documentation for these jumbo loans can get a little heavy for self-employed borrowers. Assume a borrower’s income tax return may show income from a company she owned in 2013 but not in 2014 because the entity was dissolved. The underwriter will now ask for corporate dissolution records.
HomeTrust Mortgage Corp.	The down payment is the main barrier millennials face to home ownership, says Evan Geiselhart, the Schaumburg, Ill.–based company’s CEO. HomeTrust is marketing what it calls a launch loan. Borrowers need a job and a minimum credit score of 660. They need at least 5 percent down, but that entire amount can be a gift. In exchange for paying no monthly PMI, borrowers will pay a higher interest rate, typically 1/8 percent or 1/4 percent higher. HomeTrust Mortgage is also offering asset-based adjustable mortgages for borrowers with a FICO score of at least 680 who have substantial assets but not necessarily adequate income to qualify for a mortgage. Perhaps retirees have $400,000 invested in the stock market. HomeTrust will take 70 percent of those invested assets—but not amounts in checking or savings accounts—and divide that number by 60 to arrive at an income it imputes to the borrowers. That income, plus any actual monthly income, allows borrowers to qualify without drawing from or pledging the asset.
Quicken Loans	“People still think they need 20 percent down,” says Bill Banfield, vice president of the Detroit-based lender. Not true. Quicken’s offering loans for borrowers who put only 5 percent down and allowing them to pay a one-time fee or a slightly higher interest rate to avoid monthly PMI. Borrowers need a 680 or higher FICO score. If interest rates rise, Banfield says assumable loans may become a valuable marketing tool for home owners whose loans are assumable. FHA and some VA loans are assumable, he notes, as are conventional ARMs after they adjust. They typically require buyers to requalify for the loan on their own, just as they would with any mortgage. In addition, buyers would be required to replace any equity the seller has in the home. Assume the home’s value is $200,000, and the owners’ current mortgage is $160,000. Buyers looking to step into the owners’ mortgage would have to come up with $40,000.
Wells Fargo	In hot markets where buyers may be forced to make an all-cash offer just to push their bid to the top of the multiple-offer heap — think San Francisco, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles — they can apply for a Wells Fargo jumbo purchase loan within 90 days of the closing, says Joe Rogers, executive vice president in Columbia, Md. Technically that would be considered a refinance situation because the consumer already owns the home, and terms are less favorable for refis than for purchase loans. However, Wells Fargo will treat it as a purchase loan. Minimum loan amounts are $417,000, and the maximum is $6 million. Wells Fargo is also offering borrowers the opportunity to lower their monthly payments by slapping down a chunk of money. Typically, that lowers only the principal amount of the loan; the monthly payment remains unchanged. However, Wells Fargo will recast the loan to lower the monthly payment for borrowers who make a one-time payment of at least $20,000.

The #1 Way to Increase Your Social Security Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:15:00 +0000

Motley Fool, founded in 1993 in Alexandria, Va., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community.

Stated recently in their 5 ways to Increase Your Social Security Benefits

Every year after your full retirement age that you wait to claim benefits will boost your annual payouts by another 8%, until you reach age 70. Waiting to take benefits at age 70 will give you 32% more in benefits than if you took them at age 66, and 76% more than taking them at age 62. If you can afford to delay benefits until age 70 and if you live past age 82, you will receive more in lifetime income from Social Security than if you wait until full retirement age.

Should you buy a second home before retiring? part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:55:00 +0000

Should you buy a second home before retiring?

By Michele Lerner • Bankrate.com

"Conventional loans are written off your income, and you have to prove you have the means to repay the loan," Cunningham says. "You may not be able to do that based on dividends from your retirement savings. If you are concerned about qualifying for a mortgage after you retire, you could be better off applying for one earlier."

Rental income

Foss says one of the primary benefits of buying a home before retiring can be the generation of rental income.

"Income from a rental property can act as a hedge against the low interest rate environment we are in and against future inflation because you can raise the rent to offset inflation when it hits," Foss says. "If you turn the property into a rental property until you are ready to live in it, you also gain some tax advantages."

Foss says if you can handle the expense and hassle of a rental property, this could be a good way to use the property before it becomes your primary retirement residence.

Property choices

Charles Duck, president of Charles Duck Real Estate in Phoenix, says the pre-retirement buyers he works with are looking for bargain-priced luxury homes because they offer more certainty of future appreciation.
"Some people are deciding to buy now and leave the property empty for a while or to use a place as an occasional vacation home," Duck says. "Others decide to rent the property until they are ready to use it. The important thing for all these buyers is to find a latchkey property so that they can travel or live elsewhere and not worry about it."
When choosing a home a few years before retirement, Duck says the first consideration should be the location.
"Many retirees want an urban-suburban location where they can walk to amenities and restaurants," Duck says. "The important thing is to look at this property like any other investment and evaluate the potential resale value based on the location, community amenities and floor plan."
Duck says this cohort of buyers should consider looking for low-maintenance houses with all the living spaces on one floor, so the future retirees can avoid climbing stairs.

Flexible plans

Foss says if you are 10 years or more away from retirement, you may want to opt to rent a vacation home for a month at a time in order to avoid getting stuck with a permanent decision about your retirement destination.
"People change a lot between age 50 and 90, so I like the idea of keeping your options open and allowing for flexibility," says Foss. "Buying your retirement home early can be a great option, but I recommend that people do this with the mindset that it is a rental property with the option of using it as a vacation home later rather than getting locked into a retirement plan."
Cunningham says to have a backup plan for a second home, including an estimate of rental value in case the home cannot be sold for a profit if you change your mind.
"Buying a second home is not for people who are just getting by," says Cunningham. "This should only be a choice for people with the income and assets to handle it."

Article posted on: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/buy-second-home-before-retiring-1.aspx#ixzz2dvduQq2o

15 Retirement Hot Spots for Real Estate Investing ranked by RealtyTrac

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:48:00 +0000

RealtyTrac Ranks Top 15 Retirement Hot Spots for Real Estate Investing

Posted Jul 4, 2013 via Marketwired - RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for real estate data, today released a special report on real estate investing in cities that are retirement hot spots -- where at least one-third of the population is age 65 or older.

Top Cities in Florida, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, Oregon, New York; 25 of 40 Retirement Hot Spots Post Increasing Prices, 27 With Positive Cap Rates

"These popular retirement cities will very likely be an area of growth in the housing market over the next 15 years as baby boomers retire in greater numbers," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. "The baby boomer generation started retiring in 2011, a trend that will continue at least through 2029, ensuring plenty of demand for both rentals and owner-occupant purchases in these markets for the foreseeable future."

The report found 40 cities nationwide with at least 33 percent of the population age 65 or older. Among these 40 cities, 25 posted annual increases in median home prices, and 27 had a positive capitalization rate -- which indicates rentals in those markets generate positive cash flow. RealtyTrac also included relevant data on cost of living, average temperature and annual chance of sunshine in each of these markets.

RealtyTrac ranked the top 15 of the 40 retirement hot spot cities based on the annual percent change in home prices as of May. Topping the list was the central Florida town of Dunnellon, where 38 percent of the population is retirement age or older and home prices jumped more than 31 percent in the past year. The estimated cap rate in Dunnellon is more than 10 percent based on the average rent for a three-bedroom home there.

Six other Florida cities made the top 15 list: Naples, North Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Sun City Center, Venice, and Orange City. Arizona and California each contributed two cities to the list, and Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Oregon and New York each had one city in the top 15.

"The Hamptons will continue to grow into a retirement hot spot on Long Island, offering an attractive environment for seniors," said Emmett Laffey, CEO at Laffey Fine Homes International, which covers Long Island and the five New York boroughs. "Developers' appetite to construct housing aimed towards retirement-aged adults is growing again. They are well aware that this buyer pool will only increase over the next 15 years."

Top 15 Retirement Hot Spots for Real Estate Investing

City	Retirement Age Pct	Cost of Living Index	Average Temp	Annual Chance of Sunshine	Median Sales Price May 2013	Annual Pct Change in Price	Cap Rate
Dunnellon, Florida	38%	102.05	70.30	66.85	$76,941	31.42%	10.34%
Naples, Florida	44%	159.56	74.10	72.88	$267,473	26.79%	3.84%
HotSprings Village, Arkansas	58%	104.59	61.80	59.84	$170,000	25.93%	4.87%
Douglassville, Pennsylvania	59%	107.03	51.10	55.89	$252,000	22.33%	3.80%
Sun City, Arizona	73%	116.81	73.20	80.87	$113,275	19.90%	8.86%
North Fort Myers, Florida	44%	106.39	74.90	72.88	$84,500	19.01%	9.39%
Rancho Mirage, California	46%	152.14	73.90	72.05	$430,000	16.77%	2.70%
Punta Gorda, Florida	45%	119.80	73.90	72.88	$138,938	16.71%	6.11%
Sun City Center, Florida	76%	105.83	71.90	66.85	$99,750	14.66%	8.73%
Venice, Florida	52%	115.51	73.20	72.88	$148,238	11.46%	6.52%
Florence, Oregon	38%	98.71	51.90	42.90	$165,000	10.37%	4.89%
Green Valley, Arizona	72%	108.37	64.20	77.81	$144,550	10.13%	6.48%
Seal Beach, California	39%	149.00	65.30	76.16	$692,000	9.84%	2.57%
Orange City, Florida	34%	106.38	70.10	62.74	$68,000	8.80%	12.92%
East Hampton, New York	43%	184.30	51.90	57.65	$952,500	8.18%	2.09%

Should you buy a second home before retiring?

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:44:00 +0000

Article written By Michele Lerner • Bankrate.com

Highlights

It might be good to buy a retirement home now, with low prices and rates.
Financing rates and terms vary depending on how the house is used.
Anticipate your future needs and limitations when buying a retirement home.

If you have plans to buy a home at the beach, in the mountains or in the desert for your retirement years, you might be tempted to take the plunge and buy your future home now while interest rates and home prices are low.

Financial experts say buying your retirement home five to 10 years before you stop working could be beneficial. However, people in this age group should be aware of the risks of tying up money and perhaps losing flexibility with a second home purchase.

"While there's no denying that we have historically low interest rates and low home values right now, anyone considering buying a second home before they retire needs to run the numbers," says Kimberly Foss, president of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville, Calif. "People get stars in their eyes sometimes at the prospect of retirement, but the reality is that they may not be able to afford to buy another home right now."

Foss says she recommends clients max out their 401(k)s and make sure they have adequately insured their future before thinking about buying retirement homes.
"I recommend that people have 12 months' (worth) of expenses in the bank as an emergency fund," Foss says. "If they choose to buy another property, they will need extra money to cover those expenses, too. Even if they choose to rent the property for income, they need to have six to 12 months' of upkeep and rental income covered in their savings in case they don't have a renter for a while."

Financing another home before retirement

For 50- and 60-somethings with plenty of discretionary income, buying a home with cash is an option. Others need financing.
There are three basic options for financing a home, says Patrick Cunningham, vice president of Home Savings and Trust Mortgage in Fairfax, Va.
The home can be financed as an owner-occupied home if the buyer lives in it as a primary residence, as a second home or as an investment.
"Second-home financing means that you will need to qualify to pay the mortgage on both your current home and your second home," Cunningham says. "If you need some additional income to qualify for the loan, you can rent the property, and a lender will use some of your rental income for a loan approval."
Cunningham suggests that financing a property as a second home rather than as an investment property is the better option because interest rates, qualification guidelines and down payment requirements are generally more lenient on second homes than on investments. He says an investment loan always requires a down payment of at least 20 percent or 25 percent.
People getting ready to retire might want to consider the benefit of buying homes before they stop working because a mortgage approval could be more difficult to obtain without an income.

Article posted on: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/buy-second-home-before-retiring-1.aspx#ixzz2dvbfjyi5

It's What's Up is Published

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 13:44:00 +0000

Market Activity Jan2014-Jun2014 on our local My Florida Regional MLS

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:44:00 +0000

Market Activity | My Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS)

January 2014-June 2014

KW Story ~ Check out Keller Williams Realty!

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:09:00 +0000

Ever thought about being a real estate agent? Looking into the different agencies you can go with?
Well check out Keller Williams Realty!!

Tips for using an FHA 203K Rehab Loan to Buy a House

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 18:07:00 +0000

How to Qualify for FHA home loans

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 18:06:00 +0000

Differences Between FHA , VA, CONVENTIONAL , USDA Mortgage Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 18:05:00 +0000

Up-To-Date Information

noreply@blogger.com (Frances Bell Broker Associate) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:35:00 +0000

Do you find the information on those websites with all the real estate information are outdated? You find a perfect house and call and they say "that is not on the market" or " that was sold a month ago"?

Well there is only one source that will give you the latest up to date information and that is directly from the Multiple Listing Service. The MLS you say, you have to be a paid member in order to access this service with the ABSOLUTE LATEST up to date information. That is where I come in. You can have the latest information sent directly to your email inbox with no middle man. Yes, you have to put in your specific wants but that's it. Set it and forget it. Then if you find something you like, you call me to set up your appointment to go see it. That's all. You don't need to make endless phone calls, search through website after website. You can get started with just a few clicks.

Start by going to www.OfficialFloridaProperties.com/Search

Click on where and what you want to see and save. It will automatically send you updates are homes that meet your specific criteria come on the market. Then when you see that information you know it is up to date. Then when you find something you like, mark it or message me and I can set it up for you to go see it.

Easy Breezy!!