About Tampa's Ybor City

Choosing The Right Contractor For Your FHA 203(K) Loan

First and foremost your contractor should be properly licensed and insured. someone Located locally with valid credentials and a solid reputation is what you are looking for. Get bids from several contractors and make sure they are familiar with the FHA 203(K) Loan Processes. You will be working hand and hand with the person you hire so make sure you feel comfortable with them going in. Every project should have a detailed description of materials used along with a payment schedule. The contractor who is familiar with the 203(k) loan process will understand the requirements set forth by lenders for completion dates and payouts from previous jobs.

Do not pay the contractor anything up front. Once the appraiser and I have had a chance to look at the estimates and determine if the improvements will add enough additional value to the property to satisfy the lenders requirements the work order can be set in motion based on the loans close date.

1) Limited Funds. There is a certain amount allocated each year by congress and getting additional funds allocated in the 4th Quarter to off set shortfalls is HIGHLY unlikely giving the on-going battle over deficit spending. With the increased demand for FHA loans brought on by QRM (Quantitative Risk Management) which is looming and likely to happen there will be an increased demand for FHA Mortgages for their lower down payment requirements. Increased demand for something with limited supply forces prices higher. In short; the 4th Quarter of 2011 could see far less and far more expensive financing for those with less then 20% down.

2) Limited Funds. The FHA does not have sufficient reserves so they increased the amount of their MIP (Mortgage Insurance Premiums) to increase reserves except they set it up to target long term shortfalls and forgot to increase their up front premium leaving themselves once again with a current and immediate shortfall. This makes it almost certain that another increase in MIP is on its way this year.

3) Limited Funds. The FHA is rumored to be looking at tightening their lending guidelines to off set the short falls. Higher down payments from 3.5% to 5% and reduced seller paid concessions down from 6% to 3% is the rumored possibilities.

4) Limited Funds. The present loan limits will be slashed. Presently, FHA will insure loans as high as $729,250. in high cost areas. Look for loan limits to be reduced by a minimum of $100,000.

5) FEDS will increase Interest Rates as inflationary presure mounts. Higher gas prices add cost to nearly everything else we buy. Higher interest rates make buying a home less affordable and that results in fewer home sales at lower prices.

Looking for a home in Ybor City of Tampa Bay? To look for homes on MLX in the Tampa Bay and Pinellas area go to my website by clicking on Tampa Homes.

Founded by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City today is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Red brick buildings, wrought iron balconies and narrow brick streets give it an old-world charm that is a refreshing change of pace from the beach and the mall.

The Quarters at Ybor are a luxury condominium complex in Ybor City. The Quarters at Ybor are in a trendy area that has many shops, restaurants and famous night life right around the corner. Standard for the units are 9-ft ceilings, custom tile, Berber carpet, custom paint, utility rooms with full-size washers & dryers, built-in book shelves, walk-in closets, above-stove microwaves & garden tubs. Amenities at The Quarters at Ybor include 2 resort-style pools and spa, huge fitness center, business center, recreation room with billiards, bar & movie theater, gated and covered parking and valet trash collection.

Homeowners will enjoy living close to the hottest restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs, and shops of Centro Ybor. From The Quarters at Ybor owners can take a short walk to the trolley to go to the St. Petersburg Times Forum, the Aquarium, or a host of other entertainment venues and cultural attractions or other places in Channelside or Downtown Tampa.

Come experience the Florida Lifestyle in the Tampa Bay area with the nearby sparkling beaches of Clearwater Beach and just a little bit to the south is St. Pete Beach. It is a just short drive to I-275 and then it is an easy commute to Largo, Clearwater, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, or a quick trip to MacDill Air Force Base.

The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Joffe and Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Joffe is a broker working in the Pinellas and Hillsborough area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes. Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Information is provided in this blog with the intent to educate homeowners and buyers about Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Valrico, Odessa and other communities in the Tampa area. For more information on different communities and subdivisions go to my website by clicking on Tampa Homes. You can also call 813-245-0316.

Come join the fun and ambiance of Ybor City for a day of activities celebrating the rich cigar heritage that once made Tampa the "Cigar Capital of the World." Join thousands of cigar enthusiasts at the this annual festival!

See master cigar makers Wallace and Margarita Reyes attempt to break the

record for

"World's Longest Cigar."

World's Longest Cigar
2009 Record Attempt by:
Wallace Reyes,
Grand Master Cigar Maker

Current US Record Holder
(30.78 meters) in 2006

CENTENNIAL PARK
in YBOR CITY
on 9th Ave. between
18th and 19th Streets

Directions & Map

Saturday
NOVEMBER 21, 2009
10am - 5pm

Video of worlds longest cigar by Wally:

http://cigars.about.com/library/multimedia.--0Z/Windows-Video/blcigarlongest.htm

Tampa and Ybor City is holding it's annual Cigar Heritage Festival today, November 21. Tampa and Ybor City are known as the cigar capital of the world. The 2006 festival occurred in November also and a new world record for the longest cigar in the world was set by Wally Reyes of Gonzalez Habano Cigars in Tampa. It seems Tampa Wally Reyes and Cuba's cigar roller Jose Castelar Cairo (Cueto) have been battling for the honor of holding that record for worlds longest cigar. Cueto received officially his fourth Guinness Record certificate, in May of this year. This time for his 45.38 meters long Habano cigar.

Cueto, rolled his cigar during the 2008 international tourism fair and the record was certified by London's house of world records. The Cuban roller has made other three universal habanos. The first was a 11.04 meters long cigar, the second one was 14.80 meters and the third one 20.41, all of them registered as Records.

However, Wally brought that honor back to the United States (from Cuba) with a cigar measuring 101 feet.

Cigar Dave Zebplowitz, will also be there, conducting a live broadcast of his nationally syndicated cigar radio program and many of the personalities who frequent his show. http://cigardave.com/The show originates from Tampa, Florida on Saturday afternoons, and is available in about 100 local markets. The show is also carried on both Sirius and XM satellite radio

Cigar companies showcase their merchandise, while live bands and other performers will entertain the crowds. Cigar rollers will be on hand to demonstrate their craft.

The most well known would be Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company. The cigar factory building was developed in 1895, and stands today as an outlet for some of the best hand-rolled cigars in the area.

The oldest cigar shop in Ybor City is El Sol Cigars. Back in 1929, the first Smok-A-Cuba cigar was made by Guy Saitta in his shop on 7th Avenue in the Ybor City.

http://www.elsolcigars.com/history.htm

Dana Devine

813-748-4115

dana@devineshowcasehomes.com

Many cigar aficionados, like me, buy and age their own cigars. There are cigar purveyors that age premium cigars for you for a price. Not all cigar enthusiasts have the time or the patience to age their cigars several years, I know I don't. I just can't wait....several years. There are "aging room" cigar firms out there, like www.cigar.com/agingroom. When I find a premium cigar on special, I buy a few boxes and here is what I do. The cigar will absorb the favors around it. I place 15 or 20 cigars each in different humidors that I have. In each humidor I put a small cup...just a few ounces. And in these cups I pour Port wine, cognac or hazel-nut liquor. Place them in a dark cool closet... and wait. I cannot wait years....but a month or two and the cigar thanks on the favor of the item in the cup. NOTE: the liquid will mold so check it and clean the cup if needed. But this is about aged cigars vs. aged tobacco.

AGED TOBACCO:

The moment a seed enters the ground the clock starts as the first day. Over the next few years the tobacco will be harvested, cured and fermented before it is ready to be enjoyed. Somewhere after the two to three year mark, a blender may use the tobacco or let it sit depending on what his intentions are. If he decides to let it age, the tobacco is dried and baled. This baled tobacco can sit for any length of time. Some factories have leaves that date back 30 to 40 years. Some tobacco makers have Cuban tobacco that is still aging since before the Cuban Embargo. The longer the tobacco ages the less tannic it becomes. Aged tobacco equals less tannic: this process rounds out the tobacco, making flavors and aromas more smooth and mellow. Thus the older (aged) the tobacco the more refined the taste. So if your favorite cigar has five year old fillers, "assume" the tobacco was planted about five years ago and has been aging an extra two or three years after fermentation.

AGED CIGARS:

The art of cigar aging starts the moment it is rolled. A freshly rolled cigar will move to the bodega where it remains for one to three months. This resting period allows the moisture to be removed and the cigar settles. Using this time frame, most cigars you buy in a retail store are 4 to 6 months old. By letting cigars rest for long periods of time (some up to 25 years) greatly enhances the flavor and this is what all aficionados want: an aged flavorful cigar. To be specific, this aging process is called maturation. This maturation is further classified by the marrying if you will, of different tobacco leaves inside the rolled cigar. As this aging process progresses, the leaves secrete small amounts of oil that blend together and give the cigar its characteristic flavor. Just like the aging of tobacco above, aged cigars are considered to be mellow and smooth. Aging is a careful art and takes a great deal of patience and practice. Depending on what type of tobacco is used, there is that "perfect" window of time where that cigar smokes the best. Aging a cigar can be as little as 3 years to 25 years. The only way to fine the perfect window is to try it out. As your cigars age, smoke one from each box every year to perform a "taste test". In time, you will know if a cigar has aged to its perfect smooth taste with a complex unified flavor.

The Tampa Cigar Festival is:

CENTENNIAL PARK
in YBOR CITY
on 9th Ave. between
18th and 19th Streets

Directions & Map

Saturday
NOVEMBER 21, 2009
10am - 5pm

Dana Devine

813-748-4115

dana@devineshowcasehomes.com