Gloria Walters Tampa Realtor® ~ Selling Homes in Tampa Bay, Florida

How ironic. The founder and former chief operating officer of ForSalebyOwner.com, Colby Sambrotto, recently needed the help of a Realtor to assist him in selling his home. Mr. Sambrotto founded the popular for-sale by owner (FSBO) website, to help homeowners sell their home without the help of a Real Estate Agent.

Mr. Sambrotto had troubles finding the right buyer for his 2,000-square-foot, two-bedroom New York condo after it lingered on the market for over six months.He tried to sell the property FSBO by listing it online and through classified ads – but after six months of sitting on the market, he sought the help of a real estate broker.

The agent told Mr. Sambrotto that his condo was priced too low and wasn’t attracting the right buyers. Mr. Sambrotto was hesitant of the price increase but after some consideration agreed to the listing price. The condo soon attracted multiple offers and ended up closing for $150,000 more than the original asking price.

This a true testament to our services. Realtors are equipped with the knowledge, resources and skills to make your real estates goals attainable.

Thanks to funding from federal programs to boost the housing market, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) still has $11.2 billion in its coffers earmarked for mortgage loans. The USDA’s Rural Development Service’s Section 502 loan is one of the few mortgage programs that requires no down payment.

In earlier years, the program ran out of money by late summer, leaving homebuyers in limbo as they waited for the new budget year to begin. In Florida, most low-income and middle-income buyers qualify if they live in rural areas, smaller towns or some outlying suburbs to larger cities.

The program will change slightly after Oct. 1, when buyers will be required to pay a 0.3 percent premium for mortgage insurance monthly; however, the cost of upfront mortgage insurance will be reduced to 2 percent from its current 3.5 percent.

Click here to see which areas of town are USDA eligible.

[Source © 2011 Florida Realtors®]

Say What!!! You’re on Vacation.

I was working a HUD Cash Deal and finally got the call that the title search was clear and everything was in order for a closing. I received this information on a Wednesday. To receive the early closing bonus that was being offered, the property had to be closed by that following Monday. So I scheduled a walk thru with my buyer for his first availability which was Friday. I contacted the selling agent, advised him of my plans and obtained the lockbox code.

Friday afternoon came and my buyer and I arrived at the home, only to find a second layer of locks on the home with no keys. I called the agent hoping to get some answers and obtain access to conduct my final walk thru. No answer. I called and texted him. I then called the management company, who had a notice on the front window. They were unaware of the locks and could not assist. I then called the title company. Last resort. I was hoping they would be able to assist, since they were designated to handle the closings for HUD properties. I figured, maybe, this was a routine process and they could assist. They couldn’t help either. I called the agent several times before I final relinquished my efforts.

What made me extra nervous was that I would be travelling internationally the very next day (Saturday). I was not going to be present for the closing, but I had already educated my client to the point where I felt comfortable. Since this was a cash deal, it was going to be pretty straight forward. However, I didn’t want my client to “sign his life away’' to a home he didn’t see prior to closing.

I continued to call the listing agent, well into Friday evening. I know it was annoying, but if I could coordinate a walk-thru with my assistant and my client, then I could travel in peace. Well Saturday was here. Around 10am, while sitting at Miami International Airport waiting for my connecting flight, I received a text from the selling agent stating that he was “On Vacation in St. Augustine”. And that was it. No apologies. No answer to my question about the locks. I responded stating, “I am going on vacation as well, but this needs to get done. Do you know anything about the extra locks?” I never received a response. I thought to myself, “this agent has a closing on Monday and seems very disinterested in whether or not it occurs.” Wow. I hope I never get to that point.

I finally figured a creative way for my client to obtain access and view the home without the listing agent’s assistance. I also provided my client with my international number so he can text me at anytime, should there be a question. (He had Metro PCS, free international texts - perfecto!) I was also available by email if needed. Yes, I was on vacation, but was I. Not with a closing a couple days away. After a successful closing, I was finally able to enjoy, my vacation.

Yes, I work on Vacations Too!

m.a.d. theatre presents

Hairspray

Directed by Chad Brandon Smith

Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters

This production is m.a.d. theatre's largest production ever, and is proud to be the first community theater in Tampa to produce this musical about social injustices in the 1960s. The show is filled with fun, bouncy, sing-along music with new original choreography. The original Broadway production opened on August 5th, 2002 and won eight Tony Awards, one of them was Best Musical!

As a member of the cast/ensemble, I invite you to come and see the highly entertaining musical, Hairspray.

I first came to know about Hairspray through the 2007 Hollywood film with John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, and many more. I'm excited to not only be performing in Theatre once again, but in my first major musical.

Performance Dates Are:
- August 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 at 8:00 p.m.
- August 7, 14, 21 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are $20.00 each, and may be purchased at www.madtheatre.com.

I encourage you to come on out and enjoy this hilarious production. I can assure you, you'll get your money's worth. :-)