Richard Dombrowski

Selling Vacant Homes Tampa, FL. What is an agent to do with a deteriorating vacant listing? Home Caretakers International has an idea about how combat the problem.

Presumably, a home’s condition worsens because the homeowner just did not want to pay for upkeep on a home they were going to lose through foreclosure or short sale. This creates a chain reaction of issues in the market.

First, the value of the home continues to decline and the fight between would-be buyers and the mortgage holder(s) heats up. The bank thinks the home is worth a certain price based on market history. But what they do not take into consideration is the terrible condition of the home. Eventually, the banks have to come to the reality that the value IS the value and accept a lower price. Their delay in facing that reality comes at a price; further reduced value. Now, the short sale is even harder to negotiate because the gap in the homes current value and what is owed has been widened.

Traditionally, home-staging services have come into the picutre, but there is a cost. Plus, according to the National Association of Realtors, staged homes are being targeted by theives. Fortunately, there are services that can help end this downward cycle at no cost to the listing real estate agent or the seller. Featured on the local Tampa Bay NBC news station, Florida-based Home Caretakers International provides a service that is made-to-order. Home Caretakers International finds caretakers for the vacant listings. The caretakers move into the home provided they and their furniture pass a screening to ensure that the caretaker is a good one and that their furniture matches the style of home.

The goal of Home Caretakers International is to help listing Realtors and absentee owners sell their homes quicker and for a higher price. Most people in the real estate business know that furnished houses sell better than unfurnished ones. Add to that the upkeep on the property and the fact that the seller, seller’s lender and listing Realtor are under no obligation to pay for this service! It is that simple.

With fifteen years of experience in matching caretakers to vacant homes, Home Caretakers International is poised to help the existing home market through these challenging times. By contacting Home Caretakers International now, homeowners and agents will have an advantage over other listings in the market. Home Caretakers International can be reached at (813) 658-0649 or, find them on the web @ Home Caretakers International.

Home Caretakers International in Tampa, FL provides a caretaking service for vacant properties. Their service places a professionally screened caretaker into the property to secure, repair, and maintain the properties to show-ready condition. We have utilized their services on many of our listings. The listings show better, sell faster, and for more money. We have had numerous short sale properties where the owners have abandoned the homes, and the homes were deteriorating, and code enforcement liens were being enforced. The caretaking service solved all of those issues. In fact, several of the caretakers put offers in to purchase the properties!

Have you ever showed a property where the grass was two feet tall, there were bugs and rodents in the home, it smelled musty, and the pool was green? I know that we have. Imagine those same properties that are now in show-ready condition, smelling fresh, and being cared for. Home Caretakers International is not afraid of these types of properties. In fact, we have listings ranging from $15,000 to $1.7 million in the program with caretakers in the properties.

This service provides a win- win situation for all parties. Realtors love the program because their listings will sell faster and for more money. Caretakers love the program because they are able to live at a reduced cost of living. And Homeowners love the program because their property, which was once a headache, is now being properly cared for. Additionally, in a distressed situation, the banks love this program as well because their collateral is being maintained.

This program has been featured in the news, and is experiencing great reviews. I recommend using Home Caretakers International on all of your vacant listings. For more information contact 813-658-0649 or visit www.homecaretakersinternational.com

How to do a Short Sale in Sarasota Florida

If you are wondering how to do a short sale in Sarasota Florida, do not worry, the process is not that bad if you have the right people in place. First, you need to contact a Realtor that is familiar with your local market, and is experienced with short sales. Many realtors in this market are not experienced with the actual negotiation process, and have teamed up with an attorney, negotiation company, or title company to assist.

Next, you should call your bank, and let them know that you would like to do a short sale. They will present a number of options for you, including a possible modification of your mortgage. The specific circumstances relating to your property and your other financial matters will determine what options are best for you. Note, if you do a modification the banks will not reduce your principal balance, and will typically only reduce your interest rate or extend your payment terms. Neither of these options are good long-term solutions.

Once you have decided that the short sale is your best option, your Realtor will market the property and find a buyer. Once a qualified buyer is found, a package is sent to the bank with the offer, as well as certain bank-requested documents. Typically, the banks will want to see your last 2 pay stubs, last 2 bank statements, and last 2 years tax returns. Your experienced Realtor, or the designated negotiator should handle this entire process for you.

When you work with our team on a short sale in Sarasota Florida, the entire process is seamless. After we have our initial consultation and gather the appropriate documents, the experience will be smooth because we and our affiliated companies handle everything for you. Our team has facilitated more than 1000 short sales over the past few years. In the case of a short sale, experience matters. If you have further questions on how to do a short sale in Sarasota Florida, please contact me at 813-321-1778.

How To Do a Short Sale in Tampa Florida

Online encyclopedia website, Wikipedia defines a short sale as, "[. . .] a sale of real estate where the proceeds are not sufficient enough to cover the balance owed on the home." It sounds relatively simple, but the truth is, you need an experienced real estate agent to help you navigate through the complicated short sale process. And unfortunately, whether you do a short sale or the bank forecloses, you will ultimately have to leave your home. Period.

The reality is, if you are living in your home and you have either stopped making the payments on it, or if you know that will happen in the future because of your circumstances, you really only have a few choices. One, you can bury your head in the sand and hope the problem goes away. (Oddly enough, MANY have chosen this route.) Two, you can wait for the bank for foreclose on your property. The problem with this option is that once the bank takes your home, they sell it at wholesale prices and charge you for the difference between what you owed and its selling price.

The third and best option is that you can short sell your home. The process works like this; An experienced agent will list the property for you in the Multiple Listing Service. The home should be aggressively priced to entice quick activity. Once an offer is received, the agent will discuss the offer with you and then present it to the bank for approval. If the bank does not approve the price, the home becomes active in the MLS system again.

If the bank approves the short sale at that price, then any deficiency needs to be negotiated with the bank on your behalf. Keep in mind, the agent must be VERY knowledgeable about with whom they need to speak AND/OR they should utilize an attorney or loss mitigation company to negotiate the deficiency on your behalf. The goal is to have the bank waive the deficiency and allow you to walk away from the home without any further obligation to them. It does not always happen that way, but that should be the goal of that part of the negotiation.

If you are reading this article, the odds are, you are experiencing some challenges with your own real estate situation. Let someone help you that cares about your outcome. If you contact us, we can show you how to do a short sale in Tampa Florida, and we are confident that our team of agents and business assoiates can help.

Connerton, Florida

In Land O Lakes, Florida the community of Connerton is poised to be one of the best-positioned communites in the Tampa Bay area as the economy drags itself out of the recession. The reason the community will do so well is because of the efforts of the previous and current development companies; Terrabrook and Cost Oak Group, respectively.

In the very early stages of a community's development, developers will pay for the construction and staffing of some amenities to entice prospective buyers. The hope is for a quick payoff because of brisk sales. Unfortunately, as the initial amenities were being completed in Connerton, the economy began its freefall and has not recovered since.

Thankfully, with Stew Gibbons as its president, Connerton's developers kept the community looking pristine in spite of lackluster sales (and therefore, funds) over the last several years. The result is a well-maintained master planned community with a fantastic workout room, meeting room, snack shop and resort-style swimming pool complete with water slides.

In addition to the well-kept common grounds, Connerton opened its recently-dedicated elementary school as well.

Two builders have withstood the tribulations of the market; custom builder, Costanza Homes and production builder, Taylor Morrison Homes. In addition, there are many existing homes available in the community. The pricing could not be better whether you are looking for new or existing homes. If you are looking for the community poised to be one of the best-positioned communities in the Tampa Bay area, check out Connerton in Land O Lakes, Florida. But make sure you find someone to help that is familiar with the community.