Melanie Loves Tampa Bay

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What is the Gasparilla Pirate Festival + Parade ??? 🏴‍☠️ Tampa Traditions Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

For anyone who doesn't live in Tampa, Gasparilla can be a real head scratcher - what is it? Mid-January, us Tampa Bay residents are getting our beads ready.

So what is Gasparilla?

Gasparilla Pirate Festival was inspired by the legend of Jose Gaspar, who supposedly was a Spanish Naval officer-turned-pirate back in the late 18th century and early 19th century who plundered the waters of the West Coast of Florida.

Now, there is no actual evidence that this really happened, but nobody cares about that little detail.

Back in 1904, the story of Jose Gaspar was unearthed and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla adopted him as a patron rogue of their city-wide celebration.

That celebration has been evolving ever since, and now the Gasparilla invasion and pirate parade is the third largest parade in the United States, attracting around 300,000 people to the city of Tampa.

Even though the pirate invasion is the main draw, there are lots of other Gasparilla-themed events that take place over several weeks:

Children's Gasparilla Parade - family-friendly, bead-throwing good time for all ages. Parade route runs along Bayshore Boulevard, and this usually takes place the week before the main pirate invasion. Alcohol-free event.

http://gasparillapiratefest.com/childrens-fest/

Gasparilla Parade of Pirates presented by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla - held on the last Saturday in January, Ye Mystic Krewe fearlessly pilots their ship up Tampa Bay, firing off cannons until it reaches the city shore. Once there, they demand the key to the city from the mayor. When the mayor gives up the key, they have a victory parade up Bayshore Boulevard, and the pirates take over for one not-so-fearful afternoon.

http://gasparillapiratefest.com/

http://ymkg.com/

Even if you're not a 'parade person,' you should still make your day downtown and enjoy the festivities throughout the day at the local bars and restaurants.

Sant'Yago Illuminated Knight Parade

http://www.knightparade.com/

Gasparilla International Film Festival

https://www.gasparillafilmfestival.com/

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts

http://gasparillaarts.com/

Gasparilla Music Festival

https://gasparillamusic.com/

If you aren't from Tampa and want to join us for the invasion, we hope you do! It is always a fun and memorable time for everybody!

With Love, Melanie

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Tampa Bay Woman of the Year - Helping Local Families Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

Hello friends,

Very excited to announce that I’m running as a candidate for the Westchase Charitable Foundation Tampa Bay Woman of the Year!

The Westchase Charitable Foundation is a non-profit, public charity started in 2004. It relies on fundraising to support families who have either children or parents battling a serious illness or assisting people in the community and beyond who are faced with a family tragedy.

Since its inception, the Westchase Charitable Foundation has provided over $500,000 in direct financial grants to families around the Tampa Bay area. Even though the name references Westchase, over 90% of the grant recipients reside outside of the Westchase area.

So to all of my friends and Tampa Bay community - I humbly ask for your support, and there are several ways you can get involved.

http://www.westchasefoundation.org/candidate/melanie-atkinson/

The Tampa Bay Woman of the Year event takes place Saturday March 2, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Sheltair, which is in the jet center across from International Plaza. Previous events have attracted 500 - 600 people. It is a beautiful venue and there will be a live band, live and silent auctions, food & drinks, private jets to tour, and so much more.

I've attended in the past and it's a great time!

The most impactful way to support the organization is to become a sponsor. I am looking for business or personal sponsorships ranging from $1,000 - $15,000. If you're a local business that wants to get behind a strong cause, I would love to talk to you.

Restaurants/food & beverage distributors - we're also looking for anyone who wants to set up a station to provide food and drinks to guests - the more the better!

Have things you'd like to donate for the live or silent auction? This could be smaller or big ticket, anything helps!

Of course, another way to support my candidacy for Tampa Bay Woman of the Year is to go to the event on March 2nd and have a wonderful night out. Tickets are available now. Early bird pricing is in effect until February 8 - $60/per person for general admission, $80 after February 8. Register now and don't forget to put my name in the box that asks: "Which candidate are you supporting?"

BUY TICKETS:

https://tbwoy19.auction-bid.org/microsite/

Finally, I'm also selling 50/50 raffle tickets for $100 each. You do not have to be present to win, so this is a great way to participate if you live out of the area or won't be in town.

📞 Call/text 813.368.6084 or email me at matkinson@smithandassociates.com

Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.
melanielovestampabay.com
Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com
Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

Mortgage Interest Rates Explained: A Brief History 🏠 Should You Buy a Home? Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

Let's dive into home mortgage interest rates, as I've been getting a lot of questions about this topic. We hear on the news all about rising rates and wonder how that will affect the housing market. Well, I wish I could whip out a crystal ball and tell you exactly what will happen with rates and the market, but that's just not possible. Let's break down data showing you mortgage interest rates from a historical perspective, then show you what your money can buy. This chart is from Freddie Mac, showing the annual average mortgage rate for fixed-rate loans since 1972. When I pulled this data, November and December 2018 had not been posted yet, so the average that you see is for rates from January through October. It seems almost unbelievable that people were paying over 16 percent for their mortgages, but they were at that time. For an entire decade, rates never averaged below 10 percent. Even in more recent times (ie: 2000), rates averaged over 8 percent. When we saw the peak of the housing market in the mid-2000s in Tampa, rates weren't at rock bottom. They were in the high 5 to low 6 percent range. Since then, rates have moved significantly lower. In 2016, rates dropped to an average of 3.65 percent. Yes, it would have been great to lock in a 30-year mortgage at the 2016 rate, but life happens and maybe you weren't ready to buy a house then. Don't beat yourself up about the rates being lower, they had to rise at some point - that's just basic economics. Instead, focus on how rates are still very reasonable compared to previous decades. Disclaimer: I am a real estate agent, please get in touch with a licensed mortgage broker for specifics on your situation. If you don't have someone already, I can help you connect with a great one. Obviously, no one wants to pay more for their borrowed money than they have to, but rates are still very low compared to previous rates. So, should you look to buy in the upcoming year even though it looks like interest rates are going to be higher compared to the past few years? As a real estate agent, my answer is to ask you some follow up questions. Do you need a new home? Can you afford it? Have you been renting for a long time and now want to take advantage of the tax benefits of owning a home? (PS: mortgage interest is tax deductible!) If the answer to any of those questions is yes, than buy a house. Don't let the interest rates get in the way of that goal. Historically, rates are still low. Do your research and partner up with a great real estate agent and mortgage lender - happy house hunting! If you're looking in the Tampa Bay area - give me a call/text as I'd love to help you! Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Building New Construction Homes 🏠 How to Get Financing / Loans Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

Many of you may be looking to build that dream home, but you're gonna need to pay for it! Special guest in this edition of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay: Shawn Eckley / Vice President at BB&T and expert in construction loans is here to answer your questions about getting financing for new construction homes. Construction-to-permanent loans combine your lot and construction financing in a single loan. When your home is complete, the lender modifies your construction to a permanent mortgage. There is one upfront closing and only one set of closing costs. There are typically two scenarios for construction-to-permanent financing. 1) You own the lot already and find a builder 2) Find and purchase a lot while working with a builder Shawn recommends that anyone looking to build their own new construction home select a builder before purchasing the lot, as once you put a contract on the land - you likely will only have 45-60 days to close, and it can take at least that long to find a builder. Some builders in the Tampa Bay area own vacant lots with a home already planned for the property and they are looking to connect with buyers. That was the situation when I built my custom home, which made that part of the process a little easier. Expect lenders to require at least 20 percent as a down payment on construction loans, with that percentage rising on loans over $1 million. Many lenders are getting away from 10 percent down payments on construction-to-perm loans because it's tough to get mortgage insurance since the home isn't completed yet. Lenders such as BB&T handle draws (scheduled payments to the builder) as work is completed on the home and inspected. Construction loans can also be utilized on purchase-remodels for home buyers interested in properties in need of renovations. Buyers make interest-only payments until the home is completed, and there are several different fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage products available. Contact Shawn Eckley if you are looking into building a new home or buying and remodeling an older home - he is able to service customers in any area where BB&T has an office. NMLS ID: 415207 Mobile: 813.293.8093 Office: 813.314.3218 Email: sEckley@bbandt.com https://www.bbt.com/seckley More about BB&T's construction-to-permanent loan program: https://www.bbt.com/lending/mortgage/building-a-home.page I hope this information helps all of you out there thinking about buying a new construction home. Give me a call if you're in the Tampa Bay area, and I'd love to help you! Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Realtor's Advice on Buying New Construction Homes 🏠 Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Have you fallen in love with one of those perfect model homes in a new construction neighborhood? I love them, too. In this edition of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay, I'm sharing tips on how to be a smart buyer for new houses. Buying a resale house versus new construction are very different processes. #1 - WORK WITH A REALTOR #2 - UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT COSTS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION #3 - NEGOTIATING WITH BUILDERS #4 - CLOSING COSTS #5 - CONSTRUCTION TIME EXPECTATIONS I hope this information helps all of you out there thinking about buying a new construction home. Give me a call if you're in the Tampa Bay area, and I'd love to help you! Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Tampa House Tour! Realtor's Tips for Maximizing Space in Your Home Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to my house! We're taking a tour to show you a few rooms I've re-purposed in order to maximize space and stay organized to get the most out of my square footage. If you want to see how a Tampa Bay area real estate agent lives and sets up a home - here's your chance. Workout Room - This was intended to be an office or an additional bedroom. Instead, I had the same hardwood floors run into the room and moved my home gym equipment in. It's great for me, because it has a glass paneled door and good acoustics. If you have the space, investing in the equipment is worthwhile and saves you money and time compared to a gym membership as long as you have the personal motivation to exercise. Breakfast Nook - My home's layout features an open concept kitchen / eating space / family room. I can fit a large table into the breakfast nook and just don't have a need for a formal dining room. Many new construction floor plans are incorporating bigger areas for breakfast nooks, which are becoming the primary dining/entertaining spots. Home Office - Formal dining room turned work space. You don't necessarily need an office in a closed off room. I prefer working in an open area, which is why I chose this room with lots of natural light at the front of the house. The trick with having a home office in such a prominent spot is keeping it presentable and organized. Real estate agents work anywhere and everywhere and we need a highly functional set up at home. Utilize pieces of furniture with lots of built in storage. If you have ideas / recommendations on how to maximize the square footage in your home, leave a comment! NOTE: This episode relies heavily on visuals - there's a YouTube video available so you can see everything I'm referring to: https://youtu.be/ustb6Xmx44M Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Best Tampa Restaurants You Need to Try 🍽️ Top Eats from Fine Dining to Casual Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

The food scene here in Tampa is growing and changing - it can be hard to keep up with all of the new places to eat. From the most well-known to hidden gems, I'm sharing recommendations for some of my favorite restaurants from casual to fine dining. BERN'S STEAK HOUSE bernssteakhouse.com/ ULELE www.ulele.com/ ARMATURE WORKS armatureworks.com/ COLUMBIA RESTAURANT www.columbiarestaurant.com/ ON SWANN www.onswann.com/ CIRO'S SPEAKEASY AND SUPPER CLUB www.cirostampa.com/ CW'S GIN JOINT cwginjoint.com/ BIG RAY'S FISH CAMP www.bigraysfishcamp.com/ DONATELLO ITALIAN RESTAURANT www.donatellotampa.com/ JIMBO'S PIT BAR B-Q www.jimbosbarbq.com/ METRO DINER metrodiner.com/ DAILY EATS www.ilovedailyeats.com/ OXFORD EXCHANGE oxfordexchange.com/ Now that I'm good and hungry, I gotta go find a place to eat for lunch! There are still so many restaurants left to talk about in the Tampa Bay area, so I'll do another restaurant-themed episode again. Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Smart Home Technology Products 📱 Easy to Use Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

Sharing some of my favorite new smart home technology products that are also easy to use! I have a love / hate relationship with smart home technology. Although I love the convenience and functions of some of the products, I also get very frustrated when they don't work or they're hard to understand. I was more recently introduced to a few products that I hadn't used before and installed a few more. It is important to note that I do not use a central home system like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. I prefer to manage all of my technologies individually through apps on my phone. Some of the products highlighted here do work with Alexa, Google, or Nest. LIFTMASTER GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH MYQ https://www.liftmaster.com/myq/myq-smart-home?gclid WEMO LIGHT SWITCH https://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F7C030/ RING DOORBELL https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Doorbell-Nickel/dp/B00N2ZDXW2 KWIKSET SMARTCODE ENTRY KEY PADS https://kwiksethardware.com/?page=products&manufacturerID=101&collectionID=268192 Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Real Estate Agent: Honest Advice, Lessons + My Worst Year Oct 02, 2018

Show notes

Experienced Tampa Bay Realtor Melanie Atkinson with Smith & Associates shares her story of how she became a real estate agent, highs and lows in the real estate industry, advice for surviving downturns in the market, and her worst year in the business - making $11,000 in 2011 during America's recession. Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

5 Home Selling 🏡 Pitfalls You Need to Avoid Sep 25, 2018

Show notes

Selling your home? While you've probably seen information out there on this topic, we're diving a little deeper in this episode. Here are my 5 home selling pitfalls you need to be aware of and avoid: #1 - PACKING #2 - FINANCING #3 - TITLE #4 - INSPECTION #5 - THE APPRAISAL Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

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