Melanie Loves Tampa Bay

Latest Episodes:

Moving to Florida 🏡 How Buyers Stand a Chance in a Crazy Real Estate Market Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

By now you've probably heard about the low inventory real estate situation here in the Tampa Bay area, and I'm sharing my advice for how to best navigate this housing market. As of March 2021, Hillsborough County only has three weeks of single family home inventory, when a balanced housing market would have about six months worth of homes available.

Take a close look at your finances, because you might have to get creative. It is very normal for a buyer right now to guarantee to pay a certain amount over appraised value. In order to win that contract, you may have to put down a larger down payment or the seller might want you to put more of an escrow deposit down. It's going to be difficult to get sellers who will accept a contract contingent on the sale of your home, so you may need to tap into other money sources such as investment accounts.

For those lucky enough to be a cash buyer, you are likely to win the contract in a multiple-offer situation if it's the same price as finance offers.

Be flexible, but don't settle! There will probably never be the perfect house, but cosmetic items can be changed. Be flexible on the "wants," not as flexible on the "must-haves."

Why even jump into this housing market right now? My buyers are choosing to proceed for several reasons including historically low interest rates, the ability to work from home, and out-of-towners looking to leave more expensive states.

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.

Answering YOUR Questions ❓ #3 Schools, Property Taxes, Homestead Exemption, Singles Scene Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

Reading your comments and answering questions in the 3rd edition of this series! Leave questions you have down below in the comment section and they may be answered in future episodes.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:00 Pools & Property Value
1:55 NYC to Jacksonville
2:18 Homestead Exemption
3:54 Property Taxes
5:13 CDD & HOA Fees
6:43 School Districts
8:36 Singles Scene
9:17 Waves
9:58 Townhome Construction
10:56 RI to FL

Florida Department of Education resource (researching school districts)

http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/

https://www.greatschools.org/

https://www.niche.com/

Juless_TheTipsyCook

MOVING ACROSS COUNTY *Rhode Island - Florida* https://youtu.be/7uHP5QkPL04

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

Moving to Florida 2021 🏡 What You Need to Know Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

Planning to move to Florida in 2021? Here are some important updates for anyone considering a relocation to the Sunshine State. This episode will be building on information shared in a previous video about moving to Florida in 2020, so check that one out if you haven't seen it yet.
2020 has been a game changer for many of us, and it's been fascinating from a real estate perspective. We have seen record sales months, rock bottom interest rates, low inventory, multiple offer situations, and buyers buying sight unseen.
Prices in Florida have gone up this year - a lot! How much? At the end of the 2020 third quarter, median prices statewide for single family homes were up 13% from the same time last year. Now that isn't true for every house in every neighborhood, real estate is very local.

Topics discussed:
0:00 Intro
1:33 Housing Market
3:21 Starting the Home Search
4:52 Selling Your House
5:03 Mortgage Interest Rates
14:48 Insurance Changes
23:18 Final Advice

The Mortgage Firm Tampa / Patrick Storch
https://www.closemymortgagetampa.com/
Call or apply online. 📲 813-616-8844 🖥
8471 West Linebaugh Ave. Tampa, FL 33625
NMLS # 189233 | 228635

Contact Maria Rodriguez for your insurance needs within the state of Florida
maria@weachterinsurance.com
Office: 813.831.8889 Direct: 813.969.4466
Rip Weachter Insurance Agency
http://www.weachterinsurance.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

How to Buy a House Sight Unseen | BEST REALTOR TIPS Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

It's hard to imagine buying a house without ever seeing it in person until after closing, but it's happening now more than ever. For much of 2020, there have been travel restrictions in place so house hunting has largely gone virtual. If you wait to fly down to see a home in person, it may already be gone so buying sight unseen has become a common practice. So how can you do it successfully and what are the risks? In this episode of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay, I'm sharing my best tips and advice.

For all of you out there about to take the leap into buying a home sight unseen, best of luck to you! Use all of the available resources and ask a lot of questions.

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

Moving from California to Florida? 🌴 Here's What You Need to Know Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

Are you researching moving from California to Florida? My clients Bill & Dotty were longtime California residents who decided to make the change and spend their retirement years here in the Tampa, Florida area. They share insight and experiences that hopefully will be helpful to anyone looking into the process.

Here are the topics we touched on during our conversation:
0:00 Intro
0:45 Background as CA residents
1:30 Florida Decision
3:35 Florida Misconceptions
5:35 Choosing a Location
6:06 Dunedin, Florida
7:17 Florida Homes
9:43 Swimming Pools
11:41 Taxes
14:19 Gas & Groceries
14:45 Vehicle Registration
19:31 Florida Residency
20:21 Weather
22:33 Hurricane Season
27:22 Retirement Lifestyle
31:07 Golf Courses
32:32 Beaches
35:07 Medical & Health Resources
36:22 Tampa Bay Negatives?
37:56 Tampa Bay Sports
39:26 Things to Do
41:55 Bill’s Fire Safety Tips

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

Housing Market: What Will Happen to Home Prices? 🏡 Realtor Explains Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

As if 2020 couldn't get any weirder, we've been dealing with an insane housing market here in the Tampa Bay area for months along with other parts of the country.

What the heck is going on and how do you figure out if now is the right time to buy a home?
Do you take advantage of the ridiculously low interest rates or do you wait until there's more inventory?
Will those interest rates still be low once there is more inventory?
What about another housing market crash?
What if I buy now and then it becomes 2010 again and home values plummet?

I know you're probably thinking, "Well, she's a real estate agent. Of course she's going to encourage people to buy homes..." But I want to say that I never encourage anyone to buy homes who don't want or need to purchase homes.

People have different reasons including getting married or divorced, starting a family, kids going to college, etc. Life continues even in the worst of times. Regardless of what happens to the economy, look at your own financial picture and personal situation to determine if buying a house now is right for 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

Luxury Real Estate Guide 🏙️ Tampa, Florida Aug 24, 2020

Show notes

The Tampa Bay area is seeing an influx of luxury home buyers coming from out of state. If you're seeking high end real estate in Florida, I've put together a guide for our area to help you. We have tons of coastline, two major cities, three professional sports teams, the award-winning Tampa International Airport, a great local food scene, and enough land for you to have room to breathe.

So what does the luxury housing market look like in Tampa? You can choose whether you want a Gulf front home with a sandy beach in your backyard, a home on the Intracoastal Waterway with a spot for your boat, a luxury condo in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg or on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, or an estate home in northern Hillsborough County on acreage. There's also a historical home in Hyde Park or a waterfront house on Davis Islands. Golfers can check out Avila, Innisbrook, or Golfview in South Tampa.

Other popular neighborhoods include beach communities along the west coast of Pinellas County from Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach, Snell Isle, and Venetian Isles. If you don't mind driving north out of Tampa - there are lovely properties in Lutz, Odessa, and parts of Tarpon Springs. East of Tampa is Thonotosassa, where The Oaks is currently for sale at $17,500,000.

Luxury Condominiums
https://saltairestpete.com/
https://marinapointe.com/
https://www.sandpearl.com/
https://www.viragebayshore.com/
https://www.hydeparkbayshore.com/
https://www.sanctuarybayshore.com/
https://www.alturabayshore.com/
https://waterstreettampa.com/residences/tampa-edition

Golf Courses
https://www.innisbrookgolfresort.com/
http://www.avilagolf.com/
http://www.pcgc.org/

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

Buying New Construction Homes in Florida 🏡 Things You Should Know Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

New construction homes are on fire this year in the Tampa Bay area. Neighborhoods in Odessa, Wesley Chapel, and Riverview can hardly keep up with the demand. With the influx of people wanting to be in Florida, combined with low interest rates and affordable prices - it's easy to understand why these builders have had record-breaking months.

This episode is for all of you out there looking to buy new construction in the coming months.

Want to skip ahead? Here are the topics discussed:
0:00 Intro
0:43 Builder Incentives
1:49 Base Home Prices
2:24 Working with Realtors
3:56 Inventory Homes
4:50 Construction Timeline
5:52 Credit Scores
6:30 Down Payment
7:07 Additional Deposits

Feel free to leave additional questions in the comment section, and they may be featured in a future video here on the channel.

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

Wesley Chapel: What You Need to Know 🌴 Pasco County, Florida Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

Wesley Chapel is a popular community outside Tampa, Florida that I get asked about all the time. Let’s dive into this area from new construction home builders, home prices, where exactly it’s located in Pasco County, flood zones, schools, and things to do.

Want to skip ahead? Here are the topics discussed:
0:00 Intro
0:45 New Construction Homes
1:55 Crystal Lagoon @ Epperson
2:45 CDD Fees
4:03 Affordable Home Prices
4:35 Builder Competition
5:23 Wesley Chapel Location
6:26 Tampa Bay Commute
7:08 Flood Zone?
7:35 Things to Do
9:45 School District
10:12 Wesley Chapel Wrap Up

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

Moving to Tampa, Florida 🌴 What It's REALLY Like Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Thinking about moving to Florida? While I've lived in the Tampa Bay area for two decades, my boyfriend Todd has lived in quite a few different cities. He relocated to Tampa in 2017 and joins me in this episode to share his perspective on how Tampa compares to other places in the U.S.

Want to skip ahead? Here are the topics we touched on:
0:00 Intro
0:55 Why choose Tampa?
1:35 Florida offers year round outdoor living
2:17 Traffic & commuting in Tampa
3:35 Lower cost of living in Florida? State income tax, housing options, auto insurance
4:39 Home prices - how much do you get for your money?
5:51 How easy is it to meet people in Tampa?
6:35 Things to do, outdoor activities 7:15 Golf courses outside Tampa city limits
7:55 Bad drivers in Florida?
8:28 Weather & hurricanes
8:57 Bugs & alligators
9:36 Florida man news stories
10:15 Tampa food & restaurants
11:00 Sports, concerts, entertainment

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

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