tampa4u's Blog: REAL ESTATE stuff

We do real estate the amateur way. We don't even pre-qualify our buyers. We don't make them sign a buyer-broker agreement. We show them as many house as they like to see and houses we feel they should see. We take them  to lunch; we take them to dinner. If they're out of state, we often pick them up from the airport and take them to their hotel. We never ask for referrals.

But we have a very good convertion ratio (almost 90%) and we have built up a network of referrals that we never asked for. We have tried different methods but we always come back to this. This, for us, is the most effective. It's all about rapport and service. We treat clients how we would like to be treated. It's as simple as that. All our agents are trained (or re-trained) like this -…

1.    Clean out the clutter - you need to get rid of everything that blocks the energy in your house. Cleaning your clutter will also help "lighten your burden" so it feels like you are creating a more harmonious environment in your space as well.

2.    Have good air and good lighting - these are two critical elements that will help your home achieve the ideal level of chi or energy. You can open the window more frequently or put plants inside your home. Likewise, it is also advisable for you to put natural light into your living space to give your home a more vibrant feel.

3.    Determine the Ba-Gua - every home has a Ba-Gua, you need to find out which area of your home is actually connected to certain areas of your life so that abundance may flow…

While everybody is hustling on closing and making offers on short sales and bank owned properties, we've been searching for alternatives to this frustrating aspect of real estate here in the Tampa Bay area. Enough of this short sales and foreclosures. Enough of the attitudes and incompetence. Welcome the alternative: Brand New Homes!

See this week's "Best Deals in Town" and our Tampa New Home Search.

Yup these are the alternatives. Most people wanting to get short sales and foreclosure properties are really looking for great deals. Currently there are lots of great deals on Brand New and inventory homes from builders in the Tampa Bay area. Builders offering very competitive pricing, Closing cost assistance, down payment assistance, and points buy down.…

RealtyTrac, an online tracker of real estate released that foreclosure was up 57% in January since last January. These numbers only increase the fears of recession and the mortgage meltdown. Many renters are scared that they will be evicted from there homes with no warning or time to find a new home. This forces people to find affordable housing as quick as possible and can really hurt there financial situation because they have to move there stuff to a relatives house or storage until they can find a new place to live.

In most states the lenders like the bank and the landlord do not have to notify the tenant of the foreclosure and the tenant usually only finds out that they have to move just a few days or weeks before they are evicted. This creates a…

You might giggle when you hear the term “Feng Shui”, either because the word sounds funny or because you relate it some mystical, new age, mumbo jumbo.  But the applications of Feng Shui are very solid.  Basically, Feng Shui refers to the proper order and organization of your life and your surroundings to maximize your potential for health, wealth, success, happiness, etc.  Open your mind for a few hundred words and try to see the practical side of Feng Shui.  

I have heard people reference the addition of crystals and wind chimes in key areas to help keep more money coming into the house and less going out, and then swear it works.  You could take the “magic” out and explain that the act itself reminded them to be more responsible with their money and…

You certainly are excited about the real estate transaction you are taking. There can be unexpected mishaps and occurrences that may spoil your real estate deal. That is why you should always aim to close your real estate deal more smoothly and hassle free.

Your transaction can be a start of a painful and horrible nightmare if you would not be careful enough about closing the transaction. Thus, it would be helpful if you would always bear in mind some of these guidelines that would make you close the real estate deal smoothly.

Inspect the property

Before closing any deal, it would just be appropriate if you would get to see and inspect the asset with your own two eyes. Before getting into negotiations, it would just be practical if you know the…

Bank owned homes, town homes, and condos are selling fast in Tampa. These are some of the very best deals. Don't miss out.

For a complete list of Bank Owned Homes, Townhomes, and Condos, visit our main site www.tampa4u.com - Look under HOT DEALS 4U box.

We've been showing a lot of these properties lately to Europeans and Canadians who've recognized the enormous investment potential of these properties. As the number of shortsales that don't sell increases, the number of bank owned properties will increase.

See Bank Owned Alternatives in Tampa.

So is the market poised for a recovery? In our opinion, not yet. Will the price fall? In our opinion, it will stay flat for a while. If the market picks up even just a little, the sellers who've been standing on…

Harmony, happiness and health are three fantastic positives for a home buyer. Theart of feng shui can help your home offer these blessings to you on a daily basis. Feng shui is a detailed art of combining elements of the earth with proper alignments to produce positive Chi.

When choosing to purchase a home with a positive feng shui design, there are a few things that should be avoided.

Never have a straight road leading directly to the home's entrance.

Never purchase or build at home that is at the end of a cul de sac or a road.

Never align the front entrance of the home with the stairway leading to the second floor of the home.

Never align the front and back entrances. The back entrance should be out of sight when standing in the front…