Hernando County Florida Home Values: How Much Is Your Home Worth?

Taking Stock of Your Hernando County Home’s Value
Home Value Estimate: a Starting Point

Figuring out home values when the market is in flux is truly a job for experts. We have seen the national real estate market begin to rebound, and expect Hernando Countyhome values to soon start to reflect movement as well. Most Hernando County homeowners are in the habit of keeping an eye on area home values. But especially for anyone considering buying or selling this summer, estimating their home’s value is one of the first items on the agenda.

To get you started, there are a couple of different methods to help establish a ballpark estimate of what your home may currently be worth. Certainly the quickest and easiest tool is the calculator on Zillow’s website, at http://www.zillow.com/profile/tinafingerman/.  This free online calculator uses accumulated public record data joined with other factors to produce an estimate of home values. All you need to do is enter your address and wait for the magic.

I do have to put in a word of caution, though. Like any computer program, it’s fast and precise –but also maddeningly capable of disregarding what we humans think of as ‘common sense.’ So, while it is fun and interesting to get this kind of readout, it’s at best a ballpark estimate (and at worst, downright misleading!).

There are many other sites boasting similar tools — variations of the same idea and pulling from slightly different data sets — but the approach they use to calculate home values stays the pretty much the same. You only need to enter your address and there you go: instant estimate.

While these calculators are great at aggregating data, nothing replaces human input.  Real estate is, after all, the very definition of a Hernando County occurrence, so if you’re looking for more than an estimate, it’s time to call the pros in.

When an experienced agent (someone like yours truly) creates their professional estimate, it not only takes into account the trends for properties closest to yours, but also incorporates real life features — such as the curb appeal your home and garden offers right now. The better kept your property is at any given time, the greater its estimated value should be. An agent can also suggest the small changes that work best to enhance a property’s value.

If you have been considering selling a home and are curious about today’s Hernando County home values, call me anytime for a complimentary (and 100% human) consultation!

Steve Fingerman

E Loans Mortgage

727-946-0904

Hernando County Florida Foreclosure Listings: They Are Getting Harder To Find!

Posted on May 21, 2012
Short Sales Rising, Foreclosures Falling, Real Estate Inventory in Hernando County Is Down!
Hernando County Foreclosure Hunters: Listen Up!

For quite a while now, bargain hunters have been able to take their time combing through Hernando County foreclosure listings.  They’ve been looking for the kind of terrific real estate bargains that the last few years have provided — and there have been plenty. But recent signs show that it may be time for them to step up their efforts.
According to ReatyTrac, the outfit that reports on current real estate activity of all kinds, banks are increasingly leaning toward short sales as a way to handle defaulted properties. There are good reasons why they would prefer short sales over the foreclosure track. You would expect that if that trend is for real, we should see a decline in the number of foreclosure-related notices being issued. Last month, that is exactly what happened.
In April, fewer than 190,000 of the notices were reported. That makes it the lowest monthly total in 5 years (and a decline of 5% from March). In other words, although it takes some time for a foreclosure to occur, the writing seems to be on the wall: the high water mark in foreclosures may well have been passed.
Another sign: the average price of completed foreclosures rose from the year’s average of $226,953 to $256,027. Lower supply, higher prices — if the early trend continues,Hernando County foreclosure bargain hunters may soon find themselves having to hunt a bit harder.
There are many online resources that provide foreclosure lists: properties that are in good shape as well as distressed foreclosure properties, pre-foreclosure properties, REO foreclosures and foreclosure auctions. Anyone thinking about taking advantage of the bargains that are still out there (and they ARE still out there) should consider consulting an experienced areaagent to help with the process.
First and foremost, we can provide you with a current and accurate foreclosure list. There are many web sites out there that claim to list foreclosed properties, but most of them charge fees for their listings, and sometimes contain little or no contact information for accessing a property (or worse, are inaccurate).  Licensed real estate agents have the resources to obtain an accurate, timely list, as well as the experience in targeting the correct contact people.
Your agent can also be a guide through the sometimes tricky process of purchasing a foreclosed house. Many properties on the foreclosure list have not been well maintained; the lender may try to get more for the house than it is actually worth. If you intend to improve a property through your own sweat equity, our first-hand knowledge of Hernando County market values can help you project a property’s future value, too…either as an income-producing rental or to sell for profit.
To get the most bang for your buck, make sure to put your search in the hands of a professional.  Call me anytime!

Steve Fingerman

E Loans Mortgage

727-946-0904

HARP 2.0 Refinance Is Here, Under Water Home Owners In Florida Can Now Refinance Regardless Of Appraised Value

Video: New HARP Program To Help Underwater Homeowners

The latest version of the federal Home Affordable Refinance Program went into full swing this week.

 

The program, which officially began in December but wasn’t fully available until this week, now allows homeowners to refinance at today’s low interest rates if they are current on payments and hold loans on which they are more than 125% underwater.

 

The program is limited to homeowners whose loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That means no principal will be reduced, but it may be possible to get a lower interest rate and a lower payment. Homeowners who aren’t eligible for HARP may be eligible for other modification programs.

To get a HARP 2.0 refinance, homeowners must have taken out their loan before June 1, 2009. You can read all the guidelines here . The plan will be effect until the end of 2013.

You can apply for a HARP Refinance at E Loans Mortgage.

The previous version of HARP limited the refinancing to homeowners who owed less than 125% of their home’s value.

  • The enhanced HARP is one of a number of refinancing and mortgage-modification opportunities unveiled in recent months to keep more homeowners out of foreclosure and in their homes.

 

Economists believe putting more money into homeowners’ hands, through lower payments also will help the economy.

  • As Mark Zandi and Cristian Deritis wrote in an analysis for Moody’s Analytics:
The economic benefit of a restrung HARP is clear. If more mortgages are refinanced, fewer borrowers will default, homeowners will have more to spend elsewhere and the fragile recovery will receive a quick and potentially sizable cash infusion.

If you think you want a HARP refinance, you should move quickly. Mortgage rates have already started rising, so you want to lock in a low rate while you can.

Speaking At FAIR News Conference Announcing Class Action Lawsuit Against Citizens Insurance

On February 7, 2012 FAIR announced a Class Action Lawsuit against Citizens Property Insurance. Attorney Mark Beausoleil, FAIR Regional Director David Welch, Steve Fingerman Board Member and President E Loans Mortgage Inc and Senator Mike Fasano, Announce FAIR’s Lawsuit against Citizens Property Insurance for their practices of inflating Replacement Cost Values and Overcharging Florida Consumers. Florida Association Of Insurance Reform Announced on Feb 7, 2012 A Class Action Lawsuit Brought Against Citizens Insurance by It’s Policy Holders at The Capital Building In Tallahassee

Barney Frank To Retire!

It was because he was going to retire anyway, lost a favorite port town in redistricting and had a tough race last time.

Was this really why Congressman Barney Frank announced today he’s retiring from the House of Representatives?

Perhaps another reason was he’s no longer chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and like a lot of bullies, Mr. Frank found it’s not easy to be stripped of the power to torment and humiliate others.

Brilliant, but acid tongued and generally unpleasant, Mr. Frank ruled with an iron gavel, ran over critics with delight and treated committee members and especially Republican colleagues as lesser forms of life.

Mr. Frank’s departure in January 2013 will remove from the House one of its more offensive members. Until then, this petulant, abrasive and downright nasty Congressman will keep making his presence known.

However, it is unlikely that Mr. Frank is leaving for the reason he should depart Congress: out of shame for all he did to stop reform of Fannie and Freddie while there was still time to avert the disaster that almost took down the American economy.

In 2003, he called Fannie and Freddie “fundamentally sound financially” and accused the Bush Administration of trying to “exaggerate a threat of safety… [to] conjure up the possibility of serious financial losses to the Treasury, which I do not see.”

A year later, he said talk of financial problems at Fannie and Freddie were “an artificial issue created by the administration…I don’t think we are in any remote danger here.”

In 2007, as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and just as Fannie and Freddie – overleveraged and stuffed to the gills with risky mortgages they’d encouraged and facilitated – were about to go over the cliff, Mr. Frank attacked President George W. Bush’s call for reform as “inane.”

Yet when Fannie and Freddie went belly up in the fall of 2008, Mr. Frank voted for the same Bush Administration reforms that could have averted the bankruptcies of Fannie and Freddie.

Why did Mr. Frank oppose giving these two gigantic financial institutions the same scrutiny as a local bank, a neighborhood savings and loan or a community credit union?

Fannie and Freddie provided “grease” for the Democratic political machine through hundreds of millions in charitable contributions to left wing community and advocacy groups that are critical to Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts.

Fannie and Freddie hired vast armies of influence peddlers – admittedly from both parties, but mostly Democrats – to forestall any efforts at reasonable regulation.

Fannie and, to a lesser extent, Freddie, were led by Democratic political power brokers, masquerading as mortgage bankers while advising Democratic presidents, vetting Democratic running mates, and plumping the election hopes of Congressional Democrats.

Mr. Frank is incapable of feeling shame, regret or a sense of personal responsibility. These are emotions for lesser beings. He’s leaving because of redistricting or to avoid having to raise money or facing those nasty little voters every two years. The House will be a better place for his departure.

Karl Rove is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush. He is a Fox News contributor and author of “Courage and Consequence” (Threshold Editions, 2010).

Branch Manager
4117 Mariner Blvd.
Hernando County Florida, 34609
Office 352-688-7949
Cell 727-946-0904

Hernando County Real Estate, Real Estate in Hernando County Florida

Real Estate in most of the terms refers to the land and fixtures along with anything permanently affixed to the land. With the lot of advancement in the private property ownership, it has become a major area of business. Buying and selling a Real Estate requires a lot of investment and expertise. That is why most of the people go for Real Estate Agents for these kinds of deals.

When hiring a realtor, consider this: The Real Estate transaction requires extensive knowledge of the relevant data and then strong negotiation skills. Real Estate Agent must provide you with all of the necessary data to make a wise decision before buying or selling a home. He needs to spend hours of research to determine if property meets your needs, and is a value based investment for you and even should negotiate the best sales price on your behalf. It is important to go through the qualification and Resume of particular agent before hiring him.

In most of the developed and developing countries these Real Estate Services are getting a lot of advancements and popularities. In the United States, Real Estate Agents and their salesperson (also called brokers) assist sellers in marketing their property and selling it highest and negotiated price. When acting as a buyers agent with any signed agreement they will look for helping them for lowest possible price.
In most jurisdictions in the United States, a person need to have a license so as to receive remuneration for services entitled as a real estate broker. Unlicensed activity is illegal, but still buyers and sellers acting as principals in the sale or purchase of real estate are not required to be licensed. Still in some states, lawyers are allowed to handle real estate sales for compensation even if there do not have license as broker or agents.

When a person first is licensed to become a real estate agent, he/she obtains a real estate salesperson’s license from the state in which he/she will practice or provide his/her Real estate Services. Real Estate agents or broker has influenced a lot of cities in US like Hernando County Fl, New Port Richey Fl, and the surrounding Tampay Bay Real Estate Market. Your decision to buy a home is both a sound financial decision and a commendable achievement. As your real estate agent please expect some following things from your agent:
He should lead you through every step of the exciting home buying process.
He must help you define your “wish list” of features you want in your home, your neighborhood and surrounding areas.

We will take care of mind-boggling financial details associated with buying a home, including understanding the various mortgages and home buying programs available to you.
For more details or to know about Real Estate Services please visit /

For More Information About Real Estate In Florida and Homes For Sale In Hernando County Please visit http://www.fhaforall.com/

Private Lending Information – What is Private Lending?

If you are like many investors that have seen their stock portfolio values drop significantly over the last few years, you have probably been looking for a safe alternative to the stock market. During your search you may have come across Private Lending (also commonly called Trust Deed Investing). So, what is Private Lending?

Private Lending is simply lending money secured by real estate, but what does that mean exactly? Let’s take a look at an example of what a typical investment as a Private Lender would look like.

Let’s say you happen to know a professional real estate investor that finds great bargains on single family homes and can buy homes at significant discounts. The real estate investor often needs to raise money from private individuals to fund the purchase of the property. You offer to become a Private Lender to that real estate investor and here’s what you agree.

He has found a property that is worth $200,000 that he can buy at a big discount. The property needs some repairs to bring its value back up to $200,000 but he can buy it and fix up the property for a total investment of $140,000.

You, as a Private Lender, agree to loan the investor $140,000 to purchase the property, complete the repairs on the property and market it to a buyer. You and the investor agree that 10% would be a fair interest rate for the money you are lending secured against the property. You also agree to accept payments from the real estate investor for the amount of interest earned by your investment each month.

In this case, you are getting a fixed 10% rate of return on your investment of $140,000 and it is secured by an asset that is worth more than the investment you are making. When the real estate investor sells the property, you are paid back your full investment and the final interest payment.

Can you see why getting a fixed rate of return of 10% secured against an asset that is worth 42% more than your loan amount is a very attractive alternative to investing in the stock market that can go up and down in value?

For More Information About Real Estate In Florida and Homes For Sale In Hernando County Please visit http://www.fhaforall.com/

FHA Loans in Hernando County Florida

There are some really easy steps to getting a FHA loan in Hernando County, FL,
There are tons of advantages for people that take advantage of the FHA loan in Hernando County, Florida.
What can FHA loan in Hernando County Florida be used for?

For More Information About Real Estate In Florida and Homes For Sale In Hernando County Please visit http://www.fhaforall.com/

Role Of Mortgage & Mortgage Broker

Mortgage is the financial term used in terms of money. Mortgage is a method used to obtain loan on behalf of any collateral security. Mortgage plays the dominant role in the world financial market for the purpose of obtaining money from the mortgage lenders. Mortgage broker is the other important person who helps the people to obtain mortgages from the lenders by securing a collateral security. Mortgaging is the business which fetches more demand among the people and huge number of people are engaged in the activity of providing mortgages for the public.

Generally, mortgages will be provided based on securing any real or personal property for payment of debt obtained. Nowadays, mortgage and mortgage dealers play the important and essential role in the world market. Mortgages are provided by the financial institutions, banks and many other financial sources. Mortgage dealers are available in the market in more numbers and nowadays most of the people are interested in mortgage business. Real and personal properties can be secured as the collateral security to obtain payment debt.

There is standard method of obtaining mortgages loan and each institutions formality differs. Generally, mortgage loan are obtained for construction of residential and commercial properties and for purchase of different kinds of house property. Mortgages are the instrument used for the purpose of obtaining loan or financial sources which can be obtained for different interest rates. Mortgage loans will be issued for different interest rates and the interest rate varies as per the institution and banks issued. Most of the people obtain mortgages for their houses, business, marriage, education or for any other kind of issues.

Arranging mortgage from the financial institution is not the difficult task and for the purpose only mortgage brokers are exist in the market. To arrange credit loans and advances, mortgage brokers provides excellent, unique and uncreditable performance to the customers. Over the past years mortgage brokers were finds to be listed in few numbers. But now due to increase in population and requirement of the people more number of mortgages and mortgage institutions has been started. To perform excellent performance in mortgage business, proper experience and knowledge is required for the business.

Because of the extensive performance and demand of the mortgage brokers, more number of mortgages is provided. Nowadays, mortgage loans are provided for reasonable interest rate to enable customers to obtain mortgages from this kind of banks, financial institutions. The profession of mortgage business broker differs according to each state and his style. Mortgage broker of each state is required to obtain mortgage broker license from the state and federal government to engage in the business. Without mortgage broker license, the mortgage broker cannot able to perform the mortgage broker business.

For More Information About Real Estate In Florida and Homes For Sale In Hernando County Please visit http://www.fhaforall.com/

Your Money – Finance Column – Fixed Versus Variable Rate Mortgage

There are various mortgages available in the loan market today. The various forms of mortgages are fixed rate mortgage, graduated payment mortgage, variable rate mortgage, interest only mortgage, adjustable rate mortgage, negative amortization mortgage, and balloon payment mortgage. Of these fixed and variable rate mortgages are very popular.

A fixed rate mortgage (FRM) is a mortgage where the rate of interest remains the same throughout the term of the loan. A variable rate mortgage is a form of mortgage wherein the rate of interest varies or is adjusted. Though the variable rate mortgage may have payment term that is fixed, the interest rate can change. The rate is determined by prevailing market conditions.

Fixed rate mortgages have rigid conditions though new products are available which are popular. A fixed rate mortgage can be good if one wants to carefully budget repayment. Here you know exactly how much you need to repay which means payment can be planed accordingly which can give you a degree of security and certainty.

A fixed rate mortgage is

1. Predictable and secure. The borrower is not exposed to increasing interest rates due to market condition or due to any other reason.

2. Higher cost in short term: The interest rate charged for a fixed rate mortgage is generally higher than the initial interest rate for a variable rate mortgage.

3. Ideal for long-term ownership: In the long term, the rate of interest on a variable rate mortgage can exceed that of a fixed rate mortgage.

Variable rate mortgages generally provide flexibility and options, but they can be highly risky in a rising interest rate market in case your have overcapitalized on your loan. The important aspect while availing a variable rate mortgage is to plan and budget for increase in interest rates and also make sure that it is possible for you to meet your repayment obligations in case rates rise.

A variable rate mortgage is

1. Good for short-term ownership: If you plan to sell your house before the adjustable rate comes into force then you can benefit from lower initial fixed rate.

2. Good when market rates fall: If you are confident that the index can go down in the near future, then you can pay low interest rates in the future.

Most experts suggest fixed rate mortgage as better option in case there is likelihood of interest rate rise in the medium to long term. But benefits gained might not be enough to cover the fees to be paid to switch from a variable to a fixed rate mortgage. The important point is to check your own financial situation and then consider a change.

It is pointed out by experts that the fixed rates never fall below the standard variable rate for a long period of time. In case fixed rates do fall, then it is good idea to fix at least some part of the mortgage.

The type of mortgage which suits you wholly and solely depends on your ability to handle the rate of interest fluctuations.

For More Information About Real Estate In Florida and Homes For Sale In Hernando County Please visit http://www.fhaforall.com/