Clearwater & Largo, Florida Homes

Open House in Roosevelt Groves on Saturday

Bud Cooke — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:03:00 GMT

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 410 2nd Ave NE on July 23 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

Property information

Single Story For Rent/Lease in Roosevelt Groves

Bud Cooke — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:09:00 GMT

Beautiful Yard • 1,305 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story - $1,100 Monthly - Rent to Own Available! Roosevelt Groves, Largo - This great home is a 3 Bedrooms, 2 bath home with a huge game room which includes a laundry closet, wet bar and lots of storage. The home features a large corner lot with fenced yard for the little ones, beautiful walk ways, brick pavers and outdoor lighting. There's plenty of room for children to play and a great patio area for grilling or just enjoying the yard...(read more)

Which is Better When Buying? Call the Listing Agent or Hiring Your Own Representative?

Bud Cooke — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:54:00 GMT

I had a lady call me today and she was asking for another Charles Rutenberg Agents number on on a listing. We discussed her situation and she thought it would be best to go straight to the listing agent. I explained to her that the listing agent is trying to get the most for the home possible for the seller and that by hiring another agents with motivation to do a good job and help her to pay the least, she might want to reconsider, especially since it doesn't cost her more to do so. While we...(read more)

210 4th St. NE in Roosevelt Groves is Sold!

Bud Cooke — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:32:00 GMT

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - The single story at 210 4th St. NE has been sold.

Property information

2 Story For Sale in Willow Ridge

Bud Cooke — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:52:00 GMT

• 1,476 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story - MLS® $156,992 - Priced To Sell

Willow Ridge, Clearwater - Charming home in great central Clearwater location. This elegant 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home on a quiet street features an updated kitchen fresh paint throughout and an almost new 10-2010 A/C system The home is ready to move into and won't last long. 10 minutes to the beaches, 5 minutes to great shopping and easy access to all major Tampabay areas! A quick close is possible. Owner is ready to sell.

Property information

How Good is Your Memory?

Bud Cooke — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:41:00 GMT

Are you looking for that perfect home for 2011? The search online is just the beginning. Yes, I provide cutting edge tools like ListingBook which can help keep you organized. But that’s just the start. I’ve bought many homes during my life but the one I remember most was a pool home in Hillsborough County. I looked at some 10 to 15 homes before finding the one I really liked. I tried to keep notes about all of the homes. Most had the same basic configuration, including a pool. However,...(read more)

Single Story For Sale in Meadow Lawn

Bud Cooke — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 19:50:00 GMT

Diamond in the Rough

• 1,169 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $67,500 - Fixer-Upper!

Meadow Lawn, St. Petersburg - Great starter home or investment property located in desirable Meadow Lawn. This home is on a nice sized corner lot. The home is close to the park, schools, mall and easy access to Tampa, beaches and other local attractions. The sprinkler is fed by a deep well. ***THIS IS NOT A SHORT SALE!*** MAKE AN OFFER - ALL WILL BE CONSIDERED.

This great home is eligible for a 203k rehab loan along with FHA financing. Check with your lender or mortgage broker for details.

Property information

Price Reduced on 614 Highland Ave. N. in Hillcrest Estates

Bud Cooke — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:03:00 GMT

Hillcrest Estates, Clearwater - Announcing a price reduction on 614 Highland Ave. N., a 2,066 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm single story. Now MLS® $175,000 - Reduced!.

Property information

Price Reduced on 210 4th St. NE in Roosevelt Groves

Bud Cooke — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:46:00 GMT

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - Announcing a price reduction on 210 4th St. NE, a 1,409 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story. Now MLS® $125,000 - Price Reduced!.

Property information

Price Reduced on 410 2nd Ave NE in Roosevelt Groves

Bud Cooke — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:35:00 GMT

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - Announcing a price reduction on 410 2nd Ave NE, a 1,305 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story. Now MLS® $95,000 - Price Reduced $20,000!.

Property information

Two Story 3 Bd 3Ba with 2066 Sq Ft in Clearwater For Sale - Only $180,000!

Bud Cooke — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:23:00 GMT

Huge! • 2,066 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $180,000 - Low Price For Square Feet Hillcrest Estates, Clearwater - If you are looking for a home with room for the whole family at a reasonable investment, look no further. This great 2 story Clearwater home has 3 bedrooms and 3 full sized bathrooms. The upstairs master bedroom suite features wood floors, 2 closets (one that is a walk in), and a full bathroom. The living room/ dining room have vaulted ceilings and each of the bedrooms...(read more)

How to Avoid House Investing Blues

Bud Cooke — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:24:00 GMT

Real Estate - Knowing A Real Deal Property Information Sheet Buds With so many foreclosure homes on the market, how do you know if that great deal you have your eye on, really is a good deal? I often work with buyers that want to look at foreclosures because of the low prices. In many cases, the condition of the home frightens the buyer and they get frustrated by what they perceive as too big a project. The problem in this case involves two areas. First, you cannot be emotional about investment homes....(read more)

Price Reduced on 7695 17th Way, N in Meadow Lawn

Bud Cooke — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:34:00 GMT

Meadow Lawn, St. Petersburg - Announcing a price reduction on 7695 17th Way, N, a single story. Now MLS® $75,000 - Fixer-Upper!.

Property information

Single Story For Sale in Roosevelt Groves

Bud Cooke — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:45:00 GMT

Great Invester Opportunity

• 1,409 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $140,000 - New On Market & Updated!

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - INVESTOR OPPORTUNITY!! This is not a distressed property and is priced for a QUICK SALE. This home is currently one of two single family rental homes situated in a compound setting. See MLS #7456370. They are deeded separately with their own tax IDs.It can be purchased alone or with the adjacent property that is located at 410 2nd Avenue. This home has beautiful updates, including kitchen, baths and Nafco wood flooring.(This eliminates many of the maintenance problems of normal 'laminate' flooring) Both properties are well maintained and are currently rented for a combined $2000/month. This property is rented for $1100 and the other for $900. Both tenants are on month to month leases. You can buy one and rent the other OR purchase both and both and save! There is a discount for purchasing both. NOTE: Flood Insurance is not required here! (Flood Zone X)

Property information

Price Reduced on 210 4th St. NE in Roosevelt Groves

Bud Cooke — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:45:00 GMT

Roosevelt Groves, Largo - Announcing a price reduction on 210 4th St. NE, a 1,409 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story. Now MLS® $140,000 - New On Market & Updated!.

Property information

How To Compete For Bank Owned Properties

Bud Cooke — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:28:00 GMT

Today's real estate environment has evolved over the past two years. Although prices may have hit bottom, some of that may be due to a new strategy being used by banks to unload their bank owned properties for the maximum price the market will allow. Banks have learned what real estate professionals have been saying in this down market all along; price the home below the market.

For a number of reason, buyers and especially first time buyers have started getting into the market. I see it in a number of ways. I'm seeing increased numbers in my calls from buyers, responses to advertising, leads from lead generating companies and traffic to my web site. While this is great news for the industry, new tactics are being used by the banks to reduce their inventory. The banks have learned that if you under-price a home, it will attract a lot of attention. Buyers believe that they have finally found their dream home at an affordable price. However, they also quickly discover that they are not alone. Interest in the under priced home quickly results in multiple offers on the home and a situation similar to the market frenzy of 2004-2005 quickly drives the asking price to the maximum price the market will bear.

The point of this article is to first, alert you to this phenomenon. Secondly, I will endeavor to provide some guidance that may help you to compete in this new arena. How can you compete and win in this bidding war? By understanding how each offer is viewed by the banks and how you can structure your offer to give yourself the best competitive edge.

Remember, I'm not suggesting that all banks have now begun to price the homes they control, correctly. It is always smart to have good representation and insist on detailed comparable studies be completed in order to know if the price is indeed, "below market."

Banks want to move quickly to get rid of their inventory. Every dollar tied up in inventory is money they cannot lend. Additionally, the longer it takes to sell a home, the more holding costs the banks incur.

If YOU can pay all cash, you eliminate the bank's time to close because you aren't going requiring a contingency period for financing approvals, appraisals, etc. This also saves you "out-of-pocket" expenses. The shorter time it will take to close your deal, the more attractive your offer looks to the bank.

Here are a few other ways you can increase the attractiveness of your offer:

Have all of your loan application completed in advance. Make sure you bring everything your lender requests.
Have the bank issue a pre-approval letter that is actually signed and not just produced by a computer.
Put in as big a down payment as you can possibly afford.
Be prepared to accept the home in as-is condition and spell it out in the offer.
Reduce the close of escrow to less than 30 days if at all possible.
Reduce the inspection contingency to no more than 5 to 7 days.
Offer to pay more than the asking price, if possible.

Now that you finally decided become a homeowner, you need to plan ahead, as we get closer to the end of the "up to $8,000" tax credit window of November 30 2009, there will be far more competition and you will need all the help you can get. Don't try to go at it alone. Find and work closely with a qualified professional and be prepared to go see a house as soon as it is on the market and possibly write an offer on the spot.

Happy Hunting!

Bud Cooke, GRI, e-PRO®, Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc. Serving Pinellas County, Florida and the Gulf Beaches
Visit us at http://www.Selling-Pinellas.com, & http://www.BudCooke.com. Write to Bud@BudCooke.com or call at 727-459-5460.

HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT

Bud Cooke — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:47:00 GMT

Note that this information is outdated.

If first-time homebuyers wait until November to sign a sales contract, it's probably too late to get the $8,000 tax credit. To qualify, buyers must close before Dec. 1 - a signed contract is not enough. New construction should be started by mid-summer to qualify.

Viewing Bank Owned and Foreclosure Homes

Bud Cooke — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:57:00 GMT

I've always had an avid interest in real estate investing and have owned many investment homes over the years. Along with my normal responsibilities as a real estate sales associate, I also work as an investor. Over the years I've learned many lessons that I now find to be almost instinctual. Some were learned the hard way, many from other investors. My partner and I were walking through a home and he noticed that I moved very cautiously across the floor. I thought I might share with you my reasons for this.

When you enter a bank owned or foreclosure home, make certain you take your time walking across each room's flooring. There are a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, you should be very careful since often, needed repairs will have been ignored or set aside due to the previous owner's lack of funds. I've been in homes that had termite problems, where 1/2" rather than 3/4" plywood was used to repair a flooring hole. Since it's very possible they may have used whatever was laying around... well you see the picture. Falling through a damaged floor is hard on the bones.

The second issue is potential repair costs. If you are paying close attention, you can feel changes in the levelness of the floor, soft areas that may require pulling out flooring to the base, and other items that could present an unpleasant surprise after you begin the demo portion of repairs.

Forewarned is forearmed

How long have I been an investor, anyway!!??

Bud Cooke — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:59:00 GMT

Today I finally reached the agent for a property my partner and I looked at yesterday in St. Petersburg. It had been on the market 3 days and looked perfect. It was a bank owned that needed an AC, flooring, dry wall and some cabinet and counter work in the kitchen. It also had an above ground pool and deck that needed to be taken away. List price: $79,900. According to the comps, based on square footage, in market condition it should get $170+ and for a quick sale could have been sold at $155. It's a 4/2/1 and would need about $20k in repairs.

Unfortunately, you have to move very quickly when you find these deals. We had lost out before we began. By the time we looked at the house, there had been seven offers and the bank had agreed to one of them. Normally I would have talked to the agent before going out to the property, but because it was a holiday weekend, the agent was out of town and could not be reached right away.

If you're thinking about buying a cheap home in an area that will make you some money or be a fairly safe investment, you will have to move quickly. Investing is not an emotional purchase. Oh well, where's the next one? If you would like to get involved or just buy yourself a home, call me at 727-459-5460.

By the way, check me out on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/budcooke. If you want to generate more traffic for your business and you use Twitter, try ViralFloowers at http://viralfollowers.com/BudCooke/vu/. They will help grow your followers exponentially.

HOME PRICES ON THE RISE! WILL YOU WAIT TOO LONG?

Bud Cooke — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:24:00 GMT

Note that this information is outdated.

HOME PRICES U.S. home prices rose 1.7 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis from December to January, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks. Read the full story:

Buying Bank or Lender Owned Repos Snags

Bud Cooke — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:08:00 GMT

If you are in the market for a home and you've decided to purchase a condo, you may want to be mindful of some potential hidden charges. First, often lenders repossess a home where the monthly maintenance fees have not been paid for some period of time. Since the normal fees in our area typically run anywhere from $150 to $450 a month, the total outstanding fees could total several thousand dollars. Lenders often will bury that the seller is responsible for making up these fees, in the addenda that they require be signed as a part of the contract. If you or your agent don't notice these additional costs, you could be stuck learning about them on your copy of the "HUD-1" statement presented by the closing company during the last few days before close, or even at the closing table.

If enough homes in the same community have been foreclosed on and home owners association fees have been affected, it would be wise to make certain that the condo association doesn't plan an increase in these fees to make up shortages incurred.

If you're looking for a real estate professional to help you through the process of purchasing a foreclosed home, call me at 1-866-200-5332 x.2002. You need an buyer's representative experienced with foreclosures, pre-foreclosures and bank owned homes.

2964 Mission Drive E. in Mission Hills is Sold!

Bud Cooke — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:38:00 GMT

Mission Hills, Clearwater - The single story at 2964 Mission Drive E. has been sold. This home was sold at auction and closed in two weeks to cash buyer.

Property information

BUYING A CONDO? YOU MAY WANT TO HURRY FOR FINANCING IN FLORIDA...

Bud Cooke — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:36:00 GMT

If you're looking to buy an investment condo at a great price in Florida, you just might want to get your loan application nailed down and in before January 15th.

That's the day that Fannie Mae toughens its policies on condo properties in Florida. This could end the bottom fishing currently being done by investors and smart purchasers.

In letters sent to lenders before the Christmas, Fannie Mae indicated that declining market conditions in Florida forced it to require bigger minimum downpayments and more extensive underwriting reviews before funding new loans.

All loan applications for units in new and existing condo projects in Florida will go through an intensive review process by in-house underwriting teams to evaluate the building, its finances and local market conditions.

Lenders presumably will look to borrowers to pay the extra costs … and the additional time required for reviews could complicate some transactions. If you are interested in condos, make sure your financial house is in order or hurry to get in now before the tougher standards take place on the 15th!

Price Reduced on 1221 10th Circle SE., #169 in New Haven Condo

Bud Cooke — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:45:00 GMT

New Haven Condo, Largo - Announcing a price reduction on 1221 10th Circle SE., #169, a 1,105 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story "Villa". Now MLS® $10,000 - TO BE AUCTIONED!. Email me to get a copy of the auction flyer with more details about the auction. Bud@BudCooke.com

Property information

Single Story For Sale in Mission Hills

Bud Cooke — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:26:00 GMT

Unbelievably Low Price!

• 812 sq. ft., 1 bath, 2 bdrm single story - MLS® $59,000 - PRICE REDUCED!

Mission Hills, Clearwater - RELAX AND ENJOY WORRY FREE SENIOR LIVING.
PRICED TO SELL!
** PLUS 1 YR HOME WARRANY!

Mission Hills Condo is one of the area's premier 55+ communities with so many activities that even the most active will have trouble finding the time! Do as much or as little as you like. Relax and enjoy the heated pool, sit and chat with friends in the recreation center, shoot a game of billiards, enjoy the shuffle board courts or take part in some or all of the many planned events each month.

This large 2 bed home has newer cabinetry in kitchen and bath. The stated square footage of 812 sq ft does not include the built out Florida room which makes the living area one of the larger units in the community. The Master bedroom is large and looks out over the park-like rear courtyard. Your new home includes newer appliances in the kitchen, remodeling in the kitchen and bath, newer carpeting and there's even a new Murphy bed in the 2nd bedroom.

Did I mention that there is a free 1 year home warranty paid by the seller!

Call me at 727-459-5460 to learn how to save an extra $500 on this great home!

Property information