Melanie Loves Tampa Bay

Have you been dealing with homeowners' insurance sticker shock or get a notice that your policy is canceled? There's a LOT to know about the current property insurance crisis here in Florida. Joining me for this episode is State Senator Jeff Brandes (R) District 24 to discuss what's behind our insurance industry problems and possible solutions. 

https://flsenate.gov/senators/s24 

https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBrandes 

https://twitter.com/JeffreyBrandes 

*Melanie Loves Tampa Bay does not make political endorsements

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

When you’re searching for Florida homes online, have you ever wondered why two similar properties have such different property taxes? I’ll be explaining why you should NOT rely on a home’s property tax history to estimate what yours would be on the same home. We’re going to go over Florida’s Homestead Exemption, the Save Our Homes 3% Cap, portability, other types of property tax exemptions in the Sunshine State, ad valorem vs. non-ad valorem, and how property tax rates are calculated. You’ll definitely want to tune into this episode if you’re a new home buyer in Florida.

https://www.hcpafl.org/Property-Info/Homestead-Other-Info

https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/pt109.pdf

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

In this red hot housing market of Tampa, Florida homes do NOT last very long once they go up for sale. But what about all those homes that show as 'pending' for a while, then pop back up 'for sale'? Let's go over some of the common reasons why residential real estate contracts fall through and how you, as a buyer, can use that information to *your* advantage. I'll also explain the differences between As-Is and Repairs contracts and why the As-Is contract became the standard in Florida.

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

What is it really like to live in the state of Florida now that it's such a popular moving destination? So much has changed over the past few years in terms of cost of living, the housing market, Tampa Bay area neighborhoods, traffic, and population demographics. Florida still does not have state income tax, but there have been fluctuations in homeowners insurance as well as an increase in the taxable value of homes in regard to property tax. We'll also (once again) touch on elements of weather and Florida native wildlife.

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

Rent... the American Dream? 60 Minutes recently did a report on the housing market and the increase of rental prices around the country. In 2021, the Tampa Bay area experienced about a 25% spike in both home and rent prices. The high demand and lack of inventory is driving these costs up and consequently - pricing buyers out. In the 60 Minutes piece, the CEO of Tricon Residential (company buying single-family homes to use as rentals) stated that they are allowing people to 'rent' the American dream instead of owning. I looked at home sales in the community of Brandon, Florida to find out how many of these properties were bought by LLCs and not individuals. Let's also talk about the benefits of home ownership and tips for navigating this tough market. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rising-rent-prices-60-minutes-2022-03-20/

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

To many buyers searching for the perfect home in the Tampa Bay area, it might seem like cash buyers & investors are swooping in to get all of the local inventory - pushing out everyone with financing offers. But is this really true? In this episode, I analyze & compare real home sales numbers to get an accurate picture on which types of buyers are making it to the closing table. And the breakdown may surprise you... Plus, be sure to watch toward the end to get a few of my power tips on navigating this competitive real estate market.

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

Zillow just named the Tampa metro as the #1 hottest housing market for 2022. Not surprisingly, Florida cities dominated much of the ranking list for the second year in a row along with North Carolina and Texas. According to Zillow, the housing market overall is expected to remain hot, maintaining many of the same sales trends as 2021. As a Tampa Realtor who's lived and worked in the Tampa Bay area for decades, I wanted to weigh in on this news and share insight on what's coming in the new year for buyers & sellers. 

https://www.zillow.com/research/zillow-2022-hottest-markets-tampa-30413/

Do you agree/disagree with Zillow's list? Let me know what you think! And why do you think the Tampa Bay area is attracting so many new residents? 

ZILLOW'S HOTTEST MARKETS 2022

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

As the Tampa Bay area grows, there are quite a few new condo developments that will be available to new residents in the upcoming years. One of my favorite things about working for Smith & Associates is that we're the exclusive sales brokerage for so many of these luxury projects.

Fair warning: this is *not* an episode for those seeking out average priced housing. All of these condominium projects have hefty price tags targeted toward the high-end home buyer. Real estate development companies are focused mainly on downtown St. Petersburg, downtown Tampa, and South Tampa.

You can see all of the condos mentioned in the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/I12i3RaTkBM

ST. PETERSBURG

400 Central

TAMPA

Altura

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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 area insurance agent Maria Rodriguez, with Rip Weachter Insurance Agency, joins me to talk about Florida insurance changes to know about going into 2022. She explains how insurance carriers have updated the methodology used to calculate flood risk and premiums. You'll want to tune into this episode if you're shopping for a new policy or already have homeowners & flood insurance because you *will* be affected. Maria also explains how flood zones and the age of a home's roof come into play.  

Contact Maria Rodriguez for your insurance needs within the state of Florida

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: [email protected]

Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.616.2427

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.

With home prices on the rise, can you even afford to buy a home in 2022?  In this episode, Melanie is joined by Patrick Storch with The Mortgage Firm Tampa to discuss mortgage changes you need to know about, interest rates, and the challenging housing market here in Florida. (Spoiler Alert: conventional loan limits have increased to $625,000 from the previous $548,250) You'll definitely want to tune in if you plan to house hunt over the next year - we're also sharing helpful tips on getting a home loan, creative financing, and what you can do to increase your chances of getting offers accepted!  

The Mortgage Firm Tampa / Patrick Storch

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: [email protected]

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.