Two Cents Blog

Here are some great web addresses to prepare for hurricane season.  Now is the time to prepare. 

http://www.floridadisaster.org/ - This site has information to prepare you, your family, and businesses in the event of a disaster.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes  - Includes key facts about hurricane readiness and recovery including how to prevent illness and injuries during and after a storm.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ - This site contains up-to-date maps and projections of storm tracks.

www.weather.gov/alerts/fl.html - Provides county-specific warning and weather alerts throughout Florida.

Good news this month from the Greater Tampa Board of Realtors.

Once again, we have an uptrend on the month over month year-to-date stats.
- Hillsborough County is UP a whopping 66% since the first of the year for existing home sales
- Inventory is down 3.6% from our highest level this year
- This months inventory dropped to the lowest point this year of 15.01
- Average list price went up to $266,411
- Average sale price hiked up to the second highest this year $244,977

You might be missing the bottom if you’re not buying now.

If you're thinking of buying a retirement home in Florida, now is the time to buy.  Many homes in the new developments are now priced $100,000. less than they were last year.  The builder inventory homes at Valencia Lakes have sold well and there are very few completed homes left to buy.  However, GL Homes is in the process of building 50 new spec homes, many of which are in progress and a few that are nearing the final phase.  Even those homes seem to be selling well and buyers seem to be scooping up the good buys both in the high and low price ranges. 

You might ask why GL Homes would go out on a limb to build 50 spec homes in a supposedly "bad market" but the answer is this:  buyers of these homes must sell their homes first in order to buy.  Because the market in their home town is questionable, they're not willing to risk contracting to buy a house if their present house isn't already sold.  Once their homes are sold, they arrive in Florida, looking for a home with immediate occupancy, not a home to be completed 7 months from now.

This is one way builders have learned to cope with a unique market and still keep working and remain profitable.  The benefit is to the buyer, who has plenty of new homes to choose from in all price ranges, but in prices they haven't seen in a decade or more.  So get going buyers!  What are you waiting for?

June 1st marks the first day of hurricane season here in Florida.  Just as you prepare your home with food, water and emergency supplies, you should also prepare for your pets' safety.

If you need to evacuate, you should have a crate to house your pet in if you need to go to a shelter or hotel.  You'll need pet food, water, medicines, and medical records.  Be sure to have a collar with identification in case of separation from your pet.

For a list of pet friendly hotels, check out the following websites:

http://www.dogfriendly.com

http://www.petswelcome.com

http://www.pets-allowed-hotels.com

AAA also lists whether pets are allowed in their guidebooks. 

Let's hope this is a mild hurricane season, but just in case, the time to strart preparing is now.