FOR SALE ~ New Tampa Home in Sterling Manor

 

Click Here to Watch Video

Looking for a move-in ready home, in a maintenance free community in the Tampa Palms area, this home is the perfect choice. Completely renovated, with lots of updates and upgrades, this home offers 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, an optional 4th bedroom/den/office and screened-in deck. As you enter the home, you are welcomed with a 2-story, opened entrance, with large windows from the floor to ceiling. A formal dining room, with a wall inset for added decorations along with a bay window with sitting space. The first floor also features an optional 4th bedroom, a spacious living room, double sided fireplace, oak wood flooring throughout, recessed lighting, full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, closet pantry, and updated light fixtures.

The second floor is covered with plush carpet from the staircase to the bedroom closets. The second level, split bedroom floor plan includes 2 bedrooms, and a master suite that is separated by a guest bathroom. The master suite features windows that allow a lot of natural light, ceiling fan, tray ceiling, and two closets with one being a walk-in closet. The master bathroom will be your favorite place, with a water closet, garden tub, separate shower, linen closet, and double vanities. This home sits on a conservation of wooded charm. Not to mention the community is a maintenance free community where the lawn is trimmed routinely and the overgrown trees are pared bi-annually.

For more property details, call 813-419-7009 or email info@gloriawalters.com.

International Buyers Finding Homes in US

Dr. Jerry D Parrish, a chief economist, wrote this article which chiefly outlines the purchases of property made in Florida by international buyers. Florida has been, is, and will continue to be in the future an attractive place for the real estate industry. The article stipulates that the buyers are coming from mainly Western Europe and Britain, with a sizable number also coming from South/ Latin America and Canada.

Chinese buyers are also present. Sales have been gradually increasing since 2008. International buyers are important to Florida's economy, and a forecast of around 60,000 purchases of property in Florida made by international buyers is made by Parrish. Parrish conjectures that the strong property rights in Florida are spurring more and more international buyers, as well as the strong tourism industry.

Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act

The United States Senate has just passed "The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act" by a vote of 72-22 (both US Senator Nelson and Senator Rubio voted in favor of the bill. This is the bill the US House passed on March 4. This is incredible news for Florida REALTORS® and property owners. The bill will now be sent directly to President Obama for his signature!

* Reinstates Grandfathering - This bill permanently repeals Section 207 of the Biggert-Waters Act, meaning that grandfathering is reinstated. All post-FIRM properties built to code at the time of construction will have protection from rate spikes due to new mapping - for example, if you built to +2 Base Flood Elevation, you stay at +2, regardless of new maps. Also importantly, the grandfathering stays with the property, not the policy.

* Caps Annual Rate Increases at 18% - This bill decreases FEMA's authority to raise premiums. The bill prevents FEMA from increasing premiums within a single property class beyond a 15 percent average a year, with an individual cap of eighteen percent a year. Pre Biggert-Waters, the class average cap was 10%. Currently (Post Biggert-Waters), the class average cap is 20%. The bill also requires a 5% minimum annual increase on pre-FIRM primary residence policies that are not at full risk. The updated legislation also states that FEMA shall strive to minimize the number of policies with premium increases that exceed one percent of the total coverage of the policy (e.g., 1% of $250,000 = $2,500).

* Refunds policyholders who purchased pre-FIRM homes after Biggert-Waters (7/6/12) and were subsequently charged higher rates

* Permanently Removes the Sales Trigger - This bill removes the policy sales trigger, which allows a purchaser to take advantage of a phase in. The new purchaser is treated the same as the current property owner.

* Allows for Annual Surcharges - This legislation applies an annual surcharge of $25 for primary residences and $250 for second homes and businesses, until subsidized policies reach full risk rates. All revenue from these assessments would be placed in the NFIP reserve fund, which was established to ensure funds are available for meeting the expected future obligations of the NFIP.

* Funds the Affordability Study and Mandates Completion - This legislation funds the affordability study required by Biggert-Waters and mandates its completion in two years.

* Includes the Home Improvement Threshold - This bill returns the "substantial improvement threshold" (i.e. renovations and remodeling) to the historic 50% of a structure's fair market value level. Under Biggert-Waters, premium increases are triggered when the renovation investments meet 30% of the home's value.

* Additional provisions: This legislation includes several other provisions including preserving the basement exception, allowing for payments to be made in monthly installments, and reimbursing policy holders for successful map appeals.