Tips on buying a new golf home in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Florida Market Remains Strong
Realty Times Feature Article by Broderick Perkins
The Sunshine State is as hot as ever as home price increases remained in double digits in November.
Continuing to show little fallout from the events of Sept. 11, Florida's statewide median sales price rose 10 percent from $117,100 in November last year to $128,000 this November, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.
A major question is whether the downturn in airline travel and tourism, which followed the September terrorist attacks, will continue. For now, however, home sale trends around the state are generally up.
Prices rose most on the coast -- by 34 percent on the southwest peninsula area of Punta Gorda; 24 percent on the southeast peninsula area of Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie; 19 percent in Miami in the south; 16 percent in the Tampa Bay Area region and 14 percent both in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale areas.
Click here to read more about the Florida real estate market
Buying New Makes Sense
One quick glance at today's headlines, and it's no wonder that, as concerned consumers, we're pinching pennies more than ever. In a recent survey conducted by HSBC Bank USA, 64 percent of us plan to cut unnecessary spending this year. And, in a similar survey by Discover Financial Services, about half of consumers plan to cut down on such non-essential spending as dinners out and movies - even remodeling.
Still, when it comes to buying a house - something that many consumers are doing because of the many good deals to be had in a slow market - most of us prefer new. Even better, buying a new home also makes good financial sense. New homes offer countless advantages for consumers when it comes to saving money. Perhaps the biggest plus is that, since they're brand-new, the maintenance headaches that often accompany maintenance - as with older homes - simply don?t exist, and won't for a while.
New homes also use the latest in whole-house systems, like heating and air conditioning, so they're not likely to break down, saving consumers money. They're also more energy-efficient, which is also good for saving lots of green. Speaking of green, with interest rates that aren?t too far away from historic lows (just over 6 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage as of March 11), consumers can also save money on new home mortgages. And, since mortgage interest and real estate taxes are deductible, it's another way to save money by buying a new home, especially when it comes to tax time.
Click here to read more about "Why You Should Buy New".