Here is a quick link to a great page on the awesome community of Waterchase in Nw Tampa. The info was featured at http://www.fun-florida-getaways.com/waterchase.cfm

To list or buy a home in the Westchase, Waterchase or surrounding areas Click Here

More than 1 million have used first-time homebuyer credit

Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Mark Anderson Sacramento Business Journal

I am proud to announce I am now a part of tampa's #1 real estate brokerage,Tampau.com realty!

Why list with us? Simple!

1. 90% of buyers use the internet as thier main source of searching for homes to purchase

2. The Tampa4u.com company website ranks #1 on the worlds #1 search engine--GOOGLE! as well as many more!

3. Over 7700 unique buyers from around the world visit the company website, therefore we HAVE THE BUYERS

Another great reason to live in Tampa! Check out the artice here to see how Tampa is top of the list on positive salary increases! Now is a great time to purchase tampa westchase area real estate, contact me and I'll be happy to assist you!

The Westchase Family YMCA is hosting a family fun fest this weekend! Here is the info:
Westchase Community Family Fun Festival

Saturday, July 18th
6:00pm-9:00pm
Located in the Common Area on Montague Ave

Featuring...
Bounce House - Town & Country Skate World
Face Painting - Dipsy & Doodle
Bounce House - Happy Jumping
Crime Prevention- Tampa International Airport
Westchase Chiropractic - Dr Michael Sosa

Here are some excepts from a Great List of how to prepare your home for showings and open houses!

Tips on Showing Your Home to Potential Buyers

Your house has been checked, inspected, and cleaned from top to bottom. You have priced it at what you feel is a fair price. The marketing and advertising program is in full swing. Now it is time to pull all of the preparations into action: open houses and showings! All of the work that you have done up to this point will only have an effect when a buyer walks into your house for the first time.


Give all family members assigned jobs in advance that will go into action when a short-notice showing is scheduled. Everyone must know their duties and carry them out, so that you dont end up banging into one another trying to get everything done quickly.

Open every window covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should
be positioned to let in maximum light. Buyers like a house
to be "light and bright",
so accommodate them! Replace burned out light bulbs and
increase the wattage to others. Also, turn on as many lights as possible.

Make sure the house smells good. Baking cookies or placing a small
saucer with a tea spoon of vanilla in a warm oven, often
recommended, may be overdoing it, but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking
odors definitely will not work! Air out the house just before the scheduled
showing, but close the windows (unless it is a perfect
day) before they arrive.

Words that must be remembered: NO CLUTTER, NO CLUTTER, NO CLUTTER!

Make sure that everything is spotless. Pay particular attention to
windows (inside and out), bathrooms and the kitchen, etc.
In the bathrooms, towels should be fresh and clean, sinks and baths
scrubbed, and the floor freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure
all dishes are put away and countertops and sinks are cleaned. Park
cars on the street and keep garage swept out and clutter free, and
place excess items in storage if needed.

Check the thermostat to make sure the house is at a comfortable temperature.

Remove pets from the house, or at least, keep them outside. Pets
under foot will quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive
showing.

Soft quiet music is the only sound buyers should hear.

Never apologize for your homes shortcomings.

Waterchase's Musicpalooza event was a huge success last night, as bands played through the night at Waterchase's event field. The turnout was huge,as expected. Residents enjoyed food catered by Grillsmith, the kids played and everyone enjoyed the atmosphere. Another great reason to live in the Westchase/ Waterchase communities! You don't have to go far to find fun!
To search Westchase and Waterchase Real Estate and Homes for Sale, Click Here

Cheap Home Improvements - Get Ready To Sell By: Debbie Bresee

So you’re selling your home. And you’ve had a real estate agent come to your home and say you need to get some things fixed, replaced, or cleaned. And you’re thinking, “I don’t have the time for this. I need to sell!” But yet, in your heart of hearts, you know the agent made some good suggestions. So what do you do?

There are things that I’m sure you’ve heard before, but they bear repeating. There are certain things that just simply turn a buyer off, and many can be avoided or eliminated. I’ve worked with numerous buyers over the years. Sometimes they just turn and walk out, or not even want to go in at all because of things that could have been easily fixed or tidied.

The Yard:
A day or two spent in the yard mowing, edging, pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, sweeping the driveway, walkway and porches would make a huge difference in what’s referred to as “curb appeal”. Simply stated, it just means how appealing your home is from the curb. There are many times, especially in this economic crunch we’re in, that a buyer will take one look and say, “Just take me to the next home.” This is because buyers see the home as needing cleaned up or repaired and they know there may be many other homes on the market to choose from with a better first impression. So if you have a mower and yard tools, or if you can borrow some, the yard may be one of the least expensive things you can personally do to help the appearance of your home.

Clutter:
This may be the hardest one to deal with. As a seller you need to remember that even though something may mean a lot to you because of who gave it to you or where you purchased it, the buyer only cares about whether or not their stuff will fit well in your home. It’s like this, when a buyer walks into a home they start mentally placing their things in your home. They place their furniture in your living room, their pictures on your walls, their clothes in your closets, their cars in your garage. So if there’s a lot of stuff in the way, they can’t see anywhere to put their stuff. You may be thinking, “But I live here! What am I going to do with my stuff?” The answer is to remove as much of your unnecessary stuff as possible and either put it in storage. Leave your best furniture, and just enough pictures on the wall to add some color and warmth. Leave spaces open for your prospective buyers to visualize their stuff there.

Cleanliness and Smell:
This is something else that could be done in a day or two. A cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and good smelling home is always impressive. I’ve had buyers walk out of a home and ask as they were leaving, “What’s that smell in the back bedroom?” I later learned the smell was a pet odor. Unfortunately that was the only thing that stood out about that house, even though it was a great floor plan. A thorough cleaning and deodorizing can absolutely make your home stand out and leave a good impression.

The Walls:
This one is fairly simple. Patch holes, fix nail pops, and paint. Paint can be fairly inexpensive and it will make a huge difference in the overall appearance.

Other Simple Repairs:
Here’s a partial list, but maybe enough to get you thinking about what could be fixed or tightened with some simple household tools.

• Leaky faucets
  
• Leaky or running toilets
  
• Loose door handles
  
• Loose hardware on cabinets
  
• Loosely fitting bifold doors
  

This article is by no means a complete list. But hopefully there are enough things here to get you to thinking of things you can do for little or nothing that would make a huge difference in preparing your home to sell. You might walk out into your front yard, then turn around and face your home. Pretend you’re a home buyer. Now look at your home, walk through it and see if you can find things that could make a negative impression on a buyer.

I wish you the very best of luck in overcoming these challenges, and in selling your home!

Author Resource:->  To browse through MLS listings of Nashville Homes or Brentwood TN Homes please visit our web sites.

Article From Real Estate Pro Articles

Change to the $8,000 tax credit

By : Paul Escobedo
Submitted 2009-06-23 08:57:38

By now, you’d think everyone who’s a first time home buyer would know about the $8,000 potential tax credit that’s coming from President Obama’s stimulus package, the one he signed in February after he came into office. Instead, we’re finding that people are still surprised by this, and have no real clue of what it is, or how it can benefit them.

When you purchase a home, each year on your taxes you get to write off all of your interest payments. The first full year of home ownership gives you the biggest bang, then every year after that it goes down.

This year, on top of any interest payments you get to write off, the federal government is giving you an extra discount if you’re a first time home owner. They’re even giving you a break on that term, calling a first time home owner anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years. So, depending on how much home you buy, and what your income is, you have the possibility of getting a drastic amount of your taxes written off.

Actually, it just got better, as you can now use the tax credit up front as a part of your down payment, or as the down payment. As it’s usually recommended that you try to have a down payment of at least 5% in cash to pay at the time of signing your papers, this could be a great boost to the home owner, as no one moves into a ready made house where everything is perfect and the way they like it, such that they never make any changes. Everyone makes changes, and this makes it possible for you to hold onto some of your money to use for other things.

The amount of $8,000 is actually a misnomer. What you actually get is 8% per $10,000 of the cost of the house you’re buying. So, if you bought a $50,000 home and you fit the income requirement, you’d only get a tax credit of $4,000. If you bought a house of more than $100,000 and fit the requirement, then you’d get $8,000. And, if you live in a state like California, you can qualify for even bigger tax credits, as California has added an extra 10% credit per $10,000.

The income requirements are fairly liberal. If you’re single and make less than $75,000, you qualify for the entire thing. If you make less than $95,000, you’ll get some kind of prorated amount. If you’re a married couple, you can go up to $150,000 for the full shot, up to $170,000 for a prorated amount.

Thus, this is a win-win for buyers, and it could get more interesting. A senator from Georgia, with a background in real estate, is pushing for more of a tax credit, up to 15%; that would be incredible, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it.

This is indeed a good time to look for a new home, but you don’t have a lot of time. Although it’s being predicted that there might be something similar for 2010, for this year you have until December 1st to purchase your new house. So, time is ticking; get on it.
Author Resource:- Search colorado home builders, new home builders colorado springs and colorado springs new homes!

The Seven Basics of Home Staging

Home staging is a mixed bag because there is so much you can do that knowing where to start, especially if you are doing it yourself, is almost as important as the staging itself. In a down real estate market (or any market) you could find yourself spending thousands of dollars to make your home stand out from the rest of the competition. But will you recoup your costs? How do you know where to start? Read on to see the top seven home staging basics that will save you money and still get buyers to swoon over your home every time.

1. Check your bulbs twice. - Home lighting is quite possibly the most effective way to sell your home. When a buyer looks through your home for the first time it's an exploration and as such they are trying to see every detail during their first trip (and impression) of your home. If a buyer spots a burned out bulb or is unable to see all the space in a closet because the lights don't work then they deduct the perceived loss of square footage and needed maintenance from your asking price. Stop this top objection in its tracks by replacing all of your burned out bulbs before putting your home on the market.

2. Clean the gutters. - How your home looks on the outside is 50% of the buyer's first impression. If the buyer walks up to the front door and sees gutters weighed down by leaves and other debris it triggers thoughts of deferred maintenance and future home structure problems. A home buyer does not want to inherit a home seller's problems so cleaning the gutters and ensuring they are not sagging will clear the path to a successful home tour.

3. Pack your family photos and awards before putting your home on the market. - Your home is your home. It's a very personal space but once you have decided to put your home on the market you have to take into consideration that home buyers are trying to see this as being their next home. Family photos and awards, all great things to have, should be packed before you put your home on the market to avoid creating visual breakers when a buyer tours your home.

4. Clear the counter space. - There are two types of real estate a buyer considers when looking at your home. The first is the home and property the home resides on and the second is usefulness of the interior space of your home. Kitchens are the heart of the home and as such the buyers want to know that there will always be room to grow in that space. Clear away non-essential counter appliances and kitchen accessories to give off the impression of more space for the buyer's dollar.

5. Get the carpets cleaned professionally. - Carpets are beautiful and make for great floor surfaces but if you haven't had them cleaned since you moved in then you should have it done before putting your home on the market. Dogs, kids and the elements of nature all make their mark on carpeting over the years and the last thing buyers want to do when buying a home is take on a large project like carpet replacement after they move in.

6. Paint high traffic spaces. - High traffic spaces are the best places to find dings and marks on the walls which look like deferred maintenance but are in reality the consequence of daily wear and tear. Patch and paint the walls in high traffic spaces.

7. Define your rooms! -Buyers have imaginations but not when they are looking at homes. When selling your home the dining room can no longer be the home office and the living room cannot be the catch-all play area and living space. Clearly interpret what your home has to offer to buyers so they don't deduct points (and dollars) when writing an offer for your home.

Home staging is as much about putting your home's best foot forward as it is whisking away the most obvious home buyer objectives before the buyers have a chance to come up with them. By following these seven home staging basics you will be able to command the right price for your home in any market and increase the chances of selling your home quickly.

Author Resource:- Joshua Ferris is an associate real estate broker in Orange County NY and specializes in both Monroe New York and Newburgh NY real estate. Be sure to visit Josh's Monroe New York real estate guide and Orange County NY Real Estate website. For software downloads free Excel Invoice Manager Express

Article From Free Real Estate Article Site

I found this article and thought I'd share! Enjoy!
Why You Should Buy Real Estate During Recession by Andrew Stratton
We have all heard the bad news about the economy. Turn on any news program and more often than not the leading story is a doomsday report of layoffs, budget cuts, and the recession. However, rarely do you hear about the flipside of an economic downturn, which is that the real estate market is a hotbed of great values for your money.
Unfortunately, one person's hardship may be another's opportunity as the market is suddenly flooded with vacation homes that people can no longer afford and that need to sell quickly.

Beautiful homes in places like Hawaii, Arizona and Florida are now sitting empty, often with both the home owners and the banks wanting to sell them as quickly as possible and for an affordable price. If you are one of the fortunate with the savings to buy a vacation or retiree home, you can find good values in the current economy.

Why buy real estate now? It's a buyer's market but it may not last for long. Economists have predicted that the real estate backslide has begun to slow and many homes are at their lowest price.

Home owners are desperate to sell as they are unable to maintain their mortgages and the market is now flooded with real estate options, leading to a simple matter of supply and demand that is resulting in below-cost values are a number of properties.

Because of this, it may also be easier to negotiate repairs, closing costs, and other selling points in your transaction. It is estimated that the real estate prices will soon begin to go back up as the economy slowly recovers, which is predicted to happen in 2010. Therefore, if you have been considering purchasing that vacation home or retirement home in the next few years, right now is the best time to find a good value for your money.

If you hesitate, you may lose out on a valuable financial window of opportunity. Once you decide to take the plunge and invest in a vacation or retiree house, there are a few steps to make the process go more smoothly. Take the time to shop around to various lenders in order to get the best loan rate and the amount you are pre-approved for.

You will want to take into account the property taxes in the area where you are browsing homes so that you have a realistic view of your monthly mortgage payments.

Once you take care of these simple steps, you are ready to being shopping for a house that is a great value for your money and you will be able to turn a bad economic situation into a golden opportunity!

About the Author
In Asheville, real estate agency helps you find a home as per your desire. To find your dream house and to explore more options, visit http://www.preferredrealestatecenter.com

What a great time to buy a home in the westchase florida market. There are so many amazing communities to choose from Westchase real estate, Waterchase real estate, Highland Park Real Estate and The Eagles homes for sale just to name a few! These magnificant homes are selling! In some communities, supply has decreased by 50%! Don't miss the boat, if you are interested in buying or selling Westchase Fl area real estate homes for sale, Contact me!

You can now search MLS on my website, quickly and easily. Search for tampa homes for sale, including westchase area real estate just by clicking on Search Area Homes on my home page. You will be able to customize your search for tampa real estate, westchase area real estate, by zip, city, or many other criteria! Happy Searching! If there are any properties you are interested in viewing, just contact me!
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The community of Westchase and surrounding communities have been a long time favorite of many homebuyers in the tampa bay area. With many gorgeous homes to choose from, great schools and a wonderful location; the area meets the needs of many! These homes are now more affordable than ever and the time to purchase one is definitely now! Westchase real estate offers many affordable homes for sale, if you have any questions about westchase homes for sale or are interested in listing a westchase area home for sale, I'd be happy to answer them! Feel free to visit here to set up an automated search.
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Waterchase is one of Tampa's most popular and highly regarded neighborhoods. Waterchase is a guard gated community of more than 700 homes that boasts a multi-million dollar clubhouse, beautiful homes, tennis, aquatics, fitness center, basketball, soccor, playground, and 2 resort style swimming pools with a slide! On top of all that, there are number social clubs such as playgroups, wine club, cooking club, running club, and much more! Located in Northwest Tampa, Waterchase is a close to shopping, the airport and an easy commute into downtown Tampa or Pinellas County. To obtain a list of homes, please feel free to contact me at tampahouses@aol.com !
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