Robert Lipply

If you are interested in purchasing a home at a good price, you might be considering purchasing a foreclosure. Often, foreclosures offer excellent prices that cannot be rivaled by non-foreclosures. Before you start to pursue a foreclosure, however, it is wise to become knowledgeable about the various types of foreclosures that are available. Whether you’re looking for Tampa Bay or Bethesda real estate, here is a look at three of the most common types of foreclosures available.

Purchasing a VA Foreclosure

If a person takes out a VA loan and is unable to repay it, that home will go into foreclosure. At this point, the VA assumes ownership of the property and places it for sale. Those who are interested in purchasing a VA foreclosure can look through a list of available homes at homesales.gov. After finding a suitable home, interested buyers must then have a real estate agent complete the Offer to Purchase And Contract of Sale VA form. The agent must then submit this form as well as any other necessary documentation to the listing broker so it may be approved.

Purchasing an FHA Foreclosure

Some people purchase homes with the help of an FHA loan, which is issued through the Housing and Urban Development program. If a person takes out an FHA loan and then fails to repay it, the home goes into foreclosure and becomes the property of the government. Just as with VA foreclosures, anyone who is interested in purchasing an FHA foreclosure can search through available listings at homesales.gov. After finding a suitable home, interested buyers must have a broker submit an online bid.

Typically, FHA foreclosures are sold during an “Offer Period,” after which the person who places the highest reasonable bid can obtain ownership of the property. If the home isn’t sold during this period, however, interested buyers can continue to submit bids until the home is sold. Bids can be submitted any day of the week, but they will not be opened until the next business day. Once a bid is accepted, the real estate agent is typically notified within 48 hours.

Purchasing an REO Foreclosure

An REO, or Real Estate Owned, foreclosure is a property that has been reclaimed by a bank, lender or trust that has issued a traditional loan. Just as with the other type of foreclosures, a home may become an REO foreclosure after the buyer fails to make payments on the property. Since each bank, lender and trust has established a unique set of guidelines, procedures and policies, however, the steps necessary to purchase an REDO foreclosure can be quite varied. For this reason, it is in the best interest of buyers to hire a real estate agent who has experience with this type of foreclosure. Otherwise, the process can become quite confusing and potential buyers run the risk of making costly mistakes.

About The Author – Realtor Kevin Koitz specializes in Maryland luxury homes, including Residences at The Ritz, DC, for the Washington DC area based Koitz Group. This article is brought to you by the Clearwater Beach Condo Realtor; we hope you enjoy it.

If you are considering looking for a home in the Tampa Bay area, you should add Trinity Real Estate to your list. Trinity is just one of the great communities in Pasco county that offers affordable homes, family neighborhoods and great schools.   The two public elementary schools here are Trinity Elementary and Trinity Oaks Elementary, both A rated schools. The middle school that these two elementrary schools feed into is called Seven Springs Middle School, also an A rated school.   JW Mitchell High School, a B rated school, sits adjacent to the middle school and missed getting the A rating in 2008 by just a few points.   New schools continue to spring up each year in Pasco, and teachers and administrators are rising to the task to create quality schools here. Trinity is just one example of this.   We sell property all over the Tampa Real Estate area.

Go Fish!

Your days of telling the story of the œOne that got away are about to come to an end. With over 10,000 miles of river, 2000 miles of shoreline and more than 7500 lakes, the Sunshine State of Florida is also an Angler™s Shangri La. Florida has countless places for you to cast a net or sling a line.

The Gulf of Mexico welcomes you to the west coast while the Atlantic Ocean challenges your skills with the reel on the east coast. There are hundreds of varieties of fish from snook, snapper and sharks, to bass, marlins and tarpons.

No boat? No problem.

No gear? Not to worry.

Not sure where to start? Step right this way. Florida offers more private charter boats with knowledgeable captains than any other state. You can rely on local expertise to help you find exactly what you are looking for and to help you reel in the big one.

Along with our collection of quality captains, Florida is also home to a lot of independently operated bait and tackle shops which offer large varieties of gear and equipment as well as important information. Local shop keeps are the best source for reliable data such as where the fish are biting and what it is they are hungry for. Grab an arm-full of gear and some sunscreen and have some fun!

Living near or on the water is easy when you buy Pinellas County Real Estate – you’ll never be more than 25 minutes away from the big blue Gulf of Mexico.

White sand, sparkling blue water, bright, warm sunlight “ sound like a dream? Well, move to Tampa Bay, Florida and it can be your reality. Home to the cities of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay is the ideal location to call home for people of all ages. For the young go-getters just starting out, modern and hip condos in Tampa hit the mark. The social scene is second-to-none with entertainment, dance clubs and the hottest restaurants, perfect for unwinding after a long day at the office.

Families will love the Tampa Bay area, too. The cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg are offer beautiful homes in quiet, peaceful neighborhoods with plenty of parks for the kids to play. The school districts are top-notch with all the tools necessary to provide children with a good education.Clearwater Beach condos are some of the best deals in local real estate right now.

And for those of you who are looking for a great place to spend your retirement years, look no further than Tampa Bay. Perfect weather combined with limitless social opportunities and activities makes this area ideal.

So, move to Tampa Bay and make your dream a reality.

Here we are again in Hurricane season.   What will this year bring us in Tampa Bay?   While no one can see into the future, the experts are calling for a calmer year than in the past 3 or 4.   While this is great news, we should not let our guard down and relax about the whole situation.   When a hurricane gets into the Gulf of Mexico its almost too late to start making plans.   Plans should be made regardless of what the experts say – even if they are sketchy plans.   Investing in hurricane shutters are expensive but today there are many different alternative coverings that range in price.   Something is better than nothing.   And, just to set the record straight duct tape on windows is just like doing nothing at all.

Below is a hurricane map that shows the history of hurricane tracks and landfall in the month of August from 1851 to 2006.

An interesting thing to notice is how well the Tampa Bay area has survived a direct hit from hurricanes over the many years depicted in the graphic.   Actually, along with Jacksonville, Tampa Bay is one of the least hit spots in Florida.   We haven’t had a direct hit since 1921.

Are we blessed or is there some scientific reason why? According to Jeff Masters of weatherunderground.com, he states that as the earth rotates, there are three major bands of wind that blow in alternating directions.   In the tropics, the band moves east and in the mid-latitudes area, the band moves west.   We fall right in between those bands and that could account for a storm shifting away from our area.   Many other factors come into play like cold fronts, radius of the storm, etc. so let’s count our lucky stars but also keep our guard up.

If you are searching for a place to call home or a second home in a warm and sunny location, check out our Tampa Real Estate.   We’d be happy to help you with your real estate needs. We feel that Tampa’s location is one of the safest locations if you are concerned with hurricanes.   Just remember that there are many ways to protect your property in the event of a hurricane – it doesn’t always spell disaster.

If you haven’t owned a home for the last three years and are thinking about diving into home ownership again – don’t delay!   Purchase your home by November 2009 and cash in on one of the best incentives to ever come our way.   The government is offering a FREE $8000 tax credit to help the economy and first time homebuyers.   In addition, Florida has stepped in and is offering a way for homebuyers to use this money ahead of time as a bridge loan to help pay the down payment on the home.

All the details aren’t sketched out yet but it went into effect on July 1 and our sources say that money will be available for loan by August.

That makes this the perfect time to start shopping Tampa Real Estate with us!   Just contact us at 1 888 423 5775 and let us go to work for you.

For those just beginning a home search and thinking about school selection, the community of Trinity, Florida may be on your list.   Trinity is in the southwestern section of Pasco County, and lies just north of Pinellas County. Pasco County is growing steadily, and it’s schools are also improving steadily. Last year, over 72% of Pasco’s schools received an excellent grade of an A or a B. New schools continue to spring up each year in Pasco, and teachers and administrators are rising to the task to create quality schools here.

Trinity has several great private schools to choose from as well.   Genesis School in nearby New Port Richey offers something for children as young as 2 years old and goes all the way up to 5th grade. Genesis is commited to developing the unique qualities present in each child. It’s sister school, Genesis Preparatory School, continues with 6th grade up to 12th grade and is a member of the Schiller International Schools.   Another school with a flexible learning environment is Solid Rock Community School, which goes from fist to 12th grade.   Unlike traditional schools, Solid Rock doesn’t use grade levels to group students.   Instead, the school takes a customized approach for each student, and encourages childrn to learn at their own pace.   With all these great schools, maybe you should consider living in the Trinity community. Trinity Real Estate is just one of the great places in Pasco county that offers affordable homes and great family neighborhoods.

White sand, sparkling blue water, bright, warm sunlight “ sound like a dream? Well, move to Tampa Bay, Florida and it can be your reality. Home to the cities of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay is the ideal location to call home for people of all ages. For the young go-getters just starting out, modern and hip condos in Tampa hit the mark. The social scene is second-to-none with entertainment, dance clubs and the hottest restaurants, perfect for unwinding after a long day at the office.

Families will love the Tampa Bay area, too. The cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg are offer beautiful homes in quiet, peaceful neighborhoods with plenty of parks for the kids to play. The school districts are top-notch with all the tools necessary to provide children with a good education.

And for those of you who are looking for a great place to spend your retirement years, look no further than real estate in Tampa Bay. Perfect weather combined with limitless social opportunities and activities makes this area ideal.

So, move to Tampa Bay and make your dream a reality.

Beautiful tree-lined streets, picturesque waterfront, and serene nature preserves perfectly describe the town of Oldsmar, Florida, a gem of a community located on the northern tip of Tampa Bay between Clearwater and Tampa. Founded by Ransom Eli Olds in 1913, Oldsmar was a carefully planned and developed community. From the location to the beautiful architecture and landscaping, Oldsmar was designed to be the œideal community.

Close to Lake Tarpon and both Gulf beaches, Oldsmar is an ideal place to live for water enthusiasts. Home to Harbor Palms Nature Park and 34 acres of protected wetlands, Oldsmar is also rich with picturesque views of nature and wildlife and provides and excellent landscape for many outdoor activities. With a population of just under 9,000, Oldsmar has the feel of a close-knit community, hosting festivals, fairs, and concerts year-round. Yet due to its proximity to Tampa and Clearwater, Oldsmar offers many big-city amenities and opportunities for employment, shopping, the arts and fine cuisine.

Offering all this and more, Oldsmar is an œideal community and an ideal place to live.

The well respected and coveted Kenst Report, which tracks the top 125 Real Estate Agents in North Pinellas, recently posted its’ current report. The three main categories, which include selling, listing, and combined sales, rank Robert Lipply of Lipply Real Estate as the #1 selling associate in North Pinellas for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Quarters. That’s every month from January up to October!   Robert and his team of four real estate agents (Joe Gibbons, Thomas Towns, Arlene Colecchia, and Michael Madson) together sold 40 properties during this time period. The Lipply Group, part of RE/MAX Realtec, had the most recorded sales in the entire North Pinellas area. The Palm Harbor RE/MAX Realtec office is centrally located in the Tampa Bay area.

Fred Kenst of Tarpon Springs has been reporting on Florida Brokerage firms for 18 years and compiles these numbers for profit.   Real Estate agents wait in anticipation to see where they rank with their associates. We are proud to be #1! What have we sold? Together our team has sold homes all over the Tampa Bay Real Estate area. From St. Petersburg in the south, Pasco County in the north, Tampa in the east and Dunedin in the west, we have sold in all these areas! Price ranges vary, but we are seeing an increased interest in condos, affordable single family homes, and waterfront property. Short sales and foreclosures seem to top the list, but for those who desire a quick closing or a œmove in condition property, a traditional listing with an aggressive offer most times works out to the buyer™s advantage. Yet, people all over the United States still think homes are not selling in Florida. Homes are selling and with our fantastic internet presence we have many buyers. We also have many of our own real estate listings and these listings are selling as well. Over the last few months, we have sold 6 of our own listings, some within one week of listing them.If you are looking to sell a home in Pinellas, Pasco, or Hillsborough County, it only makes sense to list with the team that has the buyers!   When you list with us, we give you ultimate exposure on the Internet to prospective buyers and a wide reach on the MLS to other real estate agents. Either way, the goal is to sell your home, and that™s what we have been doing.   And doing it well.