Why Are Banks Demolishing Foreclosed Homes?  I have had this topic brought to my attention by a couple people who know that I am a blogger, wondering what I thought of this phenomena.  I can only relate to it from a personal perspective. In Florida, even with an "As Is" short sale transaction, the seller is bound by Florida Law to disclose any known facts that are not readily observable that materially affect the value of a property. Lenders do not have this obligation.  They claim they have no knowledge.  This makes no sense to me, since any insurance claim results in a check made out to the owner and the lender.  So how can they not know? Nevertheless, the lenders make a disclaimer that they have "no knowledge" of any defects and make no warranties to the condition of the home.  In Fl... 08/06/2011

Arts in Hernando County, Florida:  The Quarry Gallery There is a great new addition to the art scene in Hernando County, Florida!  The Hernando County Fine Arts Council recently held a special opening and reception at the new Quarry Gallery located inside the Hernando Mining Association Enrichment Center in Brooksville. The first show is entitled "Hernando Collections" and includes works on loan from private collectors in Hernando County.  For the future, the Hernando County Fine Arts Council is planning four art shows per year for the Quarry Gallery as well as special shows sponsored by other community organizations. If you haven't been out to the Quarry Gallery, it's just off South Broad Street on John Gary Grubbs Blvd near Tom Varn Park. Arts in Hernando County, Florida:  The Quarry ... 08/02/2011

  Which Government Backed Home Loan Is Best Suited For Purchasing My New Home? If you want a loan with a No Money Down Option then you must be a veteran or you must purchase a home in a HUD Approved Area for Rural Housing. The VA and USDA Loan are the only type loans that offer the No Down Payment Option for buying a home. The FHA loan is the most popular type loan at this time because the down payment requirement is only 3.5% compared to the Conventional Loans which require 5% down. Both require the added cost of Mortgage Insurance any time less than 20% down is used. The VA and USDA Loans do not require mortgage Insurance but have a funding fee that is financed into the loan. The USDA funding fee is currently 3.5% but expected to rise with the growing number of defaults. The VA fundin... 07/25/2011

  1) Limited Funds. There is a certain amount allocated each year by congress and getting additional funds allocated in the 4th Quarter to off set shortfalls is HIGHLY unlikely giving the on-going battle over deficit spending. With the increased demand for FHA loans brought on by QRM (Quantitative Risk Management) which is looming and likely to happen there will be an increased demand for FHA Mortgages for their lower down payment requirements. Increased demand for something with limited supply forces prices higher. In short; the 4th Quarter of 2011 could see far less and far more expensive financing for those with less then 20% down. 2) Limited Funds.  The FHA does not have sufficient reserves so they increased the amount of their MIP (Mortgage Insurance Premiums) to increase reserves ... 07/25/2011

 "The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody would put a flag stick on top"    Pete DyeLuckily, ardent golfers do not have to climb Mount Everest to play a Pete Dye golf course.  The Southern Hills Plantation Club Golf Course community offers an excellent championship golf course designed by Pete Dye that has been named twice to Golfweeks' Best lists. High elevations for Florida up to 200 feet at Southern Hills Plantation Club offer stunning vistas across the terrain including hills and lakes and make for a challenging game of golf.Southern Hills Plantation Club was developed beginning in 2005.  After a promising start, just as many other communities, it experienced a slow down but is currently on track making a nice recovery. No wonder, the Southern Hills Planation Club is ... 07/12/2011

Just Sold!  Affordable Golf Course Living in High Point Golf Community, Brooksville, Florida Looking for affordable golf course living in a gated community?  The High Point Golf Community in Brooksville is a manufactured home community that is situated around a private golf course.  Homes for sale in High Point are available in a wide range of price ranges, sizes, features, and price ranges.  The High Point community is an age restricted community and also offers a club house, community pool, tennis courts, and many social events. This home located just across the community pool and club house just sold!  Originally built in 1975, this 2 bedroom, 2 baath home had been extensively remodeled including an updated kitchen.  The enclosed lanai overlooks the fairway in the rear of the propert... 06/30/2011

Brooksville, Florida:  Artist Reception The Hernando County Fine Arts Council is hosting the 2011 Spring Art Exhibit and Reception themed "A Taste of the Arts" on June 9, 2011, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Brooksville City Hall Gallery at 201 Howell Ave, Brooksville, Florida. Paintings, wood carvings, photographs, as well as handmade quilts and ship models will be on display by local artists.  Numerous local restaurants are providing the food for the artist reception.  The public is invited to enjoy the art exhibit and mingle with the artists. Regular opening hours for the Brooksville City Hall Art Gallery are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Brooksville, Florida:  Artist Reception       06/08/2011

  I have a beautiful cottage in the country, minutes from I-75 less that 30 minutes to Tampa (click the photo for the virtual tour or the link above for the details). It has an inground pool, fenced, two pastures,2.65 acres, outbuildings, affordably priced...sounds perfect, right? it happens to be located on a dirt road that is not county maintained, and the folks who live on the road do not have a written maintenance agreement. So what does that mean? It means that the home does not qualifty for FHA or VA financing. I was inspired to write this after reading Richard Weisser's blog post What constitutes a ready, willing, and able buyer? this morning. Many metropolitan agents don't know the ins and outs of financing rural properties, and when they call to make an appointment, I ask them ... 06/06/2011

Farmer's Market in Brooksville, Florida There is a weekly Farmer's Market in Brooksville, Florida, that takes place every Saturday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM in front of the historic Hernando County courthouse.  Many of the local farmers come here to offer vegetables, fruit, as well as plants and homemade goods such as jams, candy, dried herbs and soaps. While you are here, stop in at one of the downtown Brooksville restaurants and cafes for lunch, an ice cream, or other refreshments.  Farmer's Market in Brooksville, Florida 06/02/2011

  No Money Down Rural Housing USDA Loans in Brooksville Florida are back and fully funded. The new sub-prime loans of today are the government backed or sponsored loans. The FHA Loan is one we are all familiar with but how many of you know about the USDA Rural Housing Loan.  Here's how it works 100% financing on homes located in certain geographical area's with borrower's who are in certain income ranges. That's it! Use this link to see if the property qualifies by falling into one of the designated geographical area's http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do Remember when income qualifying to use the income of the ENTIRE family. Seller can pay up to 6% of buyers closing cost The 3.5% Guarantee Fee is included (Financed) in with the loan amount 100% of borrowers ... 05/16/2011

Spring Ridge - Deed Restricted Community In Brooksville, Florida Spring Ridge is a private gated community in sunny Brooksville, Florida.  The main builders were William Ryan Homes and Mercedes Homes. Spring Ridge Information Information Packet For Spring Ridge  This includes information on the CDD and the HOA Fees. Spring Ridge has a beautiful clubhouse that offers homeowners an Olympic Sized pool, fitness center, reading room & conference room, ready to be enjoyed!  Spring Ridge is close to plenty of shopping and dining, within walking distance to area schools and is convenient to the Suncoast Parkway for an easy commute. WiFi is available at the clubhouse as well. Spring Ridge is up todate!           There are definitely "bargains to be had in Spring Ridge!"  At this time we have a ... 05/09/2011

Florida Living - Afternoon on the Porch Before swimming pools, patios, and lanais, houses had porches for people to enjoy.  More than just a place to sit, a porch built at the front of a home and under roof would serve as a social center for family and friends as well as shelter the interior of the house from the sun's heat. Many of the old historic homes in the South have porches that wrap around the house, sometimes on more than one level.  This porch overlooking some majestic Grandfather Oaks can be found at the historic Chinsegut Hill Manor House in Brooksville, Florida. Florida Living - Afternoon on the Porch Whether you are looking to buy a home with a porch, patio, or lanai, please contact me to find out about homes for sale in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, and Hernando... 05/07/2011

Where to Go and What to Do in Hernando County:  Art in the Park Festival This weekend, Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st, 2011 come out to Tom Varn Park in Brooksville, Florida, for the 27th Annual Art in the Park Festival! Organized by the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, this annual event draws artists coming from near and far to display a wide variety of art and crafts.  There will be music and food and visitors can enjoy a leisurely walk through the exhibitis on shady paths through Tom Varn Park. New talent among the students of Hernando County will be exhibited in a special student display area. And for children, there will be various craft activities.  Sponsors of Art in the Park are the City of Brooksville, Hernando County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Cul... 04/27/2011

BROOKSVILLE HOTELS, MOTELS & RESORTS FOR SALE IN BROOKSVILLE, FL. PLEASE CALL FOR CURRENT & UPDATED INFORMATION ON WHAT IS AVAILABLE.  Are you looking for Hotels, Motels & Resorts to add to your Local or Global investment portfolio? We can represent you in the acquisition of any hotel, motel & resort property in the U.S.  Bankrupt Properties / Bank Managed Properties / Regular Sale / Broken Asset Representation is everything, contact a specialist that knows the inner working of the hotel/motel/resort world. The foundation of our investment sales is the depth of our local market knowledge, The firm has closed, Thousands of investment transactions for private and institutional investors. By closing more transactions annually than any other firm, our investment professionals are able to pr... 04/26/2011

Historic Brooksville, Florida - Discovering the May-Stringer House When thinking about Florida, most people have visions of sunshine, sand, ocean waves, and theme parks.  And although generally, people don't seem to think of Florida in historical terms, there have been people living in this State for a long time. The city of Brooksville, county seat of Hernando County, Florida, still has many historic buildings that even today are still used as private residences.  One of these buildings is a beautiful Victorian-style structure situated at the top of a hill close to the center of downtown Brooksville. Named the May-Stringer House, it is here where local history comes to life with an extensive assortment of artifacts and historical records.  The May-Stringer House is a operated by the He... 04/20/2011

Government Home Loans FHA/VA/USDA in Brooksville Florida are still being used in most purchase transactions. I specialize in FHA, USDA, VA Loan products. When it comes to less out of pocket expense at a rate that is competitive with other lenders such as the conventional types more people are choosing to go with the Govies; which are aka FHA, VA and USDA Loans.  However lenders are not always willing to adopt into practice the new programs being passed down by HUD. Lets just say it would appear that this particular program isn't being accepted with open arm's on main street so far. HUD recently launched a program aimed at helping people who are current on their mortgage loans; refinance to the lower prevailing rates being offered through FHA and VA Approved Lenders even if they are und... 04/18/2011

Foto Friday:  Spider-Man Spotted in Hernando County What is Spider-Man doing at the Hernando County Fair?  Since it's only April and Halloween is a long time away, this must be the real character making an appearance!  Apparently, super heroes do get hungry as well.  Perhaps he is longing for a foot long?  I guess, we will never really know. The Hernando County Fair  ends Saturday, April 16th, 2011. Foto Friday:  Spider-Man Spotted in Hernando County 04/15/2011

Where to Go and What to Do in Hernando County Florida:  Hernando County Fair and Youth Livestock Exhibit This weekend, the Hernando County Fair and Youth Livestock Exhibit began.  It's an old fashioned country fair with animals, rides, food, music, entertainment, 4-H exhibits, and of course, rides! There will be special events all through the week.  For a schedule, please go the Hernando County Fair website.  This year's theme of the County Fair is "60 Years of Building Memories".  The last day of the fair will be Saturday, April 16th.  On that day, all livestock will be auctioned off.  If you've never been to a County Fair, it's a great day to spend an afternoon and evening.  There's something for everyone! The County Fair takes place at the Fairgrounds in Brooksville, Florida, at Hwy ... 04/10/2011

FHA 203K Rehab/Home Improvement Loan in Hernando County Florida with all the Bank-Owned, Foreclosure, Short Sale and Aging properties on the market today the 203k loan is becoming the answer on a growing number of real estate purchase transactions. This HUD approved FHA 203k loan gives buyers the MONEY they need for property repairs and Improvements at closing. It's an FHA loan that requires only 3.5% down at closing. All homes are sold AS-IS and an escrow account is set up to pay for the improvements. Everyone is winning with this program. My company an I offer a 1 hour training class at no cost by a HUD Certified 203K Instructor that is done at your office for anyone who is interested in hearing more about the 203k loan program.    03/28/2011

100% Financing through USDA/Hernando County Florida Rural Housing Development Loans  620+ Credit Scores No Monthly Mortgage Insurance Required 100% Financing + 3.5% Guarantee Fee can be Financed In 6% Seller Contributions Allowed GUS (Guaranteed Underwriting System) Approval Required Guaranteed Rural Housing Loan Program The Rural Housing Service (RHS) Program provides very low and low to moderate income rural residents with better access to affordable home financing with little or NO DOWN PAYMENT or OUT-OF-POCKET cost. Borrowers may obtain a loan to purchase a new or existing home that is located in a designated rural area. A rural community generally has a population of 10,000 or less; however some larger communities out side a Metropolitan Statistical Area can be considered RURAL. T... 03/28/2011