General

Appraisers – Why They Do Not Determine Value…

March 5, 2018 by Lance Mohr

It's always a little surprising that almost everyone thinks an appraiser job is to determine the value of homes. If you are a homeowner and you call an appraiser out to give you a value of your home, that one thinks. But the vast majority all appraisers are doing the appraisal for a buyer that is purchasing a home. If this is the case than the appraiser job is NOT to determine value. Watch the video to see what their job really is.

Transcription

Hi everyone. This is your Tampa Bay realtor Lance Mohr and in this video, I want to talk about home appraisers. What's their job, because of people thinking appraisers job is to determine the value of the property and in almost all cases that is not their job and we're going to go over that in the short video.

So this does come up every once in a while what it is the appraiser's job. So to let me break it down into two areas. Number one if your home so and you want an appraiser to come over and give you an idea what your home will sell for and put a value on your home sure they're determining the value so hopefully a project perspective buyer will come in, make an offer though see the value they’ll agree upon it but in most cases that’s not what you're talking about. In most cases what happens as a buyer goes outlooks in the property the lender contact switches outlets in an appraisal done orders the appraisal now when they do that the appraiser is not coming out for the bank to determine the value at a property. They’re actually coming out to makes sure the property is worth what the buyers are paying. So this happens every once in a while. I’ll give you an example. Buyers looking a property is listed for 270 and they put in an offer full price because they know it's a really good deal at 270, as a matter of fact looking at the comps that come up at probably 285 and they’re thinking this is great we have fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of equity and then they get the appraisal back and it says 270 and I like what do you mean, I thought it was worth 285 and I’ll tell you what it is when the appraiser went out there they actually have the purchase contract and their job wasn't to determine the value of the property their job was to determine is it worth what you’re paying and you’re paying 270. Now in some cases, they might bring it in higher maybe bring it in it to 285 or maybe they bring it in at 280 but there's really no need for him to do that.

There's really no I guess a liability for there might be a liability for them to do that. So a lot of cases the appraisers just going to bring it in is exactly what the purchase contract says. So if you do buy a property and you’re thinking you're getting a really good deal on it. You may be but understand if it comes in at the purchase price that really doesn't have any bearing on how good of the deal you're getting on the appraisal. So it's good to know this. If you are or you do run into this situation.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me. I’d love to help you. If you know anybody buying or selling a home send them my YouTube channel, I think this could help a lot of people out there. Share it with your friends, I appreciate your time watching my videos. I wish you the best of luck and if you’re going to be buying in the Tampa Bay area whether you're buying or selling give me a call (813-317-4009). I’d love to talk to you. I'd like to help you out. Have a great day.

For more educational real estate videos. Visit my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/Tampa2Enjoy
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Home Movie Tour of Ballantrae Townhome for Sale

March 1, 2018 by Lance Mohr

2906 Girvan Drive in Land O Lakes, Florida, 34638

3 Bedrooms
2 1/2 Bathrooms
Loft
1 Car Garage
1,768 Square Feet
Built in 2005
Community: Ballantrae

Absolutely Beautiful END Unit (10+) * Very Open & Bright Floor Plan with Lots of Windows and Neutral Colors Throughout * Kitchen Features Stainless Steel Appliances, Island and Gorgeous View of the Large Pond * Large Family Room Overlooks the Kitchen, Lanai, and Pond * This sought after split bedroom design has two bedrooms and a bath on one side of the loft and spacious master suite on the other to give maximum privacy to all. The large master bath includes a garden tub with separate walk-in shower and dual vanities. The upstairs loft can be used as a bonus room or office * The large master bath includes a garden tub with separate walk-in shower and dual vanities * While the complex has its own separate pool, the Ballantrae community also has a pool, walking trails, fishing pond, tennis courts, basketball, playground, and clubhouse * This location is close to the Veteran Expressway with easy access to Tampa, Airport, Restaurants, Strip Centers, Multiple Malls and the Premier outlet * The HOA includes ground maintenance, trash, water, sewer and basic cable * This END Unit Townhome is a MUST SEE!!!

Please contact me if you have any questions about this beautiful Ballantrae townhome please contact me at www.tampa2enjoy.com.

Should You Hire a New Realtor? Does It Really Matter?

May 6, 2017 by Lance Mohr

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home and not sure if it's a good decision to hire a new real estate agent, this video is for you. Here are the pros and cons of hiring a new real estate again.

Check out my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/tampa2enjoy.

How To Remove Popcorn Ceilings Fast & Easy

January 4, 2017 by Lance Mohr

I've thought I've seen it all. But this is by far the fast and easiest way to remove popcorn (acoustic) ceilings. Check this video out.

If you are looking at buying or sell a home check out your Tampa real estate website at: www.tampa2enjoy.com and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/tampa2enjoy.

Learn more about popcorn ceilings at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_ceiling

Riverview Based BlueGrace Logistics To Become A Major Tampa Bay Employer

September 7, 2016 by Lance Mohr

BlueGrace, a 6-year-old transportation logistics company, to hire around 500-700 employees in the Tampa Bay area and will be doing so within the next couple of years. It’ll also be on the hunt for a newer & larger headquarters possibly out of Channelside, Tampa.

BlueGrace currently has about 350 employees and most of them are based in Riverview, FL. The company’s imminent job explosion is mostly due to the higher business demand and by having a confident investment partner.

“Over the next 2 years, we'll grow to well over 500 employees, and in the next 3-5 years have about 1,000 employees just here in Tampa,” the company owner has recently stated. BlueGrace currently occupies less than half of its 55,000-square-foot headquarters and has the room to absorb 150 more employees as it builds out. Then they’ll be scouting for a new home. The company owner desires to be in the downtown area of Tampa… touting its workforce, area universities, and natural appeal to recruiting workers to move here.

BlueGrace Logistics works with more than 10,000 companies nationwide that make everything from auto parts/beauty products to pharmaceuticals/sporting goods and more. Average compensation at BlueGrace is about $60,000. Many of the new hires will be in information technology, sales, customer service, financial services, and human resources.

If you’re looking to re-locate or buy a new home in the Tampa Bay area, please check out my website. We get all of our data directly from the only MLS provider in Central Florida (MFRMLS). You can trust that it's 100% Accurate & 100% Up-To-Date. Search all currently “Active” Tampa Bay homes for sale at: http://www.tampa2enjoy.com

Any questions? Click here to contact me.

Risk-based Standards For Private Mortgage Insurers Could Restrict Leading

August 29, 2014 by Lance Mohr

A new federal regulation proposal could change the standards for private mortgage insurers resulting in a stricter lending process. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing a risk-based evaluation for Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac insurer portfolios. The new analysis will ensure that each approved insurer has enough capital for claims under significant market stress.

Most of us remember when the housing market crashed almost 10 years ago. Housing costs dropped, new construction stopped, and private insurers’ financial strength ratings quickly vanished. Companies were placed in receivership by federal regulators while mortgage underwriting standards were tightened and FHA, VA, and other guarantee programs drained the majority of their market shares. Prevention similar events has become a major concern for the FHFA.

In turn, they have proposed that private mortgage insurers guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac be subject to a risk-based capital evaluation. An analysis would be required in situations where the homebuyer is making a down payment of less than 20%, debt-to-income ratios are greater than 43%, and mortgages that do not meet specific requirements. Given FHFA adaptation of these new standards, the capacity to underwrite new mortgages by private insurers may be limited but Director Melvin Watts insists there is “sufficient industry capacity to meet the needs of high-LTV borrowers.”

The FHFA’s plan, as a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac regulator, is to shift the risk of market share loss back to private companies while protecting taxpayers from another bailout. The majority of FHA and VA guaranteed programs have cushioned their reserves by hiking up premiums and are now transitioning back to private companies while stymieing their underwriting capabilities through new risk-based evaluations.

Such a bold move on behalf of the federal government has received mixed reactions. Some companies are supportive of the proposal citing that compliance with the new regulation would not be an issue while others balk claiming restricted access to credit and decreased underwriting capabilities.

Inman News reported that most insurers who issued statements in response to the proposal agree with David H. Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) who stated “the proposed eligibility requirements are comprehensive and we will be conducting a detailed review of the standards to ensure they properly balance the need for strong capital, while preserving the ability of the industry to cost-effectively serve first-time buyers and working families.”

Before you start freaking out, please remember that this is simply and proposal and the FHFA is accepting comments on the draft proposal through September 8^th. Overall, do you think this is a step in the right direction or a step backwards, comment below.

Becoming a Florida Resident

June 20, 2014 by Lance Mohr

Florida is one of the most populated states in the US, and that says a lot about the kind of place it really is. If you are one of the people who have decided to settle in the state permanently and become a Florida resident, there are certain legal steps that you have to take to declare it as your domicile state. This gives you the benefit of not having to pay taxes to the state that you are moving from, in addition to the essential right of being able to vote. Here is a complete walk-through for becoming a resident of Florida.

File a declaration of domicile for Florida

The declaration of domicile is a legal document that allows you to declare officially that you are a Florida resident because of the fact that you have a residence that you wish to use on a permanent basis. Even if you have other properties or homes in other states, you need to declare that your house in Florida be considered as your primary and predominant home. The declaration has to be signed by you with a Deputy Clerk or Notary Public as your witness.

Procure a Driver’s License registered in Florida

If you have a valid driving license from another state, a written or practical driving test is not required to get a driver’s license in Florida. Take the license you already have along with your identity documents to get a Florida DL. Other documents that are required include Social Security number, proof of Florida residence address, and change of name documents if any. You are required to get done with this procedure within 30 days of declaring your domicile.

Vehicle registration

All the vehicles that you own including cars, trucks, and boats have to be registered at the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. This includes getting the required insurance and paying the registration fees.

Voter registration

This can be done either with the Supervisor of Election or while you are getting your Florida DL. The registration closes 30 days prior to the election and opens only after the elections are over.

Regarding payment of taxes

You can pay your final taxes from the state that you previously lived in before moving to Florida and notify the officials about the move. Make sure that you list your new Florida residence address when filing for federal taxes and alert the Social Security Administration about the change of address.

Miscellaneous memberships

Transfer your membership for banks, churches, clubs and groups to be registered for Florida. This is an indication of your loyalty to the state and proves your sincerity of giving back to the community in whatever way possible.

Buying a new home

If you have the requisite capital, and you are sure of permanently staying in Florida, it is better to buy a house in the state than to rent one. This is because it makes you eligible for the Florida homestead exemption that gives you tax benefits while establishing your domicile.

Contact Me

I always have valuable information ready at the go on my Youtube account or on my website Tampa2Enjoy.com. If you wish to reach me through phone then don't hesitate to give me a call at 813-317-4009

Rent Out Homes At No Cost To You

May 2, 2014 by Lance Mohr

Hi my name is Lance Mohr and I’m a real estate agent in Tampa. I have been an investor for years, geese, I cannot even remember since the 90s when I had a home in California and I ended up moving. So I am doing this video right here; actually was going to do a webinar and I decided not… I was going to do an e-book and sell it but I just don’t want to spend the time doing that so I’m just going to sort of do a freebie to help people. If you want to rent out your home I’m going to show you how to wrench it out without using a real estate agent. Let me just say this, I know a lot of realtors and property managers would be ticked off if they heard me say this but it is really true. The MLS was never designed for the rental market. It never was designed for the rental market. It was always designed for home sales; now there are certain areas that you know you can use realtors and they provide a good benefit. Not in Tampa. The real estate agents in Tampa in the rental market that I have seen, the vast majority of them I’m talking 92 to 95% of them are absolutely useless. So I’m going to go over this video and you are going to see why so many of them are so useless and what they are doing that you have no idea what is going on and I have rented properties out.

Lance Mohr

Just a little about me. I own properties in California, I’ve owned properties in Texas, I’ve been in North Florida, I own some here in Tampa, and I pretty much can rent them out myself without using a realtor within a matter of a week in a fair market value and I don’t need to use the multiple listing service. As a matter of fact, I could use it for free and I never do. They are just easier ways because the multiple listing service was not really intended for rentals. It was intended for home sales and a lot of agents do and did and are currently doing rentals. There is nothing more to help the client out so enjoy this. I think it is going to save you a lot of time, headache; it doesn’t make any difference where you are and I will just say take all of this grain of salt. Okay here we go.

Cons for multiple listing sites

Alright this is Lance and I’m going to try to keep this short right here. I’m in the multiple listing service and telling you the reason why I as a real estate agent but I have my own rental properties I do not use the multiple listing service. I personally think it is a waste and it is a waste and I will show you why. Here I’m doing the search on active homes. These are rentals. This is my rental so these are rentals. In new Tampa 14 to 1800 ft.² let’s just go over the details.

So we will go over the details and here is the problem, the agents just are not paying real estate agents enough money to make the squeeze work the juice. In other words, the agents are getting in their car and the MLS and the sales; you pay the co-broker 50% and we used to did not have to disclose that to the consumers but then you just had a lot of what you call really unethical and dishonest realtors so now it is disclosed when you are signing a listing agreement to sell. But look what is happening here. So the agent is paying $1400, okay they should be co-brokering $700. They are co-brokering less than half of that, $300. We will pick another one. $1495 co-brokering $200. This one right here $1675 co-brokering $200. This one right here $1795 co-brokering $300.

Okay, an agent is going to get someone in the car but hopefully they are going to rent. They’re going to get someone in the car and they are going to drive around all day or maybe a couple of days and they are going to get paid $300 and then going to work for a company that’s just say like Coldwell Banker Prudential, nothing wrong with those companies, but if they are doing rental properties let’s face it they are not a producer. So they’re probably on a 50-50 split plus a 6% royalty so the company is taking 56% and the agent is left with 44%. Then the agent has to pay taxes on the money and then they have to pay for any expenses gas and anything else. You can see they are not paying 50-50 percent so I just find that most of them, most of these rental properties just sit on here forever. Now this has to do with rent and not property management, don’t get me wrong and there are a lot of good agents. It is important if you’re going to use a real estate agent make sure you have it in writing what their co-brokering to the other agent.

So here’s what I do. I do not use MLS. The first thing I do is go to a company called Postflix, now I think they just got bought out by Zillow which is sort of a bummer because like any corporation they will destroy the company and Postflix has gone down a little bit since they have gotten taken over. So it is either Zillow or Trulia. So let’s go to Postflix.com and you will need to set up an account so you can see. I will just go into my account example from a couple of my rental properties.

Using Postflix

So I’m logged in so let me just…here’s some of my rentals, you can see it has been a long time since I have done anything on it. So if I went into edit….now these are all expired. They are not activated so I don’t want to activate them but as you can see right here you can do the location, contact, basic details. You can add I think up to 12 photos or something. You can do a description. You can review what the post is going to look like and they look really nice. You can go over the promote post list so it is really nice. When you put out a postflix check it out. It automatically goes to Zillow, Frontdoor, Backpage, Oodle, Hotpads, MLS, Trulia, Yahoo.

Look at all of this Free marketing, it goes to other ones. It syndicates it. So these are the syndication partners. They will also give you a URL so if you want to take this URL and put it in Craigslist. Of course we will get into Craigslist in a little bit. You can promote it on your Facebook and Twitter so it gives a lot of really good ways so I use this. It is great and the post listings look really nice. The other thing I do is I do Craigslist. You go in and you can see you will….again I just need to go into my account or create an account if you are not. Pick the area in Tampa, so you pick the area and then when you are marketing you either say you are buy owner or broker.

Craigslist

Now I will give you a couple of tips of Craigslist when you are doing it. First off put a picture in it. Put a nice description in the property that stands out. Either asterisks, asterisks, asterisks, in all capitals or something that so it stands out. Put a picture in it, at least one picture. You don’t need to do a ton of pictures. Personally I just put the URL but in Craigslist they don’t really have the HTML coding if you know what that is. If you don’t, do not worry about it.

If you want to go to a website in Craigslist now, you cannot just click it you have to copy and paste it and put it into the URL. This right here this is in Craigslist. You cannot just click on it. You have to copy it and go up here and copy and paste. So it is sort of a bummer. But here is a trick about Craigslist that a lot of people don’t know about Craigslist. If you are going to do Craigslist you need to do it methodically and here is what I mean.

Craigslist does not allow duplicate content and they are going to flag you. It is called ghosting. You are going to get ghosted and you are not going to know it because you are going to think your ads are up and what I mean is this. You go in Monday morning and you do an ad, you put it in Craigslist. You get up Tuesday morning and you take that same ad and you put it in Craigslist again. You get up Wednesday morning and you take that same ad and you put it in Craigslist again. Well you are not going to get credit for number two or three because they are duplicate content and they are going to ghost you. So in other words, you think you are live, they are going to send you a link that you are live but you are not going to be able to find that ad anywhere.

So what you need to do like when I do Craigslist what I will do is I will do a rotation. I will usually do morning and evening. Sometimes I may do three times per day. For example, Monday morning I try to get it in early before people go to work so it is in the early edition. So let’s say I do 7:00 in the morning. I post an ad in Craigslist at 7:00. I make a different ad and at 7:00 or 6:00 at night I post another one. When I post that ad I remove the first ad. Then I get up the next morning and I put my third ad in and when I put my third ad in on Tuesday morning at 7:00 I remove my second ad that I put in last night and then I keep jumping back and forth because Craigslist and this is more of a guideline than the rule I have found, you are not supposed to have duplicate content but they usually do a hold for 24 hours.

In other words they don’t want…..you can’t remove it and then a couple of hours later stick it in again, they will ghost you. They are pretty smart. You always have to figure out and I have learned Craigslist is smarter than I am. Google is smarter than I am so you just have to keep that in mind.

Clientele

Now Craigslist can generate you a lot of clientele, information, and leads; people wanting to see your home but in my opinion they are not always the best. Postflicks won’t get you near as many. Craigslist will probably get you quite a few but they are not always the best but don’t say no we don’t want to do that and the one I tend to use that I like the best of them all is Rentals.com.

Now this will cost you money. It can cost 50.00-100.00 or 110.00 but it works and the people you get on Rentals.com are higher quality. So in other words you are not going to get as many as Craigslist but you are going to get a better clientele than Craigslist but don’t discard Craigslist because it is hugely popular. Also be careful about scams going out there. I’ve had people doing scams on some of my _____. Now you have everything squared away and you are ready to go.

What's Next?

Okay now what do you do? Alright it depends on two things. Is the property vacant? If the property is vacant what I would do… I’m going to tell you what I did, you can do whatever you want, but what I will do is if the property is vacant I am not going to run over there every time someone wants to see it. For Pete’s sake these are people who are looking to rent. A couple of tips on renting, if you are going to rent out the property make sure the property looks really, really nice. If you need to clean the carpet, if you need to pull all the weeds and put in fresh mulch and put in sod do it because renters are sick and tired of these scum lords that just rent a bunch of junk out and it does not take that much money.

Anytime a tenant moves out of one of my properties I always rekey it because you have to do it by a court of law. I always clean the carpets. I always get a professional carpet cleaner in there. I always get a professional maid service in there. If I need to touch up the paint or do whatever I do but it really does not cost that much. So do that. If you rented it out I would just say hey look I am doing an open house and I am going to be showing it on Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 so if you can make it please show up and I have a bunch of applications with me. I have some people that say no I cannot make Saturday at 2:00 to 4:00 and I will say okay if I don’t get it rented out then I will let you know when you can see it.

A lot of times if they are looking for a place to live they will figure out a way. They will take off work or work it into their schedule. I really don’t go out of my way too much because I price my home competitively when I rent it. I don’t try to get every nickel. Think of it this way. If I am renting something for $1500 and I want to get every nickel and it takes 2 months to rent it, I just lost $3000 so wouldn’t it behoove me to maybe rent it for $1400 or even $1395 and have it rented out within a matter of a couple of days or weeks? That’s my opinion. So anyhow I will go ahead and do that.

Tenants

Now here is a beauty. I love it when tenants are on the property. Tenants are the best because they will do all the work for you if you know how to schedule with them. So what I do I call up the tenant and I say hey we have a couple of choices that we can do. I need to lease my place out so I am going to give you the option. I can go ahead and hire a real estate agent if you want but they are going to be trucking through your home day or night whenever there is a buyer we are going to put an electronic lockbox on the door and they may come in at 9:00 in the morning or they may come in at 6:00 to 7:00 at night when you are eating dinner.

I don’t want to disrupt you and your family so the other option I have is if you want, I will do the marketing and the advertising. Any time someone calls me up to look at the home I will ask them to drive by the home to make sure they like the home and they like the neighborhood. Then I tell them to call me back. When they call me back if they want to see the home they I will give them your name and number and you can schedule a time that is convenient for you and your family to show them the property. How does that sound? They love it. I’ve never had a tenant not do that. Not only that but they are thrilled that you are so considerate with them and they are going to do all the showings with you.

Now the reason why you want to have them drive past the home and the neighborhood is number one because the first thing that comes out every tenant’s mouth when they talk to you about rental. Hi I am calling about the property for rent. When can I see it? They don’t even know the area. I’ve even had people say, for example our property in Panther Trace in Riverview, they will say, “Oh I know where Panther Trace is.” I’m like, okay but I am going to give you the address. I still need you to run dry past the property and make sure you like the property and make sure you like the area and then give me a call back because I don’t want to disrupt my tenant every time someone wants to look at the property. Does that sound fair? What are they going to say? So they say yes.

If they never call me back, they were never a bona fide renter as it is. Quite frankly probably only 33% of them even call back which is great for me. If they are not interested I don’t want to be bugged nor do I want to bug the tenant. If they want to rent it, they will drive by. It is as simple as that. I think every blue moon you get someone who says they drove by and they didn’t but most people do. So I think most people are pretty honest about that and they will drive by and the tenant will obviously filter them. I send the tenant the applications and I will email them an application and I say can you print out about eight of these and if they want an application just give the application to them. By the way the application you can actually put the application if you do rentals on Rentals.com. There is a little place where you can upload a PDF.

So great, that is all you need to do and I never placed my homes in the MLS. I always have the tenants do that and then I just always give them a choice and they always say hey I would love for you to do that, I don’t want to be bugged. Sometimes if they are getting a lot of showings I will tell them hey look why don’t you just tell them you are going to show it on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or on the weekends so you are not getting bombarded every night but generally if it is conditioned nice, if it is priced right, if you have good pictures, and you do what you are supposed to be doing marketing right it will rent out very quickly. I never have a problem. I usually have a line to rent out my rentals because they are in good condition. I do what I need to do. It looks good. They rent out quick and my tenants are very happy with me.

Finding a “good” tenant

I’ll give you a final tip. One of the things….I always figure out where the market rent is. If the fair market rent is $1500, I will price it at or in some cases a little lower than that and then when I am talking to the tenant I will be blunt. I will say now you know this is a little under rental value. The reason why I did and if they argue with me I will just say okay I know it is and you know it is. You rented it out and I will tell them the reason why I have it a little under value on the rent is because I want a good tenant and I don’t want someone busting my chops on everything. I don’t want you calling me all of the time. If you have a legitimate problem or complaint then by all means give me a call but if there are little things I expect you to take care of them. I expect you to mow the lawn, take care of the grass, expect the rent to be there on time etc. Most of them understand that. I mean you have to set the guidelines up front.

Conclusion

Hopefully this helps. If you have any questions do not hesitate to give me a call at 813-317-4009 or visit my website at Tampa2Enjoy.com. If you are looking at buying or you know anybody that is looking at buying definitely pass on my information. Like my Facebook page which is on my website. Check it out and if you know anybody renting just forward this video. Again I was going to charge people for all of this because this is really some of the most valuable information I have ever given away for free but I really just don’t have time to be doing ebooks or dealing with all of that stuff so I don’t know maybe I will in the future. Anyhow as of right now you have this free so I wish you the best of luck with it. Check out all my other informative videos on my website's video page or on my Youtube channel. Good luck and take care.

Why Buy Tampa Bay Real Estate

February 28, 2014 by Lance Mohr

Tampa MSA is the second biggest metropolitan area in Florida state, with a population exceeding 2,790,000 and inclusive of Pinellas, Hernando, Pasco and Hillsborough counties. It is the sixth biggest metro territory in the south and the 19^th biggest in the country. It is no wonder that Tampa Bay real estate attracts much demand from both domestic and international buyers.

International headquarters

The Tampa Bay area has achieved the distinction of being the recipient of Southern Business & Development award as the “Mega Market of the Year”. A number of international corporations are headquartered here, including Tropicana Products, Ferman Automotive Group, Raymond James Financial, Rooms to Go, Outback Steakhouse, Carlton Fields, Brown and Brown, TECO Energy, Darden Restaurants, SRI/Surgical Express, Sykes Enterprises, Amscot, BIC, JABIL, Syniverse Technologies, Checkers, Catalina Marketing and SweetBay.

The Westshore Business District is Tampa Bay's economic hub. A prime piece of Tampa Bay real estate, Westshore is situated within city limits and has almost 16 million square foot of prime office space. A large number of upscale shopping areas, first class hotels, more than adequate meeting spaces, residential zones and entertainment areas are located in the vicinity. This Tampa Bay real estate chunk is located at the geographic center of the rapidly increasing Clearwater/Tampa/St. Petersburg market, making resources of the total market conveniently accessible. The Tampa International Airport is also situated adjacent to Westshore.

Better quality of life

Residents enjoy a higher quality of life compared to their counterparts in other parts of the US. The weather is delightfully warm and promotes a substantial range of recreational and cultural activities at The Museum of Science and Industry, Performing Arts Center, The Salvador Dali Museum and The Tampa Museum of Art. The Florida Aquarium, Ybor City, Busch Gardens and Lowery Park Zoo are other cultural and recreational spaces frequented by residents.

Sports center

The Tampa area is also home to many sports teams. The Raymond James Stadium is home to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and has previously hosted Super Bowls. The region is home to Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, Tampa Bay Storm arena football, and the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. It is also the winter home of New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies.

About 7 million visitors flock to the Tampa Bay region every year. They contribute more than $20 billion in revenue and continue to maintain tourism as the region's top industry. Tampa Bay is known for its excellent beaches and quick connectivity to Universal Studios and Disney World.

According to the US Conference of Mayors study, the economy of the Tampa Bay area is ranked among the 20 quickest growing metros in America and is expected to remain so in the near future. Growth rate is pegged at 3.2% and the city was ranked 16^th among 363 metros included in the study, making Tampa bay real estate an excellent investment choice.

Relocating to Florida a Smart Move as Rest of the Country Struggles with Arctic Blast

February 13, 2014 by Lance Mohr

Source

CBS expects the impact of polar vortex to reach $5 billion. Besides shattering records of subzero temperatures in New York, Chicago, Texas and Oklahoma, causing six and seven cold-related deaths in Indians and Illinois respectively, crippling power generation and stranding hundreds of passengers overnight on Amtrak trains, the mammoth arctic blast has taken aim at literally all US cities. Except for Florida, which received wind chill advisories and freezing overnight temperatures at the worst and enjoyed warm daytime temperatures otherwise. Relocating to Florida may seem like a good proposition right about now, as you shovel one foot of snow off your front yard or catch the sad images of packed homeless shelters on the news.

Besides the lure of Florida's humid subtropical climate and immunity to polar vortex, the state has a lot more going for it.

Why is Florida set to overtake New York in population?

Sometime this year, Florida will leap ahead of New York to become the country's third most populated state. This means almost 20 million people will call the Sunshine State their home. Analysts have identified the key reasons for this transformation. One is the availability of many low-wage jobs, which Latin American migrants, in particular have snapped up. The bustling tourism and hospitality sectors have opened up many employment opportunities, in particular for younger workers. Which works out well because Florida has the largest share of baby boomers in the country. According to a report by the U.S Census Bureau, more than 50% of arrivals in the state over the past couple of years are aged between 25 and 64 years. Interestingly, the trickle of people from New York has been steady, with an estimated 537,000 ex-New York residents relocating to Florida in 2013 alone!

Relocating to Florida? No Income Tax!

New York has a reputation as one of United States' highest taxed states. Florida doesn't have state income taxes. This alone is a strong motivator for many out-of-staters to shift base. As of 2013, the state had the seventh lowest tax collections per capita, at $1,718. Floridians do not pay inheritance tax either. As far as overall property tax (collected at the local and state levels) is concerned, Florida finds itself in the middle of the table.

Historically, as per capita tax collections and revenue from the state have been low, spending has also been kept low. However, in 2013, Governor Rick Scott introduced a $74 billion budget expanding healthcare services for people with disabilities and pay raises for state workers and teachers.

Low Cost of Living

The overall cost of living in Florida is estimated to be 4% lower than the national average. The cost of living in almost 30 other American states is higher than that of Florida. Of course, this number is dependent on the desirability factor of the particular city. So, if you plan to live in rural Florida, you can enjoy anywhere between a 15% and 20% reduction in overall living costs in comparison to the Gulf Coast. Keep in mind though that the cost of healthcare in Florida is higher than the national average, though the lower cost of taxes more than makes up for the increase. The introduction of the Affordable Healthcare Act has made high quality coverage available at competitive rates, making moving to Florida a smart choice.

Supports an active lifestyle

Sunshine, beaches and abundant green spaces – it wouldn't be wrong to call Florida a natural paradise that offers biking, fishing, watersports and golfing opportunities, to name a few. The state's limestone geology supports naturally-occurring springs, and there are quite a few fresh water springs to soak and dive in! Snorkeling, kayaking and scuba diving at Florida's coastal reefs attract locals as well as tourists in huge numbers. The state parks system consists of 160 parks scattered across thousands of acres of natural reserves, recreational spots and historic sites. When you are tired after a busy day at the beach or park, you can enjoy the water views, great music and tropical island ambiance of Florida's numerous beach bars.

Add to that the multitude of theme parks and shopping centers, and you'll understand why Floridians prefer to spend a good part of their day outdoors! It is home to some of the country's largest and best indoor and outdoor shopping malls. If you are looking for outlet malls or antique districts, Florida's got you covered too!

Depending on your circumstances, relocating to Florida may seem like a viable option if you seek a new life in a warm, cheerful state with an ethnically-diverse population and electric ambiance.

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Lance Mohr & Team