Dan Swings Blog

1. Competing Generations:  The recent shift in home buying preferences is a generational one. Millennials are starting to abandon their condos in the city for starter homes in the burbs, putting them in direct competition with downsizing baby boomers.
   With these two groups both looking for similar housing, well-maintained single-family homes are expected to go very quickly in 2018

 

1. Tightening Inventory: The fall of 2017 was tight in regards to the number of homes available for sale. In fact, total housing inventory was down 13.4 percent in October 2017 compared to the same time the year before, according to the RE/MAX National Housing Report.For most of the country, sellers currently have the advantage. Will that change in 2018? It’s possible, but buyers should prepare for a market where they will have to be aggressive to purchase the home they want.

 

1. Advanced Technology: Like most other industries, real estate today is profoundly affected by the advance of technology. Homebuyers and sellers can easily access information about a house or the market with the click of a button, and virtual walk-throughs allow a buyer to enter a prospective home for the first time with few surprises.
   In real estate, technology has the potential to reward those who do their homework and make the most of digital options before deciding how to use their precious time.

The Takeaway: Navigating It All Requires an Expert
The above trends figure to play a prominent role in virtually every home sale and listing across the country.

How do these trends affect our market? I can help you navigate our market. If you’re thinking of buying or selling next year, I’ll help you come up with a complete market analysis to help you reach your real estate goals.

Excellent buy at $145,000.  Tenant occupied, won’t last long at all.  May I add, 10804 Collar is a one of a kind home. The open area is prime for entertaining, you can’t find a better view of the large pond and conservation area. Bass hang out just under the willows in this pond area. The deer are always traveling down through the stream/drainage area. We saw over a dozen after church Christmas Eve. An amazing site. Tranquility you won’t find anywhere else in Tampa Bay Golf an Country Club. Oversized A/C heat pump and comfort you won’t find in any other model this size.

Eleven (11) homes have reduced the price on their activity in our community since June 1st. Thirty 36 homes are still on the market, approximately higher than last year at this time. Ten (10) are pending with average active days on the market of 47,  last year at this time we had eleven (11) pending with an average of 12 days on the market. Eleven have sold and closed in the past 30 days. Same as last year at this time.

Interest rates are climbing to the high 4% and are NOT affecting the market outside of TBGCC but inside, buyers seem to become much more cautious. The majority of the buyers are at a price point of $210,000 or lower. However extraordinary homes and income properties seem to be capturing higher returns at this time.

Thank you for your questions and calls. As a result of your reviews on this blog, my team and I have listed and sold 5 properties in the community in the past 60 Days! Thank you for your confidence!

Happy yoga, and may your summer be blessed!

 

“COMMUNICATION”

Analyzing the situation; means thinking about the subject, purpose, sender, receiver, medium, and context of a message

Choosing a medium; involves deciding the most appropriate way to deliver a message, ranging from a face-to-face chat to a 400-page report.

Evaluating messages; means deciding whether they are correct, complete, reliable, authoritative, and UP-TO-DATE!

Following conventions; means communicating using the expected norms for the medium chosen.

Listening actively; requires carefully paying attention, taking notes, asking questions, and otherwise engaging in the ideas being communicated.

Reading; is decoding written words and images in order to understand what their originator is trying to communicate

Speaking; involves using spoken words, tone of voice, body language, gestures, facial expressions, and visual aids in order to convey ideas

Turn Taking; means effectively switching from receiving ideas to providing ideas, back and forth between those in the communication situation.

Using technology; requires to understand the abilities and limitations of any technological communication, from phone calls to e-mails to instant messages.

Writing; involves encoding messages into words, sentences, and paragraphs for the purpose of communicating with a person who is removed by distance, time or both.

As the TBGCC grew, Many elements became prevalent and sections of the community that met legal specifications were anointed as HOAs (Home Owners’ Associations).  Today TBG&CC consists of ten HOA’s.  Eventually, Transeastern Properties went bankrupt and Engle Homes (TOUSA) came in as the Declarant, taking over the unsold property lots.  Falcone Enterprises retained ownership of the TBG&CC amenities.

In 2010, following a majority vote of the eligible residents to purchase the amenities, Starwood Corporation loaned the master association $3.75 million which enabled the residents to own the amenities (as the Tampa Bay Community Association).  The $3.75 million was paid to Falcone Enterprises and to Engle Homes (TOUSA).  At that point in time the residents of TBG&CC took over ownership of the amenities and Starwood Corporation owned all of the unsold lots. During the following year, the Master Association made interest-only payments to Starwood Corporation.   By the end of that year, the Finance Committee of the Master Association had facilitated a 15-year mortgage with BB & T Bank.  The amount owed to Starwood Corporation was paid, leaving Starwood with ownership of all the unsold lots and the residents as owners of the amenities.

Starwood then sold lots to two builders – K. Hovnanian and Lennar.  Homes began to be built and sold in large numbers.  Eventually, Lennar sold off all their homes, and let their remaining lots go into foreclosure. It was determined the quality of home Lennar provided could not compete with the lesser quality of K. Hovnanian, the last builder to develop the remaining lots.

Throughout the years of its existence, TBG&CC has been governed by several Boards of Directors.  When Transeastern Properties was the owner a three-member Board of Directors consisting of their employees was the governing body.  After 2010, a three-member Board of Directors consisting of two Starwood employees and one resident member took over the governing role.  Effective December 2014, the Master Association Board of Directors were seated.  The Master Association Board consists of ten members, each elected by their respective HOA’s.  There is also a Presidents’ Council that includes the Presidents of each of the HOA’s.  That Council is advisory only.
We’ve gone through 2 managers and it appears our community is in good hands.

A few of the residents are still around and experienced the drama and politics in the early stages of development in Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club!  Beginning in June of 1993 when the land was purchased by Dr. J. C. Benefield as Colonial Village Mobile Home Park.  In February 1994 Gulfstream Procurements (AKA Dale Whittington) purchased the land from Dr. Benefield and the property was renamed Tampa Bay Golf & Tennis Club, Inc.  At that time the Community Center, the tennis court, the shuffleboard courts and the swimming pool were built.  Old Tampa Bay Drive only went as far as the tennis court.  There was also a nine-hole golf course  (hole number 1 is now number 4).  Dale Whittington purchased the development and began building homes.  The original homes that he sold were frame houses with vinyl siding.   He did not start building concrete block and stucco homes until sometime in 1995.

When the homebuilding cycle began Whittington made a lot of deals with many of the prospective owners.   After he would negotiate new homes by buying their trailer, boat, vehicle or something of value that encouraged the new homeowners to commit to a new home purchase. He built homes for those new residents. The deeds for all of the new homes read as follows:  “Tampa Bay Golf and Tennis Club.”  The residents of the new community formed a CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee), and the CAC expressed its views on a variety of issues that arose.  For example, the CAC was concerned about the organic landfill that developed south of the community along Old Pasco Road.  There was also concern about the status of being a senior (55 plus) community.  In 2015 a new President’s advisory board was formed and it was determined that not enough identification was present at each entrance to protect this status.

In 1998 Dale Whittington sold everything to Transeastern Properties, Inc.  A major investor in Transeastern Properties was Falcone Enterprises.  During these years, new sub-HOA’s were created and developed, and Transeastern built these homes. Lennar Homes (aka U.S. Homes) showed an interest in the community and purchased from Transeastern Properties. As TBGCC began to develop growing pains it was determined the new name for our community would be changed to Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club (TBG&CC), although many deeds still list the “Tennis Club.”  The golf course was expanded into an 18 hole championship course, an Executive Course was added and the Clubhouse was erected.  Those amenities were all owned by Falcone Enterprises.

More of the history will be posted in the near future. For all you Realtors that follow my blogs, this should help clear up some of the rumors and illusions shared by some residents.

It appears Teresa is making sales happen in Tampa Bay Golf and CC.  She knows the market, she’s got the buyers and she’s listing homes with the right value and they sell quickly.  Can’t say enough good things about her.

Need your home sold and would like great representation, call me. I’ll set you up with showing appointments or refer you to Teresa. Together Teresa and I will make it happen.

Looking forward to working with you.