Here are some very basic instructions on how to access your county’s flood maps:
Taken from Pasco County’s incredibly helpful website:
Zones designated as AE, A, AH or AO Zone. These properties have a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year and a 26 percent chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage.
VE or V Zones. These properties also have a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year and also face hazards associated with coastal storm waves.
High-risk areas are called Special Flood Hazard Areas, and flood insurance is mandatory for most mortgage holders.
Low or Moderate Flood Risk
Shaded X Zone. These properties are outside the high-risk zones. The risk is reduced but not removed.
X Zone. These properties are in an area of lower risk.
Lower-cost preferred rate flood insurance policies (known as Preferred Risk Policies) are often an option in these areas.
All of the social media outlets are recommended for your business. They’ve become a force that’s not just for sharing your personal life with your friends but for sharing your professional life with your clients.
Images, too, have become key to interacting on the social web. As our devices have grown more powerful and visually stunning, the use of images has risen too—to the point of being a necessity.
We don’t need to convince you that you need images, we’re sure—the numbers bear that out. Engagement on photo posts is far, far higher than on text posts. The Internet is a visual medium. But how do you use the images in a way that promotes your business and shows that you know your tools?
Part of it is knowing the image size you’ll need. Below we have a list of image sizes (in pixels) that show the optimal size for images to be seen, clicked, and responded to. All dimensions are listed Width X Height.
Using these guidelines can and will help you to promote your business because you’ll quickly improve your social media prowess and make your business look more beautiful and appealing to the average social user.
Feel free to bookmark this guide to the social media recommended image sizes in case you need the numbers again. Happy marketing!
When deciding whether to update or not, users often don’t take major factors into consideration—which could end up costing them a lot of time, money, and their personal data in a worst case scenario, all to dodge the inconvenience of learning a new piece of software. Updating is, in fact, essential to good business practice and good system security.
It’s not just older folk that tend to get this wrong, either. While the stereotype of grandma not running her updates on her device because the tools she uses “just work” are justified, you’d be surprised at how far down the chain that goes or just how many holdouts are out there. For instance, you might be surprised to know that as of April 2014, 26.29% of computers are still on Windows XP—a computer system that is officially not receiving any more major updates or security patches. Still more are running Windows 7—almost half of all computers in operation—an older system that is, thankfully, still receiving support. But, why update from something that works? Why change the tool?
The furor over Windows 8 (and 8.1) are some of the design choices that it’s made. In response to criticism and market pressure from rival Apple, Windows undertook a massive redesign project that was meant to make it more attractive, more useful, and better adapted to work on touch-based devices like smartphones and tablets. And, when used in that environment, it’s a pretty good system. (Even on a standard desktop, it’s not so bad—we here at Hillsborough Title run the equivalent of Windows 8.1 and we’ve not encountered too many problems.) But, the massively changed interface is confusing people and turning them away from these new systems because they don’t like how it looks.
But, if the computer was only how it looked, then there would be more artists and designers and fewer programmers. The computer is a tool, and the paint is only so important. Would you want to be tasked with selling a home that’s beautiful and luxurious on the exterior, fresh paint, beautiful view, the right location, but had no way to put locks on the doors and windows and had damage from previous burglaries? No—and that’s exactly what older systems represent.
The takeaway: a machine is a tool, and a tool is always more than what it looks like. Don’t let your computer be a beautiful but non-functioning device
So, if you’re serious about security and having the best system that you can, click the update button, both for security updates (like Mac OS X’s 10.9.x updates and Windows’ 8.1 and other security packs) and for major operating system upgrades (like going from Windows 7 to Windows 8; OS X 10.8 to 10.9). If you don’t do these upgrades, you might be left with security holes in the system that allow others to get into your machine, find your personal data (including those things that are private and confidential by nature), and possibly use it for illicit purposes.
If the design is holding you back, be sure to understand: by not clicking the button you assume the risk of those security flaws and holes being used against you. Worst case scenario is data loss and theft, but viruses and malware sneak in through those holes and slow down your computer, as well. Don’t let the paint sway your purchase; the paint can change but the strength of the structure is what you should be concerned with.
The takeaway: Updates are almost always worth it, whether you like the design or not—if you’re concerned about security.
There are a few instances where updating is not practical—usually if you’re in the IT field and you’re managing a network of computers that must work together. Updates change code and your programs might rely on the old code to work properly (or at all). If your business relies on a tool, be sure that tool is also updated to use the new code or else you might find yourself in a bind regarding your business. If your tools all operate offline and do not require any connection to the internet, you should be safe and won’t need an update (for now, anyway—there are viruses that can communicate through sound these days and infect computers not connected to a network).
Be careful about how you use your computer and make sure to apply all the updates necessary to keep your computer running at top shape and as securely as you possibly can. Maintaining good updates is a great way to defeat bugs and problems like Heartbleed—as the big companies running outdated software quickly found out.
The takeaway: You can ignore updates safely only if you know your computer well enough to not update or if you’re completely disconnected from the internet.
These days, cell phones and revolutions in how we all communicate and interact mean that older methods of communication with leads and clients are not as effective as they used to be. This can be dangerous for those of us who don’t have a strong background in using these devices or who are heavily accustomed to the tried and true methods employed by professionals for many years.
This isn’t just a long-distance telecommunications phenomenon, either. The evolution of communication has bled into standard communication and has changed not only how we send messages to each other but how we speak, as well—and not knowing the differences can make all the difference.
We’ve noticed that people don’t pay attention to others if they’re rambling. The internet is an enormous source of knowledge, but the overload of knowledge works against it: people don’t have the time to read everything.
NPR recently took advantage of this principle for an April Fools prank, using the photo and metadata of an article to suggest that people don’t read. Many people protested, commenting about how they do read and how it was offensive for NPR to think that way. However, if you click and read the article, it lets the reader in on the joke. The offended people commenting didn’t read the article. And there were many people offended, too.
The same is true for your clients. They don’t have the time to waste on you if you’re not providing solid information, whether that information is a blog post on your website or a listing. Say what needs said and stop.
The takeaway: speak clearly and quickly; don’t waste time.
The expectations of communication have changed, as well. Not even 20 years ago, answering machines were common because unless we were very well off, instant replies and instant communication were not expected.
This has changed. The internet and the ubiquitous nature of cell phones mean that your reply is expected extremely promptly—often within minutes. If you’re waiting longer than an hour to reply, even if just to let them know you’re busy, you’re most likely losing business. To the modern professional of any age, time is money and waiting for excessively long periods of time is detrimental to business.
While this might seem like it’s an invasion of your life, consider how many things you get instantly these days and how you expect quick replies from those companies who have your business. You’re no different.
The takeaway: respond quickly with solid information—even if only to say that you’ve received the message.
The differences that the market faces can seem insurmountable, especially when it deals with changing the way that you do business and how those social expectations have shifted with little warning. But, learning to speak “digitally” in what used to be an analog world isn’t too terribly difficult—just keep your clients in mind, how they operate, and how they define the relationship. If you work to define it your way, you’ll get clients who think like you do—and that number is on the decrease.
Don’t just assume that one way of doing business is best because that’s the way it always worked. Remember, 20 years ago print ads and billboards were more effective than this thing called the internet. Now, computer monitors and phones are the billboards. Things change—and so must we if we want to keep getting business.
The takeaway: pay attention and adapt.
Have you been paying attention to the new mode of travel, lodging, and interaction? We’ve been moving to a different way of doing things here in the good old USA, and that way is far more like what our kindergarten teachers used to tell us: sharing is indeed caring these days—and it’s saving people a lot of money.
From the Wikimedia Commons.
So much so, in fact, that it’s beginning to affect how people make major decisions. Do they buy a car for personal use or are they willing to use Lyft, a makeshift taxi service servicing some major cities (and attempting to roll out to more). Need a room for a few nights somewhere? AirBnb has you covered. And the income that people using these services earn (as well as the inexpensive alternative that they provide to traditional taxis and hotels) can affect what factors influence a decision on where to live.
Here’s a plausible scenario: Say there’s a very affordable house on the outskirts of a major city, just outside the range for someone to walk to work. For someone who’s espousing frugality in their efforts, this is a big concern. If Lyft is available for them, then that might tip the scales towards this home that normally they wouldn’t have considered.
Likewise, people may choose to buy a bigger home so that they can rent one of the rooms for a few days a month. The mere presence of these services mean that they’ll become considerations as they catch on.
While we’re not endorsing or detracting from the sharing economy, we’ll simply say this: there’s never been a better time to really get to deeply know your client base. While you might not be representing someone interested in Lyft (which is marketed more towards younger professionals looking to save money), AirBnb might be on their radar. Or Getaround, RelayRides, and more. These services are becoming very popular and might just change some markets—if you’re willing to make the connections and use them as selling points.
Great news for Florida’s housing market: listings, median prices, and speed of sale are all on the rise according to data from Florida Realtors.
The median prices are something to behold. According to the report from Florida Realtors, median prices for townhome, condo, and single-family homes all rose year-over-year—“for the 27th month in a row.” That’s simply astonishing and great news for anyone still concerned that we’re not in some form of recovery.
Additionally, the data notes a reduction in distressed sales and a corresponding interest by families looking to sell their home traditionally. Thanks to that reduction, the report notes that there is a 11.6 percent increase year-over-year in single-family home listings and a 4.2 percent increase in townhouse/condo listings. Supply and price are both going up—which is a good thing for anyone in the real estate industry and for the housing market in general.
However, it should be noted that while this is good news for our year-over-year gains in the housing market, we are still below the national median in sales price (our $165,000 versus the national $188,900). That’s not terrible, but it does show that the value hasn’t quite caught up—but with a 27 month streak of showing improvement, we’re catching up quite nicely.
Florida Realtors states that, despite these other issues, sales are down for both single-family and townhouses/condos. Dr. John Tuccillo also notes that this is an image of a re-emerging normal market, noting that the weaker sales results in single-family homes and townhouses/condos are “solely the result of plummeting short sales,” meaning that more people are selling their homes for their value and helping stabilize the market.
And good for them, and for you. It’s nice to see us in recovery, gaining value in our real estate, and seeing some normalcy in what’s been a more chaotic world.
Thanks to DSNews and Florida Realtors for the info.
We hope you can make it out to the RE-GRAND OPENING of our South Tampa office!
Wednesday Feb. 26 from 4-6PM @ 3410 Henderson Blvd.
It's deja vu all over again for struggling Florida homeowners: The massive tax break that saved them tens of thousands of dollars has once again expired.
Underwater homeowners whose lenders let them sell their home for less than they owed have not had to pay taxes on that debt thanks to a law passed shortly after the housing bubble burst.
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act has been extended twice since 2007, including last year. But its expiration Dec. 31 could mean a rude awakening for homeowners come tax time.
Florida houses more than 1 million of the 6 million underwater mortgages nationwide. Even with rising home prices, about 30 percent of Tampa Bay's 600,000 outstanding loans remain underwater.
Those homeowners, many of whom bought at inflated prices during the housing boom, could ask the bank for a short sale that would let them move and dodge their debt.
But even if the bank forgave the debt, they would still be responsible for paying taxes on what is effectively an increase in their income. A short sale of $100,000 less than the homeowner's mortgage debt could, in a 25 percent tax bracket, mean a $25,000 surprise in taxes.
"These are clients with true hardships who still don't have jobs, still aren't able to find work," said Beth Cromwell, a short-sale processor for Hillsborough Title. "They're running out of options."
And it's not just short sellers. Foreclosed homeowners would owe taxes on what they failed to pay on their mortgage. Even homeowners offered mortgage help, like loan modifications or principal forgiveness, would be on the hook for taxes on what was cut.
Lawmakers could discuss an extension this month alongside dozens of other expired tax breaks. Pending bills now in Congress would extend the tax break through 2015.
Realtors short-sold 6,700 Tampa Bay homes, townhomes and condos last year, listing data show, and more than 1,500 are now listed for short sale.
Up to $2 million of a homeowner's forgiven debt qualifies for the tax break. The extension last year saved taxpayers across the country $1.3 billion, federal data show.
Housing advocates said the expired tax break will hurt those least able to afford more in taxes. Agents for some distressed homeowners attempted to rush through short sales last year to dodge the "phantom income" tax bill.
Many distressed homeowners can dodge the mortgage debt taxes if they prove to the IRS they are insolvent, owing more in debts than what they own in assets. That can be a saving grace for short sellers today who are in deep financial trouble.
"Most people who are doing (short sales) now aren't the strategic defaulters," said Keller Williams agent Steve Capen. "They have true hardships, and they usually will be insolvent at the time of closing."
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and 41 other attorneys general last month called on lawmakers to extend the relief, saying that, even with improvements to home prices and equity, "we are still not where we need to be."
"This relief is crucial to both the homeowners struggling to regain their financial footing and to the battered housing market whose recovery is slow and still uncertain," they wrote.
By: Drew Harwell of the Tampa Bay Times
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