10 Reasons why you want to live in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Posted on by Arona A.
10 reasons why you should move to st.pete fl

Did you know that downtown St. Petersburg is one of the more desirable areas to live in the Tampa Bay Area? The downtown area has this hip beachy vibe that’s appealing to all ages.

Here are 10 reasons why you should move to downtown St. Petersburg.

  • Do you like live music? Downtown St. Pete hosts lots of live concerts in the park at the pier and other venues. Check out the Mahaffey Theater for shows and other events, Jannus Live, and Vinoy Park. There are also lots of bars and restaurants that offer live music.
  • Love the Beach? You are just minutes from the beach! Head to the beach to soak up some sun, fishing, boating, or go for a stroll to see a beautiful sunset.
  • Sports Teams- Like Soccer or Base Ball? Take in a Tampa Bay Rays game at the Tropicana Field or a Rowdies game at Al Lang Stadium. The Rowdies is a Professional soccer team.
  • Do you like art? Check out the amazing art galleries in downtown St. Petersburg. The Chihuly Collection at Morean Arts Center and The Dali (Salvador Museum). You also have your pick of local art galleries that feature local artist works.
  • The shopping is fantastic! Check out the Sundial in St. Pete for premier shopping, and dining. You can also shop one of a kind local boutiques for clothes, jewelry, and crafts.
  • At downtown St. Pete we have your choice of the best restaurants ranging for all budgets. You can try the local seafood to upscale Asian to casual dining. We have all sorts of culinary delights from American to Latin flavors. Check out our one of a kind and mouth-watering dessert shops.
  • Beach Drive! This is the premier destination for shopping, nightlife, food, and culture. Dine while taking in the gorgeous views. Whether you’re having breakfast, lunch, or dinner there are so many amazing restaurants to choose from.
  • Check out the Festivals! We’ve got lots of festivals to choose from. Rib Festival, Beer Festival, Music Festival, Food festivals, Hot Sauce Festival, you name it we’ve got that festival.
  • Do you like Craft Beer? Downtown St. Pete is known for it’s Craft Beer. Here are just a few of the places you can visit, Bayboro Brewing, St. Pete Brewing, The Ale and the Witch.
  • Are you an outdoorsy person? Downtown has many green spaces that line the waterfront that’s great for exercising, people watching, or just reading a book, lounging, and hanging out with your best friend. You can find a cozy space to sit and enjoy the view.

These are just some of the things that you can enjoy if you move to downtown St. Petersburg. Contact your neighborhood Realtor to find you a great condo or bungalow in the downtown St. Petersburg area.

How Do I Buy A House In Florida?

Posted on by Arona A.
http://realestatebitz.com/how-do-i-buy-a-house-in-florida/
a home is an american dream. Call Arona McGinley 727-422-9340 for information on homes in Tampa Florida

For many, this may be the first time that they are purchasing a home. Home buying is a new experience and if you’ve never done it before an unfamiliar process. To make this experience less intimidating, I will advise you to get in contact with a local Realtor®. Just in case you decide to do it yourself, here is a break down of the steps that can help you in your home buying search. If you do have questions on any of these steps or need a Realtor® please, email, text or phone me.

Step 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Loan ….this is where you find out how much money you can get to purchase your new home. This is free and a must-do if you are serious about looking at homes and making offers.

Step 2. Have Money for your Down Payment and Closing Fees … you will need to have at least 20% to put down as a down payment… for example, if you are purchasing a home for $250,000 you will need to have at least $50,000 as a down payment. This is money in addition to your loan. You will also need to have money for your closing costs which you can get an approximation from the title company.

Step 3. Write down a list of your must haves… this is beneficial to you and helps you break down areas that you want to live, what you want in a home, what school districts that you want and amenities you would like. This eliminates all the houses that you’re not interested in and you don’t feel overwhelmed with the whole process of the search for your home.

Step 3. Before you start searching I would get in contact with a Realtor®. A buyers agent is no cost to you, that’s right, they are free. You want someone that is on your side and that will negotiate for you. An agent will put together a list of properties from your list of must-haves and help you find the one that is right for you.

Step 4. You’ve found your home, now you get that offer. Once that offer is accepted by the seller’s agent you give a deposit check. This does not have to be a lot, can be $1,000 and this goes towards your closing costs. If you have a Realtor®, they will write up an offer and take care of everything else. That’s the great thing about having a Realtor®, you don’t have to negotiate or deal with the seller or the seller’s agent. Your agent acts as a buffer and takes care of everything for you.

Step 5. Your offer is accepted…now what? Schedule your home inspection. The buyer pays for the home inspector and you will definitely want one that has a good reputation. This is an important part of the process because this inspector will inspect the roof, plumbing, electrical, air condition, and heat as well as appliances, windows, pool and pool equipment. This needs to be done properly because these are expensive fixes if you buy the home and later find out that the air conditioner has a problem that was missed by the inspector.

Step 6. Waiting for Loan Approval… The bank usually gets the home appraised and they have their appraiser go out to the home. While you are waiting you should not change jobs, make huge purchases like buying a car or even purchase furniture. You should not make huge deposits into your bank account either. Any changes to your finance can delay or even result in your loan being denied.

Step 7. You are approved for the loan and now it’s closing day. You can now do your final walk-thru the morning before you go to the closing. You want to make sure that everything is clean and anything that was agreed on in the contract has been done. If not, then you will have to re-negotiate with the seller. If everything is as it should be your head to your closing.

Step 8. Your Title company would have been in contact with you throughout the whole process. You should know what your fees are…whether there is a clear title as well as closing fees. How the Seller gets their money. At the closing, the sellers are there with their agent as well as you and your agent. The title company goes over all the documents make sure you understand everything, and then you and the seller sign. You now get your keys and you head over to your new Home.

For more information on Buying or Selling homes please contact me.