Coit Group Fine Homes

                        Aug. 19, 2013 The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is making it easier for once-struggling homeowners to qualify for a mortgage backed by the agency. For borrowers who meet certain requirements, the FHA is trimming to one year the amount of time that homebuyers must wait after a bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale before they may qualify for a FHA-backed mortgage. The waiting period had been two years after the completion of a bankruptcy and three years after a foreclosure or a short sale. But only certain consumers who’ve been in those circumstances will be able to meet the criteria attached to the eased restrictions. Borrowers must be able to show their household income fell by 20 percent or more for at least six months and was tied to unemployment or another event beyond their control. They also must prove they have had at least one...

To download Chuck Coit's Keller Williams App, text KW3CFXHK to 87778 or scan my QR code below: AUSTIN, TX (August 8, 2013) - Keller Williams Realty, the largest real estate franchise company in the United States, announced today the release of a mobile app customized for each of its 88,000 associates. The company is the first real estate franchise to offer every agent and office an individually branded real estate search app.  Agents receive a unique URL and text code to share with consumers. When consumers use the app, they can easily search and compare properties and connect directly with their agent of choice about the listings they want to see. "At Keller Williams, we're agent-centric and consumer-centric at the same time," CEO Mark Willis said. "By being the first to provide our associates with their own branded app, we are empowering them to achieve extraordinary results and deliver exceptional client service. And by providing consumers...

Lennar aquires 172 homesties at Tripple Creek. Construction beginning July TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division recently acquired 172 home sites at Triple Creek, located off Balm Riverview Road just south of Big Bend Road in Riverview. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said Lennar will start construction of new single family homes in the first phase at Triple Creek on 40, 50 and 60 foot home sites. New three, four, five, six and seven bedroom designs will range from 1,900 square feet of living space to 4,054 square feet, Metheny said. Lennar’s new homes at Triple Creek – priced from the $170s to the $200s – will feature two, three and four baths and come with two and three-car garages, he said. Metheny said construction of model homes at Triple Creek will start in July. Triple Creek is adjacent to the “Triple Creek Greenway” a 1,200 acre preserve and protected habitat owned and managed by Hillsborough County with 3.5 mil...

  Boomers To Shape Housing Market For Next Two Decades. When it comes to the swooning housing market, sometimes it seems only a knight in shining armor can save it, and according to some experts, that salvation could come in the form of the so-called echo boomer generation. About 62 million strong, echo boomers—Americans roughly between the ages of 17 and 31—will shape the next two decades of the housing market, according to the National Association of Realtors, noting that young homebuyers already make up 31 percent of all recent home purchases. "Clearly it's a significant demographic group," says Charlie Young, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. "With about 5 million turning 21 every year, they're going to be driving the first-time homebuyer market for years to come." "I believe the market will be fueled by the coming of age of this generation," he adds. But rescuing the ailing housing market is ...

Cooling Down Summer A/C Bills By KELLI B. GRANT T he dog days of summer may not be as big a burden on household energy bills this year.   Natural gas prices are down 46% compared with last year, due to increased supply and a mild winter, according to the Energy Information Administration. Utilities that use natural gas to generate electricity are passing their savings along to customers in the form of lower rates. "The bills are coming down in some areas," says Keith Voight, a spokesman for the Edison Electric Institute, an association of shareholder-owned electric companies. In New Jersey, for example, the Board of Public Utilities estimates that Public Service Electric & Gas customers could see rates drop 3.6%. Nationwide, "we may not see full effect happening until next year," says Tyler Hodge, an economist with the EIA. Electricity rates are projected to increase a modest 0.6% this year, he says, and fall 2.1% in 2013 -- the first...

Whats a good first credit card to build my credit score? By Daniel Bortz Getting your first credit card is a critical first step into adulthood. With a line of credit comes a new level of maturity, and the decision about what card to start out with should not be made lightly. But before you venture out for your own piece of plastic, consider taking a baby step: Ask your parents to make you an authorized user on their credit card. This will help you build a little credit history, so you won't have to procure a card completely fresh. It will also enable your parents to teach you the basics of how to manage credit. Otherwise, you must be 18 years old to get a credit card on your own. "I encourage parents to teach their kids how to manage credit before they go to college," says Beverly Harzog, Credit.com's credit expert. "It's good if they know what they're doing when they start res...

How to challenge that low appraisal - MSN Real Estate