Information on First-Time Homebuyer Programs

Credit for this photo goes to Express

You've found that perfect first home you've always been looking for on Anna Maria Island- big swimming pool, fenced in backyard, spacious kitchen, and tons of room to have friends and family over. Being a first time homebuyer, I'm sure you searched the internet for options. You may have been one of many getting overwhelmed by all the information available. Don't worry! I've don't some research myself in order to help you get started with what you need.

First, what is a first time home buyer program and what does it do? It's a program that was set up to help make purchasing a home more affordable for low-to-moderate income families and individuals by offering fixed, low-interest rate mortgage loans.

Now, if you're unfamiliar with what a mortgage loan is, it's a loan that is given to you by using your home/property in exchange for funds that you agree to pay back in a certain time frame for a certain cost.

After looking at Florida Housing's website, I found a wizard that may be able to help provide you with more information regarding the first time home buyer programs. Using this tool it gave a little bit of insight for what you may be eligible for as well as more information regarding income limits, purchase price limits, down payment assistance, and more.

Example List of Available Florida First Time Homebuyer Programs:

•          Florida First (FHA, VA, & RD only) with an interest rate of 4.5000% this program is available to all first time homebuyers by reducing the cost of your first mortgage.
•        Florida Military Heroes (FHA, VA, & RD only) with an interest rate of 4.2500% this program is a 30 year fixed rate mortage loan program that was designed to help veterans and active duty personnel. It reduces the first mortgage interest rate and veterans don't have to be first time homebuyers.
•          Both the FL HFA Preferred Conventional Loan Program and the HFA Preferred Plus Conventional Loan Program have an interest rate of 4.2500%. They both offer reduced first mortgage interest rates.

The programs listed above are just a few of many. You're never in the search alone. Check my website out at Anna Maria Life. I would be honored to help you search for your first, second, or any home you're looking to move into. Call me, Billi, at 941-545-8877 for any of your Anna Maria Island real estate needs.

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Anna Maria Island's Historic City Pier- Originally just a Pier, but now a well loved restaurant & attraction for locals & tourists!

(credit for this photo goes to Beach Hunter)

In 1893, George Emerson Bean settled what’s now known as Bean Point on Anna Maria Island. Charles Roser and George Emerson Bean partnered together in a business to develop roads and a water system to support the ever growing island. With the population increasing and tourism rising, the business built a pier at the end of Pine Avenue in 1911 to draw visitors in from Tampa and St. Petersburgh.  Spanning at around 757 feet in length, the pier was an excellent way for the steamers to drop off the daily fish catch, bringing new visitors, and taking them back to the mainland. George convinced his daughter to wear her bathing suit and welcome the visitors and also convinced his sister to act as a fortune teller drawing more and more interest to the attraction of the island. George also had a little souvenir shop built at the end of the pier; so, visitors could take a little piece of Anna Maria Island home with them. The pier is now known as the “Anna Maria Island Historic City Pier” and it’s been remodeled, updated, and now has a restaurant at the end of it serving locals and tourists alike with great food and a great view of the Skyway Bridge across the bay. Don’t forget to stop by and check it out on Pine Avenue.

(credit for this photo goes to The Islander)

Anna Maria Island is a great place to live. There are tons of gorgeous homes for sale in Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, and Anna Maria. Call me at 941-545-8877 schedule a tour to find the home of your dream. To experience the Anna Maria Life check out my site here. 

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Checklist: Who to Inform That You're Moving

Once you’ve decided on moving you should start planning on who you’re going to notify. It’s very important to let business know such as your insurance, internet, etc so that way you’ll still keep your product/service. The best way to tell who you need to inform of your move is to make a list. We’ve made a list that may be of some help; however, you may not need all of these.

• Friends and family
• Banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions
• Insurance companies
• Local government authorities as appropriate
• Tax authorities
• Utility companies (i.e. gas, electric, water as appropriate – in these cases you may need to talk to them direct to arrange disconnection/connection of services, account opening/closure etc)
• Phone companies – both fixed and mobile
• Satellite/cable TV providers
• Internet service providers
• Doctor, optician and dentist
• Veterinarian
• Schools
• Employers
• Regional driving license offices
• Magazine or newspaper subscriptions
• Clubs, professional associations, motoring organizations etc
• Rental companies
• Mail order companies

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What Should I Look for When Purchasing an Existing Home

It’s best to do careful research and evaluation of existing homes for sale before buying your new home. By checking everything out beforehand it ensures that your new home will be comfortable, cost effective, and holds its value in the future.

• How much work will need to be done after you move in? (Make sure to look at all the cabinets, flooring, walls, appliances, etc) If you have to do home improvements how much will it cost you to do them.
• If there are damages to the home can you fix them on your own or will you need to hire a contractor?
• Is there enough room for storage and your furniture? (Measure you furniture before you buy to make sure everything will fit.)
• If you have kids, research the schools in the area. Check how the schools near-by perform and compare to other schools in the state.
• If you have pets, are you going to have enough room for them in the house and outdoors?
• Does the home condition and tax value match the seller’s price?
• Do you like the landscaping or are you going to want to change it? If you are probably going to change it, estimate how much it will cost. Take into consideration if you are going to be able to do it on your own or if you’ll have to hire a contractor.
• Check out the condition of the neighborhood that you’re looking at. How are the neighbors’ houses? Are they looking run down? The condition of the neighborhood could affect your home’s value if you plan on selling it in the future.
• Does the house require a mandatory membership? If so, find out how much and what it goes towards. Check out the neighborhood and talk to the neighbors to see how they like it in that area.
• Make a wish list of things that you’re wanting. This will make it easier to judge how much work may be needed after you move in.
• Make a check list of things that you should check out; such as, cabinets, appliances, faucets, toilets, heating and air systems, and lighting. 

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What to do to get your home prepped for showing day

You’re ready to show your home to potential buyers, but you’re not sure what to do to make it show ready. We’ve compiled a small list of things to help you out.

• Detach yourself from the home- Now that the property is on the market for sale it’s best to start calling it your property instead of home. By doing this you’ll be able to separate from the home and sell it. This is leading into the next tip: depersonalize your property.
• Depersonalize the property- Remove family photos, religious items, trophies, artwork from your children, etc. When a potential buyer is looking at your property they’re going to be imagining what it would be like as their home. By having any personal items removed it will make it much easier for them to imagine it as theirs.
• Remove any signs of a pet- Your pet’s bed/ litter box has a distinct smell that could turn away potential buyers. Stow them away inside the house somewhere, though it’s probably best to remove them completely from the property.
• Make sure it looks clean- If a potential buyer walks into your property and notices that it is dirty they will probably walk back out. This is the time to SUPER CLEAN the house from top to bottom- steam the carpets, mop & wax the floors, clean your windows inside & outside, and make sure your appliances are scoured. Make sure to have fresh garbage bags in your trash cans. Really clean those handrails, stair banisters, and any other items that have a “Touch Me” texture to them.
• Make sure it smells clean too- Now that your property is clean make sure it smells clean too. Air your home out to get rid of any odors. Make sure to remove pet items as well. Your pet’s bed/ litter box will leave a lingering smell. A good way to make your property inviting is appealing to their nose. Bake a fresh batch of cookies, some bread, or even brew some coffee. Not only will the house smell nice you’ll also have something to offer your guests. If it’s cold outside make some hot cocoa or some cider it will have a nice affect to your guests.
• Clean out those closets!- If a potential buyer sees all the closets jam packed with a bunch of stuff they’re going to worry about space. Clean out and organize your closets to give them the illusion that there is tons of room.

These are only a few tips of many that can help you prep for showing day. Check out Pintrest and other social media sites to get some ideas. 

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Experience paradise as never before!

Are you looking for a gated community with access to your very own intercoastal waterway access? Would you like to have a heated saltwater swimming pool? This beautiful Snead Island property has been recently posted for sale. Experience paradise like never before. Walk into the main corridor equipped with 14 foot ceilings, crown moldings, and rope lighting that merges into the spacious kitchen. Entertain your guest with a walk through of the Aquarium style windows that gives you a gorgeous view of your multi-tiered lanai. This stunning home is minutes away from Emerson Point, Bradenton Yacht Club, and more. Click the link below to see the full listing for 1760 Amberwynd Circle West or gives us a call at 931-565-8877.

http://www.annamariaislandrealestateforsale.com/paradise-home-sale-palmetto-anna-maria-life-and-billi-gartman/

                           

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Looking to renovate your kitchen? Check out the top 5 trends for kitchen designs of 2015.

1. Furniture- The furniture of your kitchen is the biggest thing that’s going to catch your guest’s attention besides your appliances. The current trend that’s happening is having a personal, warm, and welcoming kitchen. Go for those beautiful dark, cherry wood cabinets and shelving. Turning your kitchen into something like your living room makes it nice to be in and enjoy prepping your family’s meals
2.   Open Shelving- Gone are the closed cabinet doors! With open shelves it makes your kitchen look warm and lived in. Also with the easily accessible shelves it’s still totally function for you and your family. When your children use to leave the doors open and you’d have to dodge them. No worries! You never have to worry about the cabinet doors again.      
   
3.   Modern/Traditional- Many homes are now switching over to combining modern and traditional styles in the kitchen. It makes your kitchen sleek, but also very homey. You can feel free to mix the materials in your kitchen such as: having wood cabinets and marble counter tops to even having stainless steel appliances in your kitchen with wooden furniture. It makes it your own personal space for just about everything you and your family need.  
   
4.  Textures- Imagine walking into your home and seeing ridges on your counter. You’re asking yourself “Is that really ridges or just some form of an optical illusion?” Go on and touch it. Textures are the next biggest thing in kitchen designs. It makes people want to touch where it’s textured and it also adds more depth to your kitchen when using different textures.  
   
5.   No wall cabinets- Having no wall cabinets means that your kitchen will look bigger. Now, having no wall cabinets is not for everyone, but it gives you the illusion of space. You’ll also have more room to set up some of your beautiful paintings that you may have gotten from a local Anna Maria Island artist.

A Few Top Things to do on Anna Maria Island

One of the best things to do while vising Anna Maria Island is riding your bike. There are bike lanes throughout most of the island and there are rarely any hills to have to go over. Using a bike is a great way of getting from place to place. You don’t have to bother with any of the traffic and you can easily lock your bike at any bike rack located at most of the businesses. Riding your bike to the beach is great too! You don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot! All you have to do is put your beach items in the basket, bike to the beach location you love, lock it up, and now you’re ready to enjoy the beach.

Anna Maria Island’s beach is stunning. Enjoy the warm Florida sunshine and slight island breeze while resting on the white, sugary sands. Much of the island’s real estate gives opportunity to gulf front and waterfront homes as well as beach access points. Take a bike ride up to the Historic Anna Maria City Pier. The walk to the restaurant on the gulf is beautiful with the view of the Skyway Bridge, local fishermen, and wildlife such as dolphins or manatee. You can sit inside or outside to enjoy the views of the gulf. The food is delicious! Local favorites are the Fish & Chips dish, Shrimp basket, Crab cake Croissant, and the Grouper Sandwich. Occasionally there is also a jewelry shop outside the restaurant’s doors; so, feel free to take a look and find you may find something you like.

While you’re at the north end of Anna Maria Island there are tons of little shops to visit as well as some great food to try. There are boutiques, souvenirs, and more! Two Scoops, a local favorite for ice cream is nestled in a little stretch of business just outside of the city pier. Two Scoops has tons of different flavors for ice cream that you can choose from. If you want that waffle cone bowl- go for it! They have that too! They also have snacks, drinks, and a couple things you can buy as souvenirs. The best part about Two Scoops is that you can enjoy your ice cream outside looking out at the magnificent turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout Anna Maria Island there is a free trolley that you can hop on and see the sight of Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, and Coquina Beach. With so much to offer this little island is perfect for your home away from home.

Bayfront lot in Anna Maria Island

$450,000 for a Bayfront lot on Anna Maria Island. Give us a call 941-567-6228 or visit our Anna maria Island real estate website

Time to buy property is now, have your dream home on Anna Maria Island