Nationally, the US housing market has enjoyed renewed weakness as sales of existing single family homes fell 5.1 percent in June according to the National Assoc. of Realtors when compared to May. But the sales for the year are up 9.8 percent. The month to month drop from May to June is being blamed on the expiration of the tax credits that targeted first time homebuyers.

Condo sales in the Tampa Bay area have surged 36 percent compared to a year ago but the median price fell below $100,000 which is about 13 percent down. Buyers should keep in mind that these numbers for the most part refer to inland condos and not beachfront condos which are considerably more expensive even still.

The are still more great deals for condos on Clearwater Beach but be prepared to spend at least $250,000 and up depending on view, amenities, and condition of condos. For more information, call us at 888 423 5775.

After staging a demonstrable recovery in the weeks before, demand for home loans plummeted to reach 13-year lows last month as buyers raced to secure a homebuyer tax credit set to expire April 30. Analysts acknowledge that the decline is likely only temporary, and attribute spring housing market growth to the credit.

“The economy grew at a slower rate than originally reported in the first three months of the year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which suggests inflation will remain tame in the near term,” said Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft. “As a result, mortgage rates held at historic levels this week.”

The housing market is widely expected to be on a gradual road to recovery because of affordable financing options and low home prices. Up only 0.01 percentage points from the week before, 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaged 4.79 percent in the week ended June 3, making rates a half-point lower than a year before.

Reaching an all-time low of 4.71 percent this past December, 30-year fixed mortgage rates remain largely unchanged. Freddie Mac has tracked 30-year mortgage rates since 1971, releasing weekly figures.

Similarly, rates for 15-year fixed-rate home mortgages set a new record low of 4.20 percent. The new low is far below the 4.79 average percentage rate of a year prior. The home company has tracked 15-year rates since 1991.

Eric Bramlett is the broker & co-owner of One Source Realty, a boutique Austin real estate company. Eric currently manages his agents & works with select buyers & sellers. Eric specializes in Austin condos for sale.

At the end of Main Street closest to Dunedin Marina sits Sea Sea Riders, a seafood restaurant previously voted Best Chef Specials by Tampa Bay Magazine nestled among oaks and palm trees. The small blue house turned restaurant provides a down-home atmosphere with similarly prepared food and a wraparound porch to complete the ambiance. This is a place for gathering and rehashing stories and catching up with old time friends. Show up in jeans and a t-shirt to have a good time, but be sure to visit the Marina for a gorgeous harbor view after you’re finished.

If you are planning on a sunset dining experience, then there is no better place than Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill on North Beach of Clearwater Beach. As soon as you walk onto the wood-plank walkway, you are immersed in the island feel as the décor is splashed with vibrant colors reminiscent of an authentic Caribbean eatery. The restaurant is entirely open-air with the only protection from the elements being white tarps rolled down from the awnings; however, on a nice summer day it allows a cool breeze to fill the building from front to back. As you walk in, you have several seating choices: to the immediate left is a section with tabletops, pool tables, and TV’s to catch the game, towards the right is general indoor seating and an additional bar that faces the sand, and on the opposite wall of the bar is the outdoor deck filled with brightly colored umbrellas for those that just don’t get tired of being outside. From this deck watch a spectacular show as the sun begins its decent, finally sinking into the calm Gulf of Mexico. You can’t go wrong with the Frenchy’s menu, but they are renowned for their grouper sandwich.

So, grab a bite to eat and enjoy the surroundings!

Why do we have mothers?
1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. Moms are made out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Nothin. My Mom don’t do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
2. I’d make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Nationwide, taxpayers capitalized on the homebuyer tax credit. However, qualified service members still have more than a year to take advantage of the credit that can return up to $8,000 and $6,500 to first-time and repeat homebuyers, respectively.

The extension for most taxpayers gave them until April 30, 2010 to ink a binding sales contract, and three more months to close the deal. Members of the armed forces, intelligence community and Foreign Service who are on official extended duty have until April 30, 2011 to sign a deal and July 30, 2011 to close it.

Those who qualify for the extra year will likely find appeal in the MacDill Air Force Base. The base is in the heart of Tampa Bay and only minutes from Tampa. Therefore, military members who have a VA loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs can still make use of the homebuyer tax credit. Also, the VA Home Loan Guaranty program caps interest rates for active-duty military members. Those terms make MacDill an even more attractive place to settle down. View homes near MacDill here.

To use the tax credit, there are general conditions:
-The maximum purchase price of a home is $800,000.
-To be considered a first-time homebuyer, you or your spouse cannot have owned a home in the last three years.
-Individuals with an annual income of at least $125,000 and married couples with an annual income of at least $250,000 cannot qualify for the tax credit.
-Those who are not purchasing their first home can qualify for up to $6,500 in return. All other requirements are the same, but the buyer must have occupied the residence for five of the last eight years.

If after buying a home with the help of the tax credit and having to sell it within three years of the initial purchase, the returned money amount will not be recaptured.

Read more about VA Guidelines here.