Brandon, Florida is just a short drive from Tampa, and offers great access to a world-class metropolitan experience with less expensive home prices and a quieter pace of life than other towns in the Tampa Bay metro area.
As a census-designated place, Brandon doesn’t have all of the local government amenities of some other towns in the area, but that doesn’t make it any less of a wonderful place to live.
So here’s a look at area real estate, and tips to get a mortgage in Brandon, Florida.
Brandon, Florida Real Estate
Looking at the numbers, Brandon, Florida has a lot going for it as far as real estate is concerned.
The only negative real estate indicator in Brandon is the number of homes with negative equity, a relatively high 19.4% as of March 2015, which outpaces the national average of 15.4%. However, these high rates of “underwater” homes are a result of the recent financial crash, which Brandon’s housing market has not recovered from completely. But despite the fact that housing prices in Brandon haven’t rebounded to pre-crash levels, they have grown consistently in recent years and are projected to keep growing.
Currently, the median home price in Brandon sits at $157,00, significantly below the national average of $180,800 and the Florida state median of $175,300. However, these prices are higher than the average for the city of Tampa, which sits at $145,900. Last year, home values in Brandon rose by 5.1%, and Zillow predicts they will rise by an additional 2.0% in the upcoming year.
Brandon, Florida: A Great Place to Live
Despite its unincorporated status, Brandon offers residents a lot of services.
Bus lines tie together the larger Tampa metro zone through public transportation. There are public and private schools for all levels of primary education. And Brandon has a large, full-service public library. All of these services help make Brandon a great place to live, and mean that Brandon has a lot more public services than many other census-designated places in the U.S.
In addition to the relatively robust public services, people are drawn to Brandon for the climate and its convenient location to some of the best beaches in the country.
Getting a Mortgage in Brandon, Florida
If you are thinking about living in Brandon and buying a home, you’ll probably want a mortgage to help pay for the home.
So, here are a few tips for getting a mortgage in Brandon.
#1 Get Ready
Before you consult a mortgage originator, make sure that you have all of your personal documentation in order. You will need to be able to prove your income, back up your claims about debt obligations, and explain any blips in your credit history. Having all of this information readily available will speed up the process of getting a mortgage.
#2 Use a Reputable and Licensed Loan Officer / Mortgage Broker
When searching for a mortgage originator, whether you use a bank or mortgage broker, make sure the person and the company you are working with is licensed by the State of Florida. You can do this by searching NMLS Consumer Access. For convenience, here are links to our license information:
Also check online reviews to see how well the mortgage company and loan officer have performed. As an example, here are some of our reviews:
#3 Get Pre-Qualified and Pre-Approved
After you find a reputable and licensed mortgage originator, you can be pre-qualified for a home loan in minutes, so that you can begin looking for homes to purchase.
Then while looking for a new home, you can also be working through the process of being pre-approved for a mortgage.
By going through the process of being pre-qualified and pre-approved, you will be ready to close on your home purchase in just days after signing a contract. For example, at Marimark Mortgage we are almost always ready to close in 30 days, and much of the time we are ready in less than 30 days.
Marimark Mortgage
Marimark Mortgage is located in Tampa, Florida and serves the needs of borrowers in all of Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
When you are ready to look for a home, please contact us to be pre-qualified and pre-approved. After a short phone call, you can be pre-qualified and shopping for a home, armed with the information you need as a knowledgeable consumer.
Then we will work with you through the entire process, all the way to closing on your new home.
To get started, please fill out our Quick Online Application, or contact us direct by email or telephone.
The Marimark Mortgage Newsletter will keep you informed with important events in the mortgage industry that could impact your finances.
We especially focus on ways to save money on your current and future mortgages. And, we continually share the information we share with our clients, because we believe informed consumers are the best consumers.
Real estate agents, and other professionals in the industry, will receive an ongoing wealth of information that will help them serve their clients.
