We have an amazing AUCTION happening on February 1st 2011.  Exclusive preview at 3pm and auction at 6:15pm.  Blake Kennedy will be the auctioneer. The auction is located at our auction house 5510 Haines Rd. N., St. Pete, FL 33714.  Phone number 727-623-4886  The items and info can be found onauctionzip.comID# 10140, or under kennedy brothers.... it's worth it!But as always we have so many great antiques by all of our dealers in our antique village at Patty and Friends 1241 Dr. ML King Jr. St. N.St. Petersburg, FL 33701Come on in and see us! ...read more

We have an amazing AUCTION happening on January 18th 2011.  Exclusive preview at 3pm and auction at 6:15pm.  Blake Kennedy will be the auctioneer. The auction is located at our auction house 5510 Haines Rd. N., St. Pete, FL 33714.  The items and info can be found on auctionzip.com ID# 10140, or under kennedy brothers.... it's worth it! But as always we have so many great antiques by all of our dealers in our antique village at Patty and Friends 1241 Dr. ML King Jr. St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Come on in and see us! ...read more

We have an amazing auction happening on January 4th 2011.  Blake Kennedy will be the auctioneer.  The items and info can be found on auctionzip.com under kennedy brothers.... it's worth it! But as always we have so many great antiques by all of our dealers in our antique village at Patty and Friends 1241 Dr. ML King Jr. St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Come on in and see us! ...read more

  Divorce generally involves dividing assets and many times includes Real Estate. Two of the choices presented to homeowners in a divorce situation are to either sell the house and divide the proceeds or to have one person buy the other out. In either case, each of the parties should get a separate home appraisal performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser. Some times the parties agree to have one appraisal performed.   It is important to hire a professional State-Certified Appraiser that has knowledge of the market area. The appraiser should be objective and unbiased so that a fair and impartial valuation estimate is provided. The goal of the appraiser is to provide an accurate estimate of value based on comparable sales in the area.   Sometimes the appraisal will be a retrospective appraisal because one party owned the home prior to the marriage and may have obtained equity assets.   Appraisals for divorce should include an appropriate description of theScope of Work  that was performed, have a value estimate that is well supported by verifiable data and be defensible in court under cross examination by opposing counsel. Additionally, the appraisal should adhere to theUniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.  Information provided by:David Miller, Realtor/Appraiser serving St. Petersburg, FL and the Tampa Bay Area. ...read more

  Probate is the process of establishing the validity of a will and often involves appointing a personal representative. Probate is basically a court-supervised transfer of title of an asset. Probate is used to assign assets, pay debts and expenses, and then to distribute the estate to heirs and beneficiaries. Typically there are a number of parties interested in the disposition of the estate. Commonly these are family members, the surviving spouse, beneficiaries, creditors and the personal representative, also referred to as the administrator or executor for the estate.   Settling an estate will often times involve Real Estate and the big question is - What is the Real Estate worth? Administers of estates, attorneys, accountants, beneficiaries, as well as other entities and individuals rely on the services of local, Professional, State-Certified Real Estate Appraisers to provide an opinion of value. Often times this value is to be as of the date of death which would require the appraiser to be versed on the requirements of performing a Retrospective Appraisal. This type of appraisal has an effective date of the appraisal prior to the current date as well as prior to the date of the report. An appraisal report should also meet the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPSP).      Having a professional appraisal report performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser that is familiar with the area and that meets the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice gives the administer/executor a credible value to present to all paties involved. ...read more

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Probate is the process of establishing the validity of a will and often involves appointing a personal representative. Probate is basically a court-supervised transfer of title of an asset. Probate is used to assign assets, pay debts and expenses, and then to distribute the estate to heirs and beneficiaries. Typically there are a number of parties interested in the disposition of the estate. Commonly these are family members, the surviving spouse, beneficiaries, creditors and the personal representative, also referred to as the administrator or executor for the estate.  Settling an estate will often times involve Real Estate and the big question is - What is the Real Estate worth? Administers of estates, attorneys, accountants, beneficiaries, as well as other entities and individuals rely on the services of local, Professional, State-Certified Real Estate Appraisers to provide an opinion of value. Often times this value is to be as of the date of death which would require the appraiser to be versed on the requirements of performing a Retrospective Appraisal. This type of appraisal has an effective date of the appraisal prior to the current date as well as prior to the date of the report. An appraisal report should also meet the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPSP).  Having a professional appraisal report performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser that is familiar with the area and that meets the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice gives the administer/executor a credible value to present to all parties involved.  Having a professional appraisal report performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser that is familiar with the area and that meets the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice gives the administer/executor a credible value to present to all parties involved.   Probate is the process of establishing the validity of a will and often involves appointing a personal representative. Probate is basically a court-supervised transfer of title of an asset. Probate is used to assign assets, pay debts and expenses, and then to distribute the estate to heirs and beneficiaries. Typically there are a number of parties interested in the disposition of the estate. Commonly these are family members, the surviving spouse, beneficiaries, creditors and the personal representative, also referred to as the administrator or executor for the estate.  Settling an estate will often times involve Real Estate and the big question is - What is the Real Estate worth? Administers of estates, attorneys, accountants, beneficiaries, as well as other entities and individuals rely on the services of local, Professional, State-Certified Real Estate Appraisers to provide an opinion of value. Often times this value is to be as of the date of death which would require the appraiser to be versed on the requirements of performing a Retrospective Appraisal. This type of appraisal has an effective date of the appraisal prior to the current date as well as prior to the date of the report. An appraisal report should also meet the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPSP).  Having a professional appraisal report performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser that is familiar with the area and that meets the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice gives the administer/executor a credible value to present to all parties involved.  Having a professional appraisal report performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser that is familiar with the area and that meets the requirements of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice gives the administer/executor a credible value to present to all parties involved.   ...read more

What is PMI? Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI is an insurance policy for the lender. It is additional money built in to a borrower̢۪smonthly mortgage payment which insures the lender against loss if the borrower defaults on the mortgage loan. It is generally required by a lender if a borrower makes a down payment of less than 20% when they purchase their home. This additional money paid each month can add up to thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. How do I know if I am paying PMI? It should be noted in your monthly mortgage statement. If not you should contact your lender or mortgage servicer. Can I have PMI removed? In many cases the answer is yes. Once you determine that you are paying PMI you must contact your lender and inquire as to what requirements are needed to remove PMI. Generally what is needed is for your home to be valued at more than 80% of the loan amount. Different lenders have different guidelines or requirements for PMI removal. Some require good payment history. How do I know if my home is worth more than 80% of the loan amount? The lender generally requires that an appraisal be performed by a local State-Certified Real Estate Appraiser. It is important that you contact your lender before having an appraisal performed since some lenders have a list of appraisers that are approved by their company. Generally the lender will allow the home owner to choose an appraiser. It is important that you select an experienced appraiser that works in and is familiar with your area and that has a State Certification. How much will I save? Once you determine the amount of your monthly PMI payment multiply it by how many payments you have left to find out how much you will pay over the remaining life of the loan. Compare this total amount with the one time cost of an appraisal. The savings from having PMI removed will most likely pay for the cost of an appraisal many times over and save you thousands of dollars. David Miller, Realtor/Appraiser serving St. Petersburg, FL and the Tampa Bay Area. ...read more

I have been appraising homes for clients who are concerned about the valuation of their homes when it comes to homeowner's insurance premiums.  The results have been encouraging. ...read more