This section includes some information of interest regarding our people, special projects, announcements, events and copies of our Award Winning Monthly Newsletter “The Fast Track”.

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We are very pleased to announce that Specialized Services Group, Inc., was nominated, moved to semi-finalist, landing as a Finalist in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the Tampa Chamber of Commerce for the Small Business of the Year Award!

We attribute this great privilege to our unwavering commitment to value, honesty and commitment under every circumstance.  As well as the desire to grow our people into outstanding leaders, not only within our company, but within our community.  We are very proud of this achievement and thank our team for their continued drive towards excellence.

Specialized Services Group was selected as a 2009 Best Places to Work by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.    

The Tampa Bay Business Journal published the 2009 Best Places to Work special publication

featuring Specialized Services Group and other honorees.  Please join us and our team as we celebrate this prestigious award!

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Specialized Painting Services - Residential REO Program

Wells Fargo mortgage program restores property values

The growing number of foreclosed, rundown homes pose problems for lenders and neighborhoods that worry about their effect on already-depressed property values.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage launched a loan program in the Southeast U.S. this year that attempts to address the issue. Dubbed Remodel Express, the program offers homebuyers loans for up to 110 percent of the purchase price.  Buyers must spend 10 percent of the loan on renovations, and the loans can cover up to $35,000 worth of home improvements.  The idea of offering a mortgage bigger than the market value of a house isn’t new. The Federal Housing Administration has provided the option for years through its 203(k) renovation program. But the concept has gained greater interest as the number of abandoned properties grows.

“When people have to leave a house, they often leave it damaged,” said Gina Duncan, manager of Wells Fargo’s Maitland office. “With all the foreclosures and short sales going on, this is becoming a real problem.”  The Remodel Express program considers the value of similar occupied houses in a neighborhood. If the house being sold is worth less due to its condition, Wells Fargo’s program would allow the buyer to borrow extra money for repairs that would restore its value.

There’s a caveat: To qualify for the extra cash, the purchaser must have a contract with the remodeling department at Home Depot, Sears or Lowe’s. Home Depot has partnered with Specialized Services to pilot and build this program for them with initial roll out underway in Florida building and streamlining the process.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development insures the loans as long as the repairs or improvements are made.

A 3 percent down payment, or 3.5 percent if purchased next year, is attractive when compared with the 10-20 percent normally required, said Travis Gibbon, a Gibraltar Mortgage, LLC. home mortgage consultant in Jacksonville. The company is an affiliate of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Countrywide also offer the loans, and their usage has increased in the last year but it hasn’t been dramatic, said Nick Shelley, director of the federal housing agency’s Jacksonville office. About 100 loans were issued in Florida in fiscal 2008, compared to 25 the year before.

Corey Sawyer, a loan officer with SunTrust Bank in Maitland, said the Wells Fargo program is a good idea. “Making improvements could help stabilize prices in neighborhoods where prices are falling. It’s good for the buyer who wants to restore a house and it’s good for the neighborhood. If this works, I’m sure other lenders will follow.”  In the first Twenty-one days we had 9 leads closed 7 and generated $100,000 in just the first city to roll out