Blog – Page 4

Why You Should Pick A Real Estate Team As Your Listing Agent

February 13, 2018 By Deborah Ward

You decided to sell your home and you know you need a Realtor to help you. Good decision. The next question is do you go bigger firm or smaller? Well, what you need to consider isn’t size so much as team. You need a real estate team to help you sell. Each team member has a part in making sure your sale, from listing to closing, goes off without a hitch.

Let’s start with getting ready to list and listing

The team member to help you here is the Realtor. Your Realtor will help you with two important things at this stage; preparing your home for sale and pricing it correctly.

A good Realtor will come and walk through your home, taking critically important notes. She will honestly tell you what needs to be updated and cleaned, decluttered and so on.

They can also help you find a contractor for needed repairs or updates, and a cleaning company to help you get your home thoroughly deep cleaned. They will help stage your home to have it look its best.

Then he or she will price your home for the best marketability.

The next team member markets your home

Speaking of marketability, the next team member is the one who markets your property. This team member will make sure that your home shows up on all of the right websites and on MLS. They will make sure that great photos of your home, room by room, inside and out, are with the listing and that there is a fantastic description making your home hard to resist. These photos will show your home at its best.

Their marketing will draw in prospective buyers to schedule a time to see your home.

Buyer’s agent may also be part of the team

The team may have a buyer’s agent. That buyer’s agent? They could also be a part of the team. They will be there to be sure that your listing is seen by their buyers who are looking for properties like yours. They will help market it while they are assisting their clients. Rounding up great listings for their clients is their job.

Dealing with offers

Now that there are buyers, your Realtor will make sure the process of dealing with offers is seamless. Whether it is one offer or several, she will make sure that the paperwork for those offers is correct and give them to you for consideration.

Making a counteroffer? A great Realtor will make sure it is complete and correct and send it to the buyer or their agent. Once the offer or counter offer has been accepted the team’s fantastic administrative specialist will make sure that the contract is ready for signature, initials and then onto the next step.

Contract signed and onto closing

Your Realtor is key here as well. Settling on a home is complicated. Whether there is a lawyer involved or just a title company or both, your Realtor will help you with all of the details.

Different inspections are scheduled, any required repairs are completed and necessary paperwork provided to the title company. There is also a lot of documents that can be very confusing. Your Realtor isn’t. He or she knows the ins and outs of sales that involve HUD, FHA and other buyer assistance programs, as well as typical financing with a bank or mortgage company.

Not to mention that you have to deal with moving. Your Realtor should know reputable moving companies to get you moved to your new home.

Have a solid team

Don’t try to sell your home without a solid team behind you. Each has their own specialty in helping you sell for the best price as quickly as possible.

If you are looking for a great real estate team in the Clearwater FL area, make sure to give the Deborah Ward and Associates team a call! 727-216-9247

When Is A Good Time For Move Up Buyers To Sell?

January 31, 2018 By Deborah Ward

You knew it would happen when you bought your home: you outgrew it. Now that there isn’t enough space you need to sell and move up. As they say, timing is everything and real estate is no different. So when is the best time to sell so you can make that move?

Trends

There are no absolutes, of course, but generalizations can show trends. It’s generally accepted that spring is the best time to list to sell.

It’s a statistical fact that 50-60% of homes are sold during the summer. Let’s explore some of the reasons that Realtors say makes spring and summer the best time to sell.

Spring

Spring is such a lovely time of year. The grass and trees are green, flowers grow and bloom. Your yard looks better, green and lush. The cold winter warms into a beautiful spring, short days get longer. Let’s not forget that buyers come out in droves to find a new home. There are many factors that contribute to this.

One is just the fact that winter is over and like the growing plants, it’s time for something new. Who wouldn’t want to move out of a small apartment and have a home that they can plant, decorate and treat as their own?

Longer days mean more time to look and let’s not forget that those new smaller families are looking to buy and move during the school break so the kids don’t have a huge disruption in their education. They want their kids to have some time during the summer to start new friendships before heading back to the classroom. It’s also much easier to move when it’s warm!

If someone is coming from a cold climate north of Florida, they sure don’t want to be moving in the snow!

So what does that mean for you, the seller?

Let’s start with a bigger chunk of cash in your bank account. It seems like it’s counterintuitive that high supply will end in higher prices. Economics 101 says that shouldn’t be the case. Economics 101 would be wrong when talking about real estate.

The reason for this is that demand is also high during this season. In other words, since there are more buyers with demands for the supply of homes, that supply is actually considered less, even though there are more than other seasons. That also means that you can ask for more than you would be able to in other times of the year.

Appraisals

Those higher price tags will mean that your home will appraise for more too. How that works is that a home appraiser looks for homes that are comparable to yours. If those homes sold for more, your home will appraise for more as well. Being that there are more sales, there are more homes to compare. In other seasons when the sales are fewer, there are fewer homes to use in a comparable. In other words, more data from more homes is much better for you, the seller.

Did I mention bidding wars?

Yes, with all those buyers looking, your chances of having a few bidding for your home at the same time is higher. Multiple offers mean more money for you, and less headaches due to buyer demands. Demands for what, you ask? Repairs, concessions in price or requests for help paying closing costs, and contingencies for financing. A cleaner sale is a faster sale, so that will give you the time and money you need to buy your next home.

Strategy

Which leads to your last reason that spring is a good time to sell and move up… selling in the spring or summer means you are looking in the late summer or fall, when it is much better for you to be a buyer. Situate yourself to be in the best position to both sell for the most and buy for the best price. It’s about strategy!

Thinking about selling your home? Give us a call today for free information about listing your home! 727-216-9247

5 Things To Do To Make Your Home Show Ready – Clearwater Realtor Tips

January 23, 2018 By Deborah Ward

Time to sell? Then it’s time to get the house ready to sell. There is a lot to be done, so read on so you don’t forget anything.

If your home is in good shape, getting it show ready is relatively easy. If not, do any upgrades your Realtor says are necessary to get the best price first. In the meantime work on the areas of the house not being updated. Can’t hurt to get a jump on it!

Declutter first

First things first, you can’t accomplish anything else on the list unless and until you declutter the whole house. It’s usually quite the project, especially if you’ve been in your home for a number of years. Or if you tend to keep stuff. Or if you have kids.

To do this you need to go room by room. Working on the whole house will be too much and probably discourage you from finishing. You will need to go through closets, cabinets, drawers, EVERYTHING.

Realtor tip! Either have your real estate agent or a friend who doesn’t come by often walk through your house and point out things that you notice. I have a client I listed a house for and she had a HUGE basket on top of her fridge that I suggested putting away until the house was sold. She said she liked it, but agreed that it was large and could be distracting. You (and your bestys) can’t see all the things that are around because you are used to seeing them!

Organize your work

Get three bins: one for things you want to keep and will need to pack up; one for things to be donated to charity or sell in a yard sale; and a third lined with a big garbage bag for trash and things that don’t fall in the other two categories.

The first bin will then become your packing box, so also get a big marker label the bin with the name of the room it came from. Then go to work. Be brutal in your decision making. No, seriously. Yes, you can keep things that are important or necessary. No, you don’t have to throw or give away your great grandmother’s quilt or Bible. But if you are saving things that have been broken for years, it may be time to get rid of it.

Clothing is easy: If you haven’t worn in the last 18 months (leaving time for change of seasons) give it away. No, you aren’t going to fit in those jeans again, give them up.

Realtor tip! If you are moving a large house, it might pay to get two PODS, one for when you are delcluttering and staging and one for your actual move. Our clients are always surprised how much “stuff” is around the house, in closets, under stairs and in the garage that can be packed up and stored by PODS before you put your house on the market. For a a very small fee they will store your belongings until you are ready for your big move.

Depersonalize

As you are decluttering, take time to depersonalize as well. When I say depersonalize, I mean if you have a huge wall of family photos, take them down. If you have tons pictures of family on the fridge and anywhere else, take them down. You can leave a few up on the wall, tastefully arranged, but pack away the majority of them.

Also, if you collect anything like cows or dolls, box them up and get them ready to move. Your cool collection will be a distraction when people are touring your home whether they like it or not. If they love your collection they might forget to really appreciate your home and if they hate it they will not notice how cool your house is!

Time to DEEP clean

Now that the clutter is gone, time to CLEAN. We’re talking deep clean. Move furniture and clean under it. Move appliances and clean around and under them. Use your carpet cleaner, or rent one, and deep clean the carpets, including area rugs. While the area rugs are drying, clean the hardwoods under them. If there is too much or you want help, hire a cleaning company to do it all.

When you put everything back after cleaning, be sparing with furniture. Less is better. It will make your rooms look and feel bigger. If you have an empty room, put something in it. Empty rooms show poorly. So “stage” a spare bedroom with an air mattress and bed frame, or an office with a desk, chair and bookshelf.

Next on the list, lighting

This means natural or otherwise. Make sure part of that deep clean is cleaning windows inside and out. Replace heavy drapes with sheers to give privacy, but let in lots of light. Light = room looking larger, fresher. Change out light bulbs and think softer light is better.

On to … paint

Freshen up paint. Paint over out of date or strange color schemes with a neutral palette. Painting adjacent rooms the same color will give a more open appearance to your floor plan. Clean or replace switch plates and outlet covers. Scrub around door handles or other areas where the walls have gotten grungy from daily use. Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove minor spots and scuffs on walls. Paint woodwork around doors, windows and moldings.

Curb appeal is next

Ok, now that inside is done, time to address the outside. Curb appeal is a thing. Don’t ignore it. Spruce up your front door with new paint, or at least a good scrub. Clean up landscaping, walkways and driveways. Add some color to your gardens.

If your not sure if you got everything, invite your Realtor to do another walk through and see if you missed anything. It will take some time, but the reward (higher price) will make it well worth it!

Downtown Dunedin Real Estate… Fun, Creative and Food

January 9, 2018 By Deborah Ward

Dunedin, Florida is a cute, creative and fun place to live. But it’s got more than just a cute and quaint downtown. It’s very name represents the Scottish families who founded it.

Dunedin is the Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital.

Dunedin honors its heritage by holding annual Highland Games and Festival, which is held in nearby Highland Park which is close by.

Downtown Dunedin

Downtown has art galleries and home design stores. It has antique stores, clothing stores, and gift shops, restaurants, taverns and clubs.

Some of our favorites for eating out include:

Done with the shopping? The Pinellas Trail runs north and south through town perpendicular to Main Street. The Pinellas Trail is an old railway turned trail and is used for walking, jogging, or biking and it is one of the few places that is well lit at night on the trail. It even has a coffee house located in a renovated boxcar, reminiscent of the trail’s railway past.

More To Do In Dunedin!

It has two of the best beaches in America, Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island, and downtown is filled with shops, restaurants, and inns.

Looking for a house?

Dunedin real estate is replete with old style Cracker houses on properties with mature trees and landscaping. Sure there are also condos and such, but if you want to really live in the heritage and history, those cute homes are worth the extra cost.

Remember, all of that downtown charm, shopping and culture, and the Trail, are just walking distance.

So come on down and see what Dunedin has for you!

If you would like to find homes that are for sale in the Downtown Dunedin area give us a call today! 727-216-9247

Should You Worry About Sinkholes in Pinellas County

January 3, 2018 By Deborah Ward

Sinkholes in Florida are not uncommon. Some areas are more susceptible to them than others, but as a general rule the entire state has the same kind of porous carbonate rocks that help create sinkholes. You want to buy a property in Pinellas County and wonder if you need to worry about sinkholes there.

Why do sinkholes happen?

Sinkholes are caused by the wearing away of the limestone rock that makes up the substrata of Florida. Limestone dissolves away over time leaving holes. Usually those holes are filled with water which holds up the surface.

Sometimes the rocks, soil or clay on the surface is too heavy and a sinkhole happens. Other times if the water is drained for one reason or another, the water is no longer there to hold up the surface and a sinkhole happens.

There are generally three types of sinkholes: collapse sinkholes which are frequently triggered by fluctuations in underground water; subsidence sinkholes which generally form gradually; and clay shrinkage which vary seasonally and with annual precipitation changes.

So is Pinellas a worry?

To some extent, yes, anywhere in Florida has some risk of sinkholes. On the west coast in the Tampa area Pasco County and towns in Pinellas like Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor have a lot more sinkhole activity than further South in Pinellas County.

Here is a great resource for checking if your potential property is in a dangerous area… you can search by zip code for an overview! https://sinkholemaps.com/pinellas-county-fl-sinkhole-subsidence-properties/

If you want to be sure, us a call or check with your insurance company. Both will have a good idea and when checking with your insurance company you can be sure if you will be able to get insurance for the property because of sinkhole activity.

So go ahead, buy in Pinellas!

Should You Worry About Flooding If You Buy A Tampa Bay Home?

December 27, 2017 By Deborah Ward

If you are looking for homes in the Tampa area you know that their proximity to water is close. Not only that but hurricanes can be an issue with causing floods. So, should flooding be a worry while you are house shopping? Let’s just say that you should keep it as a checkbox on the list of items to consider.

Intercoastal or beachfront properties

For the most part it’s obvious that there are lots of coastal properties that need flood insurance. If you’re beachfront or a bay intercoastal front property then yes, you’ll most likely need flood insurance. There are also inland areas that have the potential for flooding problems in stormy weather due to tidal surges from the Gulf of Mexico or Tampa Bay. However, there are plenty of properties that are high enough that they don’t require flood insurance.

The best way to be sure depends on where the property or properties you are looking at happen to be located. If it’s in Hillsborough County they have a website that will allow you to enter the street address of a home to see where it falls on the flood zone map:

http://hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/property-owners-and-renters/homeowners-and-neighborhoods/find-my-flood-zone#/

The site also has an explanation of which zones require what

Pinellas County doesn’t have that, but you can get an idea from the FEMA website, which has flood zone lists for every state.

In Pasco County their county property appraiser has included flood zone/flood insurance requirement information with each property appraisal. The cool thing with this is that you can view a particular property and have the computer “paint” in any flood zones that might exist.

Go to http://pascopa.com and click on record search, enter the street address for the property in question and get the tax id number for the property. At the top of the page you will see a link that says Show Map. Click that and use the drop-down menus to select additional layers and add the layers for FEMA Flood zones.

Why worry when you can find out for sure?