Blog – Page 44

Selling In A Hot Real Estate Market – 3 Things You Should NEVER Overlook

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It’s a sellers’ market so you don’t have to do anything to your home to prepare it for sale, right? Wrong! Seller’s’ market or not there are things that you should never overlook.

Clean and declutter your home

No matter the market, making your home look roomy, clean, tidy and impersonal is incredibly important. Not only do buyers have difficulty looking past dirt and clutter to see what could be, they also can’t picture themselves in your home if it still looks like you live in it. Even in a seller’s’ market you need to make your home more than just presentable. Consider staging it as well, or at least take your Realtor’s advice on how to stage each room in your home.

Make your home stand out

Make your home stand out in the neighborhood, but don’t over improve it. The same cleaning and decluttering you did inside needs to be done outside as well. First impressions make or break for buyers. If your home is a showplace inside, but a wreck outside, no one will come see the inside. Spruce up landscaping, powerwash driveways and walkways, consider painting or residing if the exterior is really in need of the pick me up. One caveat, don’t overdo it. If your home is improved over what your neighborhood can support, it won’t sell.

Price your home correctly

Pricing your home correctly in a sellers’ market is even more important. If you think you can over price it because you have the advantage in the market, think again. In fact, having a well-priced, or even slightly underpriced home will get more attention to your listing than if you try to get too much. A slightly lower than market will actually attract more buyers and give you a better chance of multiple offers. That could mean getting market or over market, all because you priced the home appropriately.

Please Cut Down That “Must Have” List A Little

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Every buyer has them. You know, the “must have” list. Since people started buying homes there has been one. The problem now? The “must have” list is out of control. What do I mean by out of control?

Please Cut Down That "Must Have" List A Little Well when people used to look for their first home, their “wish list” often consisted of a home with 2 or 3 bedrooms, a bath or two and a particular size piece of property. If it was in good shape, great!

But it wasn’t expected to be perfect and top of the line. The expectation used to be that you would move in and start to do small projects to update or make the space your own.

Those days are long gone

With the advent of networks on cable like HGTV and DIY Network, the expectations of home buyers has been jettisoned to the sometimes ridiculous. Just turn on a show like HGTV’s House Hunters and listen to what new home buyers expect to find in their first home.

The typical “must have” list now includes things like granite counters in kitchens and baths, top of the line appliances, open concept with no beams, hardwood floors, en suites, upscale laundry rooms, outdoor entertainment space, huge closets and more rooms than a couple could need even if they had a child or two.

Why all these demands?

There are probably a lot of reasons why this expectation of living is part of the new home buyer’s demands, but some of it can be directly traced back to home networks. They make it look normal to have those amenities. In reality most homes don’t have those top of the line amenities. It takes a lot of money to add them and the average homeowner needs to be more worried with systems, roofs and making mortgage payments!

So, first time home buyer, lower your standards! Make your “wish list” within reason and you will find that home that fits you at a price you can afford.

5 Tips To Attract Out Of State Buyers For Your Home Sale

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you have to move away before you can sell your home, some unique problems may crop up! Find a Realtor who is used to working with out of state sellers.

It happens. You get transferred to a new position out of state and have to move, or move away for whatever reason. In a perfect world you would have time to sell your home before having to move away. Well, the world isn’t perfect and sometimes you have to move before you can sell. So here are some tips to make your sale the best it can be from states away.

First and most important, carefully hire a Realtor to assist you. It would be incredibly hard to clean, stage, show and sell your home yourself from so far away. Choosing the best Realtor to help you will mean you will hire someone who will show and market the home, hire contractors to handle upgrades and repairs, and ensure that there is a smooth sale of your home.

Be sure that you personally interview Realtors for the best fit. Choose one who has a great track record for sales and getting the best price, who communicates well and is comfortable with how you communicate (I.e. phone, text, email) and has a good reputation in the community.

Next, be sure to price the home correctly. Trust your Realtor to understand the market, the neighborhood and the condition of the home to get you the best price. Get it right the first time. Start with the best price, because if you miss that crucial first 30 days, repricing won’t help you sell for the best price. People will wonder why it didn’t sell and will low ball you with offers. Also, be sure that your Realtor is aware of the lowest price you are willing to accept. Be open to negotiation and other considerations for a lower price, but make sure there is an understanding.

No one will buy your home if it looks like an episode of Hoarders. They certainly won’t give you the best price if it is a cluttered mess. Before you move, pack up all of your belongings and those things you don’t want give away or throw away. If possible, leave a small amount of furniture to make sure the home doesn’t look vacant.

Then clean. Clean as if your life depended on it. If you can’t due to the impending move, or just don’t want to, hire a cleaning company to do a serious deep clean on the home. Also have any necessary repairs made, and any updates your Realtor recommends. Have the home staged for the best effect.

If you are looking for a Realtor in the Tampa Bay area who works often with out of area seller, give Deb Ward a call today! 727-410-0336

A History of St. Petersburg Florida

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

St. Petersburg, or St. Pete as the locals call it, has a storied history. Actually, St. Pete became it’s formally shortened name in 1994. It’s close to Tampa Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. It also has great beaches to go with the fun history.

St. Pete was founded by John C. Williams and Peter Demens

Williams came to the area from Detroit, Michigan, and purchased the land that now encompasses St. Pete in 1876. Demens was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia and brought the railroad to the area in 1888 and it became a boon for the area. It was incorporated as St. Petersburg on February 29, 1892.

According to local legend, the city was named St. Petersburg after Demens won a coin flip for naming rights. Since it was his home in Russia, he named the area for the place he grew up. Williams, as the loser, got to name the first hotel, which he also named after his birthplace. The first hotel was called The Detroit Hotel, and today exists as a condominium.

Historic hotels

Other historic hotels, which are still hotels, are the historic Pier Hotel. This hotel was built in 1921 and was formally called the Hotel Cordova. The other is The Heritage Hotel, built in 1926.
F. A. Davis, a publisher from Philadelphia came to the area and started the area’s first electrical service in 1897. Then he moved onto establishing the first trolley service in 1904. Given its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, it’s only natural that the city’s first major industry, wholesale fish sales, was established in 1899 when Newport, North Carolina native, Henry W. Hibbs, established his wholesale fish business at the end of the railroad pier, which extended into the channel. Between 1906 and 1908 the shipping channel was dredged and the deeper channel opened St. Pete up to increased shipping.

Tony Jannus and airplane service

In 1914, airplane service across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa started. This is generally considered the first commercial airline. The company was the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line. Their pilot was Tony Jannus, and an annual award, The Tony Jannus Award, is presented annually for outstanding achievement in the airline industry.

St. Pete is a great place to visit, for beach lovers and history buffs alike!

Buying in a Hot Real Estate Market- 5 Ways to Make Sure Your Offer is Accepted

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Buying a home in any market can be stressful, but in a hot seller’s market the stress level can be even worse. Worrying about whether your offer will be accepted, whether you are handling it correctly can make anyone nuts. Did you know that there are things that you can do to make sure your offer is accepted?

Lowball bids

Whether there are a few buyers vying for the same property or just you and it’s the dream home you’ve wanted forever, losing it due to a subpar offer can be averted. One of the bigger reasons sellers reject offers is lowball bids. Even in a buyer’s’ market when sellers can’t be quite as choosy, lowballing them is, well, insulting. In a sellers’ market they don’t have to even consider lowball offers.

Even if their home is overpriced, you still don’t want to insult them with a really low offer. If there are other offers on the table that is NOT the time to go low either. To be taken seriously, offer as close to list as possible, or over if you can.

Contingencies and Demands

Another biggie is contingencies and demands on the seller. It’s not out of line to ask for typical ones, like a home and pest inspection. Another typical one is the purchase being contingent on the sale of your existing home. This can be a sticky one for sellers. It’s not their problem that you have to sell your home and why should they wait? Demands for fixing superfluous things is also a no no if you want your offer accepted. Major repairs can be negotiated, but demanding they touch up paint or other minor fixes is a deal breaker.

Things to do to make your offer better

Three other things you can do to make your offer shine are to:

be prequalified for your mortgage
put a higher down payment on the home
make a cash offer

Any of these key items will make your offer look exceptional! The key to making a winning offer is to be the most advantageous to the seller. That could mean being the highest priced, the most prepared or the one most willing to meet their requirements.

Not sure what to do to make sure your offer is accepted? Rely on your AMAZING Clearwater Realtor to help figure it out! Call Deborah Ward Today! 727-410-0336

How To Make A Great First Impression During Showings | Selling Your Clearwater Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

The trick in selling your Clearwater home is making a great first impression. In Clearwater or wherever your real estate may be, the first rule of home sales is make sure their first look doesn’t turn them off.

Curb appeal

Curb appeal is the obvious place where first impressions are made. Walk outside and look at your home. Does it look old, beat up, in need of some TLC? What about the gardens and landscaping?

Make a list of all the things that need some help and get them done. Mow the lawn, weed the gardens, trim shrubs, plant some new flowers to add some color. If you have a porch, clean it up. Have your home power washed. If trim, doors or porches need paint, paint them. If siding is looking worn out, redo it. If windows need replacing, replace them.

All of these updates will make your home look fresh and loved. Plus new siding and windows will make the home more energy efficient, which is something buyers will love.

Have a friend check for smells in your home

Next, have a friend walk into your home, and through it, and tell you how it smells. You live there and are probably “nose blind” to how it smells. However, prospective buyers aren’t. If you have pets, how obvious is it by smell? What about food odors? Smoke?

Scent is the most powerful sense and bad smells can make a home that looks perfect, unpleasant and unsellable. A really thorough cleaning, replacement of carpeting and curtains and of any damaged areas that can’t be de-scented should do the trick. Then keep pets out, smoke outside and don’t cook with things that will make your house smell.

Clean and clutter free

Clean and clutter free homes are also important. Making the living areas, all of them, but especially the ones that are seen the minute you walk into the house, look spacious and clean is exceptionally important. Take time to clean from ceiling to floor everywhere in the home, pack up a lot of the items that might make things look cluttered and lighten up your house.

Buyers will buy if you give them a great first impression. Want more information about selling your Clearwater home? Give us a call today! 727-410-0336