Clearwater Real Estate

How To Have An Amazing Open House | Clearwater Realtor Tips

February 9, 2016 By Deborah Ward

You need to sell your home and have heard the suggestion to have an open house to generate interest. It’s a good idea, but it takes some planning to have an amazing open house.

First, get your timing right

Talk to your Realtor about when the best time to hold it would be, and start on advertising and marketing the open house. Check the newspaper or online to see if others are also having open houses nearby and try to hold yours then as well. People like to hop from open house to open house, making an afternoon of it, so others will help generate traffic for yours.

Clean and declutter

Next, clean it, declutter it and make the home look spacious, light and NOT yours. Stow away all extras to make counters look bigger in both your kitchen and bath. Buyers don’t care about your stand mixer and coffee maker, they care about how much room the counters have. Set your table. Make your dining room look fancy and your kitchen homey. It adds a touch of class, and helps the buyers picture THEIR dinner parties. Buy and put out a new doormat at the front door. It makes people think your home is clean and you take care of it.

Fresh baked goodies smell

It never hurts to “bribe” buyers. Put out baked goods (if you don’t bake them, warm them in the oven just before the open house to get that fresh baked goodies smell) and beverages for people to enjoy. It’s a small thing, but it will get you remembered.

A sign in sheet

Be sure to have a sign in sheet so people can leave their contact information, then use it afterwards to call and thank each person who came by. That extra step, which buyers won’t expect, may just pay off in a contract. Also leave something for them to take with them. Make sure they have a property flyer to take with them including a color photo of the house and all of the necessary information about it.

Lastly, LEAVE

Don’t hang around. It makes buyers uncomfortable and will keep them from asking questions about the property and getting honest answers. Be sure to take your pets with you and stay away until your Realtor gives the all clear.

A History of Clearwater Florida

January 26, 2016 By Deborah Ward

Clearwater, Florida like many of its surrounding towns, has a storied history. Present day Clearwater sits on the west coast of A History of Clearwater Florida Florida along the Gulf of Mexico.

Hundreds of years ago Clearwater was the home of the Tocobaga Indians. When Spanish explorers discovered the area the Tocobaga were a well established in the area.

Fort Harrison constructed

Around 1835 Fort Harrison, which was named after William Henry Harrison, was constructed to be used as an outpost during the Seminole Wars. The fort was located in a spot that was overlooking Clearwater Harbor, where today Harbor Oaks is located. Archaeologists from the University of South Florida uncovered an underground ammunition bunker on the spot.

Occupation Act

The Federal Occupation Act of 1842 caused a population growth. The Act offered 160 acres to anyone who would farm the land and also bear arms. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson and McMullen families. Each claimed and farmed large tracts of land.

Clear Water Harbor

Initially the area was known as Clear Water Harbor, the “Clear Water” is believed to have come from a fresh water spring found near the location of the current City Hall building.
During the Civil War, most of the residents fought for the Confederacy. Union gunboats repeatedly raided the community’s supplies since it was largely unprotected.

Development really took off after Peter Demens completed the first passenger railroad line to Clearwater. It became a popular vacation destination and it’s reputation grew after railroad magnate Henry Plant built the Belleview Biltmore in 1897.

During World War II, Clearwater was a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. All of the hotels in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel, were used as barracks for new recruits. Sand Key, then known as Dan’s Island, was used by the Army Air Corps for strafing and bombing practice.

Today, Clearwater is still a beacon for vacationers, but also a great place to live and soak up the history.

The Three Most Expensive Homes For Sale In Clearwater FL

November 24, 2015 By Deborah Ward

House hunting can be fun. Sometimes looking at homes that you know you could never afford is fun too. Clearwater has a few pricey properties for sale. Here are the top three.

802 Druid Rd S

802 Druid Rd S, Clearwater, Florida 33756 is the most expensive. It has 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. It’s listed for $9,999,999.00. Named Century Oaks, it’s located in historic Harbor Oaks. Enter the property though decorative iron entry gates on a red brick drive to a grand porte-cochere. The home has 17,000 square feet of living space on two acres of gorgeous landscaping surrounding this waterfront home. Century Oaks has a stately two-story ballroom, a movie theater with seating for 15, an executive home office and a trophy room. Terraced gardens lead down to a swimming pool, lighted tennis courts covered boathouse and docks, and historic clock tower. This historic property was built in 1915 and is worth every penny.

906 Druid Rd S

906 Druid Rd S, Clearwater, Florida 33756 is the next most expensive. Listed at $5,900,000.00, the 7 bedroom, 6 bath, 10,177 square foot home is also found in the gated Harbor Oaks community. The home has a dock with boat lift, Pebble Tec pool and spa, gazebo, playhouse and lushly landscaped grounds. The home has high end touches like a two story living room with two way fireplace, a library with custom built in bookcases, a formal dining room, chef’s kitchen and spacious game room with bar and safe room, exercise room and 4 car garage.

844 Eldorado Avenue – SOLD

The third most expensive home is 844 Eldorado Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 33767 is listed at $4,700,000.00 has 4 bedrooms, 5 baths and 4,921 square feet of living space. The views this property affords are well worth the price tag. Once you walk in the foyer you’ll be tantalized with a view of the beach and Gulf. Each bedroom has its own full bath and walk in closet and balcony. Then take the elevator downstairs to the living space which includes a formal dining room, formal living room, chef’s kitchen that opens to the family room with a fireplace. All this luxury is protected with an AMX Smart House control and security system.

So dream big and maybe one day…

Clearwater, FL A Bicycle Friendly Place To Live | Pinellas Bicycle Trails

October 28, 2015 By Deborah Ward

When you think of Clearwater, Florida you probably think “beach.” You should think “biking and walking and running.” Clearwater is a very biking, hiking and running friendly place to live. There are miles and miles of trails for the enjoyment of all.

Looking for more trails? Check out the official Pinellas County Trail Guide!

Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail:

The Pinellas Trail is one of the most popular urban trails in Florida. It stretches 38 miles from St. Petersburg and goes north to Tarpon Springs. The trail was created along an abandoned railroad corridor. It is now a protected green space that provides the many communities along it with places to ride bikes, run, walk and skate. It’s open during daylight hours and while horseback riding is prohibited, pets are not as long as they are leashed.

Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail:

This trail currently stretches from Tampa Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Parts are still under construction, and once complete will connect more than 20 parks. Currently the trail connects Carpenter Field, Cliff Stephens Park, Del Oro Park, and Cooper’s Bayou Park, and goes to Safety Harbor.

Fort Desoto Island Park Trail:

This trail is a paved path that stretches along the entire offshore key. This trail connects military remnants, two piers, beaches, picnic and camping areas and the ferry to Egmont Key State Park. It’s known as an entry to the Great Florida Birding Trail. The Great Florida Birding Trail is part of a collection of more than 500 locations in the U.S. where there are protected bird habitats.

Courtney Campbell Trail:

This trail provides runners, walkers and bicyclers safe access to the Courtney Campbell Causeway, which links Tampa and Clearwater. The trail has amazing views of Tampa Bay and actually connects Cypress Point Park, Skyway Park, and Ben T. Davis Beach.

These are just a few of the trails available in and around Clearwater. Take advantage of them and get active!

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

September 30, 2015 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! 727-216-9247

Awesome Tips To Price Your Clearwater Home Right In The Sweet Spot

July 14, 2015 By Deborah Ward

It’s time to sell your Clearwater home. Do you know how to price it to get right into the sweet spot? That sweet spot where the home sells quickly and for the price you ask? There is a way to find that spot and here are some tips to get you there.

First, find out what comparable sales have taken place

Keep in mind that the asking price of a home is a lot different from the sales price of the home. For comparables you need to look at sales price, not list price. Look at sales prices for homes sold within the last three months.

Specifics to take into consideration

Next thing to keep in mind is that just because a home is in your neighborhood doesn’t mean yours is worth the same. There are a lot of different specifics to take into consideration. Things like lot size, number of bedrooms, number of baths, square footage of living space, whether it has a garage or not, and so on. Other things that make a difference are home upgrades. Just remember that improvements depreciate over time. If you made a home upgrade to a bathroom 10 years ago, it won’t add as much as an update you made a month ago. Also keep in mind that super trendy updates can actually hurt your value. Why? Because they appeal to a smaller audience.

Price is always market dependent

In a seller’s market, which is a market where there is a lot of people wanting to buy but not as many homes on the market, you can get away with a higher price. But don’t let that make you greedy. Sometimes pricing just below market can work for you. It could generate enough interest that a bidding war happens and you get more than you expected. Of course that isn’t guaranteed, but it’s happening more these days in some places. In a buyer’s market, which is when there are more homes listed than there are buyers looking, you might need to price your home a bit lower than market value to attract a buyer.

Still not sure what to do? Call a the Deborah Ward and Associates for great advice 727-216-9247. No one knows the local market better.