Clearwater Real Estate

Clearwater Relocation – How To Make Your Move To Florida Easier

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Moving to Clearwater, Florida? Relocating is never an easy thing, but there are easier and less stressful ways to move. Relocating across town can be a pain, so relocating from a long distance is certainly not something people look forward to doing. There are things you should be doing at each step to make moving easier: before your move, and during it.

Research

Before relocating be sure to do some research about your new community. Research things like school systems, crime statistics, health care and cost of living. Use sites like GreatSchools, FBI crime statistics, your health insurance company and other web resources for answers.

Check websites for LOCAL realtors

Then you need to find your new home. Research prices, types available, taxes, homeowners insurance rates and so forth. All of those things will affect your choices and budget. A great place to start is online. Be sure to check websites for LOCAL realtors. National websites have been shown to be inaccurate and unreliable. Your best bet is to immediately go to a local site, then contact a local Realtor. They know their communities much better than a national site ever could.

Stressful things

When moving, there is so much to think about! From the stress on your family from leaving what they know (even your pets!), to hiring a moving company, there is a lot to consider. That moving company? You’ve heard the horror stories. Companies charging fees, then holding property hostage demanding more, or breaking belongings and refusing to take responsibility. Packing yourself? Have you ever done that before? So much to do! There are plenty of places to look for good tips on packing, and renting a one way truck to move yourself is also an option. All of it can make your head spin.

Relocation specialist

So what can you do to make those decisions? Hire a Realtor like Deb Ward. Deb is a relocation specialist and along with helping you find your dream home, she can help you move to it! Give her a call today… 727-410-0336

How To Pick A Clearwater Real Estate Agent

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Choosing the right Clearwater real estate agent is so important. It’s the difference between selling for asking price or close to it, and not selling or discounting. It’s the difference between finding your dream home and settling for what might work. So how should you go about choosing a real estate agent?

Start with their internet presence

Check for their social media presence. Find their website. Today being tech savvy is incredibly important. Any agent who refuses to use social media to market not only their properties but themselves as well should be looked at with some skepticism. Most buyers look for properties online before they ever contact an agent.

Any agent who isn’t using technology is missing the boat. How can they possibly find the buyer for your home if buyers can’t find them? Their website should provide you with more than just a few listings. Their website should be a treasure trove of information for buyers and sellers.

Information about the agent

Things like their years of experience, average sale, average time on the market and so forth. Information sellers need to make good decisions to sell. Information about what buyers need to make good decisions about what and how to buy.

Look for testimonials

Not just on their social media and website, but on other sites as well. Keep in mind that they will only put the good feedback on the places they control: their social media and website. Other places like Yelp or Better Business Bureau will have both good and bad reviews. Read them all and see how it all shakes out.

Check your Clearwater Realtor out with the state and the Better Business Bureau

Speaking on the Better Business Bureau, be sure to check them out there and with the state. Make sure things like licenses are up to date. Look for things like lawsuits and complaints. Too many may mean you’re asking for trouble!

Be smart about choosing your Clearwater Realtor. After all, your home is the biggest purchase of your life. Make sure it’s a smart one!

Looking for a great Clearwater Real Estate Agent who is great at technology? Give The Deb Ward Team a call today! 727-410-0336

Rats! Your Home Didn’t Sell, Now What Should You Do?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve had your home on the market. It didn’t sell. So now what? Now, you need to do some back tracking, error fixing and revamping of your plan.

Get a New Realtor

First things first, get a new Realtor. Obviously your old one didn’t have what it takes to sell your home. Hire a professional who will set you up for success and market the home right. It’s possible that since your listing just expired, you will be contacted by one or more Realtors looking to have you hire them. Make appointments with them. Let them come and see your home. Listen to what they have to say. Hire the one that gives you the best advice about how to make your home sale ready. Here are some of the things that they might tell you:

Pricing

Look hard at how much you were asking for your home. Did you over price it? If it didn’t sell you probably did. If the Realtors you are speaking with let you push them around about price, don’t hire them. Honestly, they know more about how to price a home to sell than you do, listen to them.

Staging

Stage your home and get rid of clutter! The more clutter there is, the smaller your rooms look. Clutter is a deal killer. If prospective buyer can’t see past the clutter in the house to see their own things in it, they won’t buy. Pack up clutter, since you’ll have to move it anyway, and let your Realtor stage your home. This means placing furniture and accessories to make rooms look fresh, spacious and up to date.

Prospective Buyers

Prospective buyers will also not be happy to have to walk around your German Shepherd, trip over his toys or stumble over his dog bed. Don’t forget about Fluffy’s litter box and cat toys. Let’s not forget about the pet hair everywhere. If you can get a friend or family member to take your pets for the short time you are selling, then please do. If you can’t, find somewhere to take them when the home is shown and keep their gear hidden. And make sure to vacuum up the pet hair daily! If you smoke, stop or at least stop doing so in the home.

If you are in the Clearwater FL area and are looking for a great Florida Realtor to really get your home sold,

call The Deb Ward Team today! 727-410-0336

Sand Key Real Estate | Pinellas County

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Sand Key real estate is some of the most beautiful property in Pinellas County, FL.

Sand Key is a barrier island just south of Clearwater Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. It has medium and high end residential real estate. It also has a hotel, an area of cute, small shops and restaurants and a public park.

Gulf Side or Intracoastal

Sand Key is a great place to live in Pinellas County. Access to the island is over the Sand Key Bridge on the north side of the island, and the Belleair Causeway to the east. The multi-million dollar high end homes are found on the Gulf side of the island. These are not only large homes but also homes with land and all of the amenities you could ever want. More affordable single family homes are along the intracoastal waterways. Saying that almost every home is waterfront isn’t a stretch.

Condos!

Condos are also available on Sand Key and again, the amenities are abundant. What are they? Well, here goes! Let’s start with Bayside Gardens. Found on the Intracoastal Waterway and affordable at $200,000-$400,000 per unit. Bella Rosa is a beachfront condo community near Sand Key Bridge. Units are 2,300 square feet, 3 bedroom 2 bath units that sell for between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Cabana Club is also Gulf side and beachfront and has plenty of Victorian charm. Units sell for between $400,000 and $650,000. Crescent Beach is beachfront on the Gulf, but has water views of the Gulf, Intracoastal waterway and Clearwater Beach. It has a huge range of unit prices to fit any budget, ranging from $300,000 to $1.2 million. Dan’s Island is beachfront with units starting at $400,000 up to $750,000.

And More Condos!

Want more? Next is Harbour Light Towers. Beachfront units that are affordable with units ranging from $325,000 to $450,000. Harborage I & II is found on the Intracoastal Waterway and is also affordable with units ranging from $250,000 to $400,000. Isle at Sand Key is on the Intracoastal Waterway and has two bedroom condos ranging from $250,000 to $400,000. Landmark Towers I & II are found on the Gulf side and range from a reasonable $175,000 to $400,000 per unit. Lighthouse Towers are also beachfront and a step above. Units sell between $300,000 and $700,000. Marina Del Ray condos are found on the Intracoastal Waterway and gives you a choice of two, three and four bedroom condos which sell between $500,000 and $750,000.

Call the Best

There are more, plenty more! If you want to see these or any of the 9 more condo communities available on Sand Key, contact Deborah Ward, “The Irish Realtor”!! 727-410-0336

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