Deborah Ward – Page 35

Selling Your Home? Take Care of These Repairs First and Don’t Lose Thousands in Equity

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you are selling your home you may think that doing repairs to it before the sale isn’t necessary. Stop that train of thought because there are a few repairs or upgrades you should do before selling so you don’t lose thousands in equity. All of these fixes will more than pay for themselves.

Floor covering issues:

Depending on the age of your home, and the condition of the floor coverings, you may find that you need to repair or replace them. Carpeting is the least expensive to put down, but can turn off some buyers. Hardwoods are popular and if you have them already sometimes just having them refinished will do the trick. No one wants cracked tiles so if you have ceramic tiling, be sure to replace any chipped or cracked tiles and then replace the grout.

Walls:

Before putting the house on the market giving all the walls, ceilings and woodwork a fresh coat of paint is a good idea. Popcorn ceilings are so out! Get rid of popcorn ceilings, especially if it has asbestos in it. Have it professionally removed. It will turn up in a home inspection and bite you with buyers. Use fiberglass tape on large cracks, cover with joint compound and sand. Using a neutral color like a light tan or off white will make rooms look larger and brighter. If you have wallpaper, remove it. You may love it, but others won’t and it is a sure fire way to make your home look dated. Update wood paneling with paint or take it down and paint.

Kitchens and baths:

If your cabinets are in good shape leave them alone, but if they aren’t or are old and dated, try to freshen them up with paint, or replace them. Replace appliances. Don’t go overboard. Minor and mid-range remodeling will return almost 100% of your dollar. Granite counters are great, but sometimes laminates, newer faucets and sparkling sinks will also sell. Buyers don’t want to spot leaky faucets or stained sinks. In the bathroom, replace floors, fixtures and lighting. Sinks and cabinetry if necessary and anything that leaks. Home inpection will turn up any imperfections so be ready to ace the inspection!

Roofs and other exterior items:

If the roof is old, replace it. That is one job that buyers will balk at for sale. Patch sidewalk cement and resurface asphalt driveways if necessary. Caulk windows and doors, replace doorknobs and locks and freshen up the gardens.

High End Real Estate – The Three Most Expensive Condo Complexes on Clearwater Beach

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Clearwater Beach has some of the best, and most expensive, condo complexes in the Tampa area. If you want the amenities and prestige of owning some of the best high end real estate, the Clearwater Beach area is where you should be looking. Here is an example with 3 of the more expensive ones.

The Condos at Sandpearl: This community has amazing amenities and views. Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, the views will take your breath away. The community has a concierge, a pool and spa with cabanas, a community room and board room for owner’s use, a fitness center, 24 hour security, steam room and sauna. Units are high end and luxurious. Most are 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths and spacious. They have gourmet kitchens, open concept living areas, terraces and extras like a wine cellar and marble floors. Bedrooms have custom touches like built in storage and custom wall units.

Condos at 1350 Gulf Boulevard: This community has over 60 feet of direct gulf front balcony space of the Intracoastal on Sand Key. The bedrooms of each unit have views overlooking the water and a double master suite with his and her full private baths and walk in closets. As if that wasn’t enough to convince you, each unit also has a large kitchen, bar area, family room and formal dining/living rooms. Need more? How about 4 bedrooms besides the master and stunning baths. Community amenities include a fitness center, clubhouse, meeting room, heated pool, spa and more.

The Grande at Sand Key: One of the more important parts of being one of the most expensive condo communities is water views and The Grande doesn’t disappoint with amazing Gulf and coastline views. Units are 5,150 square feet of luxury, and over 800 square feet of outdoor terrace. Each unit is well appointed with travertine flooring, volume ceilings, granite counter-tops, California closets, open floor plans with multiple living areas, three master suites and a private access elevator with a private two car garage. Community amenities include a 24-hour manned gatehouse entry, private beach access, heated beach pool and cabanas overlooking the Gulf, an outdoor spa and heated lap pool, gas grills, fitness center complete with steam room and sauna, two har-tru tennis courts and on-site concierge services.

The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow – 5 Priceless Tips for Home Sellers

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is getting your home sold. It’s the reward for hard work and patience. Here are some tips to get to that pot of gold more quickly.

Pricing your home. This is actually the most important step. If you price it too high then prospective buyers who can afford your home won’t see it. Price it too low and you’re cheating yourself. An average home buyer will look at anywhere from 15 to 20 homes and your home needs to come out on top. If it’s priced too high, it’s being compared to homes with higher end finishes and amenities. How can it possibly compare? Then it will sit on the market, making buyers wonder what is wrong with it. That won’t give you the pot of gold! Home sellers make their biggest mistakes in pricing their home.

Hire a Realtor: When looking for a good Realtor, you need to find one with a great track record, but also one that has good communication skills. A good track record will tell you they have the knowledge and skills to sell your home. Communication is one of those skills that are a make or break it. Make sure that everyone understands the communication expectations from the beginning. You also need a Realtor instead of selling yourself. A Realtor knows how to price, market and sell your home, lead you through the entire process and get you more than you could without one, even when paying their commission. That pot of gold is closer now!

Clean and stage your home: Appearance and first impressions are a crucial element in any home sale. Make updates if you can afford to do so, clean the home from top to bottom, and pack up all your extras. Make your home look bigger, spotless and plenty of shine. Make sure you have it smelling good too. If you move to your new home before selling the old one, don’t leave the home vacant. Vacant homes are more difficult to sell and can cost you money during negotiations. Home sellers sometimes don’t understand the value of having a clean and staged home. Listen to your Realtor, they will guide you about what needs to be done.

Be smart when selling your home and quickly find your pot of gold.

Buying a Home or Renting?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Should I be buying a home or renting? Many people ask themselves this question everyday. For some, it depends on their lifestyle, but generally, for many buying a home becomes the better answer to the question. In order to help you figure out that answer for yourself, let’s look at this is from why people do each: buying a home and renting.

Renting: Do you know you will have the same job over the next few years? Are you planning on staying in the area or moving? Can you find somewhere to rent that is less expensive than a mortgage payment? Do you prefer to let someone else do maintenance on your living space and have to wait for that maintenance appointment to be made by another person? Renting can be a plus. Generally there are lower up-front costs and more flexibility to move if necessary. The problem with renting, though, is you have no control over rent increases, your living space style, and you aren’t building any equity in the real estate property for you, and the landlord makes the rules.

Buying: Are you planning on staying in the area you live in for more than a few years? Do you want to build a real estate investment? Do you want to be in control of your living space – changing paint or even where walls are, planning maintenance appointments on your schedule? Do you need tax deductions? When you buy, you own the property and all the equity it has. That means you can borrow against that equity to improve the property. It’s yours so you can make any changes to it that appeal to your own personal sense of style. Ownership also gives you tax deductions against your income tax burden for both mortgage interest and your real estate taxes. That is a huge savings. Although the economy is taking a long time to improve, in some areas real estate is again gaining value instead of losing value.

You have to make the decision for yourself, but in the long run, buying a home is much better than renting a home.

How Much is Your Home Worth?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

How much is your home worth? Well, that depends on how you look at it. There are three ways to do that: market value; replacement value; and property tax value. There’s a substantial difference in these values, but each affects the other.

Market value: Market value is the value that homeowners are most interested in. It’s the amount homes sell for in your area. It is partially determined by what other homes that are similar to yours sold for. Market value isn’t based on what you paid to do certain kinds of improvements, such as finishing your basement, update your bathroom or kitchen, etc. These improvements add to the value, but that value isn’t determined by how much they cost. The market value will tell you what you could get if you sold your home, and how much you would actually receive, or its equity. The best way to determine the market value is to have a realtor tour your home and assess its value.

Replacement value: Replacement value is the amount it would cost you to rebuild if your home was destroyed by something like a fire or natural disaster. Replacement cost is what you would have to spend to remove debris and rebuild based on construction costs in your area. Replacement value is what your insurance company will come up with in order to know what to charge you for premiums. It’s also an important value to know and keep on top of, because if costs to rebuild go up, but you don’t change your coverage, you could find yourself under insured and paying out of pocket if a disaster happens. Replacement value is something to always have in mind.

Property tax value: This is the value that state, county and/or municipal governments use to figure out how much you will pay in real estate taxes on your home. These values are often similar to market values, but not always. There can be differences either higher or lower due to outdated assessments or mistakes made by those assessing the property tax values. Property tax values are also based on improvements to your home.

Replacement value as well as property tax value is important. Don’t just worry about market value, even if your aim is to sell.

Realtor Negotiations – How to Find a Hard Negotiating Realtor!

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Most people aren’t savvy negotiators. It is a skill that most people generally aren’t comfortable with. Negotiating is hard! When you’re buying or selling a home being a good negotiator would come in handy. So if you aren’t good at it, isn’t it a good idea to hire someone who is? Definitely. So how do you choose a good negotiator?

When you are trying to find a good Realtor, one who is a great negotiator, it would stand to reason that you should find one that will negotiate and compromise with you on their commission, right? Wrong! Why? Think about it. Do you want to hire someone to negotiate for you to back down and give your money away? If you’re a seller, don’t you want someone working for you that is trying to get the most for you? If you are buying, don’t you want someone working for you who can get the best price and concessions? So if they cave on a commission which is THEIR money, how hard will they really work for you?

When you are looking for a Realtor look for one that is fair, but firm. Negotiating doesn’t mean taking a stand and never moving, but making sure to negotiate the best deal. Being fair means both sides benefit, being firm means your interests aren’t ignored. Look for a Realtor who has good relationships with other realtors. A good rapport with others means more buyers for your home, or more homes to go look at. If they can’t get along with other realtors, they won’t be able to negotiate in your best interest. No one will want to deal with them!

Don’t settle for a Realtor who gives in when you pressure them to lower their commission. It’s in your best interest to pay more commission. You’ll end up with a bigger sale in the end!

Floor covering issues:

Walls:

Kitchens and baths:

Roofs and other exterior items:

The Deb Ward Team