The Deb Ward Team

How To Have An Amazing Open House | Clearwater Realtor Tips

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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

| Clearwater Realtor TipsTalk 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.

All About Snell Isle St. Petersburg Florida

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St. Petersburg Snell Isle, Florida is a great place to live. It has great neighborhoods and one of the older neighborhoods is . Snell Isle has always been a higher end neighborhood, and today is no different.

Developed in the 1920’s

Snell Isle was established in the 1920’s when a local developer, C. Perry Snell, developed a portion of what Snell Isle is today. C. Perry Snell was a All About Snell Isle St. Petersburg Floridadruggist from Kentucky. He moved to the St. Petersburg area in 1900 and began purchasing properties in the area to develop. Those properties were then developed into upscale neighborhoods, commercial areas and also public parks. Snell Isle was one of those neighborhoods and it was named for him.

Muddy mangrove

Snell Isle was originally a typical muddy mangrove island. By the time the neighborhood officially opened in 1925 there was only 39 acres above the high tide line. Of those 39 acres Snell still managed to sell over seven million dollars worth of lots. Today there is 275 acres above the high tide line and homes still sell in the millions.

The Renaissance Vinoy Golf Club and Resort

In 1926 The Renaissance Vinoy Golf Club and Resort opened on the island. It is still there and is currently on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also the home to the St. Petersburg Woman’s Club, which Snell built on Coffee Pot Bayou. There is a memorial on the island to Snell, its founder.

So come check out the Isle when in St. Petersburg.

Is It Time For Millennials To Start Buying Florida Real Estate?

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The real estate market has been slow in recovering from the bubble burst, and one reason for this is because one segment of society has been rather slow to jump back into home ownership: millennials. But is it time now for millennials to start buying Florida real estate?

Fear of another bust

One reason millennials have been staying out of the real estate buying market is fear. They saw what happened to their parents and it had many shying away. Another is the ability to be mobile for employment. So many have been renting. The problem with that now is the rental market is pricing them out. Apartment and home rents are rising. Once having a mortgage becomes more affordable than renting, the logical conclusion for many will be to buy.

Confidence in the housing market

Another reason that will draw them in is a rising confidence in the housing market. It’s been 8 years since the crash and while the market has been slow to recover, it is recovering. So much so that some places have moved from buyers markets to sellers markets. Florida isn’t quite there yet, but it’s strengthening.

Supply of homes will grow as well

Their parents, baby boomers and the older end of Generation X are now in empty nest syndrome and will sell their houses to downsize. On top of that mortgage rates are and have remained low, below 5%. Even though experts say rates will rise, the chance that a 30 year fixed rate mortgage will go above 5% is extremely low. Credit requirements to get those mortgages are relaxing a bit as well.

Florida has plenty of homes to be purchased and millennials may just be the ones to buy them.

The 4 Best Colleges In Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Relocation

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The 4 Best Colleges In Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay RelocationThe Tampa Bay area isn’t just a paradise of beaches and boats. It has some pretty great colleges too. So if you want to get your tan on while you get your brain in gear, Tampa might just be for you. Here are a few of the best pickings:

Saint Leo University:

Saint Leo University is a Catholic university that offers a liberal arts education. It has over 15,000 students, making it smaller, but offers many locations and online degree programs. SLU looks to offer a balance for the student in growth personally, educationally and spiritually. It was established in 1889 and has grown to be one of the top universities in the south as rated by U.S. News & World Report. It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs from its School of Arts & Sciences, School of Education & Social Services, and School of Business.

University of Tampa:

U of T has about 8,000 students and is also ranked one of the best by U.S. News & World Report, as well as Forbes and The Princeton Review. U of T offers over 200 academic programs and each is taught by faculty who are experts in their field. They offer smaller class sizes which allow students and faculty to interact on a level second to none.

The University of South Florida:

USF has campuses in St. Pete, Sarasota and Tampa, and is a public university. Tampa is home to the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and Pharmacy. St. Pete is home to the College of Marine Science. USF is one of only four public universities in Florida classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the top tier of research universities. It has more than 180 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels.

Hillsborough Community College:

For the student who is looking for a more convenient and inexpensive way to continue their education, HCC has a program that can get you ready for the work world or to your next step of a 4 year college to complete that degree. They have five primary campuses, three satellite locations and the Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education (ICCE) located adjacent to the Dr. Gwendolyn W. Stephenson District Administration Center on Davis Island. They offer Associate Degrees in Arts and Science, technical programs, health science programs, adult vocational programs and dual enrollment for high school students.

A History of Safety Harbor Florida

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Safety Harbor Florida has a storied history, from Indians to Spanish Explorers. It all contributed to what Safety Harbor is today.

Safety Harbor has been inhabited since the Stone Age

A History of Safety Harbor FloridaThe area of what is today’s Safety Harbor has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Historians know this after a 6,000 year old spearhead was found in the Marshall Street Park in 2008.

The first known named inhabitants were the Tocobagan Indians. The tribe name came from one of its chiefs during the 1500’s. There was also a town bearing the same name and it’s believed on what is today’s Safety Harbor. The Tocobagan constructed ceremonial and communal mounds for what is thought to be burial sites. There is an intact ceremonial mound still visible today in Philippe Park.

Other sites around the area found pottery, copper, shell and stone. The shells found in these mounds were used to pave city streets.

The area was discovered by Hernando De Soto

De Soto was a Spanish explorer who led the first expedition into the southern US. He was looking for gold, silver and a passage to China. What he found was Florida and the New World.
Another important Spaniard in Safety Harbor’s history was Panfilo de Narvaez. Narvaez sailed to the New World from Sanlúcar de Barrameda on June 17, 1527, arriving on the West Coast of Florida near the Rio de las Palmas in April of 1528. Today, that site is known as the Jungle Prada Site in St. Petersburg.

Another famous Safety Harbor resident was Odet Philippe

He acquired the land that is now Safety Harbor. He introduced cigar making and citrus to the Tampa Bay region. He is buried in Philippe Park, which was his former plantation, though the exact location of his grave is unknown.

Safety Harbor is a great historic area. Find a piece of it for yourself.

The Three Most Expensive Homes For Sale In Clearwater FL

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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 The Three Most Expensive Homes For Sale In Clearwater FLproperty 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…

The Deb Ward Team

Keller Williams Realty
30522 U.S. Highway 19 N, #107
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Phone: 727-410-0336
Fax: 727-474-9069
Email: info@DeborahWard.com
The Deb Ward Team at Keller Williams Realty specializes in all of Pinellas County, Florida including: Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, St. Petersburg, and the Gulf Beaches from Clearwater Beach down to St. Pete Beach serving buyers and sellers with a focus that is rarely found in the real estate world!