Blog – Page 26

10 Ways You Are Sabotaging Your Own Home Sale!

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You want to sell your home, right? Really? Because your behavior says otherwise. Your actions are sabotaging your own home sale. If you’re wondering why your home isn’t selling, read on and see if you fall into one or more of these examples… then STOP IT!

Issues of availability:

It makes sense that the more people that see your home, the more likely one will buy it. So why in the name of all that’s holy are you being so restrictive in your showing hours?

1. If you aren’t making the home available at times when normal people are looking, then it won’t be seen.

2. And for goodness sake, use a lockbox for a house key so other Realtors besides your listing agent can show the home!

3. If you don’t want it to be obvious for security reasons, put it on a door that is out of sight, but use one!

Pets and pet smells:

4. That “adorable” yet huge dog of yours, you know, the one that you swear “doesn’t bite” and is a huge sweetheart? Yeah, even the nicest dog can be territorial about strangers in their home. When you leave for the showing, take Fido with you.

5. And that cat smell? Total turn off. Find a place for Fluffy to stay while the house is for sale so you can dispense with the litter box.

6. Same goes for snakes, lizards, rodents and other small pets. Even if they don’t smell, they can scare or turn off buyers. That person who fell in love with the rest of your home but is terrified of snakes will NOT buy because you have one, trust me.

House condition:

7. We get it, you have to live in your home while you try to sell it, but when it’s going to be shown you need to CLEAN IT! That means pick up toys and clutter, clean bathrooms and kitchen counters, leave on some lights (as discussed with you when the home was staged) and…

8. DON’T SMOKE ANYWHERE! Yes, that means even no smoking in the garage since it‘s attached to the house.

Sabotaging interested buyers:

9. You have offers! You refuse to negotiate them. Not cool.

10. Oh, and those major home problems you know about? You are required to disclose them to buyers. And yes, a sinkhole qualifies.

Is A Condo The Right Choice For Me?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve decided to buy your own home. Your Realtor has asked you if you’d be interested in looking at condos. So, is a condo the right choice for you?

Can be a great choice

A condominium, or condo for short, can be a great choice for certain people. If you are single, newly married, or retired, a condo may be a good choice. The reasons are many. A condo is a form of home ownership in which the individual owns their unit, everything from the four walls and in, but not the outside parts or the ground the unit sits on. Those areas, known as common areas, are owned by all of the individual unit owners collectively. These are things like hallways, walkways, pools, and so on.

Association of owners

The maintenance of these areas is the responsibility of an association which includes every unit owner. That membership includes an obligation to pay monthly dues and any special assessment fees for larger maintenance issues, like a new roof or painting all the buildings. Typically, the association hires contractors to do the actual maintenance, so individual owners don’t have to do the grass cutting, pool cleaning and so on.

So, is it for you?

Maybe so. Condos can be more cost effective for people buying their first home or for people who are retiring and downsizing. Condos tend to cost less to purchase, so a mortgage payment is lower. You aren’t paying for what it costs to have a pool. You aren’t paying extra for a gym membership. With fewer maintenance requirements, that helps costs as well. There is no need to buy lawn equipment, no need for pool supplies, no need for whatever things usually purchased by homeowners to care for their homes. There is also the time savings. No lawns to mow, no gardens to weed, no pools to vacuum.

There are also the social benefits

Since you share common areas, socializing is easier to do. As with an apartment building, neighbors are in close proximity, for good and bad.

So is it for you? Go see one and find out.

Why Overpricing Your Home At The Start Hurts So Much

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

In many areas, including yours, the real estate market has become a seller’s market. So does that mean you have carte blanche to price your home where you want to price it?

As always, the answer is no. Overpricing your home from the start is never a good idea and will hurt your chances of selling. Here’s why.

Range of prices

First and foremost, overpricing your home will keep your home from being seen by people who can afford and will want to buy your home.

Most people start their home search online. When they search they set a range of prices that ends with the top of their budget.

If your home is out of that range, they will never see it. So, you think, people who do see it can afford it, right? Wrong. Those who could afford it will be looking for a higher end home than yours. That will make your home look bad in comparison.

Let’s take a peek at Realtor.com where many buyers start their search!

As you can see here, the price breaks suggested by Realtor.com are at $120K, $180K, etc. If you try to “push it” and get $125K for your home, many of the buyers who are looking for affordable housing will not even see your listing.

Another thing to consider is that Realtors tend to search in bands like $250K-$300K. If you “pushed it” and did a listing for $306K you would be seriously shooting yourself in the foot!

Appraisal

So let’s say that someone in that lower range actually stumbles on your listing and falls in love with your home. Great, so you get an offer and jump at it. Problem will be that your home won’t appraise for the amount you asked and they offered. Sale falls through and you’re back to square one.

Days on market

So, you’re thinking, I’ll just lower my price if it doesn’t get any nibbles after a month or two or that sale falls through. Not a good idea either. That means that your home has been on the market for at least 60 days. That tells prospective buyers that because it’s been on the market so long and the price is lowered, there must be something wrong with your home. They see days on the market as an indication of how nice your home is, and you lose in the assumption.

Your Realtor

Work with your Realtor to find the best price for your home. Use their expertise and experience to make sure you set the best price.

Pinellas County Magnet Schools | Clearwater Real Estate Resources

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

One of the biggest reasons people move to or stay away from a particular area is because of schools. School systems are one of the biggest considerations in real estate. Pinellas County, including Clearwater, has great schools, including magnet schools.

Most schools are location based

In most school systems, where you go to school is based on where you live, not your interests. If you want your child to go to a specific school that is out of your district, there are usually huge hoops to jump through. It’s very possible, especially if the school you desire is at capacity, meaning it has all the students it can hold, that you won’t be able to get that out of district request approved and your child will have to go to the school in your district.

Magnet schools based on interests

Magnet Schools are public schools, but unlike non-magnet schools, enrollment is not based on where you live, but your student’s interests. What makes magnet schools unique is that they have special curricular focus; usually things like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), the arts, and vocational or career paths. Children are always educated in a full range of subjects, but also get to specialize their education to their area of interest. You will most likely have to apply to have your child attend there, and as with non-magnet public schools, there are capacity requirements, but your location isn’t the determining factor in whether you child attends or not.

Pinellas County has 32 elementary, middle and high magnet schools

Specialties include academically talented, medical, criminal justice, International Baccalaureate, STEM, performing arts, as well as others. There are 15 elementary schools, a few of which also have pre-k programs, 7 middle schools, 1 k-8, and 9 high schools. All of these schools have excellent basic programs as well as the specialized magnet programs.

With all those schools to choose from, why not move to Clearwater? Your children can attend schools that cater to their talents and interests. Children who are challenged and interested learn better. And after all isn’t that what we want for our kids?

Want more? Visit the Pinellas County Schools site!

Why Listing Your Home For Sale During The Holidays Makes Sense

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. You’ve decided to list your Clearwater home for sale, but you’re not sure if you should wait until after the holidays to put it on the market. Well, good news! No need to wait! The holidays are a great time to list your home for sale.

Serious Buyers

So why should you list your Clearwater home for sale during the holidays? Well, there are several reasons. First, you will find a stable of more serious buyers. People are busy during the holidays and don’t have time to spend time browsing through homes, meaning fewer “tire-kickers.” Those looking will be much more serious about buying. There are also fewer homes on the market, lowering the competition. Many people decide to take their homes off the market during the holidays. They think they won’t sell, or don’t want to be “hassled” with showing during the holidays. Wrong thinking, but it will work to your advantage. Serious buyers means your home will sell!

Holiday Decorating

Other reasons? Well, do you decorate your home? Think about how great it looks. You move extraneous furniture, put up a tree, wreaths, lights. Your rooms look beautiful and roomier. Buyers will be able to picture what it would look like during THEIR holidays. It brings up positive emotions that help them hook their hearts on your home. Buying decisions are made on an emotional level, not a rational one. Holiday decorating may help you sell your home.

Taxes

Did you know that there are tax reasons why buyers might have to buy by the end of the year? What about those who can’t wait until spring to buy? Moving may be necessary between school semesters, or because of a job situation.

Is It A Hassle?

So what about that “hassle”? Selling during the holidays is no more of a hassle than selling any other time of the year. Yes, you have to keep the home clean and staged, but as with any other time of the year, you control when it is shown and have the option to decline showings.

So, don’t wait, list now and give yourself the gift of selling your home!

If you would like to find out how to list your Clearwater Home For Sale during the holidays, give The Deb Ward Team a call TODAY!!! 727-410-0336

How To Sell An Estate Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It’s happened. Your beloved family member has passed away. While dealing with your grief, you’ve discovered that your family member has made you executor of his or her will. So now you have to deal with disposing of their worldly possessions, including their home. So what will you have to do to sell an estate home?

Well, the actual sale process is the same as any other: clean, declutter, stage and list. In fact, you’ll probably be emptying the home anyway in the process of finding and making a list of all of the deceased’s belongings for probate.

Probate is the process where the property (all their stuff, money, cars, homes, furniture, etc.) of the deceased is transferred to the beneficiaries under the will, or in the case of there being no will how the law where the deceased lives says should be the beneficiary or beneficiaries. This is where things can get complicated. Part of the probate process is paying taxes, both state and federal. You also have to provide an accounting of all the stuff and how it was distributed to the beneficiaries, or the probate court.

So here are some things you’ll need to take into consideration. First, if the will states that the home is to be given to someone specific, then you having to sell it as the executor isn’t happening.

That is a process best handled by an estate attorney. But let’s say that the home isn’t a specific bequest to someone, it is then just part of the remainder, or what is left after the specific bequests, of the estate and will probably have to be sold.

Next, you’ll need to know what kinds of estate taxes will be due. This is important because they may be taken from the proceeds of the sale at settlement. Be sure that whomever you use to sell the home, or handle the real estate settlement is aware that this is an estate sale.

Your best bet is to hire an estate attorney and a Realtor who is familiar with all of the ins and outs of the sale of an estate property. They will be an invaluable resource to you.