Blog – Page 27

How Does It Work When You Have To Buy and Sell Your Home At The Same Time

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

For whatever reason, job transfer, family size change or whatever, you need to sell your current home and buy a new one. The problem is that you have no idea how it will work. There are a few scenarios, but for a seamless move here is how it can and should work.

1. If you sell first then buy here’s what should happen

First you list your home. Once you get an offer and go to settlement you start your hunt for the new place. What that does is give you money to put down, a paid off mortgage and firmer standing with prospective sellers.

Even though this is the safest plan to use, it does have drawbacks. First, you are basically homeless for a few weeks while you house hunt and wait for settlement.

You have to put all your stuff in storage and rent somewhere, crash with family or friends or do a rent back deal with your buyers, if they can do that.

2. Another plan

Another plan could be you buy your next home, then sell your current home. This will mean you can move into your new home, prepare your current one for sale and not be homeless. This plan is great if you can afford the financial stress of two mortgages for some time and paying utilities and maintenance for two homes. This tends to be the plan for an out of state move.

3. Probably the best plan

The last plan is probably the best, but the hardest one to pull off. It is selling and buying simultaneously.

You put your home on the market and start your search. It takes good organization, timing and planning, as well as money available for preparing your current home for sale and money to put as a deposit.

Your Realtor can be a huge help. There are ways to be sure you can afford this option. Planning settlement on both properties on the same day can keep the financial burden at bay. Plan your sale first, then your purchase. It also means working with your mortgage company for the new place so they know you won’t be stuck with two mortgages.

Plan your sale and purchase.

Are You Willing To Do What It Takes To Sell Your Home?

October 27, 2021 By Tara Jacobsen

It’s time to sell your Clearwater home, are you willing to do what it takes to sell it? Do you even know what to do? Even just the basics? Well, here are some things you should do if you are willing to do what it takes to sell your home.

Check Out Your Fridge

Ok so first, take a look at your refrigerator. Yes, really, your refrigerator. What’s on it? Is there a collection of clutter on top of it? Cereal boxes? Extra containers? What about on it? A dozen magnets? Menus? The latest art project or projects from your kids? Not what prospective buyers need to see. It’s a bit hard to see themselves in your kitchen if it looks like your kitchen!

Cracks and Dings or Nail Holes

Next, walk room to room and look at the state of the walls. Are there holes, dings, cracks or other things that should be fixed? Remember that really ugly picture you took down? Well, the hole from the nail holding it up should probably be spackled. If you were buying a home would you want to buy one that obviously needed some work to be done? Cracks and holes are signs to a buyer that you might just be leaving other things undone.

How’s the Paint?

As you look at all those walls check the paint? Remember when your kids had you paint their rooms all those wild colors? What about that dark “accent” wall gone awry? Yeah, it might just be time to make all that just a bit less wild and a bit more neutral. You might have liked having your living room colors of your favorite football or baseball team, but your buyer might not!

Last Thing

Ok, last thing. Sweep up the dog hair and pick up the kid’s toys. Who wants to step over toys or watch the dust bunnies blow around as they look at your home? I bet they don’t come back to look again! So do what you have to do, and mostly listen to your Realtor when they tell you what really needs to be done to sell your home!

If you are ready for a truly honest opinion on what it will take to sell your Clearwater home, give us a call today!

727-410-0336

Harbor Bluffs Waterfront Florida Real Estate

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Harbor Bluffs waterfront Florida Real Estate is very sought after for its beautiful neighborhoods that include waterfront and non-waterfront properties.

If you’re looking for great water front living in Florida, Harbor Bluffs is the place for you. If you want Florida real estate in a waterfront community very close to the beach, don’t miss Harbor Bluffs. There is a home there for everyone, large and small.

Harbor Bluffs in Largo Florida is a large development with waterfront and non-waterfront properties. It is well established and highly desirable Florida real estate. Many neighborhoods have waterfront views on one side or both sides of the street. Homes range in size from 1,700 sq. ft. to well over 4,000 sq. ft. Non-water front properties start in the mid $300,000. Water front real estate properties are either on the intercoastal waterway, or have quick access to the Gulf of Mexico via the bay.

The dual waterfront neighborhoods are streets where the intercoastal waterway lies on one side, and bay access on the other. Intercoastal side homes range from $500,000 to $700,000 and gulf access sides start in excess of $1,000,000. Newer homes are following the new zoning restrictions that require that all homes built have the living area at least 12 feet above sea level.

Homes in Harbor Bluffs were built from the late 60’s through the 80’s, although some have been rebuilt and can be much newer. Many people buy homes to renovate them, others demolish and rebuild. There are also buildable lots available, that if water front are in the neighborhood of $500,000 for the lot. Many have swimming pools with brick pavers, a cozy fireplace, and plenty of room to have family gatherings. The neighborhoods are well laid out and the perfect place to raise a family.

Harbor Bluffs is minutes from Indian Rocks and Belleair Beaches. These white sandy beaches are a great place to relax and spend a quiet Florida day. There is plenty of boat access both in the Harbor Bluffs neighborhoods, and the public access in Largo. This is Florida living at its finest.

Want to find out about the AMAZING Harbor Bluffs homes for sale, give Deb a call today! 727-410-0336

My #1 Suggestion For Cleaning Out Your Home For Sale

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You hear the advice all the time, declutter and clean out your home before you put it on the market! But what do you do with all that stuff? The point of decluttering is to move it out of view and make your spaces look bigger. How can that happen if they are in your storage space?

The best idea yet is to rent a storage space or a portable storage space

The most popular one is PODS®. Another is 1-800-PACK-RAT. These companies offer varied services. Usually a customer will order a portable container which is then delivered to the location where you need it. You fill it up and lock it up, then you can do a few things. You can leave it on site. You can have them pick it up and store it. You can have them deliver it to your new home. Or all of the above. Or some of the above.

So why use that instead of a storage space?

Well, there are a few reasons. While that storage space may be cheaper, you have to pack, drive the boxes and stuff over to it, unpack the car or truck into the storage space and then repeat until you are finished moving. Then you have to do it all over again when you move into your new space.

With a portable storage space you have it brought to you

You can take the time you need to pack it up and since it’s where you are packing, you can forego the driving back and forth to the storage place and the multiple moving of boxes and stuff from one place to another. Then they send a driver to come get it and take it to a secure space where it is stored for you until you are ready to move again. Then they take it to the new space for you and leave it until you are finished unpacking.

So what does that mean for selling your home? Less clutter, no boxes stored in closets and a faster sale!

Deborah here…I really do give ALL of my clients this advice! I find that using PODS will make your entire home sale process easier and less of a pain while it is on the market!

Why You Should Use A Dedicated Buyers Agent To Look For A House

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve been deciding to buy a house and wondered whether it was a good idea to use a dedicated buyer’s agent while looking. After all, can’t the agent who listed the house help you? Well, that may not be such a good idea, and here’s why.

Dedicated buyer’s agent represents only you

The biggest reason why you need a buyer’s agent is because that agent represents you and only you. A listing agent represents the seller, and while they seem helpful when showing you the house, they don’t have your best interests at heart.

A buyer’s agent will walk you through the buying process, give you advice, schedule appointments, answer your questions about properties and negotiate and write up offers on your behalf. The best part is that you don’t pay for it. They earn their commission by splitting it with the listing agent.

Would you use the same attorney?

Here is one way to think about it. If you got sued, would you use the same attorney as the people who sued you? As in a legal situation like a lawsuit, a legal situation like the sale of a piece of real estate means you are entitled to your own representation during the buying process.

Representation in your interest

During the buying process, you get representation that is all in your interest, and it costs you nothing. Pretty sweet! So why does it cost nothing? And how can that mean the agent is on your side if you aren’t paying them? Yes, they work with the listing agent to sell the home to you. So when you purchase your home, in most places, the realtors would receive a 6% commission. 3% goes to the listing agent for listing it and 3% goes to your agent for helping you through the buying process. So while you aren’t paying them, it doesn’t matter whose property they show you, they make the same 3% commission. That’s why they stay loyal to you, not the property seller.

You won’t regret the help if you hire a buyer’s agent to find your new home.

What To Have On Hand To Make Your Open House A Success

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Your house is for sale and your Realtor scheduled an open house. You want to help them make it a huge success. You know that keeping your home neat and staged is the key to making sure your open house rocks, but you have to live in your home too. So here are some great ideas to prepare for your open house.

An open house box

One great idea is to make up an open house box. It’s just a box or basket that has the things in it you’ll need handy to get your home ready. Things like fresh towels for the bathrooms, wipes for quick cleaning surfaces and containers to put small items in from your counters.

Why do this?

Well, what if a call comes at the last minute for a showing and you don’t have any clean towels but you do have a lived in cluttered space? You’re off cleaning and doing laundry.

To use it just grab the box and fill it with your “company” linens, you know, the really nice ones you save for when company comes over. Then as you put out new clean bath towels and kitchen towels, throw the old ones in the box. Put the counter clutter in the small containers (have one marked for each room) and wipe down counters and surfaces as you go. Once the open house is over, go back and get the “company” linens and replace with clean everyday ones.

Containers and baskets

Use containers each day in your bath that make it easier to clean off the bathroom counters easily.

Use a larger basket to hold extra toilet paper, smaller ones for things like make up brushes, nail clippers, possibly a mason jar or small flower vase for toothbrushes and toothpaste. That way you can just grab and stash them in the open house box. Don’t forget a basket for the shower items, like shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Do the same in the kitchen for things like mail, keys, etc. For mail, you can even get a decorative box with a lid. That way it could even stay on the counter for the open house.