Blog – Page 29

What Do Most Home Sellers Want Most?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You have a home to sell, and like most sellers, you want your home to sell fast and for the most money. Seems all Realtors promise that too. So how do you find one who actually will sell your home fast and for the most money?

Sell for the highest dollar

Selling for the highest dollar seems to be a great idea…until that high dollar deal falls through because the buyer wasn’t vetted and didn’t have access to financing.

A great Realtor won’t promise the highest dollar. They will promise the best price from a qualified buyer. That high bid does you no good without an actual closing to give you the money. However, a lower bid that is within the market value of your home from a qualified buyer with a pre-approved mortgage means a check in hand and money in the bank.

Sell fast

Selling fast is something all buyers want as well. Fast is great, but fast for a price that is under market value isn’t. A great Realtor will take the time it takes to get you the best price. Selling fast means pricing your home correctly and making sure that your home has the needed repairs and upgrades to make it the “must have” property in the neighborhood. Once those are in place the time to sale will be no time at all.

Don’t sell your home short

Sloppy selling won’t get your home sold for the best price. Sloppy selling means that your home sits on the market. The longer it sits, the less money you will make. Choose a Realtor who will honestly tell you what your home needs, how it should be priced and which offer is the best, even if it isn’t the highest.

Getting Your House in Shape to Sell

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you’ve decided to sell your Florida home, getting it in tip top shape isn’t optional, especially if you want to get top dollar. You can start home staging on your own, with some of the tips below, but your best bet is to then have a great realtor come in and do a good walk through to see if you missed anything.

The first things you need to do in getting your home in shape to sell is clean and declutter your home. Realistically you will be doing both at the same time. Go room to room and look around. You should be taking down and packing up at least half of what is in it, and in closets and cabinets. You’re going to be moving and packing anyway, so get a head start. As you are removing things you will see areas of your home that need a good scrubbing or fixing.

Getting your home in shape to sell means making your home look less personal. Personal things should be the first to be packed. Buyers want to be able to picture their things in the house, and seeing your family pictures and memorabilia everywhere will make that difficult. Clutter also makes rooms look and feel smaller. Small doesn’t get you top dollar, spacious does, so the more it feels spacious, the better.

As you pack, scrub. The cleaning should be a deep, floor to ceiling and everything in between cleaning. Under furniture, in closets, behind doors because buyers look everywhere. Steam clean carpets, wax and buff hard woods and make every surface gleam.

Fixing things in the house helps you in getting your home in shape to sell. Once things are clean and decluttered, you will probably see things that need fixing. Fill nail holes in walls, spackle and touch them up. Chipped paint on door jams and woodwork are noticeable and make things look shabby. If you find that the touch ups don’t match the paint on the wall, repaint. This is especially true if your walls are dark or bright colors. Neutral is better. Make sure cupboards open and shut, that their doors are level and match and that no faucets are dripping. Bedrooms and baths should get new linens. Find bedding that looks modern and minimal.

Now you should have your realtor come in and let you know what still needs to be done. The owners that follow our advice frequently sell faster and for more money than they thought they would get!

Give us a call today to find out about listing your Clearwater or St Pete Home for Sale 727-410-0336

Top Tips for Buyers – What Happens When You Get a Bad Home Inspection?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Here are some tips for buyers about what to do when you get a bad home inspection.

You spent weeks trudging through home after home and you finally found it, the perfect home. You offered and counter-offered and finally got it! But now your excitement has come crashing down. The home inspection came back with some problems that were a bit more serious than replacing some woodwork or painting. So what do you do now?

First, take a deep breath. Step back and remember the reason why you got the home inspection in the first place. Would you want to go through with the sale and then find them? Of course not. Home inspections are done to protect you; to find any troubles before you buy, so be glad things were found. Anyone who’s been through it will tell you that emotionally it’s no fun, so step back, get some perspective and then act.

Next, turn to your Realtor for help. They’ve been there before and know what is fixable and what you should run from. Your Realtor will be able to get professionals into the home to see the extent of the problem or problems and then get estimates for fixing it. Then you can make smart decisions about whether to walk away from the contract or negotiate who will fix it. You’re best bet is to remember that if the sellers won’t negotiate, walking away may be the best bet.

If the sellers will negotiate there are a few things that you need to decide with your Realtor. First, how much can you afford to contribute to the repairs? Then take that figure and decide do you 1) just pay out of pocket and do it yourself after settlement; 2) negotiate with the seller to reimburse them for your agreed upon portion of the repairs; or 3) ask for a credit against the selling price or closing costs, If you choose option 1 remember to let the settlement company know the sellers portion of the agreed upon repair costs so it can be paid to you out of the proceeds.

A bad home inspection isn’t the end of the world, or even the end of the contract. Remain calm and think it through.

3 Things To Watch For When You Are Shopping For A Golf Course Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Want a golf course home? They’re a symbol of your success and the views are great. There are a few things to watch for when shopping for a golf course home. Here are a few.

Noise and hazards

A few obvious items are golf course noise and hazards. Tour the home on a weekend afternoon when golfers are out and about. If your home is close to a tee box or tee off area people tend to chat a lot and it can be noisy.

Look for signs of whether the house or the yard is getting hit by golf balls. In Florida many golf course homes are made from stucco which are particularly susceptible to damage from golf balls.

Also look to see how private your yard and home really are. Remember that if you can see the fairway, they can probably see you.

Golf carts

Golf carts can be a nuisance too. Even though electric powered golf carts are quiet, if the course has a cart path rule (meaning that golfers have to use cart paths which are closer to the edge of the course) are by proximity also closer to you home and gas powered ones are noisy.

Homeowner’s association rules

Don’t think for a minute that your homeowner’s association will let you do whatever you want or need to do to ensure your privacy or lack of damage. Try asking them to allow you to put up a fence or a net to keep balls off your home or land and watch how fast they tell you no. Something to keep in mind as you shop.

Think that golf course is an extension of your backyard? Think again. Your yard is your yard and you will need to keep to it. The course isn’t a run for your pets or kids. So ask the size and line where your yard stops and the course starts.

When Selling Your Clearwater Home Don’t Make These Screwups!

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve decided on selling your Clearwater home and the process can be overwhelming. Not to mention that everyone you know has all kinds of advice for you about what to do or not do. The problem may be that their “advice” isn’t very good! So don’t make these five big screw ups when selling your Clearwater home.

Screw up #1: price your home wrong. This can be so difficult. You live in your home and probably think you know what it’s worth. You’re probably wrong. Overvaluing or undervaluing, not pricing your home correctly can cost you thousands of dollars. That house up the street just sold for $X so why shouldn’t yours? Well, that house up the street has a completely updated kitchen, bath and extra bedroom. That’s why! But undervaluing is almost as big a problem. Many markets have been so depressed for so long that now that they are finally rebounding, many homeowners don’t realize their homes are worth more than they thought.

Screw up #2: having unrealistic expectations about the current real estate market. Yes, markets are picking up, but that doesn’t mean that there will be a huge bidding war for your home. So not entertaining an offer because “something better will come along” if the offer is fair is, well, kind of dumb.

Screw up #3: hiring a the wrong Realtor. Don’t hire your cousin, best friend or sister-in-law only because they are your cousin, best friend or sister-in-law. You need to hire a Realtor who shares your vision, and understands your needs. Gimmicky Realtors, questionable sales tactics and the lowest commission may mean you get sub-par representation in your home sale.

Screw up #4: not hiring a Realtor and selling by yourself. Did you know that selling your home yourself will cost you at least $40,000? Or that it will mean the home sits for at least a few months before you sell? Enough said.

Screw up #5: not disclosing home defects. Guess what? A home inspector is going to find that foundation issue or leaky pipe. You can’t hide them and it’s actually illegal to refuse to answer questions about it or lie to prospective buyers about defects if they ask.

Answer to all of the above? Hire a professional. If you are looking for a great Clearwater Realtor, give us a call today! 727-410-0336

The Best Clearwater Florida Realtor – Hands Down!

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Buy or sell, a person needing help with Clearwater real estate should find the best Florida Realtor. So who is that? Well that agent is Deb Ward, the Irish Realtor!

Smart buyers and sellers use a Realtor

Regardless of whether you are buying or selling property, smart buyers and sellers use a Realtor to help them navigate the process. A Realtor is trained and educated to know exactly how to get through the complicated world of buying and selling real estate. Not only that, but they are experts in the locality. In the Clearwater, Florida area, there is a plethora of waterfront or waterview properties that take a special knowledge to buy and sell. So who is the best Florida Realtor? Deb-the Irish Realtor!

Deb is the lead listing Realtor

Deb is the lead listing Realtor at The Deb Ward Team, which is affiliated with Keller Williams Realty a nationally recognized firm. Branding is important and Keller Williams has the name recognition and resources smart buyers look for. Deb is a great choice because she specializes in the great water front homes and communities in the area. She has 21+ years of experience helping people to buy and sell, get their dream waterfront home or sell it to move up or on. No matter what type of property you have or need, single family home or condo, or any in between, Deb is an expert who can help you. She’s also an expert in helping people from out of the area buy or sell from a distance.

Buying and selling real estate takes know how and experience

It also takes a little bit of luck as well. Knowing you have hired the one person who has all three should mean you’ll be selling your home and moving into your dream home in no time!

To see best Florida Realtor’s tips, tours and properties, visit Deb’s youtube channel: youtube.com/crazyirishrealtor