Blog – Page 38

Why Getting Out of Area Agent Referrals are a Good Idea

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

When you sell your home and buy one in the same area, you know you have a reliable Realtor and you can depend on them to help you. What if you are moving out of the area? You will need a new area agent. How can you be sure to find a reliable Realtor you can depend on as much as the one you know? Have your Realtor give you a referral to an agent from the new town. The new area agent referred from your current Realtor is the best way to find a reliable Realtor that you can trust.

When you are moving to a new town or area, finding businesses or services can be stressful. You’re new and asking other people about who you can trust is difficult because you don’t know anyone. You can take a chance, but buying a home isn’t like picking a grocery store. This is the biggest purchase you will make. When you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a place to live and raise your family, trusting your Realtor is paramount.

More likely than not, you went back to the same Realtor to sell your home that helped you buy it. They have experience, you had a good experience with them and you trust them. Obviously they were good at their job if you are going back to them to sell your home now. Now you need to find another Realtor in another town so you can buy a home there and settle in. How can you find one you can trust like your old one? Ask the Realtor you trust to give you a new area agent referral to a Realtor you can trust in the new town.

The agent referral has an element of trust. Someone who you know is experienced in their field and has provided you with good service is now telling you that someone else is also as experienced and trustworthy. You can rely on that referral. So if you need to find a new Realtor to buy a home out of town, ask your current one. They can point you in the right direction.

Who Pays For A Realtor?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Who pays the realtor is a question you may be asking if you are thinking about buying a home for the first time. Realtor’s make a commission based on what a home sells for, and that is usually thousands of dollars. So who pays? Relax, first time buyer, most of the time the seller pays.

Real estate commissions are a percentage of the selling price of a home. That percentage is controlled by the listing contract that is signed between the seller and the Realtor. As a buyer, that should be your first clue as to who is responsible for payment. Generally, you, as buyer, aren’t a party to that contract, so you can’t be compelled to pay for something under it.

So what if you hire a Realtor to work just for you to find you homes? Well, technically the seller pays them as well. What happens in that case is the commission is split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. Generally this is what happens, but remember that the seller is not obligated to pay the listing broker for more than the listing side or portion of the commission. In most cases, the split is done with no problems. If you have worries about it, then talk with your buyer’s agent.

Remember that like any other kind of agreement real estate commissions are negotiable. That doesn’t always mean that another agent will negotiate. So, as you should do with any negotiation, don’t immediately insult the other side by demanding concessions on commissions immediately, or make a big deal about the percentage. Remember, again, that you are not a party to the contract that sets that percentage. If you think it will affect your ability to buy, then let your agent handle it.

Go for the Green – Get More Money for Your House with These Tips

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve decided that you need to sell your home. Of course you want to get more money for your house, so what can you do to make sure you get the most? What tips can you use to go for the green? Pretty simple ones.

First things first, make sure your home is clean. Use your time before the listing goes up scrubbing it from top to bottom. Move furniture and appliances and clean under them. Pack up clutter and put it in storage. Put excess furniture there as well. Soap, water, dusting and decluttering should be your mantra.

That will lead you to the next tip: repair. Fix broken hinges, leaky plumbing, and all those little jobs you’ve been putting off. Do them now. Re-caulk old windows and door frames. Bathroom and kitchen fixtures also need it. Not only does it spruce it up, but it seals out drafts and water leaks. If you have bathroom or kitchen tiles that are loose or cracked, replace them. Re-grouting is also a good idea. Again, it freshens up and makes the room look like it was recently updated.

Update. Yes, if you can afford it, update the biggies: kitchens and baths. Talk to your Realtor and ask their opinion about what, exactly, you should replace. Carpeting should also be professionally cleaned or replaced. Repaint walls. You need to make your home as project free as possible.

Replace appliances. You need to do this especially if you are planning on taking the ones you already have. Who wants to spend top dollar on a house where they will have to immediately buy a refrigerator or washer and dryer?

Have a friend walk through your house and tell what it looks like to them, gloves off, no holds barred. You may get a much better idea of
how others view your home and figure out what to improve. The point is to get more money for your house so put on your thick skin and then put the sweat equity in and go for the green! That check at the settlement table will be your reward!

When Should You Break Up With Your Realtor?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Every relationship has their downsides. The one you have with your Realtor is no different. If the relationship has gone bad, you need to break up. Just make sure you do a few things before the break up and a few things to keep in mind during.

If you are selling your home and you’ve become dissatisfied with their performance it may be time to break up. Before you take that step you need to try a few things. First, meet with your Realtor and make him or her aware of the issues you are having. Believe it or not, they may not be aware that you are dissatisfied. Make them aware of your concerns. If you feel that your home isn’t being shown enough, tell them. If you think your home is priced wrong, find out why they priced your home the way they did. Not enough communication? Ask for more. As with any other relationship, try and fix the issues before throwing in the towel.

One thing that you must remember is that having a Realtor list your home means you signed a listing agreement. This isn’t just a handshake agreement; it’s a legally binding contract. There are things that your Realtor is required to do, and things you are required to do as well. Breaking a contract has consequences. Read your listing contract. Make sure your current Realtor is living up to what the contract states. If not, you have grounds to break it. If so, move on to read the clauses where it talks about consequences for breaking the contract and prepare yourself.

Lastly, don’t hire a new Realtor before you break up the relationship with your old one. If you lie about not having a listing contract in place, your new Realtor relationship will start off on the wrong foot. That’s because they WILL find out, mostly because the old Realtor won’t just slink off and lick their wounds. They will think the new Realtor is interfering with a business relationship and possibly sue. End one before starting another.

Sand Key Real Estate | Pinellas County

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Sand Key real estate is some of the most beautiful property in Pinellas County, FL.

Sand Key is a barrier island just south of Clearwater Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. It has medium and high end residential real estate. It also has a hotel, an area of cute, small shops and restaurants and a public park.

Gulf Side or Intracoastal

Sand Key is a great place to live in Pinellas County. Access to the island is over the Sand Key Bridge on the north side of the island, and the Belleair Causeway to the east. The multi-million dollar high end homes are found on the Gulf side of the island. These are not only large homes but also homes with land and all of the amenities you could ever want. More affordable single family homes are along the intracoastal waterways. Saying that almost every home is waterfront isn’t a stretch.

Condos!

Condos are also available on Sand Key and again, the amenities are abundant. What are they? Well, here goes! Let’s start with Bayside Gardens. Found on the Intracoastal Waterway and affordable at $200,000-$400,000 per unit. Bella Rosa is a beachfront condo community near Sand Key Bridge. Units are 2,300 square feet, 3 bedroom 2 bath units that sell for between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Cabana Club is also Gulf side and beachfront and has plenty of Victorian charm. Units sell for between $400,000 and $650,000. Crescent Beach is beachfront on the Gulf, but has water views of the Gulf, Intracoastal waterway and Clearwater Beach. It has a huge range of unit prices to fit any budget, ranging from $300,000 to $1.2 million. Dan’s Island is beachfront with units starting at $400,000 up to $750,000.

And More Condos!

Want more? Next is Harbour Light Towers. Beachfront units that are affordable with units ranging from $325,000 to $450,000. Harborage I & II is found on the Intracoastal Waterway and is also affordable with units ranging from $250,000 to $400,000. Isle at Sand Key is on the Intracoastal Waterway and has two bedroom condos ranging from $250,000 to $400,000. Landmark Towers I & II are found on the Gulf side and range from a reasonable $175,000 to $400,000 per unit. Lighthouse Towers are also beachfront and a step above. Units sell between $300,000 and $700,000. Marina Del Ray condos are found on the Intracoastal Waterway and gives you a choice of two, three and four bedroom condos which sell between $500,000 and $750,000.

Call the Best

There are more, plenty more! If you want to see these or any of the 9 more condo communities available on Sand Key, contact Deborah Ward, “The Irish Realtor”!! 727-410-0336

How to Market Your Beachfront Property

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you have beachfront property you’d probably think it would be a breeze to sell. Not necessarily so. As with any other home, selling takes marketing and pointing out the positives of your home.

When people think of a beach house they think of adjectives like relaxing, peaceful, natural, fun, and millions more. So when you are marketing your beachfront property you need to convey that feeling to those who will be interested. Take tons of pictures of your home and the surrounding property.

Show the amazing views. Set up your deck or porch with chairs draped with beach towels, a drink and book. Show the living areas of the home, bedrooms and baths, making them look relaxed and carefree. Show the scenery: the beach on a beautiful summer day; at sunset; make sure people can see that your property is steps from the beckoning sea.

Next write descriptions of the home. Use descriptive words to convey the beauty of the area, the soothing sounds of the sea when falling asleep, how amazing it is to wake to a fun beach day every single day. Check out ads for other beachfront properties to see what catches your attention. Use the best ones you find as an example.

Don’t forget that beachfront properties are part of beachfront communities. Talk about the amenities in the community. What kinds of conveniences are close by; things like golf courses, boardwalks, cultural events and so forth.

If there are great places for water sports, point them out. Also tout schools, churches and shopping. Think about who will be looking for a property like yours, what kind of community they will be looking for and make it stand out.

Show off your beachfront property as the amazing place it is.

Gulf Side or Intracoastal

Condos!

And More Condos!

Call the Best

The Deb Ward Team