Clearwater Homes For Sale

Rats! Your Home Didn’t Sell, Now What Should You Do?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve had your home on the market. It didn’t sell. So now what? Now, you need to do some back tracking, error fixing and revamping of your plan.

Get a New Realtor

First things first, get a new Realtor. Obviously your old one didn’t have what it takes to sell your home. Hire a professional who will set you up for success and market the home right. It’s possible that since your listing just expired, you will be contacted by one or more Realtors looking to have you hire them. Make appointments with them. Let them come and see your home. Listen to what they have to say. Hire the one that gives you the best advice about how to make your home sale ready. Here are some of the things that they might tell you:

Pricing

Look hard at how much you were asking for your home. Did you over price it? If it didn’t sell you probably did. If the Realtors you are speaking with let you push them around about price, don’t hire them. Honestly, they know more about how to price a home to sell than you do, listen to them.

Staging

Stage your home and get rid of clutter! The more clutter there is, the smaller your rooms look. Clutter is a deal killer. If prospective buyer can’t see past the clutter in the house to see their own things in it, they won’t buy. Pack up clutter, since you’ll have to move it anyway, and let your Realtor stage your home. This means placing furniture and accessories to make rooms look fresh, spacious and up to date.

Prospective Buyers

Prospective buyers will also not be happy to have to walk around your German Shepherd, trip over his toys or stumble over his dog bed. Don’t forget about Fluffy’s litter box and cat toys. Let’s not forget about the pet hair everywhere. If you can get a friend or family member to take your pets for the short time you are selling, then please do. If you can’t, find somewhere to take them when the home is shown and keep their gear hidden. And make sure to vacuum up the pet hair daily! If you smoke, stop or at least stop doing so in the home.

If you are in the Clearwater FL area and are looking for a great Florida Realtor to really get your home sold,

call The Deb Ward Team today! 727-410-0336

Selling Your Home |Having A Tech Savvy Real Estate Agent Matters

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Selling your home doesn’t require anything other than a Realtor who is good at selling, right? Wrong! Having technology smarts as well is also really important in a real estate agent. Here’s why.

Technology Smarts

If a Realtor has technology smarts, he or she is going to be one of the best marketers for your home out there. There is so much out there to use.

A good Realtor will make use of the best, starting with showcasing your home in video via YouTube. How better to show all the best parts than with a video tour? A smart, tech savvy agent will use a good video camera, take professional looking videos and then post those videos all over their social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and so on. Most buyers start their searches online, why not give them a sneak peek?

Email Marketing

Next thing they should be savvy in is email marketing. A good, tech savvy Realtor will have an email database of buyers who are interested in buying. Not just past sellers, but people who have contacted them looking for properties in your area. Being able to market to known buyers via email is a great way to get your property seen.

Websites

Of course that video and all the other photos your agent takes of your home should end up on their website and other real estate search sites like Realtor.com and Zillow.com. Again, more exposure for your property.

A Good Smartphone

Lastly, do they have a good smartphone and know how to use it well? A smartphone will give them the ability to respond to you and buyers at all hours via text and email, as well as being able to use the most up to date apps to keep on top of everything they need to sell your house.

Yes, being tech savvy is important in real estate.

Clearwater Relocation | What Types Of Properties Are In Clearwater?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you are looking to relocate to Clearwater, you’re probably thinking about what kind of properties are available that fit your life. Are you downsizing? Upsizing? Looking for a change or some of the same in a different location?

Condominiums are one type of home you may consider. If you own a condo you own your own unit, but the common areas belong to the condo association. You will be responsible to pay fees to the association to help with upkeep, and if any improvements need to be made to the common areas, all owners are responsible to help pay for it. While a condo can be as small as a few units, most people think of larger apartment like buildings with amenities like pools, gyms, tennis courts and more.

Multi-Unit Properties are another type of property. This could be something like a 2 unit or multiple unit property where the owner lives in one unit and rents out the others. It is a great way to live in a property or an area that may be higher than you could afford on your own, because you pay your mortgage with the rental payments. It’s also a great way to have a vacation home for yourself, but pay for it with the rental from the other units.

Townhouses are another common form of home to start out in or downsize to. A townhome is different from a condo because the townhome owner owns the home and the property in front of and behind it. Townhomes are usually a few units and may have common areas supported by a homeowners association.

Single-Family Residences may be what you are moving from. And it may be what you are looking to move to. They come in all sizes, so whether up or downsizing, a single family home could fit the bill. Single family homes are stand-alone single dwellings where the owner owns the building and all the surrounding land. Clearwater has some beautiful waterfront single family homes.

Clearwater has all these kinds of homes, so if you are thinking of relocating, call a Realtor to discuss what you may want in a home. Come down and visit to tour all or some of these types of homes. Who knows, you may find you want something you never thought you would!

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.

Clearwater Beach Real Estate – The Most Expensive Condo Complexes on Clearwater Beach

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Clearwater Beach has great real estate, from affordable to posh condos right on the beach. In fact, some of the most expensive real estate is condo complexes on Clearwater Beach. Here are some of them.

Sandpearl: The condos at Sandpearl are luxury on the water. One example of a unit here has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths with amazing views of the Gulf of Mexico. It also includes a wine cellar marble floors, a gourmet chef’s kitchen and open concept to the living room and dining room. There is a terrace off the kitchen, living room, with a custom wall unit with 3 TV’s, master suite with a custom bed and built ins, and a private cabana by the pool. Community amenities include a concierge, 24 hour security, pool and spa, outdoor cabanas, social room, boardroom, fitness with steam and sauna.

Condos at 1350 Gulf Boulevard: These condos are also on Sand Key. Contemporary design with Gulf front views. Condos have over 60 feet of direct gulf front balcony space and the bedrooms each have views overlooking the intracoastal! Units have a double master suite with his and her full private baths and walk in closets, a large kitchen, bar area, family room and formal entertaining areas. They also have 2 utility rooms, 4 bedrooms (not including the master) and gorgeous baths. The community amenities include a fitness center, clubhouse, meeting room, heated pool, spa and more.

The Grande at Sand Key: These beautiful condos have Gulf front views and 5,150 square feet of amazing luxury. Each unit has over 800 square feet of outdoor terrace. The Gulf isn’t the only view either, you will have panoramic views of the Gulf and coastline from Clearwater Harbor up to Tampa. Units have travertine flooring, volume ceilings, granite counter-tops, california closets, open floor plans with multiple living areas, three master suites and a private access elevator with a private over-sized two car garage. The community offers a 24-hour manned gatehouse entry, private beach access, heated beach pool and cabanas overlooking the Gulf, an outdoor spa and heated lap pool, gas grills, fitness center complete with steam room and sauna, two har-tru tennis courts and on-site concierge services.

These are just a few, but if you want to treat yourself to the best, contact a Realtor like Deb, the Irish Realtor 727-410-0336 today!

Selling In A Hot Real Estate Market – 3 Things You Should NEVER Overlook

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It’s a sellers’ market so you don’t have to do anything to your home to prepare it for sale, right? Wrong! Seller’s’ market or not there are things that you should never overlook.

Clean and declutter your home

No matter the market, making your home look roomy, clean, tidy and impersonal is incredibly important. Not only do buyers have difficulty looking past dirt and clutter to see what could be, they also can’t picture themselves in your home if it still looks like you live in it. Even in a seller’s’ market you need to make your home more than just presentable. Consider staging it as well, or at least take your Realtor’s advice on how to stage each room in your home.

Make your home stand out

Make your home stand out in the neighborhood, but don’t over improve it. The same cleaning and decluttering you did inside needs to be done outside as well. First impressions make or break for buyers. If your home is a showplace inside, but a wreck outside, no one will come see the inside. Spruce up landscaping, powerwash driveways and walkways, consider painting or residing if the exterior is really in need of the pick me up. One caveat, don’t overdo it. If your home is improved over what your neighborhood can support, it won’t sell.

Price your home correctly

Pricing your home correctly in a sellers’ market is even more important. If you think you can over price it because you have the advantage in the market, think again. In fact, having a well-priced, or even slightly underpriced home will get more attention to your listing than if you try to get too much. A slightly lower than market will actually attract more buyers and give you a better chance of multiple offers. That could mean getting market or over market, all because you priced the home appropriately.