The Deb Ward Team

Florida Luxury Real Estate – More Luxury for Your Money

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Florida luxury real estate gives you more bang for your buck. Want a lot more for your money? Buying big in Florida will get you a lot more house for your money! Want a luxury property that screams anywhere else “I’m snooty and have this amazing real estate”? Buy big in Florida.

Florida Luxury Real Estate - More Luxury for Your MoneyFlorida hit it big in the real estate bubble and building went bonkers. Luxury homes and condos were all the rage. Big homes with high end finishes, big lanais and pools. Condos with amazing beach views, high end finishes and amazing community amenities. Luxury real estate then meant you had money to burn. As with many other places in the US, real estate was the place to sink your hard earned cash. After all, historically it was a safe place to invest. Even in recessions real estate weathered the storms reasonably well. This one, however, was an exception to that rule and real estate took an amazingly hard hit, especially in Florida.

The problem was when the bubble burst; housing prices fell in a huge way. Overpriced home markets overcorrected. Builders left projects half built and people lost homes by the hundreds of thousands. Properties lost 3/4 of their value or more. While the overcorrection is now settling down, and prices are climbing a bit, finding a luxury home at a bargain price is definitely possible.

So if you weathered the storm and want to find a property that makes you feel rich, but at a price that makes your bank account happy, Florida is the place to look. There are many homes for sale. Want the beach life? Find a condo on the Atlantic or Gulf. A small hometown community? Got them too. A house on the intercoastal? With places to dock your boat if you have one.

Young or old, family or single, there is a luxury home for you in Florida.

Looking for a great Florida Luxury Realtor? Give Deb a call today! 727-410-0336

10 Great Organizing Ideas For Your Next Move

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Let’s face it, moving is a pain. Being really organized will help it be less of a pain. Here are some great organizing tips to make your next move less of a pain and more of a breeze!

Declutter first

The best thing you can do to start your organizing is to declutter. So here is a quick way to figure out what gets packed: Pick up each thing and think about 10 Great Organizing Ideas For Your Next Movewhether it’s worth the effort to pack, carry and unpack it in your new space. No? Then decide if it’s in good enough shape that someone else might want it. Yes? Then donate it. No? Throw it out.

Electronics

Now is also a good time to clean up electronic clutter too. Since you’ll be moving things like computers and printers, be sure to back up what’s on the computers either on an external hard drive or by using an online data storage service. Heaven forbid something happens to your electronics, your data is safe. Also label or color code each cord as you pack them up. That way setup is easy once you get there. For computers or printers with multiple cords, use colored dot stickers to label each cord and the hole it plugs into on the back of the device.

Important documents

Make sure important papers are kept in a fireproof lock box. Things like birth certificates, passports, deeds, financial documents and the like. Also keep a binder with important information about the move: moving company or truck rental contracts, master packing list, pet vaccination, flight information if you are flying to your new home and change over information for the utilities for each property. Keep the binder and lock box with you.

Color coding system

Next, as you pack each room, try using a color coding system. Assign each room a color, and then number each box as you pack it. Then keep a list of which room has what color and what is in each box.

Make a box of toiletries, jammies, etc.

Make an easy to find box or stash of things like toilet paper, pajamas and coffee for the morning. Maybe add travel sizes of shampoo and other bathroom things you will need so you don’t have to unpack everything to find it. Other things you might need could be one set of dishes or some plastic throw aways, a teakettle and small jar of instant coffee or tea bags, a small tool set with screwdrivers and a hammer, trash bags, a box cutter, light bulbs, paper towels, a few bath towels, a set of sheets per bed, and some snacks.

Why YouTube Works So Well For Real Estate

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Why YouTube Works So Well For Real EstateIf you’re a realtor and you’re not using YouTube to market your business, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to market yourself and the properties you are selling.

As social media goes, YouTube is a big deal. It has billions of visitors a day. It isn’t just for cute baby or pet videos, or music videos. YouTube is a great way to demonstrate techniques for business. In the real estate business, it’s a great way to do two things: preview a property and share your extensive real estate knowledge.

Using YouTube will make you a popular realtor, meaning more people will be willingly listening to you as you share what you know. And isn’t that what you want? A willing audience?

It’s also handy to use to preview properties. Of course, nothing will ever replace an actual showing of a home, but your prospective buyers will call you because of your videos. People like video tours done by actual realtors because they not only showcase the property, but do it in a way that provides pertinent information. It also provides them with great information about the neighborhood the property is in.

A few tips. First, make an effort to make your videos look, if not professional, competent. Nothing is worse than a video obviously done on a cell phone with poor lighting, whiplash inducing scene changes and a jumpy screen. Invest in an inexpensive video camera. Make sure you have good lighting and pan through slowly. Narration should be natural, but full of information that will make people want to see the property in person.

YouTube is a great way to place yourself as a real estate expert, while getting your properties in the public eye. Make it part of your marketing plan for your business to make it, and you, the name people think of in real estate.

4 Bathroom Remodeling Tips That Will Help Sell Your Home Faster

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You know the old saying, kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. If you walk into your bathroom and you are underwhelmed with how it looks, buyers certainly 4 Bathroom Remodeling Tips That Will Help Sell Your Home Fasterwill be too. That means it’s time to do some remodeling. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but making your bathroom a welcoming retreat will sell your home.

Update without breaking the bank

Did you know that the average bathroom is between 400 and 800 square feet? So while it isn’t the biggest room in your house, it certainly is one of the more expensive to update. In fact, an average bathroom remodel is $10,000 or more. Obviously the more high end you go the more expensive it will be. There are ways, however, that you can make your bathroom look fabulous without breaking the bank.

A stand up shower

One way to update without going super high end is to install a stand up shower. These days bathtubs aren’t always a necessity, especially if there is more than one full bath in the home. When installing a shower, think about things like shower heads with adjustable settings and temperature controls. Remember that putting them up higher isn’t a bad thing, but if you can’t consider choosing a shower head that you can hold as it can help taller people.

Update the tub

Bathtubs are still a big deal. If you only have one full bath, don’t remove the tub. Choose a new one that has things like in-line heaters, adjustable jet speeds, foot massage jets and foot rests. You don’t have to get an oversized tub, even a standard sized tub with jets are a luxurious upgrade.

Change out the faucets

Remember to update all the faucets. Make sure that your tub faucets are at least similar metals as the sink. Don’t mismatch! If you have noticed mineral deposits on faucets and shower heads, think about adding a filtration system, water softening or neutralization (depending on your water type) to your home.

Flooring and quick bathroom remodeling tips

Also look at the flooring and consider an update. If you have old vinyl on the floor, think about putting down bamboo or tile. Bamboo will appeal to the environmentally conscious crowd.
Some quick bathroom remodeling tips and fixes for the bath that is in good shape but just looks in need of some TLC, try regrouting tile walls and floors and recaulking existing tubs and showers, updating light fixtures and maybe a new medicine cabinet or mirror.

Survival Tips For House Selling With Kids | Selling Your Home

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For one reason or another it’s time to pack up the family and move. That means selling your home with kids around. It doesn’t have to be the nightmare that it sounds. Here are some survival tips for parents.

Clear out the clutter

Survival Tips For House Selling With Kids | Selling Your HomeBefore you put the house on the market go through and seriously clear out the clutter. That means all those boxes of keepsakes stored in the attic or garage as well as the clutter in the kids rooms and rest of your home. If you can’t part with some, put them in storage temporarily. Whatever can go should go and if that means multiple trips to Goodwill, good! Then put away in storage the bigger toys from the yard, bedrooms and toy room, artwork on the fridge and most of the things that personalize your home. You can leave a few family pictures up, but thin them out.

Time to stage and photograph

Once things are clean and decluttered call your realtor to have him or her stage and photograph. If that means that you take the kids to the park or out for a treat, do it. Let the realtor have free rein to make your home look like a showplace for your listing photos. Don’t forget that you need to stage the playroom as something else. You can have a small area that is “kid friendly” that buyers will see, but make sure that kids bedrooms and playrooms are made more neutral. The playroom can be staged as a home office, kid decorated bedrooms should be repainted.

Have a checklist

Now that your home is listed, there are more things to do. One is having your Realtor give you enough notice to tidy up the house and get the kids packed up and out of the way for the showing. That may mean requiring an hour or two notice. Discuss it with your Realtor. In order to make sure you get everything back in tip top shape, have a checklist. List everything! In a rush you don’t want to forget anything.

Write a note detailing your home and neighborhood

So how can you let the prospective buyers know how awesome your home and neighborhood is? Write about it. A quick, one page note will be enough to expound upon the details in your listing. Talk about the neighborhood, schools, shopping and so on.

Last tip?

Keep your truck empty so you can “dump and run” with clutter that you can’t successfully put away.

Why You Should Pick A Real Estate Team As Your Listing Agent

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You decided to sell your home and you know you need a Realtor to help you. Good decision. The next question is do you go bigger firm or smaller? Well, what you need to consider isn’t size so much as team. You need a real estate team to help you sell. Each team member has a part in making sure your sale, from listing to closing, goes off without a hitch.

Let’s start with getting ready to list and listing

Why You Should Pick A Real Estate Team As Your Listing AgentThe team member to help you here is the Realtor. Your Realtor will help you with two important things at this stage; preparing your home for sale and pricing it correctly.

A good Realtor will come and walk through your home, taking critically important notes. She will honestly tell you what needs to be updated and cleaned, decluttered and so on.

They can also help you find a contractor for needed repairs or updates, and a cleaning company to help you get your home thoroughly deep cleaned. They will help stage your home to have it look its best.

Then he or she will price your home for the best marketability.

The next team member markets your home

Speaking of marketability, the next team member is the one who markets your property. This team member will make sure that your home shows up on all of the right websites and on MLS. They will make sure that great photos of your home, room by room, inside and out, are with the listing and that there is a fantastic description making your home hard to resist. These photos will show your home at its best.

Their marketing will draw in prospective buyers to schedule a time to see your home.

Buyer’s agent may also be part of the team

The team may have a buyer’s agent. That buyer’s agent? They could also be a part of the team. They will be there to be sure that your listing is seen by their buyers who are looking for properties like yours. They will help market it while they are assisting their clients. Rounding up great listings for their clients is their job.

Dealing with offers

Now that there are buyers, your Realtor will make sure the process of dealing with offers is seamless. Whether it is one offer or several, she will make sure that the paperwork for those offers is correct and give them to you for consideration.

Making a counteroffer? A great Realtor will make sure it is complete and correct and send it to the buyer or their agent. Once the offer or counter offer has been accepted the team’s fantastic administrative specialist will make sure that the contract is ready for signature, initials and then onto the next step.

Contract signed and onto closing

Your Realtor is key here as well. Settling on a home is complicated. Whether there is a lawyer involved or just a title company or both, your Realtor will help you with all of the details.

Different inspections are scheduled, any required repairs are completed and necessary paperwork provided to the title company. There is also a lot of documents that can be very confusing. Your Realtor isn’t. He or she knows the ins and outs of sales that involve HUD, FHA and other buyer assistance programs, as well as typical financing with a bank or mortgage company.

Not to mention that you have to deal with moving. Your Realtor should know reputable moving companies to get you moved to your new home.

Have a solid team

Don’t try to sell your home without a solid team behind you. Each has their own specialty in helping you sell for the best price as quickly as possible.

If you are looking for a great real estate team in the Clearwater FL area, make sure to give The Deb Ward Team a call!

727-410-0336

The Deb Ward Team

Keller Williams Realty
30522 U.S. Highway 19 N, #107
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Phone: 727-410-0336
Fax: 727-474-9069
Email: info@DeborahWard.com
The Deb Ward Team at Keller Williams Realty specializes in all of Pinellas County, Florida including: Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, St. Petersburg, and the Gulf Beaches from Clearwater Beach down to St. Pete Beach serving buyers and sellers with a focus that is rarely found in the real estate world!