Clearwater Real Estate

Proper Pool Safety Tips When You Are Selling Your Home

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’re selling your home, and you have a pool. That means people will be in and around your home when you aren’t there. A pool is an inherent liability when you’re there, so you’ll need to make sure you have things in place to keep everyone safe. It may just mean you sell faster too, since a buyer won’t have to make a pool safe.

First thing you’ll need to make sure you have installed is a physical barrier. This barrier should be one that prevents a child from getting over, under or through it to gain access to the pool. These are typically a fence or wall with a security gate. The fence or other barrier should be at least four feet high or taller. It should have no footholds or handholds that could help a young child to climb it.

A few guidelines: spaces between shouldn’t be any more than 4 inches apart or 4 inches from the ground. Gates should be self closing and self latching and the latch should be high enough that small children can’t reach it. The type of gate and fencing may depend on your homeowners association, so check with them first.

Next, think about an alarm for the pool area. The alarm will emit an audible sound when triggered. They can include a gate alarm with a magnetic switches that activate when the gate is opened; a door or window alarm if one wall of the fencing is a house wall; or a floating alarm that goes off if the water in the pool is displaced. Any alarm should sound for 30 seconds or more, and within 7 seconds after it is activated and sound different than things like your doorbell or smoke alarm.

Another item to consider is a safety cover. A safety cover is either manual or motorized and covers the pool. It keeps people out of the water and most have a lock to keep kids from opening or closing it. It should be strong enough to support the weight of two adults and one child. It should also be easily opened in an emergency.

These steps will keep your pool under lockdown when you aren’t there, and make it a safe prospect for a buyer who might be worried.

Awesome Tips To Price Your Clearwater Home Right In The Sweet Spot

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It’s time to sell your Clearwater home. Do you know how to price it to get right into the sweet spot? That sweet spot where the home sells quickly and for the price you ask? There is a way to find that spot and here are some tips to get you there.

First, find out what comparable sales have taken place

Keep in mind that the asking price of a home is a lot different from the sales price of the home. For comparables you need to look at sales price, not list price. Look at sales prices for homes sold within the last three months.

Specifics to take into consideration

Next thing to keep in mind is that just because a home is in your neighborhood doesn’t mean yours is worth the same. There are a lot of different specifics to take into consideration. Things like lot size, number of bedrooms, number of baths, square footage of living space, whether it has a garage or not, and so on. Other things that make a difference are home upgrades. Just remember that improvements depreciate over time. If you made a home upgrade to a bathroom 10 years ago, it won’t add as much as an update you made a month ago. Also keep in mind that super trendy updates can actually hurt your value. Why? Because they appeal to a smaller audience.

Price is always market dependent

In a seller’s market, which is a market where there is a lot of people wanting to buy but not as many homes on the market, you can get away with a higher price. But don’t let that make you greedy. Sometimes pricing just below market can work for you. It could generate enough interest that a bidding war happens and you get more than you expected. Of course that isn’t guaranteed, but it’s happening more these days in some places. In a buyer’s market, which is when there are more homes listed than there are buyers looking, you might need to price your home a bit lower than market value to attract a buyer.

Still not sure what to do? Call The Deb Ward Team for great advice 727-410-0336. No one knows the local market better.

A History of Clearwater Florida

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Clearwater, Florida like many of its surrounding towns, has a storied history. Present day Clearwater sits on the west coast of A History of Clearwater Florida Florida along the Gulf of Mexico.

Hundreds of years ago Clearwater was the home of the Tocobaga Indians. When Spanish explorers discovered the area the Tocobaga were a well established in the area.

Fort Harrison constructed

Around 1835 Fort Harrison, which was named after William Henry Harrison, was constructed to be used as an outpost during the Seminole Wars. The fort was located in a spot that was overlooking Clearwater Harbor, where today Harbor Oaks is located. Archaeologists from the University of South Florida uncovered an underground ammunition bunker on the spot.

Occupation Act

The Federal Occupation Act of 1842 caused a population growth. The Act offered 160 acres to anyone who would farm the land and also bear arms. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson and McMullen families. Each claimed and farmed large tracts of land.

Clear Water Harbor

Initially the area was known as Clear Water Harbor, the “Clear Water” is believed to have come from a fresh water spring found near the location of the current City Hall building.
During the Civil War, most of the residents fought for the Confederacy. Union gunboats repeatedly raided the community’s supplies since it was largely unprotected.

Development really took off after Peter Demens completed the first passenger railroad line to Clearwater. It became a popular vacation destination and it’s reputation grew after railroad magnate Henry Plant built the Belleview Biltmore in 1897.

During World War II, Clearwater was a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. All of the hotels in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel, were used as barracks for new recruits. Sand Key, then known as Dan’s Island, was used by the Army Air Corps for strafing and bombing practice.

Today, Clearwater is still a beacon for vacationers, but also a great place to live and soak up the history.

Are We Looking At Another Real Estate Bubble?

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve probably heard it on the mainstream news. Stories about how improving real estate markets are a sign that we are in another real estate bubble. Don’t believe it. Improving markets don’t mean a bubble.

Inventory

The stories often talk about homes being sold after a ton of traffic and bidding wars. It has to mean a bubble, right? Wrong. In most cases higher traffic and multiple offers are because of inventory levels.

Inventory in many markets are still at low levels. A healthy real estate market should have about a six month supply of homes. That’s not the case. The national average is 2,4 months supply of homes.

Mortgage underwriting standards

Last sign we aren’t in a bubble is mortgage underwriting standards are still quite high. In order to qualify for most mortgages, applicants need to have a FICO credit score of above 740, and have a decent amount in savings for not only a down payment, but also for living expenses for several months.

At the height of the bubble, getting a mortgage was exceedingly easy. So much so that those who really couldn’t afford to buy a home did, causing the burst.

All markets are different

There are markets where homes are overvalued, and others where they aren’t. Every market is different. When all markets start to see the loan-to-value ratio of real estate creeping back to pre-bubble burst levels, then panic. Until then, relax.

If you would like to find out more about the Clearwater Real Estate Market, give Deb a call today! 727-410-0336

Real estate services for out of area Pinellas County homeowners

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Have you thought about selling your Pinellas County Florida home, but you live out of the area, and are putting it off until you find the time to come down to organize things for sale? Or, are you handling your parents’ estate in Florida from long distance, and are overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done to sell the house, including finding a local Realtor?

Call The Deb Ward Team, Keller Williams Realty at 727-410-0336 we are here to help!

We have helped many homeowners and their families with the sales of their homes from out of state. Here are some of the services we offer our sellers, and best of all, there is no fee to you for the coordination of these services:

Listing paperwork is prepared and sent to you for electronic signatures – no need to sign in person, and you do not need to print, fax or email the documents
Recommendation and coordination of local maintenance companies for cleaning, landscaping, pool upkeep and repairs
If you need to sell or dispose of furnishings, we can recommend a company who specializes in estate sales and will coordinate pickup of unsold items to your favorite charity
We will keep you up-to-date on the status of your listing, showings, contract and closing via email or phone; whichever you prefer
Closing documents will be sent to you anywhere in the world for you to sign and return, so you do not have to attend the closing in person

These are just some of the things we can do to make the sale of your home easy. Let us take the stress out of selling your home – it would be our pleasure to assist you!

The Deb Ward Team is a top selling team of professionals who each specialize in their area of expertise to serve you better.

Please call us at 727-410-0336, or email us at info@DeborahWard.com to get your home SOLD!

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The Deb Ward Team

Keller Williams Realty

727-410-0336

info@deborahward.com

5 Tips For Finding The Perfect Clearwater Waterfront Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’ve decided to buy a home in Clearwater and think that a waterfront home might just be the kind of home for you. There are a lot of things to consider when looking at waterfront properties before deciding on buying. Here are some things you should think about.

Waterfront properties are more expensive

First things first, can you afford waterfront? Waterfront properties are definitely more expensive and have other expenses that you might not consider at first. Waterfront living is well worth the expense involved.

Insurance

One of them is insurance. Not only will you need to buy homeowners insurance, but also flood insurance. Homeowner’s and flood insurance in Florida are both expensive and will make the monthly cost of waterfront properties considerably higher.

Consider where to look

Do you want to buy in a neighborhood that overlooks the Intercoastal waterways? Maybe a condo overlooking the beaches in Clearwater? A single family home on one of the “fingers”? A home with deep water access? Does waterfront living for you include having a dock? Upkeep will cost you, but will save you from paying fees to a marina. It’s a trade off. So many options! All of these will give you different options, prices and expenses.

Talk to a Realtor

Your best bet is to talk to a Realtor about what you want and what your entire budget is. Find out before looking what things like insurance and upkeep will cost you. Be sure to factor it into your decisions. Waterfront living is fantastic and can be affordable, just be smart and informed about it before jumping in!

If you would like to work with a Clearwater Waterfront Realtor who loves help people find their perfect home, give Deb Ward a call today! 727-410-0336