Looking for Florida Waterfront Property? If you just want to do a search, look up and zap out a quick search! Don’t know the areas to look for? Start with Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples for some of the most beautiful waterfront property this side of the Mississippi!

We LOVE living in Florida and representing some of the prettiest properties around! From the recent downturn, we have found that waterfront property is generally a good return on investment. It’s always going to be worth more than a landlocked home.

Even if you aren’t looking at your home as an investment, that is exactly what it is, an investment. Of course, it means paying more for the home in the first place, but buying a home on the water is a smart thing to do! (for some more honest info on Florida Waterfront Property, check out our post Florida Waterfront Real Estate, The Good, Bad and Ugly.)

Even in a down economy, buying a waterfront property in Florida is a good idea! Florida is a super desirable place to live. The number of places to look for a waterfront property range from Jacksonville to Miami on the Atlantic Coast; and Naples to Tampa and across the panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico. There are hundreds of miles of beaches and bays, lakes in the interior of the state and even Everglades “waterfront” for the nature lover (seriously though, if someone is selling you Everglades waterfront, run – there are LOTS of critters to share the swamps with!).

If you are a part time resident, waterfront real estate also offers a great rental opportunity. For the same reasons that buying a waterfront property is great, renting one for vacation is as well. List the property for the time you aren’t in residence and help pay the mortgage with the rental income. One thing to watch for with the rental consideration is how long or how often you can rent your place out. Some communities allow only a 2 week rental, some a month, some a number of times a year, some not at all! A great Realtor will be able to find out the rental situation up front for you so that you do not fall in love with a property that will only work for you and you alone!

Don’t want the headache of a rental? Well, think about how much fun it will be to have friends and family in from out of town. They too can enjoy the views and benefits.

A Florida Waterfront property will have beautiful views of the ocean, Gulf, bay or lake. They offer privacy. They offer views of wildlife and nature, and yes, alligators and tiny lizards! They sometimes also have access to recreational boating and all the fun it entails: boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing.

There are still deals out there! If you would like to find out about how to get your hands on a Florida Waterfront Property, give us a call today! 727-366-0324

If you’re looking to live in one of the top Florida real estate markets a few times a year, of course, read on. Here are some of the best places to buy a Florida vacation home.

Jacksonville: When driving down 95 from the chilly north, Jacksonville is one the first major cities in Florida. It’s home to beaches and the St. John’s River runs through Jacksonville. It’s a major banking, financial and transportation hub, and an ideal place to vacation. Downtown has great dining, architecture, shopping and entertainment. Jacksonville Beach is a great place to spend a few days, or settle into a great vacation home. The beaches are wide, as is The Pier.

Tampa Bay Area: (this one is our favorite, but we have hookups all over the state of Florida!) Tampa and close by Clearwater are located on the west coast of Florida on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. It’s home to attractions like Busch Gardens, sports teams like the Buccaneers and Rays, beautiful architecture, an international airport and major port for most cruise lines. Since Tampa is actually right on the bay, if you want to go to the beach, you will need to go to nearby Clearwater. Clearwater is home to many wonderful parks along the waterways with nature trails, bird sanctuaries or picnic areas. It’s also home to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is one of only eight facilities in the United States authorized to rescue and rehabilitate marine mammals (Winter, the dolphin lives here!). We feel that the neighboring Dunedin waterfront real estate is among the best in the state!

Ft. Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale has an extensive Art and Entertainment district that includes the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, as well as a being a great place for dining and shopping on the trendy Riverfront. The beaches are beautiful and very well watched, with many lifeguard stations along the beaches. Even better for owning a home, during hurricane season, Ft. Lauderdale usually dodges the bullet.

Miami: Miami is home to hot beaches, internationally renowned shopping, dining and clubbing and, of course, South Beach. It’s architecture is as colorful as the variety of residents and visitors alike.

Naples: Naples is full of sun drenched beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. It has plenty of shopping, dining and great golf courses. It is also steps away from the untamed tropical wilderness of The Everglades. With plenty of beaches and calm seas, it’s a paradise for water lovers and recreationists, as well as sports enthusiasts and picnickers.

The top Florida real estate markets are clearly terrific places to live and work, but of course, we favor Tampa Bay!

Florida waterfront real estate can be an amazing investment, but not so fast, there are downsides, too.

Properties on the water are a good investment because they will always be more valuable than a landlocked one. But that means they are more expensive as well! They sometimes also have access to recreational boating and all the fun it entails: boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing.

Florida waterfront properties are the perfect choice for owners who have a boat. It can save money in the long run from having to pay to dock your boat at a marina or high and dry (if you can even find one with an opening). When you have your own dock, there are no fees or waiting lists!

If you aren’t a full time resident, you can rent the property for higher rents and help pay your mortgage or expenses (as long as your community does not prohibit rentals).

Of course, the best part of Florida waterfront real estate is the views. Waterfront properties have beautiful views of the ocean, Gulf, bay or lake. Views of wildlife and nature, and yes, alligators are an everyday occurrence. Adding the fact that you won’t ever have neighbors, beyond the wildlife, on at least one side of your property, privacy is premium.

But wait, there are some things to keep in mind that aren’t so great. First are those gators! If you live on a lake, pond or canal, gators will be around and may end up in your yard. Just keep animal control on speed dial! In addition to big reptiles, if you have never spent much time in “real” Florida, you may not know about the little lizards that scamper around just about everywhere (not sure I consider these a downside, but have had a couple of buyers scream when they saw their first little fellow!)

Then there are hurricanes… which due to their frequency and amount of damage historically that they’ve caused, make flood insurance and homeowner’s insurance rates very high. That is if you can even get either with the company of your choice, as many companies have stopped offering insurance in the state. And if a hurricane hits, getting out of its way can be a traffic nightmare.

Okay enough of the bad…for every gator sighting, there is a dolphin or manatee sighting! And believe me, the beautiful sunsets outweigh the hurricane threats by about one million to one (a non statisticians estimate on my part!)

All in all, Matt and I ABSOLUTELY think that the good out weighs the bad, making the Florida waterfront an amazing investment. Give us a call today if you would like to find out more about the current opportunities for Florida Waterfront Real Estate! 727-366-0324

Palm Harbor real estate is all about helping our buyers buy a Palm Harbor home and our sellers SELL a Palm Harbor home. Today we are going to talk about what it takes to get your Palm Harbor home SOLD!

Having been in the business for a while, we have see HUGE sellers markets where homes flew off the shelves (2003ish-2005), normal markets where homes took about 6 months to sell (pre real estate boom) and for the last 5-6 years or so, we have seen a buyers market where homes languished on the market for YEARS without a nibble if they were overpriced or not in tip-top shape.

Even with the recent uptick of activity and downtick of inventory, selling you Palm Harbor home is no cake walk and we want to lay out for you some of the things we hear on the street (that you might be thinking but no one ever told you the straight story on!)

What Are “Comps”

Realtors have as many acronyms as the military does (RUN if they offer you MRE’s for dinner) and one of the main ones we talk about A LOT is “comps”, but what the heck is a comp? A comp is a comparable property, one that is similar to yours in size (square feet), rooms (number of beds and baths), garage or no garage and how many stalls, pool or no pool, etc.

Generally these are properties which have sold in the last 6 months (successful) or those that are still on the market as current listings (unsuccessful). It may REALLY surprise you to know that Realtors and Appraisers do not look at special benefits like granite countertops or marble floors when looking at comps (more about that later).

Comps are just there to provide a true guideline about what people are paying for properties of a comparable size, in a comparable neighborhood to yours.

Pricing Your Home

In a declining market, like we have been in for a while, it does not pay to “test the market” with a higher price, thinking that you can always reduce it later. Instead what happens is the homebuyers, who are out there looking at all the comparable homes on the market, see that your listing does not offer all the amenities that the other homes in that price range do and cross you off of the list.

BUT, the other agent I talked to said it would be okay! We hear this A LOT! This is called “buying the listing” and means that the other agent will be coming to you for a price reduction later since the market determines the price, not the Realtor. Now, we can help A LOT with honesty about condition and marketing, BUT we cannot change the fact that other homes in the area have not sold for that high a price in a number of years (we know because of the comps!)

Special Houses, Repairs and Condition

We ALL think our house is a special house (even Realtors fall prey to this one!). If you have EVER uttered the words, but my house is special house, you must click the link and read our past post, don’t worry, we will wait right here for you to come back!

What having a “special” house means is that you have more features than your neighbors. Better tile, more granite, a bigger play area, nicer pool deck, etc. While all of these will help your house sell FASTER, remember the comps, there are not really LEVELS of pools, just pool or no pool. There no places to check if you have maxed out your garage with storage and a cool floor, just how many stalls there are for cars.

So let’s talk about condition and repairs. Condition is more along the lines of, are the scuff marks all over the cabinets, grunge behind the sink, kids toys littered around, etc. To you, these are all signs of a well loved home, to the homebuyers, they represent work, plain and simple. Work to clean your grungy kitchen, work to retile the bathroom (although in actuality it only needs a good scrubby dub), work to “PAINT THE WHOLE HOUSE” or “TAKE DOWN THE WALLPAPER”. Those caps are deliberate, that is how doing those things is said by the buyers.

A great trick to see what you need to do in YOUR house is to ask to go see a couple of other homes on the market with your Realtor. Make notes of the things that creep you about other peoples homes and go make sure that yours does not have those same issues. Additionally, ask your Realtor to be brutally honest about what you should do to get show ready. It will make you sad for sure, but if you get extra money or sell extra fast, you will get over it for sure!

One thing Palm Harbor real estate sellers never see that we put in Realtor remarks on a listing is “Mrs. Clean lives here”, this is code speak for “the house is immaculate and if it is even slightly what your client wants to buy, bring them over, they may not love it but they will appreciate you for showing it to them!”

Repairs are a pain. We know! But they will be YOUR pain when it comes time to get an offer. If a buyer sees that there is a leak in a faucet, they could request a thousand dollar credit for a two dollar washer. Have a hole in a screen, that hole could wind up costing you hundreds of dollars come offer day, when for twenty bucks and splining tool, you (or your handyman) could get your home tip, top, up to snuff with NO REPAIRS NEEDED!

Additionally, repairs done PRIOR to an offer can be done by a handyman, the homeowner or other qualified person. Repairs done AFTER an offer ALWAYS say done by a licensed contractor. So your drippy faucet and loose plug would require a licensed plumber AND a licensed electrician!

So, do we have you running for the hills yet with all this Realtor speak and honesty? What we have found in the Palm Harbor real estate market is that home sellers REALLY do want to know the truth and not have a house sit on the market for months (or years). We work WITH all of our sellers to make sure their home is positioned to sell fast and for top dollar by considering the comps, price AND condition!

Give us a call today to learn more about how we work to get your Palm Harbor home SOLD!!!
727-366-0324

Make sure to keep your peepers open for next weeks post, Palm Harbor Real Estate – Appraisers, Financing and the Elusive Cash Buyer!

So you want to buy one of those snazzy homes for sale in Florida. It’s a great time to do it with a definite buyers market and plenty of homes to be had. So what should you keep in mind when buying? As with buying a home anywhere, first be sure your finances are in order.

Check your credit score and report and fix anything that can mar your chances of getting financing. Mortgage companies are being more careful about who they approve and pre-approve. You should get a “pre-qualification letter” from your lender so that you don’t find your dream home, only to have the seller reject your offer or lose it to a more qualified buyer.

Your next step can be to check the MLS, or multiple listing service, database. This database allows you to search for the home that you want without having to run around from home to home. It means narrowing what you want before you start your search. You want to know ahead of time what the community or neighborhood offers, and not waste your time with homes that don’t fit your criteria (you can search all of the Florida homes for sale using our MLS search in the box above, just start typing your city and, bang, you are ready to go!)

The MLS provides details such as bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, location on a map, photos, and taxes. Once you find some homes of interest, a great Florida Realtor (like us, hint hint) can take you to see the homes. OR if you are an out of towner, we can take photos or videos of the properties beforehand so you can make the most of your time while you are in town looking for properties.

Once you find “the” home, have it inspected. Hire your own home inspector and be sure they look for issues with mold, termites and wood eating bugs and if there is any damage to the home from sinkholes or hurricanes. Some other things to keep in mind is that homeowner’s insurance can be expensive, because of the location of the property and history of things like hurricanes and sinkholes.

So, do we work the whole state of Florida? Nope! Our specialty is Palm Harbor and the Tampa Bay region BUT we have a great referral network of Florida Realtors who work together, showing you waterfront homes from Tampa Bay, to Sarasota and even over on the Palm Coast and up to Tallahassee! So if you are looking for Homes for Sale in Florida, give us a call today to find out more! 727-366-0324

As Palm Harbor Realtors, we are often asked by our sellers why they have to “give their house away” to get it to sell (or words to that effect). As quality Realtors in a tough marketplace, we often have to talk about hard truths with clients. For the last 5 or so years we have been in a “buyers market” which is defined by a good rule of thumb as when the average Days On Market (DOM) for home sales in the area are over 6 months.

While there are always pockets of Pinellas that have come in and out of being areal estate sellers market over the last few years, the MAJORITY of the Palm Harbor Real Estate market is solidly in a Real Estate Buyers Market (as is most of Florida). Now, during the year, there ARE natural fluctuations in the market that can change a buyer’s market to a seller’s market: winter has long been thought to be the wrong time of year to sell, spring and summer are a better time. However, if there is a shift in the market, a disaster of some sort or a large employer closes, this can create a buyer’s market that lasts for years. A recession can do the same thing.

Being in a buyers real estate marketing is hard on sellers. Not only do they have to contend with declining prices, Short Sales and REOs (bank owned properties), but they have to have their home in super duper, tip top condition to be able to sell. Gone are the days when you could decide in the morning to list your house, vacuum the rug and be ready to show. Today you need to get your house in show ready condition, BEFORE you list it. Here are some tips for you, tips for staging your Palm Harbor Home.

If you are living in Palm Harbor and find yourself in a buyer’s market, you will quickly realize that buyers make more demands of you in order to purchase your home. They will require that certain items be sold with the home, such as drapes or lighting fixtures. Buyers may require a home warranty paid for by the seller or have you shoulder more of the closing costs or require other contingencies. Depending on your position, whether you are in a “must sell” place or have a lot of or little equity will decide if these demands are met, but bottom line becomes if you want to sell you may have to pay.

I KNOW, you are probably thinking, “what kind of Palm Harbor Realtors are these?” You are probably used to hearing sunshine and flowers from the agents you have talked to about how they can get you a great price for your home. Well, we are super honest, super hard working Palm Harbor Realtors who will work their tails off to get your home sold and will also tell you the hard truths about the market (good for buyers, not so great for sellers right now!) Give us call today to find out more or request a complimentary home pricing evaluation! 727-366-0324

In the peak of the Palm Harbor real estate boom you heard all the time that we were in a “real estate sellers market”. For homeowners who were looking to sell and who might not have even been able to technically define the term, it was a giddy time. Any house thrown up there would sell in what seemed like a matter of minutes. But alas, like all good things, the extreme sellers market came to an end a few years ago.

So what is an extreme sellers market? It’s a real estate market where demand for homes exceeds the supply of homes for sale. For instance, in the corporate world, if a new product is released, it creates a seller’s market. If the manufacturer isn’t sure whether it will be a hit, they will manufacture a smaller amount. This creates a higher demand for the existing supply. The company may not increase the price, but they COULD to adjust to the demand (think the recent shortage of the new iPads from Apple).

In housing, what usually happens is that there are multiple bidders for existing homes so prices are inflated. Those who list homes in a sellers market will see this as a time to list at a higher price, and they often get it. This doesn’t go on indefinitely since generally the price of homes will reach a “breaking point.” This is the point where potential homeowners can no longer afford to purchase a home. This point then will gradually help to stabilize the market. It’s also the point where our economy went bad and the “bubble burst.”

Sellers markets give current home owners a huge advantage, even if they don’t plan to sell their homes. This is because their homes are suddenly worth a great deal more. Should they need to refinance, the rising value of their home makes this very possible, however any homeowner should keep in mind that should the market reverse, they may be stuck with a loan on a home that is suddenly not worth what is owed on it – this is the situation for many of our short sellers here in the Palm Harbor real estate market. They purchased at the height of the boom and now own houses that can be worth 50 percent of what their mortgage owes.

In a sellers market, homeowners may also find themselves in a position where their equity now far exceeds their current home loan, and they are able to pay off their mortgage. Buyers may also find that banks become very choosy about lending, and charge higher interest rates. However, this can backfire because if rates go too high, buyers will stop buying and deflate the sellers market.

So what does a sellers market look like in today’s Palm Harbor real estate landscape? You may be surprised to know that we have had pockets of sellers markets throughout the slump. Areas which have maintained less than the 3-6 month inventory which portends a sellers market. (you can figure out how many months of inventory by dividing the number of homes on the market by how many sold the previous month…so…750 homes on the market, 250 sold, equals a three month inventory)

So am I saying that the sellers market is back and your Palm Harbor real estate will fly off the shelves? Unfortunately, no, BUT it does go on a home by home basis and we would be happy to come out and take a peek at your house, giving you a FREE market report to see what your neighborhood is doing! Give us a call today 727-366-0324

What are Palm Harbor REOs and why should you consider when purchasing them? Real estate owned (“REO”) is property that is owned by the lender after they tried to sell it at auction for foreclosure. That means it’s usually a bank, but sometimes it’s a government agency or government loan insurer.

Most of the time, the amount owed to the bank is more than what the property is worth, so a property selling at auction is the exception rather than the rule. After the bank owns it, they just want to sell it, and realize that they aren’t going to get what they were owed (or it would have sold at auction), so they will take what they can get to get it off their books.

The good part about REOs is that the bank will have to correct any title defects in order to sell the property. Tax liens will be settled, anyone living in the property will be evicted and any other liens on the property will be removed. This means that if you are looking to purchase a property, it could be a good deal, but you need to go into it with your eyes wide open.

Some REOs may be in good shape or may just need a few quick fixes, but unfortunately many have been vandalized or gutted. Just know that if it’s in relatively good shape and it’s a good deal, there could be multiple offers and you’ll have to move quickly to get the property, just don’t get into a bidding war and pay over market value. The bank will most likely counter your offer to purchase, because they have shareholders to answer to. Be aware and don’t be afraid to counter the counter offer.

A few things to keep in mind about REOs. Although the bank has cleared the title, be sure to do a comprehensive title search, and that means going back 60 years or further (in the Palm Harbor area, we use title companies to perform this search – no worries about sorting through 60 years of old documents!)

Also, the property will usually be sold in “as is” condition. That doesn’t mean you can’t have the property inspected, and we ALWAYS recommend an inspection to make sure there are not unforeseen catastrophic problems. That doesn’t mean the bank won’t be willing to make repairs, or give you credit for the value of repairs needed, just don’t count on it. The inspection is basically for YOUR piece of mind so that you know what you are getting into time and money-wise to get the home back into shape.

So should you be considering purchasing one of our local Palm Harbor REOs? It is definitely worth taking a peek to see if there is something that is in your price range and condition! Give us a call today to find out more 727-366-0325.

We were in training the other day and the question of why using (Palm Harbor) Realtors to buy your home makes such good financial sense came up so we thought we would share it with you, our faithful readers!

When buying a home, the first thing that comes to mind on your “to do” list isn’t generally “hire a realtor”, but it SHOULD be.

Most of our clients start their home search by looking at the magazines or newspapers to see what is on the market currently. First off, with these, you need to take them with a grain of salt. Many are not still for sale or are actually worth much less than the glossy mags may tell you! The information given is also limited and believe me, the pictures are ALWAYS taken from the house’s best side with maybe a touch of Photoshop thrown in.

Next, buyers tend to go visit open houses, checking out neighborhoods that they would like to live in. This is a VERY random way to pick your next house. Choosing this way could mean falling in love with a “charmer” that is outside of your perfect geographic location or price range.

Oh, then what about the internet? Most realtors have a home search feature on their website these days, could the buyers just check those out? If you are going the internet route, you can plan on kissing some frogs (Realtors and houses) before you get far. We have worked with many home buyers who spent the first months of their searches looking online, schlepping out to a house, finding out that it is on the corner of the two busiest streets in town, or next to a dump, or beside a railroad track, or next door to a…well you get the picture.

So why SHOULD you talk to a Palm Harbor Realtor like us first?

Some top reasons are:

• we can help narrow down the type of houses you would like to live in, sometimes even bringing up suggestions of styles you don’t even know about!
• we know the neighborhoods, having spent about 4 hours a day, all day, everyday driving around looking at houses – unless you are a UPS man, we just have seen more houses and neighborhoods than you can imagine!
• we watch the market and know what is overpriced and what is a deal (and no, you will not get a house for 5 cents on the dollar, but we sure can help you find a great price on a home!)
• negotiating, negotiating, negotiating – we KNOW, usually it is location, location, location, but we are focused on getting our clients the best prices with the features and amenities they want (or need!)
• helping you decide what is important to you and your loved ones BEFORE looking at hundreds of houses (we average between 5-10 house visits per search – cutting WAY down on visiting every house in the MLS!)

While we all like to dream of the “perfect” house, we have found that dreaming of the “perfect house for you” saves time, energy and money. If you would like to find out about using Palm Harbor Realtors to make your home search easier, please give us a call today! 727-366-0324

Have you thought about buying a Florida historic home? Maybe you have entertained the idea of owning your own bed and breakfast or just find the architectural aspects of such homes intriguing.

Perhaps you have inherited a beautiful historic home that has not been restored. Historic homes have much to offer, and typically much to repair. Before you make a decision and find yourself overwhelmed and committed to a restoration project, take a step back and consider this article!

What Is A Florida Historic Home?

Let’s start with historic homes in Florida and what that means. We are Palm Harbor, FL Realtors, specializing in homes in Pinellas County (the little finger that hangs off the left side of the state). Historic homes in our area range from small wood frame homes like you see in Gulfport or Safety Harbor to huge historic mansions that sit on Druid Road or along the old thoroughfares of days gone by.

Compared to most areas (like the Northwest US), our area of Florida does not have hundreds or even thousands of historic homes for sale, although in other areas of the state (like St. Augustine) there are many more historic properties for sale.

The Condition Of Your Historic Home

Florida historic homes offer their own brand of problems. Rot, termites and past flooding are just a few of the maladies that can plague old homes in the Sunshine State.

To keep your investment safe, first you want to consider the structure of your historic home, hiring an inspector or licensed contractor to do a home inspection. While we frequently wait for the home inspection to schedule the termite inspection (waiting to see if there is any evidence of active sightings), in this case, you will want a comprehensive review of all known problems, making a termite inspection a must-do.

For both inspections, make sure a complete and thorough examination is done. Water damage or dry rot  could end up resulting in a very labor and cost intensive project. It is much less devastating to walk away from your potential new home, paying only the inspection bills than it is to buy a home in need of repairs that exceed your budget.  Prior to initiating repairs, consider the historic value and materials used in the original construction of the home, and then proceed with like materials. Provided you have the resources, all repairs should be considered as “restorative” and use original materials.

Living In A Historic Home

If you will be living in the home, evaluate whether your “new” home will meet the current needs of your family. Often smaller rooms and less bathrooms are typical in historic homes, however you can choose to remove walls and windows or adapt them to create a better suited floor plan, while still maintaining the original intent of the initial homebuilder. Some of these issues may seem more difficult to solve, and may even cause unexpected emotions to flare depending on the importance to the parties involved, when discussing home features. In such situations, it may be wise to evaluate all alternatives and work out a compromise or other option prior to doing the work.

Historic homes can be quite beautiful and definitely worth the expense and love required to restore them. Your finished project will bring a smile to your eyes and warm the hearts of others who visit your home in the years that follow.  Most importantly, though, you will be happy with your decision to purchase and restore your home, knowing you did your homework first!

If you would like to find out about historic homes for sale in Florida, give us a call today 727-366-0324! We love working with buyers and sellers of historic homes in the Tampa Bay area and have a network of other Florida agents we work with in other areas who we can refer you to!