Increase Appeal to Sell Your Home in Tampa Bay

Selling your home in Tampa does require additional marketing because of the current real estate market.  Of course, you want to make potentials buyers be attracted to your home.

There are some tips that this article will give you in order to make your home appealing enough to gain lots of potential buyers and soon you will have the best deal ever.

You have to look or view your home or you can ask a trusted person and appoint that person to approach your door and see things that you may not notice.  Does your home need to be repainted, do you need to replace your door, does the doorbell still working, are the faucets working well, are the railings safe, these are few of the things that you should look up to since it can help any interested buyers to decide whether they’ll be interested or not.

Impression is very important, so you have to check out your home and do improvements in order to gain good impressions. A clean and neat exterior can make potential buyers feel that you have maintained your home and it is in good condition.

Windows should also be clean, so you have to make sure to clean it all up or hire window-washing service to make sure that the windows are  clean and free from from fingerprints, Fido’s nose prints, cobwebs and debris.

In order to add home exterior decoration that can make a home appealing is by planting flowers and hanging potted plants. Make sure to clean the gutter and mow the lawn in order to make sure that your yard is appealing enough for buyers and visitors. If you can’t do the work, you can hire professional lawn service which will help you treat unhealthy grass.

If you have kids, you have to make sure that their toys are properly stored and do not leave toys on the floor, yard or inside your home.

If you have pets, you also have to make sure that they are in their proper places and never let them roam around your home, especially when potential buyers will come to visit. Not all people love pet, so you have to be careful.

You have to make sure as well that the house number of your home is visible enough in order for potential buyers to easily locate your home. Of course, if you want to sell your home, you will advertise your home for sale by making flyers, you can also use the internet. In making flyers, you have to put all the details about your home and put a photo of your home in the flyers.

Working with me as your real estate agent can be helpful as well time savings.  I have the skills and experiences in order to make sure that I can help you out in selling your home in Tampa real estate quickly.

Understanding How a Buyer’s Agent Can Help You

When purchasing a home, most people will have an opportunity to interact with one or more real estate sales people (often referred to as real estate agents or “realtors”). It is very important for a home buyer to understand the roles and responsibilities of a real estate sales person, especially who they represent in the real estate transaction. This article provides a brief overview of “typical” representation in a real estate transaction, and describes a buyer’s agent and the valuable contributions that they can make helping a home buyer to purchase a home.

A real estate sales person acts as an “agent” for one or more of the parties (buyer and/or seller) in a real estate transaction. An agent is an individual who works on behalf of another individual. Under the law of agency, which governs client/agent relationships, an individual acting as an agent for another individual must work to protect the “best interests” of their client (the person for whom they are acting as an agent). They are said to have a “fiduciary” responsibility to their client.

Typically in a real estate transaction, a real estate agent will obtain a listing from the seller of a home. The realtor and seller enter into a listing agreement whereby the realtor agrees to act as the agent for the home seller to help them to sell their home (listing their home in a listing service, marketing their home, holding open houses, showing their home etc.). This realtor is often referred to as the listing agent, listing realtor, or listing broker. In the listing agreement the home seller agrees to pay the listing agent for their services, typically a percentage of the selling price of the home. Since the listing agent often is not the individual to actually sell a home, the home seller also typically agrees to pay the agent who actually sells their home (the selling agent) for their services, also typically a percentage of the selling price of the home.

It is important for a home buyer to understand, that in the absence of any disclosure to the contrary, the listing agent acts as an agent of the home seller. The selling agent acts as a sub-agent to the listing agent. This means that both the listing and the selling agent are working for, and looking after the best interests of the home seller. Many buyers mistakenly assume they are being represented by the real estate agent who is showing them homes, when in fact that individual is usually working for the home seller. For this reason, many states require by law that real estate sales people disclose who they are working for to all parties to a real estate transaction at the beginning of any relationship. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) also requires in their “Code of Ethics” that realtors disclose who they are working for at the first meeting between a realtor and a seller or buyer.

Many home purchasers are not happy with the typical “arrangement” whereby real estate agents are representing the seller, and they are left to represent themselves. Many home buyers prefer to have a trained, experienced real estate professional representing them in their real estate transactions. It is for this reason that many home buyers choose to hire a buyer’s agent (also referred to as a buyer’s broker or buyer’s representative). A buyer’s agent is an individual who is hired by a home buyer to represent them in a real estate transaction. Similar to a home seller, a buyer typically enters into a contract with the buyer’s agent. The contract should stipulate what services the buyers agent will provide, and what compensation the home buyer will give to the buyer’s agent if they successfully help them to purchase a home. Buyer’s agent compensation is typically a percentage of a home selling price. Buyer’s agent contracts typically have a term and provisions for how either party (the buyer or the real estate agent) can sever the contract.

A buyer’s agent acts as the agent for the buyer in a real estate transaction. Services that they provide include:

*Understanding a buyer’s home buying needs and desires.

*Helping buyers to understand what they can comfortably afford.

*Researching and helping to locate suitable homes in the appropriate communities that meet their buyer’s needs.

*Answering questions about homes, communities, the home buying process, and more.

*Helping a buyer to understand if a prospective home is fairly priced and helping them to formulate an offer for a home..

*Filling out all of the appropriate purchase offer documents and presenting them to the selling agent and home seller.

*Helping the buyer with negotiations or negotiating on behalf of the buyer.
*Providing lists of qualified individuals for other services needed such as attorneys, and home inspection services.

*Facilitating the flow of contracts between seller and buyer attorneys.

*Assisting the buyer in obtaining financing for their home purchase.

A buyer’s agent should not, however, provide advice on matters for which they have no training or expertise. They should not, for example, be providing legal advice. Buyers should work with qualified attorneys for legal advice. Buyer’s brokers can, however, assist a buyer in finding an appropriate attorney.

For their services, a buyer’s agent is compensated by the buyer. What typically happens in practice, however, is that the buyer and buyer’s agent will build into the offer a provision for the seller to provide the compensation to the buyer’s agent. Remember that a typical seller has already agreed to pay a selling agent commission when they entered into a listing contract. That means that there is typically money available to compensate the buyer’s agent for their efforts on behalf of the buyer. If the seller has made available less money than the buyer’s agent is entitled to by contract with the buyer, then one of several things can happen:

*The seller can agree as part of the negotiations to pay the discrepancy in order to sell their home.

*The buyer pays the additional amount out of their own pocket.

*The buyer’s agent agrees to accept less compensation than was originally agreed to to allow the transaction to go through.

Dual Agency, A Special Condition

A special condition can sometimes arise where a real estate agent is contractually obligated to both parties in a real estate transaction, as would be the case of a buyer’s agent showing one of their own listings. In this case “dual agency” is said to exist. The real estate agent is an agent to both parties. When this condition arises, a realtor should disclose the dual agency condition and obtain consent from both buyer and seller that they accept this condition. In many states, failure to disclose dual agency is a violation of the law for which a real estate agent can lose their license, be fined, and potentially receive a jail sentence. In a dual agency condition, the real estate agent acts as a neutral third party, not representing the interests of either party, but simply facilitating the transaction. Many consumer advocates are not happy with such arrangements because nobody is looking after the best interests of the consumers, in this case the buyer and the seller.

Conclusion

Buyer’s agents serve a very useful purpose helping to protect the interests of real estate buyers in real estate transactions. Individuals seeking to purchase a home who do not have a lot of experience with real estate should seriously consider hiring a buyer’s agent to represent them, and help them through the process, negotiations, and real estate transaction.

REALTOR® is a trademark of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.RobertDandrea.com

Diversity in design: Mix, don’t match, wood textures and colors

ARA) – Still worrying about what goes with what when you’re decorating? Design style leaders nix the matching – “too boring” – in favor of mixing colors, wood grains, stains and textures throughout a room.

“Consumers think everything has to match, but the pros mix,” says Laura Dalzell, owner and president of Cabinets & Designs, Inc. in Lexington, Kenn. She’s a firm believer in combining, – for example painted wood cabinets with cabinets in both natural wood tones and a wide range of colored stains. Mixing is the magic that brings a kitchen to life, she believes. “Different finishes create the ‘furniture look’ that’s been the trend in kitchens for the last decade or so.”

Across the country, California designer Debbie Nassetta nods in agreement from her desk at RoomScapes Inc., a top design firm in Laguna Niguel. Nassetta likes contrast. “If you have dark cabinets, make the floor lighter. With light cabinets, go the other way around,” she advises. Her own home kitchen features cabinets in three different colors: stained cherry on one wall and the work island with the rest painted cream. Plus, there’s a piece de resistance, a large armoire she painted black to make it stand out in the crowd.

At The Kitchen Source in Dallas, designer Alison Gillespie also praises contrasting colors. “We do our best not to match cabinets and floors.” Alison advocates a mix of different species of woods. For example, a hand-scraped oak floor with maple cabinets in an opaque finish.

From New Orleans and Cabinets By Design, Inc., designer Christina Sheets confirms. “Down here wood species don’t matter.” Given The Big Easy’s penchant for preserving old things, many homeowners refinish rather than replace their vintage hardwood floors, Sheets explains. The floors are then stained to complement –- not match – new hardwood cabinets.

“We also like to mix cabinets in the same kitchen,” she says. “The idea is to create visual contrast between the work island and the perimeter cabinets. Locally, popular mixes include cherry and cypress for cabinets, and butcher block on the work island.

“If the perimeter cabinets differ from the work island, we might put the same countertop material on both,” Sheets says. “But if the cabinets are alike, we’d use different countertops for contrast, say, granite and butcher block.”

Arizona designer Elizabeth Spengler, who creates kitchens for Dorado Designs, Inc., in Oro Valley, often uses one color for base cabinets and another for wall cabinets. Her own kitchen is a medley of contrasting woods and colors: red birch flooring, glazed oak base cabinets, perimeter wall cabinets painted granny apple-green, and a cherry-stained work island with a black glaze.

Spengler also advocates a mix of different wood species throughout the house, such as a rift-cut oak in a contemporary kitchen with birds-eye maple furniture in the dining room and olive ash burl pieces in the living room.

Even hardwood floors in adjacent rooms may vary “as long as you use some transitional device to make it work,” Elizabeth says. Her favorite: a border incorporating the wood species or color from the floor next door. “Just make sure there’s enough contrast to show you mean it,” she says. “Near-misses don’t make it.”

What about wood mouldings in the kitchen? As a general rule, the designers agree that ceiling mouldings should be finished like the wall cabinets. Base and other mouldings usually follow suit.

The pros point out that painted mouldings make the space look lighter and more open, while stained wood creates warmth and coziness. New York designer John Buscarello is definitely a paint partisan. “Paint the mouldings,” urges Buscarello, whose kitchens have been featured at the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show and in dozens of decorating magazines. “Painted ceiling mouldings make the ceiling look higher and the rooms look larger.” Painting also downplays mouldings, he says, “and lets the wood of the cabinets be the star.”

So stop worrying and let the fun begin. Mix it up. The experts have spoken.

For more top designers’ opinions about mixing-not-matching hardwoods in your home, visit the American Hardwood Information Center at www.Hardwoodinfo.com and click on “Write and Request” for a free copy of the booklet, “American Hardwoods By Design.” Courtesy of ARAcontent.

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Builders Urge White House and Congress To Extend $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit

There is a lot of conversation on both sides about extending the $8,000 Tax Credit.  I, like most real estate agent that I have spoken with feel that it has helped in the Tampa, FL market.  http://tinyurl.com/yhhpnba 

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Buyers and sellers get on the same page

An excellent article and to be successful both as a buyer and seller it is important information. http://tinyurl.com/yhbtnhm

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Home ownership remains a good investment

Over a decade, price appreciation usually overcomes even bad slumps.  http://tinyurl.com/yzmqjce

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertandrea.com

New home sales rise for 5th straight month

August sales inch up by 0.7% from July but are 3.4% lower than year-ago sales. http://tinyurl.com/yzeqerk

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Home prices gain for 3rd straight month

There was another tick-up in home prices in July, a further indication that housing markets may be stabilizing, according to a report issued Tuesday.  Read the full report @ http://tinyurl.com/yjgco3t

Bland walls? Fast fix-ups that are perfect for fall

(ARA) – When the weather cools and the bright sun of summer fades into autumn’s grayer skies, bare bland walls can feel like an ugly mark on your home’s decor. Suddenly, those undecorated walls that you were too busy to notice this past summer cry out for color and pizzazz – especially if you’re dealing with economy-induced stress.

“Fall is a great time to redecorate because as the weather cools people start heading indoors again,“ says Jonathon Fong, a Los Angeles-based interior decorator and author of “Walls that Wow.” “Home is more important again whereas summer was all about the outdoors. We want to make our homes comfortable, cozy and beautiful again. And when we decorate during the fall, we can show off our efforts at the holidays.”

So what are the hot trends and easy do-it-yourself decorating upgrades that will be hot this fall? Fong and artist Matthew Lew offer a few tips:

Bright, aggressive color

“The hot colors in home décor this fall will be brighter, happier versions of traditional fall hues – butter yellow, orange, persimmon and all shades of blues,” predicts Fong. “These are colors of optimism, and in the current economy, people want to be surrounded by hope. These happy colors put you in a good mood.”

“The hottest colors for room redesigns this fall will be aggressive color combos, using colors like scandal red or lobster paired with yolk yellow or custard,” says Lew, whose work has been featured on “Extreme Makeover Home Edition,” HGTV’s “Divine Design” and CBS’s “The Early Show.”

“People want a splash of color in their homes,” Lew adds. “The aggressive color combinations are great because they can make a bold statement very simply without overdoing it. I think people are attracted to that, especially with the economy right now.”

Texture that’s easy to achieve

Adding texture to a wall is another trend, especially if it’s a simple texture – such as stripes – that homeowners feel confident doing themselves, Fong says. Patterns, vinyl lettering or decals, and even wallpaper murals are great ways to add interest to boring walls.

Both designers agree wallpaper murals will continue to be popular, both for their versatility and ease installation by DIY homeowners. Fong has incorporated wallpaper murals from the Web site www.MuralsYourWay.com into his designs, and Lew’s artistry is featured on several of the site’s made-to-order wallpaper murals.

“Wallpaper murals are one of my favorite design options because they make a huge impact in a room at an affordable price,” Fong says. “If you were to have a decorative painter replicate some of the great designs available in wallpaper murals, it would cost thousands of dollars.”

If you’re intimidated by the idea of a mural, you can start out smaller by adding wallpaper murals elsewhere in your décor, Fong suggests. “Cut the mural into smaller pieces and frame the individual pieces. Put it on a door. Mount it to a piece of wood and make a headboard or a dressing screen out of it,” he says.

Finally, when you’re ready for your fall design spruce up, Lew and Fong have a few tips for creating a design you can love:

* “Think baby steps,” Fong says. Decorate a small wall or section of a large wall first. Give yourself a day to get used to your new wall.

* Consider your favorite colors and how you can use them to make your design “say what you want it to say,” Lew suggests.

* Go beyond paint and texture. Try fabric, paper and metal, Fong urges. Get creative, but don’t forget simple tricks too. “Sometimes the simplest thing is a mirror,” Lew says. “It opens up the entire room and brings in light.”

* Keep it real. “Look at your wall’s dimensions and be realistic,” Lew says. “Sometimes having the entire wall covered is too overpowering and a smaller scale would look better. For example, you might want to use part of the wall as a mural and then paint the other portions a similar color.”

* “No matter how it turns out in the end,” Fong says, “say you meant it to look that way.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   

727-510-2100  

robdandrea.realtyoffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Time and money-saving tips for your 2009 tax return

(ARA) – The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act makes early tax planning increasingly important. The number and complexity of the changes has prompted the IRS to release educational e-mails, videos, podcasts and other tools on a regular basis since the ARRA became law in February 2009.

“With so many credits requiring you to act before a certain date, do your tax planning now to determine where your money will be best spent over the coming months,” says Jessi Dolmage, spokeswoman for 2nd Story Software, Inc., makers of TaxACT. She also recommends the following steps:

1. Preview your tax situation using TaxACT 2009 Free Federal Edition. It will walk you through the ARRA credits and deductions, giving a more complete preview of your return. TaxACT releases preview versions of its software every October for use until final versions are released in January (any data entered into preview will transfer to final). Start your free federal return at www.TaxACT.com

2. Review your federal withholding. TaxACT offers a Making Work Pay Calculator that will estimate how much the credit is worth to you.

3. Compile receipts and documentation for purchases that will result in credits.

4. Visit www.IRS.gov/recovery to review all of the ARRA provisions. TaxACT also has an ARRA site at www.TaxACT.com/recovery-act.

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100  

robdandrea.realtyoffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Before applying for auto or mortgage loans, do your research

(ARA) – While the number of auto and mortgage loans issued are down, and the effort it takes to get a good loan these days might seem daunting, there are signs that consumer lending is improving with positive economic reports. And even though dollars aren’t handed out as quickly or easily as they were just a few years ago, it is possible for a person to obtain a mortgage or auto loan.

Signs that consumer lending is improving include:

1. Interest rates remain low.
2. Banks are stronger and evaluating loan requests in depth.
3. Inflation is staying low.

Consumers interested in either a mortgage or auto loan should first review their credit scores to determine whether they can afford the loan. A bad credit score could mean denial or paying a lot of extra money. Federal law requires everyone to be able to access a free credit report from each of the three credit agencies once a year. With that credit report information, you can find out if your report has errors or if you have areas where you can work to improve your score.

“Once you have determined that your credit score will assist you in acquiring a mortgage or auto loan, you need to do some research on the loans available,” says Daniel Wesley at CreditLoan.com. “In the mortgage loan area, you need to investigate whether an Adjustable Rate Mortgage works better or a Fixed Rate Mortgage. And in the auto loan area, secured and unsecured loans are available through direct and indirect financing, giving you plenty of options to research to best fit your budget.”

ARMs are good if you plan to live in your house for only a few years because your mortgage rate will be fixed for a set number of years at a lower interest rate. But they can fluctuate quickly once the time period expires, increasing your payments greatly. You may be eligible for a refinance on the mortgage at that time – make sure you research the terms of your ARM closely.

Fixed Rate Mortgages – while higher than typical initial ARMs – are at a historic low, which has made these types of mortgages very popular. They are also popular for families looking to refinance.

Auto loan interest rates for new car purchases also have fallen from a year ago according to interest.com. Some tips for getting an auto loan include:

1. Check your credit report
2. Know what you can afford in payments
3. Determine whether a low-cost option is really the best idea in the long run

Courtesy of ARAcontent

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.robertdandrea.com

Make your smaller home more livable with a new bath

(ARA) – Smaller homes are making a comeback. More families are hanging onto their existing homes and improving these smaller properties, instead of trading up.

Maximizing livable space is how the American Institute of Architects (AIA) describes this new trend, a by-product of a down new-housing and real estate market. Smaller remodel projects – finishing attics and basements – readily achieve that goal, making the home more enjoyable today while increasing its resale value tomorrow.

Nearly 130 million homes are currently in need of work, including adjustments to meet “changing preferences and lifestyles,” such as family members returning home to live, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

As the owner of a smaller home, you should know that adding even a small bathroom is among the best investments you can make, typically returning 65 percent or more of the cost on resale. In the attic or the basement, you can save money on a bath addition by using macerating plumbing, which requires no digging for under-floor drainage piping.

For this same reason, you can also convert an existing room or even a closet into a new small bathroom to better accommodate guests or even family members moving into your home. No digging for drainage means a quicker, less messy and cheaper installation experience. Macerating plumbing systems can handle the waste from a toilet as well as a sink and a tub/shower. As a result, you can create not just a powder room, but a full bath with all the decorative accessories.

Install an up toilet
Known as an up toilet or above-floor plumbing, macerating technology is the way to go, says East Taunton, Mass., plumber Mike Sikorski, who installs Saniflo brand products. Plumbing waste and water are pumped through small-diameter piping, which can be located inside the wall, right into the sewer or septic tank. Sikorski estimates that this type of system saves his customers $1,000 on average, “and that’s on the low side,” he says.

Mike Vines of Lake Orion, Mich., recently improved his home with a basement upgrade using an up-toilet system. “I couldn’t be happier,” he says of the half bath he added to the family home. “In these tough times, anything you can do to increase the value of your house, the better off you’re going to be.”

Saving money is key
Cost-saving projects like these are among the ways homeowners will most likely focus their future remodeling dollars, according to the 2009 Remodeling Market in Transition report prepared by the Joint Center.

“I believe that the struggling economy has actually helped the smaller profile repair/remodel market,” says Steve Norton, president of M & N Plumbing Supply in Denver. “People are staying the course, and macerating plumbing offers a lower-cost option to breaking up cement.”

If you’re staying put in your smaller home, but want to improve its livability and long-term value, consider adding a bathroom with macerating plumbing.

Tips for a better bath
Here are some tips to make the most of your bathroom addition, even if it’s a small one:

* Maximize space by placing a pedestal sink in the corner along with a mirrored medicine cabinet designed for in-corner installation.
* Plan your new bath so the door won’t bump into anything when it is opened. The National Kitchen & Bath Association (www.nkba.org) is a good resource for planning dimensions.
* Must you have a tub, or will a shower suffice? Putting in an enclosed stall shower saves a lot of space.
* Install grab bars to prevent falls. They’re not just for the elderly. The Home Safety Council (www.homesafetycouncil.org) recommends grab bars in every bath.
* No window? Good lighting can make a room look and feel larger. Recessed lighting is a smart choice for small spaces. Task lighting over the sink is a welcome feature.
* Don’t forget the fan. Installing a fan can help prevent moisture problems, such as mold and mildew.

Learn more about low-cost, above-floor bathroom and grey water pumping systems by visiting www.saniflo.com or calling (800) 571-8191. Courtesy of ARAcontent

If you haven’t started working with a Real Estate Agent and are thinking of buying or selling a home in Tampa Bay, please contact  Rob Dandrea, Real Estate Professional with Charles Rutenberg Realty.   727-510-2100   RobDandrea.RealtyOffice@gmail.com                www.RobertDandrea.com