Clearwater Florida
Clearwater Florida – Best Places to Retire by Money Magazine
September 18th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Florida
Clearwater Florida Ranked in top 25 Best Places to Retire but Why Wait?
Clearwater Florida - Money Magazine recently published it’s Top 25 Best Places to Retire and Clearwater Florida made their list. They shared with their readers what we’ve been saying for a long time – Clearwater Florida (including Clearwater Beach) is “the quintessential Florida beach town”. Noting that while Clearwater real estate prices may have been out of reach for many during the boom a few years ago – with prices down around 50% it’s a great value for the quality of life you get. Money mentions that with no state income tax in Florida and with all the short sales and foreclosures happening the median Clearwater home prices are now below $150,000 (which was $305,000 in 2007) so now people are finding it’s a great time to buy a home and a great place to downsize and enjoy the Florida lifestyle.
Clearwater Beach real estate prices are down too however I think that when they say you can get a 2 bedroom condo on the beach for $200,000 it’s getting harder and harder to do and those wouldn’t be on the sand or with the direct views – however you can still buy a gulf front 2 bedroom Clearwater beach condo starting in the low $300,000s and some condos on the intercoastal or not on any water at all are even less expensive. However 3 bedroom condos are pushing $600,000 on the low side and up (Though we sold 3 under $400,000 in the last 2 months on neighboring beaches so we can also let you know about them as well).
- Search all properties for sale >> Clearwater Beach Real Estate for sale today
Also Cape Coral Florida made the list of 25 Best Places to Retire so if you can also search all Cape Coral FL properties for sale;
Why is Clearwater Florida a Great Place to Live?
Other great things they shared are things we’ve been writing about for years about living in Clearwater such as:
- Clearwater is a bike friendly city – Our bike trails include Ream Wilson, Pinellas Trail and the Progess Energy Trail (See all bike trails here);
- Clearwater has little in the way of crime and congestion and is easy to get around; It also passes my 30 minute rule – where it’s 30 minutes to everything – St Petersburg, Tampa International Airport, Tarpon Springs, etc.
- Clearwater has lots of dining, restaurants, shopping, golf and performing arts like the premeire of Dolphin Tale at Ruth Eckerd Hall this week;
- Clearwater definitely has some of best beaches in the United States – Clearwater Beach at Pier 60, Caladessi Island from North Clearwter Beach and Sand Key Park and was even awarded Best Family Beach on the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago;
In addition, back in 2008 I wrote an article Clearwater Florida is a Great Place to call Home and here few are some other awards Clearwater Beach had received as well:
- Clearwater Beach named Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico by Dr Beach;
- USATODAY.com readers have ranked Clearwater Beach in Top 10 US beaches;
- The Travel Channel named Clearwater the ˜Best Activity Beach in the United States;
- Conde Nast Traveler has also called Clearwater Beach ˜Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico;
- Designated a Blue Wave Beach signifying nations cleanest and safest beaches;
- Top 20 Park Beaches in the US – 2007 – Caledesi Island State Park – Dunedin, Florida by Reserve Americas Campgrounds and Outdoor Awards
- Top 25 Top Canoeing Spots in the US – 2007 – Caledesi Island State Park – Dunedin, Florida by Reserve Americas Campgrounds and Outdoor Awards
- Fort De Soto Park, Sand Key Beach, Clearwater Beach and Caledesi Park were recognized National Healthy Beaches Campaign and each won the Healthy Beach Award,
- 13 Pinellas County Beaches annually receive the Blue Wave Award. Given by the nonprofit Clean Beaches Council, the Blue Wave Award is Americas first national environmental beach certification program
Why Wait to Retire – Clearwater Florida Is A Great Place to Live At Any Age
It’s Easy to see why Clearwater made Money Magazines 2011 list of Top Places to Retire. We say, why wait because Clearwater Florida is definitely one of the best places to retire and we’ve been enjoying it for over 20 years and love sharing it with others so we say “Why wait?”
Cyndee & Jack Haydon are experienced Clearwater Beach real estate agents with Charles Rutenberg Realty helping buyers and sellers in todays market. Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists and also Certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Resources so you can be comfortable calling them if you are looking for help from an experienced Clearwater Beach FL Short Sales Agent.
Call them at (727) 710-8036
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Baby Boomers in Clearwater Beach versus San Diego
May 31st, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Clearwater Florida
Today we have a guest post for on Roberta Murphy, a top Realtor who specializes in San Diego relocation. We’ve known Roberta for over five years and she is who we consult with and refer our clients to when they decide to relocate to the San Diego area. I hope you enjoy her insightful observations about one of the fastest growing segments of our real estate market - the Baby Boomers. This is a topic near and dear to our heart because in the early 90′s Jack and I volunteered and helped start the Area Agency on Aging for Pinellas and Pasco County. We learned about the issues and challenges people face at this stage of life. Almost universally people when asked, will tell you they want to age in place – which means planning ahead now when choosing where to live. Thanks Roberta for sharing…
Baby Boomers – A growing part of Clearwater Beach and San Diego
Baby Boomers have always kind of been the noisy sort, and more and more we are hearing their wishes in unison. And for some reason, I doubt that boomers seeking homes in Clearwater Beach are very different from those seeking a coastal home in San Diego, perhaps a local farmers market ethnic bakery, museums, shopping and dry cleaners. They would happily go days without driving a car–unless it’s a golf cart. 
Though home prices in San Diego are still higher than those in Clearwater, the ones that hold their values best in both cities would be those near the beach, sand and other amenities. And that is the lifestyle so many retiring Baby Boomers are seeking.
We work with a number of baby boomers who are either moving to or within the San Diego area, and know that the Haydon team works with similar homebuyers moving to Clearwater. These folks are seeking to downsize and move away from soccer fields, elementary school crossings, cul de sacs, lawns that need mowing and windshields that need de-icing in winter.
What do many of these Boomers want & what are we hearing?
- They want to be able to lock and go. Boomers want to travel and not have to worry about security back home. Urban cottages are charming, but spacious mid and high rise condos also work really well–especially with security systems in place.
- They want to be able to walk no more than a block or two to get a morning cup of coffee or evening tapas. It would also be nice to take that sleeve-wrapped cup of coffee and the morning newspaper to a park or pier bench where one can read and enjoy the scent of fresh-mown grass or the salty sea air. Alternatively, that coffee might fit nicely into a golf cart’s cup holder.
- Boomers also want nearby restaurants, a bookstore, a
- Public transportation is good. In coastal San Diego, many village dwellers live not far from a train station, where the train will take them up and down the coast, where they can wine and dine in San Diego’s Gaslamp area and then catch the train back to Del Mar or Oceanside. No designated driver required.
- Views tend to be important with this group. It is good when they can see the ocean or mountains from their living and bedroom windows. Clearwater Beach has stunning views of its own.
- Proximity to the ocean is very important for many of the clients with whom both Cyndee and we work. It could be an energy attraction between the salt and water in our own bodies and that in the ocean. Then again, it may simply be the sound or smell or the hypnotic appeal of the waves.
- A casual local ambience that accepts shorts and flip flops (or running shoes) is also appealing. Most beach and resort restaurants really don’t care and it makes for easy wardrobe selection. Its also nice to have the climate that allows for this year-round dressing option.
- These Boomers are not seeking a Del Webb lifestyle. They want the energy of commerce, the diversity of people, and ocean proximity. They may or may not care about golf, but if they do, San Diego is loaded with golfing opportunities. Golf in Clearwater is pretty appealing, too!
- Quality medical care is important. San Diego is blessed with excellent medical facilities and physicians. Some of our country’s top medical practitioners have also chosen San Diego as the ideal place to live. Again, Clearwater and Clearwater Beach will also attract medical talent that wants a lifestyle most in the world would envy.
It is interesting to see how Baby Boomers are already beginning to reshape the urban and village landscapes in San Diego County and how the cities and builders are responding.
Roberta asked me what we’re seeing today in the Clearwater Beach area and I explained since we’re completely built out, we see people choosing to live in communities that are more condusive to walking and are properties that are remodeled with universal design in mind and of course nothing beats what our beach lifestyle has to offer (of course I”m a little biased).
How do you think an aging population will change where people choose to live?
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Oceanfront Clearwater FL Condos vs Sacramento Condos
May 9th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Condos for Sale
Clearwater, FL was not a familiar place to me until I met Cyndee Haydon, Clearwater Realtor® years ago and with her blog site Sandbars to Sunsets it became clear (no pun intended) how Clearwater got it’s name. Love that clear water!
I am a Realtor® in Sacramento, the capitol of California where we have a Mediterranean climate and and rivers running through our city located in the valley floor and surrounded by mountains on the sides.
I was reading Cyndee’s article about how difficult it is for buyers to finance some of the ocean front condos in Clearwater and it brought to the forefront for me how difficult it is for home buyers in Sacramento to finance a condo, as well. Read the rest of this entry »
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Clearwater Florida Thanks for Fun N Sun Knology Sea-Blues Festival
May 8th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Things to do
Clearwater Florida – Fun N Sun Festival always means lots of great events and fun things to do in Clearwater. This year the Blues festival was moved to be part of Clearwater’s annual Fun N Sun festival. Even the City of Clearwater is embracing social media like Facebook & Twitter. They ran a contest and asked you to share your favorite things to do in Clearwater and of course we shared with @myclearwater that we love the daily sunsets at Pier 60 and all the performers, artists and more. So if you’re on twitter, add @myclearwater to your list of people to follow. They are always sharing good info about the City of Clearwater and if you’re not following me, we’d love it connect with you there. You’ll find me @cyndeehaydon.
Well guess what connecting online brought us an unexpected surprise this week because we were the lucky winners of two VIP passes to the Knology Sea-Blues Festival this weekend held in Coachman Park. Man was it awesome – this is just one of the many reasons we love living in Clearwater. Coachman park always has great events going on.
Jack and I had a great time and the weather, food and music couldn’t have been better. I wanted to share some of the fun with you. Hope you enjoyed our short videos of Taj Mahal at my favorite time of day..sunset. Again, we want to thank the City of Clearwater as well as the sponsors and producers of Knology Sea-Blues Festival – it was a wonderful event and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Most of you know we stay busy helping others find their piece of paradise, however today was not about Clearwater Real Estate, it was just all about having fun living in Clearwater.
So Did you go to the festival? Who your favorite performers were? We’d love to hear your thoughts and connect with you on twitter 
PS Happy Mothers Day for all the mothers today!!
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Clearwater Florida Don’t Put Too Much Faith In Recent Case-Shiller Index
December 30th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Real Estate Market Reports
Clearwater Florida Real Estate Market News
Clearwater Florida – The Case-Shiller Index posted awful numbers in its most recent reading. Each of the index’s 20 tracked markets showed home price deterioration between September’s and October’s respective reports. Some markets fell as much as 2.9 percent. Luckily that’s now what we are seeing here in the Clearwater Florida real estate market.
The drop in values is nothing about which to panic, however. The Case-Shiller Index is just re-reporting what we already knew. It’s a common theme with the Case-Shiller Index, actually; a trait traced to the report’s methodology. The Index is an imperfect housing indicator with 3 inherent flaws. The first flaw is that the index makes use of a limited data set, tracking values in just 20 cities nationwide – even in our case, there’s a big difference between what’s happening in Tampa and what’s happening in Clearwater real estate and our beach communities.
That data set is then projected across the more than 3,100 other municipalities in the United States. The “national figures”, therefore, aren’t really national. The second flaw is that, even within the tracked 20 cities, not all home sales are included. This is key for us in the Clearwater Florida real estate area.
Clearwater Beach Condos aren’t Included
This Index only tracks sales of single-family, detached homes, and within that market subset, it only uses homes that are “repeat sales”. This specifically excludes sales of condominiums and multi-family homes, and new construction. As you know, we specialize in waterfront properties of which in places like Clearwater Beach Florida the majority or properties for sale are Clearwater Beach condos not single family detached homes.
Lastly, Case-Shiller Index’s third flaw is its “age”. The Case-Shiller Index reports on a 60-day delay, and the values it reports are tied to contracts written even longer ago. Sales contracts from July and August are responsible for October’s closings so when we see the Case-Shiller Index as reported in December, some of the data it’s reporting is 5 months old already. That’s too old to be relevant. Looking back at 2010, housing was at its weakest between May and August. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the most recent report shows significant weakness. Looking forward, we should expect the report to improve — especially because of how strong New Home Sales and Existing Home Sales have been since summer. The Case-Shiller Index is helpful for economists and policy-makers. It’s not much good for individual homeowners, however.
For accurate, real-time housing data, talk to a Clearwater Florida real estate agent like us instead. We can let you know exactly what’s happening in your Clearwater neighborhood.
And if you’re looking for a Clearwater Beach Realtor we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience – helping you find the perfect Clearwater Beach condos for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Beach Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Jack and Cyndee Haydon, Realtors (R)
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Florida Real Estate
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater FL Homes for Sale | Improvements that Increase Clearwater Homes Value
April 16th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Home Seller Tips
Clearwater Fl Homes for Sale find Improvements Can Increase Homes Value
Clearwater Florida – 
If you are looking at Clearwater Fl homes for sale, just know that not all home improvements are created equal. Especially if you’re looking for “resale value” back from your improvements.
A recent from the Wall Street Journal lays it out cleanly. Function beats flash these days so be wary of where you spend.
A national report found environmental upgrades such as home insulation and energy-efficient steel entry doors are recovering a much greater percentage of their cost these days than major remodels including kitchens or bathrooms. This is especially true for homes that are already “over-improved” relative to the neighborhood.
Tip: Upgrading the biggest and best homes on the block can be a losing proposition when if comes to resale so if you upgrade your home do it to enjoy it while you’re in it not to get a financial benefit in the short run.
The article’s findings include data from groups such as the National Association of Home Builders, Remodeling Magazine, and Consumer Reports. It lists the following home improvements among its top “paybacks”:
- Steel entry door replacement : 129% cost recovery
- Wood deck addition : 81% cost recovery
- Vinyl-replacement window : 77% cost recovery
Energy-efficiency projects also recoup costs monthly in the form of lower heating and cooling bills. Locally we are also seeing things like new windows and roofs being important because of the impact they have on our insurance bills and the fact that those improvements come with significant insurance rate credits – some people see 20%+ drops – that’s real dollars for 5 years.
Remodeling Magazine says a larger number of homeowners will remodel their homes in 2010 with less emphasis on upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, and more emphasis on adding new rooms. From an appraisal perspective, this is a terrific way to increase yourClearwater home’s value — especially if your home’s bed/bath count lags your neighbors.
Before starting a Clearwater home improvement project, regardless of whether your goal is increase resale value, talk with a Clearwater Fl real estate agent about other homes in the area and how they’re built and what home buyers are looking for. At worst, you’ll gather some ideas you can work into your plan. At best, you’ll keep yourself from over-improving – which many home sellers are suffering from during this post real estate boom time.
Clearwater FL Homes for Sale
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Got questions, just give us, your local Clearwater FL Realtors a call or talk to your loan officer about your pre-qualification/pre-approval letter before you bid on a Clearwater FL home.
So if you’re looking for Clearwater FL Realtors we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your Clearwater Florida real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience - helping you find the perfect Clearwater FL homes for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater FL Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater FL Real Estate Office
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater FL Homes for Sale | Is Your Tampa Mortgage Preapproval Stale?
April 11th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Tampa Mortgages
Clearwater FL Homes | Buyers need to Update Tampa Mortgages & Preapprovals
Clearwater FL - It’s a busy weekend with the National Open House event. Lots of people checking out Clearwater FL Real Estate. Before you get too excited…have you checked if your Tampa Mortgage preapproval is still valid or is it stale? As the federal home buyer tax credit nears its April 30 end-date (19 days and counting down), there’s a lot of would-be home buyers in Clearwater FL still working to get a home under contract – both first time home buyers and those taking advantage of the move up tax credit.
A piece of advice for all of you looking to buy a home right now: If your Tampa Mortgage pre-qualification and/or pre-approval letter is more than 8 weeks old, it would be smart to have your mortgage lender “re-pre-approve” you. Here’s a short video I found on Youtube that explains the basic pre-approval process you may find helpful (of course you’ll want to talk to a local lender about your specific situation): 
Why? Because we live in a dynamic lending market and the mortgage guidelines have been in flux and your original lender letter may now be invalid.
For example, over the past half-dozen months, the majority of Tampa mortgage lenders have reduced their risk tolerance can many of these items have tightened up with respect to:
- For Clearwater Homes for sale, buyers Maximum debt-to-income ratios have changed
- Minimum allowable credit scores for Clearwater Home buyers
- Calculation of “assets in reserve” when buying Fl homes for sale
For Clearwater Beach buyers of Clearwater FL condos for sale and co-ops, even the subject property itself is coming under tighter guidelines and tougher scrutiny. We’ve written about some of these changes before:
Clearwater FL Homes for Sale – Related Articles:
- Clearwater FL Homes for Sale Haunted by FHA Appraisals
- Clearwater Beach Florida Buyers Must Know 6 Reasons Cash May be the ONLY Purchase Option
- Clearwater Fl Homes for Sale - 5 Home Seller Myths Expose The Emperors New Clothes
Today’s Tampa mortgages require applicants need to be strong on all fronts to make lenders comfortable based on the current risk and problems they’ve experienced. Did you know that it takes more than just good income and credit to get approved anymore and today’s home buyers should revisit their qualifications.
What passed underwriting to get a loan approved in January may not still pass in May. We recently had a client surprised by the fact that even though they had lots of income and verifiable assets their low credit score kept any lender from being willing to finance their mortgage even when planning to put 50% down. Luckily for them, in 3 months they were able to clean some things up and raise their score so we’re set to close next month.
Being pro-active brings other advantages, too. If a mortgage re-pre-approval does unearth an issue, it’ll be easier for every party to the transaction to address and correct it up-front versus trying to clean up a mess once a home’s already under contract and racing the deadlines.
Got questions, just give us, your local Clearwater FL Realtors a call or talk to your loan officer about your pre-qualification/pre-approval letter before you bid on a Clearwater FL home.
So if you’re looking for Clearwater FL Realtors we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your Clearwater real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience - helping you find the perfect Clearwater FL homes for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater FL Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Real Estate Office
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater FL Home Owners – Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster?
April 5th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Community News
Clearwater Fl Home Disaster Preparedness Reminder
Clearwater Fl – We are not strangers to natural disasters here in Clearwater Fl and Clearwater home owners go through the “preparation ritual” each summer at the start of Florida hurricane season. Sunday’s earthquake in was a reminder of the importance again because Baja California was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and the tremor felt as far away as Yuma, Arizona. Friends of ours in Rhode Island and New Hampshire have been dealing with massive flooding. Winter storms are pounding the Colorado Rockies. It all reminds us that natural disaster can strike anytime and anywhere even Clearwater FL.
None of us can stop Mother Nature, so your best defense is to be prepared.
A terrific resource for families in Clearwater Fl and around the country is the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov, a website aimed at family, business and community disaster readiness. This includes defense against physical attacks, and as well as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and floods.
Other Helpful Clearwater – Pinellas County Resources
- City of Clearwater FL Emergency Management Info
- Pinellas County Evacuation Hurricane Lookup
- Pinellas County – Guide to Surviving the Storm
The Ready.gov website contains tips, notes and checklists, including the 3-minute “It Takes Just Three Steps To Get Ready For An Emergency” video featured above.
If you’ve never watched it, do it now. Then, test your Clearwater Fl home’s disaster readiness with this 10-question quiz. There’s no “passing grade” on the test but, via your own answers, you’ll see where your home has room for readiness improvement.
Disasters are unpredictable and most of us will face them at least once in our lives. Jack and I had a house fire 20 years ago on Christmas day and lost everything (however no one was in the house at the time or hurt) and I can tell you it pays to be prepared and also to know that stuff is just stuff it’s the safety of our family and loved ones that is always my top concern. Be prepared in advance, therefore. Protecting your household is simpler than you think.
Your Clearwater FL Realtors – living and working here just like you. Passionate about being your local real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience - helping you find the perfect Clearwater FL homes for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater FL Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Real Estate Office
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Sorry – Must Resubscribe Now for Clearwater Real Estate – www.SandbarsToSunsets.com
March 5th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Clearwater Florida
I am sending you all this message today so you don’t get lost in our housekeeping and transitiont. I am so sorry for the inconvenience however all of you that get our updates via email or feeds today are in a feed that we can’t access.
Don’t ask me how – it’s a weird technoglitch however we have now been left with no choice but to updated the feeds on both our blogs and you will need to resubscribe if you want to continue getting our info. We certainly hope you will. We know many of you have been with us since the beginning and we appreciate your support and adding to the conversation.
Please – Don’t be fooled, they look the same, however we publish different information on each of the blogs (they lso you may want to consider subscribing to them both.
SUBCRIBE TO THIS BLOG – SANDBARS TO SUNSETS
Click here to subscribe to www.SandbarsToSunsets.com blog
Or if you want to subscribe in your reader just click here=> Subscribe to Sandbars to Sunsets Blog in my reader
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Again, thank you and we apologize for this inconvenience. Thank you for choosing to stay connected! And as always…
If you’re looking for Clearwater FL Realtors we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience - helping you find the perfect Clearwater FL homes.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Real Estate Office
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater FL 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater Fl Homes for Sale | 5 Home Seller Myths Expose The Emperors New Clothes
February 28th, 2010 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Home Seller Tips
Why Most Clearwater FL Homes for Sale Won’t survive Naked Appraisal
Clearwater Florida - I wanted to take some time out of selling homes and share some crazy things I’m hearing and seeing on the streets. I’ve apologize because I’ve gotten behind on my articles. This is our busiest time since when it’s cold everywhere else, Florida homes and beach condos are even more appealing (I have to agree). We are seeing things changing so rapidly here and I needed to make sure I took the time to keep you updated on what’s really happening in the Clearwater real estate market. I can promise you fact is currently more interesting than fiction. Today I want to share whats happening with luxury beach homes for sale based on our recent experiences. You may find we offer a unique local perspective because we specialize in serving only buyers in the luxury home market. In fact, the last 60 days alone our team has successfully helped 8 buyers purchase Clearwater FL homes for sale and what we’re seeing out here may surprise many of you currently in the market to purchase a property in the Clearwater area. Part of our purpose today is also to help educate you as well as local home sellers who we hope will actually hear our message..”If your home is overpriced it won’t survive the appraisal – so it won’t be sold!!”
Reflecting on some of the crazy things we’ve seen and heard reminded me of the story we all learned as a child of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
Remember the story by Han’s Christian Anderson (source: Wikipedia), where “An Emperor who cares for nothing but his wardrobe hires two weavers who promise him the finest suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or “just hopelessly stupid”. The Emperor cannot see the cloth himself, but pretends that he can for fear of appearing unfit for his position or stupid; his ministers do the same.”
I keep running into the same mindset with local sellers and listing agents in different situations who in my opinion seems afraid to deal with the truth. Everyone seems to be pretending their home’s list price is really the home’s value today…whether we’re negotiating Clearwater Beach Condos or Clearwater Homes for sale, the story is the same – listing agents and home sellers who want to deny the real estate market facts and “hope” their home will sell for yesterday’s prices. While buying a home is an emotional purchase, financing is based on facts not feelings.
We are also surprised to find some of the best Clearwater FL Realtors we know and their home sellers telling to us all the reason’s why they feel their client’s home is “the finest”, “the exception” and almost acting like we might be “the foolish ones” and that we must not really understand or appreciate “this home’s value” and the market. [Not] I’ll even ask them what I’m missing? Please show me the data that backs up this price. Well I’ve yet to get any real data to change the facts all I get are “marketing bullets” and “emotions” but like the clothes on the Emperor- We can see right through it the naked facts…their desired asking price won’t stand up to an HVCC Appraisal.
Sellers seem like Realtors who will tell them what they want to hear – but is that really in their best interest? Their Realtor can even make them feel good temporarily by telling them they see ‘their fine emperor’s new clothes”. Now the seller’s pumped up and the agents get ready to “strut there stuff” with fancy brochures, marketing and explanations why other nearby homes that sold for less in the last 90 days but they don’t believe it will effect their homes value because those were:
- short sales,
- foreclosures,
- not updated,
- smaller,
- not on the same street,
- (or…plug in your favorite reason here)
I can only guess they are in denial about the facts…because everyone wants to believe their listing agent can sell “the invisible clothes” as well as their home to some gullible unsuspecting home buyer. Here’s the truth, the appraiser is going to use homes that sold within the last 90 days, in the same neighborhood, with the same characteristics and up to about 50% size difference. The more closely they relate the better for example waterfront to waterfront, pool home to pool home, 3 bedroom to 3 bedroom. However with so few sales they will use the best they can find with most recent solds meaning ALOT! Now that you know the truth what will you do with it?
- Related Article: Clearwater Fl Realtors Get Results For Home Buyers
Ideally the wishful seller and their agent will have potential buyers call them off the sign in the yard or contact the listing agent directly because then that buyer won’t be represented by a their own Realtor. This can give the home seller’s agents the advantage and opportunity to give them a private showing of these “amazing fine clothes” and sell them on why they just have to have it at or near the asking price.y
The emperor’s new clothes don’t work when dedicated buyer’s agents, like us, enter the picture with qualified serious buyers who are represented and we tell them the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth. When these buyer’s like your home and want to make an offer we find this is where the real trouble begins. The seller’s (often because in my opinion they haven’t heard the truth) feel frustrated and even angry because they really believe “their home is special” and it will definitely appraise for that price even though all the recent comparable homes sold says differently. Yes, your home is special to you and even to this buyer (that’s why they want to buy it) but it’s not worth whatever price you may be emotionally attached to and it’s not exempt for today’s HVCC Appraisal process which is based a lot more on science and less art in my recent experiences and I am seeing appraisals that are much more conservative than ever.
It was so refreshing today to read an article by Julia Fishel, a successful Palm Harbor Realtor who wrote an article that was so dead on I wanted to share some of it here…
Julia and her team market homes for home sellers and more importantly…they actually are successful selling those homes [I can only imagine some of the uncomfortable conversations she must have to have with some of their sellers - real professionals don't pretend to see "invisible clothes" or wish for "unrealistic prices" - they educated their clients and empower them to make the best decisions in any given market].
Today she wrote, “people all the time that are shocked by the news that theirgranite countertops don’t count for squat to a lender’s appraiser. Pinellas Home Values aren’t what they once were, and that new coat of paint or remodeled bathroom aren’t going to net you a penny more. ” [Amen Julia for speaking the truth no one wanted to say]
- See Julia’s whole article here: Pinellas Home Values and Why Your Upgrades Don’t Matter to Your Wallet
She also explains…”Most buyers are financed and they can’t get financing on your overpriced home! (Sorry if that stung)Any buyer using financing to purchase your home is going to need a lender appraisal. And, by the way, appraisers CAN use foreclosures and short sales as comparables. Since most homes are financed it’s key to understand appraisal guidelines when pricing your home. COMPS ARE KING!” [Newsflash to all those with homes for sale... We advise all our buyers, especially those paying cash, to get an appraisal and NOT overpay for a home]
5 Clearwater FL Home Seller Myths Dispelled – The Emperor’s Clothes Exposed
We see and hear a lot of misguided sellers and agents and here are 5 of the Myths (or just plain crazy thinking) we’ve heard in the last 60 days….
- We know the property won’t appraise and we have a qualified buyer so we explain our concerns that the property won’t appraise only to have the seller’s agent tells us, “I know but we just need some cash buyers to come in and purchase these beach condos at this price (because it used to be worth this) and then all condo prices will rise because they can bring cash to closing and don’t have to worry about appraisals since they are not financing” [Are you kidding me - my buyers WILL NOT buy your emperor's clothes - that's part of why we're in this mess - and smart cash buyers will get an appraisal as well for just this reason]
- Then we’ve been told, “Well our seller has “x” dollars in this home in upgrades (new roof, new windows, etc) and they need “x” dollars to sell” [Hand me the duct tape cause my head's going to explode - what your seller needs has no bearing on the current market value - do your job and tell them the truth please!]
- Recently we got lots of calls about a property listed in the MLS as “an auction” for $100K knowing all along the Seller owed the bank over $700K [Are you shocked that while 100's of people showed up to bid the bank didn't accept any offers (which we predicted to our clients) and there were several offers of over $600K-$700K. This one is a mixed bag - I'm disappointed that other agents are doing what we believe borders on "misleading advertising". It definitely is a great marketing ploy for them to attract buyers, especially those looking for deals I'd call "too good to be true"(you as a buyer have to ask yourself if this is that who you want representing you in a major purchase?). For the record to everyone reading this, we do have deals and prices are back to the pre-market run up days of @2003 but we don't typically have 2 bedroom beach condos for sale under $300,000 and if they are we find those have some kind of major gotcha like it overlooks parking lot, it's mold infested, it's a timeshare/condo-hotel, it's in a cash only building that can't be rebuilt after a hurricane, etc. Remember what your mother told you, "If it looks to good to be true, it probably it" - that's why working with Buyer's agents, like us, that knows "the real back-story" and are ONLY focused on protecting YOUR interests is a smart decision.]
- We’ve also heard from the seller’s agents just this weekend who want to disregard the short sale and foreclosure homes recently sold in their neighborhood and yet they are no longer exempt from the appraiser’s analysis and with fewer homes selling they often weigh heavily. [Get the facts - they do count and if they are the only sales they will really weight the results - maybe they haven't sold many of their listings recently because a year or so ago that was true - they tried not to use them however today it's SOP - standard operating procedure.]
- Your upgrades really are sadly worth much much less to an appraiser than you paid for them. Since the listing agents only get the appraisal info when they represent the buyer they may not see the current info we see almost weekly. I can tell you that currently appraiser’s give your upgrades so much less value than you would think. I’ve even seen one’s that made my jaw drop and was recently surprised myself to find an appraiser gave a beach home appraisal (1 car garage vs 2 car only $4,000, and when a home was 50% larger in size he only gave the bigger home $50 sq ft (which is crazy IMHO, a pool with pavers, 3 decks, etc. only got $9,000, a granite upgraded kitchen $5,000, etc. – so before you start thinking you’ll recoup all those improvements, think again like Julia said- appraisers work for the lenders and they are shockingly conservative in today’s market) [Buyer's this is all good news for you who can take advantage of the remainder of this buyer's market]
Home buyers, I hope you’ve seen some of the reason’s why you benefit from having your own representation in this process. We believe you deserve an advocate as well as all the current information available to determine a home’s value right now. We provide extensive analysis and advice to the buyers we work with based on our knowledge and experience so you can make strong offers. This can prevent you from overpaying as well as enabling you to get the home of your dreams that’s priced right as well as not risking losing $1000+ educating the home seller about his home’s value by doing home inspections, appraisals and more only to find out you can’t buy the home cause the bank won’t finance the home and the seller won’t seller for less and is actually stuck in denial.
I could go on forever with more real life real estate stories and will share more in the coming weeks – knowing that home sellers have an agent representing them – don’t you deserve the same when you plan to buy your home or beach condo?
So if you’re looking for a Clearwater Realtor we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience - helping you find the perfect Clearwater FL homes for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727.710.8035 or Jack @ 727710.8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Real Estate Office
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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