Clearwater Florida
Clearwater Realtors Make Dream Home in Clearwater a Reality after 3 yrs
April 21st, 2012 Categories: Clearwater Florida
Moving to Clearwater FL – Working with No Pressure Clearwater Realtors Pays off
Clearwater Florida – a Clearwater Realtors, we learned a long time ago that people don’t want to hear what we have to say about how we work – it’s much better coming from our clients. Meet George and Julia Henry who recently moved their new home in Feathersound in Clearwater / St Pete Gateway area. George was in a serious work accident several years ago and as a result living in the cold weather in New York with lots of metal in his body now it was painful. Julia nd George contacted us knowing they had a lawsuit settlement coming and they could then to move to Clearwater Florida. Well if you’ve ever been in a lawsuit then you know even when you win, there’s usually delays, appeals, etc. so long story short it took over 3 years for all that to get resolved. In the meantime George and Julia would search all Clearwater homes for sale on our website. We stayed in touch and they would let us know whenever they were coming to visit, which was usually a couple times a year and we would go look at the “favorite” homes. They were ready and had a plan for when the big day would come…finally late last year they got word the last appeal, the last delay, the last hurdle was cleared…all the work, all the planning, all the dreams…were ready to become a reality.
They have been a delight to work with and we still enjoy getting together with them now that they’re all moved in their new home in Feathersound. I was touched by there recount of the relocation and home buying process and how there were afraid their Clearwater Realtors, us, wouldn’t have the patience to be there when all the dust settled. What a sad commentary on our Real Estate industry that so many focus on the quick sale – Jack and I started this business seven years ago to give the kind of service we want ourselves. Those that know us and have worked with us know we always put our clients best interest first. This year we have several clients who finally saw their dreams become a reality that we’ve been working with for three plus years – to me that’s a huge compliment that they’ve also chosen to stick with us for the long haul and that they value the job we do for them.
Honestly, it’s a two way street – not everyone is a good fit for us either – because we have to invest our time, knowledge and expertise and we don’t get paid until, you the client, closes on your dream home. So as much as our clients value loyalty and commitment – so do we ;D This joint partnership is what makes for a great experience and for our buyers to benefit from having a true advocate working for them and the bonus is our fee is covered by the sellers.
They also shared some honest insight in the last few seconds about how challenging it is to buy a home in Clearwater Florida today and how the newspaper stories and media hype about bargains and steals is not so accurate for todays real estate market. They found like most people looking to buy a home today that our inventory is way down and so the buyers that are ready to buy are all competing for the same homes and paying 92%+ of the list price when homes are priced with the market.
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home or condo in the Pinellas County area and value hard work, knowledge and results then please give Jack and I a call at 727-710-8036 to see how we can best help you.
We are passionate about being your Clearwater real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge and Experience – helping you buy or sell your Clearwater Homes or condos
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Real Estate Team! Call us today…
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon, Realtors
Charles Rutenberg Realty
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
Check out our other client testimonials here > http://www.sandbarstosunsets.com/clients/
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Clearwater Florida Homes – 10 Things You Need for Homestead Exemption
February 24th, 2012 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Pinellas County, Real Estate News
Clearwater Florida – Just wanted to remind everyone who purchased Clearwater Florida homes or changed your status’s last year (i.e if you purchased a new primary residence in 2011) then you have until March 1st to apply for Florida’s Homestead Exemption. This exemptions saves the typical Clearwater home owner $500 to $800 however most people are excited that it caps how much taxes can rise in a given year.
I was showing a Clearwater Beach condo for sale at Mandalay Beach Club last week and because units at the Sandpearl Residences had sold for over $2 million last year this condo saw it’s “just market value” (the amout the Pinellas County Property Appraiser calculates your property taxes) go up 30% – YIKES!!!
For those that bought Clearwater Florida homes – you can apply for the exemption (1)online or (2) at any of the Pinellas County Offices.
10 Things you Need for Homestead Exemption
This is a list of items the Pinellas County Property Appraiser will want you to have when you appl:
- driver’s license number and expiration date,
- place of birth,
- where you lived prior to here,
- date you became a resident,
- date you purchased the property,
- social security number,
- are you employed and location,
- phone contact info and permission to gather information like phone or utility records to show you live here,
- also asked if you own or lease a vehicle
- The address you used on your last federal income tax return
And remember if you are looking to buy or sell Clearwater Florida homes or condos, Jack and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the market with you and your particular situation. Just give us a call for the most up today information that’s happening in the Beach real estate markets along our 26 miles of beaches.
Clearwater Beach Real Estate
We are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience – helping you buy or sell your Beach condos in Clearwater Beach to St Pete Beach.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Beach Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727-710-8035 or Jack @ 727-710-8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon, Realtors
Charles Rutenberg Realty
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Elegant Clearwater Music Jazz Series – An Evening with Eric Darius
February 21st, 2012 Categories: Clearwater Florida, Things to do
Clearwater Florida - Clearwater is known for it’s Jazz and this past Saturday we had the pleasure of attending the dynamic Inaguaral Clear Music Jazz Series event to benefit youth music education in Pinellas County . It was held at the stunning Water’s Edge Condominiums on the waterfront in Downtown Clearwater. Jack and I were lucky enough to be guests of one of the leading local social media companies, Head of Lettuce Media (@HOLMedia on Twitter). A big shout out and Thank you goes to co-founders, Antony Francis and Amber Osborne (@Antony511 and @MissDestructo) who you can easily connect with on twitter when they’re not out helping local clients. Lucky for us, they practice what they teach and held contests on Facebook and Twitter to promote this unique event through social media…and guess who won – me!!! We had a wonderful time and wanted to share some of the fun with you – in the video below you’ll hear Top 10 Billboard Artist and Tampa Bay native, Eric Darius and get a feel of what a magical evening under the stars it was:
The evening kicked off at 5pm sharp at the Water’s Edge so we could all get prime spots for that evenings sunset. We pulled up to see 3 beautiful red, black and silver Ferrari’s out front and beautiful majestic palms were painting artistic shadows onto the building, all of this was just foreshadowing of what was to come – an evening for the senses, nothing but the best including enjoying one of the best Clearwater sunsets I’ve seen in a long time.
We actually got the VIP treatment which means we were personally escorted to the Water’s Edge Penthouse with breathtaking panaramic views overlooking Clearwater Harbor out to the Gulf of Mexico on one side and magical cityscape views of downtown Clearwater with vistas from St Pete all the way past Dunedin – what a great place the Water’s Edge would be to live. Eric Darius, Top 10 Billboard Jazz artist, arrived and mingled with the VIPS while hor’ derves and champagne were served – he was even kind enough to take a picture with Jack and me. We enjoyed the view, the people and the impressive art exhibited by local artists, Robert Neff (@5wa) and Scott Menual.
At 6pm the party moved down to the Liquid Level on the 5th floor poolside for amazing food, a wonderful setting where the energetic and emotional Jazz music of Eric Darius filled the air as the palm trees danced in the wind and night lights. The plan is for this to be the first of many to help support local Jazz youth.
And as if this wasn’t all sweet enough, at 7:30pm on the ground floor in the community room was turned in to the “Sweet Spot” – complete decadence and no sweet tooth was left unsatisfied. Here take a quick peek at the video below…
Also going on this weekend was the Sea-Blues Festival which we missed this year – just not enough hours in the day but that’s definitely one of the things we love about living in Clearwater – there are so many fun things to do and what’s not to like about Clearwater in the winter. Thanks again to Antony and Amber for having us as their guests – it was a night to remember for sure.
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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
Showing properties
1 - 5 of 332.
See more city of Clearwater real estate.
(all data current as of
5/21/2012)
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$649,000 : 2625 Heron Ln N, Clearwater5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths
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$1,123,000 : 11 Baymont St # 905, Clearwater2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$1,695,000 : 1370 Gulf Blvd # 903, Clearwater4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths
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$599,000 : 521 Mandalay Ave # 305, Clearwater2 beds, 2 full baths
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$668,000 : 11 San Marco St # 708, Clearwater2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
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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