5 Things You Should Know Before You Move to St. Petersburg, Fl

Posted on by Arona A.
St. Pete Beach was Rated Top Beach in the United States

If you reading this you must be thinking of moving to St. Petersburg, Florida and you may be wondering why people are loving St. Petersburg. This year, St. Beach has been rated the top beach in the United States and was also rated fifth in the world.

St. Petersburg, Fl has a great deal to offer if you’re looking for a place with a diverse culture, great restaurants, top-rated beaches, nightlife, great schools, historical sites, the University of South Florida (St. Pete Campus), and great neighborhoods to live in.

Downtown St. Petersburg, Fl

Downtown St. Petersburg is buzzing all day and night. You can visit great museums such as The Dali Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts and Chihuly Collections of stunning glasswork. Check out the St. Pete Pier for fun things happening for both adults and kids. Dine at waterfront restaurants or just enjoy a fun beach day with the family. On a bright sunny day, you can browse the local Saturday Morning Market and buy organic produce, food made by the locals as well as arts and crafts. Check out our beautiful downtown on foot. Park your car and walk or use the Looper trolley which runs seven days a week. There is so much to see and do at downtown St. Pete.

Beaches St. Petersburg, Fl

Are you ready for some fantastic Beaches? As I said has been rated the top beach in the United States. Our beaches are casual and perfect for laying out. If you want some activity we’ve got plenty of that too: Check out windsurfing, boating, dolphin watching, sandcastles and so much more. While you are in St. Petersburg check out the historical Don CeSar resort where you can dine, get some drinks at the bar, have an ice cream cone with the kids. There is so much for everyone.

Sporting Arena

Are you a sports fanatic? St. Petersburg is home to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball at Tropicana Field and the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium. You can also check out the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. This takes place on the waterfront street course in downtown St. Petersburg. It’s a week-long of activities and has fun for the whole family, live entertainment, and interactive activities for the kids.

Colleges and Universities

The University of Florida has a campus located in St. Petersburg, Fl. This campus has on-campus student housing. This campus is located on the water and on some days you can see dolphins playing in the water. This campus is close to downtown and is a great place for students to live. Students are close to shops and restaurants as well a great beaches and parks.

The People

There is such a diverse makeup of people in the St. Petersburg area. You can see that through the diversity of the food and restaurants that are available. From mom-and-pop restaurants to food trucks and top dining waterfront restaurants there is something for everyone. Take a walk downtown St. Petersburg and see the mix of people enjoying each other although they come from all walks of life. This is a place where all cultures come together for some fun in the sun.

If you are ready to make the move to St. Petersburg Florida we welcome you. There is so much to do for the retirees, for the students, and for the families with kids. I cannot think of a more perfect place to to live.

If you need more information check out www.RealEstateBitz.com.


4 Upgrades that can help you lower your homeowner’s insurance cost

Posted on by Arona A.
reduce your insurance premium

Homeowners’ insurance premiums continue to rise each year. Here are some simple ways to not only lower your insurance premium, but they can also increase your property value.

  1. Do you have a bad roof that’s been leaking, has rotting wood, and is as old as you are? Did you know that insurers offer discounts for roof upgrades? Talk to your insurance agent and see what discounts are available with a new roof.
  2. Storm-Safe Windows and Doors can increase the value of your home, but it can also help you reduce your insurance premiums. Talk with your insurance agent to see what discounts are available to you.
  3. Install a Home Security System. This is an upgrade that’s relatively cheap and can reduce your insurance premium. Talk to your insurance agent.
  4. A Water shutoff device is another easy device that you can install which can help reduce your insurance premium. This device will alert you of moisture or leaks in places that shouldn’t have water. Talk with your insurance agent to see what discounts are available.

These are just a few of the things that can help you lower your insurance premiums. Don’t forget to contact your insurance agent when you get these upgrades to update your policy.

5 Must-do Home Improvement Projects to sell your home in 2020

Posted on by Arona A.
5 home improvement projects to sell your home in 2020

You’re ready to sell your home, and although you’ve always kept your home in great condition you still need to do some extra maintenance. When selling your home your property has to be in tiptop shape if you’re going to get top dollar when you sell. If you’re selling your home you still want to have your home looking good on the inside as well as the outside. Even if your home is on the market for 3 months or more, you have to keep giving that home your love, even if you have already vacated the home. When your home looks like its well cared for, you get more people interested in looking at it and even get top dollar. Here are some tips that you may already be doing or neglecting.

  1. Landscaping – your lawn should be mowed, trees and shrubs trimmed, flower beds should look lush. Your driveway and walkways should be well lit without weeds and leaves on it.
  2. Gutters – people tend to forget that you get all sorts of debris in your gutters. Make sure that your gutters are cleaned out. By not doing this you can have all sorts of issues with your roof, walls of home and drainage issues. You don’t want to deal with overflowing drains if it rains, or damage walls or foundation issues or drainage issues when selling your home.
  3. Fix Broken things – Buyers tend to check to make sure the doorbell works. It’s one of the things that people tend to forget when getting their home ready for the sale. Lots of times it doesn’t work. This may be something small to you, but to buyers, this can be a big deal. Fix leaky faucets and running toilets.
  4. Critters – go around your home and make sure you don’t have squirrels or other critters living in your attic or other areas of your home.
  5. Clean Windows and Doors – If your home is on the market for more than a month you will have to get those windows and doors cleaned up. Get rid of cobwebs or spiderwebs that may have built up around them. Not doing this will make the home look neglected.

Get your punch list made up, and make sure you’ve got all of these little things taken care of. By doing these small things you can get more return on your investment.


Leave It To The Professionals

Posted on by Arona A.
COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS HOMES IN TAMPA FL

Many of us may buy and sell a home maybe once or twice in our lifetime. This is one of the biggest investments that we will make so why leave it to chance. I know many of the DIYs are thinking I can do this job, this is a piece of cake. I can put my listing online and I can get a bunch of great offers. This is a common way of thinking for the average homeowner.

Don’t Make This Mistake

A homeowner may not know the value of their home. They either, undervalue it which they can potentially lose more than what they would have spent on hiring a Realtor who would have priced it correctly. On the flip side, we have the FSBOs that think their home is worth a lot more than it actually is.

Homes that are over-priced tend to sit on the market and get stale over time. Most people would not even call because they think that something is wrong with the home if it’s been on the market that long without a sale. It really isn’t an advantage, having your home sitting on Zillow for over 90 days. Don’t make the mistake of doing this.

Realtors know that homeowners are honest and hardworking people. We want to do our best to sell your home and get you as much as we can in the shortest period of time. We are there to be the buffer, to negotiate for you and your family, to do all the dirty work so you can get the benefit of a stress-free transaction. We strive to make your life remain as normal as possible during this whole process of selling your home.

Keep in mind

Your home will sell for what it is appraised at. It does not matter if you think your home is worth $20,000 more. It’s what the appraiser thinks it’s worth. Get a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Some Realtors will do this for free for you, so ask for one.

Tip: If you know you don’t like

  • answering the phone, and talking to strangers
  • is not available to show your home during the day or evenings
  • cannot do open houses
  • hate to negotiate with people
  • already busy with family life (school, sports, work, kids)
  • not computer savvy
  • can’t take good photos

Don’t attempt to sell your own home. You are better off using a Realtor to help you sell your home. Call me if you are selling your home in the Tampa, Seminole, Largo, Clearwater, Pinellas Park, Tarpon Spring, Palm Harbor areas. I am an agent in Pinellas County Florida and can answer any questions you may have about selling your home.

Call/Text: 727-422-9340 Email: arona.mcginley@gmail.com

GET A COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS —IT’S FREE!



Advantages of Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Posted on by Arona A.
Realtor Arona McGinley

Many of us think that the best time to sell a home would be in the spring and summer. This is true that the majority of buyers are looking to make a purchase during those months. But not all buyers disappear after Labor Day.

In Florida, your home may get a lot of interest from all the snow birds that are flocking down to Florida. This is a great time to take advantage of the holiday season and show off your home to 2nd home buyers or buyers that are looking to make Florida their home.

Your Home Looks It’s Best

This is a great time to make your home look cozy and family friendly. Most people shopping for homes during the holidays are very motivated. This is great time to capitalize on this by creating an atmosphere of family with tasteful decorating and minimal clutter.

Show off your home’s greatest assets and enhance it by using tasteful christmas decorations.

Lack of Competition

Many sellers are debating on taking their home off the market during the holidays. You may find that you have little or no competition during the holidays. New sellers may want to wait for the new year to list their home or prefer to get it ready for sale during spring or summer.

This is an advantage to you because you have less competition for buyers looking for homes like yours. When you have less homes on the market it means that you get tons of buyers focusing on your home. Talk to your realtor and make sure your home is priced correctly.

Buyers are more Motivated

Most people don’t decide to move during the holidays. If you have a buyer shopping for a home during the holidays usually it means they have to move. This involves a job or other reason to buy a home during the holidays. People shopping for homes around the holidays tend to be serious buyers and are very motivated. Keep the holiday cheer on when you meet with these folks and you’ll be sure to sell your home.

Buyers Handbook

Posted on by Arona A.
Mortgage application tampa bay florida


Preparing For Your Purchase

Why you should move to Florida

Posted on by Arona A.
moving to tampabay florida

Well, Let’s see! Florida is always warm, it’s got the most amazing beaches and is filled with fun things to do every day. You wake up each morning in Florida and you feel energized and ready for a perfect day. Of course Florida has its pros and cons, but we’ve got the sunshine all year round and that’s a win, win in my book.

For me Florida is the perfect place to live. Keep in mind there is no state income tax! It’s pretty affordable to live in Florida and if you’re looking for different types of food and people, then you’re in luck, because Florida is very cosmopolitan. You can never be bored in Florida. It literally costs you nothing to jump in your car and drive to the beach to look at our amazing sunset.

So some of the bad stuff would include, it being very humid, Florida can get really hot in those summer months. We do have to deal with hurricanes and bugs. Some solutions …If you’re hot then hang out in a great restaurant with air condition that is over looking the beach. Wear a hat and sunscreen when you’re outdoors. Sweating is great for getting rid of toxins in your body. Use bug spray to keep away the bugs. Hurricanes can be destructive but every state has it’s good and bad. Florida has mostly the good stuff. Get hurricane rated windows and doors and pack up and leave if you know a hurricane is coming.

If you are thinking of moving to Florida, or you just want to be here for a couple of months out of the year, this is the best time to purchase a home in Florida. Spring is a great time to start looking for a home. Think of using a Realtor when purchasing a home. Realtors have access to there largest database of available home on the market. There is no cost to you to hire a Buyers Agent.

You may think renting can be an option for you if you plan on moving to Florida. Think again! It maybe cheaper for you to buy. Yes, that’s what I said! Instead of paying your landlords mortgage why not take the money you’re going to pay renting and pay your own mortgage. Your home can be an investment and you can get tax deductions for your mortgage interest, get equity in your home. You have the freedom to have your pets in your own home versus having to ask permission if renting. Your home can be sold if you want to move and you can make a profit from owning your own home. Start looking for home now in Pinellas County Florida.

Bottom line, I love that it’s beautiful all year round in Florida. The people are great, the schools are great and the lifestyle is what you can only dream of living, but if you move to Florida, then it can be your reality.