How to make an offer on a home?

Posted on by Arona A.

You have found a home in your favorite Florida neighborhood that fits all your needs, and you decide you want to make an offer.

How do you make a strong offer on a home?

A strong offer is an offer that can be 5% less than the listing price usually. In today’s market with so few homes available for sale it may be in your best interest to go strong with a full price offer or 2% less than the listing price. When you make your offer you also want to show the seller that you are serious by submitting your pre-approval letter with your offer. Make it sweeter by putting down a healthy earnest deposit maybe around 1% of the sale price. Add some cash to the deal. Sellers like shorter inspection periods, that would be attractive to a seller. You can also offer the sellers a quick closing. (contact a realtor to help you with this step)

Arona McGinley Realtor in Tampa Bay Florida.


A Counter Offer

What is a counteroffer? Normally your first offer may not get accepted. There may be a counter-offer from the seller and you will need to respond to it when it is presented. You can either accept the counteroffer or go back with another offer, if that’s not accepted you can walk away from the home.

Why use a Realtor when making an offer?

In today’s market, it’s very competitive and you need someone that is looking out for your interest. The sellers have their agent and the buyer should have their own agent to help them with making the offer and negotiating for them. Don’t go house shopping without your Realtor, you could end up paying way too much for that home.


Sellers Market – Best time to sell is now!

Posted on by Arona A.
realestatebitz.com

There’s never been a better time to sell your home in Florida. With low-interest rates at a record low you can find lots of buyers looking for homes in the Sunshine State. If you were looking to sell your home this would be a great time to get your home on the market.

Here are some tips for getting your home ready for the market place.

  1. Find a listing agent
  2. Look around your home and think about decluttering. What are all the things that you need to pack away to make your home look and feel more spacious? Purge your overflowing closets, pack away collectibles, knick-knacks, remove things off your kitchen countertops to get a cleaner look.
  3. Hire a professional cleaner. The first impression of your home will go a long way. Clean carpets, scrub tile floors, windows, moldings and scrub your bathrooms. Your home must be in pristine condition.
  4. Paint, Paint, Paint, this is a cheap way to give your homea more welcoming and new look. Choose colors that a neutral and would appeal to most buyers. Remember your are trying to appeal to the masses.
  5. The outside of your home should look just as good as the inside. Powerwash the dirt off the home, clean the gutters, give your home a facelift by doing some light landscaping. Paint your front door and add a decorative mat that invites someone to enter.
  6. This is my number one tip… pack away family photos, toys, and awards. You want your home to be warm and welcoming, but you also want the buyer to envision themselves living in the home with their family.
Theres never a better time to sell your home

Now that you have your home looking great, its time to put it on the market. Best of luck!

Why you should have a Foyer in your home

Posted on by Arona A.
A foyer is a great place to meet guests

A Foyer whether big or small is a space that you welcome your guests. This is a space that you can vamp up with color, glamour or make it cozy and intimate. A foyer can add value to your home when selling it.

What is the use of a foyer in a home?

Your foyer is a space that you greet your guests or anyone that happen to knock at the front door. It gives you an opportunity to greet an unexpected visitor without them entry into your family space.

Is a foyer necessary?

I believe a foyer is necessary for any home. It can be the one area that is kept neat and tidy to greet guests that calls on you unexpectedly. You can create an illusion of a grand entry to your home to wow your guests.

What do you need in a foyer?

Since we live in Florida you should have

  • RUG – a weather-resistant rug. This should add a wow factor to your foyer.
  • SEATING – I also love having a bench with a couple of bold color pillows.
  • MIRROR – I love having a mirror in a foyer. It can open up a small space and make it appear larger.
  • TABLE -Have a console table for things like keys and other knick nacks.
  • FLOWERS -Have a nice flower arrangement or a couple of books.


Home Purchasing Costs & Fees

Posted on by Arona A.

Here are some of the costs that you will have when purchasing a home in Florida.

Are You Ready To Buy Your Home?

Posted on by Arona A.
Your guide to buying your first home -

Buying a home can be the most exciting time for you and your family. But don’t lose out on the home of your dreams by doing this alone. This is one of the biggest financial transactions of your life, and I want to help you by making this experience less stressful.

As you go through the process you may have questions on –

  1. Downpayment – How much is required as a downpayment of a home?
  2. How do I get a Mortgage for this home?
  3. How do I complete the Mortgage application?
  4. Do I have enough money saved up to buy this home?
  5. Do I have a good credit score?
  6. How do I write up an offer on my dream home?
  7. How do I negotiate to get the best price?
  8. How do I submit an offer on my dream home?
  9. What do I do when the Seller accepts my offer?
  10. How do I get the home inspected?
  11. How do I negotiate repairs?
  12. How do I get a title search?
  13. How do I get a survey?
  14. What are my closing costs?

There are so many things to think about when buying your home. Don’t go through this alone. Call/Text 727-422-9340 I can help you buy the dream home for you and your family.

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.