11 Reasons You’ll Love Moving To Clearwater, FL

Posted on by Arona A.
Redington Beach Florida
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

Arona McGinley | Charles Rutenberg Realty | RealEstateBitz.com

Every day we have families moving to Clearwater, FL! Clearwater is one of those places that is perfect for families with children, seniors looking to relax and enjoy the perfect weather or a great golf day. When you move to Clearwater, Fl plan on getting rid of the snow boots and heavy winter jackets. Time to stock up on lots of bathing suits, shorts, and sleeveless tees. Whatever the reason it’s definitely one of the best places to live in Florida.

Clearwater Florida has excellent schools, there is so much history and I can’t forget to add Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Clearwater, FL supports over 50,000 local jobs and has been growing every year. If you’re looking for that beach vibe with a slower pace of life then this is the place for you. Check out our downtown and enjoy the museums, great restaurants, and perfect weather. Should you be moving to Clearwater, or are thinking of moving to Clearwater, Fl please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about this beautiful city. I am always happy to help!

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.

Is Buying a Condo Right for you?

Posted on by Arona A.
Is buying a condo right for you in florida

So you’re thinking about buying a condo? Buying a condo can make sense for most people! It’s great for retirees, singles, couples, and for 2nd homes or vacation homes.

Consider these before buying a Condo.

Is Condo living right for everyone? A Condo may offer many advantages as well as disadvantages. Here are some Pros and Cons to look at before you decide to buy a Condo.

  • Condo living is somewhat like apartment living. Not a lot of parking available for friends and family when they visit.
  • If you want privacy then Condo living is not for you.
  • Consider the extra fees that are charged for amenities whether you use them or not (pool, clubhouse, gym, game room, etc). Fees for maintenance such as yard work, upkeep for anything outside of your Condo.
  • Little or no yard space. Forget about those backyard BBQs with friends and family.

On the other hand, most Condo communities offer a lot of amenities for those who want to take advantage of them.

  • Amenities include Work out Rooms, Pools, Clubhouse, get together with neighbors, and more.
  • There is the convenience factor
  • If you like people and love to interact with your neighbors then this will be a great atmosphere for you. There is a sense of community in Condo living
  • No Yardwork ever again! Someone else takes care of the maintenance.

Living the Condo life may not be for everyone. If you love that Condo lifestyle there are lots of great Condos available in the Tampa Bay Florida area.

If you are ready to start your Condo search contact your local Realtor for more information on what’s available.

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.


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.


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.

Things to Know about FHA Appraisals

Posted on by Arona A.
Arona Mcginley real estate agent seminole florida. FHA Appraisal

In order to use an FHA loan to purchase a home, the property will have to be appraised and inspected by a HUD-approved appraiser. This is to ensure that the property meets HUDS’s minimum property standards.

WHAT IS AN APPRAISAL?

Only an expert can assesses or determine the value of your home. You get an appraisal to determine the value of your home in today’s market. The appraiser usual has a check list of HUDs requirements for FHA.

Things You Should Know About FHA Home Appraisals

  • HAND RAILS – handrails should be installed along open staircases, and in accordance with FHA/HUD requirements.
  • RAILINGS – has to be installed around, decks, patios, porches and balconies.
  • PAINT – all interior and exterior paint should be in good condition. There should be no distressed paint eg. peeling paint.
  • WINDOWS – all windows should be fully operational and not broken. If it is, it has to be replaced.
  • DOORS – doors should be functional and hanging properly.
  • ROOF – If the roof has leaks it must be repaired or replaced.
  • UTILITIES -utilities must be on and functional at the time of the inspection.

These are just some of the things that will be addressed with an FHA Appraiser. To get more information visit FHA APPRAISAL

If you are looking for more information on selling or buying a home please call/text 727-422-9340 or email: arona.mcginley@gmail.com or fill out the contact form.