Properties, Houses and Condos for Sale in St Petersburg Treasure Island Florida

head_left_image

Prepare your Treasure Island home for sale and spruce up the yard.

Treasure Island, prepare your home for sale. Spruce up the yard.

When trying to sell a home here in Treasure Island Florida it is as important in Real Estate as in every other aspect of life to make a good first impression. So spend a day in your yard. Cut off all the dead leaves, add some fresh mulch, plant some colorful seasonal flowers, roll up water hoses, remove kid's toys. Make sure your lawn is fertilizes and looks really nice and green, pull weeds etc. All this doesn't cost a fortune but it will make you huge difference when trying to sell you home here in Treasure Island. I have seen buyers who do not even want to go into a house when the front yard is already a mess. In a buyer's mind the outside reflects the inside. So, before you put the "For sale sign" in your yard, do a little work and get it all cleqaned up nice and fresh looking.

Treasure Island, prepare your home for sale. Spruce up the yard.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Your Options To Avoid Foreclosure

This is very important information for homeowners that consider a Short Sale.

Call me anytime you have a question.

Anne

727 409 8706

Via Mike Watson (Prudential California Realty):

Chula Vista CA - If you're facing foreclosure, then you are probably under stress. You don't know what is going to happen. How long will it take before the bank kicks us out on the street? Will I owe my lender a ton of money? Will I ever get my life back? That's why we put this site together. You need to know what your options are. So, let's go thru them here.

Option #1: Do nothing and the lender forecloses on the house. Please be aware that in most states the foreclosure process can take a long time. I've seen it take some lenders up to a year to foreclose on a house. Some banks have better lawyers and can get a foreclosure done in 3-4 months. But, that is often rare.

Option #2: Deed-In-Lieu of Foreclosure. A "Deed-in-Lieu" is where you surrender your home to the lender. This enables the lender to sell your home faster and protect their investment. What benefit does it give you? None. Do not consider this option unless the lender gives you something in return

Option #3: Loan Modification to reduce your mortgage payment. If you want to keep your home, then it is a good option. Many lenders will reduce your interest rate, or extend the term of the loan. To qualify, you often have to send your lender all of your pay stubs, bank statements, and other financial documentation. Click here to get more information on this option.

Option #4: Reinstatement. This is when you pay the lender for all back payments, late fees, and other related costs. After that you start making normal monthly payments. This restores your account to its former current status. The only problem is that it requires you to come up with all the back payments and other fees.

Option #5: Get a New Loan and pay off your old loan. This is a good option if you still have equity in your home. However, if you owe more than your home is worth, then it will be hard to find a lender willing to pay everyone off. The other problem is that when your credit history shows late payments, then it will be hard to get a new loan.

Option #6: Sell the property. If you don't want to your house anymore, then this is a good option to consider. However, if you owe more on the mortgage than the house is worth, then you will need to sell thru a short sale.

Option #7: Rent the property. This is a good way to earn some extra money. However, many mortgages are written with legal clauses that force you to forward any rent proceeds to the lender. In addition, many local and state governments have recently written laws forbidding you form renting a property unless the mortgage is current.

Option #8: Bankruptcy. This used to be a great option for a fresh start. However, in recent years the bankruptcy laws were tightened up considerably. The law now forces the bankruptcy judges to steer you to a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. This is versus the better bankruptcy option, which is a Chapter 7. The difference between the two is that a Chapter 7 gets rid of all your debts. A Chapter 13 basically sets you up on a court monitored repayment plan.

Under a Chapter 13, many people find themselves stuck under the same burden of debt that caused the problem in the first place. Only this time, they have to pay all the extra costs associated with the bankruptcy. I've heard some experts say that your just better of not paying your creditors than doing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. This costs you less money out of pocket and your credit gets cleaned up faster.

Option #9: Short Sale. A short sale is when you owe more than your home is worth. You sell it with the assistance of a licensed real estate agent. It costs you nothing. The agent gets paid by your lender. It is well known that a lender will net more money on a short sale than taking a home back thru foreclosure. Why? A lender saves money on interest, attorney fees, and other related foreclosure costs.

A recent study done by the Boston Consulting Group showed that a lender will reduce their losses considerably with a short sale. If you are interested in a short sale, then fill out your info at the bottom of the page. In fact, they reduce their losses by 20% on average when accepting a short sale versus foreclosure.

Here is what we do when we help you with a short sale.

Step #1: We put the home up for sale and market it to find a buyer.

Step #2: We gather all of the necessary documents to process the short sale.

Step #3: After we find a buyer who wants to purchase the property, we contact your lender's loss mitigation department. We ask them what documents are necessary to submit the short sale package and how to send it to them.

Step #4: We submit the buyer's offer and all the short sale paperwork to your lender. We have a complete checklist that we follow so everything is submitted properly.

Step #5: We follow up with your lender to negotiate the short sale. There is a lot of time involved at this stage of the process. Many lenders short sale departments are busy with an avalanche of file. However, with a little patience and perseverance we are able to get the lender to approve the short sale.

Step #6: Upon lender approval we then coordinate everything to a successful closing. We follow up with all the inspections, appraisals, surveys, and the buyer's financing.

Step #7: Closing. Everything is completed and you are now out from under the burden of debt and stress. Most sellers are so glad to be done with the stress and uncertainty. It's closure.

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Mike Watson, real estate agent at Prudential California Realty. Call Mike at (619) 743-8884.

Get the tools you need for a successful loan modification by clicking here.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Try to Sell Your Home By Yourself

It doesn't really matter where you home or condo is located, this great post is true everywhere

Via Erica Ramus - Realty Executives / Pottsville PA Real Estate:

Are you thinking of selling your Schuylkill County Home FSBO -- by yourself?

Marketing a home in 2010 is NOT the same as marketing it 10 years ago. Even if you did this before, you have to do so much more than plant a sign on the yard and place a classified ad.

5. Advertising is more complicated. When is the last time you read the newspaper or searched the classifieds. Years ago you'd buy the paper to see what homes were for sale or rent. A single classified ad run several times a week might get you enough calls to sell the house. Now it's so much more complicated! Most agents and brokers don't advertise anymore in newspapers because THEY DON'T WORK and also because they are very expensive considering the lack of results.

4. Are you internet savvy? What does work is the internet. Buyer start their searches online now, months before they are ready to buy. A real estate broker will put your property on the MLS to advertise to all agents, plus many other internet sites. In our office, we put your property on 3 MLS systems covering all of Schuylkill, Lebanon/Lancaster MLS, and  TREND MLS which stretches into Reading and Philadelphia. We then use Postlets and ListHub to feed out into over 38 sites via RSS feed. So you're on Trulia, Zillow, Craigslist, Homes.com, and so many more sites. Can you do that?

3. Are you ready to pre-qualify buyers who call on the phone? Before you let someone cross the threshhold, are you ready to ask them personal questions about their finances, or are you going to just open the door? How do you know a buyer really has the ability to buy? Because he says so? Really? Not in today's market. And once you agree to show your home to someone, you need to make yourself available to all buyers, at their request, when they want to see the home on their own time, not yours. Is it an inconvenient time? Sorry. Make yourself available for them.

2. What about all the paperwork? If you do go FSBO, call a lawyer. You will need someone to write up the contracts and get you to settlement. You should not just go online or to Staples to find generic documents. This is complicated and dangerous to try to do on your own. You need an attorney to help you once you find a buyer. The work is not finished. It is just starting, unfortunately. You have contracts, then inspections, the appraisal, and financing details to make it thru now.

1. Can you negotiate like a pro? Seriously. If a buyer walks in and asks "Can you go lower" or "Why are you selling" or "What is your bottom line?" How will you answer? This is not a business deal cut and dry. This is your house. Will you waffle a bit and tell them there is room to negotiate? Will you tell them that you need to be moved in 30 days because you got a new job? Will you hurt your negotiating power by giving away too many details about why you are moving and/or how much you will really take? Having an agent in the middle can take a step away from this, giving a bit of distance to you in negotiating. Perhaps if you do not want to pay an agent, you should hire that lawyer to negotiate for you. Don't try this yourself if you even think you're going to tell buyers too much personal information or cave when they say your home is overpriced or they can only afford X.

Real estate agents -- good ones -- will put YOUR Interests above theirs. They will negotiate fiercely to get you the highest and best price for your house. They will take care of all the little details you otherwise have to handle on your own. The best agents are worth every penny you will pay, in getting you a higher price for your home with less hassles.

Are you thinking of selling your Schuylkill County Home FSBO -- by yourself? Think again, please.

If you're going FSBO because you think you cannot afford one, it may just be that you cannot afford NOT to have an agent. Not all firms charge the same fees. All fees are negotiable. Interview a few agents and ask each one to explain what they do for their fees, and how their fees are structured. You just might be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

 

Flickr image courtesy MiK

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA. If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all of your Schuylkill County real estate needs, call Realty Executives at 570-622-6006. Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate. Click on the link above to search Pottsville PA homes for sale or any Schuylkill County homes for sale. We have all properties listed for sale in the Schuylkill MLS on our website -- free search! No registration is required!

We also run Schuylkill Appraisal Services, for all your appraisal needs in the area. If you need an appraisal, we are your Schuylkill County appraisal source. 



 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Why do buyers call, e mail or write to a seller directly?

Why do buyers call, e mail or write to a seller directly?

Sellers do not want to be bothered; there is a reason why they have a listing agent.

Once a property owner decides to sell their home or condo and they hire a realtor to help them and the property is listed the seller should not be bother by people knocking on their door say "I want to buy your home"

I do not know what is going on, but just in the last 2 weeks I had a homeowner that was approached 3 different times by buyers, one in person, one letter, one e mail....................

Why as a buyer would you do this? The house is listed, you HAVE to deal with the agent anyway.

I think it is very disrespectful to the seller and as far as I know it has never worked anyway.

Is this a Florida thing or does it happen everywhere?


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

How much should I pay for a condo in Sunset Vistas in Treasure Island Tampabay on Gulf Blvd.

How much should I pay for a condo in Sunset Vistas in Treasure Island Tampabay on Gulf Blvd.

Sunset Vista treasure IslandYou do not need to be a Realtor or an appraiser to find the right price for these condos. All it takes it common sense. All of the units are the same, same size, same year built, same color, same floors, same kitchen, same furniture same everything BUT the view.

 

There are 13 units in a row going all the way from the street to the beach angled so each unit has a view of the water. The building has five floors above parking. The units have 3 digit numbers the first number is the floor and the other two are the position on the floor. It starts with 1 at the street site and goes up to 13 which is closest to the beach.

So, right now unit units in Sunset Vista Treasure Island

408 is listed for $299,000

302 is listed for $306,000

403 is listed for $309,900

Now here we have unit 201 listed for $399,000. I hope the seller does not wonder why it has been on the market for 1132 days. This unit is on the lowest floor and the furthers from the beach.

 All this said, one last thing.   Don't just "stumble" into the Real Estate market, do your homework first, be prepared find a good Listing agent  or selling agent that knows Treasure Island, someone that does a lot of online advertising and marketing for a listing and comparative market analysis for a sale, check out his or her testimonials, "Google" the name.  

I hope I gave you a good answer to your question.  How much should I pay for a condo in Sunset Vistas in Treasure Island Tampabay on Gulf Blvd.

 

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in the Saint Petersburg Tampabay Florida area, please give me a call. Ask me about waterfront homes or condos in St. Pete beach, Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Seminole and other Clearwater Tampabay neighborhoods. Find out what we can do to sell your home or condo and what the value of your property is. Check out great real estate deals or visit condo associations like Seminole Isle.

We also work with short sale bank owned and foreclosures. Find a property or go to my website for more real estate information or simply contact us.   727 409 8706

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Selling/ listing my home or condo in Treasure Island, how do I find the right asking price?

Selling/ listing my home or condo in Treasure Island, how do I find the right asking price?

pricing your homeThe answer to that is very easy, have your Realtor (make sure it is a local real estate expert) do a comparable market analysis for you or get and official appraisal. (From an appraiser that knows the area well) Yes, that's how easy it is. No if's and but's, no guess work. Keep in mind we homeowners all think that our house or condo is so much NICER that the neighbors. Our children are so much smarter than the others and on we go. It is impossible for a home owner to be unbiased or objective about their own property. There are too many emotions involved and we simply cannot see a clear picture. Talking to your friends and neighors won't help either, they are not experts and they do not want to "hurt your feelings"

Keep in mind, in this kind of market is it more important than ever to ask the right price for your home or condo. If you are priced wrong, nobody will make an offer and you will sit on your listing forever.

I am a Realtor in Treasure Island and also a homeowner in Treasure Island, if I want to know what I could sell my home for, I would ask one of my fellow Realtor here in Treasure Island. I can do the comparable market analysis for ever home or condo in Treasure Island BUT for my own. I simply can't see it objectively.

Hope this helps you a little bit to answer the question Selling/ listing my home or condo in Treasure Island, how do I find the right asking price?

 

 

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in the Saint Petersburg Tampabay Florida area, please give me a call. Ask me about waterfront homes or condos in St. Pete beach, Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Seminole and other Clearwater Tampabay neighborhoods. Find out what we can do to sell your home or condo and what the value of your property is. Check out great real estate deals or visit condo associations like Seminole Isle.

We also work with short sale bank owned and foreclosures. Find a property or go to my website for more real estate information or simply contact us.   727 409 8706

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Every Seller Needs To Know, What Sells a house?

 

Via Carra Riley CRB, CRS, GRI (Carra Riley Inc.- Real Estate Consultant, Author, Speaker ):

Every Seller Needs To Know, What Sells a house?

There are four varibles that sell a house.

laser1.  Price

 

2.  Terms

 

3.  Condition

 

4.  Location

 

 

All four of the variables go together to create the "perfect sale."  Each aspect must be taken into consideration if you want a property to sell.

1.  Price fixes everything!  Don't let anyone tell you different.  When the buyer perceives there is a value because of the price, they will buy the home.

The other three varibles always can effect the price.

There are circumstances where a buyer has lost the ability to qualify for a traditional loan because of a foreclosure or bankruptcy and the buyer needs owner financing.  With Owner carry Terms that particular buyer may be willing to pay more because they have ownership with possibly a small down payment. 

Conversely, if the Condition is bad the price will have to be reduced to reflect a value in the home where a buyer will have to come in and do repairs or cosmetic updates.

Location is the toughest variable in the sale to compensate for.  Most people have heard about in Real Estate the terms Location, Location, Location. If the location is bad.. ONLY price will sell the property possibly combined with terms so exciting that a buyer will not be able to pass up the deal. 

2.  Terms.  If the Terms are attractive, sometimes a seller can get more money for the home.  For example: a home with a value of $325,000 listed with owner carry terms of $25,000 down and no bank qualifing might be able to sell at $350,000 because of the terms. 

Under any owner carry situation, it is important the seller speak with their accountant and attorney before accepting any contract and agreement to finance.   The seller should be completely aware of the liability and consequences in owner financing. This is just an example how price can increase with the right terms.

3.  Condition is a key factor in selling a home.  When the property is in top condition, looking like a show home the seller may get top market value for the property. In times where homes are selling at a slow pace, in order to procur a sale, the home should be the BEST property at the Lowest price to get to the closing table.

Taking a seller on a preview tour of the homes in the area similar to their property can save months of discouragement with a home not selling.  When a seller can see the competition and accepts the fact their home needs to be the Best house at the lowest price to sell, the home will sell and the seller will see what they are up against in comparison.

Carpet or paint allowance does NOT work in selling a home.  If the home needs carpet, put it in.  If the home needs painting, get it painted.  Many times this can cost a seller $5,000 to $8,000 to do those upgrades.  Investing, yes, investing is the correct term, for getting the house sold. The money invested will come back in the form or a quick sale at full market value.

A picture is worth a thousand words so think about how the property looks and even take some pictures to see what a buyer is looking at.  Sellers should look at the pictures like they were a buyer and ask, "would I buy this house in this condition for this price?"  Are the kitchen counters cluttered?  Are the closets a mess?  What does the front door look like and the yard when people drive up to the house? 

A seller has 8 seconds for a buyer looking at a home to decide if they really like the house and if it will go on the A list.  The buyer starts the decision making process when driving up to the home while looking at the surrounding properties and the entrance to the home. 

There are many agents are trained in "staging" a home and there are "staging services" which help a seller to understand what needs to be done to create a "marketable product." Listen to these people if you want to get the house sold.

The seller needs to separate from the house and see it as an investment or product that needs to be sold. The seller needs to take all the emotions out of the happy memories in the home if they are serious about selling.

4.  Location is the only variable which cannot be changed.  A bad location, is a bad location so only price and terms are going to help this situation. 

It does not matter that the same model home across the street sold for thousands more, because it was ACROSS THE STREET and did not back to the highway.  A seller needs to get a reality check on location and think about when they purchased.  If the seller got a good deal when they bought because it had a bad location then they have to give the new buyer the same good deal to sell. 

Sellers should take all the emotion out of the business of selling a home and treat the transaction as an investment decision

If the goal is to get the home sold then listen to the professionals and let them do their job. 

As Donald Trump would say, "It's only business." 

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

SHORT SALES, FICO's AND YOU

 

Via Pat Palmer-REALTOR, Upland, CA 91786 (Forefront Real Estate/ Forefront Mortgage):

FICO scores have been a mystery since they were first unveiled many years ago. Toss in today's short sale market, and neither Houdini  nor any self-respecting Las Vegas odds maker would try to predict what your scores may be. However, I just read the article below in this morning's L.A. Times. I thought it was very insightful:

 

NATION'S HOUSING

Mortgage problems are walloping Americans' credit scores

Late payments, delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures are on the rise -- and so are the number of borrowers seeing their credit scores plummet, according to scoring company VantageScore Solutions

By Kenneth R. Harney

September 13, 2009

 Reporting from Washington - When you do a short sale of a house, or modify the mortgage, is there much of an effect on your credit score? What if you walk away from the mortgage altogether?

A scoring company created by the three national credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- has some eye-opening numbers. VantageScore Solutions, whose risk-prediction scores are now being used by some of the largest mortgage companies and banks, has found that the way consumers handle their mortgage problems can have profound effects on their credit scores.

For example, loan modifications that roll late payments and penalties into the principal debt owed on the house can actually increase borrowers' scores modestly. Refinancings of underwater, negative-equity mortgages -- which the Obama administration's Making Home Affordable program offers through government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- may have little or no negative effect on scores, even though the homeowners might have been tottering on the edge of serious delinquency before refinancing.

The Vantage credit score, the primary competitor to the long-dominant FICO credit score, rates borrowers on a scale range of 501 (subprime, the highest risk) to 990 (super-prime, the lowest risk). Unlike Fair Isaac Corp.'s FICO scoring system, whose scores can vary by 50 to 100 points based on which bureau supplied the underlying credit data, Vantage scores are about the same for each consumer.

When homeowners negotiate a short sale with lenders, they sometimes assume that there will be relatively little effect on their scores. After all, the loan was successfully paid off, there was no foreclosure, and the lender voluntarily agreed to accept a lower balance than was owed.

But according to VantageScore researchers, short sales can trigger big drops in credit scores. Sarah Davies, senior vice president of analytics, said a homeowner with an excellent score of 862 might plummet 120 to 130 points after a short sale.

Although it's true the lender may lose less money through a short sale compared with a foreclosure, "it's still a derogatory event," Davies said. The full debt was not repaid and the lender lost money.

What happens when borrowers walk away from their mortgage debts altogether -- the so-called strategic defaults that have become commonplace in some large markets such as in California? They should expect 140- to 150-point hits to their scores, plus negative marks on their credit bureau files for as long as seven years.

People who file for bankruptcy protection covering all their debts (mortgage, credit cards, auto loans, etc.) will get hit with an average 355- to 365-point drop in their scores. Bankruptcies remain on borrowers' credit bureau files for 10 years.

With all the mortgage delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures experienced by U.S. consumers in the last couple of years, has there been a deterioration of average scores across the board? Absolutely.

For example, roughly 36.6 million of the 213 million consumers tracked by the three national credit bureaus in the first quarter of 2008 had Vantage scores above 900 -- the super-prime credit rung. That select group represented 17.2% of the country's consumers.But by the end of the second quarter of this year, just 15.4% -- 33.3 million out of 216.9 million individuals' files -- were left among the elite. By credit industry standards, that's huge.

More Americans' scores are slipping into the worst credit category as well. In the third quarter of 2006, 34.4 million consumers were in the lowest segment -- 16.6% of 206.9 million individuals. But by the second quarter of this year, 18.3% of all files were in that category -- 39.8 million consumers out of 216.9 million.

Most of these changes -- fewer people with excellent credit, more people in the lowest brackets -- have been caused by late payments on home mortgages, serious delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures, according to VantageScore researchers.

But the bottom-line good news about scores is that homeowners facing financial stress can experience minimal dings to their credit if they contact their loan servicer or lender early in the game -- when they first discover that they may have trouble making their monthly payments -- and take the first steps toward a loan modification or refinancing.

"Start that conversation early," said Barrett Burns, a former lender and now chief executive of VantageScore. If you wait and fall several payments behind before seeking a modification, "you can lose 240 points on your score" and damage your ability to obtain credit for years.

kenharney@earthlink.net

Distributed by the Washington Post Writers Group.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

I am not getting it, need your help on a short sale - foreclosure - bankruptcy question for St. Petersburg Tamapabay

I am not getting it, need your help on a short sale - foreclosure - bankruptcy question

I have a lot of short sale listings on my desk and so far we have closed each one of them. In every case the deficiency was waived by the banks and the homeowner did not have to file bankruptcy. Only in one case, where the bank forgave about $120,000 the seller had to bring $500 to closing. Now, I increasingly see that homeowners that think about a short sale and the bank even suggest a short sale to them, talk to lawyers and they recommend to simply letting it go, wait for foreclosure and file bankruptcy.

Can someone explain this to me?

I mean the last case was a single family home with one mortgage of $240,000 owner had paid about $250,000 for it we had it under contract for just under $200,000. In the middle of the short sale process a lawyer told the seller that they should not go forward with all this but file bankrupt ASAP.

Like I said in the beginning, I am not getting it, need your help on a short sale - foreclosure - bankruptcy question. What is going on? Why would filing bankruptcy instead of first trying a short sale be better?

Homeowners in this situation should always aim for a short sale not foreclosure or bankruptcy. Worst case scenario, if the short sale fails, foreclosure and bankruptcy are still available. Why ruin your credit more than you have to?

Can anybody explain why attorney - lawyer would recommend not to do a short sale?

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

How stress relieve candle kept me up all night.

Well, on the bright site I now know that Yankee candles are THE BEST when it comes to smell in a house. Yesterday I bought some "scent" candles for my listings and also some for my house. I usually put 4 or 5 in a home or condo to make it smell nice when it is for sale. My bill at Bed Bath and Beyond was $177 I had about 15 candles and last night before I went to bed I unwrapped them all so I would not have to deal with it in the morning when I was going to put them in the listings. I was really tired yesterday and I went to bed early, woke up after an hour and just could not sleep, something was wrong but I had no idea what. So I got up, did all the things you do when you can not sleep and went back to bed. I did this every half an hour till 4 pm THEN I realized what it was. THE CANDLES the smell was so strong I was coughing by now. My cat had already decided that it was much better to sleep in the garage (she is the smart one) So, here I am at 4 AM taking all the candles out site, airing out my house and finally I got an hour of sleep from 6 to 7

So, if you want a nice smell in your home, buy a Yankee Candle - but just one please.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

St Petersburg short sales | deal with your short sale situation right now.

St Petersburg short sales | deal with your short sale situation right now.  Waiting is not an option

If you think you might be facing a short sale situation or foreclosure in St Petersburg Florida, you need to take action, waiting is not an option.

Right now here in St. Pete Pinellas County 1/3 of all our under contract and pending listings are short sales.

This number is high and I do not see it go down in the near future. What happens if all these pending sales close?

Well, if 2 and 2 is still 4 than the prices for real estate will go down even further.

So, if you thing about a short sale in St. Petersburg, if you know you won't be able to make your mortgage payments in the near future, the time to act is right NOW.

List your property , do not wait.

I today's market time is costing you even more money. I know, and I absolutely understand that this is a though decision and you do not want to make it, reality sometimes is just not pretty.

Keep in mind here in St. Petersburg Florida and all over the country people are faced with the same short sale and foreclosure situation.

You are not alone; a lot of Americans are in the same boat. But keep in mind, the longer you wait the uglier it gets, dealing with short sale all the time, we know what it means to you and how difficult it is.

But please, act now, get this short sale off your chest, do not wait for foreclosure.

The earlier you start dealing with this problem the earlier your future starts. If you have to start all over you might as well do it right now.


St Petersburg short sales | deal with your short sale situation right now. 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

I am my listing presentation

I know that sound weird or strange or. . . whatever you want to call it.

Over the years I have done a lot of great listing presentation, hard copies, slide shows etc. I went to every seminar here in St. Petersburg and Tampabay, I search the web and read lots of books on listing presentations. Well, I have done away with it all. Now, all I take to a listing appointment is my handbag. After spending a lot of hours and energy and money on listing presentations and market reports of Saint Petersburg and statistics, I realized that it is just not working for me or my sellers. The first time you meet your sellers and see their house or condo, your focus should be on the seller and their property, not on a listing presentation. It is about the seller and their needs. How can I focus on the sellers goals, how can I address their concerns, how can I listen to the sellers when I am stuck on my listing presentation?  Every seller, their home or condo is unique and deserve my full attention. Having a script or sales pitch pre prepared, showing them all kinds of things you have done for other sellers etc. is just not what sellers need in this kind of market. The sellers all have access to the internet, all they need to do is Google my name and that is all the listing presentation I need. I get strange looks when I go to a sellers home for a "listing presentation" and I show up with "Nothing" no huge binder, no fancy folder, no complicated CMA, no laptop, not even a Blackberry, in fact I switch off my phone so I can HEAR what my seller wants and needs. The conversations we have, the answers to his or her questions, explaining the market in words the seller can understand and relate to, giving the seller real live examples here in St. Petersburg, showing them that you know the market and you know real estate, customizing a marketing and advertising plan WITH them is way more effective than having a "one size fits all" listing presentation.

The seller and their property, their goals and needs is what it all comes down to, the market here in St. Petersburg is challenging at the moment, we need the sellers to work with us we need their input and ideas, this requires to have a conversation with them not a presentation for them.

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Buying and selling Real Estate in Pinellas county, being a Realtor, listing agent or selling agent #13

Buying and selling Real Estate  in Pinellas county, being a Realtor, listing agent or selling agent. When do you disclose?

When do you add an addendum to the contract?

I could not believe it, but than again, people never stop to amaze me.

One of my agents got an offer on her listing, only contingency was 1031 exchange, no inspection, not mortgage, on condo docs, no property disclosure, nothing.(That is scary) but hey, we are working as a single agent for the seller and it was a wonderful offer. Everybody singed it, we were under contract. About a week later my agent called me and said, Anne can you please take a look at this, I have received all these addenda from the buyer's agent that my seller is supposed to sign? !  Well, I perfectly understand why my agent was confused. What on earth is the buyer's agent thinking?  We have a contract, you negotiate; add addenda and terms while it is still an offer. Once the offer is signed by everybody it becomes a legal binding contract. You can't just change it or add to it. . . Needless to say, we informed our seller by phone about the situation and he did not sign any addenda .We agreed that yes, we will provide access to the property for inspections etc but keep in mind it is NOT part of the contract and therefore not enforceable. So please, next time make it part of your offer, not every seller is that easy going. Buyers and sellers need to make sure that all their issues are negotiated before the last person signs the offer.

 

  

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #12

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #11

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #10

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #9

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #8

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #7

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #6

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #5

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #4

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #3

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #2

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #1

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Buying and selling Real Estate in Pinellas county, being a Realtor, listing agent or selling agent #7

Buying and selling Real Estate  in Pinellas county, being a Realtor, listing agent or selling agent. Here is another good one.

Got an offer on a waterfront condo. The offer was straight forward and looked good, except the "property is in a flood zone" addendum was missing. No big deal, we all make little mistakes once in a while. So, I called the buyer's agent and asked her to just send it over so I could present a whole package to my seller. Her answer was "No, I can not do this, if I have my buyer sign this she will freaked out and we might loose the deal" I was silent for a little while than I asked her "Your buyer has seen the unit right"  Oh yes, she is in love with it because of the beautiful water views"  Now I was silent again. You do not need to be the best Real Estate agent in the world to figure out that "when you can see the water or walk to the water you absolutely WILL need flood insurance" and, what is the big deal? The association has a master policy and the price is included in the monthly maintenance fee. All we need is a signature from the buyer acknowledging that fact that the condo is in a flood zone. I could not make her understand that. Long story short, I had to get her broker involved, who wasn't really on the same page either, but when I finally said, my seller will not accept the offer if we do not get this addendum, it worked. The next day I got the paperwork from her along with a phone call saying she, her broker and her buyer think that I, the listing agent, have NO clue what I am doing, but they will play along because they want the condo and do not want to make a drama out of it.

I took a deep breath and decided to save myself some time and energy

And simply said WHATEVER, let's just go to closing.

 

Read more real estate stories

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #13

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #12

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #11

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #10

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #9

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #8

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #7

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #6

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #5

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #4

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #3

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #2

being a realtor in pinellas county: Never a dull moment in Real Estate #1

 

Buying and selling Real Estate  in Pinellas county, being a Realtor, listing agent or selling agent

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

It is closing day for your St. Pete home, but no money in the bank !

Buying property Step 10

Buying real estate. Ok. You are doing good so far, you have met all the dead lines, you had a few problems but they got solved, the home inspection did not go to well, but your Realtor helped you renegotiate a different deal. The appraisal came in ok. The mortgage company as issued a commitment letter, you have your insurance in place, you think you are ready to go to closing and you want to call the moving company. I know you do not like to hear this, but there is still one tiny little issue, the money is not in the bank yet, meaning your lender as no transferred the money to the title company and they have not even given the final numbers to the title company nor have they send all the necessary paperwork. By law your have the right to see the HUD statement at least 24 hours before closing but the title company can not send it because your lender is not cooperating. Now what do you do?

This is not an exemption to the rules, unfortunately it is the rule. Happens at least 8 out of 10 times.

Now all hell breaks loose, everybody is on the phone with everybody. . . . .

The one and only advice I can give you is Stay in touch with your lender on a daily base. Make sure they understand that time is off the essence and that they need to perform.

You are paying them a lot of money to get the loan, so, do not take, "I will call you tomorrow, or I will look into this, or I am sorry it sits in underwriting" for an answer.

I have gotten deals done by sheer persistence and nothing else. If you call them 20 times a day, they finally get the job done, just so you won't call anymore. (I am not joking,  call them ever 20 minutes)                                                                                                        

Step # 1   Buying property here in St. Petersburg Florida

Step # 2   What you need to know about buying real estate in St. Petersburg

Step # 3   How does a buyer find a Realtor?

Step # 4   Going shopping for a hone or condo in Saint Petersburg Florida

Step # 5   Buying property in Saint Petersburg, making an offer.

Step # 6   Negociating a Real Estate deal

Step # 7   Please use a counter offer form when negociating a real estate purchase

Step # 8   Communication is important when buying a home or condo

Step # 9   Dead lines, you need to know them when buying real estate 

 

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in the Saint Petersburg Florida area, please give me a call. Ask me about waterfront homes or condos in St. Pete beach, Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Seminole and other Clearwater Tampabay neighborhoods. Find out what we can do to sell your home or condo and what the value of your property is. Check out great real estate deals or visit condo associations like Seminole Isle.

We also work with short sale bank owned and foreclosures. Find a property or go to my website for more real estate information or simply contact us.   727 409 8706

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

I will hold on to my home for a while until the prices go up again.

I will hold on to my home for a while until the prices go up again.

We all know that we are in a challenging real estate market right now.

I have talked to a few people lately that want to sell their home but they realize hat they will not get the price they want. So, what do you do? Some of them say

"OH, I will just hold on to my property for a while"

Well, how long is a while?

In some cases it makes sense, in others it does not.

The market is not going to turn around over night.

You have to do the numbers and send your emotions on vacation while you do this.

I know, it is a tough decision to make, but once you figure out what is really important to you, the answer comes much easier.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Short sale St Petersburg | tough decision to make.

Short sale in St. Petersburg, tough decision to make.

I got a lead today for a homeowner that was thinking about doing a short sale.

I called him up, introduced myself and told him who referred me. Good thing, he was already waiting for my phone call and was prepared and very honest.

He is still current with his payment, but knows he will not be able to make them any longer.

He lost his job due to illness about 1 year ago and his income is just not enough anymore to support his family and his house payment.

For the last year they have been making the mortgage payment by taking money from their savings - emergency funds. This fund is empty now. So, now he waned to know 

"What should I do?" I wish I could have given him some hope, but there is no way he can avoid a short sale or foreclosure.

The property value in his St Petersburg neighborhood has come down by nearly 50% in the last two years. Now instead of having 20% equity in his home, he is upside down by 30% plus closing cost etc. and counting the time it takes to completed the short sale process, we are at minus 40%

Hi knew all this, but I guess he just had to hear it out loud for the reality to kick in.

I see this all the time. Homeowners in St Petersburg know they are in trouble but they just do not make a decision. I can absolutely understand this. You are emotionally involved and of course you hope that the market will turn around in a month or so.

In the meantime you try to make one more payment and one more payment and somehow one more payment. And all this time you carry the burden of "knowing" with you.

To put your house or condo up for short sale is a tough decision to make, and most people need help making it. The banks are NO help right now, they only add to the frustration by NOT listening to the homeowner.

So, call your Realtor, get his opinion, he is not emotionally involved and might be able to help you put things into perspective. Take action now, unfortunately time is not on your side.

Short sale in St. Petersburg, tough decision to make. 

Call me today 727 410 7777 to get more information on St. Petersburg Short Sales.

 

http://www.tampabaybeachandwaterfrontproperties.com/buyer-short-sale-information-st-petersburg.html

 

http://www.tampabaybeachandwaterfrontproperties.com/seller-short-sale-information-st-petersburg.html

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Selling - listing my home , townhouse or condo here in St. Petersburg, Treasure Island, Madeira beach or Seminole?

Selling - listing my home , townhouse or condo here in St. Petersburg, Treasure Island, Madeira beach or Seminole?

I just got a new listing here in Treasure Island and once again I realized that a lot of people are lost when it comes to the process of buying or selling their home.

Since I am a Realtor and I do this on a daily base, it is the most normal thing to me, but buyers as well as sellers only do a transaction like this once or twice in their lives and of course they are lost. So, I decided to write a few post about the buying and selling process. This way you can get familiar with all the things that are involved and you can prepare yourself.

As an owner of property, once you have made your decision to sell, you need to figure out the best possible way to do this.

And that were the trouble already starts.

Do you want to hire a Real Estate agent

or do you want to try to sell it yourself

or do you want to sign up with a discount brokerage?

Well all these are valid options and you need to find the one that is right for you.

Going with a realtor is probably the easiest and safest way.

FSBO, well I really think that selling your house or condo is an important transaction and it should not be taken lightly, so, if you have any doubts that you might not be able to deal with all the paperwork or the advertising involved or the negotiations, than I would not try to attempt this myself. You have too much at stake and you will need the help of a professional.

Discount brokerage, I can only advice you to make sure that you understand exactly what they offer and what they will do for you.

Please read my next posts where I give you Pros and Cons for all the options you have.


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Price it right or you will not sell here in Saint Petersburg Florida

Here in Pinellas County Florida, the real estate market is flooded with listings, a lot of them are overpriced and way above fair market value. Two condos right next to each other, same square footage, same age, same layout, same everything but a 30% sometimes even 40% price difference. Well I guess it is needless to say that buyers do not even look at the overpriced unit. Of course everybody is interested in "finding a deal" so they look at the lower priced unit. Unless you can advertise a house or condo by saying, lowest price in neighborhood, or  best price per square foot, or below market value, or price for a quick sale, or owner must sell bring all offers, or pre foreclosure, act now etc. . . .  you will not find anybody to even look at the property. If you really want or need to sell in today's market it is more important than ever to be priced right.

All the marketing and advertising in the world will NOT sell you property unless you are priced fair. And by fair I mean very competitive. Look at what has been sold over the last few month, see where the trend is going, be ahead of the market do not chase it. Unfortunately what you paid way back than when you bought it, does not matter at all. The mortgage you have on your property, does not matter at all.

 It is the end of October right now and I wrote this post in May. Looking back, I can only confirm the info again and again.

Prices have still gone down and all the overpriced properties still sit on the market.

 


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777

                             

Confused about Short Sales in St. Petersburg?

Confused about Short Sales in St. Petersburg?

You are not alone! St. Petersburg Florida has see a lot of short sale listing lately and, yes, the concept has been around for a long time, but even I as a Realtor have not run into one for the last 10 or so years. Now they are everywhere.

So, since I am one of these personalities that "NEEDS" to understand everything, early last year I went to a seminar on short sales. Guess what, they could not even answer half of my questions.

Every second time I heard, "well, you got to talk to the bank about this" As you can imagine, I was very disappointed, but now I was one a mission to learn more. Since than my office has done quite a few short sales, on the buyer's site and the seller's site and what I learned in the very beginning is true.

YOU HAVE TO TALK TO THE BANK.

Every bank, lender or financial institute has a different policy on short sales, different time frames, and different attitude. It is complicate and can be very frustrating to find your way through this  "Jungle", but it can be done.

The key is persistence and focus and timing.

If you are the buyer or seller find a good St Petersburg Realtor or lawyer to assist you. This is important. Take one piece of advice from this post.

Short sales in St Petersburg can be done successfully, but do not think you can do them alone.

You need a professional at your site.

 

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in the Saint Petersburg Tampabay Florida area, please give me a call. Ask me about waterfront homes or condos in St. Pete beach, Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Seminole and other Clearwater Tampabay neighborhoods. Find out what we can do to sell your home or condo and what the value of your property is. Check out great real estate deals or visit condo associations like Seminole Isle.

We also work with short sale bank owned and foreclosures. Find a property or go to my website for more real estate information or simply contact us.   727 409 8706


 

 Anne Hensel | Real Estate Broker in Teasure Island St Petersburg

 AnneSouthBeaches@gmail.com

 www.SouthBeaches.info

Call today  727 410 7777