Buying Tips

How I Can Help You Buy a Home

Pinellas County is a red-hot destination area that boasts a scorching seller's market. As such, I've learned how to win in multiple offer situations as a buyer's representative and how to best market a property and choose the best offer when working for the seller. If real estate is "location, location, location," choosing that local Realtor is key. The vast majority of residential real estate purchases are made on the “As Is” contract. The "As Is" provision in the contract means that the seller is selling the property in its current condition, and the buyer is accepting the property in that condition. This means that the seller is not responsible for any repairs or defects in the property. However, the buyer still has the right to inspect the property and can back out of the sale if they are not satisfied with the results of the inspection. Usually the buyer and seller reopen negotiations when problems are found to try to salvage the deal. During the inspection period (a period of time negotiated in the contract), the buyer has the right to cancel the contract for any reason and get their full escrow deposit back. The contract also includes provisions for the purchase price, earnest money deposit, closing date, and financing contingencies. It also outlines the responsibilities of the buyer and seller, including who is responsible for paying for certain fees and expenses related to the sale. It is important to note that while the "As Is" provision in the contract means that the seller is not responsible for any repairs or defects, it does not mean that the seller can hide known defects or intentionally misrepresent the condition of the property. If a seller does intentionally misrepresent the condition of the property, the buyer may have legal recourse. In recent years, the Pinellas County real estate market has experienced phenomenal growth, with home values increasing by fifty percent and more since the beginning of the pandemic. While growth in prices has slowed, it is not expected to drop. There are too many buyers and too few sellers for prices to decline.

Selling Tips

How I Can Help You Sell a Home

Helping find a buyer for your home is only one facet of a real estate professional’s job. There are many more aspects including explaining the basic real estate practices and principles and all the related paperwork, Performing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to help determine your home’s value, helping to prepare your home for sale, listing your home, marketing your home, keeping you informed throughout the process. When the sale begins, it’s important to work with someone who will assist you with the paperwork, negotiate on your behalf, make sure deadlines are met, and work with the escrow company. In this hot Pinellas market, it's important to work with someone who understands escalation clauses and how to choose the best offer in a multiple-offer situation (it's not always the highest price!). Having been on both sides of this situation, I'm well-versed with these requirements. By working with me, you will: