When we welcomed the first day of Spring this week, I was psyched about how fortunate we are to enjoy this beautiful, sunny weather in Florida. And then that much-needed rain came the day after, and I was reminded of how every everything around us is in a constant cycle of rebirth. This is the perfect time to plant seeds in our gardens. But it also is the time of year that home sellers and home buyers should plant the seeds that will grow a successful real estate transaction. Judging by how busy THE Gail Spada TEAM has been lately, the Hernando County housing market appears to be experiencing its own cycle of rebirth. Homeowners who have been sitting on the fence about placing their home on the market should understand that now is one of the best times of the year to make their move. The time is ripe … Continue reading
Halloween is not until Monday, but this weekend will be a delicious blur of costume parties, sugar-highs and campy chit-chat about ghosts, goblins and ghouls. It’s silly, but it’s fun to feed our fascination with being scared, or at least scary, while pretending for a short time to be something we’re not. But even though Halloween comes just once a year, I think most real estate professionals will tell you that scary behavior and pretenders are a too-frequent occurrence as they deal with customers who are buying or selling homes. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like people intend to be evil or misrepresent themselves. It just happens, sort of the same way some folks can’t resist using bad puns when telling Halloween jokes. To wit: Q: What is a baby vampire’s favorite part of a house? A: The bat-room! But it’s not bad jokes or things that go “bump” … Continue reading
Our logo says it all: The TEAM Works blog has always been about you. Nearly everything written here is aimed at making our readers better consumers as it relates to being more knowledgeable about buying, selling or improving their property. We believe informed consumers make informed choices, and we want to do our part to keep you informed. For the past 6 months we’ve shared useful consumer information about such varied topics as: how the stock market is affecting the local housing market; investor-savvy home improvements; how to communicate expertly with your REALTOR®; the sinkhole housing crisis; which smart phone apps are essential for buyers and sellers; the importance of sellers pet-prepping their homes; what sellers can learn from first-time offers; how to impress buyers with your garage; the potential pitfalls of social media; incentives sellers can offer buyers; the advantage of sellers dealing only with pre-qualified buyers; preparing your … Continue reading
Setting a sale price is one of the most difficult — but potentially the most rewarding — tasks for a homeowner. That’s why it is essential to remember the 3 Rs before listing your property: • Reliable market data • Realistic expectations • REALTOR® you trust This is the best advice I can give a seller on this topic: Price your home well from the first day you put it on the market. If you overprice it you will get fewer looks from potential buyers and you will become frustrated as you watch it linger on the market. Then, when you are forced to lower the price, you will regret that you didn’t price it right from the get-go. Let’s take a look at each tenets of the 3 Rs. Reliable market data: The first step is to look at comparable sales in your neighborhood. THE Gail Spada TEAM … Continue reading