Category Archives: Real estate info

Sights and Sounds of St Pete: Historic Old Northeast

access_timeJuly 10, 2018personPrice Group Realtors

Historic Old Northeast, St Petersburg, Florida

Sights and Sounds of St Pete: Historic Old Northeast

Historic Old Northeast is one of the oldest neighborhoods in St Petersburg, Florida, but it is also one of the most pristine. The homes here range from two bedroom classic bungalows with charming historic details and lots of outdoor space to large modern or updated estates. The area’s best shops, restaurants, activities and every amenity you could ever need are only a few blocks South in Downtown St Pete, but the oak tree lined brick streets and proximity to beautiful waterfront parks will make you feel like you’re far away from the hustle of city life. Watch the video below to see more of what Historic Old Northeast has to offer and click here to learn more about the neighborhood’s history and see all the current listings available in the area.

Fall in Love with Your Home: Living Room

access_timeFebruary 5, 2018personPrice Group Realtors

Fall in Love with Your Home: Living Room

This February is all about loving your home. From the moment you walk in, how do you feel? Anxious? Relaxed? Is it warm and cozy or does it feel stiff and stale? Follow these easy tips to learn how to love your home a little bit more.

The living room is one of the most used rooms in your home. From the flooring to the decor, every surface should be inviting and make you feel welcome and comfortable. From bottom to top, here are some ways to love your living room.

Spruce up your flooring. If you can’t afford to replace the flooring on a whim, give it a good cleaning. For carpets, you can Love Your Living Room rent a steam cleaner at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot using the recommended cleaning solution. For a natural more eco-friendly cleaning method, use 1 cup white vinegar, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, 15 drops of your favorite clear essential oil for scent.

Spray over carpet shaking well between sprays, allow to dry, then vacuum fully. Either way, test a small patch of carpet before overall use to ensure the mix does not stain. For tile, wood, or laminate floors, give them a good normal cleaning and consider adding some comfy area rugs that appeal to you.

Psst… You can find more useful cleaning tips and tricks here!

Color is everything. Ever walk into a home and felt anxious or uneasy? A lot of that have to do with the color scheme. Right now, the most popular color is a sage-y green. It’s cool, calming, and goes well with any neutral color. But if green isn’t your thing, pick the color that speaks to you.

If your color of choice is bright, use it on an accent wall or cover your couch cushions with it for a pop of color without being too overwhelming (because there is such a thing as too much of a good thing). If neutrals or muted colors are your cup of tea, cover those walls to your heart’s content.

Put what you love on the walls. This will depend on what your style is. For example, if you’re a minimalist, you probably won’t want 25 photos and 10 pieces of art on your walls no matter how neatly organized they are. If bare walls make you love your space, you can totally skip this step. Otherwise, take the photos, artwork, shelving, posters, whatever you love to look at and what makes you happy in places you will see them.

For example, if you love airplanes, consider hanging those aviation themed paintings you bought on your last vacation above your television. Have a large family you can’t wait to see every holiday season? Get some frames and load up your walls with love. The more you see the things that make you smile, the more you’ll love the room.

Real Estate Secrets Every Realtor Knows

access_timeJanuary 30, 2018personPrice Group Realtors

real estate secrets

Real Estate Secrets Every Realtor Knows

Greener is Better

It’s no secret that buyer love a move-in ready home. But this doesn’t just apply to the inside of the property. Ensure your yard is neutrally manicured with native plants. Place new grass in patches or re-sod the whole yard if necessary. Pro tip: Give your lawn a fresh mow before showings if possible.

Lost Listings

Your realtor should know that the best time to list your home isn’t the weekend before a major holiday. Most buyers are not searching for homes while traveling or enjoying a nice weekend at the beach. Listing at the wrong time can hinder your chances of finding the right buyer at the price that’s right for you.

Want to know when the best time is to list your home? Contact us today.

Staging, Staging, Staging

It is difficult for most people to imagine themselves living in a home that looks like a storage locker. And why make your buyers work to envision themselves in your gorgeous home? Staging provides potential buyers with the ambiance and romance they need to feel connected and make the purchase. But it’s not all about furniture. Some light music and the smell of freshly baked cookies or coffee make buyers feel right at home.

Honesty is Key

If you’ve been online dating, you know that meeting people in real life can go one of two ways: Either they’re exactly how they described themselves or they embellished just a tad too much. Same goes for listings. You don’t want to oversell your home and disappoint buyers who may have been interested in exactly what your home has to offer.

Keep it Moving

When the market is hot you have to keep your house relevant and in front of as many eyes as possible. If your home is on the market more than three-four weeks, it may be time to consider a price adjustment. Listing realistically from the start will help keep the listing from getting stagnant.

Selling Season is Here

February is the official start of selling season. Holidays are over, homes have been remodeled and buyers are ready to find their next dream home. Season will peak in June, but you don’t want to wait and be beaten out by selling competitors in your neighborhood. Find out what your home is worth today and check out our selling tips to get your home sold, quickly.

Why Hiring a Licensed Contractor is a Smart Move

access_timeOctober 17, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

Hiring a Licensed Contractor

You’ve decided to remodel your kitchen, move walls, update bathrooms and take advantage of the equity you could be building in your home. If you’ve never done these types of renovations you will probably want to hire a contractor to do the work for you. Keeping the costs down is always important, but the one place you don’t want to cut corners on is hiring a licensed contractor.

It can actually save you money

While paying significantly less for the seemingly same work may seem like a steal, hiring a licensed contractor can actually save you money. Unlicensed and uninsured contractors are able to offer lower prices because they often don’t carry worker’s compensation insurance required by the state. This means that if an employee is hurt on the job in your home you could be liable for missed work and bills due to injury if you go with the less expensive unlicensed contractor.

Have questions about how much your home is worth after renovations? Contact us today!

Licensing also ensures that they are knowledgeable their field. This can save you money by not only having the work done correctly the first time, but for legal fees in going after an unlicensed person who did shoddy work or did not complete the work paid for. What you’re paying for is more than work, it’s peace of mind.

Finding reputable contractors

The state of Florida has recently cracked down on unlicensed contractors. According to the Tampa Bay Times, 11 people face felony charges of doing work that requires a license without worker’s compensation. There are resources to help you find the best, licensed company or individual to do the work you need. Visit the Better Business Bureau here to find accredited, trustworthy businesses. You can also visit the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation here. They have a list of work that requires and does not require a license. You can report unlicensed activity here.

Federal Flood Insurance Changes: New proposal may affect Florida homes

access_timeOctober 9, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

Federal Flood Insurance Changes

The 2017 hurricane season has put a lot of strain onto the National Flood Insurance Program which is currently $25 million dollars in debt. President Trump’s administration is calling for an overhaul of the program to help alleviate the pressure of growing flood related spending. If put into action, these changes could stifle the housing market yet jump-start the private insurance market.

The proposal will end insurance for newly built homes in flood prone areas after 2020. It would also allow FEMA to end insurance for home that are continuously affected by flooding. The idea is praised by some for helping to curtail people from building in areas where they are at high risk, but The National Association of Home Builders claims that the proposal will curb economic growth: “It would simply prevent home builders from being able to provide safe and affordable housing to consumers. By creating uncertainty in the housing market, this proposal would also harm local communities and impair economic growth.” The press release from the NAHB went on to say that newer homes are at less risk because they are build more soundly and with more precautions than older homes, which means insurance claims would be less.

While this proposal won’t hinder homes from being built or rebuilt and privately insured, lenders may not accept private flood insurance, which will narrow down the buying pool for new homes drastically. Though there is a regulatory proposal to require lenders to accept private insurance, the measure has not been finalized. The NFIP was temporarily extended in September and Congress has until December 8th to reinstate it.

Top Fall Home Projects

access_timeOctober 3, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

Top Fall Home Projects

The weather is getting cooler and the holidays are coming soon. Now is the perfect time to complete those projects around the house you’ve been putting off.

Renovate

Unless your home is new construction or you’ve recently remodeled, there is a room in your house that could use a bit of freshening up. Replace your appliances and upgrade your kitchen counter tops for that beautiful Thanksgiving dinner you’ve always wanted. You could also simply replace door handles, upgrade bathroom fixtures, or add a fresh coat of paint to the well-lived in rooms. With the cool weather on the horizon, it’s a perfect time to paint the outside of the home or add that porch or patio you’ve been wanting.

Clean

Another way to take advantage of the cool weather is by catching up on that Spring cleaning we’ve all been putting off since March. Here is a list of items you may have missed. Fall also adds another element to our cleaning: leaves. Get out your trusty ladder and ensure your gutters are free and clear from debris. Also consider power-washing your home and deck to remove dirt or grime from siding, especially if you plan on painting in this gorgeous weather.

Weather Proof

Keep your home as energy efficient as possible this fall and winter. Replace older windows with high efficiency windows. This not only will help eliminate hot spots in your home and keep your AC from over use while increasing the value of your home, it will also help reduce the amount of noise pollution entering your home. Bonus: Duke Energy offers rebates up to $400 for replacing old windows with more efficient ones! Win/win.

Also consider having your furnace tuned up (this will also help save on your electricity bill!) and fire place cleaned. Take full advantage of this time so make your home cozy, warm, and inviting.

How Will the New Flood Insurance Bill Impact You?

access_timeAugust 23, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

Flood Insurance is at Risk

How Will the New Flood Insurance Bill Impact You?

The National Flood Insurance Program, which was created in the late 1960’s to help facilitate more private insurance options, is going to expire on September 30th, 2017. Congress has recently introduced the “21st Century Flood Reform Act” that will allow flood insurance policies to go uninterrupted through the middle of Florida’s 2017 hurricane season.

The catch? The bill has to be passed and signed by the president before September 30th.

What This Means For The Homeowner

According to Florida Realtors, Florida represents 40% of NFIP nationally. If you are a homeowner in a flood zone in the Tampa Bay area this could be troublesome as congress has merely only introduced the bill needed to keep flood insurance afloat and hurricane season will not end until November.

Further, if you are looking to buy or sell your home, closing will be tough. Florida realtors states “Mortgage lenders require proof of property insurance before they will lend money at closing, and they require proof of flood insurance if a property is located within a FEMA-designated flood zone. If home buyers can’t secure proof of flood coverage, their closing could be cancelled or delayed.”

What You Can Do

Call or email your congress representative and ask them to push a long the bill, or pass an extension so flood insurance is not disrupted. You can easily find contact information for your representative here.

The Price Group Sales March 2017

access_timeApril 5, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

The Price Group Realtors St Pete Statistics for March

The Price Group Realtors – March

March was an awesome month for The Price Group Realtors in St Pete! With a total of over $3.7 million in sales the team pulled in at 4th in all of West Central Florida of Coldwell Banker. Some other things to note is the average days to close, new listings, and steady growth in volume of total sales. In March we sold homes on average in 50 days, added nearly twenty new listings, and have increased our sales volume by almost 2 million from January this year. We are soaring through 2017, almost doubling the amount of volume sold from 2016.

We can’t make these numbers without our amazing clients. Thank you to all who have chosen The Price Group to help you achieve your real estate vision.

What does all this mean for you, the homeowner?

Simply put: We will sell your home at the highest value and quickly. On the fence about selling your home? Now is the time to hop off and call us. Our aggressive marketing including mailers, just listed postcards, online presence (Zillow, Realtor, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) as well as an up-to-date blog with current listings, newspaper and online ads, and weekly email blasts make us the top 1% realtors in Pinellas County.

Contact us, sign up for our newsletter, get updated market reports, and find out what your home is worth all in one place. You get all the information you need with the personal touch of an experienced realtor by your side.

Understanding HOA Rules: Why it's Important

access_timeJanuary 17, 2017personPrice Group Realtors

price group realtors st pete

Home Owner’s Associations have a variety of different functions. They may collect fees that are collected monthly, quarterly or yearly and cover anything from gates to the community, buildings, landscaping and general maintenance of the common areas. There are also rules, or covenants, that must be followed.

These covenants can be quite restrictive, but with the right HOA rules not only will your neighborhood remain beautiful and functioning well, your property value will not be diminished due to neighbors untidy keeping of their homes. Understanding these rules before you buy is crucial because once you agree to them, changing the ones you cannot live with can be quite difficult.

First, read the HOA documents thoroughly. Then think about how the rules will affect your way of life. To put is plainly, if you own a boat and large trucks, you may want to reconsider the condo where the HOA prevents you from owning a vehicle larger than mid-sized SUVs. If something isn’t clear, ask your realtor for clarification. After all, a professional realtor will know or find the answers for you.

Want more home-buying tips? Check out our buyer’s guide here!

Also, double check to see if the home you fell in love with isn’t already out of compliance with the current HOA rules. Otherwise that’s an extra expense you may have to deal with, or rely on the seller to fix which can delay closing. Something as small as an unapproved paint color can be a major pain if you’re not expecting it.

Finally, double check that there aren’t any major assessments coming up. (This is something your realtor should ask, too.) Sometimes condo buildings and communities will have assessments to make major changes, improvements or repairs to the community. This means each resident is charged a fee to cover these costs. While you’re at it, check to see what kind of insurance the HOA has. Especially in St. Pete where (knock on wood) we are vulnerable to flooding and hurricanes.

Thinking of Selling Your Home?

access_timeNovember 22, 2016personPrice Group Realtors

If you’ve been sitting on the fence on whether or not to sell your home, it’s time to hop off. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay led the state in sales of single family homes for the month September.

homes for sale in tampa bay

The article goes on to say that within our area home prices rose over 13% while the state average was around 11% growth. Pinellas’ gain was at 16.6%. Let’s break that down: If you were reluctant to sell your home valued at $250,000, you could sell it now for $41,500 more. Competition is fierce now with the new generation of millennial first time buyers, which means selling your home just got easier.

In order to sell your home, all you need to do is make the decision to call us. We can handle the rest. Now is the time to contact us. Our proven track record in aggressive marketing, alongside our huge online presence puts us in the top 1% of Realtors in Pinellas County. Call us today, to find out what we can do for you!