Properties, houses and condos for sale in St Petersburg Treasure Island Florida

Even from the Brooklyn Bridge this looks like trouble!

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:41:02 -0600

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     There are not all that many roofs that I do not walk on---but one of the kinds I don’t usually walk on is steep metal roofs. If one thinks back to their childhood---they make slippery-slides out of metal for a reason. I know there are plastic ones, but they are not nearly as good as metal ones----unless there is water running down them.

     So, I was looking at this one from the eaves and from the ground, to make as good an assessment of the roof as I could.

     I think everyone can see in this picture that there is no flashing around this vent pipe.

     From the attic side, it is as clear as blue sky and green grass that there just “ain’t no flashing.”

     WHOOPS!

Charles Buell

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Do you see this too? 4% commission for the selling agent on a bank owned property in Saint Petersburg Tampabay.

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:22:18 -0600

Do you see this too? 4% commission for the selling agent on a bank owned property in Saint Petersburg Tampabay.

Over the last few weeks I see more and more 4% commissions for selling agents when it comes to REO properties.

To say the least, here in Saint Petersburg Tampabay we have a very challenging real estate market.

Regular sellers try to negotiate the lowest commission possible with their listing agent and now on top of being up against extremely low asking prices these sellers also have to face a 4% commission to selling agents on bank owned properties in our Saint Petersburg market. Never a dull moment in Real Estate.

Do you see the same trend in your area?

Don’t Bogart that drain my friend…..

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:06:34 -0600

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     I have been accused of being “clever” myself on occasion, so I tend to recognize it when I see it. When it comes to home repairs being clever can be a good thing---but without enough information it can be dangerous.

     Take TPRV drains for example.

     There is a TPRV (Temperature, Pressure Relief Valve) on every water heater. It should have a drain on it that runs to an appropriate location without running up hill. While these valves may harmlessly leak a little water now and then, they are designed as a safety relief valve where tremendous amounts of very hot water may need to be drained away in a hurry.

     The installation of the drain termination pictured below (copper pipe entering from the top, right) will likely be satisfactory for minor leaking of the TPRV, but it will not be satisfactory in an explosive relief of pressure. Very hot water would likely be sprayed everywhere in the room before it found its way into the drain with a washing machine hose stuck in it.

     The odd thing about this installation is that it would have been way easier to have routed the drain to a more appropriate location.

Charles Buell

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Close enough for a cigar----or to at least it could have smoked like one!

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:03:54 -0600

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

      Sorry if I have offended any cigar smokers out there, but by the time the smoke clears maybe you will forgive me----then again maybe not.

     Inspectors are always harping about how hot heat lamps and electric heaters can get. The following pictures were from an inspection of a home that was less than a year old. A far shorter period of time than it takes to age a good cigar (some might say this is an oxymoron---but what do I know----I just don’t like cigars).

     When the door is left ajar it parks itself right under the heat lamp with the obvious result that the heat lamp is smoking the door.

     It was really hard to get a good picture of the top of the door but there is a large depression in the edge where the wood has become charcoal.

     Leaves one to wonder about the smoke alarm/detectors in the home doesn’t it?

     My buyer seemed to take it all in stride and just said they would be sure to remind their teenage son to be careful not to park the door under the heat lamp.

     This time it was the inspectors turn to “freak-out” at the inspection, as I told them, “NO---this was not acceptable----and MUST be fixed.”

     Someone needs to relocate the heat lamp so that it is not in the swing of the door.

Charles Buell

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

I could not believe what I heard today "I do not show Short Sales in St. Petersburg"

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:12:17 -0600

I could not believe what I heard today "I do not show Short Sales in St. Petersburg"

It doesn't matter how long you are in the Real Estate business, there is something new every day. Imagine this, it is 7.30 am, I had one too many drinks last night, it is a full moon and my coffee pot was very slow........My phone rings, I answer in my best realtor voice (despite the above mentioned problems) and I have a not to friendly voice at the other end, asking if one of my listings was still available. She goes on telling me that she has been trying for more than two weeks to see the house but that I obviously make it impossible to show the listing. I had NO clue what this lady was talking about and she went on telling me that her realtor has been trying to make an appointment with me for over two weeks and cannot get one. (Please keep my morning problems in mind) I heard myself say. I am sorry but this is BS. I never ever use these words or the abbreviation but this accusation was simply outrageous before coffee at 7.30 in the morning. I make an all day story short, in the end we found out that her realtor had never ever contacted me and that he simply does not show Short Sales but instead of saying to his clients "I do not show Short Sales in St. Petersburg" he tells them that the listing agent can't be reached or that the house is tenant occupied and can't be shown.

The story had a happy ending, I showed the house a few hours later and wrote up an offer.

BUT I just can't get it out of my mind "I do not show Short Sales in St. Petersburg"

I wonder how many Realtors are out there NOT showing Short Sales?

Is this a onetime incident or do you have similar experiences?

La Bella Vita, luxury waterfront condo on Treasure Island Florida for sale

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:53:42 -0600

La Bella Vita, luxury waterfront condo on Treasure Island Florida for sale.

La Bella Vita is a small luxury condo complex in beautiful Treasure Island, Tampabay.

If you are looking for the perfect location on the wide open water and at the same time walking distance to Treasure Island beach and the Gulf of Mexico, La Bella Vita might just be it.

This beautiful condo building is a little set back from busy Gulf Blvd here in Treasure Island but it is still close enough to walk to all the great things Treasure Island has to offer. This 3 bedroom 3 and1/2 bath has about 3000 heated square feet and lots of balcony space. High ceilings, columns, gourmet kitchen, beautiful waterfront pool, you name it.

La Bella Vita was built in 2004/2005 and the complex has only 16 units altogether.The architect/ builder was Hani Matta who is well known in our area and has been in business since 1983. He has completed over 130 projects and the La Bella Vita is one of them. This complex sits on a prime waterfront lot and has 340 feet right on the Bay/ Intracoastal.

Each one of the La Bella Vita units has a private elevator entrance and a little private foyer before you actually walk into the unit. All of the condos in La Bella Vita have an awesome water view onto the open Boca Ciega bay.

This waterfront condominium building is located on 108 th Ave in Treasure Island, just a minute to the new Treasure Island Causeway and Central Ave. The location is great, 40 minutes to Tampa airport, 15 minutes to downtown St. Petersburg, 15 minutes to Fort De Soto, 10 minutes to the Don Cesar hotel, 4 minutes to Sunset beach, 1 minute to the beaches of Treasure Island, 2 minutes to one of our best area restaurant, "The Perl" and the list goes on and on and on.

One thing I really like about the Bella Vita is that you get both, the sunset and the sunrise, how lucky can you be? You have a huge balcony facing east and another balcony facing west. Views on both sides of your condo. But it get better, La Bella Vita is one of the few luxury waterfront condo complexes that have boat slips. The location is a boater's paradise, within minutes you can get to the Golf of Mexico by using John's Pass or Blind Pass.

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in the Saint PetersburgTampabay 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.

HAWAIIAN HULA IN ST. PETE BEACH

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:31:57 -0600

HAWAIIAN HULA IN ST. PETE BEACH
St. Pete Beach, FL: Hawaiian Hula and a variety of other techniques are now taught at the St. Pete Beach Community Center. Instructor Taumaia Quinnan teaches Hawaiian Hula for overall health and fitness which includes Tahitian slow and fast movement of hips to work the core and align the spine for great blood flow. The course also uses Maori Poi balls of New Zealand to help arthritic hands, shoulders and all of the upper body. All of these dances will greatly improve overall well-being and are helpful in improving golf scores and any other sports in mind. For information on class dates, times and fees contact instructor Taumaia Quinnan at 727-289-4086.

New listing, not a Short Sale, waterfront condo for sale at Seminole Isle, 7069 Key Haven unit 603

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:46:20 -0500

New listing, not a Short Sale, waterfront condo for sale at Seminole Isle, 7069 Key Haven unit 603

Not a Short Sale, just an incredibly low price in Seminole Isle.

This unit has it all. More than $50,000 in upgrades.

This 3 bedroom 2 bath condo in Seminole Isle is on the top floor and has beautiful views on to the Lake.

Sit on your balcony and watch the sunrise, or take a morning stroll along the serene waterfront of Lake Seminole.

Spend a few hours at the heated pool that is surrounded by lush tropical landscaping or go to the gym and work out for a little bit, or play a round of tennis or simply grab your fishing gear and go down to the dock.

The wonderful gated community offers a very active but yet relaxed lifestyle. The location is perfect, only minutes to the beaches, shopping and restaurants.

Seminole Isle is only 3 years old, a pet friendly community consisting of 180 condos and 90 townhomes. Do not miss this opportunity; this condo is absolutely gorgeous and no short sale dramas when you buy this one.

Upgrades in Unit 603 Seminole Isle

Over $50,000

* Professionally installed distressed, beveled edge 5" x 3/4" Maple Hardwood floors throughout house except laundry and bathrooms (no carpet).

* Beautiful white Plantation shutters on all windows.

* True 3 bedroom unit with professional builder installed closet with matching paint, baseboards, rounded corners, electricity and lots of shelving in den/bedroom.

* $2,500 worth of beautiful designer beveled edge mirrors in dining room, hallways and bathrooms. (Dining room also has chair rail molding)

* Upgrade designer tile on balcony and master bathroom.

* Upgraded Fisher&Paykel eco smart top load washer & dryer with 5year Sears (full coverage) transferable and good till 1/31/2014.

* 5 upgraded beautiful palm leaf style ceiling fans with built in lights and separate dimmer switches in 3 bedrooms, living room and balcony.

* Beautiful smoked glass sliding door on bathtub/shower in 2nd bathroom. Also, matching Spice Maple vanity cabinet.

* Upgraded easy to use automatic regeneration water softener.

* Lots of professionally installed custom closet shelving in all three bedrooms.

* Living room is wired for surround system in wall and ceiling. (Wiring is already professionally installed).

* House was purchased new and moved into by current owner in 8/07 and has almost 8yrs left on 10 yr how warranty. (Non smoking house)

* Upgraded beautiful spice Maple cabinets (42" to 30") in Kitchen, Laundry Room, Bathrooms, Dining room and built in desk.

* Upgraded GE Stainless Steel appliances with double wide Fridge with water & ice in the door & purifier.

* Gorgeous Granite counter tops in kitchen, breakfast bar and built in desk.

* Top floor unit with beautiful views from front and back of unit of bayou; inter coastal; community lake with water fountain, community boat house, Picnic area and private beach; and downtown St Pete. This unit gets very little rain on the balcony or master bedroom windows because of an overhang roof that only the 603 and 604 units have directly over their balcony and windows in the back.

* Builder installed upgrades include but are not limited to: chandeliers, other light fixtures, tile, cabinets, paint, rounded corners, crown molding etc.

Go to www.MySeminoleIsle.com to learn more about this beautiful complex.

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.

Go ahead---turn me on!

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:09:41 -0500

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Sometimes we have those “light-bulb” moments in our lives where something just “clicks” and we understand things in a way that we just could not grasp them previously.

     The “mechanisms” for these moments are not well understood, and yet sometimes it is actually hard to understand how we could possibly miss some of the details around us.

     We have all had these moments haven’t we?

     The other day, something came up on the inspection that got me to thinking about this. The problem I have with the issue that I found is: 1. how could the original installer NOT have had a light bulb-moment about it; and 2. why would everyone put up with it for 27 years?

Charles Buell

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Different Strokes...

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:02:46 -0500

I just love these home inspection stories. We really have some very creative homeowners.

Via Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector (Complete Home Inspections, Inc.):

Different Strokes...

Dif ● runt. An ad-jek-tuv meanin':
     1 unlike in form, kwality, or nature
     2 dis-tinkt
     3 dif-ring from all others
     4 un-use-u-al.

Havin' lived in the south all my life, I know that southern folks are dif-runt. That's jus' the way is an' some folks jus' ain't a-gonna change.

Now jus' when my tired 'ol eyeballz thought that they'd seen it all some brilliant sole came up with this novel way of installin' one of those new fanguled satti-lite antenna thing-a-ma-jabbers.

Hellz-Bellz, they musta got plum tuckered out carrin' those diggers from the shed ☺☺☺

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

What is one of the most important features of a bathtub?

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:20:26 -0500

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     The drain.

     Yes, without a drain a bathtub would be a quite painful apparatus----and probably wouldn’t get used very much----or the water would just sit there until it turned green and foul. It was probably part of why our ancestors bathed once a year whether they needed it or not.

     Every house that has a basement should be thought of as a home covering a giant bathtub. Without a drain we are just plain asking for trouble.

     Do you remember the rubber hoses on your washing machine I have warned you in the past about changing to braided stainless steel hoses? Well because you didn’t change them, and then you went to Baja for a month, when you came home you found two feet of water in your basement----all because there was no drain!

     Well if that was NOT you---do you know where your basement drain is? Do you know if it works? It is always a good idea to verify the function of floor drains in basements to prevent major flooding that would cause way more damage than if there was no drain at all.

     As an inspector I always do my best to locate basement floor drains. I found this one rather interesting.

     Filled flush with concrete----good thing it was dry basement----for now anyway.

Charles Buell

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

St. Pete beach, AQUA ZUMBA - IT'S NOT A WORKOUT, IT'S A POOL PARTY

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:01:22 -0500

St. Pete beach, AQUA ZUMBA - IT'S NOT A WORKOUT, IT'S A POOL PARTY

ST. PETE BEACH, Tampabay FL 33706

The St. Pete Beach Community Center is one of the first to offer the new craze Aqua Zumba.

This is not your grandmother's water workout, this is the aqua fitness program everyone has been waiting for. Get all the fun and benefits of Zumba with no impact and all the resistance of the water. It's perfect for all ages and fitness levels. Burn calories, tone your whole body, and have a blast!

Fitness instructor Gemma will host the class every Monday from 11:30am to 12:30pm at the St. Pete Beach Pool, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Pay just $6 a class, no registration necessary. For more information call 363-9245 or visit www.fitnessbygemma.com.

Ocean - Gulf front condos for sale in St. Pete Beach Fl 33706 under $400,000

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:48:10 -0500

Ocean - Gulf front condos for sale in St. Pete Beach Fl 33706 under $400,000

Just a quick update an the current market conditions in St. Pete Beach when it come to waterfront condos on the Gulf of Mexico.

45 waterfront condos are currently listed under $400,000

Here are the least expensive units in the different condo associations.

1 bed room, 1 bath, 300 square feet condo in the Jacaranda on 5500 Gulf Blvd for $150,000

1 bed room, 1 bath, 505 square feet condo in the Gulf Winds on 6800 Sunset way for $159,000

1 bed room, 1 bath, 570 square feet condo in the Starlight Towers on 7000 Beach Plz for $ 179,000

1 bed room, 1 bath, 740 square feet condo in the Gulf Strand Resort on 4510 Gulf Blvd for $250,000

1 bed room, 1 bath, 720 square feet condo in Point Pass A Grille on 200 1st Ave for $279,000

1 bedroom, 2 bath, 1470 square feet condo in Silver Sands on 6600 Sunset Way for $ 327,900

2 bed room, 2 bath, 1160 square feet condo in Envoy Point on 7150 Sunset Way for $ 339,000

1 bed room 2 bath, 749 square feet condo in Vistas on the Gulf on 4000 Gulf Blvd for $349,900

1 bed room, 1 bath, 850 square feet condo in Gulf Gate Resort on 111 59th Way for 359,000

2 bed room, 2 bath 1545 square feet condo in Beau Monde on 4950 Gulf Blvd for $ 360,000

Please keep in mind, for most parts you get what you pay for, meaning not all water views are equal. In some of these ocean front condos here in Saint Pete beach you have to hang over the balcony railing and twist your neck in order to see the water. In other condos you walk through the front door and a beautiful water view is already welcoming you.

10 Commandments Home Buyers Must Follow

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:25:09 -0500

This should be on the wall of every Real Estate office.

Via Dr. Chantal Saucier (Keller Williams Realty Acadiana):

These 10 Commandments home buyers must follow may seem like common sense to many. Buyers, however, can sometimes forget with all the excitement surrounding the buying of their new home. In the past couple of weeks, I have heard of two separate buyers who saw their home loan turned down, and their dream shattered, a few days before closing because they had bought furniture for their new home before it actually became their home. Both of them now have beautiful furniture with no home to put them in.

These two buyers were not my clients but it always hurts when I hear of transactions falling apart for reasons that could have been avoided. These 10 commandments (from KWU) are part of the buyer packet I give all my clients when we first meet and I always stress that once they get pre-approved and the process is started, they can't do anything that might affect their credit.

1. Thou shalt not change jobs, become self-employed or quit your job.

2. Thou shalt not buy a car, truck or van (or you may be living in it)!

3. Thou shalt not use credit cards excessively or let your accounts fall behind.

4. Thou shalt not spend money you have set aside for closing.

5. Thou shalt not omit debts or liabilities from your loan application.

6. Thou shalt not buy furniture.

7. Thou shalt not originate any inquiries into your credit.

8. Thou shalt not make large deposits without first checking with your loan officer.

9. Thou shalt not change bank accounts.

10. Thou shalt not co-sign a loan for anyone.

If you are in the process of buying a home, remember that your credit must not change or be affected in any way until you actually sign the paperwork and get possession of your new home. Lenders will not only look into your credit when you first get pre-approved, they will check it again (and sometimes again and again) before they let you sign the mortgage. If you want to buy new furniture for your home or change jobs, just be patient. There will always be time to do it after the closing.

And where are YOUR real estate testimonials? My Realtor testimonial is right here.

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:33:46 -0500

And where are your real estate testimonials? My Realtor testimonial is right here.

I have one of these creative mornings. Just finished the latest AR challenge (love them) and somehow got thinking about real estate testimonials, what people have to say about you the Realtor, how did the buyer feel working with you, what impression did you leave on your seller?

I googled a few phrases like "real estate testimonials" "Realtor testimonials" "testimonials about realtors" and of all the post that came up NONE of them was AR. Well that is very unusual. Normally if you type in any real estate related word some AR post comes up on the first site.

I believe buyers as well as seller would love to read what other clients have to say about their Realtor so, here is one of my testimonials

J. Aldridge -
Anne is the best! I kept running across her name whenever I did a computer search on Seminole Isles. Her website had up-to-the minute information posted on vacancies wtihin the complex, an indepth analysis of the sales which had closed and projections on where the local real estate market is headed. She definitely had her finger on the pulse and I wanted to work with "the expert!" The first time we spoke on the phone, I was impressed with her HIGH ENERGY and knew she would find me the perfect place, which of course, she did! She is a long time resident of this area and her enthusiasm for all it has to offer is contagious. She is a great communicator in addition to being very knowledgeable and professional. She has a way of making the search seem like fun, because she truly loves her job. Thank you Anne for finding me the perfect home! Cheers!

Keeping in touch with real estate buyers and sellers in St. Petersburg Tampabay.

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:02:08 -0500

Keeping in touch with real estate buyers and sellers in St. Petersburg Tampabay.

I cannot speak for the whole country but here in St. Petersburg Tampabay the real estate market and how you do business has changed a lot over the last few years. Buyers find you on the internet and not in magazines anymore, sellers compare realtors and their web presence online before they call you for a listing appointment.

Knowing this, finding new clients is relatively easy the challenge is staying and keeping in touch with real estate buyers and sellers in St. Petersburg Tampabay. People that you have sold a house to years ago, a lead that came in 9 month ago, a renter that might be ready to buy soon etc. I found that one of the best ways is to send out a newsletter every month. A custom made newsletter, written by me, the Realtor, about the St. Petersburg Tampabay area. I talk about local news, changes in the real estate market, home and condo sales statistics, local events, computer tips, household tips and I also include a link to a post that I have written or a page on my website.

I e mail this newsletter to everybody I have ever met and I also post this newsletter on one of my blogs.

Been doing this for about 2 years now and so far I have only very positive feedback for buyers, sellers, old leads, friends and other prospects. I get stopped at the local coffee shop someone thanking me for my newsletter, I run into someone I have not seen in ages and they tell me that they LOVE my newsletter, leads that are long forgotten call a year later saying thank you for keeping in touch, we are now ready to buy and one goes the list. I also include links to my posts in snake mail letters that I send to my farm area.

When I get an e mail inquiry about a neighborhood or condo association that I once wrote a post about I include the link in my e mail response.

I am looking forward to see more ideas that will help me keeping in touch real estate buyers and sellers in St. Petersburg Tampabay.

Below is one example of my newsletter so you get a better picture.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1106289/real-estate-information-and-good-deal-in-st-petersburg-pinellas-county

Boca Sands, St. Pete Beach waterfront condo coming up for Real Estate Auction soon

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:54:31 -0500

Boca Sands, St. Pete Beach waterfront condo coming up for Real Estate Auction soon

Just a riminder, Oct. 10 2009 this beautiful waterfront penthouse in Boca sands Saint pete beach will be auctioned off.

Click below for more information. Put it in your Calender.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1234829/real-estate-waterfront-auction-in-st-pete-beach-boca-sands-waterfront-penthouse-for-sale

This is an amazing property. Intracoastal and beachviews at the same time.

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

Every Seller Needs To Know, What Sells a house?

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:23:44 -0500

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.

1. 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."

Cosmic Cow Pie

Carra Riley

St. Pete Beach WORKSHOPS TO ENHANCE, EMPOWER,

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:57:27 -0500

St. Pete Beach WORKSHOPS TO ENHANCE, EMPOWER,
AND TRANSFORM

ST. PETE BEACH, FL: Life Coach and Consultant Barbara Wilson will be teaching four new personal enrichment programs this fall from the RESULTS FOR LIFE© Series at the St. Pete Beach Community Center, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Each workshop is 3 hours long and each includes a participant workbook. The various seminars are Living Your Values©, which helps participants gain perspective on what really matters to them and learn to achieve it, Your Desired Future NOW©, a workshop that uses your values as the touchstone for decision-making in your life, Becoming Your Most Powerful Self©, which enlightens participants on how to uncover their personal power and use it in their daily lives, and Setting Goals and Making Changes© which shows the importance of commitment and goals as tools for self-improvement. The seminars will be held Tuesdays in November beginning November 3rd. Call Barbara for pricing information and to register at 207-438-9220.

Department of Public Services/Recreation Division

Debbie Flay Realtor in Saint Petersburg Tampabay.

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:54:15 -0500

Debbie Flay Realtor in Saint Petersburg Tampabay.

We at South Beaches Real Estate Professionals are very happy that Debbie Flay just joined our team as a Realtor. I am very much looking forward to working with Debbie Flay; she is a great addition to our team of local Real Estate experts. Below is a little more information about Debbie Flay the Realtor and Debbie Flay the private person.

Hi, I am Debbie Flay and this is my story. I was born and raised in Pa., and moved to Florida in 1977 with my husband Tim, and our sons Tim Jr. and Kevin. Tim and I both became Realtors in 1980, when interest rates were high and property values were low. We both worked for a Real Estate firm that mainly sold FHA and VA homes, but we did very good. We did our deals together and found that it was great, cause Tim and I have different approaches and each have our own specialties! Caring for ill parents, curtailed our desires to stay in the business fulltime, but we kept our licenses and continuing education up to date, never knowing when we would use it again.

When Tim's job moved us out of town, I became a licensed assistant to a top producing Realtor family in South Florida. By handling their paperwork and maintaining their listings, I became more efficient in the other side of real estate that some agents find time consuming and boring. My approach was different as I knew without proper paperwork, there would not be a closing! We made our way back to the St. Petersburg Tampabay area and I continued to work for top producing real estate teams as their assistant, and found great enjoyment, but was missing the personal gratification of finding people their dream homes. After Tim & I both retired from our 9 to 5 jobs, we were approached by a first time home buyer and that threw us into the real estate whirlwind again. We worked with this couple, found them their dream home, which was a short sale, and 4 months later we saw the smiles on their faces and were hooked again into helping people.

Being involved in many charity and scouting activities while our boys were growing up, we found that we love helping people in general, and what a better way to help people than real estate, which is a lasting gratification for buyers, sellers, and us!

We want to focus on Harbourside, South Pasadena and St. Pete beach. We have lived in Harbourside 12 years and love the community and what it has to offer, and know our neighbors and friends at some point will need help selling their homes, and we are here for them.

We enjoy Real Estate cause it gives us the flexibility of working, but also visiting our 4 beautiful grandchildren, and our sons and their wives. We also share our life with our beautiful 11 year old poodle, named Brandie, who is known in Harbourside, and we are known as Brandie's Mom and Dad!

Debbie Flay Realtor in Saint Petersburg Tampabay.

Community-Wide Yard Sale in St. Pete Beach Tampabay. This is a fun thing to do in Saint Pete Beach

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:06:34 -0500

Community-Wide Yard Sale in St. Pete Beach Tampabay. This is a fun thing to do in Saint Pete Beach

St. Pete Beach, FL: The St. Pete Beach Community Center will be hosting a community-wide yard sale on Saturday, November 7^thfrom 8:00am to 1:00pm. You can sell your own items for extra cash or come browse for bargains. Cost for a vendor spot is $10 for SPB residents and $12.50 for non-residents. Tables are $5 each while supplies last. Sellers can begin setting up as early as 6:00am that morning at the Community Center, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Registration will run from October 1^st through November 6^th or until all spots are full. Call 363-92455 with questions. Put it in your calender, another fun thing to do in St. Pete beach

Inspection Photo of the Day - Asbestos Tape...

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:31:12 -0500

Via Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector (Complete Home Inspections, Inc.):

Inspection Photo of the Day - Asbestos Tape...

Like many communities, Nashville has a lot of older real estate for sale. Although not perfect, many of these older properties were built to last by craftsmen that took pride in their work. As modern conveniences like air conditioning became more affordable for the general public, and duct tape had not been invented yet, the answer to sealing the pipe joints was to use a readily available material - asbestos tape.

There is a lot of information floating around the internet about asbestos and asbestos tape and the health risks. Duct work leaks. As the tape decomposes, particles can be sucked into the duct work due to the venturi effect. These deposited particles can become dislodged and circulated throughout the property.

I inform my clients of the health risks. I also suggest having the offending material removed and have the ducts professionally cleaned as part of the sales transaction.

So if you are looking at purchasing an older piece of real estate in the Nashville, TN market and see a white cloth-looking type material, be suspicious. Most likely it is asbestos tape.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Frankly, I get more support from ActiveRain!

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:27:19 -0500

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     I think most people grasp the basic concepts behind how the foundations of houses work.

     The basic idea is you want the mass of the foundation to be set on a footing of sufficient size to support all the weight of the house itself that is to be applied on it----as well as any incidental loads added to the house. The actual thicknesses and widths of these foundation structures is a function of soil conditions in relation to projected loads. Most modern footings in this area are a minimum of 10” thick and 18” wide and would only get wider or thicker if there were some unusual soil conditions or concentrated loads (called point loads).

     In relation to footings, there is an engineering term called the “angle of repose.” You have perhaps noticed railroad track beds of gravel slope away from the track ties at an angle----not straight down. This is called the angle of repose and is typically no steeper than a 45 degree angle, and if it gets steeper than this vibration and other factors will cause the ties to be undermined.

     House foundation footings are subject to the same rules.

     As a simple guideline, we always want to see at least a 45 degree angle of support along the footings and away from the foundation. Of course other re-enforced concrete structures can be installed to counter these rules, but that can be the subject of another post.

     The home inspector is going to be looking for these kinds of issues when checking out the foundation of the home or its interior support posts which follow the same rules.

     In a recent crawl space, a large area had been dug out between two main support posts to create a place to install the furnace. I think you can see from the picture that there is certainly no “angle of repose” to properly support this pier footing and the ground under the footing is subject to collapse. The red line is where the angle of repose should be----not exactly rocket science. The vertical drop from the footing is approximately 4 feet.

     This home had two such affected posts and proper supports will need to be installed.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, ASHI Home Inspector, Licensed Home Inspector, Structural Pest Inspector, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Midnight at the Oasis! Who you gonna call----Rat Busters!

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:24:21 -0500

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Everyone that regularly reads my blog knows how much I love to gross everyone out with stories about rats. Finding them in crawl spaces is as common as finding the bathroom inside the house----as opposed to being an outhouse. In other words----dang common.

     Perhaps the most common way that these vermin find their way into the crawl space in houses that have concrete foundations is through damaged crawl space vents and through the access door itself.

     Other common ways into the space is through or around pipes that run through the foundation that have not been properly sealed. Common pipe-related entry points are gravity drains that have not been properly screened and around sewer pipes. I don’t know exactly how or why rats like to follow the sewer pipes into the crawl space---perhaps it is easier digging. I don’t even know how they find the sewer pipe to follow it----but they do.

     On a recent house, the main house sewer drain went out of the foundation on one side of the house and there was a second smaller drain that went out the other side of the house. This type of drainage installation is common in this area and the drains will join together outside the home prior to getting to the city sewer at the street.

     In this house the rats were using the crawl space as a “Midnight Oasis” as they used the well traveled highway from one drain to the other. There were very large deposits of dirt at both openings where the rats had mined their way into the crawl space. On the right side of the picture the condition of the phone wire looks like the rats wanted to make a call----there is always a phone at a rest stop isn’t there?

     In order to eliminate this pathway some means of blocking their ability to continue to build these tunnels will have to be achieved. If the hole was merely an oversized hole around a pipe going through concrete, it would simply be a matter of blocking the hole with something harder than the rat’s teeth. In this case, where the pipes run under the foundation, simply filling the opening will likely only result in the critters digging around the blockage.

     It is time to call the “Rat Busters” to set up a “feeding” station at the Oasis----and perhaps a few rat highway speed traps.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, ASHI Home Inspector, Licensed Home Inspector, Structural Pest Inspector, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Should the Inspector move anything?

Anne Hensel Real Estate Professional buy or sell St. Pete — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:22:07 -0500

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Most inspectors will tell you “no” and yet I would be willing to bet that most inspectors do. No inspection is ever truly just a visual inspection, even though most Standards of Practice say that it is. Most Standards of Practice even give guidelines for moving certain things----like opening readily accessible electrical panel covers and access hatch covers etc. Few inspectors however would move a refrigerator. Most I would be willing to bet will move a garbage can out from under a sink, but probably would not move a heavy sofa to check electrical outlets.

     Every day inspectors must make judgment calls as to where the boundaries are of what they will move and not move.

     A fairly simple item I moved the other day gave me the idea for this post and how important it is for inspectors to be able to move things as they deem necessary and safe to do so. While this item is purely “symbolic” of the point I am trying to make, finding similar and actually consequential defects are just as possible.

     I like for my buyer’s to be as informed as possible about the property. Whether it is missing tiles behind a towel on a towel bar, or missing/damaged tiles under a soap bottle, seemingly “cosmetic” conditions can take their toll on a buyer when they start to move in.

     While it is not possible to discover “everything” about a home at the time of inspection----it is always nice to do what I can.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, ASHI Home Inspector, Licensed Home Inspector, Structural Pest Inspector, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.