Real Estate Musings from St Pete, Florida

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Real Estate Agent - Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International
Information on Real Estate, Properties, Traditions, Neighborhoods, Market Activity and other items of interest in the Tampa Bay area (St Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton) and the Gulf Beaches, Florida.

ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS

2006 

1 Comments
Do you check your spam every day?  Increasingly e-mail is not getting through, either being directed to the spam folder on your computer or being dumped by your ISP before it even reaches you. We've become very accustomed to sending e-mails - with information, questions, MLS listings.  Haven't he...
08/17/2006
8 Comments
Write 5 personal, handwritten notes a day. That's good advice.  I'm as techie as most of you, and use it extensively in my business, but it doesn't take the place of face-to-face and it doesn't take the place of a personal note. Printing and saving an e-mail just doesn't have the same feel as sav...
08/17/2006
When I'm talking with a potential seller, I review the stats of how many homes on the market, how many sales, absorption rate, etc.  I also tell them that a lot of buyers who could have afforded their home last year, couldn't afford it this year...If you look at what income it takes for you affor...
08/17/2006
In Florida we have homestead exemption available on properties that are owner-occupied as a principal residence. For over 20 years, there has been a $25,000 reduction in assessed value for homes that have a homestead exemption. Since 1995 we have also had Save-Our-Homes, which caps the increase i...
08/16/2006
4 Comments
We know it's critical to respond timely to our clients, whether it's a phone call, or an e-mail. Yesterday we closed on a sale where the buyer chose insurance for $2,900 from Agency #1 vs $2,300 from Agency #2. I asked the buyer why he made the choice he did - and his response was: Agency #2 went...
08/16/2006
We sometimes talk about having a vehicle seating 7 for showing property, but it's really no more than once or twice a year that we need something that large.  For me, rather than spending $30,000 more for a larger Lexus SUV, it makes sense to rent an appropriate vehicle when its needed.Recently w...
08/16/2006
3 Comments
In Pinellas County, Florida, the School Board no longer assigns students to a neighborhood school. For elementary, middle and high schools, the county is divided into zones, and parents/students get to "choose" any school within that zone. "Choose" means that by a certain deadline they can apply ...
08/15/2006
Often it is very difficult to deal with out of state lenders - appraisals, for example, may go through a third party source who assigns appraisers and reviews the appraisals, adding weeks to the process!  In the closing I had today, the Seattle lender had done a great job - prompt appraisal, docs...
08/15/2006
Again today I was reminded of how important parks and green space are to the ambiance of downtown St Petersburg, Florida.  A prospect called from New Hampshire, interested in buying one of the downtown condos in St Pete, as a second home. He wanted the water view, of course, but also wanted to be...
08/14/2006
4 Comments
In most coastal areas of Florida, lots are small - a typical waterfront lot may be 80 ft x 120 ft.  In the newer suburbs in surrounding areas, the lowest priced homes ($250,000-$300,000) may be on 50 ft wide lots. They generally have scraped the trees, and feature repetitions of just a few floor ...
08/14/2006
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Sharon Simms

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS
local_phone(727) 898-2582
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Information on Real Estate, Properties, Traditions, Neighborhoods, Market Activity and other items of interest in the Tampa Bay area (St Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton) and the Gulf Beaches, Florida.