Having well-planned strategies to stage your home can positively impact your final selling price. The cost of staging a home usually is well below that of the first price reduction if a home remains on the market for too long. If a home remains on the market for a month without an offer, the average selling price drops 5%. On a $500,000 home, that’s $25,000. “Statistics show the best chance of Continue Reading
The Florida Homestead Exemption: A Powerful Tool with Powerful Tax Benefits
One of the highest costs of homeownership can be property tax, which varies according to the city or county in which you reside. Understanding and taking advantage of the Homestead Exemption can help homeowners reduce their property taxes in both the short and long-term, especially in a booming market. “Florida laws pertaining to property taxes are unique, and many of our clients relocating Continue Reading
Our Favorite Things To Do In St. Petersburg
This blog has a bit of a different focus than most of our articles. It shares information we often are asked to provide for many of our transplant clients – homebuyers who have relocated here (St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay area), usually from other states. When their first guests are soon to arrive, they often ask for tips about off-the-beaten-path activities they can share with their visiting family Continue Reading
Top Considerations When Buying a Condo
The first step in the home-buying process is assessing what type of property best suits your needs. For many, the choice is between a condominium or a single-family home. “Before jumping in with both feet, we advise buyers to take some time to assess whether condo living is right for them,” said Robert Coscia, Broker and Owner of Personal Realty Advisers. “We often have buyers who start down Continue Reading
Home Buying 101… For EVERYONE
Home buying can be a tremendous challenge for many people, especially in this constantly shifting and changing real estate market. Homebuyers need strong guidance from trusted and experienced real estate professionals, as you will find at Personal Realty Advisers. “It’s more than just first-time homebuyers,” said Robert Coscia, Broker and Brokerage Owner of Personal Realty Advisers. “Home Continue Reading
The Benefits of Signing a Buyer’s Agreement with Your Broker
Buying a home is a significant investment—one of life’s biggest purchases—and it can be a complicated, lengthy process, so you want a real estate agent who will be fully committed to you. An experienced agent will dedicate a great amount of time to help you achieve your goal; likewise, they want their buyers to be fully committed to them in return. One way this mutual commitment is often Continue Reading
How Do Real Estate Commissions Work?
Many Brokers/real estate sales agents and sellers have cordial and productive relationships working toward a common goal of selling a property. Still, there is one occasional point of contention that must be worked through at the beginning of the relationship that can set the tone for the entire engagement: COMMISSIONS. NOTE: Although we mostly use the term “commission(s)” in this article, Continue Reading
The Benefits of a 1031 Tax-Free Exchange
Are you a real estate investor or someone looking to exchange a vacation home or rental property for a different type of investment? If so, a 1031 tax-deferred exchange might be suitable for you. When executed strategically and under the right circumstances, 1031 exchanges can help upscale and further optimize your investment portfolio. What is a 1031 Exchange? Under the standard tax code Continue Reading
What To Do When You Inherit a Home
Caveat: This article is not about the legal process for finalizing an inheritance. The details to cover that topic are extensive and readily available online. As a convenience, we have outlined some of the basic steps and guidelines at the end of this article. Rest assured, at some point in the inheritance process, you will need to work with an attorney who should cover all the details of what Continue Reading
Real Estate Sales Agent, Realtor, Broker*…Whom Should I Work With? And Why?
*Terminology is defined at the end of this article. We have to admit – we are a little biased about this topic. One of our tag lines, after all, is Work Directly With The Broker, meaning every person who works with our brokerage WILL work directly with Robert Coscia, our Owner and Broker. This makes a significant difference for several reasons explained here. In this article, we will share Continue Reading