Duncan Duo Tampa Real Estate Video Blog

Every month, we hear home sellers tell us that they’d rather not put a real estate sign out in front of their house because they’re convinced that they don’t work. However, the truth is that real estate signs actually do work. We’ve seen many homes sell over the years that wouldn’t have sold without a real estate sign. This is because they help in three important ways: The first is that they trigger word-of-mouth referrals. Not everybody in your neighborhood pays attention to online listings. They might know other people who want to live in your neighborhood, though, and a real estate sign is the only way to let them know that your home is for sale.  The second way they help is by acting as a marker for buyers who don’t want to look at a home in person and deal with a showing. If they want to narrow their list of homes, they might simply just want to drive by them. Neighborhoods tend to have homes that look alike, so if you don’t have a sign out, it would be easy for the potential buyer to skip right past and assume another home is for sale. Not having a real estate sign means limiting your buyer pool. The third way they help is by providing a phone number that people can call. If there’s no sign, there’s no opportunity for them to call. Quite frankly, people are impulse buyers. Sometimes people call on a sign and buy the home that very same day. Unless you have a sign out front, though, this won’t happen to you. What if someone buys another home down the street instead of yours because that home had a sign? Because real estate companies get all of these sign calls, sometimes a sign from one property can help another property sell. Homes in certain areas can also act as referrals to homes in other areas that are comparable in size and features. The bottom line is that you should not abandon using a real estate sign when you put your home up for sale. If you want to get your home sold quickly, you want to take care of every single marketing possibility for that home. Omitting a real estate sign means limiting your audience and leaving money on the table. If you have any questions for us, don't hesitate to reach out by giving us a call or sending us an email" at the end of the blog

We have a couple of really cool items to give away and a few client appreciation events we want to invite you to. Selling in the Tampa Bay area? Get a market analysis report Purchasing in the Tampa Bay area? Get full MLS access Are you excited for hockey season? I know I am! As the official agents of the Tampa Bay Lightning, we wanted to announce a couple really cool items we have to give away and some upcoming client appreciation nights we’re hosting. We have a Steven Stamkos autographed hat, a Ryan Callahan autographed jersey, and a hockey stick autographed by the entire team. We will be giving other stuff away all year long, including tickets to games on our social channels so make sure to follow us:Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.  If you’re a current or past client of ours, we have a number of client appreciation nights coming up at Amalie Arena. Here are the dates to mark down on your calendar:  October 18th vs. FloridaNovember 10th vs. The New York IslandersDecember 8th vs. VancouverJanuary 3rd vs. Winnipeg February 21st vs. EdmontonMarch 6th vs. The New York Rangers On all those nights, we’ll have plenty more tickets to give away, so watch our social channels for the day to register for these events, or make sure to reach out to your agent on our team if you have one. For more autographed memorabilia signed by members of the Lightning, check out boltshomevideos.com Consider this our gift to you for being a valuable client and being a patron of our social channels. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us or give us a call. We hope to see you at a Bolts game this year. Let’s go Bolts!

Today I’m here with Mike Yates from Atlantic Bay Mortgage to discuss loan programs with low down payment options. Money.com recently had an article about lower down payment options for conventional loans, but there are a lot of other options out there.  For example, Atlantic Bay Mortgage offers a conventional loan program through Fannie Mae that only requires 3% down. Although this program is mostly for first-time home buyers, you can go with an option that is open to other buyers. There is also an income-restricted option.  VA loans are some of the best loans available on the market. Active duty military and veterans can purchase a home for no money down. Closing costs are covered as well. These loans also have low monthly mortgage payments because you don’t have to pay private mortgage insurance.  VA loans are the best loans available on the market. Another loan program that does not require a down payment is the USDA loan. USDA loans are used for purchasing property in rural areas and there are income restrictions you have to meet in order to qualify. Although you cannot buy a property in Tampa, you can get a property in one of the outlying areas.  Last but not least, consider the FHA mortgage. This is a longstanding mortgage program used by a lot of first-time home buyers that only requires 3.5% down up to a certain loan amount. In our area, that loan cap is $271,050.  If these programs aren’t quite the right fit for you, there are also down payment assistance programs available for first-time home buyers. You can use this money for your down payment, closing costs, or a combination of the two. In Hillsborough County, you can get $15,000 for your down payment and closing costs, and in Pinellas County, you can get $7,500 in down payment assistance.  If you have any specific mortgage questions for Mike, you can reach him at 813-343-8551 or send him an email at [email protected]. If you have any other real estate questions, you can always give me a call or send me an email. We would be happy to help you!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. I wanted to touch on an important topic today - housing inventory and days on market. We're constantly asked how long it should take homes to sell in the Tampa Real Estate Market. It's really a loaded question because there is no truly correct answer. Real estate is hyper-local, so the "right" days on market really depends on your specific neighborhood and what's happening in that area. Real estate is hyper-local, so you can't always cast a wide net. What we're seeing right now is that most homes are selling within 60 days, but some are taking longer. The higher the price of the home, the longer it may take to sell because the buyer pool is smaller. Likewise, the cheaper the home, the larger the buyer pool, and the faster it's likely to sell. Some neighborhoods have houses that experience a bidding war within a week, and others that have houses that take six months to sell. What's happening in Riverview may be different from what's happening in South Tampa or New Tampa. As an agent, we can look at your specific area and give you advice. Generally speaking, you want to look at statistics for days on market compared to your neighborhood, and remember that prices affect it as well. Generally, right now we're seeing most homes sell more quickly due to low inventory, especially well-priced homes. Days on market can be interesting when it comes to marketing strategies as well. I think if you see homes sell in one or two days, sometimes that's a little too quick. We coach our agents to encourage our home sellers to leave a little bit of time to feel things out and make sure we're not leaving money on the table. Remember, the supply and demand curve varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. For a more specific look at your area and what you should expect if you're buying or selling, email me or give me a call for a complete analysis. We're here to help!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. According to REAL Trends Magazine (as advertised in the Wall Street Journal) our team is in the top 25 in sales out of all the real estate brokers in the United States. Being in this tier of elite brokers is extremely special for us, and we never could have done it without your patronage and support.  To specify, we sold 736 homes in Tampa, which got us a #22 spot on the REAL Trends Teams by Transaction Sides Rankings and we were #78 in total volume, as we managed to sell $169,000,000 worth of real estate! These rankings were compiled from the hundreds of thousands of Realtors in America, so this is quite an honor to even rank in the top 100. In light of this honor, we would like to offer you a VIP Perks Membership through entertainment.com. These are the people that send out the coupon books, but they’ve launched a new application that can be used via app and can be used at many local restaurants and shops all across the country. This VIP Perks app can travel with you throughout the country, so wherever you are now, you can still use it. It’s not just limited to Tampa! If you’ve bought or sold with us and have moved, you can still use this app. If you’re interested in redeeming these rewards, just email us back and let us know. We are offering this to you free of charge and this is for all past and current clients. We look forward to hearing from you, and thank you for supporting our fantastic team!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Today we’re going to talk about some common signs that it might be time for you to move and get into another home. There are several key signs to look out for, and we’re going to talk about 5 of them today. 1.  MoneyTake a good hard look at your finances before you move. You may just want to save up for a new master bathroom or other renovation in your home. If you aren’t happy in your current house, you need to figure out what steps to take to become happy. 2. Outgrowing your storage spaceThere are only so many ways you can rearrange your kitchen or garage to make room for more stuff. If you’re constantly trying to rearrange things to make them fit together, it might be a good sign you’re outgrowing your current house. 3. Expanding familyThis is a great reason to move. It could be that you’re having more children, or they are coming back to move in after college. 4. Shrinking familyIf one or more of your children have gone off to college and you just don’t need as much space anymore, it might be time to downsize and buy a smaller home, or that condo on the beach you’ve always wanted. 5. Neighborhood is in declineIf crime has been increasing in your area, or there is a huge commercial boom, it might make it a lot more difficult to sell your home in the future. If you’re looking to change places in 2016, we would love to talk. We can give you a good estimate of what your home could sell for, as well as a home search that feeds directly from the MLS. If you have any questions at all, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you! We also expect this year to be a great time to sell. Interest rates are rising, and this will bring a lot of buyers onto the market. You could capitalize on these unique market conditions if you contact us soon!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Today, we’ll be covering five tips to sell your Tampa Bay home quickly this spring. We want to help sell your home in the least amount of time possible! Price the home appropriately. Lots of homeowners think their home is worth more than it really is, and then their property sits on the market for longer than they expect. This ultimately causes them to earn less for their home in the long run. However, pricing your home under its initial market value might help it sell faster by attracting a bidding war and maximizing profit.  Stage your home professionally. This helps reduce clutter in your home and, ultimately, make your property show better. It puts the home in the right light that buyers are looking for specifically. It’s a valuable strategy to help you earn more for your home than without it. Hire the right agent. The person selling your home shouldn’t be a friend or a family member, but instead, tailored and knowledgeable professional. You want the right amount of exposure in the quickest time possible with all the amazing technology out there, including drone and panorama photos. Our team shoots videos of properties to market them. Time the sale. You want the most amount of buyers to show up and walk through your home. Sometimes, the right time to sell in certain neighborhoods is in the spring or the summer. It might be during the winter, so talk to a Realtor that’s familiar with your area. Target millennials. Those between the ages of 18 and 34 represent a booming demographic within our marketplace. Although they’re not particularly a target for luxury properties, they’re certainly out there looking for their first home. You’ll find them through social media. Likewise, your agent should understand social media technology. You’re likely watching this video on social media, so there are so many more opportunities to reach out to buyers this way. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the surrounding area, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you answer any questions you might have!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Today we are going to give you some important information if you’re thinking about buying a home in Tampa Bay. We are going to talk about the four numbers that determine your buying power. You need to pay special attention to each of these numbers, as they could be the difference between you getting the home of your dreams or missing out on it entirely. 1. Credit scoreThis is one of the first things lenders are going to look at to determine your ability to pay back your loan. You need to know your credit score and have it ready to present to the lender. 2. Down paymentThe higher your down payment, the more overall buying power you have, and the more home you can afford. 3. Debt-to-income ratioYou can make a great income, but if it’s all going out the door in payments, it doesn’t mean much and certainly won’t help you get a mortgage. The lower debt you have, the better. 4. AssetsThese are things you own and what you owe on them. If you have real estate assets already, lenders are a little more flexible because they know that you have these assets and can use them to pay off your debts if it comes down to it. If you’re thinking about buying in Tampa Bay, each of these four numbers is crucial to getting the home you want. In the future, we’ll talk about the different loan products, and the down payments and credit scores required for each. Make sure to check our real estate radio show this Sunday at 10 a.m. on 970 WFLA . Also, check out boltshomevideos.com to check out some of the videos we’ve shot with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We give away one signed hockey stick per month, and you can enter here for your chance to win. If you have any other questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

There are many Tampa Bay area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to learn about our “Your Home Sold Guaranteed in 29 Days” program or for a free property valuation so you know what your home can sell for in today’s market. You may also call me at (813) 359-8990 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Today we just wanted to give a shout out to all our loyal clients and customers. We were recently at a RE/MAX conference learning about the latest in real estate trends and technology, and we received a few great awards.  The one we are most proud of is that we were ranked #6 in the world for RE/MAX teams. In a pool of over 100,000 agents, we take great pride in that honor. We owe all of our success to you and wanted to take a moment to thank you for helping us achieve this award.  What’s the advantage of hiring a team like ours? Well, it’s simple. We have a lot more resources, we sell more quickly, and we spend more on advertising than the average agent. You can see for yourself on our online reviews, where we have heard some great words from our past clients. Working with top agents like ourselves equals better service, better results, and an overall better experience. That’s how we operate here at The Duncan Duo. To say thanks even more, we are going to be giving away a signed Tampa Bay Lightning hockey stick. As the official real estate agents of the Lightning, we get autographed memorabilia all the time, and we wanted to share the wealth. To enter your name in the drawing, all you need to do is follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube and post a comment about your favorite Tampa Bay Lightning moment over the last year. In the next week, we will pick the lucky winner of the signed hockey stick! If you have any questions in the meantime, we are always here to answer them. Just give us a call or send us an email, and we’d be happy to help out!