Are you planning to buy or sell your home in Tampa Bay? Hiring a real estate agent is important especially in today’s competitive housing market. But for the same price, why not hire a real estate concierge service, one that goes above and beyond the transaction?
Continue reading to learn more about our real estate concierge services and how we can provide you with a smooth and stress-free homebuying or selling experience.
What are real estate concierge services?
For most of us, the term “concierge” often refers to the person who receives guests at a hotel or apartment building. It can also refer to professionals who personally manage the requests and needs of VIP clients.
In other businesses and industries, concierges are a luxury service. With the sole purpose of saving the client’s time and energy, the concierge handles tedious and routine tasks for a smooth and stress-free experience.
At Saltzberg & Associates Real Estate, we provide this luxury at no extra cost to homebuyers and sellers. As property and market technology continues to ease the process of home buying and selling, our real estate concierge services go beyond the actual transaction. We make the everyday home buying or selling experience personalized through advantageous professional connections and custom-fit strategies.
Benefits you can enjoy from hiring an RE concierge
When you avail the concierge services at Saltzberg & Associates Real Estate, you can expect to enjoy the following benefits.
Home building and home improvement
If you’re selling your home, you’ll want to make sure your property can sell for a good price— and fast. One of the main goals of any real estate agent is to prepare, market, and sell your home at the best price possible. They will do this by assessing your home’s market value, checking for any structural issues, and providing suggestions on how you can increase its value through cosmetic repairs.
Our real estate concierge service, however, goes further. When your home is in its best possible state, you can sell it faster and for a better price. To get there, we’ll schedule a thorough pre-inspection of your home, followed by overseeing any necessary repairs as recommended by the home inspector. Afterwards, we’ll orchestrate a home renovation or upgrade strategy that gives you the highest return on investment (ROI) for the lowest cost.
Our team at Saltzberg & Associates Real Estate is part of a trustworthy and experienced network of homebuilding and home improvement professionals. Whether you’re a seller looking for ways to increase your Tampa Bay home’s market value or a buyer who wants to make cost-effective changes to a prospective home, our team can put you in direct contact with highly reputable contractors, architects, designers, home stages, landscapers, and more.
Get the highest ROI for your Tampa Bay home
Our real estate concierge services have two objectives: to enhance and market your home to the broadest range of home buyers, and to maximize your financial return on your home sale. Helping you plan and execute cost-effective home improvement projects that can make your Tampa Bay property more desirable is an integral step to achieving those objectives.
Investing in home renovations is important, especially in a city like Tampa, Florida. According to HomeAdvisor, renovations contributed nearly a 15% increase in value in the Tampa real estate market. Thus, it’s wise to work with an expert real estate company that has extensive knowledge and connections with renowned builders, contractors, and designers. They can help you research and implement the best renovations for your home.
Top home improvements for 2022
If you’re preparing to sell your Tampa Bay home for top dollar, here are some home improvements that our team can help you with:
- More natural light – Adding more windows or upgrading the existing windows in your home is a simple project, but it can have a drastic effect on your home’s market value for three reasons.
First, window quality is one of the main factors that determine a home’s market value. Second, having energy-efficient windows are highly attractive to buyers—they can cut energy consumption costs by 25 to 30%. Finally, installing larger windows, skylights, or even replacing walls with glass can emphasize some of the best parts about living in Tampa Bay: its gorgeous subtropical climate and outdoor views.
- Productive home office designs – The COVID-19 pandemic has created larger avenues for remote work and learning. While restrictions have been lifted, remote and hybrid work arrangements are here to stay. As a result, home offices and flexible workspaces remain a must-have feature among prospective homebuyers. If you have extra room in your home, you can retrofit it as a productive work or study area.
- Hardwood flooring – If you’re looking for a home renovation project that can give you the biggest ROI, consider installing hardwood flooring.
According to Realtor.com, wood floors are one of the greatest investments you can make, with an estimated 70% to 80% ROI and 2.5% increase in home sales price. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing and easy to clean, hardwood floors also promote better air quality. And when taken care of, they can last a lifetime.
Repurposed wood with medium brown hues and driftwood finishes are the most popular flooring in 2022, so consider choosing smoked or weathered wood, reclaimed barn wood tiles, or herringbone-patterned flooring.
- Wellness and sustainability – Being stuck inside our homes for the past two years have led many homebuyers to prioritize their health and wellbeing, as well as sustainability in their homes. Look into adding amenities aligned with this lifestyle, such as spa bathrooms, personal gyms, meditation spaces, reading books, and air filtration/purification systems.
- Bringing the outdoors in – One of the keys to higher market value and buyer interest is by investing in the right kind of outdoor home upgrades.
And in a place like Tampa Bay where there’s perpetual sunshine and warm weather to enjoy, livable outdoor spaces are a must.Coming out of the pandemic, a survey conducted in 2021 by the American Institute of Architects revealed that the demand for outdoor spaces has increased by 61% to 71%. Our team can help you strategize which features work best with your home and budget, whether it’s making deck or patio improvements or installing a fully functional exterior kitchen and dining area.
- Functional home improvements – Aesthetic upgrades are always welcome, but it’s the functional home improvements that will significantly increase your home’s livability and market value.
Think of changes, big or small, that can impact a prospective buyer’s quality of life. For instance, adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your home opens a wide range of possibilities for the new homeowner: housing for returning or visiting grown children, a separate space for in-laws or older parents, or a self-contained unit that can be rented out at more affordable prices. If you want something simpler but no less attractive, spice cabinets and pull-out trash bins are highly coveted.
Renovation projects geared towards disaster preparedness and preventative measures like flood-proof windows and sea wall barriers are also on the rise in Florida, which have experienced stronger storms due to climate change.
In-depth knowledge on the local community and lifestyle
With our real estate concierge services, you gain access to a wealth of hyperlocal knowledge and connections at your disposal— highly advantageous whether you’re buying or selling your home in Tampa Bay.
While some may argue that this is a service you can receive from any real estate agent, our team at Saltzberg & Associates Real Estate goes above and beyond the real estate transaction. We serve as your go-to resource for all things Tampa Bay, from where to eat, what to do this weekend, and sights to see in the area— information you can use as you search for your dream home or market your property to prospective homebuyers.
Tampa Bay annual events and festivities
Tampa Bay’s social calendar is part and parcel of the local lifestyle Here are some annual cultural events and festivities that you (and prospective buyers) can look forward to:
- Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Festival of the Arts – Dedicated to the mythical and legendary pirate Jose Gaspar, Tampa’s historic annual Gasparilla celebration is the third largest parade in the country. It’s filled with pirate-themed events, music, food, and entertainment. There’s also the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, where artists from all around the world display their work in one of the largest art shows in the Southeast United States.
- Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival – Held every January, this is a highly anticipated 10-day festival that celebrates African and African-American heritage and culture in Tampa Bay. The festivities feature musicians, artists, poets, speakers, and craftspeople from all over the region. The event also coincides with the annual Martin Luther King Parade.
- Fiesta Day – Every February, Ybor City near Downtown Tampa celebrates the historic Fiesta Day, a cultural event that honors the Cuban, German, Italian, Afro-Cuban, Jewish, and Spanish immigrants that arrived in the neighborhood in the late 1800s. First held in 1993, Fiesta Day shines the spotlight on Tampa’s long history of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.
- Florida State Fairgrounds – Once just an annual state fair celebrating Florida’s agricultural industry, the Florida State Fair has now grown into a year-round community hub filled with local eats, amusement park rides, special events, and even educational programs.
- Tampa Pride – Tampa Pride is a vibrant celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the LGBTQ+ community. During this event, the city’s streets are filled with artisan booths, food stands, and various performances, all of which culminates in the Tampa Pride Diversity Parade and night party.
Local Tampa Bay charities you can donate to
Decluttering and packing up is a critical and emotional part of the home selling process. In addition to assisting our clients with hiring movers and cleaners, we have also put together a list of organizations and charities you can donate your pre-loved furniture and clothes to:
Processing financing and insurance requirements
Purchasing or listing your Tampa Bay home is one of the biggest and most important financial transactions you will make in your life. Our agents are deeply committed to helping you make informed decisions, especially in a competitive real estate market like Tampa Bay, Florida.
Part of our real estate concierge services is connecting you with reputable professionals that can move your homebuying or selling journey further along. These include escrow agents, accountants, home appraisers, mortgage brokers, and attorneys needed for your specific real estate transaction.
Qualifying for a home loan pre-approval
One of the most grueling processes in buying a Tampa Bay home is getting the right financing and insurance for your purchase. With our real estate concierge services, you can remove the stress and apprehension that comes with applying for a mortgage from the equation.
We’ll start by giving you the right advice that will lead to successful mortgage pre-approval. As a homebuyer who’s pre-approved, you’ll have a better chance of having your offer accepted, taking you one step closer to your dream home.
According to the US Bank, Florida has a 4.99% conventional rate and 5.066% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages as of March 28, 2022. These rates are expected to rise steadily throughout the year, underlining the importance of hiring a real estate concierge who can help you find the best financing package.
To qualify for a mortgage in Florida, you need to meet three basic requirements:
- Credit score. While most lenders require a credit score of at least 620, the U.S. Bank recommends a credit score of 740 or above if you are purchasing a single-family home in the Sunshine State.
- Employment and debt-to-income ratio. Your mortgage lender or broker will also study your employment history. They typically require home loan applicants to have a debt-to-income ratio of less than 36%.
- Down payment. Most mortgage plans require a down payment that ranges from 3.5% to 10-20% of the total price. Because of this, your lender will check if you have sufficient funds for both the down payment and the closing costs on your Tampa Bay home.
Homebuyer programs
In Tampa Bay and the larger state of Florida, there are a wide range of homebuyer assistance programs that can help you finance the home of your dreams. As your real estate concierge, we will assist you in finding and applying for the homebuyer program that best suits your unique situation:
- First-time Home Buyer Programs – Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are often recommended for first-time homebuyers since they have looser financial requirements than a conventional home loan.
The City of Tampa also has a “Dare to Own the Dream” (DARE) Homeownership Program which provides qualified homebuyers a down payment assistance loan of up to $40,000 as a deferred second mortgage with no interest rates or monthly payments.
- Down payment assistance programs – As a Tampa Bay homebuyer, you can apply for various down payment assistance programs within Tampa or the Tampa Bay area.
- Mortgage assistance programs – Hillsborough County has several homebuyer programs that can help you secure your financing.
For example, the Home Sweet Home Hillsborough Program offers up to $15,000 as a 30-year deferred second mortgage. This can be used to cover your closing costs and down payment on any house in Tampa and surrounding areas.
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program also allows you to slash up to $2,000 (50%) off your annual mortgage interest every year.
The City of Tampa Mortgage Assistance Program can provide an assistance loan of up to $15,000 if you meet income requirements and are purchasing a property within the city’s limits. There’s also the East Tampa CRA Down-Payment Assistance Program, which provides up to $50,000 down payment assistance to current renters in East Tampa who want to purchase a home in the area.
Property tax exemptions
Florida has a 0.8% standard property tax rate, which is lower than the national average (1.07%). That said, you can enjoy more savings by applying for property tax exemptions, of which there are several in Hillsborough County and the entire state.
The Florida Homestead Exemption, for example, can entail up to $50,000 of property tax exemptions if your Tampa Bay home is also your primary residence. It can also provide additional protection against assessment increases through the Save Our Homes benefit.
Senior citizens, active-duty military personnel, veterans, and people with disability can also avail of property tax benefits in Hillsborough County. You can learn more about the different types of tax exemptions here.
Work with us today!
Whether you want to find your dream home in Tampa Bay or sell your beloved property for the best price possible, our real estate concierge services at Saltzberg & Associates Real Estate can provide you with all the resources you need for your real estate journey.
Get in touch with our team today! Call 813.727.8553 or email steven(at)saltzbergandassociates(dotted)com. You can also send us your questions and concerns here.