St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale | Estelia Mesimer Check all settings on WP dashboard

Remax Metro | Top Real Estate Agent in St Petersburg

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

727 686 2859

  • Home
  • Buy
    • Property Search
    • Buyers Center
    • Mortgage Center
  • Sell
    • Sellers Center
    • Home Valuation
    • Sold Properties
    • Selling Your Probate Home
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Videos & Testimonials
    • Top 5 Reasons to Call St. Petersburg Home
    • Top 5 Reasons to Choose Estelia Mesimer When Buying or Selling a Home
  • Blog
  • News Feed
    • Estelia Featured in Tampa Bay Real Producers Magazine
    • St. Petersburg Bar Association
  • Contact

First-Time Buyers Guide to Acquiring the Perfect Home

September 9, 2019 by Sharon Fennell Kennedy | St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County Leave a Comment

Daydreaming about owning your home and actually putting your money where your daydream is can be a challenge for buyers, especially first time buyers.

Watching HGTV and flipping shows makes the buying process look easy…. just a few renovations and affordable DIY projects and voila you have your dream house! In reality, buyers need to understand how a home that doesn’t currently come anywhere close to “dream” status could be whipped into shape and how a home they think is perfect now might end up feeling like a mistake in a few years.

Estelia Mesimer – RE/MAX Metro – St. Petersburg, FL

According to Estelia Mesimer, RE/MAX Metro agent in St. Petersburg, Florida, in order for first-time buyers to avoid such an unfortunate scenario, they need to think carefully and weigh all of their options. With the experience and expertise of a Buyer’s Agent, you’ll be well-prepared to choose a house that feels like home today and for years to come. Here are a few key areas to focus on.

Price
You need a home you can afford. There’s no sense in deciding that you must have four bedrooms when the most you could afford is two. Do some research of your area’s current housing market and think about the down payment size and your financial shape. Your real estate agent can refer you to a mortgage broker so you can get a realistic idea of what you might need to spend and what you can afford to spend on your new home.

Beds, Baths and Size
You know the size of your household and whether it’s likely to grow in the future. You also know how much space you’re likely to need based on your current living situation. For example, if you work from home, then your desire for a little more space and a home office might be non-negotiable. On the other hand, if you commute to an office every day, you may not need a home office at all. Figure out the minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms you’ll need in any home you buy.

Location
First-time buyers need to think beyond a school district when choosing a home. Ask yourself: how close is your home to major highways in the area? How close are you to work? Are there nearby shopping malls, parks, restaurants, and grocery stores? Remember – you’re buying a neighborhood just as much as you’re buying a home.

Special Features
Once you have a handle on your basic requirements for a home, you can begin thinking about amenities/features… a garage to store your car and tools, a fenced in yard for children and pets or a deck for entertaining and lounging. Figure out which special features are “nice to have” and which that are “must haves”.

Is This House a Bargain? Here is where having a Buyer’s Agent on your side is so important.

When faced with the choice of a home that seems like a bargain but requires renovations and a home that is more costly but requires little if any work, which do you choose? This is when having an experienced Buyer’s Agent can make all the difference in understanding whether a home’s condition is really worth the savings. According to Estelia Mesimer- RE/MAX Metro agent in downtown St. Petersburg, FL, there could be good reason why the home is listed at a bargain price – such as the repairs being too expensive for anyone to reasonably fix. As someone who is familiar with homes in the area in various states of condition, a professional real estate agent is critical at this stage of the buying (and negotiating) process.

Bottom line: Buyers, especially first-time buyers, need an expert real estate professional to guide them through the purchase process and all the “legalese” that comes with it.

Estelia@Estelia.com
727.686.2859
www.Estelia.com

Related Links:
Florida Real Estate Contracts and Contract Forms
First-Time Home Buying Guide: Everything You Need To Know

St. Petersburg Communities

Photo Courtesy of Historic Kenwood Neighborhood | Captured during Historic Ken… | Flickr St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County

If you’re interested in any of these of communities or live in one of them and are thinking of selling, call Estelia today!

Allendale Terrace
Bahama Shores
Bayway Isles
Coquina Key
Crescent Heights
Crescent Lake
Downtown
Greater Pinellas Point
Historic Kenwood
Historic Old Northeast
Historic Roser Park
Historic Uptown
Isla del Sol
Old Southeast
Placida Bayou
Snell Isle

About the author

Sharon Fennell Kennedy is a grant writer specializing in non-profits and a real estate blogger for The Mesimer Team – REMAX/Metro in St. Petersburg, FL. She enjoys antiquing and repurposing flea market finds, yoga, walking and reading. You can connect with Sharon on www.estelia.com or www.sharon-kennedy.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECENT POSTS

St. Petersburg, FL – What’s Fueling It

Eight DIY (Do-it-yourself) Mistakes

St. Pete’s EDGE District

Residential Real Estate and Commercial Real Estate – What’s the Difference?

Home Insurance – Why You Need It

Affordable Housing – St. Petersburg, FL

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Blog Categories

  • A Dog's World
  • Bayway Isles
  • Blog
  • Buying A Home
  • Coming Soon
  • Condominiums for Sale in Gulfport FL
  • Condos for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Featured Community
  • Gulfport FL Condos
  • Gulfport FL Condos for Sale
  • Homes for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Homes in St Petersburg FL
  • Interior Design
  • Lifestyle Trends
  • Listing Your Home
  • Luxury Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Luxury Waterfront Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Non-Profit Spotlight
  • Old Northeast
  • Personal Development
  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Tips & Trends
  • Remodeling
  • Selling A Home
  • Sold Listings
  • St Pete Beach Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Downtown Condos for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Condos
  • St Petersburg FL condos for sale
  • St Petersburg FL Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Luxury Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg Florida Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Florida Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Homes
  • St. Petersburg
  • Testimonial
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes for Sale
  • Tierra Verde FL Waterfront Townhomes for Sale
  • Townhomes in Tierra Verde FL
  • Video

Contact

Estelia Mesimer
150 2nd Ave N, Suite 100
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Estelia@Estelia.com
Direct: 727.686.2859

Sign Up To Receive Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2021 Estelia Mesimer | All Rights Reserved. realtor-equal-op

Website Development by Dan Fennell