Q: What distinctive features set this home apart?

A: Campagna Homes designed this custom residence with a feeling of grandness and attention to detail. As you step into the home your breath will be taken away by the spiral staircase and stunning chandeliers featured in the entryway. The decorative ceiling details throughout, two story stone fireplace in the formal sitting room that can be overlooked by the bridge style corridor to the upstairs living quarters, the relaxed open floor plan family room with gourmet kitchen, media/billiard room, formal study and additional den all make this home a true one of a kind.

Q: What are the advantages of the location & neighborhood?

A: The Champions’ Club is located in the midst of the tri-county region, only minutes away from the culture, commerce and conveniences of downtown Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Just a short drive from home you have access to everything from beaches, sporting events, airports, shopping, theme parks and more. Residents will find that Trinity offers some of the best schools in the area, retail stores and restaurants, a multi-million-dollar YMCA, a performing arts center and leading medical facilities.

Q: Does the community have any amenities we should know about?

A: At the heart of The Champions’ Club is the exclusive resident’s only clubhouse. The “Club” features a versatile Club Room with a catering kitchen and pass-through bar for indoor or outdoor dining. There’s a tennis pavilion as well as a fully equipped fitness center including a spa and treatment room with men’s and women’s locker rooms. The pool area features a lushly landscaped sundeck and resort pool lined with chaises and umbrella tables. Access to everything The Champions’ Club has to offer can be orchestrated by the concierge who will handle every detail.

Q: Can you tell us a fun fact about the home?

A: The grand homes of The Champions’ Club wind along the tree-lined Fox Hollow Golf Club and the Trinity home on Pontofino overlooks the 11th Fairway.  This was the last course ever to be designed and built by legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones.

10620 Pontofino Cr, Trinity, FL 34655 is packed full of luxurious amenities.  Between that & the perfect location, this luxury home will not stay on the market long.  To take a tour of the property, contact Brandi & Christine.

About Brandi & Christine:

Not only do Belleair Realtors Brandi Gabbard & Christine Knighton bring a wealth of Real Estate, mortgage & banking experience to the table, but their #1 goal is to help you achieve your hopes and dreams during your next home buying or selling adventure.  These two local residents stay up-to-date on the entire Bay Area market, from Pasco to Pinellas to Hillsborough and are committed to making every transaction better than the last.

We have all seen the fully furnished and beautifully decorated luxury estates with immaculate details and feng shui that instantly makes us feel at home.  When it comes to taking photos, these are no brainers- they speak for themselves.  But what about the others?  The ones we know could be just as fabulous with a touch of detail?  How do we market these homes?

For the most part, we have two options to explore:
- Call a professional stager to have amazing furniture placed throughout the house.  Not a bad idea but it requires time, money and responsibility.
- Have the home staged with computer generated or CAD style furniture.  Still not a bad idea but you lose the “real-ness” of the photo.

While both options offer a specific advantage, combining the two would be ideal and (hooray!) now you can.  Hello, Virtual Staging.  I am not going to lie, I was a little skeptical at first but after really delving into the website and seeing some of the before and after photos (pictured), I would really like to test it out (or better yet, get one of the amazing Smith & Associates Realtors to act as my guinea pig!)

Virtually Staging Properties is an Atlanta based company created by both Realtors and Professional Stagers, so you get the best of both worlds.  Rather than using computer generated furniture, you are able to choose from a virtual library full of REAL furniture and accents that can be super imposed into the potentially fabulous but currently boring empty living room that was once a home.

Currently, the photos come in 3 standard packages:  3 photos for $225, 4 for $280 or 5 for $325 with additional photos at $60 each.  Ordering staged photos for your home for sale in Tampa Bay is as simple as filling out a short form (including as much detail/preferences as you would like) and sending it, along with high resolution pictures of a (preferably) vacant home, to one of the Virtual Stagers.  Within 3-4 business days, you will have photos of a fantastically decorated yet vacant listing and you can even order 8 x 10 prints to display in the home during showings and Open Houses!

While I am unable to speak on behalf of the company as far as the final product goes, they have been featured in several major publications and news outlets including the New York Times, multiple affiliates of ABC News and several Real Estate Magazines.  For more information on the company, visit their website at www.virtuallystagingproperties.com.

Keep in mind that they are simply bringing to life one of your photos.  Be sure to send them your best shots to ensure you are appealing to that 85% basing their future home choices off of how fabulous the photos are!

Have you used this product?  If so, what did you think?

Today’s buyers are well educated about the market.  The state of real estate is constantly in the news, and it’s impossible to avoid.  Buyers out in the market are justifiably nervous, very cost-conscious, and do much more research on a potential purchase than they would have a few years ago.  High prices are often a signal for unrealistic or unmotivated sellers, and buyers in today’s market don’t want to waste their time on such a situation.  There is no longer the urgency to buy Tampa real estate that there was a few years ago, which means that potential home owners will not overpay.

“The savvy buyer has done research is very aware and cautious when they see a property on the market for an extended period of time,” says Dave Traynor of Smith & Associates Real Estate.  “They will also know that the extended time on the market is a result of the home being over priced.”

If you’re going to be listing your home for sale, make the most of the market from the beginning.  Price competitively.  The old strategy of padding the list price of a home to leave room for negotiating no longer works.  The home should look its best, and be priced competitively in order to catch a buyer’s eye and entice them enough to make an offer. “Many agents have a list of buyers anxiously waiting for new homes to hit the market,” says Traynor.  “When they are priced right initially, those homes have been seen to go under contract within the first week.”  So, take the best advantage of the Tampa real estate market possible, and get your home priced right from the start.

Want a professional analysis of what the right price is for your home?  We would be happy to provide a free market analysis for you.  Please request one here.

A stager’s job involves rearranging, or possibly adding or removing, furniture and decor in your home in order to play up its best features and get it sold.  They can be an absolute asset in the process of marketing Tampa homes for sale, but there are things you should know before hiring one to stage your home.  Staging is at this point an unregulated profession, which means that what you get when you hire one can very greatly from the next.  It does not require a degree or any specific training, which means that individuals can come from any variety of backgrounds, training, and experience.   Similarly, what you get for the fees you pay will very greatly too.

Although professional training is not required to become a stager, most in the field have a background in design, decorating, real estate, or a related field.  Some who are very successful in the field have work experience in merchandising.  Not all those working as stagers are without training in the field, it’s just not required.  Courses are offered across the country in both online and in-person formats, and typically last a few days in duration.  Most of the courses however, focus more on the aspects of running a business successfully than they do on the aesthetics and principles of what will help a home sell.  When hiring a home stager, make sure to investigate their qualifications and experience before making a final decision.  Ask to see samples of their work to make sure you feel comfortable that they are the right fit for you.

When it comes to charging for services, some will complete work on an hourly basis while others charge by the job.  In most cases, a stager will offer a free consultation which allows them to get a look at the home and formulate a bid.  How much such a project will cost will vary greatly depending on the state of the home.  For instance, if a vacant home is being staged there will be a cost involved for rental furniture.  Another project may involve a fully furnished two story home that more than anything else is in need of a reduction in furnishings and ‘stuff’.  Since each of the Tampa homes for sale are unique, every home will need to be seen before a price can be agreed upon.

The best way to track down a great stager is by asking friends and professionals you know.  Referrals are often the best source of business for those in the field, and we all feel more comfortable going with someone who’s been recommended by another.  So, ask around!  Also, interview at least three to get a good picture of what’s available in regards to services and then make the choice that’s right for you.