Tips & Tricks « Smith and Associates Blog

Tuesday Morning Market: Introducing Property Management September 6, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

After spending years in the industry focusing primarily on residential and commercial Tampa Bay Real Estate, Smith & Associates has decided to branch out into Property Management.

Smith & Associates Property Management provides professional services to assist absentee owners in maintaining their home. In working with them, you will receive the following perks:

- Lease execution and collection of rent/late fees according to the terms of the lease
- Coordination of documents and approval with any required associations
- Annual & monthly property financial reports
- Routine maintenance coordination/emergency repairs with process billing included
- Digital record of the rental property before move-in (furnished residences will be inventoried)
- Prompt responses to tenant requests
- Assist in enforcing the terms of the lease

Property Management Coordinator David Christ is currently spearheading this project, managing several units in notable Bay Area high-rises and neighborhoods including: Downtown Tampa‘s Skypoint, Downtown St. Pete‘s Luxury Condominium Signature Place, a Signature Collection listing in Avila and units in Tampa’s Victory Lofts (not pictured).

If you are looking for top quality assistance in the management of your home, The Smith & Associates Property Management Team is currently accepting new applicants from Bradenton all the way to North Tampa and can assist you in all of your leasing needs. Please contact David Christ (pictured Left) today to guarantee your spot!

We would love your feedback: Have you worked with a Property Management company before? How was the experience and what would you like to see from Smith’s new team?

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Social Media & Real Estate: The New Brangelina August 4, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

Ten years ago, print marketing was the Jedi Master at “forcing” your listings out into the public eye. As times have changed, the world has gone to the dark side & gotten super futuristic on us with internet advertising. Don’t get me wrong, I am still a HUGE fan of print media, however it seems that if your smart phone doesn’t know what you have one the market, no one does. Real Estate, meet Social Media.

According to an article by Brent Leary of Inc. Technology (featured on Wikipedia), “Using social media as a form of marketing has taken on whole new challenges. As the 2010 Trust Study indicates, it is most effective if marketing efforts through social media revolve around the genuine building of authority. Someone performing a “marketing” role within a company must honestly convince people of their genuine intentions, knowledge, and expertise in a specific area or industry through providing valuable and accurate information on an ongoing basis without a marketing angle overtly associated. If this can be done, trust with, and of, the recipient of that information – and that message itself – begins to develop naturally. This person or organization becomes a thought leader and value provider – setting themselves up as a trusted “advisor” instead of marketer. “Top of mind awareness” develops and the consumer naturally begins to gravitate to the products and/or offerings of the authority/influencer.” Essentially, through non-forceful communication we gain trust, through trust we gain relationships and through relationships we gain clients. Easy, right?

This past Tuesday, we were fortunate enough to have Eric Miller, “The Boss” of Stache Creative come in to both the Tampa & St. Pete offices to give us the 411 on Social Media and why it is so important in business- primarily Real Estate. Eric went over the social media trifecta that we all may know on a personal level but have shyed away from doing business with: Facebook, Twitter and Blogging.

The seminar was fabulous; leaving agents (and myself) wanting to know more, get started right away and smiling for photos with their snazzy stache laden business cards! If you haven’t sat through one of his presentations and you’re looking to get pumped up about 1/2 nerdy yet completely cool stuff that will significantly increase your clientele, I highly suggest giving him a call to set something up.

I will leave you with a few crazy statistics (also brought to you by Wikipedia) to think about when debating whether or not you should join Lord Palpatine (Facebook), his first apprentice, Darth Maul (Twitter) and the one and only, Darth Vader (Blogging) and head on over to the Dark Side (Social Media Marketing):
- Social networking now accounts for 22% of all time spent online in the US.
- Over 25% of U.S. internet page views occurred at one of the top social networks.
- The number of social media users age 65 and older grew 100 percent throughout 2010, so that one in four people in that age group are now part of a social networking site.
- As of June 2011 Facebook has 750 Million users.

Crazy, right?!

Whether you spend your days adding old friends on facebook, blogging about your confusion on blogging, trying to figure out the new google +, or tweeting your every thought, congratulations-you are participating in social media! What is your favorite Social Media outlet? Are you usting these tools for business purposes? Why or why not? Tell us your success stories and while you’re at it, add us on facebook!

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iPhone Apps vs The World of Real Estate July 22, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

It seems these days, without your app’d out (we’re talking applications, not Apple, but I can see where you could get confused) iPhone, iPad and iPod, your life (or should I say “iLife”) would be at a stand still. When it comes to Real Estate, these small devices are playing a HUGE role. Whether you need help keeping track of your buyer’s requirements, finding the closest coffee shop to your new St. Petersburg listing or informing a family of registered sex offenders (or lack there of) in the area, there are apps for you!

After some intense searching (& input from a few fabulous St. Pete Realtors), we came up with a list of 11 apps (because I couldn’t stop at just 10) that may be helpful in the busy (and ever so successful) life of an iAgent.

Kurio: Think Nationwide MLS without having to find a computer. Use the GPS Technology to find nearby houses, send out branded flyers and quickly share listing details right from your phone. The great thing is, it isn’t only for iDevices. Agents can register & sign into Kurio from any web-enabled mobile device. (FREE! Visit Kurio.mobi on your device)

AroundMe: When a buyer wants to know exactly how far from their potential new home they need to trek for a iced quad venti soy latte and a movie, you will want to have this app handy. Using that convenient GPS technology again, search the 10 categories for businesses closest to you, map them out and email directions within a matter of minutes. This app is available for both iPhone & Android devices. (FREE! Visit www.aroundmeapp.com)

MagicPlan: Carrying around a yardstick and sketching out floor plans are officially a thing of the past if you are equipped with the iPhone 4. To make a long story short, using the phone’s fancy gyroscope technology, you are able to spin around a room to measure, draw and publish a JPEG or PDF interactive floorplan faster than you can say “what happened to my measuring tape?!” On top of it all, the details you can add are icing on the cake- doors, sinks, refridgerators, the whole 9. (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

Tour Narrator: Keep track of your listings and type or record showing notes to share with your seller in one little application. All notes and photos can be easily formatted to a PDF for posting or distribution. ($1.99 Purchase through the iTunes store)

Dictionary of Real Estate Terms: New to Real Estate or want to stay brushed up on all the tricky terms? Scroll through in alphabetical order to quiz yourself on what you know or search for that word that has you stumped. You can also book mark things you tend to forget, send them in an email or post them to Twitter all from the same app! ($1.99 Purchase through the iTunes store)

Mortgage Calculator: This application was created by Homes.com and has 4 different calculators in one: Buy or Rent, Debt to Income, Monthly Payment, & Refinance Calculator. This could come in handy with non-pre-approved clients sitting on the fence with buying or renting as well as buyers trying to figure out what price range is right for their budget. A few screen taps & the entry of some numbers can save hours of unnecessary showings and potential let downs. (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

My Realty Tool: Keeping track of listings, leads and lockbox codes has never been so straightforward. The best part of the app is the simplicity of the lay-out: There are 3 categories & you can enter a few lines of information, and everything you need is at your fingertips. If only life was this easy! (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

Property Evaluator: Whether you are working with an investor or sending performance projections to clients, this app will make you look like the pro that you are. Gain client trust by quickly calculating and tracking monthly and annual expense vs revenue reports, taking into consideration every detail- even inflation! If their praise & appreciation doesn’t cause a little inflation to that head of yours, I’m not sure what will. But regardless, you’re allowed to pat yourself on the back sometimes! ($1.99 Purchase through the iTunes store)

Offender Locator: With this app, you can show potential buyers exactly how safe their future neighborhood is by using the GPS tool or simply entering their address. This app is in the Top 5 free apps in the US & has been featured on both CNN and NBC. It is a quick and easy solution to new families curious about local crime. (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

Foreclosure Search: Whether you have buyers and investors inquiring about foreclosed properties or are looking to gain some new bank-owned listings, this app by USHUD.com can be of assistance. Search Nationwide for bank or government owned properties and inquire about the listing (by phone or email) with the tap of a screen. (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

Idea Sketch: Sellers rightfully want to know why they should choose Smith & Associates Real Estate to list their home. This app allows you to plan for Open Houses or lay out selling strategies in easy to use mind maps, concept maps or flow charts. Whether you choose to save them as photos to send to your seller or share them on facebook, it is a quick and simple way to sketch out a master plan of action…now you just need the app that keeps the plan in action. (FREE! Purchase through the iTunes store)

Well, that’s my list for now- I apologize if these applications consume your once paper and pencil filled life. If you want nothing to do with the iPhone, please disregard everything you’ve just read. However, if you are an Apple product lover like myself, what Real Estate relevant apps are you currently using? Have you tried any of these 11? What did you think?

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Smith & Associates Real Estate Hosts Author Peter Kageyama June 27, 2011
By Alexis Bentivegna

Smith & Associates Real Estate invited author Peter Kageyama to speak at the company’s Tampa office about the elements that emotionally connect Tampa Bay residents to their city and the role that the real estate industry can play in fostering those connections.

Kageyama looks at what makes cities lovable, what motivates citizens to do extraordinary things for their places and how some cities use that energy to fill in the gaps that “official” city makers have left when resources disappear. Peter touched on the role of technology, particularly social media in our relationship with our city and each other – and how it actually builds social capital, which cities are considered “Most Lovable” and how we can learn from them, and how even a small number of people who are “in love” with their city can have a major impact in the community.

Kageyama is a community and economic development consultant based in St. Petersburg. He is the co-founder and producer of the Creative Cities Summit, an interdisciplinary event that brings together citizens and practitioners around the big idea of the city. Peter is the former President of Creative Tampa Bay, a grassroots community change organization. He has spoken all over the world about bottom up community development and the amazing people that are making change happen.

To attend an upcoming speaking engagement or to schedule Peter to come to your organization, please visit For The Love of Cities for more information.

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Happy Earth Day! April 22, 2011
By Kortney Gentry

As humans, we love to celebrate birthdays. Sometimes there is a huge surprise party with cake, presents and people you may not even know while other times it may just be about spending your special day with the people you love. Regardless of the celebration method chosen, whether you’re turning 5 or 50, the day is yours and people want it to be your best birthday yet.

Today is not a birthday per se, but it is in fact Earth Day and all the same rules apply. Have you ever stepped outside of your St. Pete home and thought “wow, this planet is awesome” or “How can I better improve the planet on which I live”? Maybe you have though this and taken action. Maybe the thought has never crossed your mind. Regardless, of where you stand, today is the perfect day to show how thankful we really are for our incredible planet.

After speaking with a few Smith & Associates Real Estate agents and staff members, we came up with a few ways to show our appreciation this Earth Day:

1. Grow Food. According to St. Pete Realtor, Carolyn Robinson, “I have always wanted to grow my own garden but have found more excuses not to than motivation to start.” We have all experienced good intentions with lack of motivation. A fully functioning vegetable garden can be a lot of work and extremely intimidating. Start small- with one plant or a few herbs then take on more as you are able. You have to start somewhere!

2. Buy Local. All of the things we are unable to grow have to come from somewhere, and unfortunately, we often unknowingly look outside the Tampa Bay area for these items. Did those banannas travel thousands of miles, crossing country borders before making it to the grocery store? What about that new t-shirt? Where was in made? Where was the cotton grown? The more we think about these things, the more we realize how dependent we are on others for survival. Make a conscious effort to research where all of your purchases come from and give back to the local community by seeing what they have to offer- you will be pleasantly surprised as to what you can buy locally!

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This is a big one- we have all heard about recycling but do we really do it? In our opinion, Smith & Associates Real Estate has one of the most fabulous Marketing Coordinators around, and she’s Earth friendly too! Alexis Bentivegna shared that recycling isn’t just tossing a soda can into the blue & green bins. “When shopping, take reusable bags!” Not only are you reducing the amount of plastic consumed but you’re reusing as well!

4. Respect the Ocean. Florida, being a peninsula, is almost completely surrounded by water; from almost everywhere in the state, we can get to the beach in under an hour. Living in the Tampa Bay area, we often take the ocean for granted. According to St. Pete Realtor, Drew Glaser, a great way to respect the ocean is to remember that “all drains lead to the sea”. This means that what we dispose of goes directly into our oceans, often contaminating the water and killing off thousands of sea life that we depend on to keep our Earth in balance. By purchasing environmentally friendly products free of harmful chemicals (or making your own!) and being conscious of what we throw away and where it is disposed of, we can keep the ocean happy. After all, the Earth is about 75% water so we don’t want angry oceans!

5. “Greenify” Your Home. This doesn’t require that everyone completely remodel their home, switch to solar power or even put your home for sale in Tampa to move into a more environmentally friendly place. Sara Houze, from Smith Title suggested a couple of simple places to start- Turn the air off on a nice day and enjoy the breeze through open windows or switch to fluorescent light bulbs that use about 1/3 the power of a regular bulb. Not only will this be great for the planet but it saves money as well!

6. Consume Less. We are consumers that often buy brand new things off impulse rather than necessity. According to The Urban Organic Gardner, “before you buy something, ask yourself if you need it. Then ask again.” New products use a lot of energy and resources to create. If you get bitten by the over consumption bug, no worries- it gets the best of us. If you really MUST have something, then it will be easy to try to find the same thing “slightly used”- they may be old to someone else but they are new to you. If it isn’t worth the time and effort of the search, then it probably wasn’t worth it to begin with!

7. Eat Less Meat. According to Environmental Defense, “if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off U.S. roads.” That is a pretty powerful statement and it doesn’t even mention the THOUSANDS of gallons of water used to raise 1lb of meat.

8. Play Outside. Drew Glaser suggest that people “take their kids outside to play rather than occupying them with television and video games”. Not only does it help create a healthy way of living by incorporating exercise and imagination into games, but it helps develop an appreciation for our planet that just wouldn’t come to life without experiencing all the Earth has to offer outside of the house.

While these are only a few simple ways to show your appreciation to the Earth, there are COUNTLESS other options. What are your favorite ways to give back to our planet? What are you going to do for Earth Day this year?

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Spring Cleaning Tips March 31, 2011
By Alexis Bentivegna

It’s that time of year again to break out of the winter blues and into the colors of spring! Spring cleaning is more than just dusting and planting flowers. You can use this time to de-clutter and organize your home, especially if you are in the market to sell it. At Smith and Associates Real Estate, we have collected several spring cleaning tips from our agents and clients to help make this an easy process!

BG Holmberg is a veteran Tampa real estate agent who recently sold a home to the first buyer that viewed his listing. Some of his spring cleaning tips that helped sell the Tampa home included painting the pool deck, pressure washing the wood fence and removing overgrown flower beds and replacing it with sod.

St. Pete real estate agent Tia Hockensmith knows the importance of making your outdoor living space just as inviting as your indoor living space. Fill up container planters with vibrant annuals and freshen flower beds with new mulch. Make a great first impression with a great front porch by replacing your tired welcome mat and consider a new color for your front door. You might even enjoy your own homecoming each day!

Spring cleaning on the inside of a home needs the same amount of detail as the outside. When selling Tampa real estate, one of our associates, Carrie Smith, suggests getting the boxes and items stored in the garage off the floor and onto shelves inside storage containers. For a small investment, it can add a great deal of appeal to potential buyers, especially those who used to have basements. Closets systems can also add a great deal of appeal to buyers.

Laura Blackwell had the owners of her listing at 948 Lake Placido Court organize their walk-in pantry. Both the owners and Laura feel that this made a big difference. Not only did they get rid of food items that were expired but they found many duplicate items. It now showcases the size of the walk-in pantry and appeals to buyers that are looking for storage space in the kitchen.

Isabel Caruso, who has been selling St. Pete real estate for many years, offers a great household cleaning tip for owners thinking about selling their home. A solution of 3 cups water, 1 cup vodka and 25-30 drops of eucalyptus oil will help rid your home of dust mites. Lightly mist the areas and let it air dry. If you have scuffs on walls or doors, water marks, hard water stains, try the sponge product called Magic Erasers. They are very effective and can save you a lot of time and effort on cleaning.

Last, if you have a busy work and family life and don’t have the time to clean, hire a cleaning service. Let them do the heavy spring cleaning chores like moving furniture and cleaning all windows inside and out. This might help kick start your spring cleaning and motivate you to take care of other chores. A clean, de-cluttered home will you’re your home for sale a lot more attractive to prospective buyers!

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The Time To Buy Tampa Real Estate Is Now! February 4, 2011
By Susie Timmerman

For prospective buyers looking at Tampa real estate who are still “on the fence”, here is something to think about. With interest rates slowly rising, your cost of purchasing a home over the long haul is also rising – if your thought process is to wait until the Tampa real estate market has dropped further, you should consider when interest rates increase over a point from the current rates – and what this will cost compared to today’s interest rates in your monthly payments –this can amount to a substantial amount over several years which adds to the cost of the home.

So – if you are focused on the purchase price and hoping to see the price reduced over the next six months, you should consider the actual COST of this purchase due to the rising interest rates. Tampa real estate has never been the bargain that it is today – the purchase price combined with historic low interest rates make it a prime time to purchase. This scenario will not likely repeat itself in your lifetime. It is time to get “off the fence” and start looking for your piece of the Tampa real estate market!!

For a comparable scenario showing the difference in monthly payment between current interest rates and projected interest rates, please contact Susie Timmerman, Sr. Mortgage Consultant for FBC Mortgage LLC at stimmerman@fbchomeloans.com, or by calling her office direct at 813.200.8322. You can also apply online at www.fbchomeloanstampa.com. FBC Mortgage LLC is a full service Direct Mortgage Lender offering expertise in every area of residential lending. I look forward to working with you to provide the mortgage product to enable you to become a proud homeowner of Tampa real estate!!

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2010 St Petersburg Preservation Awards September 13, 2010
By Stephanie Streeter

Do you, a neighbor, or friend own a historic St. Petersburg home? Is it meticulously maintained or historically restored? If so, and the home is either older than 50 years or built specifically to blend in, it can be nominated for the 2010 St. Petersburg Preservation Awards! Held every year, the competition is hosted by St. Petersburg Preservation, Inc. in order to recognize city homes and structures that are helping to preserve the city’s history. The nomination deadline is coming up fast! Participants must submit their St. Petersburg home nominations no later than September 24th. Submission forms are available on the organizations website, www.stpetepreservation.org. If you’re curious to find out who wins, the awards ceremony will be held at the Mirror Lake Lyceum on October 19th!

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Real Estate Update: Zip Code 33606 August 27, 2010
By Robert Glaser

Today we’d like to give you a snapshot of sales statistics in Tampa zip code 33606, which contains South Tampa neighborhoods like Hyde Park and Davis Islands. Currently the most active properties, those having the lowest average days on market, are homes in the $230,000 – $300,000 price range (median square footage of 2,016). The median price of homes listed continues to remain essentially flat, which is a stable sign for those looking to purchase Tampa homes for sale in this area.

The price per square foot has continued to trend downward as the homes with larger square footage have sold at an adjusted value. The overall inventory has remained constant, because the absorption of Tampa homes for sale in 33606 has been at an even level with new listings entering the market. The average days on the market has continued a downward trend to its current overall average of 100 days. As this zip code includes some very high end luxury homes, it possesses an inventory in a number of price ranges. This inventory is more than adequate to fit all buyers needs in the months ahead.

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Enjoy Florida’s Largest Home Show
By Stephanie Streeter

It’s back! Florida’s Largest Home Show is back in town and opening its exhibition at Tampa’s Convention Center starting on September 3rd. Running until the 6th, it’s the perfect opportunity indulge and get your home improvement fix. From building to remodeling, and decorating to landscaping, the show has it all for your Tampa home! Local, national, and international vendors will all be on hand showcasing the latest in products, gadgets, and services. Need advice? Ask one of the many experts who will be on hand. Need ideas? Stroll through the showcase display to decide what you just have to have in your Tampa home. Adult admission is $8, seniors $7, children under 12 are free.

Show dates & hours: Friday, Sept 3 from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm; Saturday, Sept 4 11:00 am – 8:00 pm; Sunday, Sept 5 11:00 am – 6:00 pm; Monday, Sept 6 11:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Unable to visit on these dates? No problem. You can catch it at the Florida State Fairgrounds November 5-7!