The post Summertime Sales appeared first on Keystone Real Estate.
]]>One of life’s little treats for me, is when with clients or family that may be unfamiliar with the area, is to see their face while driving around town. They fall in love.
Two years ago it was easy to see a home going for $120 to $130 a square foot. Those days are gone. With consistent sales prices of $170 to $190 a square foot in some neighborhoods and well more than that, up to $250 a square on lakefront, prices for houses in Odessa have quickly become hard for many to obtain.
What’s the driving force? School Zone and Lifestyle. Hillsborough and Pasco’s finest schools, libarys, and parks are located in Odessa. Parents and kids can’t get enough of getting away from it all. We’re so lucky but KCA’s dedication to continued community improvement and involvement it’s no wonder everyone loves the neighborhood
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]]>The post Best Places to Eat in Keystone, FL appeared first on Keystone Real Estate.
]]>While many like the seclusion and exclusiveness Odessa has to offer, nobody likes to be isolated from fun things to do or places to go. One great thing to watch over the last few years is how this community of Odessa/Keystone has decided to thoughtfully expand, maintaining a balance with nature and the ecosystem while also understanding how to meet the needs of the beautiful people that live here.
The saying goes that, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Well, if there was a shop in Odessa that felt like going to your grandma’s kitchen, it would have to be Keystone Korner. The line outside the door is proof enough that it’s worth the wait.
Officially located on 18515 Crawley Rd in Odessa, longtime residents will refer to it as “the sandwich shop on Tarpon.” Keystone Korner is easily identified by its tan stucco walls and huge green wrap around awning with picnic benches under a covered patio area. Seeing the actual building may be hard because there’s usually a slew of cars out front. The employees are quick and have premade sandwiches for those making a big order in the mornings or trying to get out in a hurry, but I’d recommend you take a few extra minutes and ask them to press your sandwich for you.
Having said that, Keystone Korner is much more than just a sandwich shop. While they are probably most well known for their delicious fresh pressed cuban sandwiches, this is only one of the delights you will find. Delicious locally sourced ice-cream from the Working Cow is also available by the scoop with plenty of choices to make the whole family happy.
In addition to a quick meal and dessert, you can also buy salads (try the Greek- it’s delicious), cold cuts, bread, cheese, homemade potato salad and fresh cookies. A quick stop inside can make life a whole lot easier than having to stop at the local grocery store to get supplies. There’s also a smell in the air that we haven’t addressed yet. Pizza!!!
There are a few good places to get a great pie in Keystone, but not many that allow you to buy it by the slice. A slice here is an entire quarter of a pie, by the way, maybe it’s just a local thing but it makes for a pretty inexpensive bill at the end of your dining experience.
One of my favorite things to do with my wife is to grab a grape soda and slice of pepperoni pizza and sit on the picnic tables and think about how much we love to live where we do.
Keystone Corner on Google Maps
My next suggestion hits the mark whenever I’m in the mood for something exotic. Authentic Japanese food is nearly impossible to find and I might not be the best person to know what truly authentic Japanese food is as I haven’t actually been to Japan, but to me this is the closest thing.
Yoshi Sushi is a dream come true for sushi lovers in the area. This is another trip out for food where you are going to get an experience that’s a little more than just the food. Yoshi is located just across from Sickles High School in the Publix shopping plaza. Don’t allow its modest exterior to deter you, once you get inside, you will know you are somewhere special.
The dining staff is very charming and has the warmth that only a small, simple, family run place can have. The difference here is all in the Itamae; that’s the fancy word for sushi chef. At Yoshi Sushi they have created a locally inspired sushi menu featuring items such as the Gunn Highway Roll and Tampa Roll that use local shrimp and grouper along with flavors that you’re more traditionally accustomed to with Japanese food.
The sushi isn’t just delicious, it is also artfully presented in such an Instagram perfect way. The Cherry Blossom roll comes out with the roll appearing as the blossoms of a tree made out of spicy mayo. The Volcano role is piled high with a cherry on top to simulate lava exploding from the peak.
If you aren’t a huge fan of sushi, they still have plenty of options for you to enjoy. Miso mushroom, seafood soups or Traditional Japanese udon noodle soups, healthy options like their seaweed or avocado salads are also delicious. If you are just in the mood for something simple, you can also choose between the yakisoba noodle meal or order a simple meal of fried rice. Whichever you choose, I’d recommend that you sit at the bar and watch the Itamae work their magic. The artistry that goes into our dinner is one of the little treasures out here is Keystone.
Of course, desserts can’t be left off the menu. There is a new treat that has popped in Keystone just off Gunn Highway called Bahama Buck’s. This is not the original store; I didn’t know there was another location until I started writing this article but it’s worth taking a trip if you’re looking for a fun dessert treat for the family or friends.
Now, this isn’t the Harry Waugh Dessert Room at Bern’s Steak House, but it is the perfect destination for your entire family because of its fast, friendly service and fun, tropical atmosphere. Bahama Buck’s main staple is their shaved ice that features several dozen flavors, but they also have other treats like fruit smoothies, frozen lemonade and frozen lattes featuring their own private blend of Kona coffee. They have a ton of selections for topping your shaved ice such as Sour Sand (my personal favorite) or Crème, and each always comes topped with a tiny umbrella to bring home the tropical feel. Portions are big and prices are not.
One of the best parts about Bahama Buck’s is the ambiance they have created. The location in Keystone is owned by such a great family and has a staff that is young, energetic and wholesome. They have board games that invite you to stay and play with the family, and a ring toss game that is personally addictive. It’s great for a date night or to bring the whole family.
Now these are just a few of my personal favorites in the area, there are plenty of more options nearby to tempt your taste buds. Get out and enjoy all that Keystone and Odessa have to offer!
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]]>The post 4 Tips for Home Buyers appeared first on Keystone Real Estate.
]]>Understanding who to listen to and what is important when buying a home can make the process infinitely easier. Owning a home is a piece of the American Dream that many want to be a part of, and being a homeowner can provide security and peace of mind that can be everlasting.
Top tips when thinking about buying a home:
It may seem obvious, but the most important tip is to find a realtor that you can trust to have your best interest at heart. Buying a home is hard; and since the buyer isn’t responsible for paying the realtor fees in Florida, it’s a no-brainer to have a realtor help guide you. The realtor should walk you through the entire process, not just parts, and should never just hand you off to someone without following up to make sure you got what you needed.
A skilled and knowledgeable realtor will also give you the confidence you deserve. There’s no worse feeling than making a monumental financial decision without knowing the accurate and current value of your investment. Much of the angst in buying a home can be calmed by finding a trusted realtor who has a thorough understanding of the market and can translate that knowledge into helping you make a good financial decision for you and your family.
You may have a trusted realtor in your set of friends or family members, but don’t feel like you have to use them because they’re somewhere in your family tree. Selection of this person is important and they should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the transaction including financing, lending, contracts, negotiation, inspections and surveys, but most importantly they should be knowledgeable in the local market.
Most Home buyers use the internet as a starting point in their home search, and with good reason- it’s a powerful tool that can help you easily narrow the field! But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility because it also has the ability to show us all the things we didn’t even know we wanted.
While internet home browsing has created a much more informed homebuyer, being able to point and click your way along the home search can also have unintended consequences. For example, sometimes pictures may not do the house justice. I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at a house online and not liked it, only to have and been completely blown away by the house in person.
This is where the realtor really earns their keep as a professional as it is imperative that you take the time to look at the homes you’ve been touring virtually. I’m not saying you should look at every house; save yourself the time and gas by using the internet to refine your search, but try to keep an open mind. You will know the style and design you’re looking for and the pictures will help in that aspect. Pro-tip within a pro-tip: if there’s only one photo, there’s probably a reason- trust me. With all that being said, not all houses are listed the same and not all agents use professional photographers, so while it’s a great starting point, keep in mind that searching online will not give you the space, depth and character details of the home the same way a tour of the house will.
While it is not contractually necessary to have financing in order before you decide to make an offer, it is the smart choice. The realtor and lender have the same goal of helping you to buy a home, but their roles are quite different. Your trust in the lender is just as important as your trust in your realtor. The lender’s role should be to provide you the best possible rates and discounts on borrowing, but the invisible force that they also give you as a purchaser is Power.
Going into the transaction with financing in place gives you a distinct advantage over other home buyers that you may be competing against. Oh- and did I mention that there may be another person- or persons- interested in the same house as you? Technically you have 5 days upon submission of a contract to secure financing, but submitting an offer with solid lending in place looks much better to a seller- and their realtor- than one without.
Be prepared for expenses outside of the home’s purchase price. There are many items that will appear on the final list of expenses and fees that you will sign off on just a few days before closing called a Closing Disclosure. Knowing your costs up-front is vital as a home buyer, and if you are a first time home buyer, you need to ensure you are not going into the process blind.
Your realtor should provide you with a Net Sheet at the initial stages of the search to help you understand your expenses and costs. The Net Sheet should be in simple terms to make the financial breakdown easily understandable. The purpose is not to provide you with a detailed breakdown of the final costs at closing, but rather to give a general idea of what it’s going to cost to buy a home.
Some of the items to be on the lookout for are the document stamps and taxes, insurance, and various fees, which can vary from home to home. It’s also not uncommon for the realtor’s Net Sheet to be off from the final Closing Disclosure provided by the title company a few days before closing.
At the end of the transaction both the buyer and seller should be happy.
While it is not uncommon for you to go through a wide range of emotions during the process (excitement of finding the right house, panic that your offer isn’t good enough, frustration if you have to keep looking at multiple houses, and relief once you finally get your keys), having your trusted realtor and lender to guide you during each step of the process is invaluable to making everything easier for you along the way. I hope you find these tips helpful for you as you prepare to purchase a home and keep looking back for updates along the way!
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