The first thing you’ll need to consider when starting your Clearwater real estate search for a home is location. Yes, the first three real estate rules that are often cited (and maybe even overused): “Location, Location, Location.”
Since Clearwater stretches from the Gulf of Mexico on one side to Tampa Bay on the other and covers nearly the middle third of the county, there are many areas and communities to choose from. In addition to the type of community you are looking for (older, newer, gated, etc.), you need to determine what places and activities you want to be close to.
If you are looking for a golf course community, you have options like the Countryside area, Feather Sound, or Belleair (technically Belleair is not part of Clearwater but is a separate city). If you want to be on the water but not Clearwater Beach, you can look at Venetian Point at the north end or Harbor Oaks at the south end. If you want to be close to a certain school, you have to look at the communities that surround it.
Most of the time I find that buyers have a certain type of home in mind and they start looking for MLS listings and in doing so they find different communities that have the type of homes they are looking for and base their decision on that. I found that it may be viable, but you have to realize that sometimes you will find a strange situation, such as a newly built house that is very nice but is located in a run-down area. Your agent can help you find out if that’s the case and guide you to the communities and areas that would best suit your needs.
The next thing to do is choose the type of house. The number of options you have will depend to some extent on the price range you can afford, but there are certain basics that are important to understand no matter what price range you are in.
The 2 most common types of construction for houses are cement blocks and wooden frames, with one-story houses more common than two-story houses. There can also be a combination in the same house of the 2 types of construction and this is commonly found in two-story houses that are often built with blocks on the first floor and wooden structures on the second floor.
Block construction homes are typically more expensive than comparable timber framed homes, so timber framed homes may seem like a better deal. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to wood frame homes.
The 2 main problems with wood frame homes are 1) potential or actual termite problems and 2) higher insurance costs.
You should have a termite inspection on any home you buy and this will let you know if there are any current termite problems (which could mean you won’t buy it). But either way, you must have a program in place with a reputable company to prevent termite problems from arising in the future. Do your research on this, as the best-known companies don’t necessarily give you the best advice on what the best treatment is.
Insurance costs are higher for wood frame houses than for block construction houses, about 20-25% higher. I had to verify this for a client once and this is what my insurance agent told me. Apparently there is the problem of possible termite problems, but also the structure is less resistant.
These are by no means the only factors to consider when looking for Clearwater real estate for a home, but they are two of the main ones.