Melanie Ferguson Real Estate Podcast

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home market anaylsisWe use our ultimate 89-point marketing plan to help our clients sell their homes. We have cornered the market on a lot of these things. Here are the top five things we do differently:We get on the phone and call buyers. We look for people who are interested in buying a home in your area. We stage your home. That way, your property looks its best once it hits the market. We hire professional photographers to come out so you can put your best foot forward when you list your property. We create a personal property website for your home. We advertise your home on all of the social media outlets. Our online marketing skills have gotten homeowners multiple offers within hours of putting the home on the market. We do pricing research. We don’t just throw a price on a property; we do a lot of homework to make sure your home is priced right. We care about your listing. We care about you. We care about getting your home sold as if it was our own. "We care about your listing and we care about you."Those are some of the top things we do. The main thing is we care about your listing. We care about you. We care about getting your home sold as if it were our own.If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home market anaylsisIn Denton, there’s three important questions to ask when you go house hunting. It’s not always about finding the perfect house at the right price. The ratings of the area schools: Some people don’t think to ask because they don’t have kids, but it’s important to know where you sit in ratings of area schools for the purpose of resale value. Ratings range anywhere from poor to exemplary, and you can find them all on our website. Utilities and fees: You can’t just look at the average utilities. Is the property in a co-op or is managed by the city? Those will make a difference in your rates, as well as whether or not it is unregulated. Can you choose your electricity provider? We can help you with all of that information. You need to find out if your property is located in an area that collects a special resale tax when you sell. Some areas tack on an additional fee when you turn around and sell.What the area is like over the course of the day: Find out what the area is like during at least three different times of day. You’re probably seeing a house during the day, but look out at night for things like how many cars are parked and how many people are home or not home. You should also look into what it’s like on the weekend versus midweek.Have further questions about these topics or anything about real estate in general? Give us a call or send an email and we’d be happy to speak with you.

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home market anaylsisSpring is upon us and the selling season is in full swing. Today, I want to talk about “pre-habbing©” your home for sale. Basically, pre-habbing© involves the two D’s: depersonalize and declutter. To depersonalize your home, remove all of the items that tie you to the home. That means taking down family photos, trinkets from vacations, and other things of that nature. You want to start the home selling process with a blank slate. If you’re not sure what I mean, feel free to stop by a model home and you’ll see what I mean. Decluttering your home feels amazing. Go ahead and have the best garage sale ever. Advertise your garage sale on social media to draw more people. If your neighborhood or community is having a sale, chime in with them. You will sell even more by partnering with a community sale. If you don’t have time to do these things - or if you aren’t interested - just give us a call. We have great relationships with multiple estate sale companies. We can find one in your area that would love to take care of you.These two steps are very important to the pre-hab© of your sale. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home value reportToday we’re going to talk about how we set our clients up for success when making an offer during a bidding war. If you’re thinking of selling this spring, you’ll likely face situations similar to this. It’s important to know how to deal with them.There are several secrets and tricks of the trade we have to win offers for our clients that find themselves in multiple offer situations. One of the most important of these is a pre-approval letter. The seller doesn’t know you from the next buyer, but this establishes your credibility with them. Get pre-approved by a local lender, who is recognizable by the seller’s agent, so they can recommend this as a good move and a solid pre-approval. We also like to see buyers put down a substantial amount for an option fee. This is the fee that shows the seller you are a serious buyer and aren’t just putting out offers on any and every property. Another tip is to write a personalized letter to the seller. You want to put some feeling into it and make the sale real to them. It shows that you are a real buyer with a real family looking to buy a home.As for the amount you offer, you want to be realistic about price. If it’s priced right, offer what they are asking, or maybe a little more depending on what the situation is. However, we would never let our clients overpay for a property. Finally, we like to make sure we are utilizing the seller’s agent’s preferred closing office. This is something a lot of agents will pass over, but is just another way to highlight your offer and help it stand out amongst others.These are just a few of the tips and tricks we have for getting our clients’ offers accepted in a multiple offer situation. If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home value reportWhich is the better deal: a foreclosure, a short sale, or a traditional home sale? A foreclosure goes into default and the banks reclaims the home. Many times, the banks can be a little behind in what the market values are, so foreclosed properties are priced too high for the current market. Additionally, most foreclosed properties are in disrepair. That’s why foreclosures aren’t always the best deal.  One of the great secrets in real estate is the short sale, which is perfect if you’re not in a hurry. Contrary to its name, a short sale is anything but short! These are properties where the homeowner has defaulted, but the bank has agreed to sell the home short of what’s still owed on it. You can get a tremendous deal on a short sale, especially if the homeowner has taken care of the property. You just have to be a little patient. If you need a home in a timely manner and you don’t want to handle a lot of repairs, a traditional home sale is your best option. If you hire us, we can negotiate the best deal for you. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home value reportThis isn’t a fun topic, but it’s an important one to discuss. Many people face the reality of selling a home in a divorce settlement. In a divorce, the house can often be the last item discussed. Oftentimes, a home is the one of the biggest investments in our lifetime! Here are some ways to handle this.Sign off and let the other party deal with everything. Basically, you’re walking away from the home.Split everything in half. This is an ideal option if both parties are willing to work together fairly.Buy the other party out. Of course, this isn’t an option for everyone, because it’s expensive. Only do so if you can afford to.If you’re going through a divorce or similar situation, reach out to us. We’re happy to help you with your real estate needs. Feel free to give us a call or send us an email today!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home value reportToday, I want to tell you about my latest adventure! I just got my real estate license!It's been on my bucket list for a very long time and I finally did it. I'm working with a great team right now that has more than 15 years of experience!I am ready to hit the ground running! If you or anyone you know is looking to make a move, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm eager to show you all what I've learned!

Looking to Buy a Home in Denton County?  Get a full home search Looking to Sell Your Home?  Get a free home value reportThis spring will be an amazing selling season, and there are three simple things you can do to whip your house into shape.Think about the ages of your big ticket items. When's the last time the roof was replaced? What about the AC unit, water heater, or gutters? If these items are relatively new, that is a great selling point.Do your own walk-through. Do your carpets need to be replaced? Are there some spots on the ceiling that need a quick paint touch up? See what little things you can do on your own to improve home appearance.Call in the pros! This is the most important step, and it's where we come into play. My team and I can go through your property and let you know what items are necessary to repair in order to get the most bang for your buck.If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!