Ryan Smith Home Selling Team Real Estate Podcast

There are six mistakes you want to avoid during a simultaneous sale. Here are the last three.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportIn the final episode of our two-part series about the biggest mistakes to avoid when buying and selling at the same time, we’ll go over the final three pitfalls that can harm your simultaneous transactions. To recap the first part of this series, click here. Without further ado, here are the final three mistakes to avoid: 4. Working with too little of a cushion when it comes to financing and terms. If you’re selling your house for a certain number because you absolutely need that amount to purchase your next home, you’re not leaving yourself that much cushion. You never know what will happen during negotiations. You don’t know what a buyer will ask for, and cutting it tight can make the situation way more stressful. Try to have a little bit of a cushion in terms of what you need from your sale and what you require for your next purchase.Try to have a little bit of a cushion in terms of what you need from your sale and what you require for your next purchase.5. Failing to compromise. When going through the buying or selling process, it’s easy to stand on principle and refuse to compromise on what you want or what you’re willing to do. There’s a time and a place to put your foot down, but during a real estate transaction, you should think long and hard on whether little things like not wanting to fix a broken window are worth potentially putting a stop to the entire process. 6. Using two different real estate agents. If you’re moving out of town after you sell your current home, then using two different agents is a way better idea than using just one, but if you’re buying and selling in the same area, the process will be a lot smoother if you use just one agent or team. On our team, for example, we have specialized agents who focus on just one side of the transaction, so if you worked with us, you’d get the best of both worlds in terms of expertise. Once again, if you have any questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

There are six mistakes you want to avoid during a simultaneous sale. Here are the first three.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportIn part one of our two-part series on real estate mistakes, we’ll be going over the first three pitfalls you want to avoid when buying and selling at the same time: 1. Waiting too long to prepare your home for the market. If you wait until the last second to prepare your home, it can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. You may have to paint walls, repair decks, and more. Don’t wait until it’s too late! 2. Not having a backup plan. When you’re going through the buying and selling processes at the same time, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. It’s good to have something to fall back on if issues come up and you need to make changes.Don’t let reality hit you after you’ve found the perfect home.3. Not speaking with a lender before starting the home search. If you don’t talk with a lender up front, you won’t have a pre-qualification or pre-approval and you’ll have no idea what you can actually afford. Don’t let reality hit you after you’ve found the perfect home; speaking with a lender from the outset will help eliminate the daydreaming. Stay tuned for part two of our series, where we’ll cover the final three mistakes to avoid during a simultaneous sale. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Once you get pre-approved, how long is this pre-approval good for? Find out with today’s quick message.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportYou probably already understand the importance of getting pre-approved. After all, meeting with a lender to verify your capacity to buy is the first step you should take in your home search. But after a lender reviews the necessary documents (bank statements, pay stubs, etc.) and explains what kind of home you can afford, how long will this pre-approval last? Meeting with a lender to verify your capacity to buy is the first step you should take in your home search.Thankfully, you’ve got quite some time before your mortgage pre-approval will expire. Lenders understand that buying a home can be intense. They know it can’t happen overnight, so most mortgage pre-approvals will remain valid for at least 90 days. After that point, you may need to undergo a second pre-approval process to ensure that you still have the means to buy a home. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Should you sell your home in 2019? Absolutely, and here’s why.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportHome prices have been on a meteoric rise for years, inventory is incredibly low, and the market continues to favor sellers. If you haven’t thought about it already, here are five reasons why you should sell your home this year: 1. When there is little inventory, there is little competition. If you list now, you may be the only listed home in your area, which means you’ll get much more attention. Inventory is beginning to increase, however, so you’ll see more competition over time. 2. In a seller’s market, you tend to make more of a profit. We’ve seen home values increase dramatically over the last few years. This is beginning to slow down, however, and waiting to sell doesn’t guarantee you’ll make more down the road. Inventory is incredibly low, and the market continues to favor sellers.3. There is a high demand for homes under $300,000. If you’re in the entry-level price point, you’ll enjoy a lot of attention from first-time homebuyers. The price range between $150,000 and $225,000 has a high demand for homes and a low inventory, allowing you to really capitalize on your sale. 4. Mortgage rates are low. We’re at a 12-month low of around 4.25%, and this contributes a lot to buyer demand. 5. There are a lot of millennials entering the market. People tend to buy their first home around the age of 30. Since many will reach this age within the next two years, it means there will be many new buyers in the market, which will push price and demand upward. If you’re ready to get your home on the market or wanting to learn more, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Zestimates aren’t always accurate when it comes to determining a home’s value. Here’s why.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportWhether we’re working with buyers or sellers, the subject of Zillow’s Zestimates comes up quite often, and the No. 1 question we usually get asked about them is, “Are they accurate?” First, let’s review what a Zestimate is. Basically, it’s Zillow’s home valuation tool that’s based on a computer-generated algorithm. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your situation), Zestimates aren’t always accurate. If you’re a home seller and you live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood where all the homes are the same, your Zestimate has a better chance of being accurate. If you don’t live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, though, Zillow will have a hard time giving your home an accurate Zestimate. If you want to get a truly accurate valuation of your home, the best thing you can do is contact a real estate agent such as myself.Why? A Zestimate can’t account for any upgrades you’ve made to your house. If you’ve installed brand-new granite countertops, redone your flooring, or repainted the entire house, that added value won’t be reflected in your home’s Zestimate. If you want to get a truly accurate valuation of your home, the best thing you can do is contact a real estate agent such as myself so we can visit the property in person and consult with you. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in or you have any other real estate needs I can take care of, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

People tend to forget a lot of things when they’re moving. Here are five such items that you should be aware of.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportWhen you’re moving into a new home, there’s a lot of stress involved. With that being the case, homeowners tend to forget about certain things during the process. Here is a list of the top five things you should remember when moving: 1. Switch banks. If you are at a regional bank and moving to a different region, you’ll need to switch banks. 2. Take care of medical needs. You might have to get a new doctor, too. This is another thing that can fall by the wayside during the moving process. 3. Transfer your utilities. This includes things like cable, utilities, and internet. Make sure your utilities are turned off at your old home and on at your new one. Try to be aware of transfer expenses up front and budget them into your moving costs.4. Prepare for transfer fees. For example, if you have a home alarm contract, you might have to pay a fee or penalty for canceling your agreement early. Try to be aware of any expenses upfront and budget them into your moving costs. 5. Raid the kitchen. Don’t leave any food behind. The freezer is a common place where these items end up sitting for years until you move. One great idea is to take inventory of what’s in your freezer and start planning to cook it before the move happens. These are five basic things that you should keep an eye on if you’re considering a move. If you have any questions in the meantime or if you are interested in buying or selling a home in the area anytime soon, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Today I’m here to discuss four very important tips for surviving a seller’s market.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportOur market has been fairly competitive, so here are four tips that we’ve compiled to help buyers compete more favorably in a tough market: 1. Submit a large earnest money deposit. Earnest money is like a deposit you can put down with your contract. The great thing about earnest money is that as long as you adhere to the contract, that money is never at risk. If for some reason an inspection turns out badly or things don’t otherwise work out, there are ways you can back out of that contract. The larger the deposit you put down, the more attractive it makes you look to a seller. 2. Make sure you’re pre-qualified. This is extremely important; listing agents looking over offers want to see that you’ve been pre-qualified with a reputable local lender. A pre-qualification letter will show the seller of the property that you’re serious and qualified to move forward with the transaction. If the lender you’re pre-qualified with is local and reputable, it will always carry more weight in the seller’s eyes. A pre-qualification letter will show the seller of the property that you’re serious and qualified to move forward with the transaction.3. Give the seller time to move. Once their home has been sold, a seller will need time to pack their things together, coordinate their families, and move out. If you don’t give them a lot of time to pack up, that will create a very stressful experience for them. If you include a lenient move-out time in your original offer, it might be a way to further incentivize the seller to choose your offer over others. 4. Write your best offer. There have been a number of times when I’ve worked as a listing agent to evaluate different offers on my seller’s home that I’ve seen a family who really, really wants the house for any number of reasons, but they’ll come up $500 or $1,000 short on their offer. If you consider this over the next 15 to 30 years, that $1,000 means absolutely nothing; it will make almost no dent in your monthly payment. I hate to see people miss out on getting a house that they love over $4 a month. Always put your best and strongest offer forward. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, feel free to visit our website at www.RyanSmithHomes.com, or else contact us at any time. We’d love to hear from you.

Today we’ll discuss part two of the top 10 common myths in real estate and debunk our final five misconceptions.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportToday I'll be sharing the second part of my two-part series on the top 10 myths in real estate, featuring myths No. 6 through No. 10. 6. Weekends bring out the most serious buyers. When people are preparing to put their house on the market, we often hear of sellers thinking they won't be able to show it during the week, so they make showings available for the weekend only. Serious homebuyers, however, are coming throughout the week, and while you are more likely to have showings on the weekends because people are off, you may still get buyers during the week. 7. Zillow says it, therefore it is right. First, I want to say that Zillow is very rarely accurate. There is nothing more frustrating as a real estate agent than having folks come in and say that Zillow says the home is worth a certain amount. While you can get good information from these types of websites, they are very rarely accurate because they use algorithms based on tax records. Every seller is in a different situation and has different circumstances involving their sale.8. It is better to initially list a home on the high side because you can always negotiate it down. If you start out too high, it is actually one of the fastest ways to kill your home sale. When you initially list your home, you’ll have the most activity that you are going to have; if the price is too high, you end up missing out on people. If you try to make adjustments and catch up later, those people have already moved on to other properties and your momentum that you need to sell for top dollar is gone. Although I actually love pricing homes as the highest in the neighborhood, it has to be priced realistically so you can get the most money. 9. Multiple price reductions mean that a seller is desperate to sell. Every seller is in a different situation and has different circumstances involved in their sale. This does not necessarily mean that someone is desperate. 10. All agents are the same and do the same exact thing. This is definitely not true. If you look at the results, you can see very different outcomes depending on the team or person you hire. The people who are successful or have been successful for a long period of time are clearly doing things differently to enable them to achieve that kind of success. If you have any additional questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

There are 10 major real estate myths you shouldn’t buy into, and here are the first five.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportHere are five of the top 10 most common real estate myths floating around out there and the truth behind them: 1. The agent keeps all of the commission. I’ve heard this one many times over the years. As an agent myself, I wish it was true, but it’s not. When we list a home for one of our clients, our team typically spends thousands of dollars marketing and advertising it. 2. Agents typically charge a 6% commission rate. The truth is, there is no standard commission cost among agents. Some charge 6%, some charge more, and some charge less. What kind of commission rate an agent charges should reflect the value that they bring to you. If an agent can sell your home quickly and sell it for thousands of dollars more than the average agent can, they’ll probably be worth more and cost more. 3. Agents can get reimbursed for car-related expenses. When agents are out showing houses, they have to pay their own transportation expenses. However, some of these expenses can be deducted from their taxes. What kind of commission rate an agent charges should reflect the value that they bring to you.4. Agents can be reimbursed for marketing expenses. Real estate companies, even the large ones like RE/MAX or Keller Williams, don’t dictate to their agents how they should market their homes. This is why, even at big-name brands, you’ll see both agents who are very successful and agents who aren’t. Because they don’t mandate any form of marketing, its up to the agent what they want to spend on marketing their homes. 5. A home either “passes” or “fails” an inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to point out any issues that a home may have. Any home will have its share of deficiencies, and just because there are issues revealed in the inspection doesn’t mean it “passes” or “fails.” If anything, these deficiencies enable the buyer and seller to negotiate over the home’s condition and its price. Stay tuned for the second part of this series, where we’ll delve into some myths that are more related to the real estate sales process. In the meantime, if you have any questions or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

I'm often asked whether open houses help sell homes. Today, I will be sharing the pros and cons of this strategy so you can decide for yourself.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportDo open houses work or not? Depending on the agent that you talk to, you are going to hear a lot of different opinions. For this reason, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some pros and cons. Let's begin with our list of cons. First, open houses provide a very low probability of a sale. This might sound pessimistic, but it's important to understand the true odds of successfully finding a buyer from hosting an open house. Secondly, there are a lot of security concerns involved. With so many potential buyers touring your home at once, it can be difficult to keep an eye on everyone. And, although I have never personally encountered such an issue, open houses can invite the potential for theft. Trying to keep track of all of them is very difficult and it is very possible that someone gets into your stuff and steals something. Although I have never personally had this issue at any of my open houses or showings, it’s not unheard of. The third drawback of hosting an open house is that it could bring out nosy neighbors. Oftentimes, the majority of people who turn out for an open house are from your own neighborhood. Rather than showing up with an interest in buying your home, they attend simply out of curiosity. Open houses can invite the potential for theft.On a positive note, an open house is, well, open to everybody. Anyone can drive up and walk through the house, which sometimes pulls down the barriers to engaging with a real estate agent. While it is rare that these people end up buying the house that you are selling, it does allow you potentially pick up a buyer. Agents can engage with these people and discuss what they are looking for. Open houses also offer a lot of convenience. They allow potential buyers to see your property without scheduling a showing. The final benefit I'd like to highlight is that open houses provide buyers with a more complete perspective on your home. It's one thing to see a home in photos, videos, or in a 3D virtual walkthrough, but it's something else entirely to actually visit it in-person. So, do open houses work? It depends on your goals. Open houses offer a great networking opportunity, especially for agents, but the odds of finding a buyer at such an event is lower than some may assume. If you have any additional questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

There are five signs that will tell you that you’re about to buy a house that you simply can’t afford.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportSometimes, when we’re working to help guide a buyer in their home purchase, they’ll ask us how they can know if they’re buying a house that is more than they can swing. Just because they were approved for a certain amount, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have an easy time managing payments. To gauge whether you’re stretching yourself too thin, keep an eye on the following five signs: 1. Are your financing options unconventional or creative? If you’re resorting to or being offered highly unconventional mortgage options to use in order to make your purchase work, it could be a sign that you’re swinging a little too high. 2. Do you need down payment assistance programs to qualify for this house? If the purchase or sale price of the home is so high that coming up with the down payment is a struggle, then it could be an indication that you’re trying to purchase outside your range. If you have enough money per month to cover your mortgage, but have little left over for the rest of your expenses, that’s a definite sign that you’re exceeding your limits.3. Do you have just enough money to cover your mortgage? If you have enough money per month to cover your mortgage, but have little left over for the rest of your expenses, that’s a definite sign that you’re exceeding your limits. Don’t squeeze your budget too tightly. 4. Are you considering taking money from your retirement funds? If the only way to make your mortgage work is to take money from your hard-earned retirement funds, then that’s an issue. 5. Do you have a bad feeling about the purchase? If, during your purchase, you get an overwhelming sinking feeling that the whole thing is a bad idea, it’s a good idea to go with your gut. We do want to help you purchase a home, but you should also be happy with it. You’re the one who has to live in the house and manage your expenses, so your feelings are paramount. If you’re a homebuyer who is experiencing one or more of these signs, or if you’re interested in purchasing a home, please feel free to reach out to me. We’re always here to help and provide excellent service to you.

Negotiations are crucial in any real estate deal, so today I’d like to share some basic tips on how to be a strong negotiator.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportVery rarely does a buyer offer every penny, let alone every term, the seller is asking for. Therefore, negotiations are a critical aspect of any real estate transaction, and knowing the basics of negotiating can make or break your success as a seller. First, don’t be offended by counteroffers. It’s easy to forget that each party in a transaction has their own distinct motive. Sellers (usually) want to make the most money they can from their home sale, while buyers are often looking to strike a bargain. But merely understanding these differences won’t necessarily improve your negotiation skills. In order to be a skilled negotiator, you will also need to be knowledgeable about the state of the market. Understanding current market conditions will be paramount to your success in any real estate negotiation scenario. The key to negotiating is being informed, being realistic, and working with a strong agent who can help guide you on the path to your goals.And coupling your own knowledge with that of an experienced agent will only further your chances of striking a great deal. That said, those listing while in a strong seller’s market likely won’t need to negotiate much to begin with. In a competitive market, one potential buyer may be easily replaced by another. This isn’t to say, though, that there are times where conceding to a lower offer may be advisable. Along with understanding the market, you’ve also got to understand the “big picture” of the transaction as a whole. That means thinking realistically about how your, and the buyer’s, circumstances may impact the deal. If your home is in need of several repairs, but a buyer is willing to overlook them under the condition that they offer a lower price, you may actually save yourself some money by taking that reduced amount. Ultimately, the key to negotiating is being informed, being realistic, and working with a strong agent who can help guide you on the path to your goals. If you have any other questions or would like to more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What happens when a property doesn’t appraise? Allow me to share a few ways this scenario can play out.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportWhat should you do if a home appraises for less than the sales price? Well, if you’re the seller of that property: Don’t panic. Hopefully you’ve hired a great agent who will work to appeal the results of the appraisal. If you’ve hired someone on my team, we will do everything we can on your behalf to make sure the deal goes smoothly. When our team works to appeal an appraisal, we begin by doing our research. We gather information on home values in the area and determine what other properties tend to sell for. If, after presenting the findings of this research to the appraiser, the appeal doesn’t succeed, then it’s time to renegotiate with the buyer. If you’ve hired someone on my team, we will do everything we can on your behalf to make sure the deal goes smoothly.Sometimes when a home appraises for less than the agreed-upon price, the solution is for the buyer to make up the difference in cash. So if a home’s contract listed its price as $205,000, but the appraisal came in at $200,000, the buyer could still use financing for the appraised amount while making up the remaining $5,000 in cash. The seller could also lower the sales price to match the appraised value, or a combination of these solutions could be negotiated. It’s also important to realize that the loan type a buyer is using to finance the purchase will impact how the scenario can be handled. In some cases, the best option is to seek out another appraiser’s opinion. FHA loans or VA loans will make this more difficult, though, because the initial appraisal figure will stick with the property for some time. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team or me a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Before hiring a real estate agent, you need to do some vetting. Here are the questions that we recommend you ask.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportBuying or selling a home is a major project. Having a trustworthy agent to guide you through that project can be an invaluable asset. But how can you vet potential real estate agents to see who would be a good fit for you? Here are three important questions you should ask to get started: 1. "How many homes have you sold in the last 12 months?" Many real estate agents will tell you the number of years they have in the business. That's useful, but their recent activity can be more relevant than their total experience. Asking this question can tell you how well they know the market, as well as how successful you can expect them to be in your case. Bonus Question: You will probably want to ask whether the agent works primarily with buyers or sellers, because many agents specialize to some extent in one or the other. You want to get a sense that this agent is somebody you can trust.2. "Can I have the contact info for your last three deals?" Anybody can say they are a marvelously effective real estate agent. But talking to actual past clients can help you decide whether this is true or a bunch of hot air. When you do talk to a real estate agent's previous clients, you don't need to get too fancy to get useful information. Simply ask them to share their experience. 3. "What is your strategy for my specific needs?" As a buyer, you will want the agent to explain how they will search for your new home, how many homes you can expect to see, and how the agent handles multiple offers. As a seller, you will want to know how and where the agent will advertise your home. So what kinds of answers should you look for to these questions? Ideally, you will want to get a sense that this agent is somebody you can trust and that you feel comfortable working with. At the same time, you will want them to be experienced and diligent, as evidenced by recent successful deals and a concrete plan of action for your situation. If you ever want to know how I measure up on these questions, you can always give me a call. I'd love to hear what your specific situation is and whether I would be a good match to help you in the current real estate market.

If you want to find the perfect home for both you and your pet, I have seven great tips that can help.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportMany of us have pets we love and care for, but finding a house that fits both your family and your pet(s) can be a challenge. Here are seven tips that will help you find a home that fulfills both sets of needs: 1. Be aware of the local pet laws. In different neighborhoods, there are different HOA restrictions and rules that may outlaw certain breeds of pets or certain pets in general. Look over those restrictions and rules before putting a contract in place just to make sure there aren’t any that might cause an issue for you and your pet. 2. Know the yard and fence situation of the house you want to buy. Some neighborhoods will require a certain type of fencing. If your home is in a neighborhood that requires wrought-iron fencing, for example, that could cause an issue as far as keeping your pets contained. You might also encounter a neighborhood that doesn’t permit fencing. 3. Make sure your property has room for your pets to be able to get out and roam. This usually means having a big enough yard for them to be able to run around in. Look over the neighborhood’s restrictions and rules regarding pets before putting a contract in place.4. Make sure your home doesn’t back up to or border a major road. One of the worst things that can happen for a pet owner is a dog getting out and running into a busy road. A house that backs up into a green space can also be an issue, depending on what type of pets you have. Here in Texas, if your home backs up to a green space, you may encounter certain animals that would prey on your pets. 5. Choose a house that has pet-friendly floors. National flooring expert Debbie Gardner suggests having solid hardwood floors because they can stay in good condition for a long time and you can reseal and restain them if they endure any damage. As far as hardwood floors go, I would personally suggest using a more distressed wood type so if and when your pets scratch the floor, it adds to the character instead of making it look out of place. Stained concrete and tile both work great for pets as well, especially if they’re sealed. The one type of floor that doesn’t mix well with pets is carpet because it traps pet odors and will show any stains they make. 6. Pay attention to the floor plan. Some floor plans are very restrictive, so make sure you choose a house with a floor plan that will allow enough room for both you and your pets to move around without constantly being in each other’s way.7. Make sure your pets can handle the home’s stairs. Some pets have trouble with stairs, especially if they’re older. Having a carpeting stretch going up and down the stairs can make it easier for pets like that.If you have any questions about finding a pet-friendly home or you have any other real estate questions you’d like to ask me, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help.

When you’re preparing to stage your home for sale, we recommend making these four repairs first.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportI’m here today to discuss four repairs you should make before preparing to stage your house prior to sale. In meeting with different folks who are preparing to sell their house, and we’ve seen that there are some consistent repairs across the board that we suggest they make—even before their staging appointment. We’ve boiled that list of repairs down to four. 1. Update and clean the exterior of the home. When I say ‘update,’ I don’t necessarily mean investing tons of money into the exterior of your house, but you do want to clean it up. This might mean trimming up the yard to look nice or fixing any obvious wood rot issues. Just make sure that when people come to see your house, the exterior curb appeal is good. Saving your receipts from any repairs made will make great leverage as we go into negotiation.2. Make sure that your air conditioning unit works well. This is something that concerns nearly every buyer in Texas, even though winter is on the way. Hire a professional to come out and service the unit to make sure it’s in working order. Keep the servicing receipt, by the way; when we’re pursuing a buyer or going under contract, that would be great to share with them. 3. Clean your floors. If your carpet is threadbare or dirty, have a professional come clean it for you. Tile and laminate hardwood floors need to be touched up as well. 4. Check on the status of your plumbing and electrical. You don’t want any surprises later on down the road as you get closer to contract. The buyer will eventually go through the house with a fine-toothed comb in the form of inspections anyway, so get any necessary repairs made so those issues won’t cost you later down the line. Again, saving your receipts from any repairs made here will make great leverage as we go into negotiation. Anything that can help you save and make money is something that we encourage you to do. If you’re thinking about selling your home soon or at some point in the future, these are some great tips to great started on before we meet. Feel free to reach out to us for any more tips like these or questions about buying and selling a home. That’s what we’re here to do for you.

There are six easy tips you can do to make your house appealing and inviting for any holiday guests that might be headed your way.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportIf you plan on having friends and family stay at your house this holiday season, here are six tips that will get your house in top condition. First, make over your guest room. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so. For most people, the guest room functions as a catch-all storage room, so clear out any unnecessary items from it. It also might be a good idea to buy a new set of sheets for the bed or repaint any dingy furniture. Next, polish the silver. If you have silver kitchenware you plan on putting out, make sure it looks nice and clean instead of tarnished or drab-looking. Third, make the house inviting. You can go to stores like TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning and find nice items to set out or other things like guest soap, hand towels, and slippers that can really make people feel welcome when they stay at your place. Just because you can walk around your house blindfolded at 2 a.m. doesn’t mean your guests will be able to do so.You should also think about the functionality of your home. If someone stays in your guest room, they’ll need room for their clothes and other items they’ll have to put away. This is why, again, it’s a good idea to empty out the closet and clear away your things so guests have room for their things. This is not only very easy to do, but it’s also very helpful. It’s important to make sure that your home has good lighting. Just because you can walk around your house blindfolded at 2 a.m. doesn’t mean your guests will be able to do so, so be cognizant of having good lighting. The same rule applies to the outside of the home as well. Make sure your porch lights are working and there is a clearly lit path up to the house. Lastly, make sure your home smells nice. Give your house a good cleaning and put out some air fresheners so everything smells clean and fresh. If you have any more questions about how to spruce up your home for holiday company or are thinking of buying or selling a home in our area, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

During the home buying process, there are certain things you should always avoid. Steering clear of these mistakes could make a huge difference in your success.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportFinding a new home is a big deal, and it can be a daunting task to undertake. Today, I want to go over the things you should never, ever do during the home buying process. 1. Do not start the process without a real estate agent. Trying to navigate the market without representation would be a big mistake. You can certainly look online, but never dive into a serious home search without a professional by your side. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat down with a seller who wasn’t in a good position by the time they were ready to list, all because they didn’t work with an agent when they bought the home. Never dive into a serious home search without a professional by your side.2. Don’t work with a lender who isn’t local or who you aren’t comfortable with. My team, my clients, and I have all consistently found that lenders from out of town simply don’t provide the greatest results. It is always better to work with a quality local lender.3. Do not underestimate your budget. You should be very transparent about your budget with your real estate agent. If your budget is up to $400,000 but you tell your agent you’re only willing to spend up to $300,000, you’re going to be missing out on houses you may be interested in. Your agent should always guide you within your boundaries to find you the right property. 4. Don’t make any lowball offers. I understand wanting to get a good deal. However, you can’t ignore market data when you’re making an offer. Most sellers aren’t going to take a low offer very well and you will actually end up with a worse deal than you would have if you were more reasonable from the start.5. Don’t forget about closing costs. Sometimes it’s possible to ask sellers to handle some of these costs. But, as the market heats up, more and more buyers are finding themselves shouldering most of these expenses. It’s important that you budget for these costs so you don’t have any surprises at the closing table.6. Do not make any large purchases before closing. While approval is pending on your loan, it’s important that you maintain your credit. Making big expensive purchases can affect whether you will qualify to purchase a house or not. Save large expenses until after closing. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Today, I’ve got five tips on speeding up the sale of your home. Using these hints will give a big boost to the power of your listing. Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportHow can you speed up the selling process? Well, today I’ve got five tips to entice buyers in record time.1. Shrink your staging cost. Staging can be a pricey process. Even the initial staging consultation can cost between $300 and $600. Also, depending on if you use a professional stager’s furniture, there can be a monthly fee. What I recommend is that you let us help. When you list with our team, you have access to our professional stager. Their services are included in the package you get when listing with us.2. Work on your curb appeal. Curb appeal makes a big difference in how quickly a house will sell. However, some people can go too far. It isn’t necessary to spend an exorbitant amount of money on sprucing up your curb appeal. Ultimately, you just want to make sure things are neat and trimmed with a little bit of color. Creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing.3. Show more natural light. It has been proven that a home that has been brightened with natural light will sell more quickly. Adding mirrors to help reflect light and using brighter lightbulbs in the home’s fixtures are both great ways to increase this effect. The most important thing is to open up blinds and curtains. No buyer wants to walk into a dark or dingy house.4. Make energy efficient upgrades. To some people, these kinds of upgrades are incredibly important. Certain buyers will be willing to pay a little more money for a home that is energy efficient. This is especially true since the upgrades you make will save them money on utilities down the line.5. Start some buzz on social media about your home. Before your home even goes on the market, creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing. One of the unique things my team provides is that we have our own list of houses coming on the market that no one knows about other than our clients. This is something we offer to all of our sellers.If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Should you buy a house or not? There are four questions that can help you make this decision.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportShould you buy a house or not? There are four questions that will help you figure out whether buying or renting is better for you: 1. Can you afford it? How much money do you make and what debt obligations do you have? Can you reasonably afford to purchase a home? If you’re not sure, then the affordability calculator on Realtor.com is a great place to start. 2. Is it better to rent a home or buy a home? The answer to this question really depends on your market. If you live in an area that has a very hot seller’s market and home values are appreciating quickly, then it might be more difficult to purchase a house. In that case, renting might be better for you. In other markets with decent inventory, you may be able to find the house that will work best for you.How long will you live there?3. How long can you stay put? It really takes about three to five years for homeowners to break even or make a little bit of money. When you purchase a house, you will pay thousands of dollars in closing costs. In about three to five years, the home will likely appreciate enough to cover those expenses. If you aren’t going to be in a certain area for at least three years, then it might not be a good idea to purchase a home. 4. Are you ready for this responsibility? Purchasing a house requires a lot of upkeep and maintenance. Some people might not be ready for that responsibility. You may prefer being able to call the landlord to fix any issues that arise. So, before you make that leap into homeownership, make sure that you are ready for the responsibility that comes with it. Hopefully, these four questions will help you figure out whether or not now is the time for you to purchase a home. If you have any other questions about the home buying process or about our current market, give me a call. I would be happy to help you!

Finding the perfect neighborhood for your next home can be a lot easier if you follow these four tips.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportAre you unsure of how to find the best neighborhood for your next home? Here are four tips to help you make the right decision: 1. Consider the value of the homes in the neighborhood. What are home values doing in that area? Are they consistently increasing or decreasing? This factor plays a big role should you choose to sell the property later on. If values are going up, that’s typically a good thing. It also gives you an idea of other dynamics at work in the neighborhood. For example, studies have shown that homes located with a mile of a Starbucks tend to appreciate at a much higher rate than homes located farther away. 2. Look at the schools. Homes located in good school districts are proven to appreciate faster and hold their value much better. If you have kids, you want to make sure they’ll be able to attend a good school system that will be able to support them well.If home values are going up in that neighborhood, that’s typically a good thing.3. Make the drive. If you have to drive from your prospective neighborhood to your workplace, do a trial run so you know what you’re getting into. Will you regularly encounter any high-traffic situations to get to work on time or will it be a nice and easy commute? 4. Get local with each neighborhood you inspect. Drive through them during the day and at night and see what it’s like. If you’re looking for a quieter setting and during your drive you see kids everywhere and it’s very loud all the time, that might not be the best fit for you. If, on the other hand, you have kids and are looking for a more active atmosphere, that might be the perfect neighborhood. If you have any questions about finding the right neighborhood or there’s anything else we can help you with regarding the real estate field, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help.

When you sell your first house, there are a lot of unexpected things that can happen and it can be a little nerve-wracking. These tips will make the process go much smoother for you.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportToday, I've got four key tips that will be a big help to you if you're selling a house for the first time. It can be a nervous time and you probably don't know what to expect, so we want to do our best to help you make the best decisions for you and your family. These are the most important things to keep in mind: 1. Price your home accurately: Overpricing your house is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Whether you're selling an iPad, a jug of milk, or your house, it's not going to sell if you overprice it. I even see people who overprice their house end up selling for far less than they could have had they just priced it correctly from the beginning. 2. Ask your real estate agent for advice on preparing your house for sale: In 10 years in real estate, there have been only a few houses that I've walked into and thought they were ready for the market. Some homes need more prep work than others. It's important to lean on your agent's expertise so that your home shows in tip-top shape.Overpricing your house is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.3. Be flexible with showings when the house goes on the market: We find that if you miss the opportunity to get an interested buyer into your house for a showing, you might not ever be able to get them scheduled back. You need to know what you're getting into with selling a house because it will require some flexibility to get buyers in it.4. Insist on professional photography: Your agent should bring in a pro whose job it is to take pictures of homes and show them in their best light. An agent using a little digital camera or an iPhone is not the gold standard of service you should expect. High-quality photos make a big difference in your home's sale. If you're thinking about selling your first house or have any other questions about the Temple market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help!

Home photos are extremely important to the selling process, but these five mistakes can kill your home sale.Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value ReportMy team and I look at real estate photos every single day, so we see all kinds of mistakes. However, there are five mistakes that can kill the sale of your home. They are: 1. Taking pictures of the corners of rooms. I don’t know why so many online listings include pictures of corners. You need to take wide-angled photos of each room so that potential buyers can get a real feeling for the interior of your home. Display the entire room, not just the corner. 2. Zooming in on the front of the house. Pictures of the front of the house are incredibly important. However, make sure they aren’t zoomed in so much that buyers miss out on the surrounding flowerbeds or porch. Take a few steps back to capture all of the distinguishing effects of the property. 3. Not taking pictures of the inside of the house. Would you buy a house without seeing what it looked like on the inside? No! Make sure you take interior photos of the house. If you don’t, people will wonder what’s wrong with the home, and you won’t get any showings.Don’t take pictures that make your house look haunted.4. Taking dark and grainy pictures. Grainy, dark photos can make your house look haunted, and haunted houses generally don’t do well on the market. Adjust the settings on the camera so you don’t create any ghosts in your photo. Also, if your real estate agent wants to use their cellphone to take photos, tell them that is not a good idea. 5. Not letting the sun in. We’ve seen photos of houses so dark that you can’t tell what you’re looking at. Natural light has proven to help houses sell faster and for more money. Dark pictures are very unattractive. Avoid these mistakes to make your online listing appeal to more buyers. The better your photos are, the more showings you will get; the more showings you get, the better offers you will have. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be happy to help you!