Decorate for the potential buyer. You know who this is because you were once this person! If you're in a starter home neighborhood, the buyer will likely be a younger individual or couple who is looking for more space after cramped apartment living. Pick some trendy paint colors like lilac gray or muted pastels and keep the decor minimalistic and modern. Forget decorating a kid's bedroom and opt for an office layout in the second bedroom instead. If you're looking to downsize from a, say, four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac, you're probably going to attract the family crowd. Emphasize your space by decorating according to their needs. Have a finished basement? Amp up the recreational feel with some movie theater loungers or make it a game room! Think about your neighborhood as well. If you're in walking distance to a dog park, you may find that your buyer has a furry roommate. If your home is near a highly-rated school, that's also an indicator that kids may come with the package for whoever owns your home next. Continue reading ...
4 Easy Staging Tips You Haven't Thought About
Decorate for the potential buyer. You know who this is because you were once this person! If you're in a starter home neighborhood, the buyer will likely be a younger individual or couple who is looking for more space after cramped apartment living. Pick some trendy paint colors like lilac gray or muted pastels and keep the decor minimalistic and modern. Forget decorating a kid's bedroom and opt for an office layout in the second bedroom instead. If you're looking to downsize from a, say, four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac, you're probably going to attract the family crowd. Emphasize your space by decorating according to their needs. Have a finished basement? Amp up the recreational feel with some movie theater loungers or make it a game room! Think about your neighborhood as well. If you're in walking distance to a dog park, you may find that your buyer has a furry roommate. If your home is near a highly-rated school, that's also an indicator that kids may come with the package for whoever owns your home next.Take a breather—it's actually easier than you think. Here are four staging tips that are so easy they may not have even crossed your mind: Decorate for the potential buyer. You know who this is because you were once this person! If you're in a starter home neighborhood, the buyer will likely be a younger individual or couple who is looking for more space after cramped apartment living. Pick some trendy paint colors like lilac gray or muted pastels and keep the decor minimalistic and modern. Forget decorating a kid's bedroom and opt for an office layout in the second bedroom instead. If you're looking to downsize from a, say, four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac, you're probably going to attract the family crowd. Emphasize your space by decorating according to their needs. Have a finished basement? Amp up the recreational feel with some movie theater loungers or make it a game room! Think about your neighborhood as well. If you're in walking distance to a dog park, you may find that your buyer has a furry roommate. If your home is near a highly-rated school, that's also an indicator that kids may come with the package for whoever owns your home next. Use resources. You don't have to take on this process all by yourself. Rent a storage unit so you don't have to worry about hiding away your must-keeps. This way, these items are already neatly packed away and ready for your new home, and they won't get in the way of a buyer who isn't looking to see how bad your shopping addiction is. Additionally, hire a cleaning company. You can find some relatively affordable options, and this will help you stay stress-free throughout the process. Once it's clean, all you have to worry about is keeping it that way! Focus on the small accessories. Take a tour of your own home, but with fresh eyes. What do you see that stands out as grungy, old and just a complete turn-off? This can be anything from a sticky, splattered garbage bin that needs a good cleaning to your shower curtain which has a dense layer of soap scum that's going to scare even the bravest buyers away. Replace any small accessories that won't cost you a fortune, and clean anything that can look like new with some TLC. Use your nose. Again, take a tour of your home, but this time focus on what you're smelling. A better option might be to find a friend or family member who can volunteer to do this for you—someone who doesn't live with you or isn't over all the time. Identify the sources of odor in your home and figure out a solution. The last thing you want is for a buyer to come in and quickly be hit by an unpleasant smell. The cleaning and decluttering should help with this, but there are other things you can do to ensure your home is a breath of fresh air: Open up the windows! Let your home air out for an hour or two. Light some candles to freshen up the rooms. Bake a cake or some cookies right before a potential buyer comes over. Staging can be easy if you just put yourself in the buyer's shoes. It is, however, more than just moving around furniture and putting away the excess items. Think back to the tour you took yourself before buying this home. What stood out to you—both good and bad? Think about how it all impacts the senses. Of course, trends change, but the overall feeling of clean and tidy is always the first thing people notice. And customizing your home with some easy staging tricks can make a big difference! Continue reading ...
Top 10 Most Expensive mistakes you are making on your home.
Homes cost a lot of money to maintain. But are you spending extra money unnecessarily on upkeep? Here are the 10 most expensive mistakes you could be making in your home. 1. Using Traditional Light bulbs If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could be throwing a lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over its life span, an incandescent bulb can use $180 worth of electricity. A CFL will only use $41 worth of electricity over the same time period. Even better is the LED bulb, which only uses $30 per bulb. Think what replacing every light bulb in your home could do to your home's bottom line. 2. Ignoring a Leaky Faucet A leaky faucet that drips one drop per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year, which is enough water to take more than 180 showers. Some of us live in areas where water is plentiful, but for those of us in areas plagued with drought, this could be costing you a fortune. Fix or replace your leaky faucet and save a ton on your water bill. 3. Using the Wrong Air Filter Size We all sometimes forget to change out the air filters for our HVAC systems or accidentally buy the wrong size. But using the wrong filter or a dirty filter can increase your power bill and cause expensive problems for your furnace down the road. Use the correct filters for your system, and set a reminder to change them after the recommended amount of time. You won't regret it. 4. Not Customizing Temperature Invest in a customizable thermostat. If you're away at the office all day, you can program your heater to shift down a few degrees while you're gone and then shift back up shortly before you return home. Heating or cooling an empty home wastes a lot of money in energy costs. 5. Not Adjusting Air Vents Properly Is one room in your home hot, while the others are cold? Oftentimes homeowners will crank up the air conditioning in the whole house to combat hot temperatures in one area. Instead, adjust air vents to direct the flow of air more evenly throughout your entire home. Professionals will come regulate this to ensure that your entire home is receiving the same amount of air conditioning or heating. 6. Over Watering Lawn Many homeowners have their sprinkler systems programmed to come on in the early morning hours for optimum lawn health. This can become a problem, however, if you're never around to see what you're actually watering. A broken sprinkler head could be causing a fountain, or the trajectory of your sprinkler may be directed at a fence instead of your lawn. Periodically run your sprinklers during the day so you can see how they are performing when you're not around. 7. Water Heater Temperature Set Too High Unless you have a tankless water heater, your water heater is keeping the water in its tank hot 24/7. If you don't keep an eye on the temperature as each season changes, you may be paying too much to heat your water. Decrease the temperature in the summer, and bump it back up when winter comes. 8. Leaky Windows and Doors Leaky windows and doors are great places for cold, winter winds to enter your home. Many homeowners simply ignore them and crank up their heaters. Caulk leaky windows and put rubber seal around doors to keep winter winds out and warmth in. 9. Paying a Handyman Don't pay a handyman for a job that is simple enough to do yourself. If you're unsure of how to do something, look up video tutorials online. Doing simple tasks yourself can save you a lot of money. 10. Ignoring Curled Shingles It may be easy to ignore problems on your roof, but it will only lead to bigger problems later. If you see any possible issues with your roof, repair them as soon as possible, as this will save you significant costs later. Use these 10 tips to cut maintenance costs on your home today. Continue reading ...
Finding the right neighborhood
When you're thinking about making a move, the first steps in the home buying process are:
- Deciding where you would like to live
- Considering how much money you would like to spend
- Thinking about what type of home you would like
- Deciding when you want to make your move
As a local real estate professional, I can help you along the way with all of these decisions, including finding the perfect neighborhood for your needs. Here are three of my favorite tips to see if an area or a particular area is right for you:
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Dallas Real Estate Market Forecast and Trends in 2018
Dallas real estate market offers some great profit-generating opportunities to all types of real estate investors. Whether you’re buying your first income property or just adding another one to the portfolio, Dallas real estate market is a great place to do so as it doesn’t get any more “location” than this. Dallas has a strong economy and a constant population growth and will make your pockets bigger. As rents goes up smart investors should invest in Dallas real estate.
Purchasing an investment property in the Dallas real estate market, whether it a single family home or a multifamily apartment is an investment that can pay out some huge benefits in the event that you have some experience and education in real estate investing. You have to know the best places to put your money in real estate so you must do some extensive research to find out the best neighborhoods in Dallas real estate market.
Dallas Real Estate Prices & Rents are rising fast. According to Zillow.com, the median home value in Dallas is $192,300. Dallas home values have gone up 14.0% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 12.2% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in Dallas is $205, which is higher than the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro average of $138. The median price of homes currently listed in Dallas is $399,000 while the median price of homes that sold is $298,100. The median rent price in Dallas is $1,650, which is lower than the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro median of $1,700.
In 2018 is shaping up to continue the trend of the last few years as one of the strongest markets in the United States. Despite some fluctuations in the Dallas housing market, demand and sales have continued to climb at a feverish pace for more than two years and show no signs of stopping. The median sale price for a house in Dallas-Fort Worth rose 6.31 percent from $236,100 in November 2016 to $251,000 in November 2017, according to the latest data from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. Dallas-Fort Worth homebuilders started 33,891 houses in 2017, an increase of 4,488 houses or 15.3 percent above 2016 home starts of 29,403, according to a report from the housing analysis firm of Residential Strategies.
In Dallas housing market, 0.6 homes are foreclosed (per 10,000). This is greater than the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro value of 0.4 and also lower than the national value of 1.6 The percent of delinquent mortgages in Dallas is 1.3%, which is lower than the national value of 1.6%. With U.S. home values having fallen by more than 20% nationally from their peak in 2007 until their trough in late 2011, many homeowners are now underwater on their mortgages, meaning they owe more than their home is worth. The percent of Dallas homeowners underwater on their mortgage is 5.7%, which is higher than Dallas-Fort Worth Metro at 4.4%.
When looking for real estate market opportunities in Dallas or anywhere in the country, the generally accepted standard is to purchase a property that will give you a modest but minimum 1% profit on your investment. An example would be: at $120,000 mortgage or investment cost, $1200.00 per month rental. That would be the ideal equation example. Even with rent increases, buying a $500,000 investment property in Dallas is not going to get you $5000 per month on rent.
How to increase your home's value
5 DYI improvements to Make Your Home Classier
5 DIY Improvements to Make Your Home Classier
Jun 14, 2016
Category: Home Improvement
It may seem that homebuyers and sellers don't agree on much, but they share one important concern: that the transaction is successful. This comradery is never more evident than during the appraisal process. It's only natural, since the results of the appraisal can send the deal spiraling out of control. Updating your home to be more chic - without looking cheap - is completely doable on a budget. If you're looking to add more class to your home, taking on a DIY project can give your house that extra sense of style while saving you money. No need to cringe at those three little words: "do it yourself." There really are fast, easy and affordable projects you can do on your own. Here are five relatively easy ways to enhance your home. 1. Replace Your Light Fixtures Switching out an old or basic light fixture for a more elegant one is an easy way to shift the ambiance of a room. By adding a sophisticated light fixture, you can control the intensity of the light and character of your room. And you don't need to pay a pretty penny for expensive new fixtures - you can buy used fixtures online. 2. Add Floating Shelves Installing floating shelves in your home combines the functionality of extra storage space with a bit of style and personal flair. Floating shelves can be mounted on walls in many different patterns, and they come in various materials to give your rooms a unique touch. For a small room choose shallow shelves to display framed photos; for a larger room you can afford to use deeper shelves to hold vases, books and unique trinkets. 3. Paint an Accent Wall Painting an accent wall can add a pop of color and showcase your personality. Usually a low-risk project, a homeowner of any skill level can tackle this project in a day. You just need some painter's tape, a brush and the color that suits you! Just make sure the color you choose is complementary with the other colors in the room. Stay consistent between warm and cool tones. 4. Install Decorative Molding Adding decorative molding around your home can add an extra touch of elegance. Install molding to the ceiling by capping walls, columns and cabinets, or add chair molding lower to the ground. With detailed molding you can add character to your rooms while also making them feel taller and more finished. 5. Build a Stone Fire Pit  Take your sophisticated style outside by building a stone fire pit in your backyard. Completed in only a few hours, take uniquely shaped rocks or large stones and put them together to create a functional and stylish fire pit. Before starting the project, be sure to check your local fire codes or homeowners association to ensure you are safe and allowed to start building. Adding a touch of class to your home doesn't have to break the bank! Just be sure to start with one project at a time, allowing yourself to complete one before starting the next. Otherwise, you'll fall victim to chronic project incompleteness syndrome - not a good look! Now that you know about these five inexpensive DIY projects, which will you try? |
Selling a Home Yourself: Not the Best Do-It-Yourself Project
You pronounce it “FIZZ-bow.”That’s FSBO: For Sale by Owner, and it’s the Road Less Travelled by area homeowners bent on selling a home in Plano as economically as possible. It does seem to make common sense, after all. It’s the homeowner who knows the ins and outs of their own home best—so who could be more qualified to show it off to the buyers who’ll be lined up, waiting to take a look?
And even more to the point, why lose any part of the sale proceeds to some Plano real estate agent? It can’t be rocket science to fill out the paperwork and complete the sale. Isn’t that just common sense?
For those considering selling a home themselves, even cursory research is likely to result in one nagging question. The latest sampling from the NAR shows that the vast majority—88%, in fact—of today’s successful sellers are assisted by a real estate agent. That proportion has been growing, lately, too: it’s up 19 percentage points since 2001. This has to give rise to the nagging question: “If it’s common sense, how come the vast majority eventually wind up going with a real estate agent?”
What actually happens in a sale plays a large part, starting with an examination of the bottom line of actual sales. It reflects the fact that the customary commission percentage that goes to real estate professionals is split in two, with half going to the seller’s and half to the buyer’s agent. So the net “savings” a FSBO seller stands to realize is half of the usual initial assumption when the buyer is professionally introduced by the buyer’s representative.
Unless the buyer just appears on his or her own.
Which brings up a couple of other potential problems. If the buyer shows up on the seller’s doorstep, who has qualified him or her? (Short answer: nobody). It’s awkward and practically impossible for a homeowner to interview every prospective buyer in depth before showing the home, but having strangers in your Plano house with no outside record of the event is at best an iffy prospect. The fact is, most qualified home buyers see the advantage of teaming with a licensed Plano real estate agent, whose market knowledge is up to the minute, and who will assist them every step of the way at no cost to themselves. Those qualified buyers stand to be a FSBO’s likeliest prospects, in which case the potential ‘savings’ from a do-it-yourself strategy are halved.
But as a working reality, FSBO sellers run a substantial risk that those hoped-for calls from active agents may be slow to materialize. It is often the case that local agents, noting that the home is a FSBO, place it low on the list of properties their clients have time to tour. Among other indicators, a FSBO listing on the MLS signals to the Plano real estate community that the owner is not truly serious about selling the home—else why is it not part of a professional office’s marketing package? Too, buyers’ agents work to protect their clients from difficult situations, and many FSBO sellers are not well-versed and experienced in negotiating and selling houses. Problems can erupt. All things being equal, it means that FSBOs get few showing requests.
Plus, any advertising costs will be paid for out of the owner’s own pocket—an expensive strategy.
It’s pretty clear why almost 9 out of 10 homeowners selling a home go with a qualified real estate agent. I hope you agree—and decide to give me a call!
Five Tips for Finding Your Ideal Plano Real Estate Agent
A few of Plano's professionals operate as one-person enterprises, but that’s unusual. Even a one-doctor medical practice has back-up staff. Most lawyers, even if they aren’t in a partnership arrangement, have at least one assistant or secretary to help. Small commercial businesses are called ‘mom and pop’ operations because…well, you get the picture. Almost any serious enterprise takes a team effort to get anywhere—especially in this day and age.So it’s no surprise that when they set about buying a Plano home or selling their own, most Plano folks don’t take on the project all by themselves. Even though the average American family buys a new home every 7 to 10 years, constantly changing state and local regulations make keeping up with them a professional-level challenge. And even though the first part of the buying process—finding the most likely listed properties—can be started from your computer, as soon as the winnowing begins, the knowledge of a Plano real estate agent—someone who lives and breathes real estate—soon becomes crucial.
As we wade deeper into the 2016 election cycle, one of the themes that keeps coming up is “leadership”—the ability to recruit and direct expert help. When buying or selling a Plano home, it’s no different: you want the team you assemble to be as strong as possible. That will free you for your most important leadership role, the decision-making. The first order of business is to find an agent who will not only assist with all the real estate transactional details, but also help identify and recommend other reliable professionals you will need in successive steps of the process. Since finding that agent starts with you, here are some tips to help focus your selection:
- Everyone responds differently to differing personalities. What type of person do you click with? Do you envision a real estate agent who is a straight shooter—who will deliver realistic advice, a bubbly personality full of optimism—or perhaps a bit of both? Jot down the personality traits that you would like to see in your agent.
- Identify needs unique to your situation. If you’re house hunting on a tight budget and need a home fast, you want an agent experienced in finding affordable options. If you’re selling an expensive home in a much-sought-after neighborhood, you might want a Plano real estate agent who’s sold high-end properties in the neighborhood.
- Ask colleagues, neighbors, and friends for recommendations. Don’t collect referrals from just one source. Everyone in your neighborhood might use the same agent, but a colleague might have another recommendation. You want to shop around for an agent, so don’t rely on just one referral.
- Check credentials. A credentialed real estate agent is absolutely essential. Of course, nix any agent who isn’t licensed in our state.
- Interview your short list. When you meet with potential agents, ask for a list of recent sales completed near your price point. See if you are comfortable with how the agent prefers to communicate: phone, email, text, or a mix. Finally, request the contact information for a few recent clients to check references—and then check them!
Finding your perfect real estate agent starts with the effort put in by the leader: you. I hope your search includes this real estate agent…in fact, why not start by giving me a call!
Plano Mortgage Rates on the Rise? Bellwether Signals Clues
If you’ve ever had the kind of neighbor who is apt to borrow something (like your hedge trimmer), only to later complain about how it performed, you know how much patience it takes to hold your tongue. The Mortgage Bankers Association would be justified if they felt that way about me: I read their website, and sometimes quote it in posts about current Plano mortgage rates—but it sure makes for dull reading!Anyway, with apologies to their (undoubtedly hard-working) writing staff, last week’s blog about national mortgage rates was as numbers-heavy as usual, yet still held a contradiction…but one that actually makes perfect sense. It also flags what could be seen as a bellwether that Plano home buyers and sellers would be hard-pressed to ignore.
The apparent contradiction was that mortgage rates were on the increase: national mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans rose to 4.17%, which is the highest they’ve been since November. This is for conforming loans; the jumbos (greater than $417,000) went north as well, up to 4.15%.
As everyone knows, low mortgage interest rates are terrific for our Plano residential home sales. The low monthly payments that they create make homeownership more affordable for a greater number of buyers. So when rates increase and monthly payments go up, it should create a drag on the market. The apparent contradiction in the MBA release was that the increase in rates was accompanied by an increase in mortgage applications. And it was a big one: up 8.4% from the week before.
Most commentators were united about the phenomenon, and it’s hard to disagree. In addition to the natural surge that comes with the season (spring and summer are always expected to be quite active), consumers are seeing the uptick in mortgage rates and suspecting that rates will head higher. That’s nudging them to action, causing them to jump in now, while rates are still attractive—especially compared with historical averages.
CNBC’s Diana Olick agreed that such sharp increases actually help the home-buying market. She quotes one lender’s take about the buyers: “They understand that ‘wait a minute, rates are at an all-time low, let’s react now, let’s react before they go higher.’”
It’s far from a certainty that rates will continue to take off. Lots of us remember last year, when almost all the experts predicted a rise, yet mortgage interest rates headed in the opposite direction…and stayed there! But you can hardly blame area buyers if they go with the national trend and decide that locking in today’s rates is a prudent move: it’s a bird in the hand.
If you have been thinking along the same lines, I hope you will give me a call!
Finding a Home’s Plano Listing Price: More Art than Science
A Plano listing can be a smash hit when the pictures show a property that’s cosmetically appealing, the copy rings true, and the details hit the sweet spot where features and value are a match for the best the area has to offer. But it still might not be as effective as it should be if one other detail is a little bit off. It’s a detail that can cause qualified buyers—the ones who should be a home’s most interested prospects— to miss the whole show.I suppose that calling that part of a Plano listing a “detail” is like calling the end score of the NBA’s final playoff a detail—or calling the final vote count in an election a “factor.” It may be just one element of many, but it is uniquely important. In a Plano listing, it’s often the first element that shoppers specify when they’re picking which area homes they will consider. If it’s not thoughtfully calibrated to fall within the parameters they name, the results may suffer considerably.
Of course, the “detail” we’re talking about is the price on the listing, and choosing the “right” one is the object. We’re looking for a number that will help a home sell quickly at the highest price possible. If the neighborhood comps—the prices paid and asked for nearby area homes with similar features—were all that mattered, coming up with the most suitable listing price would be a cut-and-dried affair. But there are other factors that need to be taken into account. Some are easy to determine, some…not so much.
- the Plano residential market is a moving target, sometimes building from a lower level, sometimes echoing the latest transactions, sometimes losing momentum.
- competitive Plano listing prices reflect either other sellers’ best estimates of that market for their properties, or else their personal opinions of what they think the market should be--but there’s no way to verify which!
- the final selling price of any home is determined not only by the seller’s situation, but by the buyer’s, also, which is a factor which cannot be determined in advance.
That’s why there is no universally agreed-upon formulas to rely upon, and since there is no way to determine what outcome would have resulted if a different price had been chosen, there’s also no way to verify after the fact if the absolute “best” one was chosen—even if everyone considers the sale a great success! Web titan Zillow says, “if the home sells within a few days of listing, chances are you listed too low” yet if a higher price had been chosen, causing that home to linger for months on the market, it wouldn’t have been listed too low. On the other hand, if the listing price were set to court multiple offers, a quick sale could mean a higher selling price was achieved. There’s simply no way to know for sure.
Put it all together and you have to figure that arriving at the right listing price is really more of an art than a science. I help clients by pooling my extensive Plano experience, up-to-the minute market knowledge, and detailed examination of the property’s unique attributes to suggest the range of listing prices I judge most likely to achieve the Holy Grail—a quick sale at top dollar!
If you’d like, we can get together for a no-obligation discussion of your own property’s listing prospects. It’s a great reason to give me a call!
Worth Tallying: a New Plano Home’s ‘True Affordability’
You want your approach to finding a new home in Plano to be at least somewhat hard-headed and businesslike. The financial stakes are certainly major, and to some extent, much of what your future lifestyle will be like will depend on making a good choice.This is not to totally discount the emotional component that’s inevitably part of finding your new Plano home. You do want your family to feel good about the final choice—you’ll be moving to the dwelling that will become everybody’s center of operations.
So if your repeat visit begins to convince you that this really is the place you’ve been hoping to find, it’s the appropriate time to take a step back to do your most hard-headed, businesslike projection. This is beyond the back-of-the-envelope kind of calculation (the one that originally guided the price range you gave to your Realtor). This is time to take everything into account to see how well this new Plano home truly fits—on a number of counts.
A new home’s true affordability begins with the banker’s basic price formula—purchase price, mortgage, insurance and taxes. You should also contemplate the cost of having the property inspected and the closing costs (your Realtor® can give you a close estimate). But that’s not the whole picture—a new home’s true affordability also incorporates the difference between your family’s current expense profile and any factors that will change it.
For instance, if the square footage of the new home greater, you can expect that simple maintenance costs will rise proportionately (unless the new home’s condition is a good deal better than your current one). Utility costs may rise, too, if the living space is greater—unless more efficient systems are in place.
If the location will necessitate a change in driving distance or other transportation expenses, they should be taken into account. Does the new place have a significantly larger lawn or other landscaping features? If you have a green thumb and enjoy getting that kind of outdoor exercise (IOW, mowing), that won’t have much effect. If not, you’d better factor in a gardener’s bill.
There is one other element that’s easy to overlook, but accounting for it can eliminate the possibility that the whole move results in an unexpectedly depleted bank balance. Most people who are moving into a terrific new home forget to fully account for the few changes they’ll need to make before the place is perfectly suited their family. These could be minor, like changing out a light fixture that doesn’t fit the dining room table. Or they could be major, like addressing wholesale décor clashes that call for choosing between repainting the walls—or reupholstering— or even purchasing new furniture!
Helping you make sure your new Plano home is a comfortable match for your family’s needs is a large part of the service I provide my buyers. If you are ready to take a look at the latest crop of Plano new home offerings, I’ll be standing by for your call!
Plano Location Location Location is More than a Catch Phrase
“There’s No Place like Home” is one of those quaint sayings that somehow lasts forever, probably just because it’s so true. “Home is Where the Heart Is” is another one: corny, maybe, but undeniable.There’s a strictly real estate saying that Plano residents will recognize at once, too. Less corny as well as a good deal more practical. It’s “Location! Location! Location!”—and it’s every bit as true as the other ones. It’s the where of real estate, and although it is usually thought of in its commercial connection, to a slightly lesser degree, it has major Plano residential significance.
For those of us who are already Plano residents, where our next home should be located is almost certainly one of the two or three primary considerations. But even more so for out-of-towners who will be moving into our area. After price range, it’s a ruling factor: location location location—which Plano neighborhood will be our best choice for home—is a good place to start.
When you’re brand new to any area, just thinking ‘location location location’ is one thing, but going about finding the right one in a timely manner isn’t necessarily easy. First step will be to consult the real estate professional you’ve teamed up with (a good one would be me!) and have an in-depth orientation conversation about our neighborhoods. Next come prioritizing your own priorities:
Professional. If you know the ‘location location location’ of where you’ll be working, the commute distance is likely to be a key factor. The convenience of having your Plano home as close as possible to your Plano work will only grow with time.
School. If you have school-aged children, you’ll want to research how the schools are rated, or opt to a top-notch private institution. Either way, getting the kids to and from can be less of a hassle if home is in the right place. Location, location, etc.!
Shopping. Weekend mall visits certainly don’t need to be right around the corner, but things like visits to the grocery store can become an irritant if it involves 15-minutes each way…every day! Perhaps not a governing factor, but one that gains importance over time.
Community. Church, social groups, cultural gatherings are either to your liking or less so. Once you have gauged all of those “practical” factors, it will take some local visits and conversations with residents to get the real flavor of the possible communities—and determine which seem most inviting. Access to sports and outdoor recreational facilities also fit into this category…which, taken together, can easily turn out to be the most important quality of life factor.
Unless you happen to be a longtime local resident, many of the qualities of a listing’s location location location in Plano isn’t fully evident from the listing information. It takes some on-the-ground knowledge, and (ideally) more than one visit. It also will benefit when your buyer’s Realtor® is a knowledgeable and experienced local resident…which is another good reason to give me a call!
Pet Lovers’ Concerns Impact Plano Real Estate Activity
Plano residents don’t have to be pet owners to get a sense of just how nutty Americans are about our animals. Just a few minutes of watching TV will do it. After you’ve been bombarded with the images of happy/sad/exuberant/listless cats and dogs who are saved/rewarded by the pet products in the commercials, you won’t doubt that $60.59 billion is being spent on pets this year. It becomes clear how Fido and Kitty can afford to foot the bill for so much of today’s prime time television.Another fact—one that directly relates to Plano real estate—is that slightly more than 56% of all American households are said to include a pet. The ASPCA says that 37%-47% of households have a dog, and 30%-37% of households have a cat (as far as the cats are concerned, it’s the cats that have the households, not the other way around). Whether or not Fido and Kitty are part of your own family, this does give rise to how important the real estate concept of “pet-friendly” homes has become.
Consideration:
Does your finicky cat need a room of his or her own? Does your MegaDog require a large yard? Space is always a leading qualification when you go to assess minimum real estate requirements for your Plano family, but since 68% of families include pet needs in their calculations, that is one of the basics that qualify a property. That’s why it makes increasing sense to emphasize pet-friendliness. For instance, if the back yard has a low or not very restrictive fence, a proactive seller might research the cost of installing an invisible fence. Even if they don’t go ahead and actually put it in, having a bid in hand showing that the cost is reasonable could be enough to sooth pet-owning prospects’ concerns.
Consideration:
Although pet owners are unambiguous about considering the four-footers to be family members, that’s not a universally shared concept. If you don’t see (or hear) any signs of pets in a prospective neighborhood, buyers should make certain that a property they are thinking about buying doesn’t carry restrictions that could cause pet turmoil. Local ordinances and neighborhood associations can enforce restrictions on the number and kind of pets.
Consideration:
Along with the growing popularity of pets have come a number of pet perks that have real estate implications. Pet amenities like dog parks are becoming more and more common in newer communities (in some areas, a movement is afoot to feature dog- and even cat-friendly cafes and public buildings).
I hope you will give me a call if you are embarking on a Plano house-hunting exploration, or are preparing to list your own property this summer. Pet accommodation is only one dimension I’ll help you make sure is fully addressed!
Budget-Wise Improvements add to a Plano Home’s Eye-Appeal
When it comes to boosting your Plano home’s value, the question arises about which of the possible improvements that you might undertake would wind up paying for themselves. At first blush, you might think this should be a cut-and-dried analysis—that is, any improvements that don’t at least add their own cost to the asking price should be disqualified.But that would be to discount the fact that a property’s improved condition can speed its sale. When a few improvements might change the overall impression from ‘fixer-upper’ to ‘move-in-ready,’ true value is added. Too many days on market can wind up being costly to the seller, not only because of the inconvenience factor, but because interested buyers may assume a deeply discounted offer will have a better chance of being accepted.
In any case, especially when the budget for improvements is especially tight, there are some cheap fixes that can be counted as especially likely to recoup their cost. Here are three that Plano sellers can consider:
Let There Be Light
Nothing torpedoes a Plano home’s marketability like the impression that it’s a creaky old relic. We’re not talking about homes that merit ‘antique’ status, which is a plus, but those with rooms that seem gloomy: the opposite of those with bright, airy spaces that convey a cheerful feeling. Because rebuilding a room to actually expand its physical dimensions is expensive, one solution is to create an improved atmosphere with light: adding or replacing light fixtures.
To maximize your bang for the buck, consider adding a showpiece fixture or two—perhaps a chandelier or pair of wall sconces—in key locations. The kitchen, dining room, and entryway/foyer are all great choices for a hanging light fixtures. Buyers often tend to focus on those areas, and respond well when they are transformed into warm and inviting spaces.
Seed Your Way to Curb Appeal
It’s a truism that curb appeal is vital, but when time and budget make it impractical to deal with a full front yard do-over, one of the least costly improvements that immediately boosts eye-appeal is to put the lawn in top condition with a quick reseed. Brown patches and bare spots are a sure way to kill a lawn’s visual appeal, and even otherwise-healthy areas can get a boost from thicker growth. A variety of easy-to-use products are available that allow you to simply sprinkle an all-in-one mixture of fertilizer and seeds that will take root and grow quickly. Take a pass over the lawn now, and with consistent watering, by summer the entire yard can look terrific!
Update Vintage Plumbing
While appearance matters, buyers are still going to be very interested in the “guts” of the home. If you’re dealing with an older Plano house, it’s likely that the plumbing has seen better days. Fortunately, replacing or upgrading pipes doesn’t have to be as expensive and disruptive a project as used to be the case. Modern technology allows new plastic piping to be snaked between the walls through a few small holes. Amazingly, today’s plumbers can sometimes even avoid installing new pipes by lining existing pipes with self-expanding vinyl bladders that seal leaks and protect water quality.
I’m always happy to provide a no-obligation consultation to discuss which budget-wise improvements have a track record of adding appeal to Plano home buyers. Why not give me a call?
When Career Upheaval Results in a Relocation Scramble…
Remember the good old days, when most people could depend on staying in the same job in the same community for an entire career? Okay; the truth is, I don’t actually remember any time like that—but I do remember watching TV shows about it... The truth is, as with so many other facets of 21st Century life, sudden career upheavals that cause a Plano citizen to undertake an abrupt relocation are fairly common today. And accelerated timing requirements can make the situation more intense.Even without that added obstacle, familiarity with the ins and outs of practical relocation is one of the most valuable assets you gain access to when selecting an experienced Plano Realtor®. Especially when a relocation is in your immediate future (even if it’s a future that became apparent without a lot of warning), the reality of having to deal with the mass of details accompanying both moving out and moving in can seem like a huge gray, angry-looking cloud hanging overhead.
Just getting a handle on the details can go far to remove the mystery and dispel anxiety. A short list of the elements that need to be determined and coordinated are:
a. Professional and school requirements
b. Transaction imperatives in both communities
c. Moving and storage details
d. Utility requirements
Once a timeline is determined and a To Do checklist assembled, it will be possible to stay on top of the process. Most importantly, it will help highlight those details that seem to be falling behind— allowing them to get extra attention. Staying abreast of relocation details is the single most important key that will lead to a smooth outcome. It’s one of Murphy’s Laws that, come moving day, any detail that has been put off until the last minute is likely to cause foul-ups of one kind or another. For instance, if the electric service wasn’t notified far enough in advance, count on the move taking place on the hottest day of the year. Unpacking cartons and moving furniture around without working air conditioners is a memory best avoided!
Any relocation is a challenge that requires a welter of decisions in areas that fall outside what people encounter in everyday living. Fortunately, it’s a challenge that your Plano real estate professional encounters regularly. Help with practical relocation to (or from) Plano is just one of the areas of practical expertise that is yours to tap into when you put an experienced Realtor on your team.
The days when most Americans expected to stay in the same community for a lifetime may be fading from memory, but being able to rely on your Plano real estate professional to help master some of the most challenging upshots is still here.
They may say that nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving me a call, anytime!
Questions to get the Most from Plano Realtor® Interviews
Everyone agrees that getting the right Plano Realtor® for your team is vital when you’re buying or selling a home. Defining ‘right’ isn’t hard, either: for some of us, that will be a Realtor with the kind of dynamic sales personality that seems to make obstacles just disappear; for others, the ‘right’ Realtor® is the one we just ‘clicked’ with instantly—somebody who speaks the same language—is on the same wavelength—who we sense immediately will be someone with whom we can work seamlessly.Sometimes even veteran homeowners who have bought and sold residences over the years have never had to develop a penetrating interview plan. Their trusted circle of friends may have included a real estate professional, or they may have had a good experience with the Realtor who introduced them to the community. But if that individual is no longer available, it’s going to be necessary to find a suitable replacement.
It all comes down to interviews—and why it’s important to get the most out of them. Personality is a perfectly valid basis for weighing candidates who will be performing the kind of vital service your Plano Realtor will be called upon to do, but what if there is no single standout candidate in that department? If, after interviewing a host of equally sympathetic candidates, you can’t pare down the field with any degree of confidence—what then?
You won’t have to flip a coin (or consult a fortune teller!) if you’ve asked each candidate the same group of relevant questions. Some of them will differ depending on whether you are choosing a Realtor to help you buy or sell a property, but these are universally relevant:
- How long have you been working as a real estate professional? How long here in Plano?
- How do you keep your clients informed of progress?
- What if I need to get in touch with you?
- What kind of Plano service providers can you connect your clients with?
- Will you represent me only, or will you represent both buyer and seller?
- What kind of team do you work with?
- What is the proposed fee arrangement?
If you make note of the answers to these and other similar questions, you should emerge with a feeling that you’ve gotten the most from the interview process. Along with the ‘track record’ materials every candidate Realtor will be sure to volunteer, at the end of the day, you’ll have with a solid basis for comparison.
I hope you won’t hesitate to include me in your group of candidates!
Selling your Plano Home…in the Distant Future!
This is actually a situation that’s very common, but not much remarked upon: you know you are going to be selling your Plano home—only not for a while…and perhaps not for a very long while! Is there anything you should be doing now, long before actual preparations are called for?There sure is! Let’s call these low-intensity preparations. They may be low-intensity in the immediacy department, but when the distant day arrives when you are selling your home, they can be very fortuitous. Here are some of the elements you can benefit from putting into action long before you expect to need them—
LANDSCAPING
Number One (the most obvious and perhaps most important) is landscaping. Trees and bushes are part of the backdrop of our everyday living, and something many people—even gardeners—may tend to accept without envisioning large-scale changes. That’s because they grow so slowly it doesn’t seem realistic to worry about what might be possible. But when you think long-range, landscaping should be at the forefront. When the time comes for selling your home, a vision first initiated five or 10 years earlier can become a colorful and shady reality, worth a very great deal in terms of the overall impression your Plano property makes.
THE MECHANICALS
It’s human nature to just put up with heating, plumbing, air conditioning and other systems that could operate much more conveniently and economically, but which are expensive to overhaul. But think realistically: if you know that later on you will be selling your Plano home—and realistically will certainly have to upgrade those vexing mechanicals when that happens—give serious thought to taking action earlier…even NOW! Not only will you be able to enjoy the improvement, it’s entirely possible that savings realized from the gains in efficiency will materially offset your initial outlay. Why let the future owners get all the benefit?
PHOTOGRAPHY
When you are selling a home, photography is one of the most impactful marketing tools you’ll have at your disposal. A couple of years before you plan to join the Plano listings, keep a camera ready to snap those fleeting moments when the season and light combine to make some detail of garden or home magically illuminated. Even a professional photographer can’t ‘make’ such moments happen. As Ansel Adams’ outdoor masterpieces confirmed: the perfect light at the perfect season is worth more than money can buy.
INFORMATION
It doesn’t hurt to keep abreast of happenings in the national and Plano real estate market, so that you’re informed about what to expect when you ultimately join the fray. One of the best ways to do that (other than to keep reading my blog) is to check out the neighborhood listings from time to time: they’re here on my site.
And one of the best ways to proceed when the moment does arrive when you will be selling your home in Plano is (of course) to give me a call!
Plano Loans, Credit Scores—and “Invisible Ink” Safeguards
You may have wondered why there are credit repair companies out there, since the credit reporting agencies have to allow any Plano consumer to dispute incorrect line items on their own. The big Credit Reporting Agencies (“CRAs”) even have online systems for challenging erroneous information. The Agency must act speedily to investigate and correct any false information. Soooo, why pay someone else to just fill out their form?The answer seems to be the same one that makes practitioners in the legal profession permanently in demand: it’s in the fine print. And in this case, it could be that some of that fine print is written in invisible ink.
As you can well imagine, speed is vital when a would-be Plano mortgage applicant finds a credit score that’s lower than expected. The mortgage companies will decide whether you qualify (and how much interest to charge) based largely on that credit score. The actual details about how speedily the CRA must act are all contained in the fine print located in the FDIC’s Consumer Protection regulations, “Procedure in case of disputed accuracy” (6500, § 611). Once you notify the CRA, they have to investigate the validity of your claim and (without charging you a dime) determine within 30 days whether the item is accurate. More fine print describe further protections you have—
PARAGRAPH 2: The CRA has but 5 days to notify the company or person who provided the information about your challenge.
PARAGRAPH 6: The CRA has to provide you the results of their investigation in writing, and, if you’ve asked for it, describe the steps they took to arrive at their decision.
PARAGRAPH 7: If you didn’t know that you had the right to receive the above description, they must furnish it within 15 days after you later request it.
Those sound like pretty solid protections—vitally important, since the CRA can’t just sweep your dispute under the rug, stall, or ignore you altogether. After all, they have to detail in writing how strenuously they worked to protect you! Right?
Except for one problem, which is in PARAGRAPH 8. If the CRA simply drops the disputed item from your current report within the first 3 days, that’s officially considered an expedited dispute resolution. Since the item has been dropped, that might seem to be a solid win. But PARAGRAPH 8 says that if the CRA does that, it no longer has to do anything demanded in Paragraphs 2,6, and 7! It’s as if those protections were written in invisible ink…so that next month, if the company or person just reports the same thing, voila! your credit report might once again go back to Square One. The CRA is supposed to notify you 5 days in advance; but let’s face it, the phrase ‘Catch-22’ comes to mind…or ‘Credit Score Whack-a-Mole’…
What can you do, short of hiring repair agency experts to fix your credit score? Most commentators are in agreement: just stay away from the online dispute forms. Send a registered letter with your dispute, because it usually takes the CRA longer than three days to act on it, so they can’t skip the protections.
And while you’re waiting, why not give me a call? We can start scouting for your new Plano home!
Plano Rental Property Success Boosted by 4 Skills
Become a landlord!Be your own boss!
Build equity that someone else pays for!
These may sound like the kind of come-ons that you tune out when you hear them on the radio or TV, but, surprisingly, they’re actually more reality-based than not. Whether you're buying a Plano property for its rental potential, or preparing to turn a currently-owned property into an income-producer, the game plan is straightforward. Locate a suitable Plano property: one with the rental potential to create cash flow either as income, or to build real estate equity…or both!
So what’s the catch?
In fact, there is one. Becoming a successful landlord has more to it than spotting an appropriate Plano property and sitting back, waiting for someone to nail up an ‘Easy Street’ sign. In order to make the most of the opportunity a Plano rental property represents, you need to either already have, or develop, a requisite set of skills. Chief among them:
1. The relationship between landlord and tenant, and landlord and the tradespeople he hires, should be purposefully professional. Your tenants may also be fellow Plano residents (or even neighbors), yet skillfully establishing and maintaining an amiable yet businesslike relationship takes dexterity and finesse. Substituting an overly personal relationship instead of the more proper businesslike one can result in counterproductive consequences…like tardy rent payments or superfluous demands.
2. As much as any other business, successful landlords are usually ‘people people’: they don’t shy away from interactions on a face-to-face basis. Whether it’s dealing with renters’ concerns, interviewing potential tenants, or handling the personnel who help maintain a Plano property, great landlords have great leadership skills. They have the knack of bringing positive energy to everyday dealings. Good landlords exhibit authority without being overbearing, and they allow their tenants to feel the right degree of investment in what is their home, if only temporarily.
3. It may seem as if turning a property into an income-producer is an extremely simple task, but in fact it takes organizational skills to accomplish it efficiently. There are laws that have to be observed, and documentation to be maintained. People who cultivate clarity in such matters are nicely suited to the demands of running a rental property.
4. There are unavoidable time availability demands that mustn’t be ignored. A tenant with a maintenance emergency needs to have it addressed. Now. It’s one thing that even the most people-oriented, organizationally proficient business titan should be prepared to attend to without delay.
But suppose you lack some (or even all) of these traits? Should you just walk away from a Plano property—even after you’ve spotted one you know has great potential? Actually, there is a Plan B, which is to hire a property manager—a professional practiced in all the requisite skills.
To explore the current crop of Plano property listings with serious potential, just give me a call!
Plano Comparables (and Plano Not-So-Comparables)
There are two kinds of situations that homeowners looking at Plano comparables run into:1. THE SIMPLE COMPS: Your Plano home is part of an area that’s more uniform than not, in a neighborhood where there are a sufficient number of similar houses to have produced several sales recently. Your street may not be part of a literal development with models that have near-duplicate floor plans—but the area is, in general, homogenous. When it comes to selling your Plano home, you’re in luck!
2. THE NOT-SO-SIMPLE COMPS: AKA, the incomparable situation. Your Plano home is one of a kind, almost totally unlike any other in the neighborhood (two bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths) or unlike any other in any neighborhood (who else has a swimming pool built into the attic?). All right, maybe your house isn’t quite that weirdly incomparable, but it’s still the case that no similar home has sold within a 5-mile radius within the last year or two. When it comes to selling your Plano home, you may still be in luck—but not because of ‘the comps’!
When your property falls into the first category, one whole part of your selling situation becomes a piece of cake because of the comparables. Plano comparables from previous sales make the ultimate, convincing case that your home has at least $X value, because the market says so. In writing. Real people have plunked down their hard-earned dollars as proof. Even better, real banks have backed them up with their also very real dollars. It’s all verifiable in the public records.
When your property falls into the second category, in terms of the comparables for Plano, it really doesn’t matter if you have the most attractive house or the best bells and whistles and bathroom renovations that will take a buyer’s breath away. If no other home within a reasonable distance has sold with a reasonable period (say, six months) that are close to the same size as yours, or if none has anything like similar features, you and your Realtor® are going to be pretty much on your own even settling on a listing price. Here’s a few lesser known reasons why paying attention to comparables is important when selling your home.
- Unique amenities won’t always guarantee a higher comparable value. If the amenities are unusual for Plano, it might make it that much more difficult to find enough comparables in your area to come up with a listing price.
- School districts factor heavily into value. You might have grumbled about paying school taxes if you aren’t sending your own children off to school, but the quality of the school district has a large influence on comparables.
- Scarcity of housing inventory in your neighborhood can be either an advantage or disadvantage. It’s a plus if the housing inventory is low due to high demand (there will be enough recent sales information to set an accurate listing price). It’s a negative if scarcity occurs because no one is buying nearby homes—and appraisers will find it more difficult to place a value on the property.
It’s my job to get your home the best offers in the shortest amount of time for either category of Plano comparables. Give me a call—regardless of which one yours falls into, we’ll discuss how we can produce results that are truly incomparable!
Week’s Housing News Included a Tuesday Surprise
With Plano's housing news behaving pretty much in line with the rest of the nation’s—that is, exactly as expected for a brisk spring selling season—you don’t usually expect to see much eye-catching housing news in the national press. That’s why last week’s USA Today Money section’s front page story was interesting. Inside, there was more, too. Tucked inside the same section was “THE WEEK AHEAD” which provided a day-by-day schedule about imminent housing news releases—a welcome heads-up for any devoted Plano housing news observer. I’ll get back to how that wound up working out later...The lead housing news item, headlined “AS RENT GOES UP, SO MAY HOUSING MARKET,” centered on the sort of shift that can wind up being indicative of something: for the first time in at least five years, they found “a milestone that should spur the sluggish home-buying market.”
That milestone was a rise in U.S. median rent prices, which climbed 4% from a year earlier—the most robust increase since March 2013. A little less firm was what the ‘something’ that this indicated, but the balance of opinion seems to be that the climbing rent number will prod more renters into buying a place of their own. This seems a reasonable enough takeaway, and it’s one that is supported by history. Underlying that conclusion is another contributing factor: “multifamily construction fell off a cliff after the…financial crisis in the late 2000s…”, so the tightening availability of rentals also factors in.
The item ends with a slightly contrary (and logical) point: rising rents means it will be tougher for tenants to save up for down payments, all the more because rents are now rising faster than wages.
That earlier-mentioned “THE WEEK AHEAD” article on the second page had a list of real estate news reports that were scheduled to be released last week. It was headlined, “Data may point to warmth,” and was indeed more real estate news (rather than a weather update). But the optimism about warm spring weather possibly pointing to a rise in home builder sentiment was slightly chilled when the actual report came out: sentiment dropped two points in May.
Housing starts data were scheduled to be released on Tuesday—and this one turned out to be GREAT! The Census Bureau “surprised the market” with the strongest monthly report for starts and permits in 7 ½ years—soaring 20+% in April (with single family housing up 16% from March). So, one has to wonder: if home builders are less optimistic than predicted, why are they breaking out the hammers and saws so energetically? The housingwire.com website thought it represented a rebound from “weather-depressed” previous numbers…so maybe the “Data may point to warmth” headline had been right, after all.
The rest of the real estate news releases for the week were less interesting because they centered on reaction to the Federal Reserve’s release of the minutes of their meeting, which (let’s face it) are traditionally confusingly vague. But the week was slated to end with Friday’s Labor Department release of consumer prices, as indeed it did: price rises slowed to 0.1% from the 0.2% in March. Good news, also. All in all, Plano readers had to come away from the spate of housing news with a considerably warmer feeling than they’d had for much of the winter.
For an up-to-the-minute update on how Plano's market compares with the rest of the nation’s—and how your own plans stand to fare—just give me a call any time!
Plano Home Curb Appeal—an Eight-Second Opportunity?
“Buyers make their decisions in exactly eight seconds. After that, they’ve either fallen in love or are just honoring an appointment.”You’re likely to come across that quotation (from prominent Manhattan Realtor® Barbara Corcoran) whenever you’re researching how to add the most value to your Plano home with the least expense. For Plano home owners about to list their property, it’s a somewhat unnerving prospect. If true, then every showing may start with what sports fans call a sudden death playoff!
If you are a future seller with a Plano home that needs improvement, it’s only realistic to accept the likelihood that should you go to market without doing anything about it, it will cost you one way or another. Either the offers you garner will be lower than they needed to be, or (worse), the home will linger too long with no real offers at all. If you have any leeway in time and/or budget, there are two approaches you can take to fix the problem.
First, you can hire a professional to assess the problem and lay out solutions. It may be expensive (not necessarily); but it’s a pretty foolproof approach. You and your real estate representative can go over the recommendations, assess which will be most cost-effective—most certain to reflect in the value your home realizes—and then get them done.
The other way is to make your own evaluation, and act on it. Drive up to your curb just as prospective buyers will, get out of the car, approach your home, and take in what needs fixing. If your curbside mailbox doesn’t have clearly recognizable numbers on it; if the walkway looks stained or broken; if the bushes have last fall’s dead leaves lodged in them; if the front doorbell is rusty…you get the idea! Note what’s wrong (heave a sigh of relief for what’s right), and get going! It will pay off!
On the other hand, if you have a Plano home that’s undisputedly a true eye-pleaser, you’re probably content with the Love at First Sight precept—as you should be. If you’ve done your job of maintaining your home’s exterior and landscaping, you’re steps ahead. But a word of caution: that first decision doesn’t have to be final. If what buyers experience once they are inside is persuasively positive, any off-putting first-glance judgement can be turned around. What’s of key importance is that no single glaring negative element be present. If it is, it can seal a negative first impression…or undermine a positive one.
I’m here to lend experience and advice every step of the way. And a good first step is a really simple one: call!
Reverse Mortgage
First time home buyers
Before you begin viewing properties, make a list of "must haves".
consider location, style,age and amenities.
Don't view to many houses in one day.
When you find a property you like, visit it at different times of the day.
walk or drive past a property before going inside.
Don't be put off by interior decoration -it can be changed.
Establish what's included in the sale-land,furniture,appliances,etc.
Ask why the sellers are moving.
Determine the annual property taxes.
Ask how much utility bills cost each month.
So many reasons to like Dallas
1. Despite years of dedicated efforts by the city, we've yet to screw up the Trinity River so badly that it can't eventually become something really cool. 2. Craft coffee, urban farming, urban parks, cycling -- it's like living in Portland in the '90s without having to time-travel. 3. So far, the good Baptists among us have helped beat back semi-annual efforts to place a casino downtown. There's never yet been built a casino that doesn't shout sadness and tackiness. 4. Corruption at our City Hall is pretty easy to expose and generally involves fairly small amounts of theft, so it's more entertaining than chilling. Continue reading ...
You may want to avoid a house on a corner lot.
You may want to avoid a house on a corner lot, as they tend to have more street traffic and are not safe for children. The middle of the block and cul-de-sacs are quieter locations. Continue reading ...
Fixtures
If the seller is removing light fixtures, especially hanging light fixtures in entry foyers and dining rooms, ask your Realtor what the seller plans on leaving behind. Sellers in your area may be obligated to replace the light with an inexpensive fixture or merely cap the wires. It's good to know ahead of time -you don't want to be left in the dark. Continue reading ...
OPEN HOUSE - THIS ONE HAS IT ALL!
Unique home on cul de sac in Whiffletree area. Stunning grand entry with 22'ceiling and fabulous $25K chandelier. Elegant formals, huge kitchen, granite counters, slate floor, sub-zero, wet bar. SOLARIUM -INDOOR POOL,beverage fridge in bar and fireplace. Updated master suite with fireplace, hardwood floors and master bathroom with travertine floor and steamless shower. Spacious gameroom and study. Outstanding paradise backyard with huge POOL and oversized play area. Walk to exemplary Mathew Elementary. Welcome to a new homeowners! Continue reading ...
NEW SUBDIVISION
The Grand Opening of Preserve in
Allen is right around the corner!
This brand new community, featuring 104 lakefront and lakeview home sites, will begin reserving lots for potential home buyers.
The Preserve in Allen will be
located west of I-75 on McDermott Drive and adjacent to Twin Creeks.
There will be 7 floor plans, 3 of which, will be 1-story floor plans with an
optional game room. Ranging from 2,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet,
the starting price is $300,000. Homeowner Association Fees will be
around $500 annually.
Residents of this subdivision will benefit from a hiking/biking trail
A lake with a fountain, 300 trees 11 acres
of open space.
The zoning of this community
falls within Allen Independent School District, with Exemplary Rated Mary
Evans Elementary, Ereckson Middle School and Allen High School.
Don't miss your chance to
find your gemstone in a prime location!!!
Today's Market Trends for Forest Creek North
Today's Market Trends for Forest Creek North * Median Listing Price: $316,200 -0.01% Median Listing Price/Sq Ft: $100.00 -0.01% Total Listings: 110 -0.11% Total Listings Previous Months: September August 124 Continue reading ...
OPEN HOUSE - THIS ONE HAS IT ALL!
Unique home on cul de sac in Whiffletree area. Stunning grand entry with 22'ceiling and fabulous$25K chandelier. Elegant formals, huge kitchen, granite counters, slate floor, sub-zero, wet bar. SOLARIUM -INDOOR POOL,beverage fridge in bar and fireplace. Updated master suite with fireplace, hardwood floors and master bathroom with travertine floor and steamless shower. Spacious gameroom and study. Outstanding paradise backyard with huge POOL and oversized play area. Walk to exemplary Mathew Elementary. Welcome to a new homeowners! Continue reading ...