Ready For The Camera

HOMESELLERS’ ADVICE

SIX TIPS FOR BETTER LISTING PHOTOS

A recent National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 89% of home buyers who searched for a home online found photos to be among the most useful features of real estate websites. That’s why many home sellers hire professional photographers. Whether or not you use a pro, here are six tips for better results.

Stage the shoot. Photographers aren’t movers or house cleaners, so it’s up to you to get your home close-up ready. Move the car and kids’ toys out of sight. Power-wash the front and sweep the walk and porch. Mow, prune and weed the yard.

Notice details. The camera captures everything in its view in equal detail, so look out for random coffee cups, crooked wall art, and cluttered surfaces and straighten your walk-in closet to ensure personal effects are out of sight.

Make it sparkling clean. Make your floors gleam. Wipe fingerprints and grease from your appliances so they look showroom-new. Clean the carpets and polish the furniture.

Amp up the lighting. Pick a sunny day for the shoot. Open the shutters, blinds and curtains. Install fresh light bulbs, clean ceiling fixtures and turn on the lights.

Accent special features. Some of your home’s features can’t be duplicated easily, so celebrate the built-in bookcases, mullion windows and window seats, too. Also, include shots of any improvements or updates.

Pretend you’re the buyer. What do you see? Hopefully, fresh paint on the front door and a new welcome mat. Inside, your home should flow from room to room, so remove excess furniture, bric-a-brac, and personal items.

Why Should You Buy Now

Over the last two years, homeowners accrued about $21,300 in home equity, $8,700 of which occurred over the past 12 months, according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). That’s an average of $10,650 per year, enough to pay back their closing costs and put them almost halfway to eliminating private mortgage insurance they may have.

Equity is only one reason people buy homes, partially explaining why home sales continue to be brisk. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said that a combination of lower mortgage rates, more inventory, rising income and higher consumer confidence are driving sales.

Meanwhile, prices are rising. In February 2019, the median existing (pre-owned) home price was $249,500, up nearly 4% year-over-year.

However, rising prices aren’t discouraging homebuyers. According to a recent quarterly NAR survey, more Americans believe that now is a good time to purchase a home, citing the improved economy as an incentive. Yun explained that other factors are spurring buyer optimism, including more available homes for sale and stabilizing home price trends. Data gleaned from electronic lockboxes report increased foot traffic at open houses.
 
Mortgage affordability in 2019's first quarter was favorable to homebuyers, because the Federal Reserve isn’t going to raise overnight borrowing rates to banks, which contributed to mortgage rate declines and making homeownership slightly more affordable for homebuyers. Mortgage rates remain at historically low levels.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to buy a home, the outlook appears promising, especially if more sellers decide to put their homes on the market.

SPRING INTO THE NEW SEASON

It is time to "Spring" into the new season! The clocks have just changed into longer days and more buyers! The only matter is that the DFW Metroplex, or Dallas - Fort Worth Texas, is experiencing a deficiency of favored housing. Buyers are hoping for their perfect home to bloom onto the Multiple Listing Service – MLS. Grapevine, TX,  itself is blossoming with calls and buyers. The shortage of available homes for sale is bringing back the market. Likely sellers generally wait until Spring since April, May, and June are the peak selling months.

Renters are still financially better off buying a home than leasing.

Contact me, 214-789-1076 to learn what your home is worth in today's market!

HOME IMPROVEMENT ADVICE

Organization for the Disorganized

If you’ve heard of Western Minimalism or Japanese KonMari, you know that these are principles that promote happiness through living with fewer possessions and eliminating clutter. These intentional lifestyles allow only items that make you happy and are useful to live in your home. By eliminating clutter, or things that don’t bring you joy, you’ll experience less stress and have more time and money to spend.

The applications of “less is more” to home ownership and home selling are obvious. With less clutter, your home will be cozier, easier to navigate, show better to homebuyers, easier to keep straight, and easier to pack up when you sell.

The most disorganized areas in your home are typically closets, countertops and drawers. Here are a few tips to make decluttering faster and easier:

Start small, one closet or drawer at a time.

Assign a home for every item in the appropriate room.

Organize so that you can see at a glance what is available in every storage space, from kitchen cabinets to dresser drawers.

Fold sweaters and socks vertically so you can see every item.

Use marked containers for small, miscellaneous or boxed items.

Keep only beautiful, favorite or currently useful items.

Don’t let guilt force you to keep anything you don’t want, such as gifts or expensive items you don’t like. Instead, offer these items to people you know or donate them.

Remove donations and discards from the house the same day.

HOME IMPROVEMENT ADVICE

HOMESELLING TIPS

Safety Tips When Selling

Think safety when selling your home

You have enough to think about without worrying that your home isn’t safe, or that your things may be stolen. Open houses and showings mean strangers will be in your house. A few safeguards can lessen your worry:

Remove things that matter: Store jewelry, fine art or collectibles with a friend or family member. If that’s not an option, find a place to hide valuables in your home or keep them with you in a suitcase and take it with when you leave. The same applies to personal papers with account numbers and/or social security information. Medicine cabinets are often a target.

Secure your home: Keep doors and windows locked. Prospective buyers will often open windows or doors. Some will even do that to return later to steal things. Others may even visit several times and bring an accomplice to distract the agent. So, double-check doors and windows when returning after a showing.

Consider an alarm system: It may seem impractical to install a system when you’ll be moving, but it will not only deter burglars, but may also be a strong selling point. Now there are wireless systems that do not require a home phone.

Make it look like your home: If you are not currently living in the home, think about installing motion sensors or timers to automatically turn on lights.

Reach out to your neighbors: Ask them to keep an eye on your place. Introduce them to your agent so they know things are okay when the agent is on the premises.

By taking these extra precautions, you can feel safe and secure during a home sale.

Showing Your Home

Consider Staging A Vacant Home For Sale
In today’s market, it’s important to get the right price for a home, and sellers can’t wait while their homes are on the market. They may have a new job, have already bought their next house or need to move so the kids can start school.

Buyers understand that vacant homes can suffer from a wide variety of ills due to neglect and deferred maintenance. They pose unique showcasing challenges because buyers can’t see beyond the empty home. They’re looking for a “home,” not a “house.” Without furniture, wall art, rugs, lighting and decor, there are few emotional connections. A buyer will be on the lookout for imperfections such as floor scratches, nail pops, chipped grout and other imperfections.

The easiest fix for a vacant home is to bring in a home stager. They can give the property a comfortable, lived-in look. Potential buyers can better visualize how they integrate into the home. When a buyer perceives flaws and can’t visualize a home’s potential, there will be fewer offers, greater price reductions, more days on the market, higher carrying costs and less profit.

A vacant home can also hurt your negotiating power. If buyers know that you are already out and most likely paying another mortgage, they figure you are more motivated and will likely present a lower offer.

Staging will allow you to create a proper vision for the property and achieve a quicker, more profitable outcome. I have items available for staging as well as assist you with re-staging your home for sale!

HOME IMPROVEMENT

REMODEL YOUR KITCHEN AND BATH ON A BUDGET

Two of the most popular rooms for home makeovers are the kitchen and bath. However, these can be pricey ventures. A minor kitchen remodel can hover around $22,000, while a bathroom can be around $16,000. Here are some alternatives that will give you a fresh, modern look without breaking the bank:

1. Refinishing or re-facing the fronts of cabinets and replacing knobs and drawer pulls can give cabinets a fresh new look.

2. A cost-effective approach to counter-tops might include solid surface materials such as granite. Silestone or ceramic granite tiles.

3. A fresh coat of wall paint in modern hues is also a sure bet.

4. Consider replacing sinks as well as fixtures in brushed nickel chrome or stainless steel.

5. Under-cabinet or track lighting can create a contemporary look.

6. Replace the old shower curtain.

7. A new mirror or medicine cabinet can also make a real difference.

You do not have to spend thousands of dollars to add pizzazz to your kitchen or bath. Just changing a few elements can make a significant statement to you and potential buyers down the road.

Contact me for a list of popular colors, Gloria Vargo at 214-789-1076. I have a list of client approved contractors too, with wholesale pricing.

HOMEBUYERS' ADVICE

Fall in Love With the Right Home

You're ready to fall in love with your first home. As you write your wish list, you may find that it grows longer than you'd imagined. You want more living space, a place to do your art and crafts, enough bedrooms to expand your family or accommodate relatives and friends, a separate master suite, and an entertaining area that will impress. All in the best neighborhood, of course!

Welcome to the first lesson of homebuying - you won't find the perfect home, but you'll find one that's perfect for you right now, and that may mean doing without a swimming pool or hilltop view. I recommend you choose three home essentials to begin your search.

1. Price range - Your lender will prequalify you and tell you how much you can afford, based on your down-payment, credit history and debt-to-income ratio. If your limit is $300,000, it won't benefit you to look at homes that are $400,000.

2. Neighborhood preference - Choose neighborhoods based on a radius of where you want to be, whether it's in a certain school district, close to work, or near family and friends.

3. Bedrooms and bath requirements. Start with three bedrooms and two baths, typical for a starter home.

By sticking to basics, you'll find you have plenty of homes to consider.  You'll narrow your selection more quickly if you're not distracted by showy or unnecessary features, and ultimately, you'll be more satisfied with your new home.