Written By Carla Hill
Provided By Realty Times
If you are in the market to buy your first home, you may have already realized that the process involves many different levels of knowledge and understanding. Chances are many steps of the process are completely foreign to you.
By arming yourself with an arsenal of important questions, as well as with a team of professionals, you are sure to avoid some of the most common first-time homebuyer mistakes.
1. Hire the Right Agent. Personalities and experience levels range greatly, just as with any profession. Consider interviewing several local agents before deciding on which one to hire. Do you want a new agent who is sweet, patient, and ready to answer lots of questions? Or would you prefer a seasoned agent who gets you the best deal, but has less than stellar people skills? The choice is entirely yours, neither one being better than the other, but will make a big difference on how you feel about the process.
2. Interrogate the Lender. There's no need to play good cop, bad cop. This simply means you need to ask every question that comes to mind. In the wake of the predatory lending storm, its important to be sure you understand exactly what your mortgage will entail. Be sure to compare rates with other lenders to be sure you are getting the best rate. You can also ask for par pricing, which is the rate without points.
3. Be Ready To Act. In many markets, highly desirable areas come with a large amount of competition. Many buyers may be looking at the same homes as you. If you hesitate, you may very well lose out on your dream home. The best advice? Don't begin the process of viewing homes unless you are really ready to buy.
4. Think Long Term. You love the house, and you can deal with the small bedrooms and laundry room in the garage, but will the next set of buyers? If you are planning on selling the home in the next few years, you must remember to consider the resale value of a home. Is this neighborhood appreciating quickly, or are homes losing value?
5. Be Competitive. We all want to buy a home for the best bargain price possible, but a careful consideration is respecting the seller. You may view a low ball offer as a starting point, but a seller may view it as an insult and refuse to answer your offer. If you really want a home, be reasonable with your starting bid.
Buying your first home can be tough, make it a stress free and easy transition with the help of a Keller Williams agent! Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
6 Tips For Selling Your Home In A Soft Market
Written By Chris Morris
Source Bankrate.com
Provided By Shelley Dudley
Making a home sale has never been a lot of fun -- but in this economy, it's even worse.
If you've followed the usual chestnuts about boosting curb appeal and staging your living room properly, but still aren't getting any bites, there are other ways to help catch a buyer's eye.
Bankrate.com spoke with real estate professionals to get their best tips on how to move a house in the quickest amount of time -- without giving the place away.
Get an appraisal
Knowing what a professional appraiser believes your house is worth is a good reality check on a couple of fronts.
First, it gives you a realistic target price -- versus your own beliefs -- that can be factored in with recent comparable sales. It also gives you an idea of what sort of home loan a buyer can get.
"It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the price," says Naomi Brodbar, an agent with Weichert Realtors in Princeton Junction, N.J. "You can take any figures in the market and make them work to your advantage. With this, you know if you're in the right ballpark." You'll likely pay about $300 to $400 for the report.
Pre-inspect before listing
Buyers want to see that you've cared for the home during your time there. An indisputable way to showcase that is to hire a home inspector to go through the house with a fine-toothed comb and to rectify any major issues the inspector finds.
Of course, the buyer is going to hire his or her own inspector -- but this helps convince the buyer that the home has been kept up well. It also prevents the buyer from issuing a laundry list of demanded fixes, which some buyers do in an effort to further lower the sales price after their offer is accepted.
"It says 'We've thought enough of this property to make sure that if there are any unforeseen problems, then we have taken care of them for you,'" says Dorcas Helfant-Browning, an agent with Coldwell Banker in Virginia Beach, Va., and past president of the National Association of Realtors.
Offer a home warranty
Everyone likes a security blanket. Home warranties give buyers an assurance that if something goes wrong with any of the major appliances, plumbing or electrical systems in the house, they won't have to shell out a lot to get them fixed.
As the seller, you'll also reap some of the benefits, as many plans provide additional coverage for when your house is on the market. This can be particularly beneficial when you go through the inspection process after you've accepted an offer.
Plans generally cost between $300 and $450, with extra charges for some appliances (such as your washer or dryer) and items like a pool or hot tub.
Consider cash incentives
No matter how perfect you think your house is, the new owners will want to change something about it. It could be the paint, landscaping or even the front door.
Acknowledging this upfront and offering a cash incentive to pay for those improvements could make your house stand out from the competition.
It also gives you the upper hand. Because you're setting the amount of the incentive -- say, $1,000 or so -- you can work that into your house's asking price to recoup the outlay.
Take care of post-move expenses
Moving is tough for everyone, so consider making the buyer's life easier by contracting a service to mow the yard through the summer. Taking care of the tab for pool cleaning is another type of incentive that you can work back into the price.
And because everyone likes to be catered to, it can also give your house an edge if a buyer is trying to decide between yours and another.
Remain flexible on the price
Many buyers offer their home with a floor price in mind -- one they're absolutely not willing to go below. It becomes a point of pride in what can be an emotional process. That can be dangerous.
In the long run, an extra $1,000 (or even $3,000) is a drop in the bucket -- and it's not worth fighting over, even if it's below your floor price. But what about an offer that's $5,000 or even $10,000 below what you were hoping to get?
"Buyers don't care what your minimum price is," says Leslie Nichols, a broker for Nichols & Associates Real Estate in Houston. "Price is the most important thing.... Price will overcome location. Price will overcome condition. Price will overcome everything else."
Before automatically rejecting a low offer, consider a few factors and be brutally honest with yourself. Determine how many months that shortcoming works out to in terms of your regular mortgage and utility expenses. What are the odds you'll get an acceptable offer in that time period? If they're not excellent, give the "bad" offer a second look.
If you are ready to sell your home, give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Source Bankrate.com
Provided By Shelley Dudley
Making a home sale has never been a lot of fun -- but in this economy, it's even worse.
If you've followed the usual chestnuts about boosting curb appeal and staging your living room properly, but still aren't getting any bites, there are other ways to help catch a buyer's eye.
Bankrate.com spoke with real estate professionals to get their best tips on how to move a house in the quickest amount of time -- without giving the place away.
Get an appraisal
Knowing what a professional appraiser believes your house is worth is a good reality check on a couple of fronts.
First, it gives you a realistic target price -- versus your own beliefs -- that can be factored in with recent comparable sales. It also gives you an idea of what sort of home loan a buyer can get.
"It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the price," says Naomi Brodbar, an agent with Weichert Realtors in Princeton Junction, N.J. "You can take any figures in the market and make them work to your advantage. With this, you know if you're in the right ballpark." You'll likely pay about $300 to $400 for the report.
Pre-inspect before listing
Buyers want to see that you've cared for the home during your time there. An indisputable way to showcase that is to hire a home inspector to go through the house with a fine-toothed comb and to rectify any major issues the inspector finds.
Of course, the buyer is going to hire his or her own inspector -- but this helps convince the buyer that the home has been kept up well. It also prevents the buyer from issuing a laundry list of demanded fixes, which some buyers do in an effort to further lower the sales price after their offer is accepted.
"It says 'We've thought enough of this property to make sure that if there are any unforeseen problems, then we have taken care of them for you,'" says Dorcas Helfant-Browning, an agent with Coldwell Banker in Virginia Beach, Va., and past president of the National Association of Realtors.
Offer a home warranty
Everyone likes a security blanket. Home warranties give buyers an assurance that if something goes wrong with any of the major appliances, plumbing or electrical systems in the house, they won't have to shell out a lot to get them fixed.
As the seller, you'll also reap some of the benefits, as many plans provide additional coverage for when your house is on the market. This can be particularly beneficial when you go through the inspection process after you've accepted an offer.
Plans generally cost between $300 and $450, with extra charges for some appliances (such as your washer or dryer) and items like a pool or hot tub.
Consider cash incentives
No matter how perfect you think your house is, the new owners will want to change something about it. It could be the paint, landscaping or even the front door.
Acknowledging this upfront and offering a cash incentive to pay for those improvements could make your house stand out from the competition.
It also gives you the upper hand. Because you're setting the amount of the incentive -- say, $1,000 or so -- you can work that into your house's asking price to recoup the outlay.
Take care of post-move expenses
Moving is tough for everyone, so consider making the buyer's life easier by contracting a service to mow the yard through the summer. Taking care of the tab for pool cleaning is another type of incentive that you can work back into the price.
And because everyone likes to be catered to, it can also give your house an edge if a buyer is trying to decide between yours and another.
Remain flexible on the price
Many buyers offer their home with a floor price in mind -- one they're absolutely not willing to go below. It becomes a point of pride in what can be an emotional process. That can be dangerous.
In the long run, an extra $1,000 (or even $3,000) is a drop in the bucket -- and it's not worth fighting over, even if it's below your floor price. But what about an offer that's $5,000 or even $10,000 below what you were hoping to get?
"Buyers don't care what your minimum price is," says Leslie Nichols, a broker for Nichols & Associates Real Estate in Houston. "Price is the most important thing.... Price will overcome location. Price will overcome condition. Price will overcome everything else."
Before automatically rejecting a low offer, consider a few factors and be brutally honest with yourself. Determine how many months that shortcoming works out to in terms of your regular mortgage and utility expenses. What are the odds you'll get an acceptable offer in that time period? If they're not excellent, give the "bad" offer a second look.
If you are ready to sell your home, give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Friday, August 6, 2010
EVERYTHING BIGGER IN TEXAS, INCLUDING BUSINESS
Provided By RECON
Source CNBC
Texas has reclaimed the top spot from Virginia as CNBC’s number one state for business.
Texas powers past the tough times on the strength of its economy—top-ranked in our Economy category four years in a row. The Texas economy is the 15th largest in the world, according to government figures; larger, for example, than all the Scandinavian nations combined.
The Lone Star State is home to 64 Fortune 500 companies, more than any other state, in a wide variety of industries. So while the state’s last win in 2008 came with oil at a record $145 a barrel—a natural tailwind for the largest industry in Texas—the state managed to do even better this year despite the fact that oil is trading at roughly half that price.
Texas has also managed to avoid the worst of the real estate crisis, according to reporter Ashanti Blaize of KXAS-TV. “While in other major cities we’ve seen condo high-rise projects either slowed or come to a screeching halt, in Dallas we've seen an influx of some of those projects,” says Blake.
However, that economic strength has a side effect. Rising commercial rents and high wages hurt the state in the all-important Cost-of-Doing-Business category, where it comes in at number 30.
Are you needing help finding the perfect place for you business? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Source CNBC
Texas has reclaimed the top spot from Virginia as CNBC’s number one state for business.
Texas powers past the tough times on the strength of its economy—top-ranked in our Economy category four years in a row. The Texas economy is the 15th largest in the world, according to government figures; larger, for example, than all the Scandinavian nations combined.
The Lone Star State is home to 64 Fortune 500 companies, more than any other state, in a wide variety of industries. So while the state’s last win in 2008 came with oil at a record $145 a barrel—a natural tailwind for the largest industry in Texas—the state managed to do even better this year despite the fact that oil is trading at roughly half that price.
Texas has also managed to avoid the worst of the real estate crisis, according to reporter Ashanti Blaize of KXAS-TV. “While in other major cities we’ve seen condo high-rise projects either slowed or come to a screeching halt, in Dallas we've seen an influx of some of those projects,” says Blake.
However, that economic strength has a side effect. Rising commercial rents and high wages hurt the state in the all-important Cost-of-Doing-Business category, where it comes in at number 30.
Are you needing help finding the perfect place for you business? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
'SAVING FAMILY LANDS' SEMINAR SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER
Provided By RECON
The Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) is holding the Saving Family Lands seminar with tax expert and attorney Stephen J. Small in San Antonio and Fort Worth in late September.
The workshop will provide landowners, attorneys, appraisers, accountants, land managers, Realtors and estate planners with current information on tools, methods and financial strategies for keeping cherished lands in the family.
TALT says Small is the nation's leading authority on private land protection options and the resulting federal benefits and estate planning advantages.
The seminar will be held at the following times and locations:
San Antonio
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 8:00 a.m. – noon
The Studio at Pearl Brewery
200 E. Grayson, Suite 115
Fort Worth
Wednesday, Sept. 22, 8:00 a.m. – noon
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association offices
1301 W. Seventh St.
Registration deadline is Sept. 13. For more information, visit Texas Agricultural Land Trust online.
To learn more about saving family lands, give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
The Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) is holding the Saving Family Lands seminar with tax expert and attorney Stephen J. Small in San Antonio and Fort Worth in late September.
The workshop will provide landowners, attorneys, appraisers, accountants, land managers, Realtors and estate planners with current information on tools, methods and financial strategies for keeping cherished lands in the family.
TALT says Small is the nation's leading authority on private land protection options and the resulting federal benefits and estate planning advantages.
The seminar will be held at the following times and locations:
San Antonio
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 8:00 a.m. – noon
The Studio at Pearl Brewery
200 E. Grayson, Suite 115
Fort Worth
Wednesday, Sept. 22, 8:00 a.m. – noon
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association offices
1301 W. Seventh St.
Registration deadline is Sept. 13. For more information, visit Texas Agricultural Land Trust online.
To learn more about saving family lands, give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Keller Williams Realty Named Highest Ranked in Home Buyer Satisfaction
Provided By Keller Williams Realty
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in the United States, has received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms for the third year in a row. The company also ranked second among home sellers in the study for the second year in a row.
“We are incredibly proud of our associates for earning this distinction and want to thank them for their commitment to their clients and communities," said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “We see this honor as demonstration of our company philosophy that it is the agent’s brand that matters most and no amount of money spent on advertising can replace the influence and reputations our agents have in their local communities. Our associates have earned this on their own, by building relationships in their communities."
The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers and sellers customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the buyer’s experience with their agent, the real estate office and a variety of additional services. Keller Williams Realty performed particularly well in the agent and office factors. And, overall satisfaction of buyers for the industry was up over last year.
Additionally, the study noted that the importance of real estate agents has increased substantially in the past year, with buyers and sellers relying on the negotiating skills of their chosen agent and help in navigating the market.
“It is thrilling to see our firm, once again, get public recognition for its incredible focus on customer satisfaction from such a prestigious group. Our associates continually demonstrate that it is possible to deliver the highest level of customer service in one of the toughest real estate markets on record," said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be in business with them, and want to congratulate them on their hard work and dedication."
In the past year, Keller Williams Realty has continued to grow despite the well-publicized turmoil in the real estate industry. In addition to becoming the 3rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing RE/MAX®, Keller Williams Realty was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine and was voted the Most Recognizable Brand of Real Estate Franchises and the Trendsetter of the year for 2009 in an industry-wide survey for the Swanepoel TRENDS Report.
Are you wanting to sell or buy a home? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
“We are incredibly proud of our associates for earning this distinction and want to thank them for their commitment to their clients and communities," said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “We see this honor as demonstration of our company philosophy that it is the agent’s brand that matters most and no amount of money spent on advertising can replace the influence and reputations our agents have in their local communities. Our associates have earned this on their own, by building relationships in their communities."
The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers and sellers customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the buyer’s experience with their agent, the real estate office and a variety of additional services. Keller Williams Realty performed particularly well in the agent and office factors. And, overall satisfaction of buyers for the industry was up over last year.
Additionally, the study noted that the importance of real estate agents has increased substantially in the past year, with buyers and sellers relying on the negotiating skills of their chosen agent and help in navigating the market.
“It is thrilling to see our firm, once again, get public recognition for its incredible focus on customer satisfaction from such a prestigious group. Our associates continually demonstrate that it is possible to deliver the highest level of customer service in one of the toughest real estate markets on record," said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be in business with them, and want to congratulate them on their hard work and dedication."
In the past year, Keller Williams Realty has continued to grow despite the well-publicized turmoil in the real estate industry. In addition to becoming the 3rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing RE/MAX®, Keller Williams Realty was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine and was voted the Most Recognizable Brand of Real Estate Franchises and the Trendsetter of the year for 2009 in an industry-wide survey for the Swanepoel TRENDS Report.
Are you wanting to sell or buy a home? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)