HOMES FOR SALE IN GREATER HOUSTON AREA: New Homes, Resale, Foreclosures & More...

Selling your Home in Houston area? Price it Right!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:28:00 -0700

The objective of selling a home is actually getting it sold, not just putting up a sign and hoping to get some calls. There are more things involved in the selling process.

If you decide to sell your home then you need to make sure that you price your house accordingly, that it shows well and is well advertised. If you are missing any of these three key elements, be prepared to have your home on the market for a long time. In this posting I will talk about the first one in depth Price it right, in my next posting I will expand on Preparing your home to Sell and the next posting we will tackle Marketing your home for sale.

Price it right

For some reason most sellers tend to strongly believe that their house is the best one in the neighborhood and there is no other house like theirs; there is also the misconception that because they invested in remodeling and upgrades, their house is worth more than the house next door. Personally, I believe there is a premium for upgrades, however, it’s usually not near what they spend on the actual remodel like with everything else, investments have to season and even then it is hard to recuperate 100% of that kitchen remodel they are so proud of. I’m not taking away from any upgrades or remodeling projects you have in mind, I’m all for it, it makes your home more attractive to potential buyers due to the upgrades that are where the added value and the premium come in.

In every listing presentation I notice we start with the number the seller thinks their house is worth and the actual number that comes up from a comparative market analysis, which is what the market dictates your house should be sold for, based on the most recent comparable sales and listings, since you also need to be aware of your competition. I recommend contacting a real estate agent to provide you with a professional Comparable Marketing Analysis, walk you through the sale process and set your expectations as well. The main issue we come across is to bring these to numbers to a realistic and attractive number for both seller and potential buyers. I’ve never even seen two appraisers come up with the same appraised home value for the same property, they’ve come close and in some instances far apart.

You don’t want your price to go too high off the market since this will only make your house sit on the market for a long time and age with no offers, by the time you decide to reduce the price sometimes buyers take this as an opportunity to submit a low ball offer since they assume that because the house has been on the market for that long the seller may be motivated to sell and exhausted with the long wait and process, worn out with so many showings, or they just want to move on to their new house.

Keep in mind as well how much is it costing you to keep and maintain the house every month the house does not sell. I have seen seller’s sacrifice their bottom line waiting for that high offer and in the meantime they continue paying taxes, utilities, interest and maintenance on the house, which is at the same time depleting their profits; specially if this is an investment vacant home or even worse if you already bought your dream home and have two mortgage payments. I cannot put into words enough how the financial and emotional stress can weigh on a seller.

Some sellers decide to price it at the lower end hoping to get a multiple offer situation, which could lead to a highest and best which could drive their price up or not, this is the option some sellers tend to ignore and they are not prepared to receive a full price offer for the price they themselves set.

There are different approaches when setting the price of your house, first there is the fair market value based on the most recent comps as explained before, after that you need to analyze your situation and decide if you need a sell it right now price (quick sales price) i.e. When you need to sell fast due to relocation, or because your first payment on the new house is coming in next month… or if you are able to just price it right and allow the sale to happen organically.

I strongly believe in the price it right approach when possible. Rule of thumb, if you don’t have at least 2-3 showings a week chances are your home is not priced right.

“Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”

“Image courtesy of [renjith krishnan] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net"

“Image courtesy of [stockimages] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net"

Getting pre-approved before going House Hunting in the Greater Houston area

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 07:08:00 -0700

If you don't consider getting pre-approved before going house hunting in the Greater Houston and surrounding areas, then consider it as if you are going shopping without your wallet!

By getting a pre-approval before starting your house search in Greater Houston Area, you will be able to determine the following :

How much you can qualify for.

How much of a monthly mortgage payment you feel comfortable with.

Type of Loan you are qualified and estimated down payment (FHA, CONV, VA…)

Estimated closing costs.

Estimated funds need it to set up escrow.

If you qualify for any type of down payment assistance if need it and available.

Credit status or repair if need it.

In Greater Houston Area Real Estate Market there is a lot of investors and cash offers. Your offer will appear stronger with a pre-approval letter attached to it.

The worst thing that could happen is that you fall in love with a house for sale and you lose your chance because another pre-approved buyer submitted an offer for that house before you could get an approval. In Greater Houston area market you need to be prepared and ready to submit an offer if you find the house for sale of your dreams. Greater Houston area Real Estate Market moves very fast and you have to be prepared to go with it.

THE WOODLANDS 4TH OF JULY PARADE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 20:05:00 -0700

Come and join The Woodlands parade to celebrate the 4^th of July!

According to the schedule posted, the 1.3mile parade starts at 9:00am and ends at 10:30. It begins and ends at the Woodlands United Methodist Church.

The Woodlands loves celebration and the 4^th of July is no exception. This parade is a great entertainment for kids and adults of all ages. Restrooms will be available in strategic locations and a tent will be setup for the physically challenged and senior citizen in front of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

The Woodlands 4th of July Parade map

Parking options

Some of the free parking designated areas include:

The Market Street Parking garage.
The Town Center Parking Garage (Six Pines Dr. and Lake Robins Dr.) and,
The Blue, Yellow and Orange lots of Timberloch Place.

Paid Parking is available at 24 Waterway parking garage (Lake Robbins Dr.)

Handicap Parking available at:

The South Country Library Parking (Lake Robbins Dr.) and,
The Gold Lot (surface Parking at the Town Center Parking Garage/the Pavilion)

Don’t miss this tradition that remind us all just what our country stands for and brings together friends, family and neighbors for an old-fashioned, hometown parade through the streets of The Woodlands!

Remember, The Woodlands does not allow the sale or use of fireworks and sparklers of any kind.

HOME SAFETY & SECURITY TIPS - GREATER HOUSTON AREA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 07:21:00 -0700

The fact that you have top of the line security system it does not always prevent crime, it is unfortunate that sometimes we realize this after the fact. I had put together a few home safety and security tips to keep in mind at all times.

While at home, be aware of your surroundings at all times and act as if you do not have a security system at home. Make sure to install keyless deadbolts, peepholes (door viewers) or that you have a door with a window panel in all exterior doors and always lock your keyless deadbolt while you are at home. Do not open the door without first looking through your peephole and making sure you know the person on the other side of the door; if you have minors at home make sure they understand the importance of this security measure, regardless of the age of the kids; stress the fact that they should not let anybody in the house or open the door without first checking with an adult first. Make sure all doors and windows are locked at all times. Ensure that if you have a slider door it is properly equipped with a security bar, and that is in place at all times.

While walking from or to your car, be aware of your surroundings as well, try and park in well-lit areas, and avoid areas that are isolated with little traffic, always keep your keys in hand and lock the car as soon as you get in the car. Make sure to put valuables away from view when leaving your car to avoid break-ins. If you have a GPS in your car do not set your home address as "home" in your favorites, just enter it as any other address; if your car is stolen and you have a garage door opener, all the robber has to do is follow directions to the address set up as home and use the garage door opener to let themselves in your home.

If you get home and find any doors open, or your garage door opened, do not just assume you may have left It open I will suggest not to go in, step out to a secure area and call police and wait for them to get in and make sure it is secured for you to walk in to your house, last thing you want is to walk in to find intruders in your home.

In case of any emergency call 911 for non-emergency issues please call 411, rule of thumb to differentiate when to call which is: if your life is in danger or you feel threatened it is an emergency, if not and you only need information then it is a non-emergency issue, use your best judgment.

These tips are not meant for you to act paranoid all the time, they are just to make you aware and redundantly be aware of your surroundings and possible danger and by doing that is easier to notice if anything is out of the ordinary; you do not have a sense of the ordinary if you do not pay attention to what is normal, you may not notice something maybe out of place.

Image 1 courtesy of [Gualberto107] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image 2 & 3 courtesy of [twobee] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thinking of buying in The Greater Houston Area

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 08:55:00 -0700

There is the misconception that because Real estate market has been hit hard, you could buy a dream house for a steal, which is in part true if, we compare house prices in Houston to what they were at a few years back.

House prices in Greater Houston Area are still affordable, even thought inventory has increased, prices have started to go up slowly and steady. The fact is we are still experiencing multiple offer situations in majority of the properties in The Greater Houston Area market. If you are thinking of buying in Houston Area A few things to consider:

If you love the house….probably other people love it too, so offer accordingly.

If you are paying cash for the house, It's not advisable to ask for closing cost to be paid by the seller, instead reduce the offer price in the amount of the contribution you need.

Do not ask for closing costs to be paid by the seller, with so many cash investors or just others competing for the same property, willing to pay their own closing cost, this will put you at disadvantage.

If you are financing, regardless of the program (FHA, VA, Conv…) no bank will let you borrow more than what the house appraises for, so if you really like the house and want so submit an aggressive offer, make sure you have the funds to come up with the difference between your sales price and appraised value of the house, and most importantly write a clean offer.

Jump to it, if you want to take some time to discuss with family members do not take days, houses are going fast in The Greater Houston Area.

For any specific questions about The Greater Houston Area Market you can Ask me a Question.

Foto: Images of Money on flickr

HOW MUCH IS MY HOUSE WORTH?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 8 Jun 2016 20:33:00 -0700

Clients are always asking me about the value of their home, especially the way the housing market Greater Houston Area right now. They often refer to different sites and automated tools for a quick answer, however I don’t find this tools to be accurate and instead sometimes find them misleading.

There is a lot of things to consider when assessing the right value for your home such as, size of the property, age of the house, current market behavior, inventory, properties recently sold in the market, trend in the neighborhood and the city, condition of the property among some of the ones that come right off the top of my head.

If you are wondering how much your house is worth? contact a professional Real Estate Agent now!! You will be surprised with the difference between this Automated Value systems and a real comprehensive market analysis for your property. Make sure you contact someone that is able to explain the differences and why they came up with that estimate. You may not agree all the time with the estimate you are provided with, however they should be able to show you statistics and how they came up with that number.

If after reading this article, you are wondering how much is your house worth?. Send us a request and Get Your FREE Home Value for your house in Greater Houston Area!

Photo by (401 k 2012 on flicker)