When you are ready, I highly recommend using a Realtor.  There is no better way to get the job done when trying to maximize the value of your property and get the experience and knowledge of a reliable source and negotiator.  If you are in the Houston area, I recommend one of Register Real Estate Advisors experienced and trained Realtors.  Below are a few things to get you started in the right direction before contacting your agent.  Remember, your Realtor only gets paid when the deal closes, so they are doing everything they can to get you to the closing table as soon as possible.  They have a lot of people to work with to facilitate the transaction – the other Realtor in the deal, the title company, the lender, the appraiser, the surveyor, the inspector, and more.  They get paid on a percentage of the sales price.  So it’s a good incentive for Realtors to get the maximum amount of money for your home.

1. PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE

If you don’t correct the minor things around the home like blown light bulbs and dirty air filters, potential buyers will wonder about the things that they cannot see.  In contrast, when all the little cosmetic things are taken care of, the buyers overall perception of your property is positive.

2.  STAGE YOUR HOME TO MAKE IT APPEALING TO BUYERS

In many cases, sellers continue to live in the home while it is for sale.  If you are going to do that, understand that you can’t live like you normally do.  You will need to keep your home ready to show.  Keep it clean, organized, smelling nice, and at a good temperature.  You will need to keep the blinds open even when you are at work.  You may need to leave lights on in certain areas of the house so that if it shows while you are out, it will appear bright and welcoming.  You need to store all personal items around the sink, all the mail, the food and small appliances you like to keep handy on the counter, and your wall photos.  Family photos are wonderful, but if the buyer walks into your bedroom and there is a huge framed photo of you on your wedding day, they are going to talk about how pretty you are and what a great photo it is, instead of looking at the bedroom!  Here are a few reminders…

• Clean the blinds and dust the fans
• Paint
• Steam clean the carpets and stretch where needed
• Fix any leaky faucets
• Replace the cauking around the tub and sinks
• Pack up clothes you don’t wear to make the closet look bigger or donate those clothes to a good cause
• Pack up everything you don’t need (you’re moving anyway!) and stack the boxes along the wall of the garage or in a rented storage unit
• Wash the Windows

3.  CURB APPEAL

Seems like everyone should know about curb appeal since there have been so many HGTV shows about it.  And yet, we get so comfortable with our own homes that we don’t notice things that buyers see.  Make sure you are not just cutting the lawn and planting flowers.  Go ahead and blow off the patio, power wash it, edge the lawn, trim the shrubs, fertalize, restaing the front door, and paint where necessary.

4.  EMOTIONAL APPEAL

When you are selling a home, remember that the buyers are making an emotional decision that will affect their family.  Make sure your home gives buyers a good feeling.  They have to picture, in their mind, their family living happily in that home.  The house has to leave them feeling like this is the place they want to live.  So open the drapes, turn on the lights, and keep the house at a refreshing temperature.  Make sure it smells nice.

Using this list and the help of your experienced real estate agent, you will help your home to sell quickly at the maximum value.  Buyers aren’t looking for a handout – they want the house perfect for move in.  So if you know it needs repairs, do them.  Don’t offer them money at closing or come down on the price.  Get your home ready and you will get it sold!  Call RREA today for more information 281.288.3500.

"Selling Your Home" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

This year we went from extreme drought to a rainy winter and spring.  You never know what the Texas weather will bring and the housing market is very similar.

Many factors influence the underlying reasons for increases and decreases in sales volume that predicts future real estate sales.  The normal flow of the residential real estate market is affected by demand for housing.  Demand in turn is influenced by many “life events” that occur throughout peoples’ lives.  For example, they may:

• graduate from college and get a job;
• get married;
• have children and need a bigger home or a different school district;
• get promoted and move to another city or another neighborhood;
• lose their job and no longer be able to afford the house;
• get divorced and have to sell the house or move into a smaller one;
• buy a second home near their adult children;
• need to move into a smaller, one-story house with less maintenance;
• reach a point at which they can no longer care for themselves and need to move to an assisted-living facility;
• move to the United States from other countries to improve their quality of life; or
• move from other countries and buy homes here to protect their wealth and secure their safety.

The expansive Midwest flooding that made headlines for weeks this spring is a reminder that every now and then nature plays havoc with rivers.  Similarly, certain events and circumstances can cause housing transaction volume to rise significantly.  For example, increases may occur when:

• home prices increase fast enough that the investment motive spurs purchases;
• prices increase even faster and speculators buy homes to flip them;
• prices increase consistently, so people prefer to buy now rather than pay a higher price later;
• mortgage rates drop enough that many people can afford to buy a bigger house or move to a nicer neighborhood without a significant increase in their house payments;
• the government offers tax incentives to homebuyers; or
• houses are affordable to a broad segment of all households and mortgage underwriting standards are lowered to include a broader range of credit risk.

The extreme weather patterns that spawn floods do not last forever.  When they end, the river returns to the normal level within its banks.

At the other end of the weather spectrum is drought, which lowers the river’s water volume.  Transaction volume ebbs, too, when circumstances such as the following occur:

• people are worried about losing their jobs so they postpone buying decisions;
• people are worried that home prices will fall, and they might lose their equity;
• house prices rise so fast that they become unaffordable;
• lenders tighten mortgage underwriting standards, and by doing so remove potential buyers from the market;
• appraisals come in  well below the contract price agreed to by a seller and a buyer;
• cost of homeownership increases (taxes, utilities and insurance);
• lack of liquidity in the market makes it harder to sell homes;
• employers reduce corporate transfers to save money; or
• random scares, such as radon gas or black mold, make media headlines.

Buyers all over the country are still skittish because of all the negative housing headlines.  But there is evidence that Texas’ residential housing market is beginning the gradual, lengthy process of moving back to normal.

And remember, real estate operates in local markets.  What happens in Las Vegas does not really matter to a homebuyer in Abilene.  Each local market has its own story and its own dynamics.  So be familiar with where you are purchasing a home.

Real estate professionals must understand their clients’ psychology—their hopes and fears.  Careful consideration of the factors influencing home sales volume will help buyers and sellers make the best decisions for their circumstances.

"The River Wild – Housing Market Ebb and Flow" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

When visiting The Woodlands make sure you take both a trolly ride and a water taxi.  These tours offer newcomers a great perspective of the area.  The Woodlands Mall and Market Street offer lots of shopping, dining choices, and entertainment.  The Woodlands houses the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is one of the most popular outdoor amphitheaters in the world.  At night, Waterway Square is a great tourest attraction.  The large water wall with dancing columns of water and fountains are choreographed to music with colored lights.

The Woodlands has so much to offer.  If you work downtown, you can get to Houston by taking I-45 South or the Hardy Toll Road.  However, there are many employment opportunites in The Woodlands.

Below is a video of The Woodllands.  If you need a Realtor to help guide you through the forest, give us a call at RREA 281.288.3500.  You will be glad you did!

"Relocating to The Woodlands, Texas?" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

As the summer moving season gears up, state and moving industry officials cautioned Texans to do their homework before hiring a moving company and encouraged the law enforcement community to take note of a new state law that imposes fines and jail time against unlicensed movers.

More than 60 percent of the moving complaints received at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) deal with unlicensed movers. To operate legally, a moving company must display a valid TxDMV (TxDMV licenses moving companies) or United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) license number on the truck.

Perhaps the best advice is the most basic: always know who you are dealing with before starting a move.

“[Consumers] need to stop for a minute and ask themselves ‘Who am I about to let into my home?’ because it might just be some guy living in a basement or with a criminal record who is going to show up with a rented moving truck to cart off everything you own,” said Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of Virginia-based American Moving & Storage Association.

And where should you never go to hire a mover? Free internet advertising sites, said John Trevino of the Houston Police Department’s Special Investigation Command.

Before hiring a moving company, Texans can find out whether the company is licensed by going to Moving Companies on the TxDMV website.

"This Moving Season, Don’t Get Taken For A Ride" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"Mortgage Options for Foreign Nationals" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"Join Canongate and Buy a Home in The Woodlands, Texas" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"Taylor Morrison is Now in Fall Creek" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"WBM # 57 – Foundation Cracks" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"Realtor Representation in Texas is Important" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"Do You Really Know the Comunity You are Moving Into?" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.