Register Real Estate Advisors

Below are some interesting seller facts from 2010…I found these in the Brian Buffini Real Estate Report and thought you would enjoy them.

The median age of a home seller is 49

The typical seller has owned their home for 8 years

The median time for a home on the market was 8 weeks (that’s fast ya’ll!)

Of sellers, 50% traded up while 28% purchased a comparable home

21% of home sellers traded down when they sold in 2010

The typical home sold for 96% of the final listing price

The main motivation for sellers to move in 2010 was the size of their home

15% of moves in 2010 were due to job relocation

Trees and shrubs are an investment that grows.  Beautiful seasonal flowers are a smart, and inexpensive was to add color to your yard.  The most important thing to keep in mind, landscaping creates the curb appeal that attracts potential buyers to your home.  Keep it simple, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on landscaping.  Well place trees, shrubs, and flowers adds value.  Have fresh mulch put down, keep your lawn mowed, and edged. All these small things will add value to your home without breaking the bank.  I hope these have been some helpful tips!  When you get ready to sell your home give The Dean Thornton Team a call!

The whole world has changed, and so has the marketing of products and services. Since the invention of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging, and the smart phone we are seeing use changes in the way companies market their products. You can now contact and stay in touch with people all over the world without leaving your home or office. All of the new tools available make life much easier.

You still need to practice the old ways of marketing; face to face for me is still the best way. I understand some of the new technology can be somewhat intimidating. There are a lot of free webinars available to help you learn how to use this new technology. Get all the training you can, especially if it’s offered free. Do not try to overload yourself. You can come up with a schedule for learning each new type of media available. That way you are taking on one thing at a time, starting slowly, so you will not be overwhelmed.

My suggestion would be to set a side one hour per day in the beginning. This way, you’re not dedicating too much time on learning new things which can be counter productive. The more you learn and become comfortable, with each new piece of technology, the more time you can spend on it. If you’re not convinced, go online and look at all the statistics, and the demographic, for each new technology.

I bet you will be amazed, and wonder why you haven’t done it before now. I hope this has been informative for you, and at least get you to look at how your marketing your business in 2011.

At Register Real Estate Advisors, we use all of the social media tools available and extensive new technology to market and sell your home. If you are interested in selling in the Spring or Woodlands area, don’t hesitate to give me a call.

The Dean Thornton Team is here to help you with all of your real estate needs! 281.288.3500

Register Real Estate Advisors has partnered with Check A Pro to provide $25 gift cards to our clients and prospects.  If you would like a gift card mailed to you, please email info@rrea.com with Check A Pro in the subject line and we will mail you a gift card.  Be sure to include your name and mailing address.  Below is an article from this month’s Check A Pro Newsletter.  It gives helpful painting tips!

Painting Do’s and Don’ts

Most homeowners will try to tackle painting at least once during their home owning
years, some more successful than others. To avoid a D-I-Y paint job gone wrong,
follow these do’s and don’ts!

Do’s:

DO take time
to prep the area. Take things off the wall, move things into different rooms,
wipe down walls, and tape off molding. Cover the floor just in case!

DO remove
all of the hardware – switchplates, doorknobs, drapery hardware, etc.

DO gather
everything you’ll need to get the job done and set up a paint station with a
paint tray, tape, brushes, rollers, rags,  screwdriver, ladder, etc.

DO calculate
how much paint you’ll need. It’s always better to buy more so the paint is
mixed at one time. If you get the paint mixed at a separate time you risk the
color being a shade or two different.

DO chose the
appropriate types of rollers and brushes depending on the surface and the walls
texture. Make sure you have an appropriate brush for trim work!

DO prime the
walls if going from one extreme color to another.

DO keep a
stash of paint for touch-ups. Be sure to label the container with the color and
brand name.

Don’ts:

DON’T rush.
You’ll achieve the best results with patience.

DON’T paint out
of order. Start with the ceiling, then walls, then doors, then woodwork, and
finish with the floor.

DON’T paint
directly over wallpaper.

DON’T close off
the room. Keep it properly ventilated.

DON’T put off
cleaning your brush and rollers if you plan to use them again.

DON’T reattach
the lid without cleaning the rim of the can. To prevent inadvertent splatters,
place a paper towel or rag on top of the lid, then hammer secure.

The following do’s and don’ts were provided by HGTV. All Rights Reserved.

11.  Do you use a showing service?

At RREA, we do use a showing service called Centralized
Showing.  They schedule all of the
Realtor showings on your home.  This way,
if our agents are out of town or our office is closed, Realtors can still
schedule to show buyers your home.

12.  Do you send out eFliers?

Many Realtors don’t even have a database, little less a
database of Realtors.  At RREA, we have a
large Realtor database that we can email eFliers of your home to.  This way other Realtors in the community can see
photos of your home that they may not otherwise see.  We advertise our Broker Open Houses this way,
too.

13.  Do you send out direct mail?

Some Realtors do not want to spend money on direct mail
campaigns that could help you sell your home faster.  At RREA, we use direct mail to show buyers
what homes we have for sale.  For
example, if you have a $200K house for sale, we would likely mail a just listed
postcard to homes in the $150K range that have a potential to move up.

14.  Did the Realtor show you a net sheet?

A net sheet is the industry term for showing the seller what
they will net at closing.  It does not
have to be an official document, but your Realtor should discuss with you what
your home will likely sell for and how much you will walk away with at the
closing based on different offers you might receive.

15.  Do you provide web site reports?

Web site reports show the seller how many online views their
home has received.  These reports can be
pulled from Realtor.com, HAR.com, and the showing company so that you can see
the activity on the property.

16.  How do you ensure your company website has good search engine optimization?

At RREA, we ensure good SEO because we key word tag all
photos, videos, and blog posts.  We do
not have a static website, it is updated with content daily so that the Google
search engines check for new content on our site every hour and index it.

17.  Does the Realtor use Print to Web Technology?

This is new technology that many people (including Realtors)
do not understand.  We use QR Codes,
which is a print to web technology, on our yard signs.   This
allows potential buyers to use a smart phone with our yard sign to view the
video of the home they are parked in front of.
We use mobile optimized pages, not web pages, to house this
content.  We also use print to web
technology in advertising and marketing pieces which include our watermarked business
cards.

18.  Do you offer a Seller Service Guarantee?

This is important.   You are signing a six month listing agreement with a Realtor and you
need some kind of assurance about what they are going to do to advertise and
market the property.  The number one complaint about Realtors is that they do not do anything to sell the home.  Not true at RREA!  We continuously work hard to sell your home
and we give you a seller service guarantee!

19.  Do you offer help with home staging and vendors?

Most Realtors who have been in the business for any length
of time have a list of vendors they like to use and refer people to.  Many of them have home staging designations
as well.  Even if they don’t have home
staging designations, they should be able to tell you what needs to be done to
make the home more appealing to buyers.

20.  Are you available and can you hold a deal together?

Basically, you want to know that you can reach your Realtor
when you need to get in touch with him or her.
If they are a part time Realtor, they may not be available during the
day.  And if they’re not good negotiators
they might not be able to keep the deal together for you.  You want a Realtor you can talk to when you
need them and who can find their way around deal breaking problems.
To see the previous Top 10 Questions a Seller Should Ask
their Realtor, visit http://rrea.com/blog/top-20-things-to-look-for-in-a-realtor-brokerage-part-i
.  Whenever you are ready to sell your
home, use this as a guide to help you choose the best Realtor for your selling
needs.  You can call our office at
281.288.3500 to speak to one of our highly trained Realtors that would love to
help you sell your property.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 84973368 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

Started in 1973, Grogan’s Mill is the original village of The Woodlands which is nestled within the towering trees and located in the front of the community.  Located on the North side of Houston with easy access to I45, the Woodlands has long been a favorite area for people looking for exemplary schools, beautiful wooded surroundings, and an atmosphere and environment that is second to none.

 Grogans Mill offers abundant walking trails and parks, fishing ponds, local swimming pools, and a village shopping center offering grocery stores, banks, restaurants, and other neighborhood services.  One of the most appealing aspects of this area is that residents can find everything they need within 10 to 15 minutes of where they live, and never actually leave the Woodlands!

The scenic Millbend Loop is a great place for a morning walk with the dogs or jog to start the day off right.  This village is also home of The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center with its popular attraction the “Forest Oasis Waterscape.”  You will also find two golf courses, The Oaks and The Tournament Course, which are part of The Woodlands Country Club and are located in Grogan’s Mill.

Children who live in Grogan’s Mill will attend either Hailey or Lamar Elementary, Wilkerson Intermediate then graduate to Knox Junior High.  Depending on which section of the village you live in will determine which school you are zoned for. Most of the high school students attend The Woodlands College Park High School.

 Being such a desirable area has meant home prices remain largely unaffected by the overall housing market, maintaining and growing in value year after year.  In the first quarter of 2011 there have been 39 homes sold in Grogans Mill with an average sales price of $209,000 and size of 2300 square feet. Demand means that homes sell quickly, and for close to the listing price asked. Overall time on the market is just under 3 months, with well priced properties moving even more rapidly.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Grogans Mill Village or the Woodlands in general, call Krista Wright at 832-585-3035.

Showing properties 1 - 1 of 1. See more Homes for Sale in Grogans Mill.
(all data current as of 2/10/2012)

1. $1,800 : 7 Roserush, The Woodlands
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 2,048 sq ft

   Year built: 1978

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 74

   Listed with Tamborrel Properties

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

I recently read an article about ways to save water and I like the ideas given.  I hope this will be informative for you and your household.  The following information was found in a printed article, but their online resource is at the  bottom of this article.

Most household water leaks occur in toilets, so you might check them first.  In one day, a leaking toilet tank can waste up to 200 gallons of water and cost you about 62 cents.  That adds up to $18.60 per month!

 To check for a leaking toilet, first…flush it.  Then put enough drops of food coloring in the tank to color the water.  Do not flush the toilet again for at least an hour.  If the water in the bowl of the toilet shows the coloring, there is a leak.

 Water faucets, inside and outside of the house, can also leak undetected.  Even the smallest drip can waste up to 20 gallons per day.  That’s about 6 cents per day, $1.83 per month, and $21.96 per year!

 In most cases, a leaking faucet is caused by a worn washer or “O” ring, and they are not difficult to replace.

 Once the source of the leak is discovered, fix it!  Every day a leak continues, valuable water and money disappear right down the drain.

Learn more at SaveWaterTexas.com .

 Selling your home can cause potential anxiety about your personal privacy.  With your doors open to a nearly constant stream of strangers through your home, you may worry that your personal information is at risk.  Protecting your personal information is a top priority.  Here are a few tips for protecting your privacy while your home is on the market.

 Ask Your REALTOR® To Accompany Potential Buyers And Other People Entering Your Home

 Some REALTORS® allow buyers to walk through the property on their own.  If you are concerned with allowing strangers to tour your home unaccompanied, let your agent know ahead of time.

 Remove Your Mail And Financial Information 

 Don’t leave mail sitting out.  You don’t want your personal information made public, and you would be surprised what thieves can use to steal your identity.  Also remove all checkbooks and banks statements and place them in a secure filing cabinet or lockbox.

 Remove Personal Effects

 From diplomas to wedding photos, don’t provide potential buyers with any personal information about yourself or your family.  Depersonalizing is also an important part of successfully staging your home for sale, so removing these things will allow you to accomplish two things at once.

 Don’t Leave Your Computer On During Showings

 A professional identity thief can access personal information from your computer in only a few moments, so shut your computer off before buyers arrive.

 These simple tips can keep your privacy secure while selling your home.