There are, at any time, a plethora of fantastic housing choices in the housing market. However, what can you really tell from first-sight? Is the home you want the home you are really getting?

It may be quite frightening for a home buyer to purchase a home out of fear of the unknown. In short, how do you know the property’s condition, and when and where do you get the chance to really learn about the condition of the property?

Luckily, you have quite a few opportunities to inspect a home in the Southlake housing market before you sign on the dotted line. In fact, you have a number of opportunities to raise questions and concerns – and to back out of the deal, if necessary – before you close the deal:

• Most homes that are sold in the United States, including homes sold in the Southlake housing market, must have a disclosure. A disclosure statement, which should be made available to you the moment you view the home, is the seller’s chance to disclose any and all problems or adverse conditions about the home. The disclosure is a legal document; therefore, the sellers can be held responsible for all problems with the home that they did not disclose. It is important to point out, however, that bank-owned homes for sale do not need a disclosure, as these types of sales are often completed sight-unseen.
• Your buyer contract should include some type of language that lets the sellers know that you expect to receive the home in a certain condition, with certain, minimum standards met. This will protect you should the homeowners decide to leave all of their trash behind, for example.
• The home inspection is generally the time for buyers to really get an idea of what kind of condition the home is in. It is always best to seek the advice of a professional home inspector, even when purchasing a new home, as there may be any number of things that are wrong with the home that just aren’t visible.
• Finally, you should choose to do a final walk-through before the transaction is complete. Generally, the final walk-through is done on the day of the closing, although this can vary slightly. This is your chance to point out anything to your real estate agent that you didn’t notice about the house. Any problems found at the final walk-through are generally discussed before the closing takes place.

Selling your home can be a challenging experience, make no mistake about it. However, for parents with small children, selling their home can take on a whole new level of stress.

In short, you must make sure that your property looks its best at any given moment. So, how can you do this when you have small children running around?

The following checklist will help you prepare to sell your Plano home when you have small children:

1. Store what your kids aren’t using right now – If you’re like most families, your children really only play with a certain number of toys at any give time. Therefore, it pays to take the time to sort through your children’s toys and store or sell toys that they no longer play with or that they haven’t played with recently. Now is a great time to have a garage sale to sell all of that unused baby equipment or all those neglected toys!
2. Get organized – One of the last things your buyers want to see when they walk through the door is a mound of toys overtaking the living room. A great solution to this problem is to purchase a number of attractive looking bins or baskets that can store your kids’ toys while also looking attractive. Baskets and bins are also a great way to make quick work out of toy clean-up everyday.
3. Get the kids involved – Now is a great time to enlist the help of your children to keep their toys picked up and to develop positive attitudes about taking care of their belongings. Make a nightly routine out of working with your kids to clean up all toys before they go to bed. This will help keep things organized while also teaching your children the value of responsible behavior.
4. Hide toys before showings and open houses – Your last line of defense when it comes to toys is simply to hide them before potential buyers arrive. A hall closet, under the bed or behind the couch are all great last-minute hiding places.

Does the thought of selling your home simply overwhelm you? Does the mere suggestion of t he home selling process make you break out in a cold sweat?

If so, you’re not alone! However, the home selling process doesn’t have to be grueling, provided you know what to do -and perhaps more importantly, what not to do.

Although each home selling experience will be unique, there are a number of mistakes to avoid at all costs. Here are our top three mistakes every seller should avoid:

1. Not being flexible when it comes to showing your home or negotiating - In order to compete in today’s real estate market, you must be a flexible seller. If you prove to be difficult to work with or inflexible, don’t expect buyers to be knocking down your door with offers. Although it may be annoying or inconvenient to leave the home every time a buyer wants to view the home, it is necessary if you want to sell your Fort Worth home. Likewise, if a buyer puts in an offer that you feel is entirely too low, avoid simply rejecting the offer. Instead, counter offer to keep the lines of communication open.
2. Setting the price at what you want to sell the home for, not what the home is worth – We all think our homes are fantastic; however, we can’t use this level of thinking to sell our home; otherwise, we will likely not sell it. Instead, pay close attention to the local real estate industry and work with your real estate agent to develop a competitive pricing strategy.
3. Not taking the time to get your home in showing condition – Because buyers in today’s market generally have many homes from which to choose at any given time, they expect the home they purchase to be in move-in condition. In other words, if you expect your home to compete in today’s market, you better make sure that the home is spotless; that updates have been made; and that repairs have been made. You may also want to pay close attention to how you stage the home, as this can play a big part when it comes to getting that quick sale.

Fort Worth luxury neighborhoods have experienced a bit of difficulty over the last year because of the sour housing market felt throughout the country. The good news is that the market is picking up rather briskly, thereby allowing luxury homeowners to finally begin selling their homes. The bad news is that there still remains quite a bit of homes on the market in Fort Worth luxury neighborhoods.

However, instead of viewing this fact as a roadblock, consider it your chance to show home buyers why your Fort Worth luxury homes stands out among the crowd; and in order to do this, you will need to make sure that your home is near perfect and that even the smallest details have been addressed.

A recent article found in the US News & World Report showcased the things homeowners can do to sell their homes faster. So, if you own a luxury home in one of Fort Worth luxury neighborhoods, consider addressing the following:

• Improve first impressions - We all know about first impressions and how important they are when selling our home, but when was the last time you really looked at your home’s first impressions? Now may be the time to freshen up such areas as your landscape, your front door and your front entry. After all, if you impress your buyers from the beginning, you will have a much better chance of selling your home.
• Clean up the landscaping – A beautiful array of lawns are showcased throughout many of the Fort Worth luxury neighborhoods, so it pays to consider paying a professional landscaper to either freshen up what you already have or add some new landscaping. Remember: beautiful landscaping will make your home instantly more attractive!
• Paint the interior - Even though the walls of your home suit your taste, they may not suit the tastes of your buyers. Therefore, one of the best things you can do is put a fresh coat of paint on all your interior walls. Choose warm, neutral colors that will attract a variety of buyers and make your home feel more welcoming.