Posts Tagged ‘Buyers’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Is Now A Good Time to Buy?

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

The evening news is grim. The country’s housing market is plummeting, and many analysts believe we have yet to hit rock bottom.

These types of news stories foster a sense of trepidation and concern among most Irving home buyers, and rightly so. Although you may need to proceed with caution in this tumultuous market, it certainly doesn’t mean that you should avoid buying.

Although purchasing a home is an extremely personal decision, and although each individual faces different challenges and obstacles, the fact is, overall, today’s housing market may very well present the perfect opportunity for home buyers.

Let’s look at the facts: interest rates, now at historic lows, are extremely competitive and attractive; there is a great selection of homes on the market from which to choose; and there are plenty of deals to be had.

Many homeowners, facing the potential of having their homes on the market for an extended time, are lowering the prices of their homes and offering very attractive incentives to home buyers. And that’s where you, a qualified home buyer, step in.

Many home buyers in Irving are finding that a home that was, just a few years ago, out of their price range is now within reach, thanks to lower house prices and lower interest rates.

As a buyer in a “buyer’s market,” the ball is in your court, so to speak. Chances are you will have the luxury of finding that perfect Irving home and negotiating a sweet deal in the process.

Before purchasing an Irving home, make sure your credit is strong, your debt is paid down and that you have a large down payment (at least 20 percent) in your back pocket.

Your search for the perfect Irving home can be just around the corner, even in these uncertain times.

Tags: ,
Posted in Buyer Tips | No Comments »

How to Hit the Mark with Furniture Placement

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

The arrangement and placement of your furniture in your Dallas home suits your needs, tastes and desires. Your furniture is placed according to the way you live, not according to what the decorator catalogs show. And that

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Dallas County | No Comments »

Preparing Your Home for Sale

Monday, December 15th, 2008

You hear it all the time

Tags: , ,
Posted in Dallas County | 4 Comments »

Buyer Tips: Talking with the Neighbors before Buying your Dream Home

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Your dream Coppell home has it all: the quaint, picket fence, the brick fireplace, the wooded backyard. All seems well and you’re ready to put in an offer.

But wait! You almost forgot an important part of the home buying process – checking out the neighborhood and the neighbors!

Many home buyers will scout the neighborhood, of course, before deciding if the home is right for them. And this is a smart decision. Some questions to ask yourself:

  • How are the homes in the neighborhood cared for? Is pride of home ownership evident?
  • Is the street busy? Does traffic seem to pick up during certain times of the day? Is traffic noise evident and distracting from inside the home?
  • Is it close to schools, shopping, your place of employment, etc.?

Your inspection of the neighborhood shouldn’t end there. Your potential neighbors can, perhaps, be the best source of information.

Begin by knocking on the neighbors’ doors and asking questions such as:

  • How long have you lived in the neighborhood?
  • What do you like best about living here?
  • Is there anything about this neighborhood you would change if you could?
  • Are there problems with crime or vandalism with the neighborhood?
  • How well are the streets, parks and public areas taken care of? For example, are the streets plowed in a timely manner during snow storms?
  • Is the neighborhood quiet? Do you have any problems with nuisance neighbors?

Your interview with the neighbors will not only provide you with important information about the neighborhood, but also give you a good idea as to how well you will get along with the neighbors. Were the neighbors courteous? Did they take the time to talk with you, or seem annoyed or offended by your questions?

You owe it to yourself to gather all information possible before making the decision to buy a home.

Tags: ,
Posted in Buyer Tips | No Comments »

The Top Five Mistakes Sellers Make When Showing Their Home

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

Creating the right atmosphere and making potential buyers feel comfortable and welcome is essential during a showing. Opening the door, though, is just the first step in a successful showing for your Fort Worth real estate.

Below are the top five mistakes sellers make when showing their home:

1. Being inflexible or difficult about scheduling. Sure, leaving the house at 9am on a Saturday morning (when you’d rather be laying in bed reading the paper) isn’t convenient for most people, but saying no to showings will cost you a potential sale.

It is important to understand that if you are inflexible about scheduling, buyers will simply go onto the next property and will not likely head back to your property at a later time or date. A scheduling conflict is often a missed opportunity for a sale. Remember: be flexible and as accommodating as possible when it comes to showings.

2. Hovering around during the showing. There are no rules regarding leaving during a showing, but most real estate agents will agree that a present homeowner is often a big turn-off for potential buyers.

The bottom line is that most potential buyers feel uncomfortable with a present homeowner and are less likely to spend a fair amount of time in your home. They are also less likely to ask questions to the real estate agent and are certainly less likely to open closets and cabinets. Remember: the best way to sell your house is to leave during a showing.

3. Returning to the house too soon. Just like hovering, a homeowner popping back in the house in the middle of a showing is surely the quickest way to lose a potential sale. If you see cars still in the driveway, just keep driving, and don’t come back until the coast is clear!

4. Not cleaning your home. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it just needs to be mentioned. By all means, take the time to clean the house and tidy up before a showing. Your home will appear a lot less inviting if there are dirty dishes in the sink and dog hair on the carpet.

5. Not taking the pets. When you leave, take your pets with you, if possible. No one wants to be greeted at a showing by a barking, panting, jumping dog. Some people are pet lovers; some are not. Don’t gamble with a potential sale by keeping Fido or Fluffy at the home during a showing. Plan ahead and make arrangements regarding the pets before a showing arrives.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Seller Tips | No Comments »

How to Handle Home Inspection Problems

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Ah, at last. The home inspection on your new Highland Park home is completed and you have just received the engineer

Tags: , ,
Posted in Buyer Tips | 3 Comments »

Seller Tips: What Not to Forget Before your Open House

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

An open house can play a very important role in marketing and selling your Highland Park home. With this in mind, you will want to make sure that every detail has been tended to, and that no stone has been left unturned, so to speak.

Dallas open house

Here are the following tips that every seller should remember before opening their doors for an open house:

  • Don’t forget to clean! That means vacuuming, dusting, clearing the dirty dishes out of the sink, sweeping the floors, making the beds, and cleaning the bathrooms.
  • Don’t forget to clear out the clutter! Remove piles of newspapers and shoes by the front door. Clean up and organize the kids’ toys and put away any mail, bills and catalogs.
  • Don’t forget the home’s entry! Your buyers begin to form their opinion of your home as they walk toward the front door. Is your front entry warm and welcoming, or do unruly weeds and a dying pot of flowers stand out?

Sweep the porch and add a burst of color with potted plants of annuals. Add a wreath to the front door and clean the glass of the storm door.

  • Don’t forget the backyard! Most buyers will want to take a walk through your backyard. Therefore, this is the time to make sure any animal droppings are cleared, and that toys aren’t strewn about the lawn. Sweep off the back porch or deck and make sure the porch furniture is cleaned and nicely arranged. Consider adding more colorful pots of flowers to spruce up this space.
  • Don’t forget the closets! Buyers will look through your closets, whether you like it or not. Are your closets neatly organized, or are they overstuffed and cluttered? A neatly organized closet gives the impression that there is plenty of storage in the home, while a cluttered, messy closet screams lack of space.
  • Don’t forget the windows! If the weather permits, open the windows and let the fresh air and sunshine stream through the home. And by all means, clean the windows so they sparkle! Fresh air and sunshine always help create a welcoming atmosphere.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Seller Tips | No Comments »

Buyer Tips: How to Shop for a Home

Monday, December 1st, 2008

House hunting seems fairly straightforward, right? Show up, check out a few properties and find your dream Fort Worth home…

But it’s not always that easy. Instead, create a game plan and begin your home search in an organized, orderly manner. It will take much of the frustration out of home buying and make it the exciting, positive experience it should be!

The following tips will help you when searching for your piece of Forth Worth real estate:

  1. Make a list of must-haves. Are two, full bathrooms absolutely necessary? Is a two-car garage something you won’t budge on? You can instantly narrow down your search by only visiting those homes which meet your basic criteria.

Now, that doesn’t mean a strict list, either, as this will leave you empty-handed and disappointed. But it should include a fairly narrow price range and a short list of minimums that your home must have.

  1. Once you have your list of must-haves and a budget, you can further refine your list by location. The home of your dreams may not be so dreamy when you’re fighting a tough commute to and from work everyday. Check out the home’s location in terms of its proximity to your children’s school, your work, shopping centers, playgrounds, etc. to determine if it makes the cut.
  2. Once you’ve actually started your home search and made it through the door, you’ll want to get a good idea of the room sizes to determine whether your furniture will fit. You may be extremely disappointed if your antique bedroom set doesn’t come close to fitting into your new bedroom.
  3. Survey the neighborhood to determine if it’s a good fit for you and your family. Is the home located on a busy street? How are the other homes in the neighborhood cared for? Is the neighborhood noisy, or unsafe? No matter how great the home is, it won’t work if the neighborhood isn’t a good fit.

Tags:
Posted in Buyer Tips | No Comments »

Seller Tips: Depersonalizing your Home for a Quick Sale

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

Depersonalizing is a bit like taking off excessive jewelry and leaving just a few, sparkling pieces. You can better focus on the sparkling pieces – in this instance, the home’s features – when the extraneous is removed.

The following tips will guide you when depersonalizing your Highland Park real estate and showing off its best qualities:

  1. Eliminate boldly painted walls and wallpaper. The bright red walls of your living room and the floral wallpaper in your bathroom may be exactly what you envisioned your home to look like, but it may be a bit too specific for the general buying public. The theme throughout this article is “neutral.” You must remain neutral so that you can appeal to a larger audience. And that includes wall colors and wall coverings.
  2. Eliminate excess photos. Your wall of photographs in your living room is very special -and very specific – to you. Potential home buyers need to imagine themselves in your home, and that may be a bit hard to accomplish when a wall of your family photos stares them in the face. A few family photos can be kept, as they give the home a warm, welcoming feeling. It is best, however, to eliminate the majority of personal photographs before showing your home.
  3. Eliminate religious items. Once again, potential home buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, and your personal, religious items may not reflect their religious beliefs. Therefore, it is in your best interest to remove any items with religious meaning.
  4. Eliminate your collection of knick knacks. Your Elvis plate collection may be your pride and joy, but the only thing it will do is detract from the home’s features. Eliminating personal items not only depersonalizes your home, but also eliminates excess clutter, as well.
  5. Clean up the toys and pet items. These items can easily distract a buyer from the home’s features, and quickly clutter any room. Hide and/or neatly organize toys to eliminate this problem.

Tags: ,
Posted in Seller Tips | No Comments »

Home Buyer Tips: Preparing to Buy Your First Home

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Congratulations! You’ve finally decided to make the leap from a renter to a home buyer! This time in your life can be exciting – and for good reason. Owning a piece of Highland Park real estate is one of the best financial decisions you can make.

In order to ensure that the process of purchasing your first home goes smoothly, and that you are prepared – both financially and mentally – for the process, there are a few steps you should take before attending your first open house:

  1. Contact a lender – Ask friends, family or your real estate agent for referrals, and research the interest rates for lenders in your area. Once you have chosen a lender, you can then begin by researching your options. This usually includes getting a copy of your credit report and clearing up any problems.

A lender will then help you figure out how much money you can afford to spend on a home. They will ask for information regarding your income, debts and savings, and will use this information to give you a clear idea regarding on how much home you can afford.

  1. Once your finances are in order, a lender will then “pre-approve” you for a mortgage. This will allow you to search for homes in your price range, and will also give you leverage with the seller when submitting an offer for a home. In other words, if two offers are submitted, and one buyer has been preapproved, they will likely accept this offer over one that does not have a preapproval letter from their lender.
  2. Narrow down your choices. Decide what you want in a home and then focus on homes which meet those criteria. Looking at homes which are either out of your price range or do not meet your criteria will simply exhaust you and prolong the process of finding your perfect home.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Buyer Tips | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »