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If you are thinking about selling any Texas realty property, request a Comparative Market Report or Home Evaluation. The CMA will be specific to your property type and area. It will include the prices of similar properties that have recently sold or are currently for sale. Schedule an appointment with a listing specialist to evaluate your property and discuss the marketing strategy that is most advantageous for your property type and area.

Sweat the small stuff. Once furniture is removed from a space, even the slightest imperfections become apparent. Spend extra time fixing up any noticeable damages, repainting and caulking, getting new carpets, pressure washing and fixing up anything in need of repair.

Air it out. It’s amazing how quickly an empty house can begin smelling stale and musty. Before a showing, throw open windows and doors to allow for fresh circulation, and consider some mildly scented candles or air fresheners.

Amp curb appeal. Since the house may be lacking inside in terms of character, make sure the exterior packs a punch. Not only should you clear clutter and debris from your yard, keep grass neat and repair those broken fence posts, but you should also consider planting new flowerbeds, upgrading that tired front walk or even hiring a landscaper.

Consider staging. Even if you have moved all your furniture out, you may want to consider hiring a staging company that offers furniture rental. These professionals can make an empty space into a scene of warmth and comfort. Potential buyers are not just looking for a roof over their head. They are looking for a place to start a new chapter in their life. You want to show them everything your property has to offer. Since vacant homes often sell for considerably less—typically 15-20 percent lower than the asking price—hiring a staging company is usually a solid investment.

If you are thinking about selling any Texas realty property, request a Comparative Market Report or Home Evaluation. The CMA will be specific to your property type and area. It will include the prices of similar properties that have recently sold or are currently for sale. Schedule an appointment with a listing specialist to evaluate your property and discuss the marketing strategy that is most advantageous for your property type and area.

If you are thinking about selling any Texas realty property, request a Comparative Market Report or Home Evaluation. The CMA will be specific to your property type and area. It will include the prices of similar properties that have recently sold or are currently for sale. Schedule an appointment with a listing specialist to evaluate your property and discuss the marketing strategy that is most advantageous for your property type and area.

When it comes to ensuring the home looks, feels and smells clean, 64 percent of homeowners have even gone to extreme measures to rid their homes of pungent odors, such as replacing a rug or carpet (34 percent), purchasing a new trash can (26 percent) or replacing a couch or another piece of furniture (17 percent), according to a survey commissioned by Filtrete Filters from 3M.

But if you’ve become accustomed to the scents of your own home, how can you really know if it’s odor free? Healthy living expert, Building Biologist and author Lisa Beres shares these simple solutions to naturally create and maintain a fresh home:

Kitchen refrigerator: Remove foul odors and stains from leftovers in the fridge by cleaning the drawers and shelves with a homemade cleaning solution. Simply add a few drops of natural dish soap to a bowl of baking soda and stir until it creates a thick paste. Also, store an open box of baking soda inside the fridge to help eliminate odors before they start. Replace it with a fresh box at least every three months.

Candles and air fresheners: Store-bought air fresheners can contain synthetic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, which can irritate eyes, skin and throats, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Instead, create your own air freshener by combining 10 drops of an essential oil — such as lavender or eucalyptus — with two cups of water.

Pests and repellants: Pesky ants and other insects can make their way into your kitchen pantry when they’re on a mission to find food, but dousing them and your kitchen’s surfaces in toxic repellent isn’t a healthy solution for the home or the family. Instead, set a line of coffee grounds, lemon juice, cinnamon or cayenne pepper around doors and windows to create an effective barrier they won’t cross.

Damp towels: Wet towels from a shower, a trip to the gym or a day at the pool can be a breeding ground for mildew to develop if they sit too long without drying. To rid towels of the mildew smell, first wash them once in hot water with a cup or two of white vinegar. Then wash them again with a natural or eco-friendly laundry detergent. Finally, dry the towels in the dryer on high heat. To avoid mildew and associated smells in the future, hang towels up right away to ensure they dry thoroughly.

Source: www.Filtrete.com.

If you are thinking about selling any Texas realty property, request a Comparative Market Report or Home Evaluation. The CMA will be specific to your property type and area. It will include the prices of similar properties that have recently sold or are currently for sale. Schedule an appointment with a listing specialist to evaluate your property and discuss the marketing strategy that is most advantageous for your property type and area.

The real estate market is full of a great variety of homes for potential buyers to choose from. One of the first decisions a potential buyer must consider is their preference for finding an existing home or building a new one. Keeping clarity in this situation means focusing your clients on their needs, budget and lifestyle.

Consider the following:

Aggressive incentives are alluring. The common consumer urge to “never pass up a deal” can blur objective reasoning in this very important decision-making process. But, while many buyers would be good candidates for a brand new home, incentives are just gravy and shouldn’t be a major factor in weighing housing options. There can be more costs and stresses tied to acquiring a new home versus an existing one.

For example, a spike in driving can mean a drain on the wallet. Generally, existing homes are closer to town with better access to jobs, shopping and schools. New construction subdivisions tend to be on the outskirts of town, sometimes with very few of these necessities nearby.

Making a house a home. The feeling of a brand new house can be intoxicating. But once that feeling subsides and the new homeowner begins decorating, the need to start from scratch can be overwhelming. While interior design can be fun, it can turn expensive and stressful.

Buyers can often find an existing home to live in while accomplishing the decorating and/or remodeling changes. And many sellers have already neutralized and made the necessary repairs in order to sell more quickly.

Surprises on actual costs. Existing homes usually cost less per square foot due to escalating land costs in new subdivisions. New homes are often built in outlying areas where the municipalities need to charge higher taxes, as there are fewer families to pay for basic services. Additionally, newer homes are often subject to assessment fees for amenities the family may or may not use.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Owners in a new construction subdivision must be prepared for the daily noise and dust of construction crews, trucks, neighbors moving in, streets changing and traffic increasing.
Home Warranty of America offers peace of mind with comprehensive home warranties for existing homes and even new construction. Offering an HWA home warranty can help homes sell faster. Ask about Green Plus, too, and help your clients become more energy efficient.

Monica O’Neill is marketing manager for Home Warranty of America.

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If you are thinking about selling any Texas realty property, request a Comparative Market Report or Home Evaluation. The CMA will be specific to your property type and area. It will include the prices of similar properties that have recently sold or are currently for sale. Schedule an appointment with a listing specialist to evaluate your property and discuss the marketing strategy that is most advantageous for your property type and area.

Following these tips will put you on the right path toward finding a retirement community that will best meet your needs now and for the long-term.

1. Check the background of the community: Find out who owns and manages the community, as well as the track record of management. Determine whether the community is accredited for meeting high standards in services, operations and finances. Visit http://www.carf.org for a list of accredited communities by state. Review the financial performance of the organization, including any credit ratings the company has received from agencies like Standard & Poor’s or Fitch.

2. Consider future health needs: Retirement communities today offer many amenities and services but not all provide medical care, making another move a possibility should health needs change. Continuing care retirement communities are the only type of senior community that offers independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care on a single campus. Some CCRCs even offer specialized programs such as memory care, home health care, and adult day programs as part of their services.

3. Get detailed information about fees: Learn what all fees do and do not include, when fees are subject to increase and under what conditions. Ask about the average fee increase over the past five years. Consider the financial advantages and disadvantages of the contract options the community offers.

4. Meet with residents and tour the community: Arrange an appointment to tour the community, meet with residents and staff, and to sample the food and the service. Notice if the community is clean, well maintained and secure.

5. Use a services and amenities checklist: Get a complete information packet that includes application for admission, fee schedules, floor plans and the resident contract. Compare each community’s pricing to amenities, programs and services that are important to you.

6. Ask about recreational and social activities: Find out what kind of social, cultural, educational, spiritual and wellness activities are available. Is there an activities director on staff to plan entertainment, events, and trips? Is transportation available?

7. Consider location and find out if there is a waiting list: Is the community located near family, friends, doctor’s office, place of worship, and shopping? Find out if there is a waiting list to move into the community and how it works.

SourceL http://www.actsretirement.org

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1. Know the difference between the replacement cost and the market value. Depending on how much was originally paid for the property, the cost of rebuilding can be higher or lower than the market value. Rebuilding a home is usually cheaper than buying an existing structure unless the original property bought was a foreclosure in which case rebuilding might be more expensive. The key is to accurately determine the cost of rebuilding when finalizing the details on a homeowners insurance policy.

2. Take a home inventory and determine the proper amount of personal property protection. Generally, policies cover 50-75 percent of the replacement value of the house. However, this may not be enough to cover certain valuables such as jewelry, fine art, collections, electronics and other expensive items. A separate rider may be needed and this should be discussed with an agent.

3. Have enough liability protection. This protects a homeowner if they are sued for an injury that takes place on their property. Many policies will even cover a policyholder if an incident happened away from the house. Depending on their assets, some may want to consider an additional umbrella policy if they are worried about ever being sued for an amount in excess of what their coverage offers.

4. Know what is not covered. Carefully study the exclusions section of the homeowners insurance policy. This is important to be aware of so additional coverage can be purchased. For instance, if one lives in an area prone to flooding, they may need to buy additional flood protection.

5. Consider additionally living expenses if ever forced from the dwelling. If a house becomes unlivable due to a flood, earthquake, fire or other disasters, a family will need to pay for living accommodations, may need additional money for food and transportation, and other expenses. This coverage is "additional living expenses" (ALE) and is a benefit that is usually worth about 20 percent of the home’s replacement value. Be aware of the benefits, limitations and exclusion.

When shopping for home insurance quotes, be sure to find a company that is financially stable and has a high customer satisfaction rating. Two resources to check these qualities are A.M. Best for financial strength ratings and J.D. Power and Associates for their annual customer service rankings.

Source: HomeownersInsurance.net