Increase Curb Appeal on a Budget

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Adding curb appeal on a budget can be easier than you think. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make the front of your house look polished and inviting.

One of the first things you should always do is clean up. Clean those sidewalks, pull weeds, and consider power washing your sidewalks.

Fresh paint around the door can actually add a lot of pop to your property. You especially want your front door and doorframe to look nice. Revisit how your house numbers are displayed on the property. Sometimes repainting them the same color as the doorframe can make them pop.

Usually, most people don’t pay attention to lighting at the front of the house. Get some more modern light fixtures and make sure they really stand out.

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Repaint the front door to make the property pop.

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Adding some patio furniture can make your home look very appealing. A couple of cleverly-placed chairs and a table with a flower on it can upgrade your patio while creating a warm, homey feeling.

Other small things you can do include upgrading the mailbox and planting trees, shrubs, or fresh flowers. Plants always make a house look beautiful. If you do plant a few things, be sure to use mulch, the forgiver of all sins. Mulch will make your flowerbeds look beautiful. Also, consider building a bench underneath your tree or installing flower boxes.

Finally, if there are any eyesores on the property, like a big, green electrical box, plant some shrubs around it to keep things looking nice.

If you have any questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Who Do San Antonio Real Estate Agents Work For?

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Today I am here to answer the question, “Who does the real estate agent work for in San Antonio?” This is a great question, and it’s actually covered by a disclosure in Texas called the Information About Brokerage Services. It’s one of my favorite documents in the real estate library, and I’m going to take just a few minutes today to go over it with you.

The Information About Brokerage Services disclosure simply describes how brokers work. In Texas, we are very pro-consumer, and don’t want people to get taken advantage of at all. Any time you have a substantial conversation with an agent, they should present that information to you.

The first thing this disclosure states is that brokers can represent the seller. When you see a yard sign with an agent’s name on it, that agent represents the seller. That means they have a fiduciary duty to the seller, and have to work diligently and competently, as well as negotiate on their behalf and disclose any information that the buyer gives to them.

If a buyer calls that sign and speaks to the listing agent, they are putting themselves in a bad spot. The agent will get all the buyer’s information and can then go give that to the seller. The buyer is giving up their negotiating rights by speaking with the seller’s agent.

Now, in Texas, brokers can also represent buyers. When they do, they need to have a signed agreement stating so. In most states, the seller’s commission to the agent actually pays for the buyer agent’s commission as well. Most of the times as a buyer, you won’t have to pay them!

Finally, brokers can also work as intermediaries between a buyer and a seller. In San Antonio, Keller Williams has about 1,600 agents in 3 different brokerages. It’s very possible that 1 KW agent will be on the listing side, and another KW agent will be on the buying side. An intermediary can’t disclose any confidential info, and everyone has to be treated fairly. Everything is confidential and separated with an intermediary. However, if something is required to be disclosed by law, such as a bankruptcy or foreclosure, they have to disclose it.

When choosing a broker to represent you, make sure you know who is being paid by whom. It’s clearly outlined in the both the buyer representation agreement as well as the listing agreement.

I hope that demystifies the question for you a bit. If you have any questions at all for me, don’t hesitate to reach out and give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you!

Can You Buy and Sell Your San Antonio Home All at Once?

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People have been buying and selling a home at the same time for many years. However, the process changed on October 3rd. The new TRID laws have made it more difficult to buy and sell a home simultaneously. It may take some serious navigating, but it can still be done. 

If you're selling and buying a new home from a builder, those transactions can happen at the same time. Sometimes, you can even close on the same day. Builders will often let you out of buying the property if your home sale falls through for some reason.

If you're selling your home and buying a pre-owned home, that can be a little bit trickier. If you try to overlap those transactions and something goes wrong on the sale of your home, you're still stuck buying the other home. Most people cannot handle owning two homes at once.

We overlap the sale with a lease back. This takes some serious navigating and a clear understanding of contracts and the transaction timelines to make sure everything works out for you. Basically, you lease back the home from the buyer. This saves you from finding temporary housing and moving twice.

The problem with a leaseback is that most sellers don't want any contingencies. If you can only buy a home once your home sells, it may make your offer less attractive to sellers.

When you're leasing back your home, you do pay rent to the buyer. The rent is based on the mortgage rate, and you pay the rent at closing. You also have to put down a deposit. Just like any other rental deposit, you should get your money back as long as there is no damage to the property.

However, some buyers don't return the deposit to you. You need to work with a Realtor who knows how to line things up perfectly and has systems in place to get that deposit back.

Ultimately, buying and selling at the same time might be tricky, but with the right Realtor, it can be done. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

When Should You Buy or Sell in San Antonio?

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Throughout the year, many people ask me, "When is the best time to buy or sell a home?" As I talk with people in the area, I've found that most of them think houses sell well in April, May, June, and July, but not during the rest of the year.

However, when I actually tracked the number of homes listed on the market and the number of homes sold each month, the market looks quite a bit different. At any point in the year, 18% to 20% of the homes available on the San Antonio market are actually selling. That's not a wide deviation. Contrary to popular belief, homes sell every month of the year here.

Now, 700 more homes sold in June than sold in January, but there were also 2,000 more houses for sale in June! Sellers have less competition in the fall and winter than they do in the spring and summer. In fact, buyers are a lot more serious in the fall and winter. In spring, people just look at houses because maybe someday they want to buy one. In the fall and winter, buyers are looking for a place to live now.

As far as my own team goes, we have a policy that people cannot have extra time off during May, June, and December because so many houses sell in those months. Around Thanksgiving, people get nostalgic. They want to own a home of their own for their families, so they go out and get one!

If you're hesitant about selling during the holiday season, remember that the seller has the freedom to restrict showings. If your family is coming in town for the holidays, you can absolutely suspend showings until everything has settled down again.

Another thing for sellers to keep in mind is that January is one of the highest relocation and transfer months for the military during the year. You can't catch those buyers if you are not on the market. Waiting for spring or summer to list your home means missing out on this pocket of very motivated buyers.

One final thing to consider is that while there are fewer showings in the fall and winter, the showings you do have will give serious prospects a chance to see your home. You can sell your home in the winter, and then find your next home in the spring, when you have more homes to choose from.

That said, ultimately, the best time to buy or sell is whenever it is the best time for you. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

Our Top 6 Upgrades to Transform Your San Antonio Home

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Lots of people tell me that it's not the time for them to buy or sell a home, but they just get tired of their current home. Here are six ways to upgrade your home right now.

The first way to spruce up your home is to declutter. We accumulate so many things; every surface of your house is probably covered with things you don't have time to put away, and you're probably done with all of it. Take the time to get rid of the things that you're not really fond of.

The second thing is to clean. There's nothing like a good spring cleaning in the middle of the fall, especially if you didn't have time for it in the spring. Clean out everything. Nothing feels better than a good clean house. If you don't have time to do that, treat yourself and hire someone to do it for you. You will feel so much better when you come home.

Add or rearrange lighting fixtures. Sometimes, the way the lights were installed when the house was built just doesn't work for you. Save up a little money and move some of those lights around. You could also upgrade the light fixtures. A lot of older homes have silver light fixtures. Upgrading to brushed bronze can make your home feel more modern.

While you're at it, go ahead and upgrade the home's hardware. That includes the hardware on the doors as well as sink and plumbing fixtures. Get them all to match and it will look like you have a new home.

Another thing you can do is repaint. Gray paint is a big trend lately. If you don't want to change your flooring and your flooring is tan, keep tan or taupe walls. That with white trim will make your house feel fresh and new.

Focus on decor. You can find so many good things to put on your wall and make your home seem more modern.

Those are our top six upgrades, but we'll throw a seventh one in for free: fresh flowers. Having a vase with fresh cut flowers always makes a house look good. You even feel better with flowers in the house. Your guests might think you did it for them, but it's actually a good thing to do for yourself.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me. I would be happy to help you!

Get the Most Showings for Your Home

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Today, we'll discuss how to get the most showings possible. Sometimes, sellers sabotage their own listing by not providing easy access for agents to show the property. There are three different types of showings:

• Go-and-show - This is usually for vacant properties.
• Courtesy call - This showing is used when the owners still live in the home.
• Appointment - This is also an option for owner-occupied homes.

Most agents will schedule a buyer appointment for a certain timeframe, say between 1:00 and 3:00. The rest of their day is usually dedicated to other aspects of the real estate business. If you say no, then they will probably skip your house. Also, if the agent gives you a specific timeframe, they have already mapped out a route in your neighborhood. Again, if you cannot make that timeframe work, they will probably skip your home.

The courtesy call is the best way to have an easy showing process. The agent calls an hour or two in advance. If you are flexible with your time, this is a great option for you. Appointments are also great for pet owners who need to get the pets out of the home before showings.

If you have any questions about today's video, or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have!