How is the July Housing Market in Central Texas?

Hello from the Shine Team!

We’ve had great sales in May! In fact, this May was higher than both those in 2011 and 2012. The entire market has been moving forward.

What used to be a buyers’ market is now a normal market in our area. Sales have increased across the board, which is great news for sellers in central Texas!

The average-days-on market is 141. Now, keep in mind that is market-wide, meaning it groups together all price ranges and all neighborhoods. That number is dropping! We are expecting a great summer!

Give me a call at 254-690-4321 and the Shine Team can help you buy or sell your home!

5 Things to Do Before You Move In

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Moving into a new home can be an extremely exciting time in a person’s life.  However, it can also be incredibly hectic.  There are some things that can be placed on the back burner during the move in process.  With these five easy tips on moving into a new home, you can be sure to have your home as safe and cost efficient as possible.

Spray for Bugs
Right when you get your keys, before you start moving in furniture, have an exterminator come out to your property and spray for bugs. A thorough spray before you move in will save you the hassle of clearing everything out for the exterminator at a later time. Make sure you are the only tenants of your new property and that there are no pesky pests sticking around!

Change the Locks
At closing time, the seller of a house turns over the keys to the new owners.  Many times, though, the previous owner will have given a spare key to a friend or neighbor in case of emergency.  Enlist a locksmith to come to the house and change all of the locks and get new keys made.  This final transition from one owner to the next will give the new homeowner peace of mind. 

Reprogram Your Garage Door Remote
Along with changing the locks of your home, reprograming your garage door remote will ensure the safety of your house.  Depending on the brand of remote, steps in reprograming it may differ, but the process is simple for nearly all brands.  Most remotes have a “Learn” button, which you must hold until the indicator light blinks.  While the indicator light blinks, press the button on your remote.  This should reprogram your garage door opener remote.  If this does not work, contact your remote manufacturer or local hardware store for assistance. 

Change Your Home’s Air Filters
Most air filter manufacturers recommend that you change the HVAC air filters once every month. Due to the increased amount of activity of moving furniture in and out of the house, a larger concentration of dust will collect in the ventilation system.   In order to improve the air quality in your home and increase heating and cooling efficiency, make sure you change your air filters right when you move in.

Install New Batteries in Smoke Alarms
When a person is selling their home, there are many different procedures they must do to ensure that it is ready for sale.  Often times, during the stress of the home selling process, the smoke alarms are forgotten about.  Ensure the safety of your home and family by changing the batteries in the smoke detectors when you move into a new house.  This cheap and quick home improvement has the potential to save your family’s life.

Sellers Have a Lot More Than Sale Price to Consider When Negotiating a Contract

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When an offer comes in on a property, most homeowners naturally gravitate to the sale price and consider whether that is an acceptable amount or not. But purchase agreements have a lot more to them than just price. Here are other factors that we consider when looking over an offer received on your property for sale.

Dates, Times and Possession Windows

One of the most overlooked items on a contract that sellers neglect to review thoroughly is the date range of when the buyer will take possession. Depending on the area and corresponding Realtors’ Board, there will be a place on a typical contract that outlines a closing date range. With today’s changing marketplace, it’s important to review whether those dates match up with your needs as a seller.

Other important dates to look at include the date by which the buyer promises to have their loan approval done by (also known as “loan approval date”) and also the number of days within which the buyer must complete all inspections and other investigations.

Mortgage, Sale or Inspection Contingencies

Many buyers place contingencies on their offer; some more standard such as inspection or mortgage contingencies and others like a grant contingency. It is critical to carefully review each aspect of an offer for these items that could later become a caveat to the process and result in a transaction that falls through. Down payment assistance programs are a good example of a less-than-perfect offer since the buyer is stating they will not buy your home unless they receive that assistance.

When there are multiple offers at hand, these things will be the factors that will make one offer much stronger than another.

Items That May or May Not Be Included in the Sale

Oftentimes agents do not realize there may be some reserved items on an MLS listing and those items can get left onto a contract. For example, some homeowners prefer to take their water softener with them and may choose to reserve that item. Unless it’s written in the contract, buyers could end up with the item if it is not addressed in the contract. This also holds true for things like window treatments, pool accessories and even rose bushes!

Local Marketplace Statistics and List-to-Sale Ratios

A good agent will carefully consider recent comparable properties to evaluate market activity in your neighborhood and compare the offer price to other homes also being sold nearby. List-to-sale ratios are also important to look at; are homes in the area selling at or close to the listing price or are there other trends that seem to be shaping up the market locally?
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When you work with the Shine Team, you’ll be comforted to know that we go through these and many other aspects of your contract to make sure you are getting the most for the sale of your home. To us, it’s not just about price either. We need to be sure that the experience is as comfortable and hassle-free for you as possible! We invite you to contact us today if you’d like to list your home with us or for any other real estate needs you may have.

Have a great Texas day!