8 Steps to Prep For a Home Sale

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It’s the beginning of a new year, and today I’m going to discuss how to prepare your home for sale. We get asked this question quite a bit: What do I need to do to get my home ready to sell? This is an excellent question, and I love to answer it. I’m breaking down a simple game plan so you’ll know what to do to get the most amount of money from your sale. This plan has helped many of our clients, and it can help you too.

Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure: 

0:30: Introduction to today’s topic

1:05: #1- Interview top listing agents

2:25: #2- Fix any deferred maintenance

3:35: #3- Declutter

4:10: #4- Brighten up your home

4:55: #5- What to do if you have pets

5:35: #6- Budget to upgrade

6:15: #7- De-personalize

7:35: #8- Curb appeal—the first impression is key 

8:45: Wrapping up today’s topic

If you’re considering buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we would love the opportunity to work with you. Call us and set up a no obligation consultation. Also, please reach out by phone or email if you have any questions. We would be glad to help. 

How to Hire a High-Quality Realtor

What does it take to find the right agent for your real estate experience? Today we’ll share a five-step guide on how to hire the right Realtor.

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What’s the best way to find (and hire) a high-quality Realtor? Actually, it’s simple. All you need to do is follow these five tips:

1. Check out their online reviews. Any agent can tell you they’re great, but reviews don’t lie. Reviews allow you to see feedback from people who have worked with a given Realtor or team in the past. This can offer valuable insight into what your experience would be like if you chose to hire them.
 

2. “Stalk” them online. Visiting an agent’s social media pages will help you see how this person conducts themselves, in general.

3. Find out if they’re tech-savvy. Unfortunately, not too many agents barely know how to work their cell phones, let alone leverage the latest real estate technology. So check out their website, read their reviews, and study any other materials they’ve made available for signs of their technological competency.
 

4. Ask for proof of their track record. If an agent tells you they’ve sold a certain number of homes in the past 12 months, for instance, ask them to prove it. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average real estate agent sells 11 houses or fewer in a given year. Here on the Good Team, we sell well over 200, and we’d be happy to prove it to you.
 

5. Ask how they plan to market your home. The right agent is one who will be proactive, rather than simply placing a sign in your yard and praying that your property sells. They must have systems and strategies in place to expose as many buyers as possible to your home.

Any agent can tell you they’re great, but reviews don’t lie.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious about how we can serve your real estate needs, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

You Don’t Have to Work With an iBuyer to Sell Your Home Fast

iBuyer companies have become increasingly common in our market, but this supposedly convenient way to sell is actually more trouble than it's worth.

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You’ve probably heard of companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, which claim to offer a fast and convenient alternative to the traditional home selling experience. However, is working with one of these “iBuyer” companies really the best way to go about selling your property?

Actually, there are some significant drawbacks to this arrangement. 

One of the most obvious disadvantages is that you’ll earn less for your home. These companies use automatic valuation tools, like the one behind Zillow’s highly inaccurate Zestimate feature, to determine the price they’ll pay for your home. Usually, this figure is between 10% and 20% below your home’s fair market value.

So why would anyone work with an iBuyer? Well, in fairness, selling outright to one of these companies can be a more expedient option than listing on the open market. Sellers in urgent need of a fast sale may look to iBuyers as a convenient solution.

At the end of the day, iBuyer companies are nothing more than glorified house flippers.

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This sounds great in theory, but there is a catch. Even if an iBuyer’s initial offer seems reasonable at first, you’ll find that they compensate for this by charging a 6% to 13% “convenience” fee. In other words, not only do iBuyers offer less than you could earn by listing with an agent, they also charge more than a typical Realtor’s commission.

To give you an example, take the story of one of my past clients. This client had a home worth approximately $325,000. The iBuyer company they were thinking of working with came in with an initial offer of $318,000, which, at first, my client was thrilled about. It was only when they noticed the fine print in their contract that they learned this is not the figure they would ultimately earn. Not only was the iBuyer going to charge them a 7.5% convenience fee, but they were also going to knock the price down based on issues found in the home inspection. When all was said and done, this would have amounted to a $33,000 reduction from the initial offer price.

At the end of the day, iBuyer companies are nothing more than glorified house flippers. If you truly want a fast, convenient deal, then reach out to my team and me about our guaranteed home sale program. Essentially, we guarantee we’ll sell your home in 39 days or less, or we’ll buy your property ourselves. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Upgrades Will Bring the Most Value to Your Home?

Before selling your home, it might be necessary to make a few improvements. Here’s where you should be spending your money.

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I recently sat down to answer a few common questions I’ve been hearing as we head into the busy season of the year.

We’re really seeing buyer demand pick up in the last few weeks, especially in the first-time buyer market. We’re also getting a lot of feedback from our buyers that they really prefer a move-in ready home and they’re willing to wait even if they can’t find one right away.

Because of that, we wanted to go through a few ideas for updating your home if you’re thinking of selling it soon.

The first thing that works well is bringing more light in. You can do this through lightening up the paint colors of your walls and ceilings, cleaning your windows, and throwing open the drapes.

Buyers also want to see updated kitchens. New counters, backsplash, and stainless steel appliances are also worthy of your consideration. Just one new stainless steel appliance in the kitchen can do the trick.

Buyers want uniform flooring.

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As far as the bathroom is concerned, you should probably make some updates there too. Changing out the vanity is a good idea, as is modernizing the light fixtures and mirrors. A simple wood-framed mirror can work wonders. A frameless glass shower is also considered an upgrade over the standard bath and shower. Buyers really want the upgraded bathroom look.

Having one style of flooring throughout the home is also huge. Buyers don’t like having different floorings in each room. They want more of a uniform look. Either hardwood floor throughout, or hardwood and carpet just in the bedrooms.

Finally, spend some time on your curb appeal. Trim those bushes, replace any faulty door knockers or handles, and repaint and recaulk around the windows in your home. Having great curb appeal gives buyers greater confidence that the home is taken care of.

If you have any questions for me in the meantime about preparing your home for sale or about anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Net the Most Possible on Your Home Sale

How can you make the most money from your home sale? Here’s what I recommend.

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Now that the spring selling season is at our door, a lot of sellers have been reaching out to me to find out how they can net the most on their upcoming home sales. Today I’ll be giving you an in-depth look at what you’ll need to do in order to have a show-ready home that will sell for top dollar in our market.

For your convenience, I’ve included timestamps of today’s conversation. Feel free to navigate to the section(s) you’re most interested in viewing:

00:05— An introduction to today’s topic
00:53— Homes need to be presentable
01:25— Marketing needs to be done differently
02:22— How our new partner can renovate and update your home
03:45— Which option is best for sellers with out-of-date homes?
06:04— How to find out what works best for you
07:00— How to contact me

If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Sell Your Home in the Spring

Will you be ready for the spring selling frenzy? Here’s how to best prepare.

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Spring is just around the corner, and it’s historically the most active time of the year for home sales. Therefore, the time to prepare is now. If you don’t know where to begin, don’t worry—we have you covered. Today we’ll be sharing the best ways to ensure your home is ready to sell for top dollar this spring.

For your convenience, we’ve included timestamps of our conversation. Feel free to navigate to the section(s) you’re interested in viewing:

00:06— Introduction to today’s topic: how to sell in spring
00:55— Selling in winter versus selling in spring
01:26— Information about our upcoming Date Night event
02:30— What you should be doing right now to prepare for a spring listing
04:13— Should you sell first and then buy your next home, or buy first and then sell?
07:01— Strategies and steps for buying/selling this spring
08:27— How to reach out to the Good Home Team
09:20— A recap on the upcoming Date Night event on February 12
10:13— Conclusion to our conversation

If you’re looking to buy or sell this spring, have any questions, or need further information, feel free to call 972-215-7653, email Nick@GoodsHomes.com, or visit our website at TheGoodHomeTeam.com. In the meantime, we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Overpricing Your Home Will Keep Buyers From Buying It

Now that our market is shifting and inventory is increasing, you need to avoid overpricing your home when putting it on the market.

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Why is pricing your home correctly imperative in our current market?

As our market shifts, we’re starting to see more inventory accumulate. In Collin County, for instance, inventory is up 32% compared to this time last year. With more homes on the market, competition among sellers has increased.

If you price your home at market value, you’ll attract roughly 60% of all buyers in your price range. If you overprice it by 10%, you’ll attract just 30% of the buyers in your price range. If you overprice it by 15%, you’ll only attract 10% of the buyers in your price range.

Your home should not only be priced correctly, but it should be show-ready as well.

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If you want to price your home correctly, work with an agent who will show you what comparable homes are selling for and prepare you for what’s coming down the pipeline. Rising interest rates are shrinking the buyer pool and forcing many buyers into lower price brackets, which means your home should not only be priced correctly, but it should be show-ready as well.

If you’d like to talk more about how to price your home correctly or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. My team and I would be happy to help you. 

We Won’t Hold You Hostage Like Some Other Agents

A lot of agents are holding their clients hostage out there. We’ll never do that, and our easy exit agreement ensures that.

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If you’re going to hire an agent today, do you think that agent will hold you hostage as a client? The reason I bring this up is that we recently spoke with a homeowner who wanted to hire us to get their home sold. However, they were listed with another real estate agent at the time. We let them know that they would have to terminate their current agreement before hiring us.

When they went back to their agent and tried to get out of their agreement, the agent demanded a $500 termination fee, as well as a 2% commission. The agent was asking to get paid off work they couldn’t even get done, for whatever crazy reason.

We see this kind of thing happen a lot to innocent homeowners. Agents continue to put termination and cancellation fees in their agreements. But why?

If you were to hire our team to help you sell your home, you get our easy-exit agreement. It’s essentially a "get out of jail free" card. If you hire us, you can cancel our contract at any time if you are unhappy for whatever reason. You just have to give us 48-hours written notice. No cancellation fees, no termination fees.

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You can cancel our listing contract at any time for any reason.

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We put our skin in the game to ensure that we’re giving you the best service possible whether you’re buying or selling a home. Our goal is to help you reach your real estate goals without compromise.

If you have any questions for us or you’re interested in buying or selling a home with us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The Best Time to List Is...

When should you list your home? Let’s look over some recent data regarding this common question.

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People often ask me, “When’s the best month and the best day to list your home?”

Well, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, selling your home in the month of May tends to earn the seller 5.9% over the estimated market value.  This is higher than what sellers tend to earn in any other month.  

As for what day you should list your property, it depends on your goals. 

Wednesday is typically the best day to list your home if you want to sell for more money. A 2017 Redfin study that examined 100,000 different home sales found that homes listed on a Wednesday sold for $2,023 more than properties listed on a Sunday.

If selling faster is your goal, though, it’s better to list on a Thursday. According to that same Redfin study, homes listed on Thursdays tend to sell five days faster than those listed on Sundays. Homes listed on a Thursday also have a greater probability of selling within a 90- to 180-day time frame. 

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Wednesday is typically the best day to list your home if you want to sell for more money.

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Ultimately, now is a great time to list your home on the market, get it staged, and sell it for top dollar. 

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Or, if you are interested in listing in this prime month, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

4 Tips For Springtime Home Sellers

If you’re preparing to sell your home in the near future, use these four tips to make your sale successful and profitable.

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Sellers: Are you prepared for the spring market? I have some tips to set you up for success if you’re selling this spring.

1. Know the market. It’s essential to work with the right real estate professionals and experts in the industry who know what’s happening in today’s market. Right now, we are starting to see inventory levels increase, meaning that the amount of competition that you as a seller will have is also increasing.

When that happens, we start to see a lot more competitive pricing and price reductions. Buyers are coming in and lowballing sellers, so it’s essential to partner up with the right real estate agent who will price your home correctly from the get-go and get your listing maximum exposure.

2. Get started early. With inventory levels increasing, it means more competition for you as a seller, which can lead to pricing wars. It is crucial and beneficial to get your home on the market sooner rather than later. The majority of homes will enter the market closer to the summer months, so jumping in now will allow you to beat your competition and sell your home faster and for a higher price. 

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It is crucial and beneficial to get your home on the market sooner rather than later.

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3. Get your home improvement projects done. First impressions are key, and this will likely help you sell your house faster and for more money. Maintain and update your curb appeal by doing things like adding new mulch, planting flowers, and improving landscaping features. Fresh paint on the exterior as well as updating to neutral paint tones on the interior, such as grays and beiges, are easy updates buyers seek. Fix any broken appliances and service your heating and air conditioning unit. Heating and air units, next to the roof, are the most problematic issues we face when negotiating repairs.

4. Replace worn carpet or scratched flooring. This will definitely help show a buyer that your home is in pristine condition.

If you have any questions about getting your home ready to sell or if you need contractors to help get your home ready for the market, please feel free to reach out to us. We can also help you find out the right pricing for your home. We hope to hear from you soon!

How Home Warranty Coverage Can Attract Buyers

If you’re selling your home in the near future, getting a home warranty can absolutely help you move your property off the market.

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One question we get asked on a regular basis is, “Can getting a home warranty help sell my house?”

The answer to this is yes. Getting a home warranty is absolutely a good idea if you’re going to be selling in the near future.

My team and I work with a company called Nations Home Warranty. They provide warranties on the sale of pre-owned homes just like a builder would on a new construction purpose.

Their warranty covers any major problems that arise with the plumbing, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, water heater, and sometimes even appliances in a pre-owned home for up to one year after purchase. 

They cover single-family homes, townhomes, and condos, typically for a price of around $575. 

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Home warranty coverage provides peace of mind for both you and the buyer.

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A home warranty may sway buyers toward your property. If a buyer is looking at several homes and yours is the only one that they’ve seen offering a home warranty, your listing will definitely stand out. Home warranty coverage also provides peace of mind for both you and the buyer.

If something goes wrong in the home, it can be fixed and replaced by the warranty company with a nominal deductible. When you sell your home with us, one of the benefits is that we can negotiate a free seller’s coverage. 

So, when you’re ready to talk about selling your home, let us help. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

These 3 Upgrades Won’t Get You a Higher Sales Price

If you plan on making upgrades to your home before you put it on the market, there are three improvements that you should avoid.

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What home upgrades will increase your home value? While there are many improvements that will improve the resale value of your home today, I want to go over three that you should avoid. 

1. Adding a pool. You won’t recover the cost to install the pool when it comes time to sell your home. 

2. Custom designs. Just because you like a specific design doesn’t mean potential buyers will. For example, don’t install blue carpeting. Even if you upgrade the type of carpet, buyers still won’t like the color. 

3. Over-improving for the neighborhood. If you are in a $200,000 neighborhood and you remodel with marble, you are not going to recoup that value because it doesn’t match the condition of other homes in the area. You can overspend and lose money on improvements if they don’t line up with the neighborhood. 

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Make sure your upgrades line up with the rest of the neighborhood.

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If you want to sell your home and are curious about which upgrades are worth your while, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Why Are Short Sales Making a Comeback?

Short sales are making a comeback. Here’s what we can do to help.

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Today’s topic is a tough one to talk about. Short sales are making a comeback in Dallas after they were last prominent during the market crash of 2007.

A short sale happens when a homeowner owes more on a property than the property is worth. It could mean that the condition of the home is so poor that it would take more money to repair the home than it’s worth. When homeowners sell short, they are selling their home for less than the loan balance. 

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We are short sale experts

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Common candidates for short sales include people who bought a home at the height of the market, paid more than what the home was worth, or got a bad loan. We are still seeing some of those unfortunately. 

We have a lot of experience dealing with short sales. We partner with an excellent attorney who helps us out with these. If you or someone you know is in a situation like this, let us know and we’d be more than happy to help out. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Juggle 2 Transactions at Once

Buying and selling real estate at the same time can be a difficult task. Luckily, we have 

a lot of experience.

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The catch-22 of real estate is that when you are selling a home, you’re likely going to be buying one at the same time as well. This is one of the biggest stresses that homeowners go through, so we wanted to help minimize your stress by offering up some tips about how you can buy and sell simultaneously and successfully.

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Our goal is to minimize your stress.

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When you’re going through this process, we have a number of items on our checklist to cover. We need to get your home ready for sale, get it priced accordingly, set you up with one of our preferred lenders who can get you a pre-approval, and create a “hit list” of all the important features you want in your new home.

Once we do that, we’re ready to start making contingent offers. With this kind of offer, you are guaranteed a way out of the contract if your home doesn’t sell or doesn’t sell quickly. It’s more of an insurance policy than anything.

If you are thinking of making a move soon, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don’t Trust Your Zestimate

Zillow is currently getting sued over the accuracy of their Zestimates. Is it a good place for you to determine the value of your home?

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You may have heard this in the news recently that a homeowner has filed a lawsuit against Zillow and the Zestimate that they gave this person’s home.

While it’s true that in certain markets and situations a Zestimate is a pretty close estimate of value, it’s not like that in Texas. We are a non-disclosure state, meaning that our official sale prices are not recorded. As a result, Zillow doesn’t have that data—causing many of their estimates to be way too high or way too low. 

Zestimates should be used as a basic guide to home value. When you’re actually ready to buy or sell a home and want to know a property’s true market value, it’s best to get in touch with a professional. 

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Zestimates should be used as a basic guide to home value.

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If you have any questions for us or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

How to Plan a Smooth Move After Selling Your Home

If you’re selling a home, the time will come for you to move out. Here are some tips on getting that move planned and executed.

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When you sell your home, you have to pack up and move out. We see a lot of people wait until the last minute to get quotes from movers or make a decision based on price. However, the best way to ensure your move goes smoothly is to call movers in advance to check availability and check out their reviews. You also want to make sure they have insurance. 

As a matter of fact, our parents just downsized and hired a company to move them out of their current home. Items were broken, things were left behind or in storage, and it ended up being a complete nightmare.

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Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your move.

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When it comes to moving, you definitely want to reach out to your local real estate agent to see who they recommend. We have some great movers that we can refer to you that will help destress your home. 

If you have any moving concerns or if you are looking to buy or sell a home, please feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We’re always happy to help.