5 Reasons You Need To Hire a Professional

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3:42 PM (20 hours ago) Buying or Selling a Home? 5 Reasons You Need To Hire a Professional 1. What do you do with all this paperwork? Each state has different regulations regarding the contracts required for a successful sale, and these regulations are constantly changing. A true Real Estate Professional is an expert in their market and can guide you through the stacks of paperwork necessary to make your dream a reality. 2. Ok, so you found your dream house, now what? According to the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, there are over 230 possible actions that need to take place during every successful real estate transaction. Don’t you want someone who has been there before, who knows what these actions are to make sure that you acquire your dream. 3. Are you a good negotiator? So maybe you’re not convinced that you need an agent to sell your home. However, after looking at the list of parties that you need to be prepared to negotiate with, you’ll realize the value in selecting a Real Estate Professional. From the buyer (who wants the best deal possible), to the home inspection companies, to the appraiser, there are at least 11 different people that you will have to be knowledgeable with and answer to, during the process. 4. What is the home you’re buying/selling really worth? It is important for your home to be priced correctly from the start to attract the right buyers and shorten the time that it’s on the market. You need someone who is not emotionally connected to your home to give you the truth as to your home’s value. According to the National Association of REALTORS, “the typical FSBO home sold for $210,000 compared to $245,000 among agent-assisted home sales.” 5. Do you know what’s really going on in the market? There is so much information out there on the news and the internet about home sales, prices, mortgage rates; how do you know what’s going on specifically in your area? Who do you turn to in order to competitively price your home correctly at the beginning of the selling process? How do you know what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller with a low-ball offer? Dave Ramsey, the financial guru advises: “When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.” Hiring an agent who has their finger on the pulse of the market will make your buying/selling experience an educated one. You need someone who is going to tell you the truth, not just what they think you want to hear.

Make your house look bigger without removing walls...

Instead of just asking me to help with his kitchen remodel, my friend made me an offer I couldn't refuse: Want to come over and knock down a wall?

While that's one way to make your house feel bigger, it's probably not the best option if you're putting your house on the market. Here are a few easier ways to add a sense of space.

Cut the clutter
Everyone knows they should do this, but few people go far enough. Don't put books and magazines in neat piles-get rid of them. Put knickknacks in storage, and pare down your furniture. It's better to have a few large pieces than several small ones.

Take a walk
Every house has natural paths, from the kitchen to the dining room or from the living room to the bathroom, and these walkways must be clear. You may not mind detouring around a large sectional to get from the TV room to the kitchen, but buyers will think your TV room isn't big enough.

Look around
Related to clear walkways are clear views. Keep tall furniture like bookshelves away from doorways, and pull back the shower curtain to expose the entire bathroom. Don't block any part of windows, sliding glass doors, or French doors.

Pick the right paint
If you plan to repaint some rooms, choose colors that feel cool, such as light blue or light green.

Add light
Not only will light colors create a sense of openness, actual light helps, too. Open curtains or blinds to let in sunlight, and consider adding a lamp to dark corners.

When you're done with these changes, ask for objective feedback from your Texas REALTOR®. He or she will know what buyers will focus on when they enter your house and which rooms might need more work.

RE/MAX DFW Associates Sets All-Time Record

RE/MAX DFW Associates set a new record in 2015, closing in excess of $1.67 billion in sales volume, up from $1.5 billion in 2014.  The average home sales price at our firm topped over $306,000 up from $278,000 in 2014.   Thanks to our agents for helping make 2015 a banner year.  Final numbers will be forthcoming.

2015 was the best year ever recorded for real estate in the Dallas-Ft Worth market

Expecting a great 2016!

Dallas Home Prices Now Almost 20% Higher Than Before Recession

Dallas-area home prices are at an all-time high and are now almost 20 percent higher than their prerecession peak.  Dallas-area prices were up 9.3 percent year-over-year in the latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index report.  There’s no sign of a Dallas home market cool down in the latest nationwide price report.  In factDallas-area home prices are at an all time high in the Case-Shiller report.  Local prices have jumped almost 40 percent since early 2012.

Case-Shiller’s study tracks over time the prices of specific single-family homes located in each metropolitan area. The index survey does not include condominiums and townhouses. It only covers pre-owned properties — not new construction.

-          Dallas Morning News, December 29, 2015

DFW-Area Homes Gain $55 billion in Value in 2015

With the big price gains, Dallas-Fort Worth area homes have increased about $55 billion in value this year, according to a new report by Zillow.com.  A just-released study by the Internet home marketing firm estimates that DFW homes are worth $411 billion – up from $356 billion a year ago. That’s a gain of more than 15 percent. Nationwide, Zillow estimates that the U.S. housing stock is worth $28.5 trillion, up from $27.5 trillion at the end of 2014.  “This reminds us of the large role housing plays in the overall economy,” said Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell. “Total home value growth slowed this year, but there was still a significant increase in overall value, and many markets are more valuable than they’ve ever been.  “Americans are spending a lot of money on housing, and that will make affordability an important issue next year.”

-          Dallas Morning News, December 30, 2015

Dallas Home Prices Jump 14% in May

Dallas Home Prices Jump 14% in May

North Texas home prices jumped by 14 percent in May – one of the largest year-over-year gains ever for the area.  Median home sales prices hit a record $215,000 last month for preowned single-family homes sold by real estate agents.  Home sales were up 6 percent from May 2014 with 9,484 properties sold.  It was the largest one-month sales total ever for North Texas, according to data from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems.  With the strong sales, the number of homes listed with real estate agents in the area dropped 15 percent from this same time in 2014. There was a 2.4-month supply of homes in real estate agents’ multiple listing service, less than half of what is considered a normal inventory.  May’s strong home sales and price spike will put more pressure on the local housing market which is stretched with more buyers than sellers.  National surveys show that the Dallas-Fort Worth area is seeing the largest annual home price gains in the country. Prices here are rising at about three times the long-term average rate of residential appreciation for the area.

-         Dallas Morning News, June 9, 2015

North Texas Median Home Prices Soar Above $200,000

North Texas Median Home Prices Soar Above $200,000

This spring’s scorching home market has propelled median house sales prices in North Texas above $200,000 for the first time.  In April, home sales prices in the area were up 14 percent to a record $207,000.  With the latest gains, the median price of preowned single-family homes sold by real estate agents in North Texas is almost 60 percent higher than it was in January 2010, at the worst of the recession.   And home prices in the area are now more than a third ahead of where they were at the previous peak of the housing market in 2007.  “The average home listing price has also jumped up for homes coming on the market,” said Ted Wilson, a housing analyst with Dallas-based Residential Strategies Inc. “More people are motivated to put their houses on the market at these higher prices.”  The Dallas area now leads the country in year-over-year home price increases, according to the latest national comparison from CoreLogic Inc.  In April, median prices were rising at about three times the long-term average annual growth rate.   April’s substantial increase in home sales prices in North Texas comes as some analysts are warning that residential values in Texas’ major markets are overheating.  A new report by Wall Street analysts Fitch Ratings said that Texas and Dallas-area home prices are 11 percent overvalued.

-          Dallas Morning News, May 8, 2015