Even if the Texas weather has your yard looking less than its best, it’s important not to neglect your home’s exterior when you decide to put in on the market. When you’re selling your home, you’re selling the whole package. And a buyer’s bad first impression of the outside could influence her opinion of the interior. Fortunately, there are a few simple tasks you can add to your to-do list to spruce up the exterior.

So your family’s housing needs have changed and you’ve decided to put your home on the market. Now you need to find someone who can successfully market your property and get you the most exposure to attract offers… but where do you start? Use the good kind of traffic The Internet has become the starting point for many homebuyers’ property searches, and online marketing efforts have grown to reflect that trend. A 2011 survey of Texas homebuyers and sellers found that 89 percent of buy ...

There’s certainly no shortage of real estate Web sites. If you spend time online looking for real estate advice or searching for properties, you know that. This is mostly a good thing because more information makes for more educated consumers. But it can be a challenge to wade through all of the information available and determine which sources are credible.

With the current low mortgage interest rates and available homebuyer programs, some renters are deciding taking the plunge into homeownership. Are you one of them? The complexity of the transaction and the increased financial obligations can make buying a home seem a little scary, but you can arm yourself with information.

Many people use the word realtor to describe someone who is a real estate agent or broker. However, there is a difference between a real estate agent or broker who is a Texas realtor and one who is not. As a realtor myself, I believe there are significant advantages for clients who hire a Texas realtor. Ethical practices All real estate agents and brokers must be licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission to assist consumers with buying and selling property.

Do you know the most important item you must consider when looking for a home? I hope so because only you know what features are essential to you and your family. For many people, priority No. 1 may be price, neighborhood or number of bedrooms … perhaps some combination of the three.

You may have seen GRI, CRB, or CRS after your Texas Realtor®’s name and wondered what those letters mean, or more importantly, what do they mean to you? These designations mean you’re working with a Texas Realtor® who has committed to improving the services they can provide for you, whether they are certified in sustainable property, multiple-home ownership, or even affordable housing. On top of their game Today’s buyers and sellers have high expectations of their real estate agents.

Even though the real estate market in Texas is doing relatively well, the condition of the national housing market has caused scam activity to spike across the country. These schemes are designed to make the perpetrators rich and leave someone else, maybe you, holding the bag. Scams can range from simple solicitations to file your homestead exemption for a $40 fee (the homestead-exemption process is free in Texas) to mortgage fraud and equity stripping that can reach into the millions of dolla ...

If you went car shopping and saw a model you liked, one that drove well, looked great, and was in your price range, would you care how long it had been on the lot? Probably not. You’d feel good about finding it and move forward with the purchase. What about real estate?

You’d be surprised how many people sign real estate documents without ever reading them. Then again, maybe you wouldn’t. Perhaps you’ve put your signature at the bottom of a contract or form that you merely skimmed over. That approach to such important documents is a bad idea. Words have meaning From beginning to end, a real estate transaction will present you with more notices, disclosures, contracts and applications than just about any other activity you’ll ever undertake.

A common reason for many people to rent rather than buy is home maintenance. When the roof leaks or the air conditioner stops working, they like knowing they can call the landlord or property manager to remedy the situation. Yes, maintenance is an ongoing part of homeownership and can be expensive and frustrating.

After months of searching on the Internet, attending open houses, and motoring around town with your Texas Realtor®, you finally found a house that suits your needs. Now you’re ready to make the purchase – so the next logical step is preparing an offer. Let’s look at a few things to help get you started. Start with a number Obviously, the price you initially write into the contract has much to do with whether the seller looks favorably upon your offer.

There's something about real estate that turns everyone into an expert. Tell a group at a dinner party that you're selling your home, and you'll get advice to go along with every course. That's because many people have bought and sold homes, so they have experience with property transactions. But experience is not the same thing as expertise Your friends and family aren't trying to steer you wrong, but they may be perpetuating myths regarding successful techniques to sell houses.

Whether you’re buying or selling a home, you’re going to be confronted and perhaps overwhelmed with numbers: interest rates, days on market, loan terms and many more. They’re all significant in the transaction, but what do they mean? This column is not the place for in-depth analysis of real estate math … that would be a tall order.

Did you know that filing a four-page application with your appraisal district could knock $15,000 off the taxable value of your home? If you qualify for a residential homestead exemption, you’ll receive a reduction on the part of your home’s value used for school taxes, which will lower your tax bill. Do I qualify? To qualify for the exemption, your home must meet the definition of residence homestead: The owner must be an individual, not a business entity, and use the home as his princip ...