Serious about selling your home? Before you sign anything, read about these common mistakes that home sellers make:

1. PRICING TOO HIGH: It’s no secret, price is everything. Overpricing does more to discourage buyers than any other single factor. When you overprice, you put your home in competition with homes that may be newer, larger or have more amenities than yours. You help your competition sell their home. This leads to long days on the market, and costs you, the seller, money in the long run. Make sure you get your pricing advice from a professional agent who knows the market.

2. POOR CONDITION: A home that is in ill repair, or otherwise poor condition, does not excite buyers. A home like this is looked at by buyers as a work project and money pit. Having your home in good repair and great showing condition will significantly improve your chances for a sale at top dollar value. Having your home pre-inspected by a termite and dry rot inspector will also have a positive impact on buyers.

3. POOR CURB APPEAL:Most buyers today want to drive by. If your home is an attractive drive-by, it will gain more attention and certainly more showings. Doing the little things to help your home’s curb appeal will make a huge difference.

4. DREARY DARK HOMES DON’T SELL: Buyers like updated, light and bright homes. Dark carpets, paint, and curtains are often buyer turn-offs. Go through your home and remove clutter; touch up and update paint, counter tops, and carpets. Open your home up and make sure the sun shines in. Offensive odors from pets and smoking are also huge turn-offs to most buyers. Rid your home of offensive smells by burning scented candles and create a pleasant aroma. The most important rooms to concentrate on are the living room, family room, kitchen and master bedroom. Your entire home’s atmosphere is set off by these rooms.

5. DON’T OVER-IMPROVE: Get your home in good showing condition, but don’t over do it. Huge projects such as complete remodels of kitchens, adding decks, and expanding room sizes may not pay back your investment. Before you jump into a huge improvement project, get some good advice.

6. BE FINANCEABLE: Bad roofs, exterior paint, or structural problems may make your home un-financeable. The wider the scope of financing that your home can qualify for, the higher the overall market value. Remember — government programs like VA and FHA will be the most picky.

7. GET GOOD ADVICE AND GOOD MARKET EXPOSURE: Hiring a professional agent will help you get your home priced right, and will also get you started with the best fix ups. A strong agent will get your home exposed to the largest number of potential buyers. Paying the agent fee is often the least expensive part of selling your home. Trying to sell your home yourself can be costly. Most ‘for sale by owner’ homes close for less than comparable homes listed with an agent, and you have no representation.

8. DON’T BE PRESENT DURING SHOWINGS: When your home is being shown, go for a drive or a walk. Take yourself, your family, and pets and let the agent and their clients have the freedom they need. An agent can always do their best job of showing your home when you are not underfoot. Buyers are more at ease and much more likely to spend time looking at your home’s features and benefits.

9. LET YOUR AGENT DO THE NEGOTIATING: If there is ever a good reason to have a veteran agent working for you, it’s during the negotiation of your home sale. A good negotiator can mean thousands of dollars to you, and will protect your interests. Don’t let your emotions run wild during negotiations. Try to separate your emotions from your business side. Remain cool and calm during this time.

10. ACT FAST WITH OFFERS: When you do get an offer on your home, act quickly and decisively. Letting offers sit around without acting can be a huge mistake. Things can change quickly in the mind of a prospective buyer. Acting quickly while the excitement and interest level are at a high point can be very important. Typically, a buyer’s motivation level decreases with time. Buyers’ remorse can even set in. Acting in a timely manner is essential.

HOUSTON HOME PRICES REACH A NOVEMBER HIGH WHILE SALES VOLUME REMAINS COOL FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH

Low and high ends of the housing market record the greatest sales volume

According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), November sales of single-family homes throughout the Houston market fell 22.0 percent when compared to November 2009. However, on a year-to-date basis, 2010 single-family home sales are off just 5.6 percent from 2009 levels. Positive sales activity was recorded in the low and high ends of the housing market, with declines affecting homes priced between $80,000 and $500,000.

Luxury home sales helped drive the latest pricing gains. The average price of a single-family home increased 11.8 percent from November 2009 to $219,560 while the November single-family home median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less—edged up 1.7 percent from one year earlier to $152,500.

Foreclosure property sales reported in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) declined 9.3 percent in November compared to one year earlier. Foreclosures comprised 19.6 percent of all property sales in November—2.3 percent less than the month before and generally consistent with the levels they have maintained for much of 2010. The median price of November foreclosures fell 15.3 percent to $78,750 on a year-over-year basis.

November sales of all property types in Houston totaled 4,200, down 22.2 percent compared to November 2009. Total dollar volume for properties sold during the month was $906 million versus $1.0 billion one year earlier, representing an 11.6 percent drop.

“The November report suggests to me that the Houston real estate market is taking a considerable amount of time to recover from the end of the whirlwind pace of sales triggered earlier this year by the homebuyer tax credit,” said Margie Dorrance, HAR chair and principal at Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan. “Bright spots in the housing report include what appears to be improvement in pending sales and, of course, the continued price appreciation not seen in most other markets. The next couple of months will hopefully enable us to gauge the overall market performance that we can expect in 2011.”

November Monthly Market Comparison

The month of November brought Houston’s overall housing market mixed results when all listing categories are compared to November of 2009. Total property sales and total dollar volume fell on a year-over-year basis while the average and median single-family home sales prices rose.

Month-end pending sales for November totaled 2,583, down 5.8 percent from last year, suggesting another month of lower demand when the December figures are tallied. However, the November decline was a dramatic improvement from the 23.2 percent and 17.2 percent hits the market suffered in October and September, respectively. The number of available properties, or active listings, at the end of November rose 14.1 percent from November 2009 to 51,875. The growth in available inventory coupled with declining sales volume pushed the November inventory of single-family homes to 7.6 months compared to 6.0 months one year earlier. The figure is still the lowest in six months and remains favorable compared to the national inventory of single-family homes of 10.5 months reported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

CATEGORIES	November 2009	November 2010	PERCENT CHANGE
Total property sales	5,395	4,200	-22.2%
Total dollar volume	$1,024,845,027	$905,699,783	-11.6%
Total active listings	45,452	51,875	14.1%
Total pending sales	2,741	2,583	-5.8%
Single-family home sales	4,548	3,549	-22.0%
Single-family average sales price	$196,310	$219,560	11.8%
Single-family median sales price	$150,000	$152,500	1.7%
Months inventory*	6.0	7.6	25.8%

* Months inventory estimates the number of months it will take to deplete current active inventory based on the prior 12 months sales activity. This figure is representative of the single-family homes market.

Single-Family Homes Update

Townhouse/Condominium Update

Lease Property Update

Houston Real Estate Milestones in November

At $219,560, the average price of a single-family home reached the highest level recorded for a November in Houston;

At $152,500, the median price of a single-family home also reached the highest level recorded for a November in Houston;

7.6 months inventory of single-family homes compares favorably to the national average of 10.5 months and is the lowest figure seen in Houston since May 2010.

Statistics show that the best opportunity to sell your home is often within the first few weeks of putting it on the market. This can be good news, or bad, depending on your motivation. Some homes sell right away, while others sit on the market for months without a single offer.

To maximize your selling opportunity, it is important that your home be priced right. What is the right price? Many factors will determine your home’s best asking price. Our current real estate market has a lot to do with it. Using sound judgment, research, and experience, a good agent can help you determine the right price for your home. They will help you evaluate your location, the recent sold data, current market trends, and your home’s special features that set it apart from the competition.

“What’s wrong with pricing my home a little high?” Price your home too high and most buyers won’t even bother looking at it. Over priced homes tend to sell the competition first. This scares away many qualified buyers simply because they can go elsewhere and get more house for the money. As the house sits on the market, people will shy away from it thinking there must be something wrong with the home.

Should I under-price my home? Price it too low and you could lose thousands of dollars. There are times when you will attract multiple bidders making multiple offers, but this is only recommended when you need a faster-than-average sale.

In most circumstances, pricing your home correctly from the very beginning will net you the best results in both time and money. To find out your home’s perfect selling price, contact us for a No Obligation Market Analysis. We will take the guesswork out the entire process and suggest an accurate market price for your home. It has never been easier

Knowing and using these 7 essential, yet simple steps is crucial to achieving the best deal possible – whether you decide to sell your home yourself or hire a professional real estate agent to help you.

Take a look at the seven-step system I have outlined in this report. Then, if this new approach to marketing your home makes sense and you want to learn more, I’ll show you how to skillfully and specifically apply each of these critical steps to get your home sold for the most money in the shortest amount of time!

7 crucial steps you must take to get top dollar for your home in today’s technically savvy world!

1. Understanding the “Total Market” concept of positioning your home to attract the greatest number of buyers.

2. Using the “Total Market” concept to accurately appraise the value of your home. (The standard CMA is simply not enough!)

3. Pricing Your Home to Appear lower than market value, yet actually asking for more
than market value (This one crucial step will get buyers and agents flocking to your door!)

4. Properly advertise and market your home – Using New Technology (Don’t use the same old boring ads everyone else is using, and that nobody looks at!)

5. “Detailing” your home for sale. (Your goal is to set your home apart from every other home on the market – instantly attracting buyers to your home.)

6. Learn how to qualify buyers and negotiate offers. (Since we are talking about your money here, the risks of not knowing how to properly qualify and negotiate are too great to ignore or leave to chance!)

7. Understanding and helping the buyer obtain financing, removing contingencies, and closing the sale. (You need a strategy to avoid and eliminate potential problems in escrow, which can undermine your sale!)

The better you understand and systematically apply these seven steps, the better the results you will get. And better results means more money, in less time, with the least amount of hassle possible. Isn’t that what you ultimately want, whether you decide to sell your home yourself or use the professional services of a licensed agent to help you?

Please let me know if I can help you impliment these steps for you.

The condition of your home will have a huge impact on how fast it sells, and its eventual selling price. Preparing your home for sale can pay you huge dividends. Many fix ups cost very little and consist mostly of time and some elbow grease. Here are some simple tips to help your home show its best.

INDOORS:

1. Clean the entire home thoroughly. Shampoo carpets, wash walls, clean sills, window screens and blinds. Clean out light fixtures and dust shelving. Get detailed here.

2. Clean the clutter from all closets, cupboards and cabinets.

3. Make your rooms look as spacious as possible. Store unnecessary furnishing items that make your home look crowded.

4. Arrange furnishing so that it is easy to walk through your home.

5. Scale down the number of photos, pictures, portraits and posters hanging on walls. Make sure you patch all nail and screw holes.

6. Keep your curtains and draperies open as a rule. You will want your home to show very light and bright. Find ways to screen any unappealing views.

7. Make your kitchen shine. Remove clutter from counter tops and cabinets and store it. Keep your sink clean and clear of any dirty dishes.

8. Clean your refrigerator, inside and out. Make sure that you do the simple things like putting an open box of baking soda in your fridge. Also, remove unnecessary clutter from the door.

9. Clean your oven. Degrease it and keep it looking as good as possible.

10. Keep scented candles burning in the kitchen and bathrooms. Pleasant fragrances will entice buyers to stay longer in your home.

11. Keep bathrooms scrubbed and tidy with fresh soap and neatly hung towels. Try to color coordinate your bathrooms.

12. Keep all sinks in the home clean and repair leaks or slow drains.

13. Go through your entire home and touch up paint. Pay close attention to corners where there is traffic wear. Touch up baseboards, trim and cabinets and cupboards.

14. Place plants or flower arrangements in strategic parts of the home. A splash of color from plants, flowers, pillows or small rugs can give your home some real flair.

15. Make sure that your home is well lit. Put higher wattage bulbs in dark areas or corners. Keep all lights on during showings, even in mid day.

16. Use mirrors on walls if necessary to reflect light and make rooms look larger.

17.Make sure that all door knobs and keyed entries are working. Replace any worn knobs or handles.

OUTDOORS:

1. Clean up all around the house. Remove any debris piles such as wood, firewood and landscape trimmings. Trim all hedges, bushes and shrubbery away from the house. Keep all garden beds weeded and mulched.

2.Put some color by your home’s entrance with potted flowers. Keep them watered and looking attractive.

3. Keep all walkways clear, clean and in good repair. This includes your driveways and any parking areas.

4. Keep all outdoor furniture clean and in good repair.

5. Clean your gutters and roof. Keep moss or algae from growing on, in or around them.

6. Keep your yard and lawn areas clean and in good health. A green lawn makes a home look great. Keep your lawn edged and free from weeds.

7. Repair any broken windows, screens, shutter or awnings.

8. Clean your garage area. Remove clutter and make it look organized and as spacious as possible. Try to have nothing in your garage but cars.

Jutta ” Utah ” Burden from The Woodlands Real Este Blog  would like to give you some relaxing backyard ideas .If you are like many Americans, your backyard is your oasis from the world. This is the spot you choose to spend your time off with your family and friends. It is a place where you will do a lot of your living. Unfortunately, many Americans also find their backyards to be places that aren’t comfortable and relaxing. Often by lack of knowledge or even lack of creativity we create formal spaces that really aren’t quite suitable for relaxing.

If you are one of the many Americans seeking relaxing backyard ideas for your home and garden there are a few ideas below that may help you accomplish your goal. The first thing you must do however is identify what things you find relaxing. Just as many things in life, relaxation is not one size fits all.

Bird Paradise

The first suggestion is to create an area in which birds will come to rest. Many people find that bird watching is not only entertaining and enjoyable but also very relaxing as a hobby. You can do many things with your landscaping that will attract birds and other wildlife to your backyard. Some of those things include adding bird feeders that are kept well stocked to your backyard, landscaping with plants, bushes, trees, and shrubs that are attractive to birds, and providing a nice bird bath from which birds can drink and play. These types of backyards are very relaxing to bird lovers and can be enjoyed all seasons if you have a sunroom overlooking your backyard. Be sure to have a hammock where you can lie back and relax while waiting for those rare birds to make an appearance.

Natural Oasis

Mother Nature is a wise designer. If you take some of her greatest creations and features and have them in use on some scale in your back yard you should find a very organic and relaxing atmosphere from which to escape your day. I prefer using materials that are natural, particularly when landscaping or designing an outdoor living space. I find nature in and of itself to be quite relaxing. That doesn’t mean that I do not find a cedar hot tub relaxing I most certainly do (I also find the cedar to be a great fit for my backyard), it simply means that using materials that are natural for a good portion of the features is a great way to blend them all together. Wood fences, stone tables or birdbaths, slate fountains, and wood furniture are also great backyard additions.

There are many other fantastic and relaxing backyard ideas all around you. Just look around and see what you think will create the atmosphere you are hoping to achieve and remember that some people find a basketball goal as relaxing as you may find a nice quite place to read in the shade. By this I mean that there is no absolute right or wrong way to go about creating your relaxing backyard space. There is only the discovery or what is or is not right for you.

Search for some listing with pools in The Woodlands, Spring and Magnolia

For those hot Texas Summer Month call us at Pools by Design so we can give you a free estimate from your Woodlands Pool Builder.

Pools by Design is owned and operated by Roy Burden

Enjoy your summer

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