I'm often asked what is the first step to take when buying a home.  Should I go look at homes first?  Should I get pre-approved for my loan first?  Great question!  There's no wrong answer but I think it is most helpful to talk to a lender and find out what a comfortable monthly payment for you will be.  No sense falling in love with a home that will make you house poor.   Watch this video for more tips. 

If you don't know any local lenders call me.  I work with lenders all the time and I'm happy to share.

Sincerely,

Diane

If you are thinking of selling a home in Southeast Texas this year, let me show you how strategic pricing can help you attract multiple offers and sell your home. 

Click this link to learn more about the Coldwell Banker Southern Homes advantage.  Or just call me and schedule a free home market valuation.    

Sincerely,

Diane

Let's continue with yesterday's post about the ten Southeast Texas residential areas with the highest number of home sales this summer.  Today, Silsbee home sales, Vidor home sales, and Orange home sales are shown on the chart.  

You might notice the average sales price in these three areas is quite a bit lower than the average sales price in Lumberton, Orangefield and Bridge City.  Keep in mind Vidor and Orange had a substantially large number of homes flood during Hurricane Harvey.  The sales of flooded and gutted homes at low prices is bringing down the average sales price.  

Of the 1o55 total homes sales from June 1 - Sept. 15, 2018, the average sales price was $179,294 and the average days on the market was 121.  

Which area or neighborhood of Southeast Texas are you most interested in?  Let me know in the comments and I will share some market data for you.

Sincerely,

Diane

How do you choose a top Realtor?   There are a few simple things to check before you choose a real estate agent.

1.   How long has the Realtor been in the real estate business?  The longer the better.  The more contracts they have written and homes they have sold has added to their knowledge and experience.  Look for an agent who's been in the business at least five years and has sold over 100 homes.  I've been helping people buy and sell homes for about 18 years and have written hundreds of contracts. 
2.  Is the Realtor a Relocation Certified Agent?  Relocation agents are chosen by their brokers because they are the top agents in their office.  Relocation agents take extra training and meet high customer satisfaction goals.  I've been a Relocation Agent for over 10 years.  I work with Cartus clients, Brookfield clients, Weichart clients and several others.
3.  What do past clients say about the Realtor?  We live in a world of reviews.  If you agent can't show you good reviews from past clients you might need to look around for another agent.  

If you are thinking about selling a home in Southeast Texas and you are looking to talk to a top Realtor, please call me.  Text me if you prefer to text.  I'm always available to discuss real estate and the ways I can help you sell your home. 

Sincerely,

Diane

If you search the Beaumont Enterprise archives for my name you will find several real estate articles I have written for them over the past ten years.  

Last Sunday, in the Sound Off column I answered the question "Should you use a friend as your agent?"  

Its true I do work with a lot of friends and people in my social circle.  It is also true that frequently clients become friends.  Especially when they have young children like me.  

If you have a friend who is a professional full time realtor then you will benefit from working with them on the sale or purchase of a home.  

Whether we are friends or not, when I work with you I become your real estate advocate.  My job is to protect your interests and get you the best deal possible.  

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Southeast Texas I'd like to talk to you.  

Sincerely,

Diane

Kitchen renovations and upgrades are among the top remodeling projects most likely to add value to a home at resale and most likely to appeal to home shoppers, according to the 2017 Remodeling Impact Report, conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®. The report takes a look at the cost of the most common exterior and interior remodeling and replacement projects and gauges how much appeal they have to buyers at resale.

If you are rebuilding your home after flooding from Harvey, spending money on upgrading your kitchen and installing new wood flooring are at the top of the list in terms of what appeals to buyers and where you get the most money back on sales price.  

Good to know as my husband and I start to rebuild our Wexford Park home that got 3 1/2 feet of water thanks to Harvey and the Dam B water release.

If you need help determining the value of your Southeast Texas home contact me here on the blog, call or text me.  I'm happy to give you a market analysis.   There is no cost.  #409Strong  #409Sold

Sincerely,

Diane

RiShown below a photo of a flooded and now gutted home in Wexford Park in Vidor. 

Its not common that the MLS adds a new category of homes.  Thanks to Hurricane Harvey it has.  We now have a category called "Flooded and Gutted".

There are 30 homes for sale in the category  "flooded and gutted".   The prices are all over the place.  Right now there are no "pending sales" in the MLS of flooded and gutted homes.  Right now the market is trying to figure how to price these homes.  Once there are some sales then we will have a better idea how to price a flooded and gutted home.  My best guess right now is that we will see these homes start to sell around $30/SF.  

The National Association of Realtors did a study to see what information home buyers used before they bought a home.  What this study tells us is if you are selling a home you want in on all the major internet websites and you want to work with a Real Estate Agent.  

Making sure your home gets the maximum amount of exposure to the buyers that are in the market is key to getting the best offer.  Working with a Realtor who is a member of the local MLS will get your home the right exposure to all the other real estate agents in the market.  

Want to know what else I can do to help you sell your home?  Just call, text, contact me here on the blog.  

Sincerely,

Diane

If you are thinking about selling your home in Southeast Texas and want to maximize the sales price without doing a full overhaul then focus on these three things:  Storage, Windows, and Accessories.                                                                 

De-clutter

Replace broken blinds

Add fun neutral accessories

Clutter makes a house feel small and not well maintained.  Dusty, broken outdated window treatments give the impression the home is older than it is and not well cared for.  You want your home to look fresh and cozy.  New towels, new pillows and throws can help give your home a fresh look without costing a lot of money. 

One of the services I offer my sellers is a professional staging consultation.  The Stager will spend up to two hours with you rearranging furniture, adding accessories, and making your home look its best to appeal to the maximum number of buyers.  

If you are thinking about selling your home in Beaumont, Lumberton, Orange or any part of Southeast Texas, I'd like to show you other tips and strategies that we can put in place to get you the highest sales price possible.  Call me or email me for your home market analysis.  No cost or obligation to list for the appointment.  

Sincerely,

Diane

One of my favorite sayings when people talk about trying to sell their home on their own is "You could do surgery on yourself too but its probably not a good idea."  As a professional Realtor in Southeast Texas with over a decade of experience, I've helped buyers and sellers in hundreds of residential real estate transactions.  When you sell a home yourself without a Realtor you are gambling with one of your biggest assets.  

Here's a Free Guide For Home Buyer and Sellers from the Texas Association of Realtors.  Take a look.  Then call me when you are ready to buy or sell your next home in Southeast Texas.  

Sincerely,

Diane