Managing the Stress of Selling Your House

Selling your home can seem like a long and complicated process, especially if you’re selling without the help of a realtor. You can’t force someone to buy your home so you may feel like things are out of your control. That can be stressful and frustrating. There are ways to reduce your stress and make the whole process a lot easier.

Ask for help

Is there work that needs to be done around the house to make it look better to buyers? Sometimes the paint colors you love don’t go over so well with other people. However, painting can be a lot of work. The same is true of a lawn and garden that need more work. If you don’t have the time to do it all yourself and you don’t want to spend money on professionals, you can always have a painting party or pay local kids to do some of the work.

Are you overwhelmed by trying to get people to look at your house and figuring out what your legal obligations are? This is where a realtor can help. They advertise your home and get people to come see it. She is also trained in the legal aspects of real estate transactions. Your realtor can help you every step of the way through the selling process. If you’re worried about the cost of a realtor, remember that they only get paid when your house sells. Because you’re likely to sell your house more quickly and easily, hiring a realtor could end up in net cost savings.

Preparation

Before you put your house on the market, see what work needs to be done and fix it then. Sell or store any extra clutter around your house. Your house should be clean and inviting before the sign goes up. Ask your realtor for advice on staging and how much the asking price of your home should be. Final decisions are up to you, but the advice of a real estate professional is invaluable.

If you do the needed preparation before you put your house on the market, your stress levels will be lower. You can let your realtor do the heavy lifting at that point.

Take a break

You don’t want to be hovering around while potential buyers are looking at the house. So, take a break and treat yourself. Get a manicure or go to a coffee shop with a good book. Take your mind off the process of selling while your realtor does her job.

Look to the future

The selling process will only take so long. There’s a lot of excitement ahead of you. You get to move to a new home and get a fresh start. Start planning any changes you want to make to your new home. You can’t speed up the selling process or make someone buy your home, but you can plan your future. With the help of your College Station realtor, you can ease the stress of selling your home.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

Is Downsizing Right for You?

5203 Bandon Dunes Court, College Station, TX 77845

When you were first starting your family you likely thought about how much you needed to expand your living space to make room for the kids. Now, with the kids moving out, you may be left with a lot of empty space. You can make use of all of your new space or you may just want to get a smaller home. Getting a smaller home doesn’t mean losing out on amenities. More on that later. First, let’s see if you really need a smaller home.

Making use of the space you have

Now that the kids are gone, you don’t have to keep their rooms exactly as they left them. Do you need more space for your hobbies? Do you like sewing or other crafts? In that case, you can use the space for yourself. You can even set up a home gym or home office.

However, if your home is difficult for you to maintain because of its size, there is an advantage to selling it to a family that can love it and maintain it as well as you do. Also, you might just want to cash in on your equity and buy a better smaller home. Yes, a small home can be better.

Downsize and upgrade
It seems counterintuitive, but moving into a smaller home can have quite a few positive benefits. You can downsize your home and upgrade your lifestyle. Buying a new home in a community with more amenities, like a gate, is a wonderful way to reward yourself for your hard work as a parent. Large homes are often in demand so you can sell your large home and get an even nicer smaller home.

Moving to a new neighborhood could be just the right thing for you. Enjoy the peacefulness of gated community or move to an area you’ve always admired but couldn’t afford because you had to buy a large home for the kids.

Not only can you move to a newer home in a nice neighborhood, you can also save money on utilities. Heating and cooling all of that extra space can put a big dent in your budget. Newer homes are often more energy efficient so buying a smaller newer home can save you money on utilities.

Another benefit is that newer homes don’t require the same level of maintenance as an older home. As a home ages, the problems can add up. By buying a new home, you don’t have to deal with all of those hassles.

Is downsizing right for you?

If you have a lot of unused space in your home or your home is getting difficult to maintain because of its size, downsizing could be the perfect fit.

Downsizing might not be the right fit for every situation, but it’s worth considering if your home feels too large or is getting difficult to maintain. Ask an experienced real estate agent to help you determine what your home is worth and show you options for selling your home and upgrading your lifestyle. Your agent will know what it takes to get top dollar for your current home and negotiate the best deal on a new one.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

The Pros and Cons of FHA Loans

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If you’re a first-time homebuyer, or if you haven’t owned a home in the last few years, you may be considering an FHA loan. An FHA loan is a type of loan that is available from many different lenders. It’s not a loan from the government. The biggest draw to an FHA loan is the small down payment. Here are some things about an FHA loan to consider.

The Advantages of an FHA Loan

Low down payment. FHA loans make home ownership easier. First of all, your down payment is lower than usual at just 3.5%. This can be a real help to people that can’t save up enough for a 10 or 20% down payment.

Less than perfect credit. Another advantage is that you can have a lower credit score when applying for an FHA loan. If you’ve been renting, you’ve spent a lot of extra money on housing so raising your credit score can be a challenge.

The Downsides

No fixer-uppers. If you get an FHA loan, the home needs to meet certain requirements. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but issues like broken windows or other safety issues may need to be repaired by the seller before you can buy the home. Some homeowners specify that they will not sell to someone with an FHA loan because something about the property doesn’t meet the criteria.

That doesn’t mean that all less than perfect houses are excluded. You can buy a home that needs a little work especially if the work is aesthetic.

Mortgage insurance. The Federal Housing Administration back FHA loans so that lenders won’t lose money if you default on your loan. That’s why it’s easier to get them, the banks have less to lose.

FHA loans are insured by the government, but the price of the insurance is passed on to you. It will often be added to your monthly payment which is already slightly higher because of the lower down payment.

If you have the money available for a higher down payment you may want to ask your lender what loans you qualify for. Your monthly payment could be lower with a conventional loan. If you don’t have the money for a larger down payment, an FHA loan might be the right thing for you. Talk to your lender to find out if you qualify.

An FHA loan can help you on your path to home ownership. Let your realtor know what kind of loan you’re approved for and she can help you find the right house. If the house needs work, your realtor will negotiate to get the work done so the house qualifies for your loan. No matter what kind of home loan you end up with, your realtor can work with you to help you find the right home for you and your family. The loan process may seem complicated, but this is likely the biggest investment you’ll ever make. So, it’s worth it to make the right choices.

7 Benefits of Homeownership

18008 Ranch House Rd, College Station, TX 77845

While most people know that renting doesn’t have a return on investment, there are other benefits to buying a home if you can. Renting can be a good option for people that are only going to stay in a community for a short time, but if you want to stick around, buying a home is a great idea. Here are some reasons to buy a home.

1) ROI and equity. It can’t be said enough that you can get a substantial return on investment when you buy a home. You can gain equity and get more money from selling than you spent buying the home.

2) Tax benefits. Even with tax reform being in the news, mortgage interest is tax deductible. The government encourages homeownership because it’s good for communities. Why not take advantage? In Texas, there’s a homestead exemption on property taxes that gives you a discount on property taxes for your home. If you rent a home, the owner will certainly pass the higher cost of property taxes on to you.

3) Stable housing costs. With a fixed-rate mortgage, the payment for your home can say the same for 30 years. When you rent, you never know what will happen when your lease is up for renewal. Prices almost never go down. As a homeowner, you have a consistent mortgage payment and even more predictable utility payments.

4) Control your living space. Do you like to paint or do you want to install upgrades? Those are things you can do as a homeowner. As a renter, you could end up paying big bucks if you alter the home you’re renting.

5) No more moving. As a renter, you don’t know when you might have to move. If the property comes under new ownership they might have different ideas for the property like condos or raised rent.

6) Social benefits. If you aren’t moving around a lot you can put roots down in the community. Your kids can have lifelong friends and you can form lasting relationships as well. Keeping your kids in the same schools allows for them to follow a consistent educational path as well.

7) Move on up. If you build equity in one home you can sell it and buy a newer and better home. You could also use the equity to buy a second home or pay off debts. Remember to always view your home as a long-term investment and take advantage of what you can get out of it.

While renting is a good option in some situations, owning a home has substantial benefits. It’s the largest investment you’ll make in your life so make sure you talk to your College Station realtor so she can help you make the right choice. A realtor can help you find the right home for your family and then help you down the line if you want to sell or buy another home. While putting down roots in your new community, include your realtor as one of your first friends in town.