Why You Need a Realtor When Selling Your Home

Just because you can sell your home on your own doesn’t mean you have to or that you should. The process of selling your home and moving can be a headache. You want things to run as smoothly as possible so you can move on to the next phase in your life. In the midst of managing all that, hiring a real estate agent can seem like an added complication. There’s no regulation anywhere in Brazos Valley that says you need one to sell your home, so why bother? In actuality, it’s the opposite: with the support of a professional real estate agent, the process of selling your home can only be made easier for you. 

Here are just a few ways that hiring a realtor can help you as you sell your home:

Expert Pricing Consultation

In the process of selling your home, you’ll be the one to set the price, but a real estate agent who knows the area inside and out can give you expert advice on setting a reasonable (but profitable) price. They can reference the prices of comparable homes and how long those homes remained on the market to give you an idea of what potential buyers will be willing to pay. A good real estate agent can even give you tips for increasing the value of your home so that you can reasonably set a price a little higher than average for an above average home.

Support for the Tricky Spots

No one likes to deal with negotiations and contracts. It’s uncomfortable and it can be a headache. But real estate agents are specifically trained to serve as a buffer between the buyer and seller and take care of all of those pain points. Your real estate agent can pass offers along from the buyer’s real estate agent and you can send them to counter-offer tactfully. No need to worry about bad blood between seller and buyer. Likewise, your real estate agent deals with real estate contracts on a regular basis. They can help you form a fair contract that will be reasonable to the buyer and profitable to you.

Your Realtor is Invested in Your Success

Listing agents work on commission, so how well your home sells will impact how much your agent will make at the end of the day. However, commission isn’t the only reason your realtor needs you to be satisfied with their support. Real estate agents rely on referrals for their business. If you’re satisfied with their work during your selling process, you’re more likely to tell your friends and boost their business. If you’re not satisfied or you feel you’ve been cheated by your realtor, they could lose potential customers. It’s not in your realtor’s interests to cheat you, but it is very much in their interests to provide you with excellent service.

If you’re selling your home in Bryan-College Station, make sure to contact a real estate professional who is an expert in the area. The better your realtor knows the area, the more she can help you to know what to expect for your upcoming sale. Selling your home doesn’t have to be a hassle if you have support from the right professional.

Home For Sale in College Station

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!

What is a FICO Score and Why Is It Important?

photocredit: myfico.com

When applying for a home mortgage loan, you may hear the term FICO score thrown out in conversation. FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, one of the leading data analytics companies in the country specializing in credit scores. Your FICO score, or your credit score, will determine whether you can be approved for a loan and the size of the loan for which you can be approved. It’s an essential part to finding your new home, so today, here’s your guide to everything you need to know about FICO scores.

How Does It Work?

Credit reporting agencies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion send your information to FICO, who analyzes every aspect of your credit history to create a score. Credit scores typically range between 300 and 850. 650 is considered a common score and will afford you a decent loan. 750 is considered an excellent score. In order to get a FICO score, you must have one bank or credit account that has been open for at least 6 months.

How Can You Boost Your FICO Score?

If you have time, and you think your credit score now might be less than flattering, there are a few things you can do to improve it before you apply for your home mortgage loan. Get into the habit of making timely payments on your bills, whether utility bills or the charge for your credit card. If you can invest in a retail credit card for a local store near you, the timely payments made on that card can help to boost your score. Remember that this score is ultimately to indicate to the lending company whether you’ll be able to make timely payments on your home mortgage, so it’s important to set a good example now.

You should also make sure that all of your cards and accounts are active. Each account handling a little bit of debt will look better than one or two active accounts and three that haven’t been used in months.

How Do You Get (or Check) Your FICO Score?

When you pre-qualify for your mortgage, the bank will run your credit information to get a FICO score regardless of whether you know it or not. However, there are some ways to check your FICO score beforehand, so you can know what to expect. You can check myFICO.com or Annual Credit Report for free to find more information about your credit. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion all charge a small fee but will also provide you with a credit score similar to FICO’s credit score.

That’s why it matters to have a local real estate professional to help you in every aspect of your search for your new Bryan-College Station home. An expert real estate agent can answer your questions and ease your concerns about your FICO score or any other aspect of the pre-qualification process, because she’s been through this process so many times. She’ll be happy to help in any way she can. 

Home for Sale in College Station

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!

Which Housing Style is Right for You?

There are many popular housing styles on the market today. Do you know which one you need? In choosing the style of your home, you have to consider things like family size, maintenance, and outdoor space needed to call your house your home. If you’re single and want low maintenance and all up-to-date appliances, a tall Victorian home might not make sense for you (though many Victorian homes are fully updated). If you have a family of six, a Craftsman bungalow or a cottage might feel a bit tight. Here are some housing styles you might come across in your home search.

Art Deco

Tall, smooth structures with flat roofs and a bold look, an art deco home is sure to make an impression. These homes have gone in and out of fashion since the 1920s, but there will always be home buyers who love those glossy finishes and spiral staircases. An art deco home is perfect for either a family or a professional who wants a home with flair.

Bungalow

Small, cozy, and affordable, bungalows are a popular choice for a first home. Bungalows vary in appearance from house to house and era to era, but they typically include: a porch, open floor plans, and low roofs. Bungalows are usually one story or one and a half stories, with one or two bedrooms, but they can on occasion be larger. Bungalows sometimes come with an upper loft (the “half story”) that can be converted into a bedroom, a studio, or a home office.

Contemporary

For a cutting edge home, a contemporary style might be right for you. Contemporary style homes try to challenge the status quo of housing styles, through bold architecture. Contemporary homes are often “greener” than older house styles, using energy efficient appliances, sustainable materials, and windows that fill the space with natural light.

Cape Cod & Colonial

These are some of the earliest housing styles in the country. Cape Cod homes were first built in the 1600s to mirror the housing styles in England at the time. They’re one story with gabled roofs, and basically have the look of the “default” first story home. Colonial homes branched off from Cape Cod homes, but are a bit wider and typically two stories.

Ranch Style

Ranch houses, or ramblers, characterized as low to the ground, wide houses with simple, open floor plans. Ranch style homes usually include a garage and a basement, the latter of which can be converted into an extra bedroom. Picture windows in the front and sliding glass doors in the backyard let the light and outdoor views into the home for the enjoyment of the homeowners. The space and simplicity makes them perfect homes for families and retirees alike. Ranch style houses can also appeal to young professionals or students who like the “retro” outward appearance.

Talk to your professional local realtor about these housing styles and more available in Bryan-College Station and the outer Brazos Valley. She can help you find a home that fits your needs as well as your style. 

Home For Sale in College Station

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!

4 Landmarks & Historical Sites in Bryan-College Station

photo from: livability.com

College Station dates back to 1860 when the Houston and Texas Central Railway began to trek their path through East-Central Texas. With over 150 years to its name, it’s a city rich with history. People and events have affected the city in ways that residents can never forget. Here are some of the most notable landmarks that you might come across when you move to Bryan-College Station.

Aggieland Water Tower

The Aggieland Water Tower is located on the Texas A&M college campus, but it’s famous throughout the area. Standing at 185 feet tall and holds two million gallons of water, it replaced the old water tower which was demolished in 1975. The old water tower was the frequent venue for college dares and was frequently subject to graffiti. The tall structure that exists now has a much cleaner look, but it still serves to offer a warm “Welcome to Aggieland” to newcomers, students or otherwise.

Bonfire Memorial/Spirit Ring

photo from: asergeev.com

Also at the Texas A&M campus you can find the Spirit Ring and annual Bonfire Memorial, commemorating a tragedy that struck the campus 18 years ago. For 90 years, the massive bonfire was an Aggieland tradition. It was lit around Thanksgiving as a way to celebrate the holidays and the upcoming football games. In 1940, the school paper called it “the best event of the football season.”  Then in 1999, the 59ft bonfire collapsed during construction. 12 students were killed and 27 were injured. Pictures taken of the bonfire collapse were posted to the internet and viewed worldwide by over 29,000 users, quite impressive since at the time the internet was not as expansive as it is now. The bonfire was cancelled after that point, and in 2014, the school instead began to hold a bonfire memorial.

The central site of the bonfire memorial is the Spirit Ring, constructed on the site where the bonfire once stood.12 stone portals stand to commemorate the students who died, as well as 27 stones for the 27 students who were injured.

First Presbyterian Church

photo from fpcbryan.org

One of the oldest churches in Bryan, Texas, First Presbyterian Church was originally constructed in 1871 by members of the congregation. The Presbyterian synod praised the effort of the congregation in an essay, “The Way to Build a Church.” Though the church has been reconstructed over the years (most recently in 1966), it still stands on E 30th Street in Bryan, taking up the 1100 block.

Carnegie Public Library

Carnegie Public Library is more than just a library. Since its establishment in 1903, it’s been a hub of culture and civics in Bryan. It was established by the Mutual Improvement Club, later renamed the Women’s Club, and particularly two women: Lucy Miley Brandon and Rose Fountain Howell. It got its name, however, from a grant provided by famous industrialist Andrew Carnegie in the construction of the library. The auditorium hosted many civic events for the city, including two reunions of Hood’s Texas Brigade Association.

Bryan-College Station has a proud, richly preserved history. Why not make the area part of your history? If you’re interested in moving to Bryan-College Station, contact a local real estate agent to help introduce you to the best of the area’s history, as well as the right homes for your needs and your budget. 

Home For Sale in College Station

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!