The Advantages of Condominiums

A little yard, a garden, and a white picket fence isn’t everyone’s ideal home. There is a draw to apartment living. Apartments are low maintenance. There’s no lawn to mow and the owner fixes anything that goes wrong. The drawback is that apartments lend themselves to instability. The property can be sold and rent can go up. New management can be unpleasant. Also, the money you pay in rent isn’t going toward any larger investment.

That’s where condos come in. Condominiums vary, but they share some advantages like little to no outdoor maintenance.  Here’s a rundown of what condo living is all about.

What is a condominium?

Condominiums can differ quite a lot. Your condo could be a flat or it could be a townhouse. Some condos are duplexes or even standalone units.  What they have in common is that while you own the indoor space, you share ownership of the outdoor space.

Advantages of condominiums

Lower maintenance costs: Because the larger expenses of keeping the roof and grounds in good shape are shared by the community, you don’t have to shell out a lot of money for unexpected issues on the property.

Simple fees: Like with any Home Owners Association, there are fees associated with your condominium. When you only pay rent to your landlord, you’re also paying extra for maintenance, you just don’t see that parsed on paper when you rent your home. With a condo, it’s not complicated.  The advantage is that you know what you’re paying for and as a homeowner, you have a voice and can express your wishes when it comes to spending money. Renters don’t have as much standing with landlords, especially corporate ones. 

Ease of an apartment, but your investment can pay off: Another advantage to living in a condo is that the value of your home increasing doesn’t mean an increase in rent. Instead, you can take advantage of the increased value to get a loan or to sell. Homeownership is an investment. That’s where you see the greatest difference between renting and owning. 

Upgrading: While upgrading appliances and adding other improvements to your home isn’t really a cost-effective option for an apartment, it will increase the value of your condo and could pay off in the end. While you make your condo a beautiful place to live, you’re also adding real value that you can benefit from if you decide to sell. If you’re renting, you can’t get the same benefits. 

Living in a condominium is a smart choice for people that want the convenience of an apartment, but want their home to be an investment for their future. Improvements you make to your condo will add value that you can cash in on later. While many people are afraid of the fees that come with condo living, renting isn’t cheaper.  Your landlord just doesn’t tell you what your rent is paying for.

If you like apartment living, but are ready to make an investment in your future, call your College Station realtor. She will help you find the home that’s right for you. 

Homes 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!

Remodel or Buy a New House?

Homes are the largest investment most families will ever make. More than that, they are places where memories are made. How do you feel about your home?  Does it need a little work?  If you have a growing family or if your home could use some updating, you may be considering either moving or remodeling. Here are some tips to help you make the decision.

Emotional attachment

If you really love your home, you’re likely going to want to stay if there’s any way to make it more livable. Plus, while moving is exciting, it takes a lot of work. If you like your neighborhood and you like your home, then staying may just be the best thing for you. However, if you aren’t so attached to the location or home itself, there are some other considerations.

Your neighborhood

Updating your house will certainly make it more livable. One thing to consider, however, is the amount of upgrading for your neighborhood. While you almost never get all of your money back for a remodel when you sell the house, you get even less of a return if you upgrade your home too much for the neighborhood.

If your home just needs some modernization and you would like to stay in it for a while, then a little remodeling could do the trick. If you’re considering a larger upgrade, compare other houses in the neighborhood first.  If the upgrade will be too dramatic for your neighborhood, maybe you need to move to a new neighborhood.

Your HOA

If you’re wanting to do work that will be visible on the outside of your home, your HOA rules need to be considered. Failing to follow HOA guidelines can cost you a lot in fines and in labor costs when you need to have the work redone.

If the HOA doesn’t like your design, you can consider moving somewhere without an HOA or to a home that already has what you want.

Financial considerations

If you are upside down in your mortgage, you may feel that it’s better to make changes to the home you have. That is an option, as long as it doesn’t put you deeper into debt. Remodeling will add value to your home, just not as much as you spend on the project.

There are also market considerations.  Compare the price of buying a home with everything you want to the cost of a remodel. Sometimes it’s cheaper to remodel and sometimes it’s better to sell and upgrade.

Talk to your realtor

No one knows local real estate better than your realtor. If you’re considering a move, talk to your College Station realtor to see what’s available on the market with the amenities you’re looking for. You might just find that the perfect house is out there waiting for you. Emotional attachment aside, it is often better financially to move than to dramatically upgrade your home. If it just needs a little work here and there, however, you may be able to pull it off in a financially responsible way. 

House 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!

Do You Need a Guest Room?

One primary consideration for homebuyers is how much space they need.  If you’re considering buying a home anywhere, but especially around Bryan-College Station Texas, a guest room is something to consider.

Everyone wants to visit

When you live in a beautiful area like Brazos Valley with lovely warm weather, you may have friends and relatives that want to come visit more often. Our mild winters are a big draw. Also, the college town atmosphere of College Station will be perfect for anyone that wants to spend a night out on the town. Even so, there’s still a charming small town Texas feel. Brazos Valley has a lot to offer visitors.

Empty nesters

While the kids might have moved away, they’ll always want to come back home sometimes. Keeping a room ready for the kids and grandkids is a clever idea.

If you have moved away from your parents, they’ll be wanting to see you. While they won’t want to inconvenience their kids, it’s good do have an open-door policy for parents. When they want to visit, it’s wonderful to be able to say “Sure, mom, come stay with us.”

A multipurpose space

A guest room doesn’t have to sit there gathering dust. If you think ahead and use some ingenuity, it can be a great multipurpose space. If you only have guests occasionally, then you could buy a futon of sofa bed for your guest room and use it as an office or home gym for the rest of the year. Make use of the room all year long even when there are no guests.

If you use the space regularly you can avoid the trap of letting it turn in to an unorganized room where you put excess clutter. The guest room will stay neat and clean if you make regular use of the space.

Guest bathroom

If you will be having guests, a guest bathroom is a must have. Giving your guests their own bathroom allows them to be able to put out personal items without feeling like they’re cluttering your space. A guest bathroom will make your guests feel more at home and a comfortable guest is a happy guest.

Guest house

If you have a lot of guests or guests that stay for weeks or months at a time, a guest house is an option for you. It allows you and your guests to have privacy. Guests can even cook some of their own meals. While everyone loves having friends and family over for a while, the more privacy everyone has, the more relaxed the environment will be.

When you buy a home in Central Texas, your family and friends will love to come visit. Remember that when choosing a home. You may just need a little extra space to accommodate everyone. If you need a realtor to help you find the right house here in Brazos Valley, I’m here to help. Give me a call and I can help you find a beautiful home here in my hometown. 

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!

A Home with a Pool-Is it a good investment?

In the north, pools can lower the value of a home because they require more maintenance than they’re worth. After all, half of the year or more could be too cold for swimming. However, here in Texas, we have beautiful weather for much of the year. Swimming pools may add value to a home.  That’s not the only thing to consider when deciding if a home with a pool is a worthwhile investment for you. There are some other things to keep in mind.

Will you use it?

If you have children the answer is most certainly yes. While safety is of upmost importance, a gated area for the pool should keep small children from wandering in while playing outside. Swimming is a fantastic outdoor activity for kids and adults during hot Texas summers.

If you like swimming, but only get around to it a few times a year then you could consider living in a neighborhood that has a pool. Then, you can split the expense of pool maintenance with your neighbors.

Aren’t they high maintenance?

Possibly, but it could be worth the maintenance cost for you to be able to enjoy a pool. There are services that will come out and maintain your pool for you as well. They’re not too expensive and they do all the dirty work.

If you won’t use it often, the maintenance may be more than it’s worth.  In that case, go with a HOA that has a pool.

If you have the time and you want to save a little money, there are inexpensive kits you can get at the store. Pool maintenance is really just about keeping your equipment in good shape and maintaining the right chemical balance.

Should you put one in after you buy a home?

Having a pool installed may be an option, but be careful.  Some homeowner’s associations don’t allow certain types of pools. Make sure to check the HOA rules before setting your heart on getting a pool.  Often, HOAs have pools for residents to use, especially if it’s a community with a lot of children.

Is it good for resale value?

Probably, however, you likely won’t recoup the entire cost of installing the pool when you sell your home. In fact, most major home improvements won’t pay for themselves at resale. If you’re adding a pool just to sell your home, you may want to reconsider. Buy a pool to enjoy it.

Homebuyers with small children may be concerned about the safety risks of having a pool. Make sure your pool is in a gated area. You don’t want the pool to look like a lawsuit waiting to happen because that could scare buyers away.

Pools get a lot of use here in Brazos Valley.  There are some downsides like safety and maintenance issues, but they can be a lot of fun when they’re well taken care of.   If you’re looking for a home with or without a pool in the College Station area, I can help you find what you need. I’m a licensed realtor and this is my hometown. 

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!

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

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles @FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.