Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

When you are shopping for your home, you need to do everything you can to assure the best results for your investment. One crucial area in your new home search that should never be overlooked is your home inspector. The home inspector should be a valued and treasured member of your home buying team. Just like your real estate agent, the home inspector will provide you with the best knowledge available regarding your choice.

Before contracts are signed, and a home is purchased the home inspector will review the house and clearly identify any issues big or small that can cause trouble down the road. This arms you with knowledge at the bargaining table. If you find that you are going to repair part of the roof after you move in, you can negotiate that into the purchase of the home. This also allows you to know if your investment is worth what the appraiser anticipates it to be at.

Most agents have an inspector they will contract with, however you are not limited to their inspector. You can take the time needed to find someone who can and will contract with you to inspect your home, or home choices. You need to be assured your home inspector is looking out for you, so selecting your own will empower this for both you and the inspector. This avoids any potential surprises or undesirable replacements after move in.

Working with your home inspector is an essential aspect of buying your new home. They help in defining the home’s quality, and assuring you are getting the best deal in the end. Prior to signing your contract, make sure that each person on your home buying team, including your home inspector, has had the opportunity to review the documents. This will help to make your new home a wonderful experience.

Does your home need a remodel? Most homes don’t need a full remodel before going on the market, but there are some things that you can do before you market your home that will increase the overall value. Some of these suggestions are simple and easy to do, and will make a big difference when it is time to sell your home.

1 – Paint outside and inside.

Over time the color of paint loses it luster and vibrancy. A simple re-coat can significantly brighten a home, and clean away any wear and tear that might be visible. Along with the time it takes to lose it color, the color choices may have fallen ‘out of style’ and thus may lessen the value of your home. By reviewing you color selection and updating as needed, you are able to maintain or improve your home’s overall value.

2 – Tile your home

Tile is both durable and easy to maintain. This couple will enable your home to be the best and most comfortable possible for all who will visit, and perhaps to new home buyers. Carpet wears over time, and can diminish a home’s appearance significantly. The change from one to the other can be done easily and far more inexpensively than most people may anticipate. Often it costs the same as or less than laying down new carpet.

3 – Install exterior shutters around the windows.

Although this is a purely cosmetic appeal, it significantly improves your home’s look and feel. Numerous surveys and studies have been done and something as simple as wooden shutters make a home feel more cozy and comfortable, which would make the home both more appealing to new buyers and easy to transition into.

These are only 3 of the most basic options available to you. They can be done with little extra expense. If you would like to improve for a more lasting and complete package, hiring a home inspector would be the best next step. He or she would be able to give you a complete picture and guide you to the best points to focus on. You can check the cost vs value report to see how much you will expect to see back for each remodel.

The weather is getting warmer, so is the itch to move. If you are wanting to sell, now is the time to watch the area and see the market move. This means that now is the time to start planning for the move and the sale. As with everything, advanced planning makes everything move smoothly.

Here are some simple and quick tips for preparing for the home sale that will open the way to your new home purchase.

First things first, find the right Realtor. There are nearly 8 thousand licensed real estate agents and brokers in the Austin real estate arena. Many chose to do this part time, while working another job. This means they may have less experience than you expect they may. When you are looking for your agent, look for experience, and a company that has a proven track record. This is essential especially in this buyers market. Affinity Properties can certainly prove success, even now.

Prepare from the moment you consider listing. That means make sure your house is clean, in good repair and staged. Doing this work in advance will help you and your Realtor, determine what needs to be done for you and for the top dollar sale of your home. When possible have the home inspected before you place it on the market. This will give you an accurate understanding of what your home needs, or doesn’t while determining the asking price.

Listen to your Realtor, if you’ve taken the time to research a little bit you know that your Realtor will be able to tell you when the market is ready for your home. By timing the release to the market to the flow of your area you will be able to sell your home in the briefest time possible. Summer is the busiest time to sell your home, don’t be caught unprepared.

With this combination you will be able to get the best price, in a brisk summer market You will be able to combine these tips for the greatest success.

Don’t forget the home buyers side of this 2 part – it is the next article.

For the second year in a row, Houston, Texas, ranks second among major US cities for the average cost of obtaining a mortgage. Houston is topped only by New York City, while Buffalo, NY, comes in third, according to a survey done by Bankrate, Inc.. Based on a hypothetical $200,000 mortgage, Bankrate, Inc. surveys the city with the highest populations in each of the fifty states throughout the nation to come up with the rankings. Bankrate also included some of the smaller cities to get a better idea of the state’s averages. The fees paid at closing time that they surveyed don’t include taxes, insurance or miscellaneous prepaid items – homeowner association fees, for example. The survey also assumes 20 percent down payment and a good credit rating.

In New York City, mortgage closing costs topped the $4,000 mark, with Houston close behind at $3,975. North Carolina was at the bottom of the list, where the average closing costs are $2,650.

Buyers often overlook the closing fees as part of the expense in buying a home, and they can often be quite high. It’s worth the homeowner’s time to really read documents closely and question the fees he or she is writing checks for. Some fees, such as origination and title search, can be negotiated. Also, as the housing market remains soft, certain fees have risen and certain other fees have been added on as lenders seek to cover their losses. Appraisal fees, in particular, have risen sharply as lenders request a more thorough, time-consuming job.

The list of fees is extensive and it behooves the homeowner to look closely at where their money is going.

There’s a house in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, that’s worth $3 million. It’s been empty for over two years, there’s a large hole in an exterior wall, and the interior is riddled with mold. It originally cost Roman and Jennifer Cosner $219,000 in March of 2005 and was supposed to be their dream house, built to specification of quality materials with a one year warranty. Instead, they got a house full of toxic mold that made them so ill they needed to move out.

The builder, Maronda Homes, promised to fix the problems and pay for their lodging costs. The Cosner’s claim repairs were never made and their lodging never paid for and, in fact, the company treated them with “hatred and ill will.”

Although Maronda ranks fairly high in customer satisfaction and construction quality, it’s been reported that the quality fluctuates from development to development. The Cosner’s house apparently did not pass muster and defects began to appear shortly after they moved in.

The main trouble showed up after a rainstorm sent a cascade of water down the inside of a garage wall and left puddles on the basement floor. Shortly after, it was discovered that one side of the house wasn’t attached properly to the foundation or the other three sides, the wrong windows were installed, and waterproofing and drainage around the foundation was inadequate. Leaks caused by the ill fitting windows coupled with the badly attached south wall encouraged the toxic mold to grow in the basement and in the heating and air-conditioning system.

The judge apparently agreed the situation was an egregious failure of Maronda to provide the promised product and awarded the Cosners $2.2 million in compensation. The jury seconded the judge’s decision by awarding an additional $1million in punitive damages.

When you are looking at a home, make sure you receive full disclosure. If you are a seller, have an inspector give you a full report on everything, even the stuff you didn’t know was in the house. By doing this, both the buyer and the seller avoid the predicament that the Cosners endured.