by Ashley Hammons | Feb 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
If you’ve never been through the home-buying process, some of the terminologies can seem a bit foreign. One of the many phrases you might come across is earnest money.
When making an offer on a home, it is often encouraged to include earnest money with that offer. Earnest money is a payment of 1-3% of the offer price that is intended to show the seller your interest in their property. Earnest money is a deposit made to a seller that represents a buyer’s good faith to buy a home. The money gives the buyer extra time to get financing and conduct the title search, property appraisal, and inspections before closing. In many ways, earnest money can be considered a deposit on a home put up in good faith. The amount isn’t set in stone and it usually depends on the market. So how is that money used?
When you make it to closing, that earnest money will be directed towards any closing costs, down payments, or other items you would typically pay out of pocket. It is treated as a credit toward any expenses that come up in the process and is in no way a bribe for the seller. The earnest money is held by the title company and not by the seller.
There are a few situations where your earnest money will be refunded if you don’t make it to close. This usually requires a stipulation or clause to be added to your offer, and those can vary. Financing not going through, the seller not being able to close, and an unacceptable home inspection are all reasons that if you are protected in your contract, you should receive your earnest money back. If you do decide to back out of the contract for no real reason other than changing your mind, the seller may be able to keep it.
by Ashley Hammons | Feb 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Everyone who is getting ready to sell wants to make the most money possible in the process. While you may see a great deal of value in your home, that love you’ve created doesn’t always translate to financial gain. The best way to actually increase the value of your home and therefore your potential profit is by improving and updating the things in your home that buyers are looking for.
While there may be projects that you would prefer to do or may seem easier, It’s important to focus on the renovations that will net you the highest ROI. We have compiled this list for you to reference for their ability to produce high ROI. If you are looking to boost your resale value, check out the steps
KITCHEN REMODEL
Real estate experts will always tell you that the highest ROI renovating your home can undergo is in the kitchen. People really want nice kitchens and it seems to be a major focus for a lot of homebuyers. The biggest priority when renovating your kitchen should be the layout. Have a functional space that can easily be updated is key. Once your space has ‘good bones’ you will want to find materials that have a high-quality look without a big price tag. You can make update a space and make it look great without having to use marble or granite.
BATHROOM UPDATES
Not far behind kitchens, bathrooms are the second place buyers place a great deal of value. Thankfully, bathroom updates don’t have to drain your savings. Primary bathrooms are the most important and should be your focus if you only want to update one bathroom.
FIX PLUMBING
The biggest concern of potential buyers is structural concerns. You can have a beautiful home that can turn into a disaster if structural issues aren’t addressed. Replacing old piping with a newer plastic solution is a huge selling point and can calm some of the potential fears that come with buying a home.
GET RID OF STUCCO/PANELING
Wood paneling and Stucco are common in many older homes. Not only do these things tend to be unattractive to buyers, but they also show potential buyers that you likely haven’t made other efforts to update your home. If they have to worry about what is going on with what they see, they are likely to worry about what they cannot.
REPLACE SIDING
Curb appeal plays a major role in getting people in the door of your home. It makes sense to focus on how the outside will appear to potential buyers, so having yellowing siding that used to be white is unlikely to attract buyers. For those on a budget, you can also try power washing – it can bring better results than you might expect and it barely costs anything!
by Ashley Hammons | Jul 5, 2019 | Uncategorized
After all of the preparation required to list your home, you are probably ready to relax and wait for offers. While most of the hard work is done, it is important to keep in mind things that you may run into during the sale process. As you begin to welcome potential buyers into your home, here are a few things to expect now that your home is listed!
1. You might feel like you live in a museum.
You may have spent a great deal of time cleaning and decluttering, but now you are going to need to maintain that cleanliness. Potential buyers are going to expect a home that was as neat as the listing photos they saw, so it is important to meet their expectations. Now that you have officially listed your home, maintenance is necessary. There may be showings where you don’t have time to do a full deep-clean, so choosing to keep your home ‘show-ready’ will help reduce any stress about the appearance of your home for a showing.
2. There will be some inconveniences.
Now that you’ve realized your home needs to be ‘show-ready’ at all times, you might be starting to think that there could be an inconvenience or two during this part of home-selling. While your real estate agent will be helpful in this process, you may need to switch around plans during the evenings or weekends when you are typically home so that your home can be shown.
3. Expect to hear critiques and criticism.
This is often the main thing that first-time home sellers struggle with. It is not always easy to hear the issues a potential buyer may have with the home you have created. While some criticism can feel insulting, it is important to remember that it is not personal. Potential buyers are not trying to hurt your feelings, they just want to picture your home as their own. Your agent can be a key part in buffering criticism. They will be able to take suggestions from potential buyers and relay it to you in a way that is helpful and constructive.
4. Home maintenance will be crucial.
While maintaining home cleanliness is important, you will also need to keep up with maintenance tasks. Your lawn will need to be mowed, your heating and cooling systems need to be operating properly, as well as any appliances that will be staying when your home sells.
5. There can be some additional expenses.
After you’ve accepted an offer, the closing process will begin. There will be inspections and final walk-throughs, and this can bring about issues that may need resolved before the sale is closed. Depending on the issue, you may need to pay out-of-pocket for repairs so that you don’t need to negotiate your sale price.
If you’re ready to sell your home and need someone by your side to guide you as you prepare to list, give us a call today!
by Ashley Hammons | Jun 24, 2019 | Uncategorized
HOW TO DECIDE IF YOU SHOULD REMODEL OR MOVE
After living in a home for several years, it can be easy to discover things you may not be crazy about. While some things can be a quick fix, there may be major changes that make you wonder if it is worth the investment. At this point, you’re probably asking yourself if you should remodel or just find a new home. As you have probably realized, this isn’t always an easy choice. There are many factors that go into this decision. Here are some things to consider when deciding what will work best for you.
1. Determine which is more cost-friendly
While both options will have costs, one will have more than the other depending on your situation. Some of the costs of selling include agent commissions, moving costs, minor repairs, the costs of a new home, and potential upsizing costs. The costs of remodeling can include permits, architectural plans, materials and labor, and any other additional costs incurred in the process.
2. Look into the current housing market
Depending on whether your local real estate market is hot, it might make more sense to just sell if houses are selling quickly around you. By talking to a real estate agent, you can find out what to expect in terms of days on market, average sales price, and other important factors when it comes to selling a home.
3. Decide if your roots are deep
Is your home more than just a home to you? If you and your family are actively involved in the community, remodeling may work best for you. On the flip side, if there are better schooling or job opportunities in a different neighborhood, or you already spend hours a day traveling to those locations, selling may be a better option.
4. Decide if a renovation can solve your problems
Take the time to decide if the problems with your home are fixable. Is it really the house, or do you dislike your neighborhood? Do you have to spend an hour driving one way to work? Do you need a lot more space? If your answer to questions like this make you realize renovations won’t solve your problems, consider that it may just be time to put your home on the market.
5. Consider the ROI on your remodel
Calculating your return on investment will help you determine two things – first, if a remodel will cost you less than selling your home. It will also help you determine if you will be able to make your money back on a remodel if you choose to sell in the future. Look into the Cost v. Value Report for the last year, which can guide you on the most and least cost-effective improvements.
If these considerations make you realize it is time to sell your home, give me a call today!
by Ashley Hammons | Jan 7, 2019 | Buying & Selling, Buying a Home, Home buying & selling, Homeowner Financial Prep, Income Property, Real Estate, Uncategorized
Did you know there’s more than one way real estate investors find homes? There are a lot of homes for sale in Hunt County and surrounding areas. Most of those homes for sale in Hunt County are found because they are listed by a local real estate agent, placed on the MLS, and syndicated to real estate websites.
But if you’re thinking about becoming an investor, that shouldn’t be your only avenue to find distressed homes. The best deals are not necessarily advertised as homes for sale. Here are a few ways seasoned investors find homes. Usually, investors focus on one or 2 ways and make that their niche.
Trustee sales:
All homes in Hunt County in the foreclosure process must go to the trustee sale according to state law. The trustee must auction off the property on the county courthouse steps. The mortgage holder, usually the bank, place the minimum bid which is the amount of payoff for the mortgage. The bank will then place these homes with an asset manager and sell them with an agent or online auction. The auction on the courthouse steps is your opportunity to purchase the property before it becomes a home for sale in Hunt County! You will only be bidding against other investors as the bank will not place a second bid.
Tax sales:
Tax sales can be quite tricky, but there are a lot of investors who make their money here. You can get homes and land often for 1/2 the price BUT these homes are subject to a redemption period by the homeowner, might have clouds on their titles, and may not be able to have a title policy for 2 years. But if you do your research and team up with a great title company you could make some good money specializing in tax sales. We also recommend having an attorney you trust to look things over to ensure you’re covering your assets!
Auctions:
After a mortgage holder gets a home back from foreclosure they will often list them for sale on auction web sites before listing with an agent to the general public. These homes for sale in Hunt County are placed on these websites with a reserve bid and if it doesn’t sell in the allotted time it will usually get listed by a real estate agent. Here are a couple websites where you could find auction homes for sale in hunt county not yet with an agent HudsonandMarshall.com, Hubzu, HudHomeStore, RealtyTrac, and many many more. In fact, there are HUNDREDS of real estate auction websites.
Driving for dollars:
A lot of newer investors start out driving for dollars to find their first few homes and grow their portfolio. It’s a time-consuming way to find homes. It entails driving the neighborhoods you want to invest in, writing down addresses for homes that look vacant or distressed, getting on your computer and researching ownership, sending a letter, calling, knocking, etc… and trying to reach the owner to see if they want to sell.
Bandit signs:
Do you ever see those signs on the side of the road saying “we buy houses”? Those are called bandit signs and a lot of wholesalers use this technique to get the phone ringing. The signs are cheap and if you put out 100’s or 1000’s out in your target neighborhood just one home purchased could be worth the time and investment.
Using a Realtor is still the number one way to find homes for sale in Hunt County, even for investors, according to the National Association of Realtors. These are just a few examples of how to find homes for sale in Hunt County that are distressed and ready for an investor that may not have made their way to the MLS just yet.
by Ashley Hammons | Apr 5, 2018 | Uncategorized
Home Buying Process
Buying a home might seem like a huge undertaking. It’s not something you do every day, so
you might not know what to expect. Most buyers don’t. Learning the home buying process can
take the mystery out of buying a new home and allow you to approach each step with
confidence.
1. Identify your real estate agent and mortgage broker; these professionals will be your
guides though the process
2. Get a loan pre-approval; learn your budget and terms
3. Go house-hunting
4. Negotiate the price and terms
5. Enter the contract period and place a deposit
6. Perform home inspections
7. Receive the appraisal and obtain final loan approval
8. Review all information and remove contingencies if satisfied
9. Close on the new home
As you can see, buying a home is really a series of small decisions. As long as you continue to
find the information you receive acceptable, you will move through the process towards the
close. If not…then you will cancel and start over with another property. Buying a home is
exciting and understanding the process can help you avoid unnecessary stress.
