There is high buyer activity and a historically low number of houses for sale right now. The perfect time for homeowners to sell their house is when the demand for homes is higher than what’s available for sale. Here are a few ways that low inventory can help you get a great deal if you’ve been on the fence about selling your current home.

Better Seller Terms

When there is a seller’s market like there is today, it is much more like being in he driver’s seat when you choose to sell your home. The ball is in your court and you have the power to sell on your own terms because low inventory means less choices for buyers. Buyers are more likely to work with you if it means they can purchase a home in a market where…

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Who doesn’t love a snow day? Cuddling on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa while watching movies can make anyone not want to venture out into the cold. Especially if you're a Texan. Many of us were not expecting the Winter Wonderland, we received this past week end. Next time you find yourself in this spot, it will be a good idea to head out for half an hour to protect your home, especially if you want to sell in the future. Check out these tips on protecting your home that you may not have considered.

Clear Your Vents: Make sure your furnace vents are clear of snow. Carbon monoxide could build up if your furnace vent is blocked.  A blocked vent may also cause a hot water heater to quit functioning. Use…

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25 Budget Friendly Ways To Upgrade Your Home

It's a new year, and we have all most likely set our goals. As a homeowner, our goals often include upgrading finishes or making our home feel new or personalized to our style or current trends. I have put together a list of 25 ways that are budget friendly and doable without having to hire professionals. Please note, some of these DIY's may not improve your homes value, but can give it more of a facelift, if you're not in a position to do the full upgrade.  

1. Add some character and add texture to your walls with peel-and-stick wall panels.

2. Create a charming accent wall with peel-and-stick paper.

3. Upgrade your countertops to faux granite with a DIY…

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Is homeownership one of your goals for 2020? If so, you may want to drop by one of my home buying seminars! Having recently purchased my first home in 2019, I love putting on these seminars to help educate buyers on what to expect when navigating through this complicated process. Now is the perfect time to get ready for the spring buying season, so that you are prepared and able to tackle it confidently. The best part of my home buying seminar is that it is 100% free & no obligation! Coffee & snacks are even provided. 

 

Items covered in these seminars:

  • Starting the home search 
  • Lending & Loans 101 
  • Realtors (do i need one/what do they do?)
  • The process of writing & submitting an offer 
  • Inspections
  • Negotiations 
  • Closings
    • …

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Winter is coming! Even though we may be trying to hold on to the last couple weeks of fall, colder temperatures are headed our way! With dropping temperatures comes a new set of maintenance items to prepare for as homeowners. This week on the blog, I am compiling a few of the most important (and pertinent for the Bryan/College Station area) tips you'll need to prepare for this winter weather. 

 

1) Check Your Heating System

For most households, you probably haven't had to turn on your heater until recently! Some homeowners know their units well enough to do a inspection on their own, but a lot of homeowners choose to have a HVAC technician come out when the season changes just to inspect the unit & clean if needed. If your home has a…

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  Is 2019 your year to take the plunge and purchase your first home? If so, please join me Saturday, April 6th, 2019 at 10:30am for a First Time Home Buyers Seminar! Breakfast & coffee will be served, and we will be going over the A-Z process of buying your first home! This is one of the most exciting times of your life, and I want to make sure that you are comfortable and confident going into the process. We will end with a Q&A session, so hopefully you will leave with your questions answered & your 2019 home owning goals a little closer to fruition.    Overview of what we will be covering in the seminar:  -Setting up your real estate search  -Choosing your lender & the pre-approval process -What to expect for closing costs & down…

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Home Buyer Tips

From the desk of Mae Nowak, Realtor®

It's easy to get swept up in excitement when you've made an offer on your dream home and it has been accepted by a seller. You're anxious and ready to move in immediately. However, there's one more thing you need to do to know exactly what you're buying - a home inspection.

A home inspection is a thorough examination of a homes systems and structures, the things you can't necessarily see when you first walk through a house. It is completed by a professional and neutral 3rd party. This examination is a crucial investment that can either warn you away from a bad purchase or provide you with a list of deficiencies you can use to negotiate with a seller. Most inspectors will provide…

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Welcome back to Home Buying 101 – Throughout this series I will be detailing the various parts of the transaction process for purchasing a single family home.  My goal is to answer the many questions looming around purchasing, especially for first-time home buyers. If you are just beginning, I recommend starting with Part One: Understanding Equity.


I have asked Jordan Monroe, of Legacy Mutual Mortgage, to help answer some common questions associated with lending.  If you have other questions, or are interested in beginning the lending process, give him a call and tell him I sent ya! 

First off, why don’t you tell our readers a little about you and what you do?

I’m a Loan Officer at Legacy Mutual Mortgage. My experience in both…

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This past Saturday, October 29th, Nathan Rich and I co-hosted our first (hopefully of many) Home Buyer Class.  It was a FREE event for those that wanted to learn more about the process of purchasing property - from both sides of the transaction, lending & real estate.  

 

We provided breakfast and coffee, and spent the beginning of our time together chatting about real estate goals, property interests, mostly just getting to know each other.  Overall, the consensus was that the home buying process can be incredibly overwhelming, especially for those that are first-time buyers.  Although I didn’t enjoy hearing this, it is why we created the class – to take something as clear as mud and make it better.

 

Nathan started off the class by going…

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We all want to reduce our home’s energy use – whether to be more environmentally friendly or simply to reduce our monthly expenses. There’s a lot of information on energy efficiency out there and it can feel overwhelming at times. Just start at step 1, and move on up toward a happy, green home and a few extra bucks in your pocket.

Step 1 -- No Cost -- Educating your family on how your behavior can reduce energy expenses

Step 2 -- Energy Efficient light bulbs, caulking and weather stripping to ensure there are no leaks

Step 3 -- Add insulation and check that all seals are intact

Step 4 -- Get a ductless heat pump

Step 5 -- Update to a newer generation water heater

Step 6 -- Invest in new, Energy Star approved appliances

Step 7 --…

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