Recycling DOES make a difference!

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Recycling, Valley Ranch, HOA

Recycling does make a difference.

It was not long after we started recycling that I noticed we really no longer needed a second garbage can.  We rarely use it.  In point of fact, the little square plastic tubs they give us to put our recyclables into should be the size of the trash can and vice versa.

Each week as recycle day comes around I see the same thing- a recycle bin overflowing and an almost empty trash can.  I am not complaining, but I am often wondering does it really make a difference.  So when I received the update from Rick Fogarty of the Valley Ranch Association I was pleased to see the following:

As a result of paper recycling alone  34.34 trees have been saved, as one ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees.

In terms of energy that is a savings of 8282 Kwh of energy, as one ton of recycled paper saves 4100 kilowatt hours of energy.

Full savings can be seen here.

Now that is paper alone, imagine how much of a difference you are making with your glass, cans, and plastics.  If you are already recycling in your family- great!  If not, please get on board- it really does make a difference.  And if your community does not have recycling services- find out who you need to get to and send them information to show how this is a win-win-win for everyone now and more importantly in the future!

If you are interested in being a part of a community such as Valley Ranch, that takes recycling seriously and knows the difference it makes, or any similar community in North Texas then you need a REALTOR®.  Or if you are interested in listing your current home, or are looking to rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Selling your home – Advice worth repeating!

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For Sale, House for sale, Spring Cleaning, Staging

We have talked about this before but it bears repeating.  Putting your home on the market does require a bit of tidying up, selective elimination of acquired ‘treasures’, and sprucing up; both inside and out, and the time to do all of this is before you put the ‘FOR SALE’ sign in the front yard.

Do all the work you want to your kitchen, your bath, your playroom- but neglect your front walk way and yard area and the odds are the potential clients that liked the interior shots online will drive on by when they pull up, with their agent, to your home. Being out with buyers often I can tell you they are often very disappointed to see someone present a wonderful home online and then the drive up is horrendous.  I am not just talking about a few things not being great- I am talking horrendous.  Please mow your lawn, trim your trees and bushes and CLEAN YOUR FRONT PORCH if your home is on the market.  Be sure the doorbell works, yes we use them.  Be sure the windows are clean and when we enter the home what will we see, hear, and smell in the first 30 seconds.  (all of this could influence our decision to make an offer- as well as the size of that offer if made!)

This brings us to ‘what will we smell?’  Refrain from cooking fish 3 nights a week or liver and onion the other 2 nights that week and by all means do not leave your cat litter box overflowing when you know you will have guests (i.e. a showing) stopping by that day.  I’ve seen a lot while out showing homes, but I’m sure I have not seen it all, yet.  (nor do I wish to!)

Once you get past the basics, then you can look to staging.  Staging does not have to mean $1000’s of dollars out of pocket- it can be as simple as removing personal photos on the walls and replacing some with tasteful artistic pieces.  Another idea is to remove all out of season clothing from your closet- and if you are feeling adventurous- remove it all- save the few looks you prefer to always have on hand for work and play.  WOW, now doesn’t that closet look larger already??? But if you want to take the next step and STAGE with the help of a professional- ask your REALTOR® for suggestions to be sure you work with a professional stager.

What about your pantry?  Are you stockpiling goods from COSTCO and SAMS at record levels?  Maybe now is the time to run through some of that supply.  We want to show you have a lot of space- not that you are a savvy shopper.

Cupboards- upper and lower are next on the list.  Plates and cups crammed in and saved since you first got married and moved in, or have you scaled back to a simple 4-6 serving sets?  No time like the present to do so.  Same goes for the pots and pans.  Unless you are Wolfgang Puck or auditioning for the next Iron Chef you really will not miss all 6 of those skillets and the associated covers. Oh calm down, I am not suggesting you throw them out- simply pack them away.  SHOWCASE YOUR SPACE!!!

Be sure the light bulbs all work- even in the bathroom you never use- WE want to see it!

When you think you are all done- LEAVE!  I mean it- LEAVE the house- go for a walk, a drive, or just get the mail.  NOW walk back in like you are seeing it for the first time- Drive up- LOOK at the yard, the trim, the gutters, the trees- Walk up to the front door- spend a minute on the porch- what do you see, hear, smell.  Walk through the front door- just through it- now look- use all your senses- TAKE IT ALL IN- this is your first time in this home- what do YOU think now?  This is what potential buyers are going to think.  IF you are satisfied with the sights, sounds and smells- now is the time to take your home from FOR SALE- to SOLD! SisforSold !!!

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a REALTOR® to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

How do people see my listing?

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For Sale, Going Viral in Real Estate, How do I list my house, Listing my home, North Texas

When a client calls on me to list their home one of the first questions they have is how do people see my home? How do they know it is FOR SALE?  GREAT Question!!  Gone are the days of driving endlessly through neighborhoods you think you may want to live in- NOW people, around the block AND around the globe, search for everything- including homes, via the internet!!  Here is a picture of what happens when I take your listing:

Along with the power of the internet is the power of personal connections and knowing who in my circle is specifically looking for what you are offering!!  Connecting people is what it is all about- and after all  SisforSold !!

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a REALTOR® to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Foreclosures…

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Foreclosures, Forney Foreclosures, Homes for Sale, House hunting, North Texas

Foreclosures in Forney are often searched and often sought after, but are they often the purchase of choice?  NO!

To purchase a Foreclosure is a process, and not a process many people want to work with- no matter the seemingly good deal.  The negotiation is different than traditional home purchases.  The time from offer to acceptance can be unbelievable (although recent efforts/laws are trying to make it more reasonable).  The time from contract to close can be forever delayed, postponed and in the end- unpredictable!

These are features of a Foreclosure purchase that you don’t hear mentioned when people talk about the ‘great deal’ they got on this or that Foreclosure purchase.

So here is the bottom line folks- Time is Money!  If you have time to invest in the searching, evaluating and assessing of foreclosed properties and you have the additional time to do the ‘required’ forms and paperwork and hoop jumping necessary to get to a contract …AND you have the time to sit and wait on a final closing- then HAVE AT IT!  If you have the right expectations and the time you spend and the money you save is worth it then it is a win win win- Foreclosure purchase makes sense to you and for you!

If, however, your idea of home purchase falls more along the traditional lines and you want to negotiate and do the back and forth dance to contract and then close within 21-30 days and be moved in soon after.  Please, please, please do not consider foreclosed properties.  You will be highly frustrated, you will soon get angry- at the process, at the bank, potentially at your Realtor, and at anyone loosely associated with your purchase.  Traditional home sales are a good deal in today’s market..MOVE IN READY is a good thing!!!  and negotiating with a real live human being who has motivation to sell is so much better than negotiating with a banker, possibly in some distant city, whose only motivation is to clear the books and clear a profit at all costs.

Move in ready looks like this…and relaxing can be as easy as 30 day close and jump in the pool, bring the family and friends, plenty of room for everyone on this oversized lot! 

Want to know more about this property or others- then call me today!

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a REALTOR® to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Lower inventories make this great time to list..

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Forney, homes for rent in forney, listing a home, New home builder, selling your home

Did you know that in Forney the homes for sale inventories are down year over year?  This means that if you are considering listing your home then now is a good time to do so.  Buyers are out there, they are trying to look, but with fewer homes on the market than in years past it is becoming more and more difficult to find ‘the perfect’ home.

Is your home unique?  Does it have that sought after LARGE YARD, that the current builders just can’t compete with? or the already completed pool- in your own backyard- where a buyer can imagine himself poolside the moment escrow closes?  Do you have hardwood floors and/or accent paint in MOVE IN READY condition?  What are the unique features of your home….

Yes there are builders, probably in your neighborhood, or nearby, that are building brand new homes and making them sparkle above the current homes, but with a new home often comes uncertainty and some wait time.  This does not work for all buyers.  To build right now is a 90-120 day wait.  To build in a growing vs established neighborhood means you do not know what the growing neighborhood may look like in 10-15 years.  Your established neighborhood is a selling feature- so why not promote it!!

Considering a home sale? Then now is a great time to get your home on the market and make it shine..read the articles posted regarding DIY projects to boost selling value and how to compete with the new home builder that may be down the street or just around the corner.  Then give me a call to discuss…

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a REALTOR® to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Time to buy your home…controversial advice..or common sense..

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buying your first home, financial advice, interest rates, Lender, life, vacations

You have gotten married, saved your pennies, started planning for the future and are feeling pretty settled in each of your careers.  What’s next?  You discuss and agree it is time to buy your first home together!!!  How exciting!

May I be the first to congratulate you– and the first to give you some advice you probably will not like and probably should take…BUY AS If YOU HAVE ONE INCOME!!

Oh I know all the arguments…

But we have good jobs or But we are in a growth industry or jobs are not going anywhere…or one of my favorites..I don’t have to worry about layoffs I work for myself

There are so many many many more things people say to themselves to justify spending to the limit.  When you sit down with your lender, as you begin the home search process, s/he will tell you you qualify for $x.xx .  The lender takes the sum of what information you provide and comes up with a figure based on this information.  By no means should you spend to that limit…seriously, it just does not make good financial sense.

It is your job, your responsibility, your duty….to be sure the number that is arrived at is livable under most circumstances- and that includes job loss, job change, illness, short term setbacks, etc.  Plus- who wants to be able to afford $x.xx for the house and not have anything left over for ENJOYING LIFE!!

Now as I type this I know it is controversial because we all work very very hard for what we have in life and most of us want the best possible we can get.  But I ask you, at what cost?  Do you really want the big house on the hill with the 4 car garage if it means in 3 years when you discover you are pregnant with twins that you cannot ‘afford’ to stay home- because of the house?  Do you really want the big house on the hill with the oversized game room and media room if it means ALL you can do is play pool and watch movies, rather than taking a SKI or SWIM vacation once a year??

And the biggest Do you really of them all…  Do you really want a home that is in jeaopardy of loss should one of you lose your job, or choose to follow a less affluent path to happiness???

Life is about choices..and one of the smartest choices you can make when sitting down with your lender is to listen carefully, gather data, and make a family decision that allows you flexibility of life choices!  Enjoy your home, enjoy your life, don’t make your home be the biggest thing dragging you down financially!

Happiness is not about having the most- it is, after all, about making the most of what you have!!!  (and having a solid rainy day cushion for when you need a little $ to get you through the rougher patches)

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a REALTOR® to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Listing your home in a neighborhood with new construction..

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Energy Efficiency, Forney, Home for sale, Listing your home, New Construction, North Texas, Radiant Barrier, SEER rating, trails of Chestnut Meadows, Travis Ranch, Windmill Farms

Listing your home for sale in a neighborhood with new construction can be daunting.  How do you compete against a home that is brand new and just two streets over from your home?  What are the builder’s home sales people saying today that would sway your potential buyers from making an offer on your home and moving rather to a new construction home purchase?

Do you really want to know?  Are you ready for the truth of what the sales pitch is of the new home builder..it is very simple….Ok- so it is a NEW(er), than your, home product.  That is appealing.  But here is what the sales person in your community is saying to potential buyers as they walk in the door..

1. They will talk talk talk about energy efficiency and 2. They will talk about Financing options- including NO CLOSING COSTS.

OK, so now focus on this- if you have a limited budget when placing your home on the market- or thinking of placing your home on the market in the next 3-9 months what should you be seriously considering doing?  Should you:

A. Remodel the kitchen

B. Get an Energy Audit and add or upgrade as needed to make your home ENERGY SAAVY

C. Save Save Save so you can help with closing costs if asked (if not- then woohoo- extra funds for downpayment on your next home)  or

D.  Both B & C.

I know you figured it out by now- but the truth is YES everyone knows kitchens sell- but most buyers are looking for the obvious- clean, ease of use and new(er) appliances- but in the end appliances are something the average buyer can see themselves purchasing.

What is much harder for a buyer to determine is cost to add Radiant Barrier in the attic, or blow in 6 more inches of insulation in the walls and attic spaces, or add solar, or upgrade Water Heaters or get the SEER rating that is top of the line for your size home or new Low-E windows for the house, with solar screens.  These are not everyday purchases and the average buyer can put a dollar figure on and look at a home and say- oh ok- I can fix that for a few hundred.  And it is what your competition is talking about- so why aren’t you!?

As for the closing costs this is a tough one- we all want to sell our home for the least amount of money out of pocket, but on the other side are the buyers who want to get the best possible deal at the time of purchase.  It is very common to ask for closing costs, or a portion of closing costs, when making an offer.   This is something not all sellers are prepared to do- so it is a POINT OF NEGOTIATION.  With that said however, if your home is only 8-10K less than the New Home Construction model..and they are offering to pay closing costs as part of the deal- most First time and many other buyers, would simply take the offer with the least amount of money out of pocket.  Not paying closing costs, or only paying a portion of them, can be a significant initial savings for the new home buyer.

So have this discussion with your Realtor, before the offer(s) start coming in.  Know what your financial tolerance is and what you can offer to a potential buyer.  All the while keeping in mind that if they come to your community, where the model homes are at the front entrance, they will most likely stop in them- ya know- ‘just to see’ how it compares to your pre-owned home for sale.

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a Realtor to list your current home, or are looking to buy or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Considering Cheldan Homes at Park Trails Forney, TX

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Cheldan, Crosby Elementary, Forney, Forney ISD, New Construction, NFHS, Park Trails

Cheldan Homes is located within Forney ISD, in the Park Trails area off of Ridgecrest Road on the North side of Highway80.  Park Trails is served by Crosby or Criswell Elementary, Brown Middle School and North Forney High School.

This builder offers a variety of floor plans starting in the $130’s and is qualified to do 100% financing through the USDA program.  (ask me for details!)  At such a great price you would almost think you have to give up everything you want in a home, but Cheldan makes that not so.  They are able to offer all the amenities you want and need, at an affordable price.  Starting at just under 1600sqft and moving up to over 2900sqft there is a floor plan available for all family sizes.

Located just off one of the main roads of Forney you will find ease of access to Restaurants, Shopping, Schools, Parks and Highways.  Not to mention that the community sits beside a lovely water feature that allows for leisurely evening strolls, duck feeding and maybe even dropping in a fishing line or two after a day at the office.

Considering a Cheldan Home in Forney  then call me today- let me work with you to help you ask all the right questions in order to limit surprises during the purchase process and get the best possible price on your new home.

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a Realtor to list your current home, or are looking to buy(Pre-Owned or New Construction) or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

Consider Megatel Homes in Forney TX..

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Forney, lake ray hubbard, Megatel, New Construction, Travis Ranch

Megatel Homes is located within many of Forney’s communities both within city limits and outside of limits, but within Forney ISD or Rockwall ISD (in the case of Travis Ranch).

This builder takes great pride in offering a product that truly meets the client’s(that’s YOU) needs with very nice touches that enhance the home you may one day call home.  From the Handcrafted and designed 42” custom cabinets to the granite countertops in the Kitchen and the Royal jetted tub and Moen oil-rubbed bronze faucets of the master bath you will notice the difference from other homes as soon as you walk through the door.

The exterior of the home also is something to speak about , from the Solid Knotty Alder front doors to Fully sodded front and rear sites with Bermuda grass to a POOL…The home has it all!  Including being a Green plus Energy Star Certified Home!!

Considering a Megatel Home in Forney, or any community they are in, then call me today- let me work with you to help you ask all the right questions in order to limit surprises during the purchase process and get the best possible price on your new home.

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a Realtor to list your current home, or are looking to buy(Pre-Owned or New Construction) or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)

5 DIY Projects to Increase Sales Value by More Than $10,000

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Forney, Kaufman County, Listing your home, Rockwall

Thinking of listing your home- then the following article is a must read.  There are some things that you can do to increase your home’s value that do not involve Remodeling a Kitchen or a Bath.

5 DIY Projects to Increase Sales Value by More Than $10,000.

Happy House Hunting in North Texas. If you need a Realtor to list your current home, or are looking to buy(Pre-Owned or New Construction) or rent in the North Texas region- Give Dawn a call/text 214-604-4561 at Avery Properties/Avery Realty Group- where Sellers Enjoy 4% Listings and Buyers Enjoy Cash Back!! (ask me how…..)