Last year I was telling sellers in the north Dallas suburbs that selling their home was both a “price war” and a “beauty contest.” Their homes had to be in tip-top condition, properly prepared, and ready to show. Additionally, they had to compete with all the other homes in a “price war” in order to sell.
This year, the local market has rebounded nicely with the buyer’s markets of previous years yielding to a seller’s market in 2012. Properly prepared, staged and show-ready homes are flying off the market in days.
I was out showing homes today and I’m amazed to see how many homes have not been properly prepared and show very poorly. Many of these homes have been on the market for more than 100 days and have still not sold.
If you’re serious about selling your home in the shortest amount of time and at the highest possible price, you simply have to get the home prepared to show.
Take care of any deferred maintenance issues. I’m not talking about remodeling the kitchen, but touch-up painting, caulking, and a good deep-cleaning will go a long ways.
If you’re not comfortable with how to stage your home, hire a stager! While we provide 2 hours of staging consultation for our listing clients, not all agents do. A good stager in our area costs less than $300 for two hours of consultation. This is money well-spent and will be far less than your first price reduction.
Make the most of every showing with a show-ready home. Most sellers know in advance that their home will be showing. When you get that call, it’s almost show time! Have a plan of action to get your home in show-ready shape. Turn on all the lights, open the blinds, and get some soft music playing!
Regardless of the market, It’s still a beauty contest!
This question continues to arrive in my email box with a number of clients concerned that the new healthcare legislation imposes a 3.8 percent transfer tax on all homes sold after 2013.
According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR),
The 3.8% tax is imposed ONLY on those with more than $200,000 of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) ($250,000 on a joint return). The tax applies to investment income, defined as interest, dividends, capital gains and net rents. These items are all included in an individual’s AGI. A formula will determine what portion, if any, of these types of investment income would be subject to the tax.
NAR also states that this is not a transfer tax on real estate sales and that the new tax does NOT eliminate the benefits of the $250,000/$500,000 exclusion on the sale of a principal residence. Thus, ONLY that portion of a gain above those thresholds is included in AGI and could be subject to the tax.
So while there is a new tax in the healthcare law, it is not a transfer tax and will not apply to all sellers of real estate. Sellers are encouraged to discuss their particular circumstances with a CPA or their tax preparer prior to listing their homes for sale.
CB JENI Homes has broken ground on another new townhome community! This European style community boasts easy access to the Metroplex including DFW International Airport and downtown Dallas.
The Villas at Lake Vista is located just south of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and midway in Coppell, Texas. Several buildings are already under construction with the first units being ready in late August or early September 2012.
CB JENI Homes has included an extensive list of features including granite counters, stainless steel Frigidare appliances, tall baseboards, ceramic tile in wet areas, etc. Click here to see a complete list of included features.
Floorplans include the Jefferson (2/2.5/2 1923 SF), Lincoln (3/2.5/2 2080 SF), Roosevelt (3/2.5/2 2223SF), and the Washington (3/2.5/2 2470 SF). Base prices range from $250k to $314k.
This community is zoned to Lewisville ISD including Rockbrook Elementary, Durham Middle School, LHS Harmon (9th grade), and Lewisville High School. (1)
Community amenities include a resort-style pool, fitness center, and extensive landscaping.
Photos and Video Copyright 2012 Imaged2Sell | (1) Source – Lewisville ISD InfoFinderI
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
I was recently talking with an out-of state friend who was visiting us. He told me if he were to move to Dallas, he would want to find a home for sale with a basement.
Homes with basements are very uncommon in the Dallas area so I asked him about his reasoning. He had visited Dallas a couple of years ago. During his visit, we had one of our typical spring thunderstorms and those storms produced a couple of tornadoes in the area.
It’s difficult to find newer homes that are built with basements although we do see the occasional wine cellar.
Why?
The expansive clay soil in the Dallas area makes it structurally difficult and cost prohibitive to build a home with a basement. If you’re worried about tornadoes, special tornado shelters can be built offering homeowners a place to retreat from the storms.
Nestled among the rolling hills and expansive greenbelts of Plano, Texas; Ridgeview Ranch residents experience the feeling of resort community living with the convenience of big city life. A master-planned community of 870 homes, Ridgeview Ranch provides an abundance of recreational opportunities for residents of any age including two pools and playgrounds, a tennis court, workout facility, basketball goal, picnic areas and easy access to the 18-hole championship golf course at the Ridgeview Ranch Golf Club.
School-age residents attend Exemplary rated schools in the highly-regarded Frisco Independent School District including Anderson and Taylor Elementary Schools, Fowler and Vandeventer Middle Schools, and Liberty High School.
Ridgeview Ranch is made up of four distinct neighborhoods; The Villages, The Estates, The Manor and Ridgeview Ranch West.
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Homes For Sale
Resale homes in Ridgeview Ranch are available. Resale homes offer mature landscaping, interior decorating, and pools.
Castle Hills is a majestic 2,500-acre master-planned golf course community, located in North Dallas, west of the Tollway and Park Blvd., near Carrollton, west of Plano. Convenient to major employers, shopping, recreation, and entertainment, Castle Hills is one of the premier residential golf communities in North Texas.
In addition to an ideal location, Castle Hills has unrivaled amenities and a small-town feel. The Castle Hills Golf Club is home to the 18-hole, Jay Morrish-designed course and club with dining, pro shop, meeting rooms and teaching academy. Throughout Castle Hills, there are parks, lakes, a hike-and-bike trail and community centers with swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts, fitness rooms, ball fields and more.
Tom and Gina Branch, The Branch Team, with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs were named as Top Residential Real Estate Producers in Dallas by D Magazine at a reception held at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving.
In the July 2012 issue D Magazine’s editor wrote, “Racking up tens of millions in home sales in the hotly competitive North Texas market isn’t easy.”
The Branch Team closed more than $15m in sales in 2011 with 112 sides and 96 listings.
Gina Branch stated, “We’re proud that the vast majority of our business comes from referrals. We stay focused on providing quality service before, during, and after the sale.”
Source: D Magazine, July 2012 | Logo used with permission
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Gina Branch with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender.
Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan. If you stop paying your mortgage, you could lose your
home and damage your credit rating.
Last year I was telling sellers in the north Dallas suburbs that selling their home was both a “price war” and a “beauty contest.” Their homes had to be in tip-top condition, properly prepared, and ready to show. Additionally, they had to compete with all the other homes in a “price war” in order to sell.
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CB JENI Homes has included an extensive list of features including granite counters, stainless steel Frigidare appliances, tall baseboards, ceramic tile in wet areas, etc. Click 
I was recently talking with an out-of state friend who was visiting us. He told me if he were to move to Dallas, he would want to find a home for sale with a basement.
Tom and Gina Branch, The Branch Team, with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs were named as Top Residential Real Estate Producers in Dallas by D Magazine at a reception held at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving.
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