Hopefully these tips will assist you while finding a home inspector for your home inspection.         07/31/2008

Very often when people are approaching me about selling their property they ask, "Ok, what is my property ‘worth'?" ‘Worth' is a very misleading concept and very often confused. ‘Worth' is often confused with appraisal values and personal factors. ‘Listing Price' is the real question. ‘Listing Price' is driven by what people are willing to pay for your property at any given point in time. This is mostly driven by sales in the immediate area of properties with similar makeup and features. ‘Listing Price' is extremely important to reaching the goal . . . selling the property. There are pitfalls that many fall into when it comes to the "list price": Upgrades. There are many types of upgrades (i.e. pools, flooring, windows, etc.) to a property, but the common misconception is that they cont... 07/21/2008

        The Franklin Mountains of El Paso, TX (Paso de Norte)Sometimes called the southernmost end of the Rocky Mountain chain, the Franklins extend some 23 miles from the Mexican border and the Rio Grande northward across Texas a few miles into New Mexico.  They span three to five miles in width, and they rise some 3000 feet above the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert and approximately 7000 feet above sea level.  The peaks from the southern end northward to the Texas/New Mexico border make up the 37-square-mile Franklin Mountain State Park, administered by Texas Parks & Wildlife.  It is the largest urban park in the nation and one of the larger urban wilderness areas in the world. Rising over 3280 ft (1000 m) above the surrounding basins,  the Franklin Mountains dominate the skyline of the... 07/21/2008

Hi, Just sharing some photos from a roof inspection I did the other day. I love the color combo. Beauiful? Excellent workmanship. Just a little wear and tear. 07/18/2008

It really is a great time to buy real estate. The news reports of the "bubble bursting" never happened. Sure, the market did slow down and prices are down also, but far from a burst. We just finished off the best five years in the history of tracking real estate in America. This year was worse than those but still in the top 10. So, if I'm a buyer I have lower prices, more motivated sellers (which mean lower prices, and bonuses like paid closing costs, etc.), and some of the greatest interest rates in 30 years. Why would I wait any longer? The problems is, we have a tendency to do what everyone else is doing. After all, everyone else couldn't be wrong, right? Well, if you look from an investment point of view, (Real estate is the biggest, and most important investment you will ever make... 07/18/2008

Offering Incentives to Hasten a Sale Sometimes cash incentives are as effective as lowering the price, especially in the lower price range where buyers may be "cash poor." You may offer to pay some or all of a buyer's closing costs and discount points required by the buyer's lending institution. If you haven't had much traffic through your house and you're in a hurry to sell, you may want to add the offer of a bonus to the selling broker, in addition to their commission. An example of the wording for such an offer may be "to the broker who brings a successful offer before the summer is over." For more tips on selling your home, keep checking my blog or visit my website at www.JeseSellsHomes.com 07/17/2008

Market Conditions - Is it a Buyer's Market or a Seller's Market? A CMA often includes a Days on the Market (DOM) value for each comparable house sold. When real estate is booming and prices are rising, houses may sell in a few days. Conversely, when the market slows down, average DOM can run into many months. Your Realtor can tell you whether your area is currently in a buyer's market or a seller's market. In a seller's market, you can price a bit beyond what you really expect just to see what the reaction will be. In a buyer's market, if you really need to sell promptly, offer an attractive bargain price. If You Price High, Set a Schedule for Lowering the Price Some sellers list at the rock-bottom price they'd really take, because they hate bargaining. Others add on thousands to the es... 07/17/2008

Price Against Comparable Sales in Your Neighborhood No matter how attractive and polished your house, buyers will be comparing its price with everything else on the market. Your best guide is a record of what the buying public has been willing to pay in the past few months for property in your neighborhood. Your Realtor can furnish data on sales figures for those comparable sales and analyze them to help you come up with a suggested listing price. The decision about how much to ask, though, is always yours. Competitive Market Analysis (CMA): The list of comparable sales a Realtor brings to you, along with data about other houses in your neighborhood that are presently on the market, is used for a "Comparative Market Analysis" (CMA). To help in estimating a possible sales price for your ... 07/16/2008

Setting the list price for your home involves evaluating various market conditions and financial factors. During this phase of the home selling process, your REALTOR® will help you set your list price based on: 1. Pricing Considerations; 2. Comparable Sales; 3. Market Conditions; 4. Offering Incentives; and 5. Estimated Net Profits.  Pricing Considerations - Find a Balance Between Too High and Too Low When setting a list price for your home, you should be aware of a buyer's frame of mind. Consider the following pricing factors: If you set the price too high, your house won't be picked for viewing, even though it may be much nicer than other homes on the street. You may have told your REALTOR® to "Bring me any offer. Frankly, I'd take less." But compared to other houses for sale, your ho... 07/14/2008

When searching for a new house to buy, a large selection to choose from can be a great thing and it can be very frustrating as well. In a buyer's market, where there's a lot of inventory, buyers can easily get overwhelmed in an online search which would produce almost 2,000 different properties. Here are some tips for preparing for a successful property search: List your specifc "needs" in one column and your "wants" in another. "Needs" will be things like location (i.e. close to schools, distance from work, etc.), number of bedrooms, garage size, price range you can afford (a pre-qulaification prior to beginning a search is always recommended). "Wants" are those things that would be nice to have but not necessary at the present moment or can be added later (i.e. pool, on a golf course,... 07/11/2008

Don't buy if you can't stay put:If you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner. Start by shoring up your credit:Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover. Aim for a home you can really afford:The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary. But you'll do better to use one of many calculators available online to get a ... 07/10/2008

The main reason that home owners decide to sell their homes themselves is to save the commission charged by a real estate agent. The commission rate varies, depending on which marketing package you choose. Weighing against that commission rate are the advantages that having an agent offers. Advantages of using a real estate agent: Handling your own sale means you will be responsible for placing ads, answering phones and showing your home to strangers, a real estate agent has marketing systems in place for listing and selling homes. An agent will take the potential buyer through the home at scheduled times, an agent can sell the house, not just show the house. Your house is on the market 24/7 via multiple websites, virtual tours and more. Modern technology allows agents to use electronic... 07/10/2008

When you are thinking about buying your first home, it is essential for you to be confident in your decision to buy instead of rent.  However, you may not know about the many great reasons to buy a home.  Here are just a few of them: SMART INVESTMENT  When you invest in a home, it offers the possibility for appreciation in value. The equity becomes your even before you pay off your mortgage.  You even get to live in it while your investment grows. TAX ADVANTAGE Since both mortgage interest and property taxes are tax deductible, homeownership can save you significant amounts of money every year. PLANNED HOUSING COSTS You decide how much you spend on your home, including repairs and improvements.  Unlike renters, homeowners with a fixed-rate loan can lock in their monthly housing costs. I... 07/09/2008

                                                        Threw out the years I have seen many home very well maintained with pools but, the pools have deferred maintence.I remember back about five years ago when inspecting a house with a pool, hot summer day,the water sparkling and crisp.The pool was not part of the inspection. So I finished the home inspection, I reviewed my finding with the buyers. As we were walking around we ended up at the backyard where the pool was. The buyer asked me, how do you clean the pool to keep it the condition its in now, I repsonsed, you need a pool company to clean it. He said, NO. Cleaning myself. There is no equipment(Pumps, filter, skimmer, motor, valves,etc., were all missing), to maintain it yourself, he answer but the water is sparkling and clean.... 07/08/2008

Selling a home in this market requires a serious, well thought out plan of action. The media has made everyone aware that this is not the most favorable market for home sellers. Over 50,000 residential properties are for sale in the greater Phoenix area, prices have declined substantially, loan guidelines have become tougher, and more money is required upfront from buyers. Despite all of this, homes DO sell. However you can no longer sell a home by just hiring an agent, having them put a sign in the yard and place the property in MLS. There are things you can do as a seller to increase your chances of a successful sale: 1.      Find an agent you can work with You and your agent need to become partners, each with specific duties to perform to get your house sold. Your agent should provid... 07/08/2008

I know people who are planning to list their homes for sale and have asked me how to prepare their homes, so I prepared 36 tips, which I listed in 3 postings.  The last 12 tips, which I call "Showtime" because they focus on showing, are:  25. Buy some new furnishings.  If you are planning to purchase new furniture for the new home, you should think about using it to stage your present home.  It works especially well if you current furniture is worn, too large, or dated. 26. Lights, action, ready.  When you know a potential buyer is coming, turn on the lights, open the drapes - add light.  Light will make your home more inviting and will make it feel larger. Replace your 60 watt and 75 watt bulbs with the maximum the fixture can handle.  This makes your home look brighter and bigger. 27.... 07/08/2008

Avoid termites having a fiesta at your house, remember that they need wood fibers, moisture, and protection from sunlight.Keep all planter boxs, wooden barrels, and soiled filled porches at lease 6 to 12 inches away from the perimeter of house.Keep wooden fence post, landscaping chips, railroad ties, wooden trellise, etc. from coming in contact with soil, keep away from founadtion.Remove dead shrubbery,tree stumps,and grass away from foundation.Keep moisture minimal around foundation area, check for leaky exterior faucets.If one has access to plumbing traps, open and check for minor leaks at water supply lines. Homes with crawlspaces need to be clean of debris, have good ventilation, floor beams with a soil clearance of at least 12 to 18 inches. Rose bushes, and desert plants also have... 07/07/2008

I know many people who are planning to list their homes for sale have asked me how to prepare their homes, so I prepared 36 tips, which I will list in 3 postings. The second 12 tips, which I call "Buckets of Fun" (because they focus on painting & gardening) are:  13. Paint the interior walls a neutral color.  If you can't paint the walls off-white or eggshell, paint the home a light beige. Concentrate on the living areas, kitchen, and master bedroom. 14. Replace or paint over tired or dated wallpaper.  Also remember your wall paper should appeal to 80% of buyers, if it doesn't replace it or prep the wall and paint over it. 15. Paint the front door.  The color can be different than the house color but should coordinate with the shutters or molding.  It should be a neutral color or in ea... 07/01/2008

I know many people who are planning to list their homes for sale and have asked me how to prepare their homes, so I prepared 36 tips, which I will list in 3 postings.  The first tips, which I call "The Dirty Dozen" (because they focus on cleaning), will get you started:  1.  Visit model homes in your area.  These are your competitors.  Size them up and get a feel on how to prepare your home.  Be sure to take digital photos.  2.  Start packing.  Time to rent a storage unit. Get your knick-knacks packed.  This will help you when it is time to paint. Decluttering your home is the easiest way to make it appear larger. 3.  Move or store large furniture.  If the furniture is too large for the room, be sure to send it to storage along with the knickknacks. 4.  Empty the closets.  OK, maybe don... 07/01/2008

A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to give the interior of your home a whole new look. Even if your renting, presuming you have an understanding landlord, a splash of colour is great quick fix decorating option. But how do you choose the right colour? Do you want your lounge room to be shades of Macchiate Mocho or Raspberry Rapture?A fun way to choose colour is by using the principles of Feng Shui - the ancient chinese art of balance and harmony.According to Feng Shui, different colours create certain moods and atmospheres. Here is the beginners guide to selecting colour by Feng Shui GREEN: Lies at the centre of the colour spectrum and is the colour associated with peace, tranquillity and nature. Green is an ideal choice in rooms where a restful, calm atmosphe... 07/01/2008