Texas is a very big state, nearly 900 miles from east to west, with dramatic diverse landscapes and over 500 cities to explore. This remarkable state is organized into seven regions, each with its own Texan personality. Texas real estate comprises of Texas homesites, farm and ranch properties, riverfront properties on the Colorado River, fine custom homes and commercial properties in different counties inside Texas.

People who are involved in active buying and selling of real estate properties to earn commission are realtors or real estate agents. There are many real estate agents working inside Texas to help people in buying, selling or relocating a home.

A good agent will first listen to your needs, desires, and will help you find a dream home. Customer satisfaction will be their first priority. They will also help the customer to sell their home for top dollar and in a timely manner. Again, if someone is moving to Texas, the agent will assist him/her in collecting the information; they need and make their transition as smooth as possible.

Role of a real estate agent in Texas;

1. Help you find the right community
2. Negotiate on your behalf
3. Schedule inspections, closings, and document review
4. Ensure all deadlines are met
5. Provide consultation services during transaction

Unless specifically contracted, all real estate agents in Texas are seller’s representatives, since the seller pays the commission and the selling agent is acting on behalf of the listing broker. Many present themselves as buyer’s agent, but there is no legal relationship unless a specific contract is signed between buyer and the real estate agent. There are many licensed real estate agents in Texas. If you want to purchase a home and wish to use an agent, then you can hire an agent to represent your interests. That makes him a buyer’s agent.

In Texas, second home sales have been increasing over the last few years with more people becoming second homeowners. Over 40 percent of homes sold were second homes. Healthy rise in home prices have contributed to this development in the second home market. With the help of real estate agent, who have a proper knowledge of these kinds of properties, you can relax a bit. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, the professional real estate agent you select, always plays an important role. Therefore, a real estate agent is one of the most useful resources for a real estate investor.

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There are two legal ways to increase your wealth.

1. Keep more of what you have (e.g., tax strategies, rehab efficiencies, cost savings)

2. Add value to something (e.g., a real estate investment, stocks, bonds)

Let’s focus on adding value to your rehab investments.

The most obvious is certainly bring it back up to standards. We HAVE to do the obvious things such as:

– Ensure there are no plumbing leaks and the entire plumbing system is in good working order, including potable water and sewage/septic and water heater.

– Ensure the electrical system is safe and working. This may require an upgrade. This includes all outlets, breakers, heat and AC.

– There can be no leaks in the roof! Obvious, but sometimes this is hard to determine if it isn’t a rainy season. You might have to take a garden hose to the roof to be sure. Station someone in the attic with a flashlight.

– Get rid of any rotted wood or termite damage, repair walls, etc.

Those items I’ve listed and others like it are no-brainers. But how do we really add value to the eye? We make it pretty!

– We paint all walls and ceilings (usually bright white)

– We replace flooring, or if there is acceptable carpet or tile, we professionally clean and restore it.

– We hang mini blinds on the windows.

- We trim trees and bushes, paint the outside make the exterior look fresh.

Now, to get the sale, or to get it rented immediately we do some of these things that really make a difference (notice the emphasis on kitchen and bathrooms!):

– Replace or refinish the kitchen cabinets, sink and countertop.

– Replace the toilet, vanity, and resurface or replace the tub.

What if we want to really make OUR property stand out on the market? What if we want there to be NO question as to what a great house this is in the buyer’s mind? What if want TOP DOLLAR? Try these inexpensive upgrades!

EXTERIOR

– Put a decorative fence in front. Plant some shrubs along the front of the house with attractive landscaping bark around it for color

– Replace the front windows with something more attractive.

– Install lighting along the walkway

– Plant a tree

– Install a new mailbox

– Build a deck in the back

– Increase the exterior lighting. Motion sensor lights are a nice touch.

INTERIOR

– Install a security system. Sometimes the system is installed free with a year’s monitoring. Make the first year of free monitoring (prepaid by you) a selling point.

– Install a garage door opener

– Install a used hot tub. You might be surprised the amount of folks who no longer want their hot tub!

– Include a microwave.

– Buy new appliances. Kind of expensive, but a deal maker. Try making this an incentive for a full price offer.

– Lay ceramic tile instead of vinyl.

– Go with snap-and-lock hardwood flooring instead of carpet especially in a great or living room.

– Upgrade the faucet to something sleek and modern. There are hundreds to choose from. Go with an extra large sink.

– Replace the cabinet and drawer hardware to something extra fancy. This can make an average kitchen POP for little extra cost!

– Add ceiling fans instead of just new overhead lighting fixtures.

– Add chair rail molding in the dining and living rooms.

– Buy the attractive switch and outlet covers instead of the basic contractor grade covers.

We, as investors, need to make the rehab fit our strategies. If we want to rent the property, you probably won’t add as many upgrades. If you are looking to sell, and you need to get that property noticed, you should add as many of the upgrades as possible within your budget, especially the visual upgrades.

I hope this list has got you thinking creatively about how to pump of the value of your next project!

Over 50% of homes listed for sale do not sell during their listing period, in some markets its’ as high as 65%. The dirty secret in the real estate business is that most homes don’t sell on the first go around. Blame the agent blame the home owner both are at fault. 7 steps below will give you the best chance of your home selling first time out.

1)Price it Right – Far and away above any other consideration is the price. The worst home in the worst area at the right price will sell. Get your head out of the clouds, as a seller it’s just another house.

2)Hire the Right Agent – Interview 2 to 3 agents, hire the one who uses the most tools to market your home. The I’m No 1 and pat their self on the back real estate designations are not going to get your home sold.

3)Team Approach to Selling – Agents who use a team approach to their business have the right attitude towards real estate. Today’s single agent actually does 14 different jobs in the home selling and buying process. A team can spread the work load, specialize, and has less chance of dropping the ball (you and your house).

4)Advertising Systems – Where, when and how often will your home be advertised in newspapers and home magazines. We know that about 90 to 95% of calls on ads reject the house after receiving all the information. But it is a fact that advertising especially using a 800# call capture systems with a compelling ad will draw buyer prospects for your agents’ team to work with.

5)Signs and Sign Riders – signs with 800# call capture number. Show your agents web page address. Web page must have free reports and other areas for buyers to register. Sign riders offer compelling reasons for buyers to call the 800#, zero down, special financing, low down payment, Buy this house and I’ll buy yours for cash are some that work well.

6)Open Houses – One of the least effective ways to market a home. Saturday or Sunday afternoon for 3-4 hours you go to the mall and your agent hangs out watching TV. How about an open house tour 5 to 6 homes open the same day for 15 to 20 minutes each, the group goes from house to house creating an auction like affect and get to you stay home and see the show.

7)Visual Tours & Photos By using visual tours and multiple photos your agent will get your home placed higher on websites like Realtor.com. Almost 80% of home buyers start their search on the internet it is best for you to be at the top of the list. You can also email your home to friends, neighbors, co-workers, hand-out C/D’s at open house tours. Your agent will also send these out to the top agents in your area.

Agents with multiple approaches to the marketing of your home will work best for you. They are internet savvy have a team and support staff that can handle the various tasks involved with finding the right buyer for your home.

For most people, the prospect of selling their home can be positively daunting. First of all, there are usually plenty of things to do just to get it ready for the market. Besides the traditional clean-up, paint-up, fix-up chores that invariably wind up costing more than you planned, there are always the overriding concerns about how much the market will bear and how much you will eventually wind up selling it for.

Will you get your asking price, or will you have to drop your price to make the deal? After all, your home is a major investment, no doubt a rather large one, so when it comes to selling it you want to get your highest possible return. Yet in spite of everyone’s desire to get the top dollar for their property, most people are extremely unsure as to how to go about getting it. However, some savvy sellers have long known a little financial technique that has helped them to get top dollar for their property. In fact, on some rare occasions, they have even sold their properties for more than they were worth using this powerful financing tool. Although that might be the exception rather than the rule, you can certainly use this technique to get the most money possible when selling your property.

Seller carry-back, or take-back financing, has proven to be a surefire technique for closing deals. Even though most people do not think about when it comes to selling a property, they really should consider using it. According to the Federal Reserve, there are currently over 100 Billion dollars of seller carry-back (seller take-back) loans in existence. By any standard, that is a lot of money. But most importantly, it is also a very clear indication that more people are starting to use seller take-back financing techniques because it offers many financial benefits to both sellers and buyers. Basically, seller take-back financing is a relatively simple concept. A seller-take back loan is created when a property is sold and the seller performs like a lender by assisting in financing all or part of the total transaction. In effect, the seller is actually lending the buyer a certain amount of money toward the purchase price, while a traditional mortgage company usually funds the balance of the purchase price. A seller take-back loan is secured with the property. The loan then becomes the primary mortgage and is fully secured by the property. In most seller take-back financing transactions, the buyer repays the seller with interest in accordance to mutually agreed terms over a period of time. Usually, the terms call for the buyer to send the payments, consisting of principal and interest, on a monthly basis. This is advantageous because it creates a steady monthly cash flow for the note holder. And if the note holder decides to cash out, he or she can always sell the note for a lump sum cash payment.

Regardless of market conditions, seller take-back financing makes sound financial sense; whereas, it provides both buyer and seller with flexible financing options, makes the property easier to sell at higher price and shortens the sales cycle. It also has the added advantage of being an excellent investment that generates a steady cash flow and high return. If you ever need immediate cash, you can always sell the note through our office. If you are planning to sell a property, then consider the many benefits of seller take-back financing.

We all know that buying or selling a home can be a time consuming process. Although there are thousands of people looking to buy homes, it can be a tricky process finding the right person interested in your home. With hundreds of thousands of homes for sale in the United States, there is always some form of competition.

If you’re looking to sell your home fast, you’ll need to attract as much attention as possible. A real estate agent can help, although he can only do so much. He can show your home and help to get it out there to buyers, although he can’t make it sell. If you want to sell it fast, you’ll need to do some work yourself. If you put the effort into selling your home fast, chances are that you will.

The quickest way to sell a home is by staging it. Staged homes literally invite the buyer in, making him feel right at home. Staged homes are also appealing both inside and out, and are more or less ready to be moved into immediately. They don’t sit on the market for long at all, yet they bring a top dollar sell. If you are familiar with staged homes – you should know that they are among the fastest selling homes on the market.

If you don’t want to use a real estate agent, it’s still quite possible to sell your home – and sell it fast. You’ll need to do everything yourself, which involves getting your home out there to the market and showing it to potential buyers. You can always list your home in local newspapers, magazines, and put a “for sale by owner” sign in the yard. This way, you are letting buyers know that your home is for sale. Some buyers prefer homes that are for sale by the owner, as they don’t have to pay a real estate agent or deal with one directly.

When you sell your home, you should always make sure that the exterior is clean, the lawn is trim, and the interior is in superb condition. If you plan to live there until it is sold, you’ll want to make sure that you have the interior staged as best as you can. You want to give the buyer a great feeling, so he’ll stay and won’t leave. If your home is visually appealing both inside and out, a buyer will want to see more.

Once a buyer wants to see more of your home, chances are you have found the individual who will buy it. You should never make the buyer feel pressured, but instead make him feel that you are interested in his thoughts and opinions. If you show a buyer that you care – you will go a long way in establishing trust – which will help you sell your home.