Matt Stigliano

Introducing the All New Kimberly Howell Properties Website

December 11, 2015 by Matt Stigliano Leave a Comment

Four years ago, I was asked to build a site for Kimberly Howell Properties. Little did I know at the time, but I was about to join an amazing company. When I was initially approached to build the website, that was all I was going to do – a freelance job for a company I knew little about. Nearly four years later, I’m sitting in my very own office, having been hired to work full time at the company. What started as simply building a website has turned into my daily obsession – how can I make things bigger and better and help the agents at Kimberly Howell Properties connect with buyers and sellers throughout the San Antonio area? This website, is the public facing piece of that puzzle. What you see in front of you is an intense three months of work, delving into the world of WordPress, fiddling and tinkering, and finding the best solutions to fulfill our web needs. In the background, there are a lot of other pieces to the puzzle, but this is the one people will see day in and day out. I’m pretty proud of the way it turned out. A new focus on clean lines and simplicity to focus on the things that really matter to our clients and those looking for real estate answers in the San Antonio area. You’ll find the new site works great on your mobile phone and tablets and our homes for sale and rental searches still feature the same timely updates (we update every 15 minutes – usually even faster than that!) from the San Antonio MLS system, so you’ll always see the latest properties available. We’re also going to continue to focus on educating and assisting you as you navigate the early stages of the process, so that you can buy or sell your home with confidence. We hope you enjoy the new site and we look forward to working with you in the future!

image courtesy of Andi Theis

4 Things Your Agent Should Be Doing When You’re Looking at Rentals

March 19, 2014 by Matt Stigliano Leave a Comment

Rentals are Moving Fast, You Have to Move Faster

I do a lot of processing of applications for rental properties for our office. In doing them, I see the same mistakes being made time and time again that wind up costing people the home they had hoped to rent. Some of it is due to applicants who don’t qualify, but some of it falls back on proper preparation and follow through by the agents those applicants chose to work with. I’ve seen a lot of applications that might have been approved, but because of a few key items, they weren’t even considered. Here are four things your agent needs to be doing when you’re looking for rentals.

Search the MLS and show you properties. This one is easy. This is what real estate agents do for a living. I mention it, even though it sounds rather basic, mostly because I know a lot of tenants do searches on their own and then call around to see how to apply. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as there is a wealth of information online about rentals, but I do worry about the rental scams out there. I’ve received many emails over the years from people asking me about a rental situation that they thought smelled a little fishy. Each time, I dug deep enough to uncover them as a scam. There are so many rental scams out there it is scary. The basic premise of most of them is that “I’m out of town, fill out this application, send me the money, and I’ll send you the keys.” Don’t do it. If you can’t meet someone face-to-face, 99% of the time it’s a scam. Real estate agents get paid to do this for a living. Let them help you. Best part? Their services are free to you because the listing agent pays them to find the tenant.

A good agent will help you fill out the application. Whether it’s answering questions or making sure you filled in everything, they are there to assist you. I always get applications that get turned in that are incomplete or filled in incorrectly. Things like your boss’ fax number or email address are important. Your social security number? Also important. Really important. Each of the items on the application are there for a reason – it is all data we use when processing the application and tracking down information – employment verification, criminal background, credit info, rental history – these are all part of what goes into approving your application. Many offices, like Kimberly Howell Properties, run applications on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you turn in a partial application, it will not be considered until it is complete. In the meantime, if someone drops off a completed application while I’m waiting for the rest of yours, they’re going to move to the front of the line. My advice? Don’t leave anything blank on the application. Do your homework before hand and know the fax, email, address of places you’ve lived and worked. Those are the two biggest impediments to me getting your application approved. More often than not, it is what slows down the process of applying for a rental, often because I’m trying to track down how to contact the right person.

They need to provide you with any additional documents that need signed. Most of the reputable property management companies in San Antonio provide a document we call the rental criteria that they will require you to sign. In our office, not turning this in with your application will have your application considered as incomplete. The rental criteria we provide outlines the basics of our policies on how we process your application. It includes info on what we look for and also has important information about things that will cause a rejection. Agents who don’t give this to you in advance of turning in the application are doing you a huge disservice. Like I said, if you don’t turn that in, your application won’t be processed. We also require a few other things – each of which is outlined in our rental criteria, having those prepped and ready will help get you approved faster.

Your agent should deliver the application to the leasing office. Many agents will just give you the address and tell you to go apply yourself. While this is possible and they aren’t required to deliver the paperwork, it typically is a lot faster than you waiting for your work day to end or trying to make it to the office on the weekend. Agents deliver them faster every time. And fast delivery could be the difference between there being one application on my desk or ten. First-come, first-serve, remember? Your agent is getting paid to help you with this rental and they should take the time to help you make it happen. If they won’t, you might want to reconsider who your agent is.

The rental market is always fast paced, but knowing a few key elements can make all the difference. Your agent should be working for you to move the process along quickly so that you can get approved and move-in. There are plenty of amazing real estate agents out there that will go the extra mile for you.

New Search Capabilities with Our Website

February 4, 2014 by Matt Stigliano Leave a Comment

New Polygon Search Available

We’ve recently added a new feature to our map-based search that allows you to narrow down your searches even more. With the new polygon search function, you can draw any shape on the map and search within those boundaries. We use this capability for clients all the time in the MLS and we’ve now brought it to you. It’s simple to use – just go to to our search for homes section and click on the “pencil” icon in the lower right hand corner of the map. From there you can click and draw lines in any way you want, just be sure to close the shape by connecting your last line back to your starting point.

This polygon-shape search tool is very useful when you want to include specific sections of neighborhoods, combine several neighborhoods into one search, or even eliminate specific streets or homes from your search criteria. Give it a try today!

PS The polygon search tool also works on our rental search!

An Open Letter to First Time Home Buyers

January 17, 2014 by Matt Stigliano 1 Comment

To All the First Time Home Buyers

Dear First Time Home Buyer,

I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Something about the market last year and the things I’m seeing early this year tell me this is going to be a big year for you. Whether you simply haven’t been able to afford to buy up until now or you’ve been patiently waiting for things to feel right for you so you could dive into the world of home ownership, you’re out there. I’ve worked with you in the past (not you, but people just like you) and I’ve learned a few things about first time home buyers, so I thought I’d take a few moments to help you out.

First, let me be clear, home buying can be a scary process for the first time home buyer. I’m not trying to spook you, just want you to know that I feel it. I was there once. Overall the process was awesome and I loved it, there were times when I was terrified. Thinking about all that money, filling out form upon form upon form, wondering if I should really be doing this…all of it was a bit much at times. Buying a home is a pretty emotional process.

I learned a few things over the process though and in the end I owned an amazing house and loved it for many years. Buying the second one was a lot easier. Here are some of the things I’d like to pass on to you…

Choose your Realtor wisely. Don’t just take on someone who is your brother’s dentist’s best buddy because you feel obligated to do so. Choose an agent for yourself. By all means, get some recommendations from friends and family, but remember, what works for Uncle Bob, might not work for you. Your agent and you are going to spend some serious time together, so you want someone you can relate to, someone you trust, and someone who communicates with you in a manner most effective for you. Trust is a big deal in the real estate world, especially for a first time home buyer, so talk to a few agents and feel them out. Find the one that takes their time with you and talks to you openly. Without this connection, I guarantee that your experience will not be a fun one – I’ve heard all the horror stories you can imagine.

Even though this is your transaction and your first home, listen to your agent for insight and instinct. Realtors do this everyday and they’ve seen all sorts of different situations – rely on them and their experience. While I encourage you to ask questions and add your input, this is not an ego-head-trip game for agents – they’re in this business to be successful and you don’t become a success by a) not knowing a thing or two or b) pissing off your clients by giving them bad advice.

Prepare yourself for the lending process. This is probably the worst part for most first time home buyers. Let’s be frank, it’s not fun at all. I’ve worked with clients with incredible credit scores and money pouring out of their ears – and yet, they too were nervous about the lending process. No one likes to have their finances analyzed and critiqued. It’s an uncomfortable situation. The trick is to remember that the loan officer wants you to get a loan. Why? Because it’s how they make their money. If you can’t get a loan, they don’t get paid. So, they’re not going to turn you down just for fun. The trick to the lending process is to remain calm and no matter how many times an underwriter asks for the same piece of documentation, just get it to them as fast as you can. Getting things to the lender when they request them is probably the best way to keep your loan on track. All of this is why I recommend finding a good local lender – someone you can meet face to face and get to know.

Being a first time home buyer, you have a lot to learn. Terminology, processes, and even your own wants and needs when it comes to a home. Become a student of real estate. Ask questions. Read up on your local real estate market. Read blogs (like this one of course!). Educating yourself is never a bad idea – real estate or not. Of course, you’ll need to remember that not all sources are the best and what works in Seattle, might not work in San Antonio. Read and learn, but also get advice and information from the locals.

Probably the best advice I can give is simple and comes from one of my favorite authors and series of books, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. The advice is so simple (and works in lots of different situations). The advice? Don’t panic. I try to use it as a general mantra for everything I do and it has served me well.

One last thing before I let you go. I predict that this year, like many other years, you’re going to hear the phrase “Now is a great time to buy!” While there may indeed be a convergence of good news in the real estate markets, the oft-overspoke mantra is not one of my favorites. The reason is simple – it’s only a great time to buy if it’s a great time to buy for you. While the phrase is often useful in getting first time home buyers to think about the possibility, it is not an absolute. If you’re thinking buying might be for you, talk to a Realtors and ask questions – they’ll be able to help you see opportunities or stumbling blocks that you may face in your attempt to become a first time home buyer and help you figure out just when is the right time to buy for you.

image courtesy of ElArreglador

Why Don’t You Have a Gravatar?

December 23, 2013 by Matt Stigliano Leave a Comment

What is a Gravatar?

A Gravatar is a small icon that appears next to your comments on blogs. Short for Globally Recognized Avatar, they help identify you as the author of a comment and overall make the internet a much prettier place. Although I think commenting on blogs is a dying artform (we’d much rather share the post on Facebook and talk about it there), I still think having a Gravatar is a basic function of being a citizen of the web. It’s free and it’s easy, so why not go grab one today?

First, visit gravatar.com and click on the big blue button that says “Create Your Own Gravatar.” From there, you will be asked enter an email address, username, and password. Once you do this, you’ll receive an activation email with a link to click on to activate your account. Once your account is activated, you will be prompted to add an image. Use whatever image you want to represent you: a profile photo, a picture of a cheeseburger, a funny e-card…the choice is yours. Now that you have that taken care of, whenever you leave a comment on a blog that has Gravatars enabled, your image will appear next to the comment instead of the dull, lifeless default image. Ta-da! Now leave some comments!

PS You can have multiple Gravatars for different purposes. I have one tied to my personal email address and one tied to my work email, so that way, I can leave different types of messages on different blogs depending on their subject matter. So go ahead, create one for all of your email addresses!

image courtesy of Daniel Semper and Gravatar

A Letter to a First Time Home Buyer

October 24, 2013 by Matt Stigliano 1 Comment

The other day I referred a first time home buyer who had some questions to one of our agents. The buyer had a couple of questions and was looking for advice and help with a particular home they had their eyes on. The agent copied me on their response, and with her permission, I wanted to share it here. It covers some basic questions that everyone has and also is good insight into why you should choose to work with a Realtor.

I have edited the letter slightly in order to keep the buyer’s name and personal information confidential.

The house you emailed Matt about went under a rental contract and was cancelled for selling. Now, sometimes the seller will still sell the house, but you can’t move the renter out until the end of the lease. You can offer them to get out of their lease, but you can’t force them out. They get to live out their lease. You can refuse to re-let the lease though.

I don’t really know what Matt covered as far as lenders and REALTORS® and why you should or shouldn’t use one over the other, but here is my take on the matter. I was in the Air Force for twenty-two years and moved fifteen times. I have bought and sold more than thirteen homes over the years. I have used REALTORS® and not used them. I have used internet lenders and I have used local lenders. I have used my bank lenders and I have used mortgage brokers. What really matters is that you find people who you trust and want to work with and who are willing to give you all the information you need to make a smart decision on the single largest investment you are going to make at that time. Yes, you can do searches on the internet, but because Texas is a non-disclosure state, not all the information on homes is on the internet and much of the information on homes is inaccurate. The listings that most websites (Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, Hot Pads, Trulia, etc.) have are not updated on a regular basis and don’t have accurate information to make a sound decision on pricing. If you look at Zillow’s Zestimate information page it will tell you that as far as Texas, it’s accuracy is only I believe now 8% and San Antonio I think is up to 6% accurate. Not good statistics and this is because we are a non-disclosure state meaning we aren’t allowed to disclose sales data to the public as a whole. Now, if you are just looking at homes and want to see what might be possibly out there, it is fine, but the sale prices might not be accurate and many times the home might already have a contract on it or even sold or no longer on the market.

So do you need a REALTORS®, I believe you do so you aren’t wasting valuable time looking at homes with bad data, trying to schedule showings, and making offers on homes that aren’t available anymore or their prices have changed. Additionally, a REALTORS® worth their salt will also be able to tell you how long a home has been on the market, how much the seller might owe on the home, get you the seller’s disclosure, help schedule inspections with a reliable inspector, help you make a sound offer, and get you in touch with a local lender. Why you ask is that important? When I was moving and buying and selling homes, I found each and every time that internet lenders were never available when I needed to talk to them. There was never just one person I could call and talk to when I needed an answer or my Realtor or title company needed an answer. There were also hidden fees that I found about, always on the day of closing, and I either had to buy or sell the house or lose the deal. Additionally, using a traditional bank lender sometimes can be tricky as they work traditional bank hours. We all know that we look at homes during the off hours and weekends, so why not have a lender that does the same? That is why I like my lenders to be available 24/7 like me. I feel if my clients have to look for their home in their free time, then I need to be available…and so should my lenders. We are a team, right?

So that is my take on the matter. Probably more than you wanted so I will get off the soap box. I don’t know what you want to do about this house now that it is off the market, but like I said, you do have options. We can also set up searches for other homes in the area as well as see if there are other homes you might be interested in and are still on the market.

I am available by phone, text, and email. So please feel free to contact me any time. I am up pretty late at night, so don’t worry about that either. I work weekends as well.

I truly hope to hear from you soon and look forward to helping you find a home.

Sincerely,
Terri

image courtesy of paul-simpson.org