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Foundation Care – Don’t Let Your Foundation Dry Up

April 12, 2012 by khproperties Leave a Comment

As the weather turns warmer and the potential for another dry summer comes along, it’s time to start thinking about your foundation. During the summer, it’s easy to forget the block of concrete that keeps your house in one piece and stops it from sliding into the neighbor’s yard.

Your foundation, although an inanimate object, is really a “living, breathing” thing. As soils around your home dry or get moist, the foundation will move and shift with the earth in order to keep your house standing. If these shifts occur quickly or are too large in scope – cracks and major changes in your foundation can result in tilted floors, doors and windows that won’t open or shut, or worse…a house that splits or slides right off the foundation itself (not a pretty sight).

The best tip for foundation care.

An inspector and I were talking about the foundation of a property once and he gave my buyers the best advice I had ever heard – simple and effective. He advised that you keep your grass growing along your foundation at all times – if the area around the foundation is green, you should be safe from some of the more common foundation problems (of course this will not guarantee a life without foundation problems…but it will help).

You’ll often hear people refer to “keeping your foundation watered” during the summer months – and this is exactly what the inspector was suggesting. Letting the ground around your foundation dry up can lead to more trouble down the road, particularly if a sudden rainstorm swells the ground with moisture. Keeping the grass alive in a San Antonio summer isn’t always easy so when you keep the ground moist enough to grow your grass, it should be enough to maintain your foundation’s strength.

As always, Kimberly Howell Properties reminds you that there is no substitution for a qualified structural engineer or foundation expert when you think you might have foundation troubles. Call your real estate agent and ask for a list of qualified foundation experts or structural engineers in your area.

Image is not an actual foundation crack caused by shrinkage and is used for illustrative purposes only.

image courtesy of WayTru

Uncanny Home Staging Tips

March 8, 2012 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Staging – you’re heard the word a thousand times. You hear it on TV and you’ve certainly heard it from your real estate agent if you’ve sold a house in the past ten years. An entire industry has sprouted up around it and there are countless articles with tons of staging tips out there on the internet. There are a million ways to go when it comes to staging, but the basics are always the same – take away the distractions and let the buyers see themselves in your home. You’ve been told to stage your home in order to get it sold and you the basics, like decluttering and removing family photos, but if you’ve done all that and you’re thinking it’s still not enough, maybe it’s time to think outside the box for some new staging tips for getting your home set to sell.

Staging Tips That You Can Use

Remove furniture: Not all of it, but if you have a couch, loveseat, two chairs, and a whole entertainment center wall full of electronics, buyers may focus on all of the “stuff” and won’t feel the size of the room and how it works for them. You don’t want the room to be too empty, but as you start to pull pieces out, you’ll start to notice the space and not the stuff.

Rearrange: Let’s face it living and/or family rooms were designed to entertain, and for a large number of us, that means television. We’ve seen windows, fireplaces, and even kitchen pass-throughs covered up for the sake of arranging a room around the TV. But don’t forget that a buyer may not have your giant entertainment center, or they may actually enjoy sitting in a chair watching a fire in the fireplace. It may be a bit different than what you’re used to, but moving a few pieces around can accentuate your home’s features and could lead to a quicker sale. Just keep telling yourself that it’s only for a short while. Rearranging and removing furniture is probably one of the best staging tips you’ll ever take on – a little work, but it can have a huge impact.

Cover Up: Just can’t bring yourself to organize that stack of paperwork on your kitchen table? Put it in a drawer. Just stained your rug? Put a chair over it. Have a closet overflowing with treasures? Put them in boxes and consider moving those boxes to a shed or the garage. Out of sight is out of mind. And that trick works for buyers too. If they don’t see the mess, they can’t dwell on it.

Label: If you have a room that you use differently than intended – say you have a workout room in one of the bedrooms or you’ve converted a breakfast area to your work command center, label it. Let buyers know that each space has potential to fit their specific needs – they don’t need to be locked into your usage. We once listed a house that had a giant room attached to the master bedroom. It had it’s own private entry, but the only way to get to it from the house was through the master bedroom. This perplexed many buyers, so we made a list of all of the possibilities – nursery, dance studio, workout room, man cave, conference room, his and hers masters, etc. Some of the ideas may have been a little non-traditional, but it started to give buyers ideas and get their imaginations going. Feedback on showings improved dramatically and the home sold quickly thereafter.

Bring Life:We won’t go all Feng-Shui on you here, but it really is remarkable what a few plants can bring to a room. Even if they are fake plants, when they are present, there’s a new energy to the room. People start to notice the natural light from windows. They feel “homier” in the space. Add a bit of nature and you’ll see amazing effects.

Think Neutral: Let’s take a moment first to air our complaints about this one. Beige is boring. You’re an individual and you have great taste. You want to pay tribute to your alma matter in every way. It took nineteen long hours to hang all of that floral wallpaper. We get it. We’re not discrediting any of that. We love that you love who you are and where you came from. But this is not about you. The more you can appeal to a mass audience, the better off you will be when selling your home. It’s a numbers game. The odds of finding someone who is looking for a burnt orange bedroom are much smaller than the odds that you will find someone who either 1) likes beige, 2) is too uninspired to come up with their own ideas, or 3) sees beige as a challenge waiting to be overcome. Think about it.

Give, Don’t Just Take: Decluttering is an amazing thing (that’s why you hear it mentioned so often). But you may end up taking some charm when you take away some things. Maybe building a headboard (plywood plus fabric and batting plus a staplegun equals done) can actually make that never used guest bedroom feel less like a prison cell. Or putting up nice neutral curtains can actually highlight the windows. Less is more, but sometimes a little more is actually more too.

Cheat a Little: Stick cookies in the oven to bake (on low so they don’t burn), light candles, spray air fresheners, etc. Leave snacks or bottles of water for buyers. Or even offer roses or candies on the table alongside your home’s flyer or information sheet. The smells will make the buyer feel at home. And most will appreciate the nice gesture of a practical gift, even if they don’t take it (I mean, who hates having cookies available to them?). Good smells or memories in a home can actually have an impact on the buyer’s frame of mind. Good becomes a word they may start to associate with your house. And that’s the goal we’ve been chasing with all these staging tips, isn’t it?

Sellers

Why list your home with us?

When you decide to sell your home, it is likely not a decision you have taken lightly. Whether you are moving because of a job, for different schools, or because of a growing family, it’s important to have an agent on your side who will work to make the process as smooth as possible, and get your home sold at a price, and within a time frame that you can be happy with.

Before listing your home, you may want to consider some of the following:

Should I complete any projects or repairs on the property?
What can I do to help declutter my home and make it appeal to the most buyers?
How quickly do I need to move?
What price do I need to obtain in order to be happy or break even? What if the market does not support that?
What is going on in my neighborhood lately?
Which agent would be right for me?

When you are ready to sell your home, here are some things to consider when picking the right agent for you:

Market Knowledge: There have been many changes to the real estate market in the past few years. It is important to have an agent who is up-to-date on the current conditions, changes, and trends.
Confidence: You want an agent who can talk openly and knowledgeably about your home, neighborhood, market, or real estate issues. You will be looking to them for advice and guidance, and so having an agent you can trust is critical.
Integrity: In many ways, your agent is a reflection of you. Often times the agent is the first, if not only, person that potential buyers or agents encounter when discussing your house, and many presume that the agent is acting at your instruction. An agent who promotes the tenants of honesty and fairness, as found in the Code of Ethics, is a valuable asset.
Marketing Strategy: The ultimate goal is to get your property sold. You want an agent who has a plan to have your property promoted often and to the right buyers. Agents at Kimberly Howell Properties have access to the San Antonio Multiple Listings Service (which reaches over 5000 REALTORs® and their clients), as well as the New Braunfels MLS. Additionally, all listings from our company are featured on over 25 different websites. This is in addition to the customized marketing each of our agents designs.
Organization: One part of your agent’s job is to help the transaction flow smoothly. They will maintain records, help you keep notes, follow up on showings and offers, and keep the process moving along.
Negotiating Skills: When offers come in on your house, you will look to your agent to advise, guide, and fight for your interests. You want an agent who can stand their ground firmly, yet knowledgeably and professionally.

At Kimberly Howell Properties, we are dedicated to providing our agents access to market information, technology resources, and training about all aspects of the business. We give our agents the tools that allow them to work for you.

image courtesy of avlxyz

Buyers

Steps to buying a home.

When you are ready to begin searching for a new home, the process can seem overwhelming. Not only do you have to take a look at the homes themselves, but you have contract negotiations, inspections, financing and more. That’s why it’s important to have a professional REALTOR® on your side to guide you through the process and help look out for your best interests along the way.

A typical transaction roadmap involves the following steps:

Loan Pre-Qualification -> Home Search -> Write an Offer -> Negotiate a Contract -> Property Inspections -> Secure Financing -> Closing

While each transaction can be different, these critical elements form the backbone of most real estate purchases in Texas.

Loan Pre-Qualification

One of the largest pieces to the home buying puzzle is financing. While some people prefer to pay cash for their homes, a large majority take out a mortgage in order to buy property. Getting pre-qualified with a knowledgeable lender can help you to understand:

Price range of homes you can afford
Loan types and their unique requirements
Monthly payments, taxes, and escrows
Closing costs
Credit scores

Once you have a good grasp of your financing options, your lender can provide you with a letter stating your pre-approval status. If you are looking to purchase a home by paying cash, your financial institution can issue a similar letter verifying funds.

Many sellers in today’s market require evidence of financial viability before even reviewing any offers. With that in hand, then you can move on to then comes the step of finding the right home.

Property Search

One of the most helpful things you can do as a consumer is to come up with a list of priorities in your home search. If there’s a neighborhood or school district you have to be in, that can help you to narrow in on the right home much more quickly. If you have special needs (such as wanting to keep sheep) or extreme flexibility in your living space, it’s important to communicate these issues to your agent up front. That way they can work with you to narrow down your criteria and implement a comprehensive search of available homes.

Many people take up the home search themselves through the internet. This can be extremely informative, but also misleading, as many websites contain outdated or inaccurate information. Kimberly Howell Properties agents have access to thousands of the most up-to-date listings in and around San Antonio. This includes Boerne, New Braunfels, Pleasanton, and even Seguin. They are specially trained to help you sort through your criteria, examine neighborhood features, and show you available homes that meet both your wants and your needs. Even if a property is not listed on the local MLS, your agent can make arrangements to show you the property.

Your agent can then schedule times for you to tour your property choices, and help you keep track of your likes and dislikes for each home or area. If your criteria change, your agent can adjust your search accordingly.

Writing an Offer

Once you have found the home of your dreams, your agent will continue to research the market and help you to formulate and negotiate an offer. They can explain the terms of the contract to you, and help you put together an offer that is strong but also meets your specific needs. The offer will address a sales price, but will also cover issues of closing date, home warranty, repairs, title policy, and more, and your agent can explain the who, what, and why’s of each element. The agent will give you advice and information, but at the end of the day, it is your decision as to what price and terms you offer. REALTORs® are required to use specific state regulated contract documents. You are always advised to have an attorney of your choice review any offers or contracts, if you so choose.

Once an offer is submitted, you wait for a response from the seller. Possible responses include:

Acceptance: seller agrees to all terms as they were written, and signs the contract as-is.
Counter-offer: seller does not accept your offer, but replies back either verbally or in writing with their own proposed terms. Then it becomes your turn to accept, reject, or counter the seller’s counter-offer.
Reject: seller does not accept your offer and does not present a counter-proposal. Sometimes sellers will reject an offer and provide a list of changes that might make a future offer more agreeable, but the seller would not be bound by these terms.

It is important to note that contracts are not legally binding in Texas until signed by all parties. Many times offers are negotiated verbally for ease and expediency; however, until all parties (buyer and seller) have signed off on all terms, the contract is not enforceable.

In the case of multiple offers, there are very specific procedures that should be followed by the seller. Ultimately a decision as to which offer is accepted or countered lies in the hands of the seller alone, and even a full price offer may not be selected. A seller working with an agent should be advised to treat all parties fairly and no single offer should be given an unfair advantage over another. Your agent’s experience, education, and professionalism can help you to navigate these tricky waters should you find yourself in this type of offer situation.

Offer Acceptance

When the negotiating ends, and everyone has signed off on the paperwork, you’re officially under contract. Earnest money will be kept in escrow with the title company, a neutral third party.
There will be several critical elements that you and your agent can work together to address and complete as you move the process towards closing.

Inspection: You will want to have the property inspected almost right away. Home inspections can reveal serious problems, code violations, or hazards that may not be visible to the untrained or naked eye. Your agent can help you to find a reputable inspector to review the home’s major systems and provide you with a detailed report. You can then use the report to negotiate repairs with the seller.
Loan Process: Once you have a contract, you will want to begin the formal loan application process with your lender. They must provide you with a Good Faith Estimate (GFI) which outlines the fees and costs related to your mortgage, as well as monthly payments, interest rates and more. Once you have submitted the application and all documentation required by the lender, then the file goes through the mortgage underwriting department for verification, and approval. The underwriting process can be a lengthy one, so quick submission of requested paperwork is essential. Once the file is reviewed in underwriting, the lender may have a list of conditions that must be met in order for the mortgage company to give final approval of the loan.
Title Commitment: The title company will research the ownership history of the property, and any liens that may be recorded against the buyer or seller. The liens on the property must be paid or cleared up before the title of the property can transfer from seller to buyer. The title company will use the information to issue a title insurance policy, which essentially is an insurance policy you, as the buyer and soon-to-be owner, have to guarantee that the seller had the right to transfer ownership to you, and that no other parties or issues should arise that bring this right to ownership into question from prior acts or omissions.
Appraisal: Your lender will order an appraisal of the property. This report is an official assessment of the property’s value, based on the market at the time of the appraisal. Appraisers have very specific requirements that they must meet in their reports to determine value. If the property appraises above the sales price, congratulations- you have equity. If it appraises below the sales price, your agent can advise you about your options- re-negotiating sales price, contesting the appraisal, terminating the contract, paying the difference out-of-pocket.
Insurance: Homeowner’s insurance is a critical piece of the homeownership package. If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgage company will require that you maintain insurance coverage, or they may even force you to pay for coverage or seek damages or even foreclosure. Finding the right type of coverage at the right price is something your agent and your lender can assist you in doing.

Closing

Once all of the above pieces come together, and the lender sends closing instructions to the title company for your loan, transfer of title, etc. you can arrange a time to close on the home. The title company will provide a breakdown of credits and expenses for both buyer and seller, called a HUD-1. You will generally go to a title company office to sign all closing paperwork and loan documents. You will deposit the balance of your down payment and closing costs to escrow, and your lender will deposit the balance of the purchase price. The deal is not closed until monies have been paid. This is often referred to as “funding.”

Once the property funds, you can pick up the keys and move in to your new home! Your agent can help you make the necessary arrangements for moving, utilities, and more.

Why Good Real Estate Photos Matter

September 21, 2011 by khproperties Leave a Comment

In real estate, you might only get one shot at capturing a potential buyer’s interest when it comes to the internet. Thanks to the explosion of the online home searching, that first impression becomes more and more important to you when listing your home. If that first photo doesn’t showcase the home or worse, makes it look bad, you may lose the one opportunity to catch the buyer’s attention. If you miss it, they’re moving on to the next house for sale. Good photos really do matter.

In the words of Eminem:
“Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?”

Step 1: Getting Good Pictures

Knowing that the purpose of pictures is to present your home to potential buyers in the best possible light and entice them to come in for more information is incredibly important. If the lighting is poor, the home cluttered, or even the image blurry, a buyer can be turned off and never even give the house a chance. Buyers want clear images. They want to see unique features. They want to get an idea about room sizes, layout, design. They don’t need to see your furniture (although good furniture placement can serve to enhance), or your television programs, or doorways or your junk.

The best pictures offer variety, detail, depth, and quality. Taking a few moments to evaluate the room and make minor adjustments before snapping off a few shots is worth the effort, and then some. If the room is dark, turn on lights, adjust the blinds, or bring in a lamp for the 30 second shot. If you have an oversized highchair and piles of laundry on the kitchen table, move them out of the way briefly. Add fresh flowers, borrow artwork or design elements from other rooms. None of these things is permanent, but it can still make a significant difference in the impression being sent out to the world.

Sometimes, this also means excluding things. If you have a room dedicated to junk storage, maybe it’s ok to skip it for purposes of marketing. If a buyer is impressed enough by the other rooms, they’ll see it eventually, and by that point you’ve already gotten them at least a little interested and inside your home.

Step 2: Getting Good Exposure

Where do people begin their home search these days? The internet. Whether a REALTOR® is involved from the get-go or not, buyers overwhelmingly begin their search online. A 2009 study by NAR found that over 90% of buyers used the internet to search for homes. And other than general statistics, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage; the photos tell the most about a property. Buyers get a feel for the layout. They can see the materials. They begin to imagine how a home might get re-arranged with their furniture. They share the pictures with friends and family and actually start getting excited about their prospects.

Recent surveys by the National Association of REALTORS® show that 84% of buyers surveyed said that the photos are the most useful information. And the number one action they took after viewing a home online was to drive by or make arrangements to visit the home.

There are thousands of people who are willing to buy or lease a property without ever setting foot in that home. Their ability to make this decision has come to rely heavily on pictures.

The more pictures you can include with your listing, the better the exposure. Just one picture of the front of the house tells a potential buyer very little about the property. Twenty-five pictures showcasing the large rooms, layout, or even unique details of the property will yield much greater interest and much greater results.

Choose your pictures thoughtfully. Let the image order flow naturally. Don’t skip from the living room to a bathroom to the backyard to the kitchen to the living room again.

Keeping these ideas in mind, and working with your REALTOR® to market and show your home in the best possible light will make an enormous difference in the long run.

image courtesy of carolyn.will

How to Maintain an Existing Septic System

September 18, 2011 by khproperties 1 Comment

Many San Antonio area homes, particularly in rural areas, are not tied into a public sewer system. Instead, these homes are generally equipped with an individual septic system for handling waste. As far as daily use goes, most people don’t notice a huge difference in the systems, but if you own, or are looking at property that is set up with a septic system on site, there are a few maintenance and minor use issues of which to be aware.

When it comes to septic systems, the most common type has been an in-ground tank. Waste material flows from the house out to the storage tank through underground pipes. As with any volumetric system, close observation of both the tank and plumbing connections are important.

Know Your Septic System

First, know your system and its layout. Pipes run underground from the house to the tank, which is usually a short distance away from the house’s foundation. It’s important to make note of the boundaries of the tank so that you don’t accidentally dig into the tank, or drive over the area. Any improvements, such as a pool or deck, should be kept away from these areas to prevent leaks.

Second, keep shrubs and roots away from the system (and all plumbing). Roots from large shrubs and trees can work their way into the pipes and cause clogs or leaks. Rectifying the damage can be costly. Grass growing over a septic tank is actually beneficial, however. The short roots do not pose a threat to the pipes, yet the grass itself provides valuable ground cover that prevents erosion.

Also, you want to make sure to lookout for signs of trouble. Exposed parts can often be seen with just a quick glance every few months. Lush, bright green grass growing over the tank area can indicate a crack or leak in the tank. And a foul stench emanating from the area of the tank can also be a warning sign of possible trouble.

Pump the system regularly. The septic tanks have a limited capacity, and inevitably will fill up. How quickly this happens depends a lot on the number of users and the size of the system. If you have one or two people using the system, it will likely fill much more slowly than if you have eight people dependent upon it. On average, systems should be pumped every three to five years. The cost for this service ranges from $200-$500. When a licensed septic company comes out to do the pumping, you should have them check for cracks and leaks each time.

Tip for Septic System Maintenance

Control what goes in. Septic systems are designed to create a unique balance of good bacteria and water to dilute and combat the unmentionables stored in the tank. Too much water can actually harm the system. Try using energy efficient toilets, and diverting gutters away from the parts to minimize risk of oversaturation. At the same time, too many solids can be harmful as well. Scraping dishes into the trash before rinsing can help tremendously. Always avoid putting fat down drains, as it can clog pipes and overload the storage tank. Some people suggest specialized toilet paper that dissolves more quickly in septic systems.

Avoid Certain Products and Chemicals. Cleaning products, while great for inside our homes, can wreak havoc on a septic system. Most notably are bleach and drain cleaners. Bleach is designed to kill bacteria. All bacteria. And an important component of a septic tank is the good bacteria in the system that breaks down waste product. A cupful of bleach on occasion will probably not cause a noticeable amount of disruption to the system. Drain cleaner, while killing bacteria, can also eat away at system parts and should be avoided completely.

There are also a wide variety of products, such as Rid-X, which, when introduced to the tank regularly, help to restore the good bacteria and chemicals into the system. Always check with a reputable septic company before introducing new products into the system.

Aerobic Systems

In addition to the standard tank systems, aerobic systems are an increasingly popular option. These systems utilize a unique network of spray heads to dissipate waste material. Care should be taken to ensure proper spray pattern, and avoidance of any breaks in the plumbing structures or spray heads. These systems should be evaluated annually by a professional septic company.

Note: This information is intended as an overview of septic care and maintenance and should not be the sole source of information on the subject. Any questions about a specific system, should be directed to a licensed septic company. Kimberly Howell Properties is not liable for any damages or injury as a result of following this information.

image courtesy of ErikBerndt