Texas Property Insider- Austin Real Estate and Texas Coastal Real Estate Blog

Welcome to Texas Property Insider. The purpose of this blog is to provide accurate and helpful information about market trends and issues important to property owners in Central Texas and on the Texas Coast. You hear a lot of talk out there. You see the statistics, read the stories in the newspaper and you see practitioners regurgitate those same stories and statistics. There is more information available then ever before. But why is it, even after all of the stories and pundits have had their say, you still feel you can’t grasp what’s really happening in the real estate market?


There is a lot more to it than simple statistics and market info. These numbers are helpful and vitally important, but if taken at face value they can be misleading, even deceiving. As Mark Twain once said, “There are lies, damned lies and then there are statistics.” I created this blog to pull back the curtain on Texas real estate, interpret the market information and present it to you in a format that is both pithy and easy to digest.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Traps to avoid when selling your home...


The market in the Austin area is still doing very well and we continue to rank in the top 5 real estate markets in the US. Furthermore, we have not seen drastic reduction in sale prices and some areas have seen appreciation over the last year. What we have seen are higher inventory levels. Since buyers are not able to negotiate as much on price we have seen them become much more picky when looking for homes. Avoid these potential pitfalls when selling your home and you'll be sure to find a buyer in no time!

Overpricing the home – Objectivity can be difficult when deciding on a sales price. You’ve acquired so many memories while living in your home, and human nature tempts us to apply dollars to those memories. You should refrain from being emotional about pricing your house. Try to see it from a buyer’s point of view.

A related mistake is automatically hiring an agent just because she is willing to list the house at a higher price. Remember that the market, not the listing price, determines the sales price.

Getting blindsided – Since most homebuyers are going to get an inspection before their purchase, you should consider getting one first. A licensed real estate inspector will give you a report detailing what repairs will be needed to sell the house for top dollar. You’ll want to fix what the inspector finds or fully disclose what you know about the property and adjust the price accordingly.

Too much stuff – Find a different place for all your stuff. Closets and other areas in your house that are dedicated to storage can be big selling points, but not if they’re bursting with all your coats, clothing, boxes, and other things we all throw into closets. Keep these areas extra neat and uncluttered, even if you have to put some boxes of Halloween decorations and a lot of clothing in the trunk of your car.

Clean that house – Enough said? Don’t let a prospective homebuyer walk into a stage-four disaster area. It gives the impression that you don’t care, nor have you ever cared, about the condition of the house. Picture that you are seeing your home for the first time, what needs to change, be spruced up?

Hope this helps!

For more information on selling your house click here.


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