Negotiating in Today's Real Estate Market

Today, we’re going to dig into how to evaluate your market position when buying or selling and how to act on that information to your benefit. Do you know what a buyer's market or a seller's market are?  Maybe you've heard those terms but don't know what they mean. We will cover all that and more!

Negotiating and Offers

Every person's negotiating position is different from the other. Everything about your search has to do with what kind of market you're in and you need to be aware of that coming in. Here’s where your agent needs to put on their detective hat to learn more about the negotiating position and at the history in the MLS. The offer is going to depend a ton on evaluating all of the factors within that.

We’re seeing a lot of backup offers, which means you got second place in the multiple offer runoff and it’s possible that the offer they accept is going to terminate during the option period. If that happens, they will move you from the backup offer immediately into primary, meaning they're not going back on the market. In the event that the primary offer terminates, you immediately become the primary buyer, you are under contract, and now your option period begins. It’s not uncommon for buyers to terminate during the option period, even if it was their dream house, so it’s a great tool to exercise. Next, we're going to talk through what it means as a buyer and what it means as a seller. 

As a Buyer…

You need to be very quick to go see homes, which means looking at the MLS portal instead of Zillow where it can take a few hours for those properties to be posted. We are looking directly in the MLS portal so that the second a realtor hits live or “coming soon” on the listing, we are immediately alerted to that. Then we're going to go see it as fast as we can, typically within 24 hours. 

Tip #1: Finalize Your Budget

Due to all of this moving so quickly, we really need you to be super confident in your budget and potentially we may need to be looking under your budget so that we have room to write an offer that's over list price. If we're looking at the top of your budget, there's no room to do that and we’re going to lose out especially if there are multiple offers. You've got to be pre-approved before we're out looking at houses and writing offers. Especially in today's market, you as a buyer have to have all of those T's crossed and I's dotted.

Tip #2: Find a Good Agent!

From a buyer's perspective it is important to have a real estate agent that is deep in the weeds, that understands how these markets work, and how to best leverage that for you. Your agent should have constant communication with the listing agent. They really need to be able to read between the lines when they have a conversation, if there are other offers, do those offers look enticing, etc. You can’t underestimate the value of having an experienced, professional and likable agent. If they aren’t staying up to date on what houses are about to hit the market and are not preparing you for when they do then it is very likely you’ll lose out on all of those homes. 

Tip #3: Do Neighborhood Research

We would also ask that you know what your non-negotiables are when it comes to location, because we don't want you to find your dream house and know nothing about that neighborhood. We advise that as buyers are starting to think about buying that they go drive around neighborhoods, ask friends if they know somebody who lives in this neighborhood, or post something in a Facebook group; whatever it takes to know the neighborhood. By doing this you're going to be that much more ready and comfortable to pull the trigger and lay the cards on the table when you really need to. Something we get often from buyers is them liking a home, but not the block its on; that’s exactly why it’s in your budget though! Maybe that beautiful house is going to cost a lot more in a neighborhood that you would love and the fact that the neighborhood is less desirable is going to mean that you could get a nicer house in that neighborhood. That's really going to be a huge factor in making sure that you know what's available to you within your price point. 

Tip #4: Write a Love Letter

We also recommend preparing your love letter to the seller. You’ve probably heard about these personal notes that people will write to the sellers and it's a way to humanize your offer so they're not just looking at the same exact contract with the nitty gritty numerical details as everyone else’s. We want to appeal to their human and emotional side. A lot of people don't want to see their homes go to investors or people that aren't going to care for it in the same way that they do. We advise that you pull at the heartstrings with a letter. Prepping one of those love letters can be really helpful and we can always send you some examples! It typically covers some basics about you, when we find the exact house you would add things that you love about the house, and specifically use their name in the letter. We've seen time and time again sellers choosing an offer that isn't necessarily the highest, because they really connected with the personality that they saw come through in the letter. When there are two offers that are tied for first place, this is a really easy tie breaker.

Tip #5: Mentally Prepare to Act FAST

Another thing to think about as a buyer assessing a home, especially in this market, is that you are likely going to be forced to make a very fast decision about a home. You are going to see it once without seeing it again and you're going to be making a decision very quickly. Luckily, that's part of what the option period is for, so use the option period to your advantage! If you can get under contract in a place that feels comfortable for you, you will then gain more time to assess. For those of you that don't know what the options period is, it's a negotiated amount of time that we pay for the right to walk away for any reason. All we pay is typically $100 to $300, depending on the situation. This is when we do our inspections and a lot of soul searching in a really fast moving market. I think $200 is a pretty cheap price to pay to potentially not lose out on the house, take a second to breathe, get more information about the house, and decide what you want to do.

As a Seller…

Let's discuss how to navigate this from a buyers perspective . First and foremost, we don't want you to take for granted that your house is going to go and multiple offer situation. We want you to be pleasantly surprised when that happens, but do not take it for granted and in consequence, let other things fall to the wayside. You need to do all of the prep work that your agent is recommending. You need to work with them to get to market in the best fashion possible, whether you're expecting multiple offers or not.

Tip #1: Prepare Your Home

Many of today's buyers want a move-in-ready home and the closer you can get to that, the better. Small maintenance issues are going to communicate a lot to the buyer and lead them to believe that greater things are wrong with the home. Leaky sink? Loose door handles? Addressing the things would take 5 minutes to fix communicates that you've taken care of your home. Because the things that they can see are so well maintained it will make a buyer feel safer that the things they can’t see behind the walls, in the attic, and crawlspace have been taken care of as well. Those little things really do matter. You want to make your home as attractive to the most people as possible and the prep you do before you go on the market is really the majority of the work that you will do.

Tip #2: Make Plans During Showings

One of the strategies that we like to employ, especially if we're expecting a multiple offer situation, is to go active on the market on either a Thursday or Friday. The reasoning behind this is that we want to allow the largest amount of buyers possible to see your home in the first couple of days. We know that the busiest days for showings are the very tail end of the week and the weekend, simply because that's when most buyers are available. Especially in today's market, we recommend people going out of town the first weekend and putting your dog in doggie daycare, because your house needs to look immaculate for every single showing. Mentally prepare that your home is going to need to look perfect and you'll need to be gone for the majority of the weekend.

Tip #3: Price Appropriately 

The most common perception is that you should price high, because there are a lot of buyers, maybe higher than what the comps are showing. We would tell you instead that the best strategy is to price appropriately. Your agent should be able to guide you in detail on what the most appropriate price would be. If your home is priced appropriately, we're going to get more buyers through the door looking at your house, more buyers ready to pull the trigger on writing an offer, and you're more likely to get into that bidding war. The most important thing to look at here is how your house compares to other houses that are currently on the market and what's recently been sold. If your house should be priced 10 grand lower, 20 grand lower, it's going to likely look worse than the other houses that should be priced at that higher price. Buyers are directly comparing the value of your house to the value of the other houses on the market and we want it to look like it's the best choice within their budget on the market.

Tip #4: Have Great Visuals

The first thing buyers are looking at are photos, floor plans, and 3-D tours. This is so important. It's the first thing that buyers see and it's what they use to determine whether or not they're going to actually walk through your door and schedule a showing with their agent. Photos are extremely important and in today's market a 3-D tour, because buyers are a little bit more hesitant to go out and see every single house in the current pandemic. The 3-D tours really help them visualize and understand a floor plan that many have a hard time comprehending from photos. Make sure you’re preparing your house accordingly for photos, we cannot stress this enough! Buyers are going to use them to make that initial decision, but they're also going to use it to commit to your house over and over again afterwards. The photos and tour are going to be the things that they send to their parents, to their friends to say, “Do you think this house is worth it?” It's also going to be the thing that they're looking at when they're under contract and can't go back to the house every day to make sure.

Tip #5: Get a Responsive Agent 

The last thing that we'll say on the selling side is, you've got to have an agent that's going to be highly responsive. They need to be available to answer questions and to field offers, because we need to react quickly to those and to encourage a bidding war. A lot of what we do is make sure that everyone is aware offers have been received and stir up that scarcity mindset, to make people quickly commit if they're going to. We can really want to see everything that's available to us on the table. We don't want any of this to scare you, we just want you to be mentally prepared as you're going into a seller's market to actually win a house that you're going to be happy with long term.

You’re up to speed!

No matter if it's a buyer's or a seller's market, we want to set you up to win. We hope that this helped you prepare mentally for competing in today's real estate climate. We also have a lot more resources for you at wherewelivepodcast.com. Go ahead and take our “Are you ready to buy?” quiz or check out our blog on selling your home with multiple offers. We're always here to help if you're ready to do either!

Brianna & Keelie

The Terrifying World of Inspections

Home inspections can be the most intimidating part of the home buying process when nerves and emotions run high. Luckily with the right mindset, teammates, expectations, and inspections, things don't have to be so daunting. Today, we talk you through how you can prepare for your inspection, how to know as much as you can about your future home, and what are the major deal breakers that we see weekly.

First thing that we do with our clients when we talk to them about the home buying process in general, is the inspection and helping them understand what to expect. When we're going to look at homes, a key part of what we do as your teammate is looking to see if there are any major red flags that might be structurally wrong with the home, not just the color of the countertops. We're trying to do a basic visual inspection based on the common issues that we see so that you can be given a heads up so everything is not a complete surprise.The best place to start is always the beginning, so we are going to walk you through the entire process as well as things to be on the lookout for when it comes to inspections!

Step #1: Finding the Right Inspector

Choosing the right inspector is of the utmost importance and a good inspector is going to be doing a lot of work. We want to make sure that they are seeing a lot of homes, are up to date on what's common to see, can shoot you straight on what is/isn’t a big deal, and is as detailed as possible. In Texas, inspections are done during the option period, which is typically the first week of a contract period to answer the question of, “What are the things that we didn't know when we first walked through the home?” It is a small investment to really know what could be wrong with your house. Inspections are typically going to run you around $600, but of course that varies based on your location and the size of your house. It truly is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall home price and what it may cost to do some of these repairs. Make sure you have money set aside for your inspection and do not skimp on hiring the right people during the inspection phase!

Keep in mind a general inspector cannot see through walls like a superhero, they are going to get into the home as much as possible though; top to bottom, attic to crawl space. A general inspector is like a family doctor, they might find something and say you need a specialist. For example, if they were to find something wrong with the plumbing they’d then refer you to a plumber to do a deeper inspection. Yes, that’s going to cost money too, but it is less expensive than leaving a problem unsolved and dealing with it in the future.

You need to be aware that things are likely going to break and we want to make sure we know as much as we possibly can from this process. Now let's talk about the inspection itself after we’ve found a great inspector that we trust is going to do a good job for us on inspection day.

 Step #2: The Inspection

We're going to get the inspector out there ASAP, so it may or may not work best for your schedule, but the sooner in your option period the better. It’s best to do this so we have more time to do follow up inspections if we need them and to really wrap our mind around what was found. We highly recommend not attending the inspection and just allowing the inspectors to do their job. The reason for that is they're very used to working alone and have an efficient system, so we don’t want to distract them or they may miss something. The inspection will be hours of them going in, out, and around the home. They’re wanting to get to the root of any problems they may see, collect their thoughts, and give you a thorough report. It’s in your best interest to meet them after the inspection to ask questions and get clarity on what needs to be done. A great inspector will happily go over all of your questions, don't worry! I call the inspection the “sandwich rate,” the roof and foundation are the buns then the plumbing in between. Those are typically the three most expensive things we see, which for most people, the more expensive it is, the scarier it is. Make sure that you have an agent on your team that isn't going to be afraid of these things either, but can really shoot you straight on the common issues in your area.

Roofs &  Foundations & Plumbing, OH MY!

The Roof:

• Check to see if there is any hail damage. If any damage is found then call the insurance company to come take a look.

• Look into the manufacturer's warranty.

• Make sure there are no leaks or subsequent water damage in the attic.

The Foundation:

• Based on the soil type surrounding your home it may be expanding or contracting in big ways.

• Keep an eye out for cracks and sloping floors.

• If any issues are found surrounding the foundation they'll take a thorough look at the beams and slab underneath the home.

• Your home IS going to move, we want to make sure that it's within a reasonable amount of movement and not outside of a tolerance.

The Plumbing:

• Foundation issues can lead to plumbing problems.

• Older homes often have cast iron plumbing, which erodes from the inside out.

• Checking the status of functionality and making sure there are no cracks or leaks.

Step #3: The Report

The report that they make is going to be a really long list, but the majority of those items are “honey do” list items. They are going to be small issues, but we’re not going to ask the seller to repair all of these items in an older home. The whole point of this is looking for those larger issues. We were wanting to eliminate the chance that you are going to have to spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars unexpectedly. Our focus is big ticket items, not things that can be remedied by a trip to the hardware store on a Saturday morning.

An inspection is good for information for you, regardless of what that looks like, but the negotiation piece of what we go back and ask the seller for really matters depending on your negotiating position. Your agent is going to help you weigh what is important. Keep in mind, a seller doesn't owe you a brand new house, so just because we found out that something was wrong doesn't mean it's their responsibility to fix it. One of the most common things we see are things not being up to today's current codes or current standards. For example, there are requirements now around the amount of space between stair bolsters, but we're not going to ask the seller to take down the entire staircase and rebuild it so it's up to current child safety codes. The seller is going to move on to the next buyer if you want them to rebuild that whole staircase. Use your inspectors' experience to gage what is normal, versus what you should be concerned about.

*Keep in mind inspectors are not contractors despite all of the knowledge they have. When we are asking for an estimate on a repair of some kind it’s important to get the appropriate professionals hard numbers.

Step #4: The Negotiation

Say we find some larger issues, how do we determine what's what and how can we move forward? It’s important to note if the issues are deal breakers for you, while keeping in mind most things can be fixed and it's highly uncommon that your home is on a sinkhole.  It’s really a matter of how much it will cost and who's going to pay for it in the negotiation period.

It will ultimately come down to your willingness financially and otherwise. Make sure that you're checking in with yourself or with your spouse, on what your willingness is in terms of putting up money for repairs or negotiating with repairs. As we had mentioned before, know that buying a home means that some things are going to go wrong. If you have a really low tolerance for repairs then a new home might be right for you. Even then, a newer building doesn’t guarantee that everything was done correctly or that there won’t be any issues. Your agent should be able to help you understand how far you can negotiate, what the market looks like, if you’re in a strong position, or if a seller is in a stronger position. They'll help guide you through that! Just remember, while you’re in the negotiation process be reasonable, don’t get too in your head, and know your limits.

Quick Tips for Current Homeowners:

• The best way to minimize the length of an inspection report is to make sure you're caring for your home while you live there. 

• Sign up for our monthly home maintenance checklist at WhereWeLivepodcast.com. 

• Listen to Episode 18 titled Big Mistakes in Caring for Your Home.

You’re now inspection ready!

Put on your hat as an investor in this new property and look at what are the big things that may be expensive for you down the line. We hope this showed you that inspections aren't as scary as they seem, it’s simply another part of your due diligence process as you buy a home. A great inspector is a key resource to knowing more about your future home and what problems you might encounter. Remember, when it comes to houses, most everything can be fixed. It simply depends on how much it will cost and who is going to pay for it.

Happy home buying!

Brianna & Keelie

Design Trends for Today's Buyers

This week, we’re giving you an update on what buyers of today's market are looking for. Whether you're about to sell your home, are looking to do improvements, or just want to stay up on the current housing trends; this is for you. According to a recent survey, 61% percent of millennials want a move-in ready home. But what does moving-in ready mean for our generation? Well, here's a hint: it no longer includes carpet or dining rooms.

Let's get into it!

The Millennial Marketplace: What’s important?

We get to talk about the millennial generation, which we are proudly card carrying members of. We're going to chat about what buyers are looking for, as well as, what's in or what we're seeing trend wise in design and where things are headed today. The majority of clients, particularly millennials, are looking for move-in ready homes. 38% of buyers last year were millennials and that number is going to continue to grow as our generation ages into buying more and more homes. That's a huge majority of buyers that are out there and especially first time buyers. Basically, if you are looking to sell your house, these are the most likely people that are going to purchase it!

Another key piece of information that I think our generation brings to the table when looking for a home, is that we work more hours than any of the previous generation and are truly the first to be fully connected. On average, we just end up working more because our work life balance is a lot more fluid.

When we look at investing money into your home, when it's for the purpose of selling or otherwise, we want to make sure that the money you invest appeals to the widest audience possible, because we need to cast that net wide to make the best return that we can.

#1 Move-In Ready Home

If you're not familiar, the reason that they're looking for move-in ready homes is, because they have rented for a very long time. The majority of this generation is used to coming from a fully updated, modern, low-maintenance apartment, and are not necessarily very handy.

If you look around, you see apartment buildings going up left and right. And that's truly because of the supply and demand and the fact that entry level housing, the price keeps going up, up, up in comparison to our incomes and how far our incomes are going up: which is exactly why millennials have been renting for a long time. New apartments are going up, so there's more available for the millennials to be living in before they purchase a home. They're getting used to really nice new living spaces. 

A big part of a home being move-in-ready is a buyer looking at the property and saying, “how much would it cost me to make the updates that I want?”

#2 In-Home Office

Covid-19 has changed the game here and now we would say a Home Office is an absolute must. For me, it was probably about 50/50 pre-pandemic. Whether or not people wanted a home office space, now it's a given. Everybody needs somewhere where they can put it in the Home Office. People desire more flexibility to work from home, or if they need to work from home, school their children or whatever that is, it is a necessity at this point.

And I think something that with home offices that we've never even seen before is an increase in demand for two home offices. I have shown a few homes that have two separate office spaces, and the response I’ve seen has been like, “Wow, this would be a game changer for us.” If you're able to carve that out in your space or if you're selling, it needs to be somewhat separate to create some kind of private space. The pandemic has just made homes work harder. 

#3 Multifunctional Spaces

Multifunctional spaces are even more important than they were before. I find that when we walk into older homes with millennial buyers, the formal dining space or formal living space, is often seen as dead space. Luckily, we also see a lot of different ideas of what people are doing with these spaces/square footage such as play rooms, offices, storage, or gyms. Ultimately our generation doesn’t gravitate towards the traditional use of those spaces and can transform it into something much more functional for their lifestyle.

What’s in style? What’s poppin’ on Pinterest?

There's a difference between what is specifically in today and what is appealing to the mass of buyers. I would say, for the most part, we're moving away from really intense cold grey as a style in general. Things are warming up and getting more colored, so we're seeing a lot of that!

The Kitchen:

• For hardware, oil rubbed bronze that’s on the orange/distressed side is on it’s way out and antique brass is on it’s way in.

• We're seeing a ton of black hardware. It's very modern and fun and super popular at the moment.

• Stainless steel appliances still are where we think you should invest your money. That still communicates new to buyers. It coordinates with the design trends that we're chatting about and, if you still have a white fridge, it's time to change it out.

• When it comes to backsplash, when in doubt go neutral and simple. You can’t go wrong with white subway tile: people love the white and bright clean look, it's easy to maintain, and it can adapt to a variety of designs.

• White cabinets are still in. That's still going to appeal to the majority of buyers.

• We're seeing a lot more colored cabinets/kitchen islands. I'm sure you have seen a Navy island or Navy cabinets every once in a while. Blue green is going to be really popular moving forward. We're also seeing a lot more of creamy white or really light tan cabinets as people don't want to maintain and wipe down white cabinets anymore.
  

Carpet? No thanks!

Buyers that want move-in ready homes do not want to see carpet. They definitely don't want to see carpet in the living room and quite a few of them don't want to see any carpet in the house, period. Not unless it is brand new and light grey or super neutral. I see people try to replace the carpet right before they go on the market, but if it’s not to people's taste, then you would be better off just not doing carpet at all. There's a lot of asthma nowadays and there are a lot of concerns around cleanliness; which I think are only heightened by our current environment.

They would prefer to see wood floors instead of carpet, which might go without saying. ,  In addition to wood floors, there's also the option of a tile that looks like wood. I see wood-look tile being very popular. Let’s break down the kind of hardwood floors:

Super dark = still in.

Middle tones = preferred by most.

Very Light = super trendy.

80’s orange = get rid of it. 

*Just remember, whichever floor you choose, let's make it consistent throughout the home. Go on back after you're done listening to this episode and listen to episode number 4: Top Five Home Improvement Mistakes.

Let’s talk about colors!

I have said to so many buyers that homes do not feel like your own until you paint it. Here's the recommendations in terms of colors:

• We are really getting away from Grey. Everything has been grey, grey, grey; the floor, the wall, the house, the carpet, for a long time.

• Things are warming up in the house. We're going away from cooler tones and more towards warm, warm whites, creamy whites, bright whites and more towards an earth toned palette. 

• I'm recommending all of my sellers to paint things a bright white, because natural light is obviously extremely important. People are spending more time than ever at home, so if you don't have a lot of big windows, natural light, you have to moderate light in a space yourself. 

• I think at the end of this decade we're going to see light tan being really popular, because we're just going into more of those earthy shades.

Dark, very moody colors:

• We're seeing a lot of dark blue and a ton of dark green and even black.

• A moody color can make a space feel bigger and also just make it feel cozy and inviting

• People are still loving an accent wall; Dark and moody colors are great for that!

Light is so important because so many of us are working from home and our big trips are canceled. We need that natural light to boost our moods.

To summarize all this paint talk up, let’s talk about our prediction for color of the year. A lot of the major paint companies come out with a color of the year every year. At the end of this month, Sherwin-Williams is going to announce their 2020 color of the year. My guess is that it's going to be some sort of green, more of an earthy mossy green.

*Painting is one of those fairly easy, inexpensive things that can make a really big impact that we talk about back in Episode 4 as well.

All about trends: Grand Millennial.

I’ve been asked recently “how should I style my house”, not necessarily what improvements do I need to make. I'd say modern-farmhouse is the way to go, which absolutely originated with fixer upper and the whole Joanna Gaines movement. Black hardware mixed with some whiter, cleaner patterns, appeals to a larger audience. Both modern-farmhouse and mid-century have really dominated how we've decorated our homes. And that's extremely popular still with millennials today. 

There's also been a movement back towards shopping vintage or thrifting and not buying everything new. In those ways, traditional and vintage style is coming back. There's actually a term for this that I just recently heard, which is called “grand millennial” style. Basically this term implies that it's like your grandma's house… vintage rugs, blue and white China, ginger jars, and all of that stuff. I love seeing the modern hardware finishes like the cabinets, the woodwork, etcetera, mixed with softer elements such as rugs or art pieces on the wall being vintage. 

The Millennial Buyer

When we look at what millennials want, they essentially want to know what they're getting. They want to know that you're kind of in touch with what's “in” right now and hopefully that there's not a lot of money that needs to be put into making it look current. The overall vibe appears to be neutral, light, and balanced; which sounds pretty good in times like these.

You're now up to speed on what millennial buyers are looking for in the housing market!

Until next week!

Brianna & Keelie

How to Sell Your Home With Multiple Offers

Let’s talk about how to drum up a bidding war on your home. We know that the most common goal when selling your property is to make the most you can, and we love partnering with sellers to make this happen. Let us teach you how to make the most money in the most pain free way possible.

A house is a huge investment over a long period of time for a lot of people, so we want to make sure that you get the most out of this. We've got a lot of experience in multiple offers from both sides of the table. We just want to share a little bit with you about what it is that you, from your stance as a seller, can do to help out the situation and in obtaining multiple offers.

Why would you even want multiple offers?

The goal behind getting multiple offers on your home is the idea that you could create a bidding war, which could potentially make the most amount of money for you, if that's your biggest priority in selling your home.

When a buyer knows that they're the only one putting an offer in, they're going to reserve a little bit. They're going to hold some of their chips. They're not going to lay them all out on the table at the beginning. If they're competing and they really want this house, all chips go out on the table from the beginning, meaning more chips go into your pocket as a seller.

Tip #1: Get a great agent.

The first tip that we have to get multiple offers is going to be no surprise to you... It's to get a great agent. We've already talked through a few episodes ago how to sell your home by yourself, if you would like. But really, the best way to try to get the most out of your house is to get an agent that is extremely knowledgeable and that knows your local market.

In addition to knowing the local market, they must be a very good negotiator and an expert marketer. (We'll go into a little bit about what it means for your agent to be an expert marketer below!)

They also need to know what's going to value and devalue your home in your area, are there schools that are way more popular? Are there freeways that people need to be close to in order to get to work? I also think they should have a good eye for design or at the very least be very knowledgeable on what buyers want and what the current trends are.

Tip #2: Prepare the house to your agent’s recommendations.

Your agent is going to help you prepare your house to get the most attraction. Our advice here is to take the recommendations seriously and don't take it personally.

Also keep in mind that a short term investment now can equal long term gains. If you have ever heard the saying “you have to spend money to make money,” it is true in this particular case. However, that can really vary depending on the state of your house, in the state of your market.

It’s JUST business. The way that you live in your house is going to be different than the way that buyers are looking for when they are coming to buy. So we'll start with a couple of our most common recommendations and things that we've seen over the years:

• Neutral paint. A seller I previously worked with had a lovely kind of darker gray all throughout their house that was very on trend when they bought six or seven years ago. Well, if you're keeping up with current design trends, things are going more away from gray and way more to the whites. While this is beautiful for the way that you've lived in it, let's make it more neutral and it feels instantly more modern because they painted it white. 

• Repairs and cleanings. I.e. If you have a hole in your roof, it's time to get that repaired. (No surprise there.) A really deep clean on your grout or your carpet. Maybe even a sheetrock repair!

• Updating finishes. Maybe you had butterfly knobs on your kitchen cabinets… That's not going to have mass appeal, so we might have you switch that up and really make a change there. I've also just told somebody to take a child lock off their front door because for them it's obvious it's for little kids to not escape the house. But to a buyer, they may think this neighborhood is unsafe. That indicates to them you needed an additional lock up top.

• Decluttering. This is so worth the time. We always go through and room by room, help our clients understand what it means to be clutter. I had one seller that really summarized the process well for me. They said, “so if basically if it wouldn't be in a model home, I shouldn't have it on my shelf.” Additionally, if all of your closets are absolutely stuffed, that indicates to the buyers is that there is not enough storage in this home. They're seeing you just bursting at the seams in this home and they want to feel like it's nice and spacious and they're going to have enough storage.

• Staging. We know that so many people love having their framed family photo huge right above the fireplace. Well, all that does to a buyer is scream this family lives here. Right? And they really struggle to picture themselves in the home. The same thing can be true with a lot of taxidermy, a lot of people that can be offensive or uncomfortable for them. So we may ask if you have a lot of that, to take that down. As for selling an empty home, it is a small investment to make to pay a staging company to put some furniture in the house just to get it sold. 

• Fragrance. You may think that this smells wonderful, but smells can be extremely divisive. And so we want to make sure that it is as neutral as possible. If your home is already pretty neutral smelling, we're going to keep it exactly as it is. But if you have a more distinct smell, a candle or even those plug in wallflowers, we may ask you to kind of dial it back and keep it neutral. 

Tip #3: Execute a robust marketing plan.

If we are planning to get multiple offers, the marketing is so incredibly important and the timing of the marketing is equally as important. For example, if we're going to get multiple offers, we're probably going to market on a Thursday or Friday and the house will only be shown through that weekend. And then we're done. We've set a deadline. We've let a lot of people through, a lot of people have made offers and we’ve done so to hit the market on day one and have multiple offers by day two. There are so many things that we do like photos and all different sorts of media for the home. Not only is that because this is the first impression that 99% of people are going to see, they're going to see the home listed online somewhere. And the photos are the first thing that they're going to see. If we have additional media pieces, i.e. 3D tours, other items of that sort, it increases the algorithm on those sites. And our listing is going to be shown more than the others.

Tip #4: Price it appropriately. 

Statistics show that if you price it too high consistently, people end up getting less for their house and they end up staying on the market longer. There is a reason that when people ask us, “oh, is this home priced correctly?” when they're looking to buy that, we go out and pull the comps. Every single agent has a different strategy and there are pros and cons to all of that. Make sure that you're looking at the numbers in the area. There should be really detailed comps coming from your agent on why they're pricing it the way they want to price it.

You need to be on the same page. Also, be aware that not everything on Zillow is the same in real life. Just know that the Zestimate sometimes estimates are accurate and a lot of times they're not. So trust your agent and lean on their guidance and expertise.

“Do you want to sell your house or do you want to just list your house?“

Everyone is searching based on filters. If their cap is $500,000 and you were you've priced your house at $510,000. Well, if it's truly worth $500,000 or less, you've missed the pool of buyers that are actually interested in your home. Everyone else is looking at houses that they can get more for their money at $510,000. And so you just want to make sure that you're looking at what's currently on the market.

Once that seller realizes they're not selling and reduces their price to $500,000, now they've got “days on market.” What is a buyer going to say when they walk into a house that's been on the market for 30 days, but everything else looks fine?..... “What's wrong with it? Wrong with this house? Why is it still here? Why is nobody buying it? There must be something I'm not seeing. Let's move on.”

Tip #5: Say “yes” to ALL showings.

We need to say yes to all showings, if possible. We don't want to turn buyers away. We get you've got a baby and they've got a nap schedule and they've got to go to bedtime. But, especially if the goal is only to be a few days on the market, we really need to work with as little restrictions as possible.

Try to be gone the first weekend, especially if you have little children. It helps to keep the house clean and ready for people to come through because the majority of buyers that you're going to get, are going to come through on that first weekend.

In Conclusion:

There is a lot that you can do as a seller to partner with your agent in making sure that your house gets the most attention and looks its best to get you the most money or whatever you want to get from your house and from the next buyer.

If you're interested in our help with selling your home reach out to us at the CastilloGroup.net. We can also help you find great agents anywhere across the country.

Happy selling!

Brianna & Keelie

COVID-19 and the Real Estate World

Toilet paper has been ravaged and so many of us are trying to balance working from home with children in the house! COVID-19 has hit the Dallas metropolitan area. With 37 cases, 2 deaths (as of March 18) and the economic hardship that the country is expected to take, we’ve been asked how this is going to affect the real estate world. Luckily, we have some good news for our buyers and sellers about the current market. 

Rest easy as strong demand for houses is still being seen. This is substantial news in these times. 

For buyers still looking, the house-hunting game is strong. With lower interest rates, buyers are still eager and some are even more motivated than before, which is great for sellers. 

We have seen entry-level buyers having even better luck scoring amazing interest rates as low as 3.25% for a 30-year fixed mortgage or 2.875% with a 15-year fixed mortgage. These prices are insane, but lock in if you’re under contract on a rate that feels good to you! COVID-19 has caused a run on financial markets and there has been an unprecedented daily (or hourly) movement in mortgage rates. The good news - while stocks posted enormous losses, mortgage rates still look like a dream. 

Overall, the real estate market is still hot.  People are still buying, people are still listing, we are still selling homes. 

As things change daily, we don’t know how it will affect real estate, but we will keep updating as the situation evolves.

What We Are Doing to Combat COVID-19

Social distancing is the new normal. We are doing everything we can to help our buyers and sellers feel comfortable. Staying six feet or more away from others can be challenging but we are exercising this precaution when showing buyers. 

We continue to offer 3D tours of our listings, virtual open houses, as well as conducting FaceTime calls for showings and client meetings as needed to take the necessary precautions. Our goal is to help you feel as safe as possible when finding your new safe place! 

What We Can Do

Whether you’re quarantining or distancing, we all could use some ideas to try to keep our sanity! Here is a list of things you can do to keep your mind occupied while you spend extra time at home with your loved ones. 

• Read a book

• Go for a walk - we love White Rock Lake!

• Do an at-home workout

• Learn a new skill

• Visit online museums with your kids

• Start your home maintenance projects

• Have a baking contest

You know we like to focus on small business and many of them are hurting at a time like this. While we currently can’t dine in at our favorite local restaurants, consider takeout or delivery to show support and to assist them financially. Buying gift cards is also a great way to support non-dining local businesses! This also gives you something to look forward to when we can all be together again!

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding just about everything in the world right now and it can seem scary. Be a good neighbor, check on your loved ones, and practice gratitude in this time of chaos. If we can help in any way, please let us know. 

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, Though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

— Psalm 46:1-3

Last Minute Date Night Spots for Valentine's Day In Dallas

Need Date Night Spots This Valentin’’s Day? Here are the Top 6 Spots in Dallas You Should Definitely Check Out!

Let’s not dilly dally around here, we know once February starts—Valentine’s Day is on everyone’s mind. Whether you’re single or happily committed and plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s with your girlfriends), Dallas is a great spot for date night. Here are the top 6 go-to places with our matching verdict why we love them and why living in Dallas maybe your best decision yet.

Tony’s Pizza & Pasta

If you’re the type who enjoys leftovers, hefty servings, and are in no way embarrassed by how much you can eat together as a couple, then Tony’s Pizza & Pasta is the perfect date night spot for you. The restaurant boasts of its generous portions, reasonable prices, its proximity to home, and their highly known BYOB (bring your own beverage). Tony’s Pizza & Pasta is the perfect spot for couples who would love a very chill, relaxing vibe on date night.

Fish City Grill

You know those places where the food is exquisitely plated, yet it’s still humble enough to remind you of home? Fish City Grill is exactly that place. If you and your significant other are seafood aficionados, try this restaurant out for date night. A new branch has recently opened at the Lake Highlands Town Center, which makes it reasonably close to home. What stands out to their regulars is their impeccable service (on top of their freshly stocked bar and amazing food). Their self-declaration of their Oyster Nachos as World Famous is enough to pique your interest. Try it out and taste for yourselves!

The Blue Fish

Three words: MEGA lobster roll. We know there’s nothing quite sexy about trying to pry a lobster open, but the satisfaction that comes of out if is epic. If you’re looking at Japanese cuisine for date night, The Blue Fish is the perfect spot for you. Home of the Original Ahi Tower, this restaurant offers premium quality sushi and sashimi, which make for gastronomic delights by the end of your evening. With its mysterious ambiance and dark interiors, this is the place for when you’re looking for something more intimate on Valentine’s.

Velvet Taco

Hey casual date-nighters, we’re talking to you. Velvet Taco is considered as one of the best places for a laid-back night out, and if you’re close to Greenville Ave.—you’re in luck. This spot prides itself on serving more than 20 taco varieties and so many originals you’ve never seen before. Keelie’s favorite is their Chicken Tikka Masala: Indian food in a taco = what dreams are made of. Elevated tacos at its finest, what more can you ask for?

Mi Cocina

You can’t go wrong with the Mambo Taxi. Mi Cocina serves great-tasting (they say it’s legendary) margaritas and their Highland Park Village location features one of the best atmospheres so far. Not to mention, this restaurant is built as a family tradition and celebrates fun holidays like National Tequila Day and National Fajita Day, as well as honoring public servants on July 4th. Not only does this place stem from a purposeful story, but it has one of the best Tex-Mex meals we’ve ever tasted.

Neighborhood Services

If you’re looking for a higher-end date-night for this special occasion, look no further than Neighborhood Services. It has that classic Dallas restaurant atmosphere full of life and energy, plus great cocktails, service, and even better food. This place gets pretty packed and even more so during Valentine’s, so remember to make a reservation. It’s the best!

So why choose Dallas to Live in?

One thing you need to consider when checking for places to live in is the environment of your neighborhood, and yes—its proximity to prime date nightspots and restaurants where you, your significant other, or your family can enjoy (who doesn’t love to eat out once in a while?) Dallas is home to a variety of restaurants that offer different cuisines, suitable for whatever mood you’re in to celebrate. 

Realtors that Make Life-Changing Decisions Easier

That’s where we come in! We are one of Dallas’ highest-rated Real Estate Teams, and we can help you find the right home to settle down in. In the last 2 years, it took an average of 40 days for a house to be sold; but The Castillo Group broke that barrier and hit its record of selling a house within 10 days. Depending on your needs (single, or with a family), our group of talented realtors can help you find the best location that’s right for you.

Lake Highlands is considered a family-friendly neighborhood and is quickly adding local restaurants to its resume. M Streets and Lower Greenville have quick downtown access and feature its own line of restaurants you can choose from as well. If you want to be fairly close to downtown, but still keep that neighborhood feel, look no further than Oak Lawn. First-time owners might find Oak Cliff an appealing area, as it boasts of recently renovated real estate and is known for its rich history.

If you’re keen to find out more about how we can help you purchase your next home in the Dallas area, come to our next Homebuying 101 Workshop! You won’t want to miss it!

Organization Tips to Start Your 2020 Off Right

Phrases such as “getting organized” and “KonMari method” get thrown around a lot in the new year. We make goals to become a brand new “you’. Sometimes we keep those goals and sometimes, not so much. There's a reason you keep making the same resolutions year after year. 

It’s incredibly easy to gain the motivation to clean and tidy up your home in early January, but by the time we get to March, April or May come along, sometimes you’ve fallen back into your old habits. 

Have no fear! There are strategies both physical and mental to help you get back into a mindset to ensure your hard work lasts well into the spring and beyond. Here are four ways to start your 2020 off right!

Start Small!

Start by making a plan for yourself. It's very easy to get overwhelmed when we make a general statement that we want to “get organized.” To prevent that feeling, start with a list of specific actionable ways you want to get organized. For example, try doing things that don’t exactly have anything to do with your home. Try organizing the apps on your phone or your digital photos and make one photo book. You’ll realize how good you feel! 

Make Tidying A Part of Your Routine

At night, take the time to put items strewn across your house back into their appropriate places. Set a daily cleaning checklist that you can stick too. You might include making the bed every morning, using a lightweight vacuum for easy transport from room to room, or even something as simple as doing the dishes every night before you go to bed. Be creative and find what works best for you. Just a few minutes a week can make the time between those deep cleans last even longer. One of our favorite tricks is to set a ten-minute timer and see how much we can accomplish!

Use a Label Maker.

Labels may seem like a trivial step because you know what something is or remember where something gets stored. However, if you or someone in your family struggle with keeping organizational systems in place, using a label maker to mark your areas clearly will define your organization so that you can be held accountable. For example, if a stack of folded clothing in your closet says “crewneck sweaters” there is less of a chance you will put a v-neck sweater or t-shirt on that pile. The label serves as a gentle reminder and helps you keep your sanity!

Clean the Entryway. 

It’s the first thing you see when you walk into your home. Set the right tone by organizing the discarded shoes, coats and other miscellaneous items that inevitably will begin piling up. Add hooks for coats and bins or a cabinet for shoes. Remember to have enough hooks for guests to hang their coat up as well. Chances are, by giving some TLC to your entryway, you’ll feel motivated to give some to the rest of your living space as well. 

And that’s it! Four small but simple steps to organizing your house for 2020! By following these steps you’ll feel less stressed when guests or potential homebuyers come over. 

Thinking about buying a home in 2020? Register for our Homebuying 101 Workshop? It’s easy! Just click this button.

Our Favorite Christmas Activities in Dallas!

Merry Christmas! Can you believe it’s the end of the year already? We’re hanging lights, decorating trees and eating a few too many cookies.

We’re also heading out on the town to see all our favorite things around Dallas! The DFW area knows how to celebrate our favorite holiday of the year. Here at The Castillo Group, we wanted to share with you a few of our office faves.

1. Santa at the Arboretum.

This is Brianna’s number one spot! The Santa at the Arboretum was the first Santa she ever took her daughter Grace to see and has kept up the tradition since then. Commemorate your holiday season with an adorable photo for years to come! You can view the schedule here.

2. Grapevine Polar Express

A must-do for the whole family! As guests board the vintage train cars, you’ll drink hot cocoa served by the elves themselves. Full of cheer, you will have an assortment of holiday songs to warm your heart this Christmas season. You might even find yourself with a silver bell! Learn more here.

3. Northpark Mall Santa

There are so many wonderful Santa stops to ride your sleigh through. The Santa at Northpark Mall is another favorite of ours you can’t miss out on! View Santa’s schedule here.

4. Beverly Drive in Highland Park

Located in Highland Park, take a magical ride in a horse-drawn carriage and take in all the lights. An experience like something out of your favorite Christmas Hallmark movie. You’ll be sure to swoon as you stroll in the buggy down the magical streets! While you’re at it, check out Armstrong Avenue and Lakeside Drive as well.

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Don’t get us wrong, we love celebrating at home too. If coloring an adorable gingerbread house whilst drinking milk and cookies is more your style, we’ve got you covered! Check out our free coloring pages perfect to quiet your littles for at least 20 minutes!

Top 5 Things a Homeowner Should Look For on Black Friday

It’s almost time for one of the most anticipated days of the year. Black Friday! This is a great time to snag the perfect Christmas gift and items that you’ve been eyeing for quite some time. We wanted to compile our list of ‘must-haves’ for the new or veteran homeowner. 

While we don’t know the exact deals happening on Black Friday, we do know what you should consider purchasing. 

Top 5 Things to Look to Buy on Black Friday:

1. Ring Doorbell

Home security is worth every penny, but getting it at a discount is a steal. This is something that both Brianna and Keelie have. Not only can you make sure your Christmas presents stay safe on your porch, but you can also take that added measure of knowing when anyone approaches your door with motion-activated alerts. Use the Ring Doorbell camera inside your home for a live, on-demand view of your home anytime, and anywhere. You can purchase it here: Ring Doorbell

2. Phillips Hue Lightbulbs

Lightbulbs aren’t typically the hot commodity item you would see on a Black Friday wishlist, but we can assure you that this is not an item you want to sleep on. Keelie uses the Phillips Hue lightbulbs as her porch lights since they automatically go on at dusk and turn off when the sun rises which can save on your electricity bill! When you use the lightbulbs inside you can create ambient lighting, gaming lighting, or custom settings to help you focus or wake up. Who knew light bulbs could be so cool?! You can purchase it here: Phillips Hue Lightbulbs

3. Dyson Stick Vacuum

If you’re like us, you know it’s a dream of most homeowners to own a Dyson. Dyson is known for its clean design, long-lasting devices and well, vacuums! This particular vacuum is cordless, making it perfect to clean all-around your home. It works great on hard floors, carpets and hard to reach places. It’s always ready to go with a charging docking station. A full charge can last up to 60 minutes in some models. You can purchase it here: Dyson Stick Vacuum 

4. Nest Thermostat

Not only does this add convenience to your home, but it also increases the value. Homebuyers love to see a Nest Thermostat hanging on your wall. How cool is it that the Nest learns your temperature habits and builds a routine around it. This saves you tons of money in the long run. Check your house temperature at any time of the day and adjust the settings. With the Nest Thermostat, you’ll (almost) never have to adjust your thermostat again! You can purchase it here:  Nest Thermostat

5. Upgrade Your Appliances

Another great and easy way to add value to your home. Higher-end appliances such as smart refrigerators and fancy cooking ranges will give a “wow” factor during open-house tours that could help you make the sale. Consider making a stop to your local appliance store to purchase these items. Not only does it save you money on Black Friday, but you’re also supporting a small business! 

 What is your favorite home buys on Black Friday? Anything from this list we are missing, let us know!

Are you looking at selling your home after adding some great upgrades? We’d love to help you. Contact us for more details!

Have a Safe and Fun Halloween!

If you’re like us, October is an exciting month. With pumpkins and apples galore, there is just something in the fall air that feels like magic. It sparks a light in almost every child’s eye. The thrill of dressing up as your favorite superhero or princess and heading into the streets of your neighborhood to find the house with the best and largest candy bars. It’s almost magical to see the light in a child’s eye on Halloween night, and it’s not just limited to the under-ten generation. Adults get to relive days of Halloween past as they help assemble last-minute costumes and indulge in a chocolate or two, rightfully collected as “trick-or-treat tax.” Yes, there is a lot to be said for Halloween.

In all of that magic and fun, though, there are a couple of elements of safety that should still be maintained. Especially if you’re trick-or-treating in a new neighborhood or location. Our hope in writing this is to make sure that you and your family can enjoy your night to the fullest by doing the safety planning ahead of time. Let’s just jump right in:

Have a Plan

We live in a time where cellphones are everywhere. Though, that doesn’t mean everyone in your household has a handheld device. Know where your kids are going before setting out on the conquest for candy. It may be a smart idea to have a couple of safe meet-up spots if someone gets lost in the sea of trick-or-treaters. Using the buddy system is a way to even further your means of ensuring that everyone is safe and never left alone. 

Know Your Neighborhood

This one may seem like a no-brainer. You’ve most likely already scoped out your new neighborhood and had a tour of the area by your Castillo Group agent. Or perhaps, you’ve lived in this neighborhood forever. Even with these precautions under your belt, it’s still a good idea to identify which doors to avoid. Frequent check-ins with older pre-teens (who are too old to be supervised by an adult) that sprint from door to door is a definite must. It’s also smart to give this information to your younger children who might wander out of sight. 

For those of you planning on trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, Family Watchdog is an excellent resource to review while planning your trick or treating route. According to their website: “Family Watchdog is a free service to help locate registered sex offenders in your area. Family Watchdog encourages you to use our site to help educate your family on possible dangers in areas that you frequently visit.” 

Waiting to Eat the Candy

This is the hardest tip of all to execute, but you’ll never be sorry for being safe. 

In recent years, you often hear stories of malicious candy embedded with needles, or other inedible items. A good safety look through is always a good idea. Kids rummaging through candy may eat a dangerous piece or not think to look for candy that may have been given to them unwrapped.

Another excellent reason to wait is to avoid potential allergens. Even though parents of children with food allergies have most likely drilled their kids of what to look for, the rush of Halloween and the dimly lit streets could lead to a child eating something that could cause a very serious situation. In the cause of such an event, always keep your EpiPen on you, and always make sure you know what’s being eaten.

Have Fun

The last tip is in the midst of the chaos, have fun. Kids are only kids once and Halloween is a magical time of make-believe. Enjoy seeing their faces light up as they marvel at their friends' costumes and the decorations you traipse by on this spooky night. 

We hope you have a spooky Halloween and enjoy the night to the fullest. For information on neighborhoods in the Dallas area, check out our guide! 

Happy Halloween!

How to Add a Pop of Color WITHOUT Paint!

Giving a room (or your whole home) a makeover can seem like a daunting task. If you’re like most people, a new color scheme can be an exciting idea and often, painting or adding colorful wallpaper is the first thing we look to. If you’re renting or not too home-improvement-savvy, that’s probably not the route to go. Using accessories to make a colorful design shift in your home can be an appealing way to add flair to your space. 

Adding a pop of color with home accents can be easy and effective. It’s like when you want to go out on the town and you add that little bit of lipstick or a spritz of your favorite cologne. It’s subtle, simple, yet gives you those extra confidence boosts the second you walk out the door. You can apply the same trick to your home decor. Let’s take you room-by-room and teach you how to colorfully accessorize your home without touching a paintbrush!

First, step into the room and visualize the colors that represent that room. It could be the same ‘theme’ around the house or a certain feel that is specific to each area. Should this room have patterns? Solids? Is the theme beachy? Ethereal? We love heading to Pinterest to find the perfect #homeinspo to spark that next idea. 

The Living Room 

If you’re like us, the living room is the busiest home in the house. It’s where your friends stop in and where the family gathers. The best way to add color here is with colorful pillows, an accented coffee table, or a large canvas to make sure it doesn’t get lost in the mess. It may even help distract your guests from the craziness happening on the floor with the kids running around! 

The Kitchen

A colorful bouquet or oversized rug is the key to dressing your kitchen for success! Not only will the flowers catch the eye of any passerby, but the large mat can also cover up any floor tiles or hardwood that you’re aren’t the biggest fan of. Plus, it will be comfy on your toes when you slump down the stairs for your morning coffee. 

The Bathroom

The bathroom might be the easiest room to add a pop of color in. Think of your shower curtain as an enormous piece of art. Choose one that you LOVE and then choose accessories that compliment it. Accessories may include a soap dish, bathroom mats, wall art, and more! Try adding press-on wallpaper to accent a wall too!

The Bedroom

Your bed should steal the show in your bedroom. Finding blankets, quilts, duvets, etc… can help liven up your space. A cute lamp for your bedside table or a framed body mirror can also add that perfect touch to the room. Our favorite way? Finding eclectic, cute, trinkets and to place on floating shelves!

Who knew adding little pops of color in your space could be so simple and fun! We love utilizing these ideas in our own homes as a great, non-permanent way to help us feel a little brighter! 

Thinking about selling? You can use these tips to stage your home as well! Helping potential buyers see what a fun space you have is an easy way to get your house to sell quickly! Contact us to learn more!

The Rise of the Millennial Home Buyer

You’ve probably heard:

“Millennials never buy homes.”
“Millennials won’t ever settle down.”

Millennials often get a bad rap, but The Castillo Group is here to set the record straight. Though not as often, Millennials are buying homes. In fact, they are buying houses right here in Dallas! With the average age in the area being around 32, over ten thousand millennials moved to DFW in the last year, making it one of the youngest and fastest growing cities in the nation. 

Roughly one in three Millennials under the age of 35 own a home. In 2019, Millennials currently make up the largest share of home buyers in the nation. The Millennial home buyer is not a myth anymore! 

In a study and interview done by the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, they found the number one indicator of a Millennial homeowner is whether or not they are married or have a college degrees as many view this to be the ‘next step’ in their lives. Having a child also increases the likelihood of owning a home by 6.2 percentage points, and having a parent who owned a home increases someone’s probability of owning by 10.9 percentage points.

Now, if you’re a Millennial reading this post and you dream of owning a home, but think it’s still too far away, you may be wrong. Here are a few ways you can take your transition from renting-to-owning smoothly.

1. Look at Your Finances

   Explore your options of getting prequalified for a home loan. If you have enough for a down payment of at least 5% you should be in good shape. 

2. Define Your Goals

   Think about what kind of home you want. Is it in your budget? Can you manage house payments at this time in your life? Once you define exactly what you’re looking for, you can search with ease and not end up broken hearted when the home you’ve been dreaming of isn’t in the cards.

3. Check Current Mortgage Rates

   What are rates like in your area? Sometimes it can cost you to wait to buy a home.  With ever rise in mortgage rates it’s best to get in FAST!

4. Find the Best Realtor

   You definitely want to avoid picking the wrong real estate agent. It’s easy to gain a real estate license. Find a realtor with drive and passion for what they do. We at The Castillo Group love what we can provide for our clients and have mastered the client experience.

Have you met with a lender and you’re ready to continue your home buying process? The Castillo Group works with hundreds of first time home buyers. We can’t wait to help you discover your dream home. 

Find out why The Castillo Group should be your #1 choice for a realtor in Dallas, Texas.

So, You’re Thinking of Moving to the DFW Area

4 Reasons to Let Texas Steal Your Heart

Don’t just think about it. Do it! The DFW area is a prime place to call home. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, it has something for literally everyone. Microbreweries, cultural activities, some of the best sports teams in the nation, while still having the charm and hospitality that people expect from the country. Trust us when we say there is SO much more to do in Dallas, Texas than go to the rodeo and eat some barbecue, though we recommend doing both when you get here! DFW is a place sure to win your heart, but in case you need more convincing, The Castillo Group has compiled a list of four reasons to make it your home. Let’s dive on in!

1. The Real Estate is PHENOMENAL

Everything is bigger in Texas, except for the home prices. The median home value in DFW is 14% lower than the national average in suburban areas and 5% lower in metro areas. The average cost of a home in Dallas is about $185,000 with 2,400 square footage. Add this in with the average salary being about $62,000/yr and you’ve got yourself a deal! Which brings us to our next point…

2. The Job Market is Booming!

According to US News, the Dallas area has a 3.5% unemployment rate. With companies expanding and moving to Dallas every day, this makes the area a prime place for you to re-target your career. Toyota, Southwest, Living Spaces are just the tip of all the companies that call the DFW area their home. Plus, there is no income tax!

3. Eat some Barbecue

I know, I know, earlier we told you how there’s so much more to Texas than the barbecue, but one of the pros of moving to Texas really is the food! With down-home cooking, and tasty tacos on every corner, you’ll be sure to find something that appeases you! Babe’s Chicken and Torchy’s Tacos have both won food awards in D Magazine, and hey, if you look a little further you’ll notice that they also named us as a Top Producer and Best Realtor of 2019!

4. Excellent Education

If you have school-aged children and want a change of scenery, Dallas is a good place to move to. The ratio of children to teacher is 14-1! The DFW area is home to 70 nationally ranked private and public schools. It’s always nice knowing you have an education system you can trust. 

Obviously, there are many more reasons why you should relocate to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With the excellent job market, low housing costs, education, culture, and diversity, you’ll love calling this place home. If you’re interested in learning more about buying a home in Dallas, be sure to register for our home-buying workshop that takes place on September 14th! Seats go quickly, so make sure to save your spot! You can register for it here and hey, maybe you’ll be calling this place home sooner than you know!

ADD A SPRING TOUCH TO YOUR HOME

Spring has made it’s way to Dallas! Cheering up your home with some spring decor is the perfect way to prepare for warmer days and more sunshine. Here are some options to prepare your home for the Spring season!

ADD AN HERB GARDEN

While they may not last outdoors with the sporadic weather of spring, bringing potted herbs into your home and letting them soak up sunlight in a kitchen window is the perfect way to add life to your home and have access to fresh herbs while you’re cooking. 

THINK SPRING 

If you are all about DIY-ing, creating simple decorations can add a pop of seasonal color to your home. Take that pair of rain boots you don’t wear anymore and turn them into planters - add bright floral arrangements and use your new decor item as an inviting piece by your front door.

POPS OF COLOR

Neutral and sleek is all the rage right now, but adding a pop of color in your normal decor can add a cheerful touch to your home. Swap out your kitchen napkins or tablecloth with something a little bit more colorful, like soft blues or pinks. Small changes can do enough to make your home feel different without being overwhelming.

FLORALS ARE ALWAYS THE ANSWER

Whether or not you already include florals in your home decor, take the time to swap out or add something new that feels like spring. While fresh flowers are a great choice, consider picking up some faux florals for the majority of your decor and saving the fresh flowers for a centerpiece. Don’t be afraid to add pops of color, specifically yellows and pinks, to create a focal point for the room. 

TOUCH UP TIME

Is there a room in your home that is just feeling drab? Maybe it is dark and uninviting, or maybe it has white walls that have started to fade. While you are spring cleaning, consider adding a fresh coat of paint to a place in your home that needs a boost of light. Spring is all about being fresh and new, so your home should feel that way too!

Preparing your Home for the Winter Months

For many of us, home maintenance is not on the top of our minds. We’ve compiled a list of things you should be thinking about as the winter season approaches. 

Pier & Beam Foundations often have covers on the vents. Old school thinking was that you should cover the vents during cold months. Instead, you should remove the covers to let it breathe freely to prevent moisture issues beneath your house.

Your sprinkler/irrigation system should be turned off in cold months! If you have a rain sensor, this will detect freezing temperatures and make sure that your system isn’t running if the temperature is below freezing. 

Should I leave my faucets dripping if the temperatures are below freezing? Actually, YES, if it’s going to be really cold for several days. Especially if you have a tankless water heater that is on an outside wall. These tend to freeze, but keeping a slow drip will maintain the water movement. 

Speaking of water heaters, yours should be serviced once a year. Now is a good time! HVAC systems should be serviced twice a year, so now is also a good time for that. While you’re at it, test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors now too.

Cover your hose bibs, have your chimney swept, clean your roof and gutters from debris.

We hope this was helpful and reminded you of a few items to add to your to-do list. If you have any further questions, contact us!

10 Ways to Prepare your Home for Guests

Up your hosting game this holiday season! The holidays can add a lot of stress with traveling to visit family, or hosting them in your home.

We’ve compiled a list of 10 things you can do to up your hosting game, and make things a little more comfortable for your guests, and less stressful for you!

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1. WiFi Password

   Make it easy. Easy to see, easy to type, easy to remember. In our guest room, the wifi network and password are at the bottom of a chalkboard that we use to welcome guests. We have a guest network with a simple password, “welcomehome" - Not only is that easy, but it always makes our guests smile.

2. Phone Charger

Such an unexpected surprise! Just make sure you write your name or initials on the charger, to make sure it stays put for your next guests.

3. Assorted Pillow Options

Everybody has such different pillow preference, even one night with a totally wrong pillow, and your day can be ruined. You don’t need to spend a small fortune on pillows for the guest room, but a small assortment of soft to firm will be sure to please your guests!

4. Luggage Stand

I have two of these luggage stands from Amazon in our guest room. Not only does a luggage stand save your back and knees, but it keeps things up off the floor and more tidy. You probably always use the luggage stand in a hotel room, why not have one for your guests at home?

5. Extra Blankets

Again, everybody has a different preference! Some of us pile on the blankets to sleep, and some don’t even use the sheets. Don’t assume your guests will have the same habits as you.

6. Hooks

Whether on the wall or an over-the-door hook, somewhere to place a bag, jacket, clothes, or towel is always needed.

7. Bottled Water and Snacks

Another clue from hotels! Traveling is exhausting, and although you are likely already feeding your guests well, make sure they have plenty of options on hand.

8. Floor Length Mirror

An easy way to make them feel more at home.

9. Essential Consumables

Shampoo, body wash, lotion, hair spray, Kleenex, toothpaste, extra toothbrush, comb, Tylenol, etc.

10. Fan

Some will use it for the air movement, but some like to fall asleep to the sound of a fan.

If you don’t have a dedicated guest room, keeping all of these items together in a closet will help so much! We suggest giving your guests a room with a door for privacy, rather than an open room. Even if it’s one of the kids’ rooms, and the kids either sleep together or with you temporarily, that will make it so much more comfortable for your guests!

How to Plan your Holiday Decor

Last week, we took a vote on when to start decorating for Christmas.

Keelie won.

62% of you prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas

Even if you’re not putting up any decor for a couple more weeks, you can begin your planning now!

We brought in the expert, our very own Elizabeth Ryan with Elizabeth Ryan Interiors (< - check out some of her work) to give us her best tips. Elizabeth runs a full-service design company. We have an exclusive partnership with her and provide her services, free of charge, to our clients listing their home to ensure it looks the best that it can to all potential buyers.

We interviewed her Live on Facebook, if video is more your style than reading (no judgements here)

Without further adieu, below are Elizabeth’s tips!

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1. Choose a Color Palette

You can choose a fresh color palette each year! You can layer on your traditional whites/golds/greens and bring a new accent color out for the year.

Elizabeth’s favorite way to do this is to START with wrapping paper! What an easy way to change it up each year?! I had always considered wrapping paper almost strictly utilitarian, but why not consider it part of the decor?! Wrapping gifts early and as you purchase them means you get to enjoy the beautiful paper for a while.

2. Un-decorate First!

Yes, really! Rather than just adding Christmas Decor to your existing decor, clear things out and make some room first. This will not only help eliminate a cluttered feel, but the items you put away will feel new again in January!

3. Curate your Theme

It’s okay to not use every single item of Christmas Decor that you own. Really! Stick with your color palette and theme and add in a few new pieces for the year. If a piece doesn’t fit, it can wait another year!

4. Choose a Location for your Tree

Your tree doesn’t have to go in the same spot each year! Don’t be afraid to move furniture around to give your tree all it’s glory, and to freshen up the feel of your space. Think outside the box

5. Make an Impact with your Collections

Have a collection of Santas, bells, churches or trees? Place these items together to make the strongest impact. Some of Elizabeth’s favorite locations are the buffet in your dining room or console table in your entryway.

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Want to see more helpful info like this in the future? Comment below or send us a message with your ideas and what you’d like to learn about.

9 Moments That Pretty Much Sum Up House Hunting

It’s a whole other world out there…especially without an agent to guide the way.

1. When you spend all day looking at houses.

2. When you evaluate a house’s interior decor.

3. When you try to stick to your budget.

4. When you forget how to actually live.

5. When you don’t want to sound inexperienced.

6. When you feel like your hormones are all over the place.

7. When it’s all you want to talk about.

8. When you discover a whole new vocabulary.

9. When you and bae try to set a list of priorities.

Buying a house is intense, so why go it alone? We can help you find your perfect home so you can get back to living again.

3 Questions To Ask Before Buying Your First Home

The real estate market is constantly changing, so of course DO YOUR RESEARCH before buying! Do not jump the gun on this one! Unbiased advice from family and peers may be kind, but you are the only one who knows what your needs are when it comes to buying a home. That's why as part of your research, you should ask yourself these 3 questions:
 

Q1: WHAT MADE YOU CONSIDER OWNING A HOME?

Forget finances for a minute and focus on what made you consider even buying a home in the first place!

• Is your family expanding?

• Does your family feel safe?

• Is there a STELLAR school system in the area so your children can get the education they deserve?

• How about that unbearable landlord?

• Simply need more space?

• Looking to build equity?

Knowing the primary reasons for why you're buying can help you (and your future real estate agent) hone in on what options are best for you, right now and long-term.

Q2: WHICH WAY IS THE REAL ESTATE MARKET GOING?

Include this question in your initial research and don't sleep on your decision to buy for too long! Home prices in general are on the rise. Not only are they on their way back up, but these increases are happening monthly.

According to Existing Homes Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average price of homes in May 2017 went up 5.8% from last year.

If you wait until next year to buy, you might be scrapping for change in the cushions to say the least. Not only will it cost you more to buy, but you will also need to increase your down payment to account for the higher price of the home. Talk to your agent for more information on why right now may be a better time to buy than taking some time to save more up-front.

Q3: WHAT IS THE MORTGAGE FORECAST?

The initial process of purchasing your home may seem quick (especially in the fast-paced Dallas real estate market), but there are a lot of moving parts! The ‘long term cost’ of buying a home can haunt you if you buy at the wrong time! Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and NAR have projected that mortgage interest rates will definitely increase over the next twelve months. The smallest increase in mortgage rates can have a huge impact on a home owner over time.

Final Thoughts

If you and your family feel it is the right time to buy a home then GO FOR IT! Just consider these points when making the final decision, and contact us at The Castillo Group to get any of your questions answered!

Debunking Myths to Home Buying

Finally ready to make the transition into home ownership? That's awesome, and in this exciting time you can be turning to friends and family for an insight into the process. However, there seems to be a circulation of misinformation spreading around, so we're here to clear up a few myths. 

1. MYTH: THE FIRST STEP IS SEARCHING FOR A HOME

You know the saying, "Don't put the cart before the horse," well that's important to remember when it comes to buying a home. You don't want to start looking for a house until you have gotten to sit down with a lender and discuss what the bank will qualify you for. If you fall in love with a house that's $250,000 and come to find out you're only qualified for $200,000 you can get your hopes crushed and waste a lot of time. Don't start the process on the wrong foot and make sure the numbers line up.

2. MYTH: YOU DON'T NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT

For starters, when buying a home, 99% of the time the buyer's agent gets paid by the sellers. That random 1% can be for odd circumstances. So you're getting to use the services of a real estate agent for free. Having a real estate agent on your side means you'll get to see homes that aren't as readily available on public searches, you avoid outdated listings and scammers (there are lots of them), and you have protection when it comes to navigating the legalities of contracts and buying a home. Why wouldn't you want an awesome negotiator working to ensure you get the best from the transaction? For FREE!

3. MYTH: YOU CAN'T BUY A HOME WITH BAD CREDIT

Fortunately for some, this is a myth. Lenders and banks come by the hundreds of thousands and all though there are a few loan options, a lot of lenders can work with credit scores down to the low to mid 500's. Get in touch with an agent to help you connect with the right lender who can help you potentially approved. There is a lot of factors that go into approvals, but your credit doesn't have to be a sore thumb during the process. However, you will be doing yourself a favor if you connect with a credit repair specialist to at least get those numbers in the 600's. A better score will lower you interest rate.

4. MYTH: YOUR DOWN PAYMENT HAS TO BE 20%

Think you have to sell an arm and a leg to buy a home? Not at all! An FHA loan only requires 3.5% while a conventional only requires 5%. There are a lot of programs that can potentially help you with down payment assistance or be 0% down mortgage. USDA and VA loans are the most popular 0% down programs. If you qualify, this can take a big chunk off the amount of cash you have to bring to the closing table. 

5. MYTH: DOWN PAYMENTS ARE THE ONLY UPFRONT COST

This is one of the biggest misconceptions. There are a lot of cost that go into buying a home, and that includes upfront costs. One of the mandatory ones are a termite and appraisal. If you are getting a mortgage, the home will have to appraise and get a letter stating there are no termites in the home. Termite assessment can range between $25-$75 dollars. An appraisal can range from $300-$700 dollars. Aside from your down payment, you then have to pay for closing costs. And NO, they are not the same thing. Closing costs can range anywhere between 3-6% of the purchase price. In certain markets, this can be negotiated for sellers to cover by rolling into the offer price, but whether that decision is smart to do or not when it comes to landing your dream home will need to be discussed with your agent.

Now that you have some knowledge to get the process started, get in touch with an agent (*cough, cough* The Castillo Group!) who will help you get through the process as smoothly as possible.