Answers by Lauren Kerschen

All the online calculators and websites are running off of algorithms based on things they cannot know. Like what the house really looks like on the inside... or what does it smell like... Or in non-disclosure states (like Texas where I am) they don't even know how much the surrounding houses actually ended up selling for. They only know how much they were listed for when they went under contract. So that's why they are all wrong. You really need to just ask a Realtor to run a CMA for you.

Definitely don't panic. I know that's easier said than done when you've already got a contract on your next place, but freaking out and doing something drastic is how you leave money on the table. Here's what I want you to actually think about: a month without offers isn't a crisis, it's a clue. The market is telling you something, and it's usually one of two things... the price or the presentation. And both of those are fixable. So before you do anything, ask yourself: are you getting showings but no offers? Or are people not even coming through the door? Because those are two totally different problems with two totally different solutions. If people are touring and walking away quiet, buyers are telling you the price doesn't match what they're seeing. If nobody's even booking showings, we've got a marketing or pricing issue (maybe both). The move right now is to sit down with your agent and get brutally honest about what closed homes in your neighborhood have actually sold for in the last 30-60 days. Not what's listed. What sold. That's what buyers are using to make decisions, and that's what you need to be priced against. A strategic price adjustment can drop you into a completely new search bracket and put you in front of a whole new wave of buyers overnight. You've got options. You're not stuck. But the worst thing you can do right now is wait another two weeks hoping something changes on its own.

One way to answer is based on how you file taxes and the other way to answer is just based on how the process works in Texas. As far a property taxes, you pay a prorated amount for the year based on how many days you have owned the property that year. If you escrow your property taxes in to your mortgage, you will get a refund check for the balance of your escrow account from your mortgage company. If you are asking about capital gains taxes, this is a question for your CPA but depending on how you file your taxes (married or single) capital gains are limited unless you make over $250,000 profit (single) or $500,000 profit (married)