Amanda Stanford

I love it when neighbors drop by my open houses Often neighbors know potential buyers and will pop by to preview it Some have been honest and said they just love seeing peoples decor Thats fine for me as well The more eyes we have on the house the more conversations we generate Those conversations lead to business Come on by

I love testing price point with a private listing especially while its being prepared for market Private gives us the ability to gauge how the price will be accepted I do believe that to truly test the market you should take it live before you accept an offer Thats the only way to know how to overall market will respond To get every penny out I recommend pushing to public at some point If you are well prepared and priced right you shouldnt be inconvenienced for too long

In Texas buyersaEURTM earnest money is held in an escrow account by the title company or sometimes the broker during the transaction What happens to it at closing depends on how the deal wraps upIf the sale closes normallyThe earnest money is applied toward the buyeraEURTMs closing costs andor down payment ItaEURTMs basically a prepayment that reduces what the buyer needs to bring to the table at closingIf the contract terminates under a valid option or contingency financing appraisal inspection etcThe earnest money is usually refunded to the buyer assuming they acted within the contract deadlines

Great questionaEURthis one comes up a lot in Texas real estateShort answer No Texas does not have a statewide law that requires a closet for a room to be called a bedroomTexas Law Building Codes Neither the Texas Property Code nor the Texas Real Estate Commission TREC requires a closet for a bedroom designation Building codes like the International Residential Code which many Texas cities adopt focus more on safety requirements for sleeping roomsaEURsuch as minimum square footage ceiling height ventilation heating and an egress window or door for emergency escape Sometimes youaEURTMll see it marketed as a aEURoeflex roomaEUR aEURoeofficeguest roomaEUR or aEURoeoptional bedroomaEUR to set expectationsIf a room has A legal egress window or door to outside Adequate ceiling height and square footage typically 70 sq ft with at least 7 ft dimension HeatingventilationaEURit can count as a bedroom in TexasaEUReven without a closet

This is such a smart questionaEURbecause the numbers on overpricing are pretty sobering Here are the key statistical disadvantages of overpricing a home backed by whataEURTMs been studied in real estate markets nationwide and reflected locally in Texas Hill Country trends too1 Longer Days on Market DOMOverpriced homes sit longer National Association of REALTORSAR NAR studies show that homes priced even 10 above market value can take twice as long to sell compared to properly priced homes The longer a listing lingers the more buyers wonder aEURoeWhataEURTMs wrong with itaEURaEURleading to a stigma that hurts negotiating power2 Lower Final Sales PriceIronically overpriced homes usually end up selling for less than if they had been priced correctly from the start Data shows homes that undergo one or more price reductions sell for 5aEUR10 less on average than homes priced right at listing3 Fewer Showings OffersBuyers shop by comparison If your home is overpriced it wonaEURTMt stack up well against others in the same range ZillowaEURTMs research found that overpriced listings get 50 fewer views online in the first two weeksaEURwhen activity is highest4 Missed aEURoeGolden WindowaEURThe first 2aEUR3 weeks are critical ThataEURTMs when the pool of motivated qualified buyers will see it If you miss this window by overpricing later price drops often canaEURTMt recreate that early buzz5 Appraisal ProblemsEven if a buyer agrees to pay the inflated price their lenderaEURTMs appraisal may not support it That can force renegotiation delays or even kill the deal6 Narrowed Buyer PoolBuyers using financing the majority are more constrained by appraisals Overpricing shrinks the pool to mostly cash buyers willing to gambleaEURand thataEURTMs a much smaller audienceBottom line Overpricing statistically leads to fewer showings longer time on market multiple price cuts appraisal headaches and ultimately a lower net price than if the home was priced competitively upfront

Super interesting topic If you know the fair market value of your home and what you would net on a traditional sale you could back into whether it could be worth it Obviously you would have to spend money on the front end to market it and set a reserve price You could set it up as a house raffle completed only if sell out or threshold met else refund If you didnt meet the reserve you would be out the marketing time and costs as well as have to refund the initial purchases

Hi Chris Thats a sensitive oneI completely understand where youaEURTMre coming fromaEURneighbors can make or break how a home feels and thataEURTMs real life HereaEURTMs the good news you donaEURTMt have to share that reason with buyers The law requires us to disclose things about the property itselfaEURlike the roof foundation or flooding historyaEURbut not personality conflicts That said with the right agent you should feel at ease knowing that if thereaEURTMs ever a situation that rises to something more objective like ongoing nuisances or safety concerns theyaEURTMll guide you step by step on whether that needs to be disclosedWhat matters most right now is positioning your move in a way that strengthens your hand not weakens it Buyers donaEURTMt need to know youaEURTMre eager to leave because of the neighbors instead frame it around lifestyleaEURlike wanting more space a new school district or a fresh start This way you can stay honest stay compliant and still protect your negotiating position

In Texas the rule of thumb is simple if you know about a past issue you share it The SelleraEURTMs Disclosure doesnaEURTMt set an expiration date so even something that happened 15 years agoaEURlike a water leakaEURbelongs on the form But hereaEURTMs the key you also get to tell the story You can note that it was a one time event it was repaired and thereaEURTMs been no problem since That way youaEURTMre protected the buyers feel confident and no one is left guessing ItaEURTMs about honesty with wisdomaEURfull disclosure that still keeps you in control

Hi AbbyFirst off I get itaEURwhen your phone keeps buzzing with people asking about that extra lot it can feel puzzling maybe even a little pushy HereaEURTMs whataEURTMs really going on in a neighborhood an extra piece of land is like gold To one neighbor it might mean privacyaEURmore breathing room between homes To another it could mean space for a pool a guest house or just a bigger backyard for their kids and dogs to run free And for an investor or builder it might be about squeezing in another home depending on what your HOA and city zoning allowThe fact that you donaEURTMt see an obvious use for it is exactly why others doaEURthey see possibility And thataEURTMs leverage You hold the rare thing everyone else wishes they had So before you even think about saying yes to anyone itaEURTMs worth understanding the rules the zoning and what that land is really worth Because hereaEURTMs the truth if people are calling you this often itaEURTMs not just a nice to haveaEURitaEURTMs in demand And that means you get to control the conversation on your terms

Being in a buyeraEURTMs agreement can feel a little like youaEURTMve committed to something that no longer fits and that can be uncomfortable HereaEURTMs the good news those agreements arenaEURTMt forever without optionsMost buyeraEURTMs agreements in Texas include a section that outlines how long the agreement lasts and the conditions for ending it Sometimes itaEURTMs as simple as putting it in writing and giving notice other times it may require a conversation with the broker The key is thisaEURyou have the right to ask aEURoeWhat would it take to end this gracefullyaEUR That one question does two things it protects you legally and it opens the door to a win win resolutionIf you feel like the relationship isnaEURTMt the right fit be honest but respectful Agents should prefer to release you than risk bad blood or a complaint At the end of the day this is about trust and fit not force You deserve someone who feels like a partner and you can get there by approaching the conversation directly but with kindness

Hi BiddyI love the way youaEURTMre thinking aheadaEURtwo years may feel like a blink but itaEURTMs a perfect window to set yourself up for retirement on your terms HereaEURTMs the truth buying now can be a really wise move especially with your credit strong and your income still active Lenders see stability and that gives you leverageAt the same time letaEURTMs look at what you gain by purchasing before retirement you lock in todayaEURTMs inventory and pricing instead of gambling on what the market will do later You also give yourself space to ease into the homeaEURmake improvements personalize it and settle in without the pressure of doing it all after youaEURTMve left your jobNow hereaEURTMs the part IaEURTMd challenge you on what if waiting costs you the chance at the right house near your family And what if buying now gives you both a financial edge and emotional peace knowing youaEURTMre building toward that next chapter rather than racing into itBottom lineaEURitaEURTMs less about can you buy now because you clearly can and more about should you pass up the chance while the cards are stacked in your favor My gut says the wiser move is to plant those roots early while your position is strongest so retirement feels like a welcome homecoming rather than another big hurdle