Today, we thank everyone for your continual support and endless referrals.You’re so important to us. We hope you enjoy the holiday season with your family.
Please continue to remember us as our team grows and the market remains hot in 2016!We wish you all happy holidays! We wish you a successful new year.
Today, we'll talk aboutthe importance of the age of your home when buying.You may not want an older home because you are looking for a newer neighborhood, or you may prefer an older neighborhood with mature trees.Older homes also have different character than newer homes.
First, you need to know that the age of the home doesn't affect its appreciation.You may find a neighborhood that is depreciating rapidly, but those neighborhoods are far and few between.
Next, any home you buy, you can upgrade.You may need to make changes for energy efficiency, layout, or other updates. I have seen older homes updated with new windows or roofs to make them more energy efficient.Sometimes making these upgrades yourself makes your property more energy efficient than new construction homes.
Regardless of the age of the home, you need to get an inspection. The inspector will be able to tell you about all the idiosyncrasies in the home so you have a clear idea of what's going on with the house from the foundation to the roof.
My appeal to you is to go with what suits your personality.Don't let the fact that a home is 50 years old keep you from buying it. The neighborhood should play a bigger factor in your decision than the age of the home.
If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!
Real estate is a fantastic way to build wealth.People have been doing it forever, and real estate investments are actually some of the best long-term investments that you can make.
One of the first steps you need to take is to own the home you live in. Once you pay off your mortgage, you'll be in great position to invest in another property.Interest rates are incredibly low right now, so this would be a very good time to invest in a home.
If you're worried about being in debt because of a new home purchase, I wouldn't think about it too much.Mortgage debt is the only good debt that you can have.Homes do appreciate, so you can bank on that if you're worried about stepping too deep into mortgage debt.
Equity can be built pretty quickly after you have purchased a home.It can take five or maybe six years, but after this you can ride a nice wave of appreciation.
If you don't own a home, I would contact a lender and forge out a path for home-ownership.It's an incredible way to stabilize your family's financial future.
My partner, Trever Kerr, is an excellent lender in the area. You can call him at (972) 822-7408.He is extremely consultative, and he can show you exactly what you need to do in order to purchase a home.
If you own a home right now, I invite you to give me a call to talk about investing in more real estate. Interest rates are low right now, so waiting to buy will cut into your purchasing power significantly.
Please don't hesitate to contact me in regard to Mansfield real estate. I look forward to speaking with you!
Lately, I've found myself explaining real estate inventory levels to many people. Our market is crazy right now, and it seems like there are 10 buyers for each house on the market. Guess what? That's because there is! Right now, there is a supply and demand problem that primarily affects buyers. Essentially, that problem exists because we have not been fulfilling our industry inventory levels since 2008.
Before 2008, builders were putting up new homes constantly. Whenever you walked down a street, it seemed like there was a new subdivision. Builders were also putting up spec homes so that people who were unwilling to wait the six to eight months still had inventory to look at. For most of those buyers, the financing has not come around for them to do that anymore. Plus, many builders are still a little gun-shy, as they were stuck with extra inventory back in 2008.
On top of all of that, we have an entire generation of millennials entering the market and looking for starter homes. Our inventory just started approaching industry levels this year, and I don't think the supply and demand issue will be neutral for another three to five years.
It's different all across the country. In the Northeast, they still aren't building enough for demand. The West is barely getting there. Here in the South, we're doing better than anybody else. We're supplying about 30% more than demand. However, we still have a lot of catching up to do, and while we're catching up, more and more buyers are coming onto the market.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me. If you're thinking of buying or selling a home, call or email me today for a free consultation.
Welcome back. Today we are asking one of the most common questions we get asked, "What is the first step in the real estate process in Mansfield?"
My answer is almost always the same. Unless you are paying cash, call a lender. It's a really important step for us to know how we can help you and what you can afford. There are a lot of steps involved in the process and the more you can anticipate, the easier and more stress-free it will be.
Even if you're not a first-time buyer, finding a good lender is still essential to your transaction. They will let you know exactly what you can afford and what type of home you can purchase.
Lending guidelines are constantly changing, so it's important you are working with someone who is always up to date on the latest changes. If you are looking for a good lender, we always recommend asking a good agent. If they are a good agent, they will have a preferred lending partner.
We have a lender that we refer all our clients to, and that is Trevor Kerr at Gateway Mortgage, who you can contact at (972)-822-7408. There is no one else I would refer my clients to.
If you have any questions for us, or are looking to buy or sell a home in Mansfield, give us a call or send us an email! We would love to hear from you!
“What I liked most about working with John is that I felt really comfortable with him. My wife and I were first time buyers, and he didn't make us feel like we were just more clients. He made the process so easy for us. He walked us through the entire process. We were anxious about the whole process, but he was very patient and answered all of our questions. We felt like he actually cared about our wants, our needs, and our desires. He really went out of his way to find that perfect house for us. We didn't feel like we were just another pay day. He took care of us and made sure we got what we wanted. It was great!”
“We put our house on the market, and it sold within a week! That was all because ofJohnand the effort he put forth. He took care of us quite well. Not only did he sell my house, he also helped us find a new one.Johnlistens to what you want, and that's probably the biggest thing. He only brought back houses that matched my criteria. He knew exactly what we wanted, and he got it for us! ”
There are a lot of benefits to building a new home in Mansfield, especially right now when we have low inventory.
Instead of waiting around to find the perfect home, you could build your own custom dream home! However, it does take 4-8 months to build a home, so if you're in a hurry, it may not be your ideal option.
When you buy a pre-owned home, it is a lot more cost-effective because you get a lot more home in terms of cost per sq. ft. New homes are often more expensive, but you have total control over the price when you're picking materials and amenities.
However, sometimes with resale properties, the previous owners have already customized the home and barred the expense, so you have to pay nothing for those upgrades!
If you're thinking of building a new home, I would advise you to use a Realtor when you're working with a builder, and I would be glad to represent you.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me in regards to Mansfield real estate.
There comes a point in time when people need to move into bigger, better homes. Whether it's because of a growing family or simply a wish to invest in a better property, people do this all of the time.
Usually move up buyers have to find a home to move into before they can sell, and vice versa, so sometimes the transactions can get dicey. However, I have a lot of experience helping move up buyers, and there are a few things that can be done to have a seamless transaction.
My advice to you right now is to focus on the purchase because inventory is low right now, so selling your home will be the easy part.
In a normal market, you could use contingencies to sell your home, but right now, because of the low inventory, this may not work.
Another option is to build a new home, so then you can have a slow move in and have plenty of time to sell your home.
If you're interested in moving up, please contact me and ask about my move up discount. I'd love to help you out!
"Our house sold within minutes. He listed it at a fair price, and we made a nice hunk of money off of it. My husband and I don’t have very flexible schedules, so he would meet us way after hours. Also, instead of making us go to his office, he would come to our house."
Today I wanted to discuss some of the more popular neighborhoods in Mansfield. Now is a great time to buy, so these are some of the neighborhoods that you might want to investigate:
The Trails
Walnut Creek Country Club
Dover Heights
A majority of the new building is occurring in the Lake Ridge High School District, but there are some other wonderful new communities forming in Garden Heights, Bower Ranch, Las Brisas, and the D.R. Horton neighborhood. I think a majority of the growth in Mansfield will be happening in the southeast corner for the near future.
In the future, I expect growth will happen more out to the west of town. The city is really beginning to manage development out in those areas.
Overall, Mansfield is becoming a hot spot to live, so if you plan on buying in the near future, please don't hesitate to contact me and I can help you to find a great place to settle into.
The market here in Mansfield is extremely active and we're seeing a lot of multiple offers happening. This is why I thought I would shed some light on this topic, as a lot of my clients have been asking about it. There are different strategies that buyers and sellers can take when faced with this problem, and I'm here to tell you about them.
The important thing to know as a buyer is that your competition will be fierce, but this doesn't mean that you don't stand a chance. Sometimes a personalized offer can help push you to the top of the list. Sellers are always more comfortable choosing a buyer that they can relate to, and one that they know will be taking good care of their home. Writing a note to them explaining why you want the property can help a lot, but I've also filmed videos with families, and that can be helpful too.
If you're a seller in a multiple offer situation, it's important to have patience as we expose your property to a large audience of buyers. When you do get multiple offers, you want to ensure that the offers are from pre-qualified buyers, because they're serious about purchasing a home. Cash offers are also good, but you just want to see proof of funds. However, sometimes cash is not the most important, sometimes the best offer is the one that has the highest likelihood of closing. Every seller has a different motivation, so sometimes it's also just a matter of what works for you.
As always, if you need assistance buying or selling real estate in Mansfield, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always here to help.
People always ask me how the local real estate market is performing, and the answer always depends on whether you're buying, selling, or investing.
If you're a seller, you'll find that now is a great time to put your home on the market. Buyer demand is high and inventory is low, so you stand to make a good profit if you get your home on the market now. Just remember, it needs to be priced correctly and in good condition.
If you're looking to buy a home, now is also a good time to do so. Interest rates are at historic lows (below 4%) and there are a lot of excellent loan products available. It's more affordable to buy a home right now than it has been in a very long time. It's a lot cheaper to pay a mortgage right now than it is to pay monthly rent, so if you've thought about purchasing a home, then now may be the time to pull the trigger. This is also true because interest rates are currently on the rise, so your affordability may drop if you wait to buy.
Investors will have a little tougher time flipping homes, but rental rates are increasing so you may find comfort in that fact. I would recommend investing in rental homes over properties that you're just going to flip.
Overall, inventory is extremely low in our area. If your home is worth more than $200K, there is only about 1 month supply of inventory. If your home is worth less than $200K then you will find that there is only 1-2 weeks worth of inventory. This means that you have a really great opportunity to capitalize on a move-up home sale.
If you'd like any assistance buying, selling, or investing in a new home, then please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would be very happy to assist you!
