iTexas Realty Co. Blog

OK, so I could afford it now, but I'm not ready! 

Still, just in case, I'd like to leave behind more than my investment stuff and the money that's hanging out in savings.  I really just wanted something to tide me over for a couple of years, in case our investments projects take a while to perk up.

This post commemorates my joy at having my life insurance application accepted.  Although I have been really ill this week (although death is not imminent), I dragged myself to my desk and sent them the payment for a year's premium. 

It felt great!

I'm sure that sounds crazy, but those who know me know that I love to be prepared.  My grown kids joke that I have the hymns for my Funeral Mass planned and the flowers chosen.  Of course I do. 

Just because I'm dead, others shouldn't have to listen to the dull hymns or see carnations! I want people to enjoy the good stuff!

When you work in real estate, being prepared takes a little more work.  Even those of us who work on a salary, don't have benefits that are standard in the corporate workplace....

Now, I only have to worry about Steve trying to put me out of my misery with this headache and sore throat!

It has been a busy week and we have been pressed to keep up with a lot of work for San Antonio, Texas Buyers and Sellers.  It's been a long time since we we able to take a bit of time off and I am taking a few minutes to daydream of vacations past. 

One of our favorite places is Old San Juan.  Just the view of El Morro as we pull into port, is enough to fill us with anticipation of the views, music and food of this sensational city.  Here's a photo from our last trip there:

We hear a lot about Sellers not having enough time to make small changes in their house. 

Often it's not the time, it's the expense and the belief that it won't really matter THAT much to the Buyer.

I promise you, the small items do add up in effect.

Case in point: Those outdated brass door knobs that so many people have.  Do they look as up-to-date as this?

If not, you may want to go online to handlesets.com and get some new door hardware that reflects the stylish paint color and decor that you have - you do have those don't you?  If not, that's the subject of another post...

If you do, one day UPS could deliver an ugly brown box like this one, and when you open it up, it may be filled with other little boxes (OOOH! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - for the doors).

This is the tale of how, in a mere couple of hours (and about $375 dollars later), Steve and I got more stylish door hardware for our home that is currently on the market. 

Now that we have showings, sometimes we hear that Buyers don't like the usable space in our backyard (trust me, it's always something!), but the interior coloration and finish always gets top marks. 

Now, if one of the second showings would just result in an offer!

This front yard looks so perfect - but, is it?

I had just posted a small snipe about Homeowners (Property Owners), Associaitons, when I remembered what I had snapped on a recent drive through one Northwest San Antonio Neighborhood.  Although I am opposed to people not maintaining their homes, I am all for a bit of fun.  Especially if the bit of fun is as unobtrusive as this big guy. 

Where's Smokey?

Here is a close up!

--Sara

Let's start with a basic fact:

No one who doesn't live in Bermuda, really wants their neighbors painting their home pink. 

In San Antonio, our newer neighborhoods (and many of the older ones), are almost invariably governed by a Homeowners (Property Owners), Association and almost everyone who lives in an area governed by a Property Owners Association wants to know when the Association is going to make the guy on the corner cut his waist-high lawn, stop parking his RV on the street, or re-paint the bright red shed in his yard to match his home - all items typically falling under the purview of the Association.

Here's the answer: When you bring it to the attention of the Association. 

Sure, they may keep the pool maintained and the lights on at the entrance, but that's only part of thier job.  Until you see evidence of neighbors reasonably following the covenants, codes and restrictions, you may rightly suspect that the Association management is not having their employee drive the neighborhood weekly to check gross misconduct of neighbors - all assurances to the contrary.

Wait, where are those documents that you receive when you bought the house? Never fear. If you want to know which management company (they are rarely self-managed), is in charge of your San Antonio neighborhood, give us a call and we'll get that information for you.

Especially for those selling their homes:

Make the Association earn those fees and keep your 'hood, lookin' good!

"Let the Buyer Pay for their Own Home Warranty"

I hear this all of the time from cost-sensitive Sellers, then I spend a lot of time explaining that a Residential Service Contract (a lot of people refer to these as a home warranty), can help them if something goes wrong right after the close.  After all. when something breaks right after closing, Buyers often assume that the Seller failed to disclose, a violation of Texas law.

  We REALLY don't want to be getting phone calls and letters like that!

We had a San Antonio listing that closed escrow about 12 days ago, but since the Seller's new home wasn't ready and the Buyer's lender was late closing on the Buyer's loan, an Amendment was written up to allow two additional weeks for the Buyer's closing and a temporary residential lease for the Seller.

At 7:40pm, this Saturday night, I received a call from the Seller.  It's 92% outside and the air conditioning is making horrible noises.  (Things rarely stop working during the week!) EEEK!.  Luckily, I had written their lease to include a clause that the Seller/Tenant was only obligated to pay the deductible on the residential service contract (home warranty) for any repairs.  Otherwise, the standard terms are that the Seller/Tenant is responsible for repairs - which might be a NEW AIR CONDITIONING UNIT!

Wow, it's a good thing that these Sellers were willing to give the Buyers credit toward their "home warranty".

---Sara

We have had quite a bit of rain recently and everyone is excited by the effect that it is having on San Antonio gardens - as well as the sunflowers on the roadsides and along the highways.

If you look a little further from the roadway, you can find a beautiful little area from which to relax with a view of the water and the overhanging trees - leaves glinting in the sunlight.

--Sara

I love to see a home construction project pull together all the way from when the lot is first staked.  We are now several weeks onto this San Antonio project, but the excitement continues as the 5" wide-plank hickory-colored wood flooring, carpeting, granite counters in New Venetian Gold and stainless steel appliances - including double ovens, plus a microwave - have been installed.

More next week!

Today was Steve's birthday and while he is on the phone talking with one of our grown-up kids, I am thinking about what a busy day it was, and how different it is from how I had planned it!

I like to take Steve on a surprise birthday trip - usually on a cruise, but this year due to lender difficulties and delayed closings it was not to be...

Instead we had meetings, e-mails, texts, "walk-throughs", and all of the usual real estate activities.  At least we always have fun people to work with in our day.

Happy Birthday, Steve! 

My mom, is a former second-grade teacher.  This small fact means that I have been subjected to more rhymes, prose, haiku - you name it! 

Although there is a lot of nonsense to those nursery rhymes; if you are selling your home, whether or not it was just built on Monday, it had better be "fair of face"!

Too often, Sellers are caught up in misguided thinking that Buyers will simply take the home "as it is" and "make their own changes".  Here in San Antonio, Texas, that thinking doesn't lead Buyers making offers.  Fixer-upper simply has no appeal and

If it's not move-in ready - they don't want to move in!

Additionally, if the Buyer has to paint and carpet, they will have to do that out of pocket, or apply for a 203(k) loan with FHA, that can allow for those repairs/updating - but a different loan is going to take longer (you want to have a longer close, right?), and

No Buyer wants to go out of pocket - especially for things  they feel the Seller should have already done.

Assuming that Buyers could get the loan for that repair/updating:  Do you think that Buyers want to spend their time choosing new paint colors or carpeting?  They do not.  Steve and I even carry a set of samples (paint, carpet and flooring), in the car because Buyers are overwhelmed by having to make those types of choices and need to see a product and a price.  Even then, we can rarely get them to commit to the purchase if they have to update. 

Buyers just don't want to do the work.

If a Buyer DID want to to spend a bit of money doing a bit of repair/updating, they would find themselves without much competition when negotiating for most less-than-perfect properties. Rarely are those homes in multiple offer situations - yes, those can still happen.

Multiple offers because your home is in demand?

Better offers - Faster sale?

Call me to talk about how to stack the (freshly stained), deck in your favor!

--Sara