DFW Real Estate Location, Location, Location

Location – Community is Important
Before you can start your house hunting you need to choose what cities or communities you want to live in. There are several factors that you should pay attention to, not only for yourself, but because you will eventually need to sell the home to someone else. Choosing your community is the first step and most important step in "location, location, location" and can help maximize your future potential resale value.

Local Services
Check on the services provided by local government. Also look into local crime statistics and see how that city compares to the national averages and other nearby communities. Are fire stations located strategically around the community so that they also can respond quickly in an emergency? Go a step further and inquiry about community services. Does the community sponsor sports and have athletic facilities and parks? Are community events sponsored? Are there activities available for children, teenagers as well as for senior citizens? Your DFW Realtor will have amassed a wealth of information on these subjects and will be happy to talk about them.

Economic Stability
When searching for a community make sure you check to see that the city has a viable and stable economy. Ten, or fifteen years from now when you want to sell your home you can have a reasonable expectation that your community will still be a desirable place to live and give additional value to your home. In addition to residential areas there should be a mixture of commercial businesses and stores. These not only provide jobs to local residents, but also add an income source that the city can use to maintain roads and community services. You should go for a drive and see how well the community is maintained. Look to live in a city that demonstrates community pride.

Schools
Even if you do not have children pay attention to the local school system. When you sell the property, many potential buyers desire to live in areas with great school systems. Find out if the local schools are overcrowded. Drive around and see if there are auxiliary trailers outside of the local schools. Call the local school district and see if elementary aged children always attend the school closest to their home? Are there enough schools to support the local population? If not, are there plans to build new schools? How will building new schools affect local property taxes? There are also school reports available for free on the Internet.

Property Taxes
When searching DFW Homes For Sale note that property taxes may be higher in one city than in another nearby city. This could affect whether potential homebuyers view a community as a desirable place to live or not. Interestingly enough, they may choose to purchase in a community with higher taxes, because of the perceived value. Higher property taxes often mean newer and more modern schools, well-maintained roads, and many community services. Also, you will often find that the cost per square foot of homes is lower in cities that have higher property taxes. This means you can buy a bigger house for less money. Many DFW Realtors and prospective buyers have a bias against communities with higher property taxes. Regardless if you are going to sell your home as a DFW FSBO or have your Realtor put your home in the DFW MLS and resale value is important to you, make property taxes a consideration when choosing the location of your next home.

Your DFW Home Offer & VA or FHA Financing

If you are looking to buy a DFW Home and you will be obtaining VA or FHA financing then you must include that information in your offer. This is necessary because these government loans place additional financial and performance obligations on the seller that are not typical with cash or conventional loan purchases.
VA and FHA loans prohibit buyers from paying certain types of fees that are often charged by their lenders and title companies. They are called non-allowable fees. They will still be charged, but as the buyer, you are not allowed to pay them. This means that the seller will end up paying them instead of you.

Most of these non-allowable fees are fees payable to your lender. Prior to submitting an offer on the home of your choice you should have already been pre-qualified by a loan officer and that loan officer should have told you what the non-allowable fees will be. Experienced DFW Realtors should also have an idea of what non-allowable fees will be charged by the escrow agent and title insurance company. Since these are fees the seller would not pay on a cash offer or an offer with conventional financing, this information must be included in your offer. You should realize that since the seller will be paying these additional fees, they may be a little less negotiable on the sales price.

Appraisals on VA and FHA loans are a little more involved than on conventional loans because they include an inspection element and they are also more expensive. These appraisers are required to perform certain minimum inspections, which are generally safety items, as well as evaluate the value of the home. Although these inspection reports are not as detailed as a typical professional home inspection report they can uncover items that need repaired prior to closing. These additional repair costs are cost the seller would not be obligated to pay for someone paying cash or obtaining conventional financing. Because of this your offer should include a maximum figure, or cap, for these repairs. Whatever figure you put in will likely affect the seller’s willingness to negotiate on their sales price. If you put $1,100 as an estimate, the seller may be $1,100 less negotiable on their sales price. If no repairs are necessary, you may have been able to get the home for $1,100 less than what you and the seller originally agreed on as the sales price.

When searching for DFW Homes For Sale it is best to retain the services of a professional DFW Realtor. Your Realtor can discuss with you the possibility of buy a DFW Foreclosure to locate a good deal for you. Some of these foreclosures, however, may not be good candidates for VA or FHA financing programs as many times they need a lot of work, work a bank is unlikely to do. If you are not using a Realtor in your search of DFW homes you may consider a DFW FSBO understanding that these FSBO sellers probably have no idea if their home can be financed under one of these programs.

DFW Real Estate – Staging Tips

It is time to sell your DFW home and you know you have a better chance of selling your home faster and at a higher price when it is staged but you don't want to spend the money. Staging your DFW home is a bit more than just cleaning the carpet, making minor repairs, cleaning and decorating. It is about creating an illusion of a home space that involves all the five senses. It is about making a potential buyer fall in love with and want to buy your home. Here is how you can make your home more attractive to the buyer.

Furniture - Remove most of it.

You will want to remove all the excess furniture from a furnished home. In a vacant home add only enough furniture to let buyers visualize the space for themselves. Arrange the furniture in groups. For example; in the living room, break up the space by adding a vignette as a reading area, plus a sofa and coffee table; and in the dining room set the stage with a set table and chairs.

Using Soft Fabrics Where Possible

Use soft fabrics such as silk, lamb's wool or satin around the house. Drape windows with simple lines.

Decorate The Home With Subtle Decoration

If you have some knickknacks, arrange them in groupings of 1, 3 or 5 pieces. Add things that will warm up the space. A large flower arrangement adds beautiful colors to the area. Add canned goods to the panty and arrange cookbooks on kitchen shelves and counters.

Create a Luxury Feeling in the Bathrooms

Spruce up your bathroom with a spa feel by arranging lotions, scented soaps and moisturizing jars in basket and by hanging towels on all towel bars.

Arrange a Few Decorative Pieces Throughout

Add decorative elements to your shelving, mantel and bookcases in small group scattered throughout. Add a few large decorative pieces: rugs, floor and table lamps, silk flowers, and a few plants.

Staging a DFW homes for sale is more of an art form than anything else. If you have prepare your home properly, it will invite warm feelings from many potential buyers which may turn into offers. The Dallas real estate market remains strong but that doesn't mean you should look past this very important marking technique of home staging. Even DFW foreclosure properties would benefit from these same staging tips.