Here are 5 main points explaining why it is important to clean your home in the spring:

1. Remove accumulated dust and allergens: During the winter months, homes are generally closed up, and dust, pet hair, and other allergens can accumulate in your carpets, upholstery, and other surfaces. Spring cleaning is a great way to deep clean your home and get rid of all the accumulated dust and allergens that can cause health problems, especially for people with allergies or respiratory issues.
   
2. Prevent pests: Spring is the time when many pests come out of hibernation or emerge from their winter hiding places. By doing a thorough spring cleaning, you can eliminate potential hiding spots and remove food sources, preventing pests from taking up residence in your home.
   
3. Improve indoor air quality: A clean home has better indoor air quality than a dirty one. Regular cleaning and vacuuming can help eliminate allergens and pollutants that can irritate your respiratory system and cause health problems. Clean air ducts, replace air filters, and dust all surfaces to improve the air quality in your home.
   
4. Extend the life of your home: Regular cleaning and maintenance of your home can extend the life of your appliances, furniture, and other items. By cleaning your home in the spring, you can identify any potential maintenance or repair needs early on, preventing expensive repairs down the road.
   
5. Boost your mood: A clean home can have a positive impact on your mental health and well-being. Clutter and mess can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety, while a clean and organized home can create a sense of calm and order. Spring cleaning can be a great way to kick off the new season with a clean slate and a fresh start, boosting your mood and overall happiness.
   

We have all seen the headlines; Rising Prices, Higher Interest Rates, and an increasing demand for housing. 
It is true. Interest Rates have increased, prices have increased, and demand remain high. Because of these reasons, the market has made a shift to benefit you as a buyer! 
The Market now allows you to negotiate the terms of your contract with the sellers to benefit you!

Here are the Top Reasons how this market can benefit you as a buyer! 

Choosing the Right Home. Before when the interest rates were at all time low, buyers were more likely to submit an offer on many homes at a time. Why, you might ask. Well due to many competing buyers, a future homeowner wanted to attain their homeownership goals. At this time, this meant that we needed to see as many houses as possible and submit offers! In today's market, the buyer has more of an option to be a little pickier and choose the right home for them!  Higher inventory means less homes are selling and more options to choose from. 

Lender Options. Today, more and more lenders are creating programs to accommodate the buyers and their needs. Programs exists that allow you to lock your interest rate while you are shopping for a home. Another great program offered by a lender is the FREE 3yr Refinance. This means when the interest rate drops, the lender will completely refinance you for free!  
Lastly, a 2/1 Interest buy down program allows the buyer to lock in a lower initial rate that increases per year. At year 3 it is recommended to refinance to maintain a lower interest rate! 

Seller Concessions. Already found a great lender with an awesome program? Dont forget that sellers are more likely to negotiate the terms of the contract. Amongst the terms you can ask is for them to pay your title fees, you can ask for closing costs assistance, drop the price, and one of the more popular options is to have the seller buy down your interest! Consult with your Realtor for the best options. Is the seller a builder? Great! Builders are equally as negotiable if not better! Builders are now offering more and more incentives! Dont miss out.
*Negotiations are a case by case scenario. 

Now that you have the benefits to buying today, give me a call to schedule your FREE no Commitment Consultation! 

Despite Interest Rates have increased, our current Laredo Market is still bringing multiple offers on certain homes. If you have been actively looking and submitting offers it might be time to make some adjustments. 
Check out these helpful tips to help you win the next offer you submit! 

1) Reducing or completely eliminating the ask for Option Days can help your offer be more competitive. For those of us that dont know what Option Days are, they are the negotiated amount of days where a buyer can still back out of the contract. If you ask for more option days, the seller is at risk of you, as the buyer, backing out of the deal. By eliminating option days in your offer, you are telling the seller that you are completely serious about buying the home. You eliminate the risk the seller has with you not backing out and having to re-contract the home again.
*Keep in mind that the option days serve as your time to conduct inspections. 

2) Offering a Higher Price than listed price will definitely get the sellers heads turning. A higher offer price assures the seller that they are getting top-top dollar for their home. Be sure to review the offer price with your realtor because there are additional things to consider. This brings me to the next point.
 
3) Waiving the Appraisal. What does this mean exactly? When you submit an offer higher than the asking price, it is important to note the price per sqft that the home is at because that is what the lenders appraiser considers when valuing the home. Because every offer that has financing in place, the lending bank has to conduct an appraisal on the home to determine the value. An Appraisal Waiver lets the seller know that despite the appraised value, they will be getting the offer value that was submitted.
Ex: List Price: $220,000; Offer $230,000; Appraised Value $225,000. In this example the buyer will have to bring an extra $5,000 at the time of closing to make up for the difference in value. An appraisal waiver disregards the appraisal value.
There are also Partial Waivers that can be of benefit to the buyer as well. 
4) Lastly, Releasing the Earnest Money. Earnest Money can otherwise known as the Security Deposit. A not very known tip, that can add a cherry on top for the seller is releasing some, or all the funds to the seller. This tactic will usually occur at the beginning of the offer. The buyer can release 50% of the earnest as an incentive for the seller to choose their offer. 
​
Remember there are different scenarios that call for different approaches and strategies. Make sure to consult with a professional before introducing the aggressive moves. 

Be sure to connect with me with any questions or concerns you may have! For my Realtor friends, leave a comment below and share your tactic with us all!

Christian Chapa
956.763.4728
Milestone Real Estate Group

Are you in the Market for a new realtor? Find out what makes a great realtor!
Remember you Hire us, not the other way around! There is an often misconception that if you sign a buyer representation that you are tied to that specific realtor. Dont sweat it! You can choose to work with someone else as well. Someone that WILL be on your side! 

Things to look for:
 
1)  Personal Representation: More often than not, when buyers are looking at homes to buy, they tend to call the sign on the yard.
Why can this work against you?
The sign on the yard provides the seller's agents information. A seller's agent is meant to represent the seller and when they are called they may likely not look out for your best interest. 
Be sure to find the right agent to represent you in the transaction!

2) Understand the Market: When your agent knows and understands your local market, they can educate you on creating the best offer! Not only that, an educated agent will know what kind of properties are available. Whether they may be, pre-owned homes, new construction homes, and upcoming new developments. A knowledgable agent will be able to point you in the right direction. 

3) Professional Network: A solo agent is just as good as his professional network. From lenders, title officers, all the way to a builders sales representative. Having the right partners in the industry will bring huge value to you as a client.

4) Mortgage Knowledge: When you have questions about your mortgage, do you really want an agent to say "You'll need to call your lender for that," probably not. An agent that is able to answer your questions and be able to provide you options when shopping for a mortgage IS what you need! 

5) 100% Dedication: Find a Realtor that suits YOUR needs! In a market where homes are being contracted left and right, do you really want a part time agent? Sometimes it does work, but if you are looking to find the best opportunities, you want to make sure your agent is Full time.
Why? Refer to points 1 - 4! 

What do you think makes a great Realtor?
Leave a Comment. 

Get to know the process
It is my duty and privilege to help you understand what the process of home buying really is. We want to be well educated in the process so we don't have any surprises! The home buying process is detail oriented. We will review what steps are taken as we move forward! A little glimpse of what to expect is: 

• My Duties to you as your Realtor®
• Writing an Offer
• Hiring an Inspector
• Communication is Key

There is more, but i'll be sure not to load everything on you at once!

Understanding the Market
It is essential that we review the current conditions of the market to know what to expect. As a first time homebuyer, it is necessary to understand what the market holds for us. In this segment of the process, we will review what homes are available, what they have sold for, and strategize how to get you into your home! 

​We have enter the season of tax return and self splurging! If you are in the process or maybe you are getting your home buying process started, you may want to keep reading..

The way we spend our tax return may affect your loan program! If we use our refund as a down payment to a new car, guess what? Now we have an additional lability to consider and this may bring down your debt to income ratio. When this happens your lender will be alerted and will result in less buying power. 

Additionally, if you spend your refund on other high price tagged items. This may result in the same predicament. It is recommended to consult with your Realtor or Lender before you spend on other things! 

Here are a few examples for you to consider: 

• Buy a New Car
• Start Purchasing Furniture
• Buying that Huge TV
• Don't Over Spend it 
  • You may need to use it for you closing costs

For more information on how you should use your tax return please contact me!