paragon realtors – Page 3 – John Angell

Preparing Your Yard to Sell

s a self-proclaimed lawn enthusiast, I do my best to project my obsession on my dear readers. That said, lawns are often overlooked when someone is preparing a home to sell. There are honey-do’s, contractor-do’s, cleaners and stagers, and it’s easy to overlook the exterior and what surrounds it. Remember, the yard is the first thing a buyer sees, and unless you’re selling in the dead of winter (this does raise a case for selling in the winter…) it’s best not to ignore it.

1) Clear the Path – When buyers approach your property, they want to see a smooth, defined walkway to the front door. If you have a concrete sidewalk, make sure it’s clean, swept, and edged. Ensure stone steps are edged and decomposed granite walkways are free of weeds and debris.

2) Clean Up – There’s a lot to this one. From debris to flower beds to tree pruning, you’ll need to address all deferred tasks, especially if you’re in a competitive market (pro tip: the market for 2024 is going to be the most competitive in several years). Apply fresh mulch, store the kid and pet toys, remove wood piles and replace broken or cracked pavers.

3) Plant Mature Trees – This isn’t to say just plant a tree for its own sake, but if you need to remove a diseased tree plant a larger one in its place. A 5-6′ tree well into development and able to bloom is ideal.

4) Add Color – This is where I have no practical experience whatsoever. My whole yard would be monochrome green without an artistic wife. Pops of color are pretty inviting.

5) Pest Control – You’re either going to handle this now or later… provided there is a later and people don’t run in terror when seeing roaches everywhere. Several weeks before listing, have an exterminator visit your property and free if of pests. Do this several weeks prior to listing because you will likely see dead bugs in the days following treatment.

What is a Home Warranty?

The other day my mom received a piece of mail from the “home warranty department” (no company name was stated). When I looked up the number, sure enough it was a scam. Then my mom asked, “What is a home warranty anyhow and do I need one?”.

A home warranty is essentially an insurance property on the mechanical components of your property such as major appliances, plumbing, HVAC & electrical systems. It is a service contract that covers general wear and tear but unlike homeowners insurance is NOT mandatory. It is, however, so common that the Texas sales contract has a “Residential Service Contract” section that very often provides a buyer with funds for a 12-month, seller-paid home warranty.

There are multiple Home Warranty Providers, and like most industries they closely monitor what one another charge and the services they provide. Most of them are quite similar but every now and then one distinguishes itself with new plans or pricing. The differences are often subtle. A few years ago one company inserted language stating they would not cover “detectable pre-existing conditions”, meaning if a home inspector missed the issue on the report and it was determined by the home warranty-approved repair professional it should have been detected, then they would not pay to fix it.

Are they Home Warranties worth it? It depends. If it’s paid for by the seller, why not? Product and builder warranties are better and home warranty companies feature a lot of fine print designed to protect them, but I have clients who have saved tens of thousands and swear by them. They often write 5-figure checks for air conditioning systems that were deemed to have died before their time, and I’ve seen huge plumbing jobs covered. That said, I’ve also seen clients hold a home warranty for 3 years and they never used it. It’s all very subjective. Rule of thumb: If you have an older home, it’s not a bad annual investment of $500-800.

Preparing Your Home To Sell

In all candor, this article could be 10 pages long. After 20 years I’ve come to understand that buyers want and how to present your house to make it most attractive to them. Reach out to me if you want a more comprehensive guide on this topic.

1) MAKE REPAIRS – We all have deferred maintenance issues, and you might as well get them out of the way. Obvious deficiencies will make buyers think you’re a bad homeowner, and more subtle ones found by inspectors will cost you later.

2) REPAINT IN NEUTRAL COLORS – Those purple walls your daughter just had to have served her well, but not a lot of buyers will appreciate them. I know they‘re boring, but neutral colors often allow buyers to see themselves in your property.

3) DECLUTTER & CLEAN – It’s amazing what we can get used to and not see if it’s there everyday, guys especially, and it’s an incredibly rare homeowner whose property is always in “showing condition” (I’d say about 5%). It’s not a knock on your skills as a homemaker.

4) DEPERSONALIZE – I’m a bit more lax than most Realtors when it comes to this, but it’s true an excessive number of pictures makes it difficult to see themselves in your property. That said, photos of life events or vacations can do the opposite. A young couple buying their first home together might like seeing (LIMITED) pictures of your newborn, or a trip to Europe. Professionally-taken photos are usually the best.

5) STAGE – This is one of my hardest sales as a listing agent: the notion that you have to spend money to make money. The necessity for staging is very subjective, and you have to be honest with yourself and listen to your Realtor. Not every room has to be staged, but main rooms – especially “open concept”, should have something to add warmth to open spaces.

Architectural Corner: Romanesque Revival

Romanesque architecture was a style synonymous with 10th-12th century Medieval Europe, found across the continent. From 1840-1900, the style began to stretch around the world. From the 1840s-50s it became particularly popular in the US, when German immigrants brought their artisanal skills to the New World.

Featured both in public and private structures, Revival buildings featured round arches, corbels & historically accurate features such as lozenges chevrons. Either of decorated brick or stone construction, they boasted 3rd or 4th story towers with arched openings, low roofs, dramatic chimneys and asymmetric designs. The style was particularly popular in churches all around the world in the 1800s. Pretty much every TV haunted house ever is this style…

Architectural Corner: Beaux Arts

Originating in France in the 1830’s, Beaux Arts was an attempt to vary from Louis XIV-style neoclassicism, injecting elements from the renaissance and middle ages to ,”imprint upon our architecture a truly national character.”. It emphasized components of Imperial Roman architecture popular from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius with Italian, French Renaissance and Late Gothic.

Relying heavily on sculptural decoration and modern lines, Beaux Arts combined realism and impressionism. Flat roofs, arched windows & pedimented doors, symmetrical layouts and hierarchical spaces like grand staircases juxtaposed with utilitarian ones were but a few characteristics. Many of the great buildings of Paris feature this style. The D’Orsay, Monte Carlo Casino, Grand Palais & Sainte-Genevieve Library are to name a few.

MLS Statistics – November 2023

Holiday Weight Gain: Is It Avoidable?

Every year it’s a given that the holidays will be something that destroys all the weight-loss progress that people have made from January – October, and it starts with Thanksgiving. Does it have to be this way? Here are a few ideas that might help you keep your fat pants in the closet:

1) Be Prepared – Turkey Day and Christmas don’t sneak up on us, they’re the same day every year. In the days leading up, eat modestly but often. Your body responds most efficiently when you eat 5-6 small meals per day, or at least modest meals with a couple snacks sandwiched in between. On the day of the feasts, have a sensible breakfast and a modest snack leading up to your meals, you’ll ensure your body isn’t hungry and thus in starvation/gorging mode when you hit the buffet line.

2) Choose What You Eat – Yes, stuffing is delicious. And heck yes, dessert is too. But what else is the Holiday Season known for? Turkey. Ham. Chicken. Eat protein. Fill half your plate with it. Avoid the dark meat if possible, and keep the dressing to a minimum. If you fill up on protein (or non-fried vegetables), there’s much less room for that which can expand your waistline.

3) Portion Control – My nemesis. Eat one plate full of food. You may be like me, and be inclined to eat as fast as possible so you can be first in the second helping line, but DO NOT do it. Eat slowly and drink lots of water during the process. Water will help to expand the contents in your stomach (especially carbohydrates), and will help make you feel full.

4) Exercise Afterwards – Yes it’s the holidays. Yes family is in town. Yes the Cowboys are on. But your food is settling in your stomach, and in addition to drinking water, the best way to facilitate intestinal mobility (a fancy term for the obvious) is to at least go for a 20 minute brisk walk afterwards.

DFW MLS Statistics – October 2023

Architectural Corner: Mission Revival

Drawing inspiration from the missions of old in California through both Southwestern and Spanish Colonial styles, Mission Revival pays homage to the rich Hispanic history of the Golden State. Ranging from single-family residences to train stations to hotels, this style became very popular in the 1920’s and 30’s, invoking a romanticized feel of California long ago.

Characterized by stucco walls (usually white), deep windows and doors, shallow rooflines covered with red clay roofs and even bell towers, Mission Revival is very distinctive. Inside one usually finds rough, exposed wood beams along ceilings, wide hallways, Terracotta tile flooring, dramatic archways and tons of natural light.

Unlike many fad revival styles that died out, Mission Revival is still wildly popular among new construction.

Vague Specifics – October 2023

Regardless of interest rates or the economy, DFW is growing rapidly, and this will keep our real estate market in the nation’s top-5 for the foreseeable future. Great houses that are priced well are still receiving multiple offers, and inventory is still very low.

I’ve been trying to contact my database regarding November’s election; the property tax relief bill that was passed by the Texas Legislature is up for a vote. I won’t presume to translate it, see Ballotpedia’s description:

November 7th – Election Day

Proposition 4

A “yes” vote supports amending the state constitution to:

increase the homestead tax exemption from $40,000 to $100,000;
authorize the state legislature to limit the annual appraisal increase on non-homestead real property;
exclude appropriations made to increase state education funding from the state appropriations limit; and
authorize the state legislature to provide for four-year terms for members of the governing body of an appraisal entity in counties with a population of 75,000 or more.

Of all my phone calls, there have been 2 people who, despite being homeowners, are voting no. One of them stated it’s paving a way for a school voucher program, the other that it will take away from local school funding. I don’t have any information supporting either, but that doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. As someone who tries to act in good-faith, I ask you to do your own research. If you agree with them, or have your own reason, I’d really appreciate an explanation. Paying less in property taxes is about as universal a issue as I can imagine, although politicians love shoehorning their own projects into otherwise universally-loved ballots.

Hard to believe it’s already Halloween. The World-Famous 7th Annual John Angell Real Estate Pumpkin Carving Competition will take place shortly, expect the competition to be fierce as always.