This is the busiest time of the year in the real estate world, which is wonderful, but it also means that there is a ton of competition out there.  Many times I may show 10-20 homes in one day to one client, and sometimes they drive around and preview homes before we even go inside.  Many times a home gets passed up if the home doesn’t have great curb appeal.  It doesn’t  matter how adorable it is on the inside because my clients never make it inside.

When it comes time to list your home, you must separate yourself from your home and look at it as you were a buyer!  I have a few tips for you to make it a little easier for you!
Step 1…walk out on to the street and look at your home from the street level.  Look at it through the eyes of a buyer.  Is wooden garage door in dire need of new stain, is the paint chipping, how does the front door look?  Is the home warm and welcoming or does it look like it hasn’t been maintained in years?  If they think the outside is bad, they will assume that the inside is worse!  Paint is one of the easiest fixes.  Nothing makes a home look more inviting than freshly painted trim and doors,  newly stained shutters or garage door.

Step 2…look at the landscaping.  Is the grass green, are the hedges trimmed, is the lawn edged, and are there fresh flowers?  Nothing looks worse than a dead yard, over grown landscaping, or dead plants/flowers in the yard.  You can make the home look great with just a few minor adjustments.  Pull any weeds, trim the bushes, edge the yard, throw out some mulch, and grab a few new flowers for the flower beds.  You might even get some adorable pots and plant some flowers in them for the front entry!  You have no idea how different the same home can look with some easy landscaping touches.

Step 3…have an agent or an inspector look for things that might be potential problems in an inspection so you nip them in the bud before you ever have a buyer.  I am not saying that I am an inspector; however, I have been on enough inspections to know what things could show up on a report.  A few of these things are rotten wood, limbs touching the roof, broken window seals, and drainage issues.  Many of these things are easy fixes but can alarm potential buyers.  Have a realtor walk around and show you potential problems, or hire an inspector to do a pre-listing inspection to find anything that could be wrong with the home!  This may cost you a little money on the front end, but it could potentially save  a sale(and quite a bit of money) on the back end!!

Step 4…Look at the drive way and walkway.  Again, it’s all about first impressions.  If you have a low spot in your sidewalk that holds water, it can turn a little green and is just gross looking!  That is an easy fix with just a little bleach, and it makes a huge difference!  If the sidewalk or driveway is badly damaged, you might replace or repair it as this is the path that leads to your home!

Step 5…De-clutter and clean!  Wash all the windows inside and out, pick up any toys or old patio furniture that might be sitting in the front yard, and change all the light bulbs.  Make sure your walk way is clean and inviting, and even look at your home during the night to see how it appears at night.

The bottom line is that no matter how beautiful your home is inside, many may not have the chance to see that if they drive by and it looks as if someone may not even live there or doesn’t care!  The most important thing you can do is hire a professional to help you get your home ready to list and sell in the time you want for the money you want!

For this and other tips, give me, Farrah Spears, a call at 979-229-0919

Beautiful new HUD foreclosure soon to be available! Probably will be available with only $100 down with good credit. Want to check it out before it officially goes on the market? Call me!
Susan 979-764-2100

If you haven’t seen Farrah Spears, Realtor with Century 21 Beal, with her boots on checkout this video!!!

Farrah has helped bring awareness and support to the Boot Campaign in Bryan College Station. The campaign was started by the Boot Girls! Check out the campaign and thank Farrah for her support of the troops!

Aggieland Boot Campaign

Get Your Boots On & Support Our Troops

Lightning Prediction Systems

past, the system will sound an “All Clear” with three short audible blasts of the horn and the flashing strobe light will no longer flash.Locations of Lightning Prediction Systems

PD Dispatch Central, Bee, WPC Unit on front of PD; horns at each location –
Sandstone Sandstone Unit on wood pole behind gazebo shelter
Southwood Park Park, Pool, CS Junior High Unit on wood pole on curve of road south of maintenance office
Thomas Park Park, Pool, College Hills Elem Unit on roof of shelter near pool
W.A. Tarrow Park Park, Wayne Smith Field, Lincoln Ctr Unit on roof of shelter at ball fields
AMC Consolidated Consolidated Believe unit is on roof of athletic field house
Oakwood Junior High Schools (Middle and Jr High), Anderson Park Unit on south end of Oakwood
Miller Park Park, Rock Prairie Elementary School Unit of roof of shelter
Pebble Creek Park Park, PC Elementary School Unit on wood pole east of school, in park
Northgate Garage Northgate area Somewhere on parking garage upper structure
The unit at PD is the only one where the sensing unit is located separately from the warning horns. In this case, the sensor
and horns should all be plotted geographically. Range circles will be different for this system.

Have you told anyone at the City of College Station how you feel about “Neighborhood Integrity?” What exactly does that mean?Are you willing to take a few minutes and complete the City’s Survey about the neighborhood effects of rental properties, students, zoning, neighborhood events, neighborhood welcome groups & code violations.

Do you believe in zero tolerance for zode violations? Have you thought about how property values in your neighborhood will be affected by students? It could EASILY affect your property values negatively OR positively! Are you willing to serve on a committee or board to work on the rental properties issues? Stand up and be counted!

Michael Ikner has been named as the new College Station police chief and will start work early June. He is moving to College Station from Arlington, Texas. Chief Ikner is one of 257 graduates of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy.

We look forward to Police Chief Ikner working with the College Station residents for a safe and secure community.

Welcome Chief Ikner!!!

P.S. – If you need a good Realtor I know quite a few who will be glad to help! – GO GOLD!

Did you see the other picture about the Buzzards in Pebble Creek? Check it out!!!

Saw one of them again today! Have you seen them in Castlegate or Woodland Hills? Where have you seen these big birds?

Good thing I know where my kids are and I know real estate home prices are strong! Otherwise I might worry…

Is your street light out? How do you get it fixed???

If you are in Bryan…

If you are in College Station…

Remember – a street light is one that shines on the road – a security light is one that shines on private property.

Ever wondered what the price differences are between Pebble Creek & Castlegate? Both are very nice neighborhoods to live in! They each offer just a little different environment and options -

Lets look at the price comparisons as a snapshot for TODAY -

Pebble Creek – (30 Homes)

• 4 homes between $234,00 & $279,900
• 6 homes between $309,900 & $399,900
• 8 homes between $408,500 & $499,900
• 4 homes between $514,900 & $550,000
• 3 homes between $620,000 & $698,900
• 3 homes between $824,500 & $890,000
• 1 home at $949,900
• 1 home at $1,200,000

Castlegate – (47 Homes)

• 7 homes between $165,000 & $189,900
• 13 homes between $224,900 & $278,950
• 22 homes between $309,900 & $399,900
• 4 homes between $414,000 & $495,000
• 1 home at $595,000

Is one a better neighborhood better than the other? YES!!!

Which one?

It all depends on what you want -Both neighborhoods have something special to offer!