Aradio Zambrano’s Blog

 When buying or selling a home a lot of people wonder why they should use a real estate agent and pay them a commission?                      

• Education and experience “ you don™t need to know everything about buying or selling a home if you hire a real estate professional that does, they are constantly going through training programs and have the most updated technical knowledge in the real estate industry.

• Agents are buffers   – they will weed out the true buyers, make sure they are pre-approved

• Neighborhood Knowledge – they will know the housing market in your neighborhood, the schools, crime rate or demographics

• Price guidance   – will help guide you in setting the price for your home

• Market guide information   – will inform you of the market conditions, what houses sell for in a particular area

• Marketing – advertise on the internet, magazines, local papers, network with other realtors, marketing   flyers for your home and hold open houses.

• Negotiation skills – They are trained professionals who can present their client’s case in the best light and agree to hold client information confidential from competing interests.   They are know   how to work with other Realtors ®, mortgage brokers, title companies, sellers and buyers.

• Handle volumes of paperwork – Some purchase agreements can run up to 15 pages or more. One tiny mistake or omission could land you in court or cost you thousands.

• Answer questions after closing – Many questions can arise that were overlooked in the excitement of closing. Good agents stand by ready to assist.   Worthy and honest agents will not leave you to fend for yourself.

• Develop relationships for future business – The basis for an agent’s success and continued career in real estate is referrals. This emphasis gives agents strong incentives to make certain clients are happy and satisfied.

The best agent for you is an experienced Realtor ® professional who will listen to you, conduct   themselves in an ethical manner ,   knows your market and one you feel comfortable with.   Good Real Estate agents work over 12 hrs. a day, 7 days a week for you and are always working in your best interest whether   you are buying or selling a home.

If you are curious to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in your subdivision or area of choice.For more home ideas or information about Aradio and The Zambrano Realty Group please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com, send e-mail to aradio@ZambranoRG.com or call 281.898.1591.  

How can we entice potential buyers who drive by your home, to actually want to come inside the front door?   Stand across the street and have a good look at the exterior of your home.   What is your first impression of the house and the yard?   Look around good, like it is your first visit.   Is it clean and tidy?   What could you do to make it more attractive?   Walk around your home, front yard and back.   Make a list of problems areas you see.   Keep it simple, this does not need to be a home makeover job. Begin with clean up and repair chores, then make sure the grounds are more attractive.  

•  Kill mold and mildew on house, roof, sidewalks, or driveway.
• Clean windows and gutters.
• Pressure wash dirty driveways, walkways, porches or decks.
• Fresh paint job or touch up for a dingy house.  
• New front door if needed, stain or repaint.   Change out or polish hardware.
• Make sure you have lighting around your home and yard for evening appeal.
• Edge sidewalks, get rid of weeds, and mow lawn.
• Trim all trees and shrubs to give areas a clear view.
• Rake and dispose of leaves.

I™m sure if you think about it, you will find there is a solution to most problems.   You should be able to find one that stays within your budget.   The most important thing is having a home which attracts people to walk through the front door.

  If you are curious to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in your subdivision or area of choice.  

It™s that time of the year and spring is here.   You are anxious to start on those remodeling jobs you have thought about all winter long, but not sure where to begin.   Here are a few suggestions about finding a general contractor and hopefully you will not end up with a disaster on your hands or those extra hidden costs.    

• Make a list of exactly what you want to have done.
• Then come up with a budget for your project.
• Referrals “ ask neighbors, friends, co-workers, your real estate agent of contactors they may have used and were happy with the results.
• Call each contractor, no matter what get minimum of three bids.
• Make sure each contractor bids on the same project, time frame for project and get a quote in writing, and set a time limit to receive the bid.
• Ask for three references from each contractor and pictures of the work they have done for their past clients.
• Call the prior clients ask about their work ethics and their experience with the contractor.
• The bids from the contractors should always include estimate cost of labor and supplies.   They should always inform you if they will be using a sub-contractor or if they need a work permit for a particular project.   Never go with the lowest bid and review all the information each contractor has given you.  
• Base your choice on the interview, bid, references, knowledge of project, someone you can trust, does quality work and that you feel comfortable with.
• Sit down and discuss the timeline for the project, make sure you know how long it will take and check with your contractor during the project to make sure he is still on track and everything is going smoothly.  

Follow these few simple steps in finding your contractor and I think you will find the whole process will go smoother and you will be proud and happy with the final result.  

If you are curious to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in your subdivision or area of choice.

For more home ideas or information about Aradio and The Zambrano Realty Group please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com, send e-mail to aradio@zambranorg.com or call 281.898.1591.

Here are a few ideas to help you prepare and stage your home.   Visit decorated model homes and see how effective œstaging can be.   First of all, you need to keep in mind that you have to œlet go of emotions and that this house will no longer be yours.  

Preparing the home:

•  Pack away all those photographs and family heirlooms throughout the home.   You want potential               buyers to vision their belongings in the home.    

• It™s time to get rid of at least half the clutter in your home.   Pack away anything that you do not use on a regular basis.   Clear off counters,   pack up books and all the knickknacks.   Save out some of your special ones for œstaging.

• Organize all your closets and cabinets; buyers love to snoop.    

• A home shows better with less furniture, it makes the home look more open and larger.     Rent a storage shed and store any extra furniture, boxes, books, and items not being used.  

• Look through your home and if there are any items that you want to keep, remove them and replace before the buyer sees them.

• Pick up area rugs to make floor space appear larger.

• Fix minor repairs.

• Make your home shine, clean all the windows inside and out, re-caulk tubs, clean out refrigerator, dust ceiling fans, keep garbage cans empty, clean bathrooms, vacuum and dust often.

• Walk through your front door and visualize what the buyer will see.   Does this home make you feel welcome?   Does it make you want to come in?   Stand in every doorway of each room and think how it will appear to a buyer?  

• While your home is on the market, limit your cooking to plain food, so odors do not linger.   Baking cookies prior to showings, gives a homely feeling.

• When you leave before a showing, take your pets and leave the lights on throughout the house.

Staging your home:

Once your home is prepared and ready to show, let™s stage it.   This is where you can go through each room and œdress the house for sale.   It™s adding all the little details and you don™t have to spend a fortune.   Arrange small furniture in groupings in the living area.   Display a few unique knickknacks in units of 1,3 or 5 on mantel, shelving or bookcases.   Don™t overdo it!   Place large bowls of polished fruit on kitchen on table.   Arrange colorful and fun cookbooks on counters.   In the bathrooms, fresh fluffy towels, scented soaps and baskets filled with spa treatments.   Add a few green plants or silk flower arrangements.   Staging makes your home look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more loving and makes it more appealing to buyers.

Tax season is here and right around the corner.   Here are just some useful tips to take advantage of for your real estate holdings.   Mortgage Interest:   The interest you paid on your mortgage during the year can be deducted.  

Repairs to rental property:   General repairs may qualify in the year they are paid.   Keep records of any major improvement, they are deductible when you sell or through depreciation.

Capital Improvements:   When you sell your home, the cost of major repairs can be deducted from the taxable gain.

Points:   When you purchase a home, the points are fully deductible in that year.   If you refinance, they are deductible over the lifetime of the loan and any unamortized points from previous loan are able to be written off in that year.  

Moving Expenses:   If you relocate because of a change in your employer™s location or because you start a new job, some of the moving expenses are deductible.

Capital Gains:   You can exempt the first $250,000 of profit ($500,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return) if you sold your home last year.    

If you are curious to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in your subdivision or area of choice.

For more home ideas or information about Aradio and The Zambrano Realty Group please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com, send e-mail to aradio@ZambranoRG.com or call 281.898.1591.

  So, we take care of our bodies, clothing, cars, the focal parts of the home we see every day; but are you taking care of the home itself?   Here are a few suggestions to make sure your home is  healthy where we don™t visually see it and will continue to run smoothly for a longer time.

Interior of home:

·               Change batteries in your smoke alarms (good time is when time changes)

·               Check your fire extinguisher pressure

·               Check all fixtures for drips (get on the floor, look also underneath for any water damage)

·               Change air filters in the home monthly

·               Before the season have your heater or air-conditioner serviced

·               Check your electrical circuit breakers at least twice a year (call electrician if one continues to flip)

·               Drain your hot water heater, this cleans out the sediment

·               Check for air leaks around the windows in your home and weather strip if needed

·               Do paint touch ups around the house where there are nicks

Exterior of home:

·               Clean all your gutters of debris

·               Check your chimney for cracks and make sure you have it cleaned at least every two years

·               Look over your roof and check for loose shingles

·               Check for loose flashing around your home, prevent water damage

·               Check for signs of termites

·               Touch up exterior paint where needed

·               Check for leaky outdoor faucets and water hose

·               Make sure all landscaping drains away from foundation

·               Make sure your weep holes are not covered with dirt

·               Check for moisture around bricks and foundation for cracks

Doing these few things every year will help you maintain a healthy home inside and out and will cut down on future costly repairs.

If you are curious to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in your subdivision or area of choice.

For more home ideas or information about Aradio and The Zambrano Realty Group please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com, send e-mail to aradio@ZambranoRG.com

or call 281.898.1591.

If you are trying to sell your home, here are some things to think about that turn home buyers off:  

1. Odors – pets, cigarette smoke and mildew
2. Dirty Bathrooms
3. Dark Rooms
4. Pets in the home or yard
5. Busy Wallpaper
6. Bugs
7. Poor curb appeal
8. Weedy yard and overgrown gutters
9. Sellers who stay for showings
10. Heavy texture on walls and bad paint choices
11. Filthy carpet
12. Too much clutter in the home  

Most of these issues can be corrected without spending a lot of money.   Visualize what your buyer will see when they walk through your home and make it appealing to buyers.   It™s a good idea to do this before your home goes on the market, you don™t want to get a reputation of a home that has smells, barking dogs or some other issue.   Your home will probably be the last on the list for an agent to show potential buyers.

If you are curious  to know the details on sales activity in The Woodlands Real Estate or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in The Woodlands or  area of choice.

For more home ideas or information about Aradio and The Zambrano Realty Group please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com, send e-mail to aradio@zambranorg.com  or call 281.898.1591.  

Give your home a fresh start. The new year is a great time to give yourself and your home a new beginning. Here are a few ideas to give your home and your spirits a lift as you move forward in 2008. The most difficult thing to do is where to start? Pick a room, any room and find something to organize in it. Don™t get overwhelmed and you don™t have to complete in all in a day. Once you get on a roll it™s easy to move on to the next area.

Kitchen – Look at your kitchen counters, are they cluttered with appliances? If you never use some of them, give them away. If you do use it, but less than once a week, stow it away so it is not taking up valuable counter space. Then you can always pull it out when you need it. Organize your drawers and cabinets; everything gets in disarray after a while. Match up all plastic storage containers; get rid of any extra pieces. When was the last time you checked the dates on spices; can goods or boxed food items in your pantry?

Bathroom – Empty out your medicine cabinet completely. Discard any expired medications, old cosmetics anything you do not use any longer. When finished, return items back in your medicine cabinet, keeping similar items together. If necessary, store items in small clear boxes so it is easier to pull out and access when needed. Bedroom – Look under your bed for items that are stored there and you never use. If you need extra storage under your bed, for easy access buy a clear rolling under the bed storage box. This is also a good place for storing seasonal items. Empty your closet from top to bottom, donate items you never wear or is outdated. Organize your clothing by similar styles.

Welcome to Aradio Zambrano’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in The Woodlands. If you are curious to know about The Woodlands Real Estate market or your neck of the woods, please log on to www.twremw.com to receive a complimentary, no hassle market watch analysis of homes in The Woodlands or your area of choice.   Please visit www.ZambranoRealtyGroup.com if you are thinking about buying or selling a home in The Woodlands, Texas.