When you’re closing on your home, it’s typically a very hectic time. You need to be sure you do a thorough final walk thru before you close on your home. Here are some tips on what not to overlook:

• All repairs have been made.
• Warranties on appliances and fixtures are there.
• No major changes have been made to the property.
• All agreed on items are there- appliances, fixtures, window coverings ect.
• Check the outside to be sure all shrubs and plants are there and window screens are in place.
• Be sure the garage door opener and any other remotes needed are there.
• All instruction manuals and warranties need to be available.
• Heating, A/C and hot water heater are operating.
• All personal items of the sellers have been removed from the closets, attic, ect.

1. Create a Great Entrance - A console table will create a focal point setting off the entrance or a small chest with a table cloth also creates a great    vignette .

2. Fixtures -  A fairly low cost way of really customizing your home and making it stand out from the other cookie cutter houses.

3. Wood Floors – These days, that’s what buyers are looking for, not to mention they are beautiful and timeless.

4. Beautiful Baths – If you can’t afford a complete bath remodel, just taking out the old huge mirror and lighting and replacing them with smaller framed mirrors and some sconce lights will make a huge difference…not to mention the fact the sconces will be much more complimentary to your face!

5. Countertops - Buyers love low maintenance… meaning no grout lines. There are other materials besides granite that are a solid slab, such as corian, silestone, soapstone and concrete. Even butcher block can be really nice in a kitchen if you just sand and stain it.

6. Organized Closets – Storage, storage, storage! Buyers want storage and like to see things organized. You can get closet organizing systems at Home Depot and Lowes without breaking the bank that can create a custom look.

7. Lighting - This is the most overlooked and important aspect of your home.  You want buyers to see a bright, cheery home, so if you don’t have a lot of natural light, you need to think about recessed lighting, sconces, or both to brighten up your home.

Good news…home prices are holding steady!   The San Antonio Board of Realtors says they expect 2010 to be comparable to 2009 in terms of home prices and home sales. In  October, homes priced between $200,000 and $500,ooo actually rose slightly which helped push overall prices higher.  Compared to the rest of the country, San Antonio is much more of a solid Real Estate Investment.  The Board of Realtors is hoping record low mortgage interest  rates will draw buyers into the market during the traditionally slower Holiday Season.

The Holiday Season can be a win/win situation for both the buyer and the seller. If the home is listed on the market during this time, it generally means that sellers are motivated to sell their home and buyers are serious about buying.  Here’s some tips on selling your home during the Holiday Season:

1. Price Your Home to Sell 

 Have your Realtor do a comprehensive market analaysis before listing your home on the market to insure  a competive sales price.  Remember, time on the market equals price reduction. The more competitively priced your home is, the faster it’s going to sell, saving  you money in the end.

2.  Hire  a  Reliable Realtor 

During the Holidays, a lot of Realtors get side tracked with  social events, family, ect..  Be sure whoever you hire to list your home is a hard working Realtor that can get the job done.  Ask friends and family to refer you to a good Realtor to help put your mind at ease that they won’t dissapear on you during the Holiday Season!

3. Easy Does it on the Christmas Deco!

Holiday decorating can really add warmth to a home, but be sure not to overdue it. You want the buyer to remember your home, not the decorations!  Always keep in mind that square footage sells…when the home is decluttered and “staged” it gives a sense of space to buyers which means more $   in your pocket!                 

4. Curb Appeal

When winter comes around, the trees loose their leaves and a lot of foliage tends to dissapear leaving your home a little more exposed. Be sure  the exterior of your home is in great shape by tending to any touch up painting that needs to be done. Also, investing in some shrubs and plants that don’t loose their leaves in the winter is a great idea along with possibly some petunias for a little winter color.

5. Professional Photos

Be sure you have a good photographer taking pictures of your home and that they take a lot of them!  Now more than ever, buyers are doing their home search online. In the winter, that is even more the case.  Buyers aren’t going to be driving around in the cold looking at house,s when they can be snuggled up in front of their laptop!

6. Make Househunters comfy

Be sure your home is warm, literally by cranking up the heat and inviting, by lighting the fireplace and having some soft music playing. If you can, you might even want to have some fresh baked cookies there for buyers while their browsing.  The smell of fresh baked cookies will make a great impression and might make them linger a little longer.

I’m holding an Open House in Ashley Place in Schertz on Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. It’s the largest single story home in the neighborhood on a corner lot located at 500 Wayward Pass. This home is very low maintenance with brick on all sides and not a lot of yard upkeep. It’s 2206 Sq Ft and selling for $159,825.  Located right off of Schertz Parkway, this home is in the highly sought after Schertz area with great schools! Hope to see you there!

Well, the day after the election and the Fed met this morning! Investors have felt a little flustered but, all in all, not a bad day. The Dow’s just a bit higher and the dollar is slightly lower. After the Fed’s announcement to buy more bonds, the mortgage rates are expected to drop even MORE!  That is great news for both buyers and sellers in Schertz!  First time home buyers can get so much more home than ever before with these low rates. A home buyer can literally afford thousands of dollars more home these days. When you compare even 4.25% today  to 11% years ago, you can buy just about twice the house today  than the higher rates would have  allowed you to buy in the past.  There has never been a better time to buy… a perfect storm of low home pricing and historically low rates!

According to the San Antonio Business Journal, Catapillar is going to build a 260,000 Square Foot manufacturing facility in the Tri County Business Park to supply components to its assembly plant in Seguin. If everything goes according to plan, production should begin in the facility by late 2011. Royal Oak Industries is going to be managing the day to day functions in the facility. If the company completes some other expansions, the Schertz City Counsel has approved a 75% tax abatement on the property for the next eight years along with additional incentives. That plant is located at Doerr Ln & Lookout Rd and there will be 60 employees at that location.  Keep those  jobs coming to Schertz!

This week ended with some positive retail sales data, but not enough to make Mortgage Interest Rates spike higher. Currently, the rate for a 30 year fixed conventional Mortgage Loan is 4.19% and a 15 year loan is 3.62%.  Since we’re not  seeing much economic growth, there is a low level of Inflation which allows the Morgtage Interest Rate to stay at a low level.  That is really great news for Home Buyers and Sellers!  Today, you can get so much more home for the money than ever before.  Home Buyers are saving hundreds of $$ every month on their Mortgage payments thanks to these amazing rates!

“Trunk or Treat” in Pickrell Park on Halloween!  The City of Schertz, fire, police, EMS personnel, plus churches and businesses will host this annual safe    Halloween experience. There’s going to be candy and other treats for all starting at 6PM and going until 8PM so bring the kiddos for a night of fun!

“Great Pumpkin Party” is being held at  The Schertz Family YMCA at 621 Westchester on October 29th from 5PM to 8PM.The YMCA and the Schertz Public Library are sponsoring the event. There’s going to be a pumpkin decorating contest, along with games and prizes. The price of admission is one non perishable food item.

There are currently 3 really good deals on Foreclosures in the Schertz area:

The first one is a single story home that’s only 9 years old in Forest Creek. The asking price is $105,000 with 1295 Sq Ft

The second is also a single story home located in Aviation Heights it’s 1576 Sq Ft and listed for just $44,900 !

The last one is a 2 story home in  Carolina Crossing and is a great buy at $121,600 with 2020 Sq Ft

Please contact me at 210-846-3158 or email @ lepley@cbharper.com if you would like more info on any of these homes.