Walker Texas Team

As you know, the first impression matters when selling your property . A home should be visually appealing to help improve the chances of a quicker sale, at the best price possible. As a seller, you should do everything you can to spruce up your property to help convince potential buyers that the property is worth the asking price. The following simple tips will help your property stand out during viewings. Make Repairs Ensure that all necessary repairs are taken care of before showing your home. Check the cabinet doors, are they closing properly? Check the faucets, are they drip-free? Are there any scuffed up walls that need repainting? Does the HVAC system run properly? These are all important to check, as they won’t go unnoticed by others. Clean Up A dirty, cluttered property is not very appealing to buyers. Ensure that everything is as clean as you can get it–appliances, toilets, showers, sinks, etc. If you’re still living in the home and have furniture and all of your pe

Buying a new home can be both exciting and stressful. If you’re thinking of moving to Texas for the first time or moving to a different area in Texas, there are some things you should do to improve the odds of getting the home of your dreams. Get Familiar & Strengthen Your Credit Buying a home is going to be one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, and you want to make sure you have a good credit score. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you’ll receive. It may seem crazy, but just a .5% difference in a mortgage rate can mean tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. You definitely want that extra small percentage taken off your rate if you can get it. In general, you’ll get an average rate with a 650-700 credit score. Any credit score higher than that and you’ll have a great chance of getting a nice reduction. You’ll want to sit back and wait to buy a home if you have a score lower than 650. It may be tough, but down th

When it comes to buying or selling a home, there are a wide variety of factors to take into consideration. Aside from the location, layout, and amenities of a home, there are several important factors to consider when it comes to the home’s exterior. Here are some of the biggest considerations that should be carefully thought of and weighed out in relation to buying a home. Landscaping While it may be nice to have large trees that produce spectacular colors during the fall, eventually all of those leaves are going to come down on the property. One of the biggest things that often goes overlooked when buying a house is how much work it is going to take to properly maintain the landscaping. If there’s a lot of work that needs to be taken care of each week, its either going to consume your free time or cost you to hire people to maintain your yard for you. If you opt to outsource your landscape maintenance, you’ll have to pay someone to come and mow the lawn, trim the bushes an

Purchasing a home is often one of the largest financial decisions one can make in their lifetime. Understanding the process of buying a home prior to starting your search can greatly help reduce the uncertainty and anxiety throughout the process. Meet with a Lender One of the first steps you want to take is to meet with a lender if you plan to use financing. While many buyers may feel that this is jumping the gun prior to going to see a property, in reality you want to make sure that you are looking at houses in a price range that you will ultimately qualify for a mortgage. In addition, once you are ready to put in an offer you will need a pre-approval letter to submit along with it. Having this step behind you takes away the stress of having to get it done after identifying a property. Start Browsing Once you’ve met with a lender and have a good sense of the price range you should be looking in, you can start taking a look at various real estate websites. Many major sites

Born in San Marcos, Texas , Lucious Jackson played college basketball at Pan American College and was a member the U.S. Olympic basketball team that won the gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Mr. Jackson is a very humble man. He doesn't offer up much information about his glory days as a basketball player. He once said he wants to be able to walk through a store and be unrecognized.Instead, he would rather be known as the amazing grandfather he is. "This is how I like it," Jackson said. "I'm Lucious. I'm Luke. That's who I am. That's something I did, and I look at life that way. That way I'm at peace with myself, and I don't have to put on airs about myself. I know who I am. And that's a good thing to know who you are." On September 24, 2016, San Marcos' Calaboose African American History Museum opened an exhibit in honor of Lucious Jackson. This exhibit features different documents, memorabilia and other notabl

The Calaboose African American History Museum is located in the heart of San Marcos, Texas. The Calaboose was built in 1873 as the first Hays County Jail. Whensoldiers came to town for entertainment and to mingle with locals, they went to racially segregated United Service Organizations (USO) facilities. The African American USO was in the Calaboose! The mission of The Calaboose African American History Museum is tocollect, preserve, and interpret the history of African Americans in San Marcos. They feature many useful exhibits including Lucious Jackson, Eddie Durham, and a few Military exhibits. Military exhibits feature Buffalo Soldiers of the Texas frontier and the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, the nation’s first black military pilots. The Calaboose museum works hard and tirelessly to make the African American history be known and come alive. They are working to partner with local organizations to bring to light the rich history of Texas. The locals know t

Blanco Vista Community See What It Means to Be Perfectly Placed Blanco Vista is a master planned community equipped with many luxurious amenities: a covered playground, fish pond, hiking trails, swimming pool with splashpad features, and the pathed sidewalks that lead to Blanco Vista Elementary School. Blanco Vista is 575 acres of land near the Blanco River in San Marcos, Texas and consists of 9 beautiful neighborhoods: The Oaks, Northwoods, Heritage Point, Heritage Trace, Riverbend, Eastridge, The Trails, The Vistas, and Stonebrook. The houses featured in this paradise are built from 9 builders: Avi Homes, Brohn Homes, Brookfield Residential, Buffington Homes, Castle Rock, Dream Finders Homes, New Leaf Homes, Pacesetter Homes, and Perry Homes. These homebuilders have carefully crafted houses range from $140,000- $500,000 and have a wide range of appearances. Blanco Vista is zoned in the Hays ISD school district which includes the schools Blanco Vista Elemen

Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Get your finances in order. Start by getting a full picture of your credit. Obtain copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you find. Next, find a suitable lender and get pre-approved for a loan. This will put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. https://goo.gl/IMHGaH Find a house you can afford. As with engagement rings, there’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to buying a home: two-and-a-half times your annual salary. There are also a number of tools and calculators online that can help you understand how your income, debt, and expenses affect what you can afford. Don’t forget, too, that there are lots of considerations beyond the sticker price, including property taxes, energy costs, etc. Hire a professional. While the Internet gives buyers unprecedented acce

Moving from a small town or suburb to a large city can be an intimidating proposition. Here are a few tips to help make your move as painless as possible. Research before you move . It’s important to understand the culture you’re joining. Do research online and find out about school systems, neighborhoods, parking, weather, public transportation, and laws that are native to that area. If you can, visit a city before moving and connect with someone who’s lived there before. Have a plan . There are a lot of steps to go through before you start packing the moving truck. Find housing before you leave, or at least know where you’ll stay while you look for a home. Never sign a lease on an apartment that you haven’t seen. If you can’t get there, find a friend or an employer to check for you. Have a job waiting for you, or if that’s not possible, know what you’ll do for money in the first few weeks of living there. Try to line up things like driver’s licenses, car ins

Selling your home doesn′t just mean hiring a realtor to stick a sign out front. There are a lot of preparations you should make to ensure you get the best offer possible in the shortest time. Repair . Just because you’ve gotten used to the cracks in the walls and the rattles in the radiators doesn’t mean a buyer will too. If you have hardwood floors that need refinishing, be sure to get it done—hardwood is a huge selling point. Buyers like to snoop around, so be sure to fix any sticky doors or drawers as well. Finally, don’t forget to address any issues with the exterior—fences, shingles, sidewalks, etc. After all, without curb appeal, some buyers may never get to see the inside. Neutralize . You want buyers to see themselves in your home. If your living room has lime green shag, wood-paneled walls, and all your collectibles and personal photographs, this will be much harder for them to do. Try replacing any bold color choices in your floors and walls with some

As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril. Here are a few tips for dealing with the dollar signs so that you can take down that “for sale” sign on your new home. Get pre-approved . Sub-primes may be history, but you’ll probably still be shown homes you can’t actually afford. By getting pre-approved as a buyer, you can save yourself the grief of looking at houses you can’t afford. You can also put yourself in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Unlike pre-qualification, which is based on a cursory review of your finances, pre-approval from a lender is based on your actual income, debt and credit history. By doing a thorough analysis of your actual spending power, you’ll be less likely to get in over your head. Choose your mortgage carefully. Used to be the emphasis when it came to mortgages was on paying t

f you’re planning to sell your home, you may be considering updates to get it market-ready. Here are seven ways to instantly increase value. Replace Your Mailbox Small things like the condition of your mailbox and your yard have big impact on curb appeal. Clean out flowerbeds, powerwash stains on the driveway and sidewalk, replace house numbers with shiny new ones, and remove grass and accumulated muck from street gutters. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Get Decorating Advice from a Pro The personal touch you’ve put into the interior of your home is part of its charm, but potential buyers may not see it that way. Meet with a realtor (who may consult with you for free) or an interior designer (who won’t) for advice on how to make the inside of your home most appealing. Create a File for Paperwork If you have the manuals for appliances, energy audits from utility companies, specific color swatches for the paint you’ve used, and invoices fo

Getting ready to sell your house is a big step, and it can feel intimidating if you’ve never done it before. Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your house for the market. The Walk Through The first thing that you will need to do is a walk through. This is where you walk through the whole house looking at it through the eyes of the buyers. You will want to bring a notepad and pen with you to make notes about every room. Write down your first impression of each room as if you were seeing it for the first time yourself. Does it feel open and inviting or dark and cramped? Write down everything you see that needs to be changed, moved or gotten rid of altogether. Once the walk through is finished the real work begins. Get Rid of the Clutter The whole point of hosting an open house or house viewing is to get prospective buyers to see the full potential of your house. In order to do this the clutter needs to be removed so that the house takes center stage.

If you are thinking of buying or selling your home right now, it’s the perfect time to do so. It can be very stressful and confusing trying to buy or sell a home. Here are the top tips that you need to know for buying or selling a home in 2016. Sellers: List during Peak Season According to realtor.com the peak season for buying a home begins in April and reaches its peak in June. Sellers benefit from the peak season the most. Listing during spring and summer will give you more potential buyers and bids. Buyers: Know How Much You Can Spend Set a budget for yourself and follow it. Figure out your personal budget to figure out what you can afford, then get pre-qualified for a mortgage and compare the two amounts. You should use the lower of the two amounts. Sellers: Price Your Home to the Market The most important thing to do is get the price right. Asking for a price that is far above the marketing price is asking for being let down or potentially not selling yo

Selling a home is one of the biggest decisions a homeowner can make. There are a number of factors that are making many homeowners realize that now is a great time to sell their current home, while it’s also a great time to buy again. This is because the residential real estate market is once again thriving. Reports reveal large numbers of motivated buyers and sellers are interacting in the market. This means that the prices for homes have moved up by up to 30% over the past year in some markets. Some savvy real estate investors have admitted that they have never seen a market that has turned so aggressive since the 1970s. Market demands are also up by 25% in a number of states across the country. Investors are willing to part with their money to make sound buys. This is good news for the sellers who have been in the dark for decades, especially when it comes to favorable rent prices. 52% of correspondents that were interviewed in a survey said that this is the time to

If you’re planning on moving to San Marcos, or anywhere in Central Texas, you may be moving into a larger home that offers more space… or, depending on your budget and needs, you may be downsizing. If you’re moving into a smaller home, it may be easy to part with some large items such as old furniture. However, if you have possessions you want to keep–but wont have room for in your new home–a storage unit is your best bet. Plenty of household items have no place being out all year long. Additionally, the need for furniture upgrades entails old, used sets that you might not be able to easily part with. Maybe you wish you sell these older items, or maybe you wish to pass them down to future generations within your family. Either way, your home simply does not have the space for these things that seemingly multiply by the day, so, as a result, you decide to get yourself a storage unit. Unfortunately, you do not know much about picking a unit that would be right for yo

The decision to purchase a home—whether is it your first purchase, or your second or third home—is always a major financial decision. It is important to educate yourself prior to any purchase to ensure you’re getting exactly what you bargained for. One of the first steps to take when buying a home is choosing the right agent to represent you. Be sure to do your research and find an experienced agent in the area. Many buyers make the mistake of using a family friend with a real estate license. However if that agent does not have the proper experience you should not be afraid to say no and search on your own, as this is a huge financial decision. Make sure you are comfortable with the person, and that they have a strong record of getting deals done in the Central Texas area. You will also need to meet with a lender to determine the price range of the home you should be focused on, which dependson your pre-approval amount. Your agent may be able to provide a short list of

If you plan on putting your home up for sale, your main goals should be to sell your home for the highest price possible as quickly as possible. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to boost the value of your home before you put it up for sale. Here are a few tips to spruce up your home in preparation of the big sale. Curb Appeal Curb appeal is everything. Potential buyers will use the exterior of your home to judge the condition of the whole home even before they step inside. Therefore, it is important that you work on your home exterior so that it reflects positively on the interior. Take some time to tend to your lawn. Have some beautiful plants and flowers planted, and keep them watered so they stay healthy and vibrant. Also, ensure that all the weeds and dead plants are removed. Repainting the exterior of your home is also a great way to improve your home’s curb appeal. It’s also a good idea have the pathways and driveways pressure-washed to ge

Buying a home is a big investment, so it’s important to do your due diligence before finalizing a deal. Regarding home inspections, potential buyers should understand that inspecting a house is similar to evaluating any other investment opportunity. As a result, house inspections can lead to major discoveries and help prevent potential problems down the road. Even for new homes, industry professionals recommend certain checklists before buying the property. These checklists are important because they allow home owners to find out if certain repairs or corrections are needed. In a nutshell, an inspector should be able to determine any additional costs of repairing structures of an old or a new home. Here are a few of the most important inspection factors to consider: 1. Ventilation, Sanitation and Plumbing Since heating and air conditioning units are important for maintaining a comfortable home, it is crucial to inspect the HVAC unit and ventilation ducts. For new hom

As you know, the first impression matters when selling your property. A home should be visually appealing to help improve the chances of a quicker sell, at the best price possible. As a seller, you should do everything you can to spruce up your property to help convince potential buyers that the property is worth the asking price. The following simple tips will help your property stand out during viewings. Make Repairs Ensure that all necessary repairs are taken care of before showing your home. Check the cabinet doors, are they closing properly? Check the faucets, are they drip-free? Are there any scuffed up walls that need repainting? Does the HVAC system run properly? These are all important to check, as they won’t go unnoticed by others. Clean Up A dirty, cluttered property is not very appealing to buyers. Ensure that everything is as clean as you can get it–appliances, toilets, showers, sinks, etc. If you’re still living in the home and have furniture and all o

Buying a second home is a big decision and deserves a lot of forethought. People often buy a second home to use it as a retreat property in their favorite vacation destinations or to profit through either renting it out or selling it later. One of the more mentionable mistakes a first-time second home buyer makes is rushing into the purchase. This may lead to buyers remorse and could even cost you money in the long run. Today I will discussing with you a few things you can do to minimize many of the problems that can arise with buying a second home. To begin, when buying a second home you should have plenty of disposable income and not a lot of debt. You don’t have to be in the top one percent of earners, however you should have a cushion of funds in your bank account worth at least six months of your second home’s rent if you are looking to get a loan. To get a good lender, you must be able to demonstrate that your finances are well maintained on paper. Another import

Moving can be an exciting change, but it can also be a nightmare if you’re not prepared. A treasure hunt can be fun, but not when you’re running late for work and can’t find your toothpaste. Prepare a Go-Bag for Each Person Once the movers have dropped off all of your furniture and boxes, your new home will likely look like a storage unit for a while. Being prepared with clean clothes, toiletry items and other essentials can help make the chaos a little easier to manage. Pack a suitcase for each member of your family. Keep each suitcase in the respective members’ room so that each day your family knows where to go when it’s time to shower and dress during the transition. A hanging toiletry bag in the bathroom will help keep everyone’s favorite shampoos and body washes accessible. Be sure to keep pet food and medicines with your go-bag if necessary. Label Your Boxes One of the first things to do when you start packing is keep a list of what items are in what boxes. A

Buying a new home can be both exciting and stressful. If you’re thinking of moving to Texas for the first time or moving to a different area in Texas, there are some things you should do to improve the odds of getting the home of your dreams. Get Familiar & Strengthen Your Credit Buying a home is going to be one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, and you want to make sure you have a good credit score. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you’ll receive. It may seem crazy, but just a .5% difference in a mortgage rate can mean tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. You definitely want that extra small percentage taken off your rate if you can get it. In general, you’ll get an average rate with a 650-700 credit score. Any credit score higher than that and you’ll have a great chance of getting a nice reduction. You’ll want to sit back and wait to buy a home if you have a score lower than 650. It may be tough, but

When it comes to buying or selling a home, there are a wide variety of factors to take into consideration. Aside from the location, layout, and amenities of a home, there are several important factors to consider when it comes to the home’s exterior. Here are some of the biggest considerations that should be carefully thought of and weighed out in relation to buying a home. Landscaping While it may be nice to have large trees that produce spectacular colors during the fall, eventually all of those leaves are going to come down on the property. One of the biggest things that often goes overlooked when buying a house is how much work it is going to take to properly maintain the landscaping. If there’s a lot of work that needs to be taken care of each week, its either going to consume your free time or cost you to hire people to maintain your yard for you. If you opt to outsource your landscape maintenance, you’ll have to pay someone to come and mow the lawn, trim

Purchasing a home is often one of the largest financial decisions one can make in their lifetime. Understanding the process of buying a home prior to starting your search can greatly help reduce the uncertainty and anxiety throughout the process. Meet with a Lender One of the first steps you want to take is to meet with a lender if you plan to use financing. While many buyers may feel that this is jumping the gun prior to going to see a property, in reality you want to make sure that you are looking at houses in a price range that you will ultimately qualify for a mortgage. In addition, once you are ready to put in an offer you will need a pre-approval letter to submit along with it. Having this step behind you takes away the stress of having to get it done after identifying a property. Start Browsing Once you’ve met with a lender and have a good sense of the price range you should be looking in, you can start taking a look at various real estate websites. Many majo

1) PRICE – If the price is too high, buyers will not look at it. They have too many other alternatives for the right price. 2) LOCATION – If the home is in a bad location, it will be a turn-off for buyers. The only way to overcome a bad location is to lower the price. 3) CONDITION – If the home has a poor condition then the owner has two choices; fix the conditional issues or lower the price. Only the homeowner has control over the first three reasons – not the agent! The realtor is responsible for the last reason! 4) MARKETING – If the home is priced right, in a good location, then the marketing efforts by the realtor must be examined. The realtor needs to increase the marketing efforts and get the listing in front of more of the right buyers. REMEMBER, IT MAY BE ALL, A COMBINATION, OR JUST ONE OF THE ABOVE REASONS WHY YOUR HOME WILL NOT SELL. A HOME THAT HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT OFFERS – YOU

In residential real estate, value is determined by what buyers are willing to pay. There are two ways to do this: one is a Comparable Market Analysis and the other is an Appraisal. They gather and compare the same information, but they require different licenses; either a real estate license or an Appraiser license. The information that is gathered is usually other properties in the same geographic area that are for sale now (active listings), properties that were for sale but are not now (expired listings) and those that have recently sold (Sold listings.) The most important are the SOLD listings as this will give the most accurate picture of what buyers are willing to pay for similar properties in that area at this time . If one were to look at ten to twelve properties in their area that are similar to their own that have recently sold, they would get a pretty good feel for the value. It doesn’t matter, it HAS never mattered and it nev

Myth #1: Foreclosure happens fast. With unemployment and underemployment still affecting nearly 1 in every 4 Americans, no one is immune from fears that a pink slip might quickly turn into a foreclosure notice. According to NeighborWorks America, nearly 60 percent of families seeking foreclosure counseling cited a lost job or cut wages as the reason they were facing foreclosure. While the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Programs haven’t been nearly as effective as predicted in actually preventing foreclosures, they have had the effect of extending the foreclosure process for many families. Even though the legal process of foreclosure can happen in as few as 6 months in most states, it is currently taking much longer for the average foreclosure to get to completion. Recently, JP Morgan Chase revealed that their average borrower who loses a home to foreclosure has not made any payments in 14 months nationwide; 22 months in FLorida and 26 months in New York

1. Dirt Dirt is the fastest way to turn-off a home buyer. When people are walking into a house they want to call home, they are looking for near perfection. By making sure there is no dirt, you’re helping your real estate look more appealing to buyers. 2. Odors Nobody wants to be somewhere infested by weird odors or have to hold their breath when opening a closet. Make sure you have all the rooms smelling fresh and clean. Try putting a loaf pan in the oven at 200 degrees with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and half cup of water. 3. Old fixtures 4. Wallpaper 5. Popcorn acoustic ceilings 6. Too many personal items 7. Snoopy sellers 8. Misrepresenting your home 9. Poor curb appeal 10. Clutter If you like this article check out: Fast and Easy DIY Ways to Make Your House Smell Amazing

Do you ever walk into your home and wish that it smelled like fresh baked goods? Ever wonder why grandma’s house was so welcoming? Chances are, the scent of your house has more effect on you than you thought! Look at these simple ways to get your house smelling great again! These are great tips to help your home sell fast or just for your own pleasure. 1. Make a stove simmer A Stove Simmer is a fast easy way to get your house smelling the way you want it to. Take a pot of water and boil some herbs, fruits, essential oils and perhaps your favorite tea. Let the scent defuse in the air and enrich the atmosphere with a pleasant scent that boosts the whole family’s mood. 2. Clean your garbage disposal This may sound like a no-brainer but you would be surprise the difference this can make! Use lemon slices to make your garbage disposal smell like a citrus farm! 3. Place candles strategically Place candles in the house to go with the natural flow of the ho

Oak Wilt Oak wilt is considered to be one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States. Over10,000 trees have already died of oak wilt in the Austin area alone. What is Oak Wilt? Oak wilt is a disease caused by a fungus that clogs the water conducting vessels of infected trees, causing them to wilt and die. What Causes Oak Wilt? A fungus called Ceratocystis fagacearum causes oak wilt. What Types of Trees Can Get Oak Wilt? Oak wilt is a problem for live oaks and red oaks (including Spanish oak and Blackjack oak) in the Austin area and throughout Central Texas. How Can I Tell If My Trees Have Oak Wilt? Live oaks and red oaks show distinctive symptoms when they are infected with oak wilt. In live oaks, some leaves on infected trees may begin to show a characteristic pattern. The veins on the leaf will turn yellow or brown, while the rest of the leaf remains green. The tips of some leaves may also turn brown, or the leaves may turn yellow with only t