All about the real estate market in North Texas, including homes for sale, homes for rent, guides in selling and buying a home, mortgage, property tax, estimates, etc.
When selling your home, you would like it to look its best. With the price you are asking, you would want to show it off as if it should be more expensive to catch more buyers. Homes that look more expensive than their price would make buyers feel like they are getting a great deal.
There are a lot of ways to do this, some ways will cost you dollars which is actually not practical and surely will not work if you're doing it to get your home sold. So if you're planning to sell your home, we have gathered tips and easy DIY that will help you make your home look more expensive.
Crown Molding. Looking at those plain blank corners of your walls and ceilings makes them look boring and cheap. The Penny Parlor just shared how easy to make crown molding like this one.
Wainscotting. Which one looks more glamorous? The after picture of course. It does look more expensive and more appealing to the eyes. See here how this entry way transformed!
Via Home Depot
Paneled Wall. With the right remodeling, walls can be rich and looks sophisticated. Just like what Jenna Sue did on their bedroom makeover.
Via Jenna Sue Design
Window Valance. Another DIY to make your windows look stunning for just less than $30. See how here.
Via I Heart Naptime
Staircases. Maximize those extra spaces! Depending on how you do it, your home can have that expensive look. This idea of including unique modern lighting made this house gorgeous!
Via Pinterest
Backsplash. Add more glamour to your kitchen by putting on a marble backsplash. Check out the difference between these before and after photos and see how to do it here.
Via Remodelando La Casa
Wood Beam. Pipes showing up at the bathroom? You don't have to lower your ceiling to cover them up. Wood beams are beautiful and can add character on your ceilings.
Via Beneath My Heart
Spray Paint. Just like magic! Spray paint turns anything into something classy. Remember to choose the right colors for best results. Check these examples of how spray paint can make your house look more expensive here.
Via Little Green Notebook
Recessed Lights. Get that dramatic effect with recessed lights to your home. Here's a detailed how-to.
Via The Family Handyman.
It's surprising how easy and affordable it is to make your home look more expensive than what it really costs. These listed tips are all DIYs. You don't have to pay for skilled services. So if you are planing to sell your home, you can try some of these for a much lower cost than you expected. For sure, when buyers starts to come by to check your home for sale, they will be impressed and think that they are buying more than what they are paying for with these little tricks. Don't worry, you're not cheating them. It's just an additional effort to get more interested buyers and get your home sold faster.
Memories are best when not forgotten. Time forgets but photos will always remind you of those happy days, happy memories you would never want to forget. That's why albums were very important during the old days. Now, we have technology, social media has been the number one mode of saving and preserving memories by just uploading photos. This can be a good way, but it decreases the emotion and photos become less special.
Add some more emotional and personal touches on your home decor with your family photos. The hard part is, how? Losing ideas on how to arrange your family photos at home? We've collected some cool, unique and creative way of displaying family photos. Check out these ideas:
Place your photos in a screw top glass jars or mason jars. This one makes your special memory looks more special.
Via Pinterest
There's no better way of recycling your old scrabble board. This mom's brilliant idea is to use the scrabble tiles in captioning them.
Via Babble
Decorate the corners of your home with your special family photos.
Via Pinterest
Create your own clock with your photos. You might want to arrange the photos according to your kid's schedule or your family's daily routine.
Via Picky Stitch
Another good way of recycling. Use the old shutters to pin or clip your family photos then hang them on your wall. You can even have it as a part of your garden.
Via Picky Stitch
Old windows can be good picture frames, too!
Via Pinterest
Family tree. There are a many ways you can show your family tree. Why not show it on your wall? And redo that usual table of pictures of your family lying in your study?
Via Pinterest
Instagram wall is now very common. Why not have one in your room and display your family selfies and group pictures? You can always make it more creative and unique!
Via Pinterest
Shape 'em! You don't need to be an artist to form something with your family photos. Simple, yet meaningful.
Via Lushome
Lettering! Crop and form them into letters. I would suggest creating something like this to form your family name. It's cool! I'm sure visitors will love them!
Via Pinterest
Make them BIG! Have your family photo or kids' photo printed in a tarp or you can have it personalized wallpaper.
Via Poppytalk
Boxes of small photos? Or maybe stacks of photo albums. With clothespin, you can display all those photos as cool as this.
Via Wedding Bee
Some of us have their family history photos. It would look great if you match these photos with the color of your wall and furniture.
Via Skonahem
This one is one of my favorites. Feel the love in your family's memory with your photos in a bottle. Along with your photo, you can add some sort of messages and put inside the bottles to make it more special.
Via Pinterest
Whenever there's darkness, there is always family. Make those Christmas lights more useful with this creative way of displaying family photos. Christmas should be everyday, right?
Via Pinterest
Frames hava always been a part of photos. And here are some easy DIY frames for your unforgettable family moments.
Via The French Mouse House
Be more expressive and mix in some special words, sayings or personal messages to your photo arrangement.
Via Flickr
Extra things at home can be more useful than you can imagine. Just look how cool this curtain rod turned into fabulous family photo decoration.
Via Pinterest
Beautiful entrance! Hang your special moments on the sides of your door. It reminds you what family always getting together means.
Via Pinterest
Family photos collage on your wall. No matter how you design it, it's the memories within those photos that counts.
Via Pinterest
Inspiration on your workstation has been proven to increase productivity. Looking at your family whenever you're on overtime reminds you what your hard work is for.
Via Pinterest
There are so many more unique and creative ways of displaying and preserving family photos. Display them at home or in the office. No matter where and how you do it, the most important thing is to not to forget those memories and to always remember what family is.
Why The Fejeran Group Real Estate Home Value Estimate is Better than Zillow's
It is normal to be on a listing appointment with a seller and have them bring up what they saw their home was worth on the Zillow Zestimate. Getting the estimated home value of your property has been made easily accessible to homeowners. By just filling out forms like this one, you'll get the information you are looking for instantly. Most people use the Internet to get information on real estate. From lists of homes for sales, advice on buying and selling, mortgage calculators, market reports, estimated home value, and so much more. You can find just about anything you want to know about real estate. Whether it's for real estate buyer or seller information, it is all available to consumers.
Most homeowners, when they plan to sell their property, they look for a home value estimator available online. Property valuation is important in real estate financing, listing your home for sale, property insurance, taxation, buying, and investment analysis. Zillow which is an online rental and real estate information service, provides great resources. Zestimate, which is one of the popular tools by Zillow, is an estimated property value by Zillow obtained using a computer-generated valuation model. The logic used inZestimateis similar to that of a real estate agent, but they differ with the evaluation method used and the results.
With all the resources available online, it is now very easy to get the basic information on a home value but who should you trust if you want an accurate value of your home? Who has the most reliable results? Is it the real estate agents or Zillow? Let's talk about their differences.
Let's Talk about Zestimates...
The Zestimate home valuation is Zillow's estimated market value, computed using a proprietary formula. It is NOT an Appraisal! Zillow uses public records and user submitted data such as the property’s features. The market values in a specific area depends on the transaction numbers in that specific geographic area. Since Zillow uses public records and user submitted data, the accuracy of Zestimate is affected on how much data is available. The site knows how much a home sold for, the last time it was purchased and has similar information for other homes in the surrounding area. It uses automated valuation models together with several algorithms that include physical attributes, tax assessments, and prior and current transactions to determine the value of a property. Physical attributes are home characteristics such as lot size, square footage, number of beds and baths, location and other details. All of this data is then added into several equations, to get the value of a property within an area. While Zillow does provide helpful tools, the Zestimate is a roughly calculated value and is less accurate than it looks. Zillow even acknowledges and has a disclaimer about the accuracy of the information, which has been sometimes extremely off in the valuation of properties The Fejeran Group has worked with. Whether you are a buyer or seller, you can't afford to be off thousands of dollars in your calculation of listing price or offer on a home. This is an automated system and just like all other automated systems, it does not think on it's own. Zestimate has its own formula but should not replace a (CMA) Comparative Market Analysis by a Real Estate Professional, and its results cannot be used as a basis for decisions made in regards to any real estate transaction. Why?
Let's Talk About Real Estate Agents...
Real Estate Agents are trained and licensed, skilled professionals with substantial knowledge of the local real estate market. If you are looking for the most accurate home value of your property, seek the help of a real estate professional.
One important factor is that agents conduct physical inspections of the property, since the condition of the property can greatly impact the market value and ultimately the selling price. It can be issues with foundation, roof or other structural items. It may be the location of the home in the neighborhood, does your home back up to a main street, water tower or train track. There are many factors that need to be considered that the agent can help you assess.
The agent will consider important values such as the demand and supply forces, prices of similar properties in the neighborhood, a property’s current state, and other factors to provide a home value estimate. Real estate agents have access to the fresh current sales data and will give you an estimate that is in line with the market. They get updates as soon as they come into the MLS system. Whether you are obtaining a mortgage, refinancing, selling your property, leasing, or buying property, you will need to get an accurate home valuation. When real estate comes to mind, many people will go right to the internet and click and read through things because it is fast and convenient. Don't just jump to it because you may be losing money. Yes it is fast and convenient but it does not mean it is accurate. We can always check the internet as another option but we should not always rely on it. Talk to a real human to get all the updated, reliable and accurate data.
Although Zillow provides helpful real estate tools, its valuation tool often gives consumers unreliable information. It does not have all that information or data to have the best results. Zillow does not visit properties and do inspections to see things that might affect the value of a property. The Zestimate is just a roughly calculated value which is based on the input data. Therefore, less accurate and not reliable. If you put in wrong information, the estimate you get will be incorrect. The results are sometimes way too high or too low, causing problems during transactions. Zillow may have done its best to ensure consumers get the closest estimate possible, but remember, it is only an automated system, a program full of codes that cannot think on its own. That system or program does not visit your home and talk to professionals to get updates on the market every minute. Whatever is input by the consumers into the system, right or wrong, it doesn't matter, the program will just calculate.
Agents are better informed than the consumers. They use and exploit their skills and experiences to provide the most accurate, reliable and realistic home value estimate. The market trends change frequently and vary from one neighborhood to another. It can be a thousand higher today, then suddenly drops the next.
Before giving an estimated home value, a real estate agent takes note of the location, physical features, market condition, and so much more. A true real estate agent will pick up on the latest market trends faster than the automated system and thus, their estimates would be more accurate and updated than Zillow’s.
Outdated data or incorrect information causes the inaccuracies in the Zestimates results. Not everyone is techy. Some people may find it hard to use this tool, and those who are not familiar with evaluations have higher chances of making errors. These inaccuracies can also result from Zillow’s heavy reliance on the aging factor and a statistical dollar per square foot formula. It's true that the site may have important data, but not enough to tell how much the property is REALLY worth. The Zestimate tool can not determine the actual condition out and inside the home. It compares a property with others based on the features presented in the public record instead of the actual features in their current condition. Unlike with that of an agent who physically does a home inspection, taking the property’s current state of into account. Real estate agents conduct a thorough analysis of properties and use well-planned strategies and methodologies to estimate and come up with a more appropriate number as the home value. The Real Estate Agent will judge subjective housing conditions that may affect the value such as upgrades and additions, as well as what things are included and not included in the property for sale.
There are so many things to consider in selling your home and your real estate agent is going to make sure to consider all of these things when talking to you about your home's value.
If a comparable is in an inferior condition, the real estate agent will ensure adjustments are made to reflect this. You cannot attain a complete level of accuracy without actually visiting a property and using the human touch to filter through sales information. Being an automated tool, the Zestimate does not know the essential factors that could affect the property value. A licensed agent will explain, discuss and help you understand how these unique characteristics can influence the actual value of the property. A competent real estate agent has the expertise to compare entirely different homes within a neighborhood to get an accurate value. Does Zestimate have this kind of ability? Absolutely not.
Comparable sales are a valuable tool in determining a property’s worth and Zillow does not use it the way it should be. Sometimes, what Zestimate may use as a comparable sale may not be the really comparable ones. For instance, if you use the tool to get your home's value, it will then use every home in the area whether comparable or not, to give an estimated value. Realtors understand how one comparable sale relates to the other. A real estate agent will give a closer look at the current sales and only use 3 to 5 homes in each status: generally sold, under contract, and available. The agent chooses homes that best compare to your home to come up with a number.
The data used by Zillow in regards to the physical location is much broader than just your town or neighborhood. Zillow often uses all the data in a county to come up with the Zestimates, and this sometimes results in numbers way too high or too low. The value of properties in a county vary tremendously. County records in many states do not indicate additions or newly finished houses by builders thus, by using such data, Zillow’s estimates are likely to be less accurate. Also, what if your home is new and in good condition but in an older neighborhood? The chances are, the public records used by Zestimate will be inaccurate. A true real estate agent will find out the actual location of the property, features and all the details and most accurate information that will affect the home's value.
It is important to note that a system does not recognize similar market areas. An example of such areas is the school districts and many areas, the value of a property is determined by the school district in which it is in.
When selling your home, it is not just simply knowing its value estimate. In addition to giving you a home value estimate, real estate agents also provide valuable services and advice that can help in marketing, listing, and negotiation. A computer-generated tool can never replace that. Although the Zestimates give you a picture of how much your home may be worth, no algorithm or any other computer program can beat the expertise of a real estate agent. Although Zillow claims to have some procedures for human input on their valuation, this is a temporary and limited aid that may result an incorrect estimate. Another thing is that, human input could be subjective and may end up altering the results hence reducing the integrity of this tool. Anyone could just input anything.
Your licensed agent will provide an unbiased price valuation. For sellers, having an inaccurate price evaluation leads you to listing your property too low and potentially leaving money on the table or listing it too high making it stay on the market way longer than it should be.
A home value estimate provided by a person will be more accurate than an estimate by Zillow or any other similar online tool. With that in mind, it is evident that Zillow cannot draw comparisons the way a real estate agent can and clearly, a home value estimate from a professional and local real estate agent is better than an estimate.
Zestimate may be an important tool that can be used as a starting point, but its estimates are not accurate and sufficient enough to help you make a housing decision. It will require a lot of improvement before it can offer real benefits to consumers. The best way and surest way to get an accurate value of a property is to have it evaluated by a licensed professional real estate agent in person. With the expertise, market knowledge, designations, education, and experience, real estate agents are the people you should trust to give you an accurate estimate. And it doesn't end there. Selling or even just preparing to sell your home in the future is a tedious process. Talking to a real estate professional makes it easier for you. They do not just give you figures, they discuss and makes sure you understand all the process and what's going to happen. By the end of the day, you can be confident that with The Fejeran Group, they are highly qualified, ethical, and ready to assess a property professionally with good judgment.
Autographed With Excellence - The Fejeran Group has the top Real Estate Strategists in North Dallas. Home valuation? Expect us to do the unexpected and exceed expectations. So if you are planning to sell or buy a property, choose to hire a great real estate team in North Dallas to work on it. Choose The Fejeran Group and surely, you will not regret it!
Perfect Property for First Time Homeowner, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Very Clean, Original Hardwood Floors, Spacious Rooms, Open Concept Floorplan, New Master Bath Addition and Remodeled 2nd Bath, New Carpet in Family Room, 2 Dining Rooms, Very Light and Bright with lots of Windows, Large Utility, Large Lot for Kids to Play, Mature Trees, Fenced Yard, Large Covered Patio in Front and Back. Large Storage Building in Back, Carport in front. Within Walking Distance of City Park. Close to All Downtown Amenities.
9111 Meadow Ln, Frisco, Texas is a great property for first time home-buyers in North Dallas. This home is listed by the Fejeran Group for $180,000. This home has 3 bedrooms, and 2 full bathrooms. It is approximately 1,400 square feet. It was built in 1968.
This is a great family home in the heart of Frisco, Texas. It has very spacious rooms and an open concept floorplan. You don't need to do big renovations to have that dream look for your home. Outside is a large backyard which is perfect for entertaining or kids to play. The covered porch can be the best place for your tea or coffee time.
This home is just walking distance to the Frisco Commons park. It is also nearby community best-rated grocery or shopping centers. For your childrens' education, you can choose from the sought-after Frisco ISD schools.
If you are interested in viewing this home in person, call us or stop by and our team of realtors will be happy to show you this beautiful home. Be sure to contact Sheila Fejeran to schedule a personal appointment at a time of your convenience. You can reach The Fejeran Group at 972-948-0715, or contact Sheila via email at Sheila@thefejerangroup.com any time. We look forward to finding the perfect home for you!
Fall or autumn marks the transition from summer into winter. Fall is usually considered to start in September and ends in December. This year 2015, fall begins on September 23, early in the morning at 4:21 A.M.
Nights goes below-freezing temperatures and becomes longer and days go below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier and the leaves begin to drop off the trees. It is now the endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents. Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up.
With these changes and with winter fast approaching, there are home preparations or improvements that need to be done.
For a lot of people, fall is the time to do a thorough house cleaning, renovation, and inspection. Others want to get organized in preparation for selling their home. For whatever reason, if you want to organize your home, here's a list of things to do you might want to consider.
Home Maintenance Tips This Fall
Use these home maintenance tips during fall season to keep your house in shape and help keep you warm this winter:
Gutters and Downspouts - Always clean and make sure all drainage areas are not blocked by leaves or anything. You may install gutter guards to avoid blockage. Inspect joints, and tighten brackets if needed. Clogged gutters cause ice dams. It is advised to replace old or damaged gutters with new ones that have built-in leaf guards.
Roof - Roof inspection can be a DIY but you can also hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. Check if the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling. They might need to be replaced or if there's a lot of damage, you'd have to replace the entire roof. And do not forget to check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. Heavy snow and ice will find its way in through the leaks and gaps.
Water Pipes - Exterior water pipes will burst when the weather gets below freezing. Make sure all the water is drained from the pipes, or else, the water can freeze up and damage the pipes. Wrap water pipes that run along exterior walls with heating tape. This will save energy and prevent them from freezing.
Fireplace - Prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected, cleaned and repaired.
Windows and doors - Due to weather and temperature changes, window seals crack and shrink. Always check your windows and doors for leaks and drafts. Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Use caulk to fill the holes or completely replace the wood. Install weather stripping around windows and doors. If not fixed, openings can cause water to get in and freeze, resulting in cracks and mold build-up.
Lawn - Routinely rake up or use a mulching mower to shred the thick layers of leaves that settle on lawn surfaces. Large, wet leaves can compact and suffocate the grass underneath and lead to all kinds of insect and disease problems. You can also add the leaves to flower beds as a winter blanket for your garden. Fall is also a good time to aerate your lawn because it allows moisture and nutrients to get into the roots.
Attics - Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly. The vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space or else, the insulation will trap moisture, causing possible water problems. And because attics are full of warm insulation - perfect for pests nesting, it is always a good idea to install a screen behind the gable vents that lead into the attic to keep those critters out.
Basement - If you have a basement, and there is water seepage, you need to work around the foundation of your house. If nothing has hit the basement, take a walk around the outside of your house. Do you see any cracks along the foundation? You might have forgotten to water your foundation. One thing to remember is that with the soil in Texas, the foundation needs to be watered to keep it from cracking.
Driveway - Inspect for cracks, clean, and repair any damage with driveway filler, then coat with a sealer. Seal the driveway now. It will help extend the life of the asphalt through the winter and beyond.
Exterior - Check the exterior walls of the house to see peeling or blistering paint. Peeling paint can no longer protect the siding of the structure. Lower humidity and cooler but not so cold temperatures make fall a good time to paint or repaint the exterior of your home.
CO detectors and smoke alarms - Each fall, always check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms. These are the most important detectors in a home. They save lives from house fires and the deadly carbon monoxide.
Fall Cleaning Time
While there is a spring clean, there is also what we call autumn/fall clean. "Spring and autumn cleans are the perfect opportunities to reorganize your house," says Shannon Lush, author of Speed Cleaning (ABC Books). Here's a list of things to do in a fall clean:
Furniture, Cabinets, Wardrobes and Bookshelves - Clean the furniture, cabinets and bookshelves. The best way to tackle a messy cabinet, wardrobe or bookshelf is to empty it. Then, begin cleaning, dusting and sorting what you will keep from what you won’t. Sort which ones goes into the rag bag, which ones can be sold, which ones can be donated, or which ones can be passed on to friends and relatives. When you're done, you can rearrange the position of the furniture.
Cupboard, Fridge and Pantry - Fall clean is also time to go through the cupboard. Sort which items are most-used and which ones can be stacked on the higher shelves. Clear and clean the shelves, then replace linings. Throw out old foods.
Bathroom Cabinet and Medicine Cabinet - Sort through the bathroom cabinet and check the cosmetics, bath, and beauty products and clear out the expired ones or the ones that you are not using, might be that you've changed brands, etc. Also, sort through your medicine cupboard for any creams, cleaning products and medicines that are beyond the expiration date.
Before saying it's all done, make sure to clean garden tools and the other tools you used during the entire fall clean before storing for the winter. When you've finished the fall clean, it's "YEAH" time! Reward yourself and your family for a job well done. Go out and check out the different fall events and activities in the city. You may want to invite family friends for a visit and show off the new look of the house.
Looking to buy a new home, but need to sell your current home in the Dallas, Texas area first? Call 972-948-0715 or use our 15 second home value estimator or search for homes in one of our advanced search pages.
If you are preparing your home for sale, or if you are interested in buying a home, The Fejeran Groupserves the entire North Dallas area, including Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Garland, Van Alstyne, and Sherman. Contact me to find out how we can help you reach your goals!
**Texas law requires that all real estate licensees give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-K.pdf
**Texas law requires that all real estate licensees give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/contracts/OP-K.pdf