FAQ
2. Are there good and bad REALTORS?
3. Why should I use Dan Realty and JB Goodwin REALTORS?
4. What is the difference betweeen Earnest Money and Option Money?
5. What is the deal about free UT Football Season Tickets?
6. Can Dan Realty recommend a REALTOR anywhere in the U.S.?
7. Who pays your commission
8. What is a Homestead Exemption?
9. Can you handle Commercial Real Estate (Leases & Sales) as well as Income Property?
10. What is Staging?
2. Are there good and bad REALTORS? Are there good and bad doctors, you bet, and doctors go through years and years of schooling. REALTORS only need to take a few courses offered online and take a test. Weekend courses are given that promise you will pass if you take them. It is experience that separates one REALTOR from another. Experience and excellent listening and communicating skills are essential for a top agent. Not every REALTOR has these skills. Here at JB Goodwin Realtors, we can steer you away from the intern towards the experienced doctor. We have a cohesive team of experts that always has your best interest in mind.
3. Why should I use JB Goodwin REALTORS? Choosing a real estate agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding your home sale or purchase. Why risk the most important financial decision of your life? Dan Realty along with JB Goodwin Realtors forms a team of experts around you unlike any other agency. We help you through this complex process making sure you are comfortable 100% of the time. We have been serving Central Texas for 40 years with tens of billions of dollars in transactions. Our clients keep coming back and it is simply because we are extremely good at what we do. Let us make a successful real estate transaction for you.
Who Gets the Money? Both the Option Fee and the Earnest Money checks go to the Title Company. Typically the Earnest Money is made out to the Title Company. and is not cashed till closing. The Option Fee is usually made out to the seller and is deposited right away. That is a fee you are paying for to have the option to inspect the home without other buyers trying to buy it. The contract will stipulate if the option money will be applied to the sales price or not. What people like about the option money is that since it is a lower number it is easier to walk away from if you decide to back out. How this typically happens is if you find something on the inspector’s report that is worrisome you can back out and just lose the option money while getting the earnest money back. If you go past the time that you have paid the option money for (option time) then you risk losing the earnest money.
DO YOU ALWAYS LOSE THE EARNEST MONEY? Not always. Rules and laws regarding earnest money are sometimes tricky and if you are about to get into an earnest money dispute CONSULT AN ATTORNEY. We have an attorney in house if you wish to use ours.
SHOULD YOU GIVE MORE IF YOU ARE IN A BIDDING WAR? Some Realtors like their clients to give a larger amount if there are multiple bids, and this technique works pretty well. Another technique to look at if there really is a bidding war is give the normal amount of earnest money, but give option money that is equal to roughly one month’s payment. This way the seller truly knows you are going to try and buy the place, and if it doesn’t work out the seller now has next month’s payment covered.
7. Who pays your commission? No need to worry about paying anything to your agent or the agent’s broker if you are a Buyer or a Tenant. The only people who pay commissions are the Seller/Builder or in the case of a lease it would be the Landlord.
What is the benefit? In Texas, the homestead exemption allows a deduction equal to 20% of the house value on a principal residence. Basically, the exemption removes part of your home’s value from being taxed, ultimately lowering your property taxes. If your home were appraised for $200,000, you would qualify for a $40,000 exemption. You would pay taxes on the home as if it was worth $160,000. The benefit of the homestead exemption is a significant amount of savings. Also, you only have to file it one time.
First Impressions
- Trim and edge your lawn.
- Add some flowers and bark chips along the front walkways.
- How does the paint and condition of the front door look?
- Clean driveway grease spots and check if the garage door needs paint.
- Take a look at your home from the road and then walk through the front door. Are there any other changes you can make to set the stage?
Light
- LIGHT helps a home to look BIGGER and CHEERIER.
- Keep the shades open to let more light in.
- In dark hallways, entry ways and rooms, leave the LIGHTS ON, even in the daytime.
- Dark paneling, paint or wallpaper may need to be replaced on painted.
- Clean windows and especially clean sliding glass doors.
Space
- SHOW OFF all the SPACE that your home has.
- It’s time to pack up those closets and get ready to move. Let the buyers see how much closet space they will be buying.
- Now is the time to clean the garage. How about a garage sale? Too much furniture will make your rooms look small. Move some furniture to the garage if you have to.
- The KITCHEN is one of the most important rooms in the buyer’s buying decision. Is it CLEAN? Can you pack some things away to better demonstrate the counter and cabinet space?