7916 Brijetta Drive, Frisco

3605 Tennis Place, Plano

4 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / Pool / Creek Lot

2806 sq ft / Built 1983 / Plano Schools

 

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This stunning soft-contemporary home offers a rare C-shape floorplan, outstanding updates, a sparkling pool & is nestled on a gorgeous .42 acre lot overlooking a pond in sought-after River Bend West! Upgrades-features are…modern hardwood-style ceramic flooring*split formal used as a study*leaded-glass front door*elegant formal dining*split guest suite with full bath & WIC*gourmet kitchen with painted cabs, gas cooktop, granite & tumbled stone backsplash, abundant cabs, stainless double-oven, LG fridge & nice breakfast area with patio view*spacious family room with built-ins, vaulted & beamed ceilings, surround sound & pool view*split owner’s suite with private patio, water view & luxury bath with over-sized WI shower, linen storage & large WIC*excellent storage throughout-hall closet*two other large bedrooms*beautiful live oaks*Rheem water heaters(21)*neutral tones & baseboards updated*Anderson patio door(21)*cellular shades(21)*LED fans(21)*cedar closet & more! 

For more information and other homes for sale in this area, check out www.myrealtytown.com Please contact Jeff Jacobs at 972.978.6539 for more information or click HERE.

Buy Before You Sell

A common concern for homeowners is that if they sell their home first, they may not be able to find another home to buy. It is understandable with the low inventories currently available in most markets, but a strong argument can be made to buy your replacement home first.

In fact, there are some advisors that would tell you not to sell at all. Instead, keep the home for a rental investment and refinance it to pull out some cash for the down payment and closing costs for the new one.

Many homeowners recognize that their home has been an excellent investment for them. Their home may have outperformed their retirement and other investments. In all likelihood, homeowners understand the management and benefits of a single-family home far better than they understand stocks, mutual funds, annuities, or ETFs.

Just as there are low inventories of homes for sales, there are shortages of available single-family homes for rent, as is evidenced by rent continuing to rise. Rising prices and rents contribute to the rates of return that rental properties enjoy.

A homeowner, assuming they have good credit, can borrow the difference in their unpaid balance and 80% of the fair market value of their home. The proceeds are most likely not a taxable event and can be used to purchase the replacement home.

It is likely that the rent could cover the total payment on the refinanced former home. The seller, then, benefits from income, depreciation, equity build-up, appreciation, and leverage.

There is even a window of opportunity possible for the homeowner to rent it for a while, which covers his payment, allows the home to continue to appreciate, and then, sell and close it within two years and still be eligible for the section 121 exclusion of gain in a principal residence.

The homeowner may find that the investment is providing a better return than alternative investments and keep the rental beyond the two years. At some later date, if the homeowner wanted to dispose of the property and buy another more expensive rental, a section 1031 exchange may be available to avoid capital gains for a while longer.

Many economists feel that the low inventory situation in most of America is going to be a long-term event due to over a decade of underbuilding and maturity of the millennial generation. This will continue to propel both home values and rents; both of which are good for investors.

Buy before you sell but they don’t have to be at the same time; they can be years apart. Do a cash-out refinance on your current home for the proceeds to buy another home that meets your needs now. Then, convert your current home to a rental investment. Don’t wait because rising interest rates will increase your payments on not only the new home but the refinanced home also.

Talk to your real estate professional about what the fair market value of your current home is now, what you can expect to pull out of it and what it would rent for. Download our Rental Income Properties guide for more information.

1201 Saddlebrook Drive, McKinney

3 Bedrooms / 3 Baths / Study

3173 sq ft / Built 1997 / McKinney Schools

 

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Custom Quality abounds in this stunning Huntington home in sought-after Saddlebrook in Stonebridge Ranch with impeccable updating & a sparkling pool all nestled on over-sized .28 lot! Upgrades & features are…rich hardwoods*plantation shutters, custom millwork in elegant formals, pool-spa, covered patio, gazebo & lush landscaping, spacious family room with vaulted ceilings & FP gourmet kitchen with island, built-in fridge, double-oven, gas cooktop, beverage fridge, custom WIP & large breakfast area, split owner’s suite with hardwoods & remodeled bath with custom closet, soaking tub, over-sized rain-glass shower, furniture-style vanities & heated floors, large game room up, two large split bedrooms up & updated bath, upgraded iron spindles & door hardware, Pella windows, epoxy garage flooring, heater & storage cabs-work bench, built-in grill station-gas burner, upgraded front door & rain-glass transomsgas
coach lights, private study with French doors & full bath & more!

For more information and other homes for sale in this area, check out www.myrealtytown.com Please contact Jeff Jacobs at 972.978.6539 for more information or click HERE.

When are the Negotiations Over?

The primary negotiation in a home purchase takes place when the contract is agreed upon that includes the price, closing and possession. With inventory down over 19% in the past year and multiple offers being more of the norm than the exception, the first round of negotiations can be challenging.

Buyers and sellers alike feel relieved once it has resulted in an agreement, but experienced agents know there is more to come if there are contingencies for financing, inspections, or other things. The competition for the home may be so tough that the buyer waived their rights for what would be normal contingencies.

Financing is one of the most common contingencies in normal situations but when multiple offers are involved, the cash offers tend to have the advantage. If you don’t have the resources to make a cash offer, the next best position is to be pre-approved with a commitment letter from the lender. Arrange for the lender to confirm the pre-approval directly with the listing agent prior to the listing agent presenting the offer.

There have been buyers who know they don’t have the cash to close and apply for a mortgage anyway and try to reinsert the provision outside of the contract. Experienced listing agents will advise the seller to have the buyer provide proof of funds necessary to close and verify that they do indeed exist.

The purpose of an inspection is for the buyer to receive an objective evaluation about the condition of the home and its components to identify existing defects and potential problems. The expense for inspections can be several hundred dollars and it’s reasonable for buyers not to want to spend the money before they find out if they can come to terms with the seller. From a different perspective, sellers want to know quickly if the buyer is going to reject the home due to the inspections because they could be losing time. For that reason, inspection time frames are limited to a few days from acceptance of the offer.

Sometimes, buyers will expect sellers to make all the repairs listed on the report and this is where the second round of negotiations begins. If the seller refuses, the negotiations can go back and forth until the other party accepts the offer on the table.

When purchasing a new home from a builder, it is expected for everything to be in working order; after all, it is new. However, it is reasonable to expect that existing homes, that are not new, have a different standard. While it’s understandable that buyers would want to be aware about major items that are not in "working order", normal wear and tear of components based on its age should be expected.

In a highly competitive seller’s market, buyers might do whatever they can to get their contract accepted, realizing that there is another place to negotiate when they’re not competing with other buyers’ offers to purchase.

The negotiations involved in a home purchase are not complete until the buyer and seller have signed the papers and the title has passed to the buyer. Up until the closing is finished, any item that comes up could prolong the negotiations.

For this to be a WIN-WIN situation, both seller and buyer must feel good about the negotiations that led to transaction closing. Neither party should feel that the other party had an unfair advantage over them.

Become a Victim of Inflation or Benefit from It

In inflationary times, currently the highest in 40 years, the purchasing power of your money diminishes each day; essentially, buying you less. The biggest threat is to be without capital assets, like a home, that are benefiting from the increase in prices.

Your money buys less gasoline now, than it did a year ago, by close to 50%. Beef prices are up about 20% since last year. Used cars are about 35% more expensive than they were a year ago. Mortgage rates are near 5% after reaching their lowest of 2.65% in January 2021.

And then, there is the price of houses. CoreLogic reports that home prices increased year over year by 20% in February 2022. Their Home Price Index indicates an annual five percent increase in prices from 2014 to 2021.

For many people, the American dream of owning a home is slipping away. Adjusting your expectations for the perfect home and when you expect to achieve it, can be a legitimate, long-term strategy to making the dream come true. By delaying the gratification of getting everything you want in a home now and making compromises that would allow you to stair-step your way into the "forever home" could be the plan to incrementally reach your goal.

Owning a home in today’s market, even if it isn’t the ultimate home, provides a significant hedge against inflation. Not only is the home appreciating faster than the rate of inflation, the mortgage on the home produces leverage that increases a homeowner’s return on their equity.

Homeowners have both the home’s appreciation and its amortization working in tandem to increase their equity. Money in a bank account or the stock market can’t compare to the potential.

$40,000 invested in a certificate of deposit earning 1% would be worth $42,040 in five years. If the same amount was invested in the stock market that earned 6% annually, it would be worth $53,529. However, if the $40,000 were invested in a $400,000 home, with a mortgage at 5% for 30 years, that appreciated at 5% annually, the equity would be close to $180,000 at the end of the same five-year period.

Connect with us and let’s put together a plan to help you benefit from inflation.

236 Whitman Drive, McKinney

3 Bedrooms / 2 Baths / Covered Patio

1676 sq ft / Built 2015 / Prosper Schools

 

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This gorgeous home in sought-after Reserve at Westridge features an open floorplan, rich upgrades, excellent location & Prosper schools! Upgrades-features are….rich hardwoods*upgraded front door*farm doors*neutral tones throughout*gourmet kitchen with 42in Mocha cabs, stainless appliances, gas cooktop, Bosch DW, large breakfast bar, farm sink & sunny dining area*Texas-sized family room & cast-stone gas FP*split owner’s suite & nice bath with separate shower, garden tub & WIC*two nice-sized bedrooms split by full bath*large backyard with covered patio, gas stub for grill and professionally built Tuff Shed for storage*Upgraded Lorex Sec System*LED light fixtures & fans & more. This home is move-in ready!

For more information and other homes for sale in this area, check out www.myrealtytown.com Please contact Jeff Jacobs at 972.978.6539 for more information or click HERE.

106 Jennie Court, Ferris

1000 Chestnut Drive, Frisco

725 Bent Creek Drive, Allen