5 Reasons to Sell in the McAllen Area This Winter

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With every decision in life, there are pros and cons. Choosing when to sell your home is no different. Many homeowners believe that selling during the fall and winter months is not a good idea; they think spring is the only time a home can be sold. This couldn't be further from the truth! Here's why.

1. Less competition. The fewer comparable homes for sale, the greater the probability a buyer will look at your home. It's a matter of supply and demand. If there are fewer homes for sale, buyers have fewer homes to choose from. This increases the demand for your property. Not only will low supply increase your chance for showings, but it will increase your chances of selling for top dollar.
2. Low mortgage rates. Interest rates are expected to increase soon. Since rates are so low now, buyers are able to afford more expensive homes. If the rates go up during the winter while you wait to list your property, you could lose thousands of dollars. Higher rates could eliminate certain buyers from the marketplace. Less demand for your home means less money for you. Bottom line? Take advantage of these low rates now.





3. Serious buyers. Homes are bought and sold 365 days of the year, not just in the spring. Some buyers may stop looking during the fall and winter, but serious buyers are always out there. Plus, if your neighbors put up holiday lights, buyers can really get a feel for your neighborhood.
4. Use the best agents. The best agents are always up to a challenge. A great agent will adapt to the season and market your home appropriately. They will also give you tips on how to sell in the winter. If your agent tells you that homes simply don't sell in the winter, you need to be concerned about how creative that agent will be in marketing your home.
5. Quicker transactions. Since there are fewer transactions in the winter, everyone from the mortgage company to the home inspector has more time to focus solely on your transaction. This means that you can close faster in the winter than you could in the spring when everyone in the home closing process is much busier.

There are many advantages to selling your home in the winter. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

How Should You Decorate Your McAllen Area Home When Selling This Holiday Season?

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Today, expert home stager Lindsey Cavazos joins us to share some holiday decorating ideas that will appeal to buyers!

For many, the holidays are already the most stressful time of the year -- trying to sell during this time only amplifies it! Many homeowners are unsure how they should present their home during the holidays. Luckily, we're here to help.

Nothing says "Make yourself at home!" like a home that already smells like the holidays. Before buyers come over for a showing, boil one sliced orange, one sliced lemon, four bay leaves, two tablespoons of whole cloves, four cinnamon sticks, and half a cup of cranberries in four cups of water. This will ensure they make themselves comfortable and will take their time walking around your home!

When decorating your home for the holidays, you want to keep it simple! You don't want to overwhelm buyers with a bunch of holiday decor. Enhance what you have, and simply accent with holiday decorations. It's very important to declutter before bringing out the ornaments. Keep in mind that large nativity displays and villages are popular with homeowners and may add a personal touch, but are not popular with all buyers. Instead of a busy display, opt to highlight features of a room, like the mantle, by using garland and few ornaments.

When shopping for a tree, keep in mind where you're going to be putting it. If you have a small space, don't go and get a huge Christmas tree. You don't want to crowd the area and make it feel small and overwhelmed. If you have tall ceilings, get a tall tree that will fill the room and decorate them as much as you would like. One thing to keep in mind is that the tree should compliment the color palate of the room. If a tree has a clean, all-white color scheme, skip the clashing red garland and opt for a white tree, white candles, and silver glass ornaments.

Lights or no lights? This is a question most sellers have when marketing their home during the holiday season. If you decide to put lights up, keep in mind that doing it tastefully is key. Show off your landscape by adding single-strand lighting leading up to your front door and use lights to enhance your flowerbeds and trees. Nothing says curb appeal more than a well-lit, beautifully manicured front yard! There are buyers who may be drawn to the neighborhood and location based on what the street looks like during the holidays!

If you have any questions about making your home look its best this holiday season, please don't hesitate to reach out to us! We would love to hear from you!

We're Teaming Up with CASA to Help Foster Children

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The holidays quickly approach. During this time of year, many people give back to their community. We're here at CASA Hidalgo, located on 1001 South 10th Avenue in Edinburg. Executive Director Diana Almaguer joins us to discuss her charity.

What does CASA stand for? What does CASA do? CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Community volunteers serve as voices for children who've been placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect. Our volunteers speak for the children in court to represent the child's best interests.

If someone wants to become an advocate, what steps should they take? You must be at least 21 years old. Before you apply, you must pass a criminal background check and a sexual offender check. After you submit the application, you have to complete 30 hours of training. You will be sworn in by a judge, and then you will take on one of our cases.

What is an advocate's role? As an advocate, you will follow up with parents, educators, attorneys, and anyone else involved with a child. We need to ensure these kids have everything they need. If there is something missing, you must go to the judge. You make sure these kids don't fall through the cracks just because they are in foster care.

If someone wants to help your nonprofit but can't commit to becoming an advocate, what else can they do for these children? If you cannot become an advocate, organizations help us at events. You can make monetary donations or donate gift cards. We may use the money to help pay for a child to register in a school sport, or buy a new pair of tennis shoes. Any donation from you helps us meet kids' needs.

In addition to making sure each child's needs are met, we provide happiness. The Ryan and Brian Team is teaming up with CASA and hosting a Cards for Kids event on November 5th at Roosevelt's at 7. The event will last from 6 to 8 pm. We will accept gift card donations of $20 or more that will go to the children, and every guest who donates will receive a free drink on us!

This event is the perfect way to kick off the holiday giving season. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to seeing you there!

Should You Consider Buying Now Before Market Conditions Change?

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

For those on the fence about buying a home right now, you don’t have to look very far to find a great reason to buy in our current market. We are going to share with you four reasons today why you should consider buying a home in this market. Without further ado, let’s get to it:

1. Prices will continue to rise. The Home Price Expectation Survey polls a distinguished panel of over 100 market experts. Their most recent report projects home values to appreciate over 18% over the next 5 years. Home values will continue to appreciate, so waiting longer to purchase may cause you to miss out on this appreciation, and pay more for a home later than you would now.

2. Mortgage rates are going up. The Mortgage Banker’s Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the National Association of Realtors are all in unison in saying that interest rates will rise by at least 1% by this time next year. For every point they go up, your purchasing power decreases by 10%. If you’re going to need a mortgage to finance your home, buying sooner rather than later is the key.

3. Pay off your own mortgage. If you rent a home, you are paying off someone else’s mortgage each month, plus the rate of return. Owning a home makes more financial sense than renting, because you are paying down the principal on your own mortgage instead of doing the same for someone else.

4. The time is right. The cost of a home is determined by two major components, price and interest rate. Both are on the rise, is it worth waiting for you? One of the most important aspects to buying a home is your motivation. Whether you want to have a better space for your family to live, or you want to have control over renovations, market trends are set up perfectly to buy right now.

If you’ve been considering buying and want some expert advice on the matter, give one of our buyer specialists a call today at (956)-948-4129 for a FREE consultation. We guarantee results in every aspect of your transaction, and we look forward to hearing from you!

McAllen Real Estate Market Update

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Today, we'll discuss the market trends and updates in the greater McAllen area. As real estate professionals, we often get asked about current market conditions, and whether now is a good time to buy or sell. The real estate market is constantly in a state of flux, so these questions are best answered with statistics.

With that in mind, we prepare monthly market trend reports, which provide data and information to answer your real estate questions.

For a period of time, we were definitely in a buyer's market. However, with the average list price and sold price steadily increasing and days on market steadily declining, we are definitely in a seller's market.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you!