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Fulshear, TX Real Estate News

By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Does My Heat Pump or A/C Need Replacing?Summer is just around the corner, and for a lot of homeowners, that means having to run the air conditioner or heat pump around the clock just to keep ahead of climbing temperatures. These tools are amazing for keeping things cool, but after a while, they too can get worn out and need replacing. Do you know how to tell if it’s time to retire your current unit?Efficiency Is Everything Many people believe that if their unit is still working, it’s still doing its job, but with HVAC systems this isn’t always true. Efficiency is really everything, and an air conditioner or heat pump that’s slipping in this department may be on its way out the door. Older units may still cool just as well as they always did, and regular maintenance can ensure they live ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
2022 Housing Market Forecast  Some Highlights What does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here's what experts have to say about what lies ahead. Home prices are projected to rise and so are mortgage rates. Experts are also forecasting another strong year for home sales as people move to meet their changing needs. Lets connect so you can make your best move this year.   
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Is It Enough To Offer Asking Price in Todays Housing Market?If you're planning to buy a home this season, you're probably thinking about what you'll need to do to get your offer accepted. In previous years, it was common for buyers to try and determine how much less than the asking price they could offer to still get the home. The buyer and seller would then negotiate and typically agree on a revised price that was somewhere between the buyers bid and the homes initial asking price.In todays real estate market, buyers shouldn't shop for a home with the same expectations.Things Are Different TodayTodays housing market is anything but normal. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average home that's sold today: Receives 4.8 offers Sells in just 17 days Homes selling...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Growing Up: Getting Your Vertical Garden Ready for SpringWhen you don’t have a lot of space or open ground around your home, planting a garden might seem impossible. After all, plants need room to grow and soil to grow in, don’t they? While this is true, there is more than one way to get a garden growing. If you have limited outdoor space or don’t have room for a large garden plot, one option is to set up a vertical garden instead.While not every garden plant is feasible for a vertical garden, you might be surprised at all of the things that you can grow vertically. Of course, you’ll first have to get your vertical garden set up and ready for spring planting. You have a lot of options with how you do this, so let’s take a moment to cover the essentials of what your vertical garden shoul...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
The Dream of Homeownership Is Worth the EffortIf you're in the market to buy a home this season, stick with it. Homebuyers face challenges in any market, and todays is no exception. But if you persevere, your decision to purchase a home will be worth the effort in the end. In fact, a recent survey from Bankrate shows homeownership is so powerful that:Nearly three in four homeowners say they would still buy their current home if they had it to do [sic] all over again. That means the results owning a home and the benefits that come with it outweigh the effort needed to achieve their goal. If you're a homebuyer, let that provide you with the confidence to know the work you're putting in today will pay off for years to come. Here are a few reasons to stick with your search and focus on the ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
What’s a Mesh Network?Chances are, you use the internet for a number of different things during the course of your day. The internet plays a key role in everything from gaming and entertainment to social interaction and even work these days, so it’s important that you have a reliable internet connection. Depending on the layout and even the materials used in your house, though, it isn’t always easy to stay connected everywhere within the home.If your Wi-Fi coverage isn’t quite what you wish it was, replacing your existing setup with a mesh network might be the answer. Mesh networks have become increasingly popular in recent years due to how easily they solve some connection and coverage problems. If you’re curious as to whether your home would benefit from a mesh network, here’s what yo...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Is It Time To Buy a Smaller Home?Life events can have a major impact on what you need from your home, and retirement is one of the biggest changes many of us face. This period of your life can mean doing more of the things you enjoy, like traveling, visiting with loved ones, or taking on new hobbies. But what does that mean for your home?If you're looking for ways to focus more on the important things in your life, the answer could be downsizing. A recent article from The Balance talks about why it could be a great option, saying:There are many reasons to buy a smaller home or to downsize from your present home but sometimes, the idea that “less is more” is what propels homeowners to buy a smaller home.You Can Find the Right Home for Your NeedsThe 2022 Home Buyers and Sellers Generation...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Home Loan Programs: 2022 UpdatesBuying a home is a dream that’s shared by many people. Making that dream come true isn’t always as simple as just going out and applying for a mortgage loan, though. Some potential homeowners need a little bit of assistance in keeping loan requirements manageable, even though they are fully able to afford the loan itself. Fortunately, there are a number of home loan programs that can help make home ownership attainable even for first-time buyers and those who worry that they might not meet all of the requirements for a traditional mortgage loan.It’s important to keep in mind that the rules and requirements for these loan programs are updated from time to time. Before starting out looking for the home of your dreams, you should make sure that you are up to...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Americans are more aware than ever of the effects climate change and natural disasters can have on their homes. According to a report from realtor.com:More than 3 in 4 recent buyers, 78%, took [natural disasters] into account when choosing the locations of their homes, . . .The study also found that many existing homeowners (34%) have already considered selling their houses and moving to a new location because of the changing climate. If you're like those homeowners and are weighing your options about what to do next, here's some information to keep in mind as you begin the process of selling your existing house and searching for your new home.Do Your Research and Work with a Real Estate Advisor To Find a Home That Meets Your NeedsAs a homeowner, its impossible to control what types of ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
If your goal is to purchase a home this year, you might be looking for any advantage you can get in todays sellers market. While competition is still fierce for homebuyers, there are ways you can win and secure the home of your dreams, even in a hot market.Act Early and SaveThe earlier you act this year, the more affordable your purchase will be. Thats because experts project mortgage rates will rise as we move deeper into 2022. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is expected to be 3.5% by years end. Experts forecast home prices will rise as well.That means the longer you wait, the more it will cost you to buy a home. Instead, act early and purchase your home before rates and prices rise further. Not to mention, the sooner you buy, the sooner you can experi...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Many homeowners who plan to sell in 2022 may think the wise thing to do is to wait for the spring buying market since historically about 40 percent of home sales occur between April and July. However, this years expected to be much different than the norm. Here are five reasons to list your house now rather than waiting until the spring.1. Buyers Are Looking Right Now, and They're Ready To PurchaseThe ShowingTime Showing Index reports data from more than six million property showings scheduled across the country each month. In other words, its a gauge of how many buyers are out looking at homes at the current time.The latest index, which covers November showings, reveals that buyers are still very active in the market. Comparing this Novembers numbers to previous years, this graph shows...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
The need for effective pest control is unfortunately all too real for many homeowners. As temperatures start to drop it can become even more vital as many critters begin seeking places to stay warm and dry during the winter. Add in a readily available food supply and your home can start to look awfully appealing to various rodents and creepy crawlers. The problem is only going to get worse as the nights get colder and the outdoors become more inhospitable.Obviously, no one wants to share their home with a bunch of freeloading pests. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help keep your home pest-free throughout the winter months and into the spring. There are also services available to help you evict even the most stubborn of unwanted invaders. Let’s take a look at some of yo...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
If you're trying to decide when to sell your house, there may not be a better time than this winter. Selling this season means you can take advantage of todays strong sellers market when you make a move.Win When You SellRight now, conditions are very favorable for current homeowners looking for a change. If you sell now, here's what you can expect: Your House Will Stand Out While recent data shows there are more sellers getting ready to list their homes this winter, there are still more buyers in the market than there are homes for sale. If you sell your house now before more houses are listed, it will get more attention from serious buyers who are eager to find a home. Your House Will Likely Get Multiple Offers When supply is low and demand is high, buyers have to compete with each oth...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
The game of chess can provide incredible lessons to apply to all aspects of life, including the homebuying process. Chess requires you to plan and think about your strategy from the very beginning of the game.The homebuying process, like chess, requires strategy and planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your plan is as strong as possible when you begin your home search.Pre-Approval: the Best Opening Play To Make as a HomebuyerIts important to have a great opening play when you're buying a home. And the best move you can make when you begin your home search is getting pre-approved by a lender. Youve probably already heard this is an important step, but what exactly is pre-approval and what benefits does it provide you?As Freddie Mac puts it:The pre-approval letter fro...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
The past year and a half brought about significant life changes for many of us. For some, it meant entering retirement earlier than expected. Recent data shows more people retired this year than anticipated. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2021 saw a retirement boom:At least 1.7 million more older workers than expected retired due to the pandemic recession.If you've recently retired, your home may not fit your new lifestyle. The good news is, you've likely built-up significant equity that can fuel your next move. According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights report from CoreLogic, homeowners gained more than 50,000 in equity over the past 12 months alone. That, plus todays sellers market, presents a great opportunity to sell your house and address your...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
There's a lot of talk lately about how challenging it can be to find a home to buy. While housing inventory is still low, there are a few important things to understand about the supply of homes for sale as we move into the end of the year.The Number of Homes for Sale Usually Peaks in the FallIn the residential real estate market, trends generally follow a predictable and seasonal pattern. Typically, the number of homes available for sale (or active monthly listings) peaks in the fall. But in a chapter where so little feels normal, the question becomes: should we expect a fall peak this year?If we look at the active monthly listings for 2021 (shown in the chart below), well see that the number of homes on the market has increased fairly steadily since spring this year. The realtor.com d...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
 As you follow the news, you're likely seeing headlines discussing what's going on in todays housing market. Chances are high that some of the more recent storylines you've come across mention terms like cooling or slowing when talking about where the market is headed.But what do these terms mean? The housing market today is anything but normal, and its still an incredibly strong sellers market, especially when compared to the few years leading up to the pandemic. With that in mind, what can previous years tell us about todays real estate market and if its truly slowing?Were Still Seeing an Above Average Number of SalesYou may see headlines about a drop in home sales. But are those headlines telling the full story? The most recent Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
There's a well-known economic theory the law of supply and demand that explains what's happening with prices in the current real estate market. Put simply, when demand for an item is high, prices rise. When the supply of the item increases, prices fall. Of course, when demand is very high and supply is very low, prices can rise significantly.Understanding the impact both supply and demand have can provide the answers to a few popular questions about todays housing market: Why are prices rising? Where are prices headed? What does this mean for homebuyers? Why Are Prices Rising? According to the latest Home Price Insights report from CoreLogic, home prices have risen 18.1% since this time last year. But what's driving the increase?Recent buyer and seller activity data from the National As...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Are you looking to buy a home? If so, we've got good news for you.While there's no denying the housing market is having a great year, many of the headlines are focused on the perks for sellers. But what about buyers today? As a buyer, you're likely braving bidding wars and weighing low mortgage rates versus price appreciation as you search for your dream home. If you find yourself a bit discouraged, hear this: there are clear signs buyers may have more opportunities this fall.According to realtor.com, the sweet spot for buyers is just around the corner. In a recent study, experts analyzed housing market trends by looking at data from the past several years. When applied to the current market, experts determined the ideal week to buy a home this year. The research says:Nationally, the be...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
If you're on the fence about whether or not you want to sell your house this year, there's good news. Real estate professionals are highly experienced in how to sell houses safely during the pandemic. Over the last year, agents have adopted new technologies and safety measures designed to keep you safe. And experts say these practices are here to stay. As Bob Goldberg, CEO of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), puts it:The pandemic has confirmed to all of us in the industry that technology will continue to transform real estate.Below is a closer look at some of the new tools real estate professionals are using to better serve sellers.New and Existing Technology Are Impacting the ProcessIn the 2021 Realtor Technology Survey, NAR asks real estate professionals their opinions on th...
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