Sellers Reports

During a recent tour of a town-home for sale, I was struck at the owner's apparent apathy for increasing her odds. My Realtor and I tripped over a pile of tennis shoes in the front entryway. Newspapers were littered about the living room floor. A pile of shirts drooped over the recliner. The morning's breakfast dishes were still on the table, being hungrily eyed by a pair of dogs confined to another section of the kitchen behind a baby gate. We walked out to the backyard to discover overgrown grass, chipped and peeling paint, and dog toys strewn about the lawn. The truth is that the town-home had potential, but after being met with this display, I had little interest in heading upstairs to view the bedrooms. It didn't dawn on me until that moment that how owners display their homes during showings is critical. Even in hot markets like Dallas, buyers are savvy enough to know that they have plenty of other options -- homes which have been well-maintained and convey the owner's sense of pride…

Getting help to spruce up the inside of your home is as close as the phone, mouse or remote control. Today's homeowners have lots of options when it comes to interior design. While hiring a professional to turn your house into a dream home is certainly one way to go, there are lots of other places you can turn for help that won't cost a penny. With enough time and effort, anyone can become a Martha Stewart by turning to Martha Stewart herself…

An appraisal assists the mortgage lender in assessing the value of the house to determine whether a mortgage should be made and in what amount. Generally, the appraisal will analyze the condition of the house, its location, structural soundness and comparable sales in the area. A survey, on the other hand, goes to the question of the marketability of the house. The surveyor determines whether the house is within the property borders, whether there are any encroachments on the property by neighbors and the extent to which any easements on the property may affect legal title…

While it may sometimes appear that your home inspection is the end-all, tell-all, it isn't. Home inspectors occasionally make mistakes, which is why it's important to carefully review everything that comes to light in the inspection process and question findings that don't add up. The average home has more than 60,000 pieces and parts to it. Short of being able to see through walls, predict cracks where none is showing, and test every single element of your home, even the best home inspector has to rely on representative samplings, coupled with experience and up-to-date product and systems information in tracking down faulty points…

A growing number of people are getting into the swing by buying a home at one of the nation's many new golf communities. The National Golf Foundation reports that since 1986, the number of golfers in the United States has jumped 34 percent. During that time, the number of residential golf communities has also been on the rise. In fact, the NGF says about 45 percent of golf course construction today is part of a residential community. Golf communities are alluring to golfers and non-golfers alike and appeal to a wide range of age groups. In addition to the golf course, many of the communities offer a host of other amenities, such as swimming pools, baseball and softball fields, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, and hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Some also feature a community recreation center, club house, restaurant, and reception areas…

The trend in residential construction is definitely "build bigger". In the last 30 years, the square footage of a typical single-family house has increased by 40 percent. Yet there are some buyers looking for smaller houses. Many empty nesters are looking to downsize from houses that often exceed 4,000 square feet to ones that are 2,000 square feet or smaller. Another segment is the first-time buyer. Typically just starting out and cash-poor, the first-timer in the new-house market wants an affordable house that will launch him or her on the road to equity. However, while both segments want smaller, they want to have the appearance of bigger…

What do many homeowners want to hear after a long day at work? Perhaps it's the sound of nothing. In the age of talking appliances, chiming pagers and musical cell phones, Americans tend to savor their quiet times above all. The problem is most homes are not built for quiet…