How a CMA Helps You Sell Your Home in Northern Texas

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value Report

One of the topics we get asked the most questions about by Northern Texas homeowners is the CMA. A CMA, or comparative market analysis, is used to get a valuation for a home you are thinking about selling. It comes up with the value by comparing it to similar homes that have recently sold in the immediate area.

When we do CMA’s for our clients, we take the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, living spaces, amenities, and any additional features into account. We then go out in the marketplace to look for similar homes that have sold within the last six months to come up with an accurate valuation for your home. This valuation is important because it lets you know the price of your home going forward.

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A good Realtor can explain
the ins and outs of your CMA.

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Many times agents will simply do a general market evaluation using recent tax data. Tax valuations tend to be a lot lower than your home’s true value (the value that you can actually sell for). It’s important for you to hire a dedicated Realtor who can help explain the ins and outs of your home's value, and find the best comparables for pricing.

If you have any questions or you’re thinking about buying or selling in Northern Texas, give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to hear from you.

Professional Photos and Videos Sell Homes

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value Report

I wanted to take a minute to speak about the importance of professional photos and videos when marketing your home. It’s important for several reasons. 

There’s a difference between professional photos and standard photos; pictures shot by a pro bring out so many more interesting characteristics and show the buyer much more value. Potential buyers will place the value of the home on the photos they see.

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Pictures shot by a Pro
bring out so many more interesting characteristics.

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With more than 90% of buyers starting their search online first, you want to be sure you have professional photos and videos in your listing. Additionally, professional photographers have an eye for what buyers are looking for. Whether they’re shooting a living room, game room, or backyard patio, they know how to frame photos to get the most out of the shot and out of that room to display the value to the buyer. If we can communicate the value and get them in the house, then they’ll see that the house really does have the value that we communicated to them online. 

I hope you enjoyed this topic. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Remember, who you work with matters.

Four Ways Location Impacts Your Home’s Value

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value Report

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in Northern Texas, you might be surprised to know how big of a role location plays in determining a home’s value. Here are four ways that having a good location can boost a home’s value:

1. Schools. Families seek out neighborhoods close to schools for obvious reasons. Living near elementary schools is especially ideal to parents who want to walk their children to school. From a value standpoint, a location close to a well-performing school is a good decision for a buyer. Living near these schools can increase a home’s value more than $200,000, according to CNN Money.

2. Being close to areas of convenience. This is also known as the “Starbucks Effect,” based on a study that showed living near a Starbucks between 1997 and 2013 saw homes appreciate by 95% vs. 65% for the rest of the country. Living next to grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s increases a home’s value as well.

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Buyers are attracted to
homes in a quiet location.

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3. Being close to freeways. Having a location close to a major freeway can be a huge value to home buyers who want to cut down on their commute. If the home is closer to a freeway, that equals a shorter commute.

4. A quiet location. Houses that back up to things like nature preserves, hiking trails, or a creek offer a serene setting. Many buyers are attracted to these homes. Houses on golf courses have the same effect.

We hope this information has been both beneficial and educational for you. If you have any questions for us or suggestions for future video topics you’d like to learn about, we would love to hear from you!