7 Tips to Help You Make Sure Your New Home Is Pet-Friendly


If you want to find the perfect home for both you and your pet, I have seven great tips that can help.


Many of us have pets we love and care for, but finding a house that fits both your family and your pet(s) can be a challenge. Here are seven tips that will help you find a home that fulfills both sets of needs: 1. Be aware of the local pet laws. In different neighborhoods, there are different HOA restrictions and rules that may outlaw certain breeds of pets or certain pets in general. Look over those restrictions and rules before putting a contract in place just to make sure there aren’t any that might cause an issue for you and your pet. 2. Know the yard and fence situation of the house you want to buy. Some neighborhoods will require a certain type of fencing. If your home is in a neighborhood that requires wrought-iron fencing, for example, that could cause an issue as far as keeping your pets contained. You might also encounter a neighborhood that doesn’t permit fencing. 3. Make sure your property has room for your pets to be able to get out and roam. This usually means having a big enough yard for them to be able to run around in.

Look over the neighborhood’s restrictions and rules regarding pets before putting a contract in place.
4. Make sure your home doesn’t back up to or border a major road. One of the worst things that can happen for a pet owner is a dog getting out and running into a busy road. A house that backs up into a green space can also be an issue, depending on what type of pets you have. Here in Texas, if your home backs up to a green space, you may encounter certain animals that would prey on your pets. 5. Choose a house that has pet-friendly floors. National flooring expert Debbie Gardner suggests having solid hardwood floors because they can stay in good condition for a long time and you can reseal and restain them if they endure any damage. As far as hardwood floors go, I would personally suggest using a more distressed wood type so if and when your pets scratch the floor, it adds to the character instead of making it look out of place. Stained concrete and tile both work great for pets as well, especially if they’re sealed. The one type of floor that doesn’t mix well with pets is carpet because it traps pet odors and will show any stains they make. 6. Pay attention to the floor plan. Some floor plans are very restrictive, so make sure you choose a house with a floor plan that will allow enough room for both you and your pets to move around without constantly being in each other’s way.

7. Make sure your pets can handle the home’s stairs. Some pets have trouble with stairs, especially if they’re older. Having a carpeting stretch going up and down the stairs can make it easier for pets like that.

 If you have any questions about finding a pet-friendly home or you have any other real estate questions you’d like to ask me, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

Thinking About Staging Your Home? Make These 4 Repairs First


When you’re preparing to stage your home for sale, we recommend making these four repairs first.


I’m here today to discuss four repairs you should make before preparing to stage your house prior to sale. In meeting with different folks who are preparing to sell their house, and we’ve seen that there are some consistent repairs across the board that we suggest they make—even before their staging appointment. We’ve boiled that list of repairs down to four. 1. Update and clean the exterior of the home. When I say ‘update,’ I don’t necessarily mean investing tons of money into the exterior of your house, but you do want to clean it up. This might mean trimming up the yard to look nice or fixing any obvious wood rot issues. Just make sure that when people come to see your house, the exterior curb appeal is good.

Saving your receipts from any repairs made will make great leverage as we go into negotiation.
2. Make sure that your air conditioning unit works well. This is something that concerns nearly every buyer in Texas, even though winter is on the way. Hire a professional to come out and service the unit to make sure it’s in working order. Keep the servicing receipt, by the way; when we’re pursuing a buyer or going under contract, that would be great to share with them. 3. Clean your floors. If your carpet is threadbare or dirty, have a professional come clean it for you. Tile and laminate hardwood floors need to be touched up as well. 4. Check on the status of your plumbing and electrical. You don’t want any surprises later on down the road as you get closer to contract. The buyer will eventually go through the house with a fine-toothed comb in the form of inspections anyway, so get any necessary repairs made so those issues won’t cost you later down the line. Again, saving your receipts from any repairs made here will make great leverage as we go into negotiation. Anything that can help you save and make money is something that we encourage you to do. If you’re thinking about selling your home soon or at some point in the future, these are some great tips to great started on before we meet. Feel free to reach out to us for any more tips like these or questions about buying and selling a home. That’s what we’re here to do for you.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

6 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays


There are six easy tips you can do to make your house appealing and inviting for any holiday guests that might be headed your way.


If you plan on having friends and family stay at your house this holiday season, here are six tips that will get your house in top condition. First, make over your guest room. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so. For most people, the guest room functions as a catch-all storage room, so clear out any unnecessary items from it. It also might be a good idea to buy a new set of sheets for the bed or repaint any dingy furniture. Next, polish the silver. If you have silver kitchenware you plan on putting out, make sure it looks nice and clean instead of tarnished or drab-looking. Third, make the house inviting. You can go to stores like TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning and find nice items to set out or other things like guest soap, hand towels, and slippers that can really make people feel welcome when they stay at your place.

Just because you can walk around your house blindfolded at 2 a.m. doesn’t mean your guests will be able to do so.
You should also think about the functionality of your home. If someone stays in your guest room, they’ll need room for their clothes and other items they’ll have to put away. This is why, again, it’s a good idea to empty out the closet and clear away your things so guests have room for their things. This is not only very easy to do, but it’s also very helpful. It’s important to make sure that your home has good lighting. Just because you can walk around your house blindfolded at 2 a.m. doesn’t mean your guests will be able to do so, so be cognizant of having good lighting. The same rule applies to the outside of the home as well. Make sure your porch lights are working and there is a clearly lit path up to the house. Lastly, make sure your home smells nice. Give your house a good cleaning and put out some air fresheners so everything smells clean and fresh. If you have any more questions about how to spruce up your home for holiday company or are thinking of buying or selling a home in our area, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

6 Things to Never Do During the Home Buying Process


During the home buying process, there are certain things you should always avoid. Steering clear of these mistakes could make a huge difference in your success.


Finding a new home is a big deal, and it can be a daunting task to undertake. Today, I want to go over the things you should never, ever do during the home buying process. 1. Do not start the process without a real estate agent. Trying to navigate the market without representation would be a big mistake. You can certainly look online, but never dive into a serious home search without a professional by your side. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sat down with a seller who wasn’t in a good position by the time they were ready to list, all because they didn’t work with an agent when they bought the home.

Never dive into a serious home search without a professional by your side.
2. Don’t work with a lender who isn’t local or who you aren’t comfortable with. My team, my clients, and I have all consistently found that lenders from out of town simply don’t provide the greatest results. It is always better to work with a quality local lender.
3. Do not underestimate your budget. You should be very transparent about your budget with your real estate agent. If your budget is up to $400,000 but you tell your agent you’re only willing to spend up to $300,000, you’re going to be missing out on houses you may be interested in. Your agent should always guide you within your boundaries to find you the right property.
4. Don’t make any lowball offers. I understand wanting to get a good deal. However, you can’t ignore market data when you’re making an offer. Most sellers aren’t going to take a low offer very well and you will actually end up with a worse deal than you would have if you were more reasonable from the start.
5. Don’t forget about closing costs. Sometimes it’s possible to ask sellers to handle some of these costs. But, as the market heats up, more and more buyers are finding themselves shouldering most of these expenses. It’s important that you budget for these costs so you don’t have any surprises at the closing table.
6. Do not make any large purchases before closing. While approval is pending on your loan, it’s important that you maintain your credit. Making big expensive purchases can affect whether you will qualify to purchase a house or not. Save large expenses until after closing. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Location: Temple, TX, USA

How to Speed up the Selling Process


Today, I’ve got five tips on speeding up the sale of your home. Using these hints will give a big boost to the power of your listing.


How can you speed up the selling process? Well, today I’ve got five tips to entice buyers in record time.

 1. Shrink your staging cost. Staging can be a pricey process. Even the initial staging consultation can cost between $300 and $600. Also, depending on if you use a professional stager’s furniture, there can be a monthly fee. What I recommend is that you let us help. When you list with our team, you have access to our professional stager. Their services are included in the package you get when listing with us.

 2. Work on your curb appeal. Curb appeal makes a big difference in how quickly a house will sell. However, some people can go too far. It isn’t necessary to spend an exorbitant amount of money on sprucing up your curb appeal. Ultimately, you just want to make sure things are neat and trimmed with a little bit of color.

Creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing.
3. Show more natural light. It has been proven that a home that has been brightened with natural light will sell more quickly. Adding mirrors to help reflect light and using brighter lightbulbs in the home’s fixtures are both great ways to increase this effect. The most important thing is to open up blinds and curtains. No buyer wants to walk into a dark or dingy house.

 4. Make energy efficient upgrades. To some people, these kinds of upgrades are incredibly important. Certain buyers will be willing to pay a little more money for a home that is energy efficient. This is especially true since the upgrades you make will save them money on utilities down the line.

 5. Start some buzz on social media about your home. Before your home even goes on the market, creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing. One of the unique things my team provides is that we have our own list of houses coming on the market that no one knows about other than our clients. This is something we offer to all of our sellers.

 If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

Home Selling Tips for Pet Owners


Having pets can make your home a bit harder to sell. Here are some tips to prepare your home so well that buyers won’t have the slightest clue you are a pet owner.


If you have a pet and you’re looking to sell your home, we have some helpful advice to share. It can be an overwhelming process, but this will make things easier on you Two out of three of us have a pet, and 61% of pet owners say they have trouble finding a home that is a good match for their pet. There are a lot of buyers and sellers out there who have pets.

The good news is that many buyers want a pet-friendly home.

 On the other hand, 67% of Realtors also estimate that actually having a pet in your home can make it harder for you to sell. So what can you do? Here are three helpful tips that should make things easier on you: 1. Repair any damage. Floors, walls, doors, the yard—these are some typical areas that pets love to chew, scratch, and dig up. Touch that stuff up and make it look cleaner, nicer, and sharper. Repairing this damage is an investment that will pay for itself many times over in terms of a higher selling price. 2. Get a professional to remove pet odors. Many pet owners are less sensitive to odors in their home than prospective buyers will be. Some pets have worse odors than others. That's why you should hire a professional cleaning crew to clean any carpets, rugs, or upholstery that have absorbed pet odors. Once you're done with the cleaning, ask a friend or your Realtor for a sniff assessment to make sure the job is really complete. 3. Take your pet out during showings. Some people are afraid of animals. Others are allergic. Regardless of the time, money, and effort you've put in to clean and repair your home, many buyers will be prejudiced by knowing that a pet currently lives there. That's why I recommend taking your pet out during showings and also removing any pet objects such as toys, food bowls, or scratching posts. By following these three simple guidelines, you will be able to sell your home for top dollar in today’s market, whether the buyer is a pet owner or not. Having a pet shouldn’t affect your bottom line, and it won’t if you follow these tips. If you have any questions or concerns about preparing your home for a sale, give me a call. I’m here to help. In the meantime, have a great day, from all of us at The Ryan Smith Home Selling Team.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

5 Quick & Easy Home Maintenance Tips for Summer


Summer's nearly here, so follow these five tips to get your home in tip-top shape for the warmer months ahead.


As we end spring and head into summer, do yourself a favor by tackling these five home maintenance tips: 1. Inspect your brick, stone, or any concrete outside your home: Anytime there are dramatic temperature or moisture changes, these materials can begin to crack. This can be a safety concern, not just a cosmetic issue.

2. Feed your lawn: It's about to get really hot, so make sure your lawn has the water and nutrients it needs to stay lush and green. If you plan to sell your house, this is especially important.

Moisture and temperature changes can crack brick and warp wood.

3. Check out wood fences: Temperature and moisture changes can cause wood to warp and twist.

 4. Put down fresh mulch: Nothing makes your lawn and landscaping pop quite like this. Planting some fresh flowers along with fresh mulch will make it pop even more.

 5. Get the grill ready: Dust it off and clean it up so it's ready to cook some nice steaks. Dust and gunk tend to build up on grills over the winter, so make sure it's taken care of before you start to cook out. Whether you plan to sell your house or not, these tips will all make your home stand out for the summer. If you have any questions for us or you're thinking of buying or selling real estate this year, give us a call or send us an email soon. We'd love to help you!

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Location: Temple, TX, USA

4 Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood for Your Next Home


Finding the perfect neighborhood for your next home can be a lot easier if you follow these four tips.


Are you unsure of how to find the best neighborhood for your next home? Here are four tips to help you make the right decision: 1. Consider the value of the homes in the neighborhood. What are home values doing in that area? Are they consistently increasing or decreasing? This factor plays a big role should you choose to sell the property later on. If values are going up, that’s typically a good thing. It also gives you an idea of other dynamics at work in the neighborhood. For example, studies have shown that homes located with a mile of a Starbucks tend to appreciate at a much higher rate than homes located farther away. 2. Look at the schools. Homes located in good school districts are proven to appreciate faster and hold their value much better. If you have kids, you want to make sure they’ll be able to attend a good school system that will be able to support them well.

If home values are going up in that neighborhood, that’s typically a good thing.

3. Make the drive. If you have to drive from your prospective neighborhood to your workplace, do a trial run so you know what you’re getting into. Will you regularly encounter any high-traffic situations to get to work on time or will it be a nice and easy commute? 4. Get local with each neighborhood you inspect. Drive through them during the day and at night and see what it’s like. If you’re looking for a quieter setting and during your drive you see kids everywhere and it’s very loud all the time, that might not be the best fit for you. If, on the other hand, you have kids and are looking for a more active atmosphere, that might be the perfect neighborhood. If you have any questions about finding the right neighborhood or there’s anything else we can help you with regarding the real estate field, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help.

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Location: Temple, TX, USA

4 Tips for Selling Your First Home


When you sell your first house, there are a lot of unexpected things that can happen and it can be a little nerve-wracking. These tips will make the process go much smoother for you.


Today, I've got four key tips that will be a big help to you if you're selling a house for the first time. It can be a nervous time and you probably don't know what to expect, so we want to do our best to help you make the best decisions for you and your family. These are the most important things to keep in mind: 1. Price your home accurately: Overpricing your house is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Whether you're selling an iPad, a jug of milk, or your house, it's not going to sell if you overprice it. I even see people who overprice their house end up selling for far less than they could have had they just priced it correctly from the beginning.

2. Ask your real estate agent for advice on preparing your house for sale: In 10 years in real estate, there have been only a few houses that I've walked into and thought they were ready for the market. Some homes need more prep work than others. It's important to lean on your agent's expertise so that your home shows in tip-top shape.

Overpricing your house is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

3. Be flexible with showings when the house goes on the market: We find that if you miss the opportunity to get an interested buyer into your house for a showing, you might not ever be able to get them scheduled back. You need to know what you're getting into with selling a house because it will require some flexibility to get buyers in it.

 4. Insist on professional photography: Your agent should bring in a pro whose job it is to take pictures of homes and show them in their best light. An agent using a little digital camera or an iPhone is not the gold standard of service you should expect. High-quality photos make a big difference in your home's sale. If you're thinking about selling your first house or have any other questions about the Temple market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help!
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

4 Questions to Help You Decide If You Should Buy a House


Should you buy a house or not? There are four questions that can help you make this decision.


Should you buy a house or not? There are four questions that will help you figure out whether buying or renting is better for you: 1. Can you afford it? How much money do you make and what debt obligations do you have? Can you reasonably afford to purchase a home? If you’re not sure, then the affordability calculator on Realtor.com is a great place to start. 2. Is it better to rent a home or buy a home? The answer to this question really depends on your market. If you live in an area that has a very hot seller’s market and home values are appreciating quickly, then it might be more difficult to purchase a house. In that case, renting might be better for you. In other markets with decent inventory, you may be able to find the house that will work best for you.

How long will you live there?

3. How long can you stay put? It really takes about three to five years for homeowners to break even or make a little bit of money. When you purchase a house, you will pay thousands of dollars in closing costs. In about three to five years, the home will likely appreciate enough to cover those expenses. If you aren’t going to be in a certain area for at least three years, then it might not be a good idea to purchase a home. 4. Are you ready for this responsibility? Purchasing a house requires a lot of upkeep and maintenance. Some people might not be ready for that responsibility. You may prefer being able to call the landlord to fix any issues that arise. So, before you make that leap into homeownership, make sure that you are ready for the responsibility that comes with it. Hopefully, these four questions will help you figure out whether or not now is the time for you to purchase a home. If you have any other questions about the home buying process or about our current market, give me a call. I would be happy to help you!
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Taking Real Estate Photos


Home photos are extremely important to the selling process, but these five mistakes can kill your home sale.


My team and I look at real estate photos every single day, so we see all kinds of mistakes. However, there are five mistakes that can kill the sale of your home. They are: 1. Taking pictures of the corners of rooms. I don’t know why so many online listings include pictures of corners. You need to take wide-angled photos of each room so that potential buyers can get a real feeling for the interior of your home. Display the entire room, not just the corner. 2. Zooming in on the front of the house. Pictures of the front of the house are incredibly important. However, make sure they aren’t zoomed in so much that buyers miss out on the surrounding flowerbeds or porch. Take a few steps back to capture all of the distinguishing effects of the property. 3. Not taking pictures of the inside of the house. Would you buy a house without seeing what it looked like on the inside? No! Make sure you take interior photos of the house. If you don’t, people will wonder what’s wrong with the home, and you won’t get any showings.

Don’t take pictures that make your house look haunted.

4. Taking dark and grainy pictures. Grainy, dark photos can make your house look haunted, and haunted houses generally don’t do well on the market. Adjust the settings on the camera so you don’t create any ghosts in your photo. Also, if your real estate agent wants to use their cellphone to take photos, tell them that is not a good idea. 5. Not letting the sun in. We’ve seen photos of houses so dark that you can’t tell what you’re looking at. Natural light has proven to help houses sell faster and for more money. Dark pictures are very unattractive. Avoid these mistakes to make your online listing appeal to more buyers. The better your photos are, the more showings you will get; the more showings you get, the better offers you will have. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be happy to help you!
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Location: Temple, TX, USA
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