Showing posts with label Home Seller Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Seller Tips. Show all posts

Part 2: 6 Buying & Selling Mistakes to Avoid


There are six mistakes you want to avoid during a simultaneous sale. Here are the last three.


In the final episode of our two-part series about the biggest mistakes to avoid when buying and selling at the same time, we’ll go over the final three pitfalls that can harm your simultaneous transactions. To recap the first part of this series, click here. Without further ado, here are the final three mistakes to avoid: 4. Working with too little of a cushion when it comes to financing and terms. If you’re selling your house for a certain number because you absolutely need that amount to purchase your next home, you’re not leaving yourself that much cushion. You never know what will happen during negotiations. You don’t know what a buyer will ask for, and cutting it tight can make the situation way more stressful. Try to have a little bit of a cushion in terms of what you need from your sale and what you require for your next purchase.

Try to have a little bit of a cushion in terms of what you need from your sale and what you require for your next purchase.
5. Failing to compromise. When going through the buying or selling process, it’s easy to stand on principle and refuse to compromise on what you want or what you’re willing to do. There’s a time and a place to put your foot down, but during a real estate transaction, you should think long and hard on whether little things like not wanting to fix a broken window are worth potentially putting a stop to the entire process. 6. Using two different real estate agents. If you’re moving out of town after you sell your current home, then using two different agents is a way better idea than using just one, but if you’re buying and selling in the same area, the process will be a lot smoother if you use just one agent or team. On our team, for example, we have specialized agents who focus on just one side of the transaction, so if you worked with us, you’d get the best of both worlds in terms of expertise. Once again, if you have any questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

Part 1: 6 Buying & Selling Mistakes to Avoid


There are six mistakes you want to avoid during a simultaneous sale. Here are the first three.


In part one of our two-part series on real estate mistakes, we’ll be going over the first three pitfalls you want to avoid when buying and selling at the same time: 1. Waiting too long to prepare your home for the market. If you wait until the last second to prepare your home, it can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. You may have to paint walls, repair decks, and more. Don’t wait until it’s too late! 2. Not having a backup plan. When you’re going through the buying and selling processes at the same time, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. It’s good to have something to fall back on if issues come up and you need to make changes.

Don’t let reality hit you after you’ve found the perfect home.
3. Not speaking with a lender before starting the home search. If you don’t talk with a lender up front, you won’t have a pre-qualification or pre-approval and you’ll have no idea what you can actually afford. Don’t let reality hit you after you’ve found the perfect home; speaking with a lender from the outset will help eliminate the daydreaming. Stay tuned for part two of our series, where we’ll cover the final three mistakes to avoid during a simultaneous sale. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

5 Reasons to Sell Your Home This Year


Should you sell your home in 2019? Absolutely, and here’s why.


Home prices have been on a meteoric rise for years, inventory is incredibly low, and the market continues to favor sellers. If you haven’t thought about it already, here are five reasons why you should sell your home this year: 1. When there is little inventory, there is little competition. If you list now, you may be the only listed home in your area, which means you’ll get much more attention. Inventory is beginning to increase, however, so you’ll see more competition over time. 2. In a seller’s market, you tend to make more of a profit. We’ve seen home values increase dramatically over the last few years. This is beginning to slow down, however, and waiting to sell doesn’t guarantee you’ll make more down the road.

Inventory is incredibly low, and the market continues to favor sellers.
3. There is a high demand for homes under $300,000. If you’re in the entry-level price point, you’ll enjoy a lot of attention from first-time homebuyers. The price range between $150,000 and $225,000 has a high demand for homes and a low inventory, allowing you to really capitalize on your sale. 4. Mortgage rates are low. We’re at a 12-month low of around 4.25%, and this contributes a lot to buyer demand. 5. There are a lot of millennials entering the market. People tend to buy their first home around the age of 30. Since many will reach this age within the next two years, it means there will be many new buyers in the market, which will push price and demand upward. If you’re ready to get your home on the market or wanting to learn more, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

Can You Trust Zillow’s Zestimates?


Zestimates aren’t always accurate when it comes to determining a home’s value. Here’s why.


Whether we’re working with buyers or sellers, the subject of Zillow’s Zestimates comes up quite often, and the No. 1 question we usually get asked about them is, “Are they accurate?” First, let’s review what a Zestimate is. Basically, it’s Zillow’s home valuation tool that’s based on a computer-generated algorithm. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your situation), Zestimates aren’t always accurate. If you’re a home seller and you live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood where all the homes are the same, your Zestimate has a better chance of being accurate. If you don’t live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, though, Zillow will have a hard time giving your home an accurate Zestimate.

If you want to get a truly accurate valuation of your home, the best thing you can do is contact a real estate agent such as myself.
Why? A Zestimate can’t account for any upgrades you’ve made to your house. If you’ve installed brand-new granite countertops, redone your flooring, or repainted the entire house, that added value won’t be reflected in your home’s Zestimate. If you want to get a truly accurate valuation of your home, the best thing you can do is contact a real estate agent such as myself so we can visit the property in person and consult with you. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in or you have any other real estate needs I can take care of, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

Don’t Forget to Do These Things When You Move


People tend to forget a lot of things when they’re moving. Here are five such items that you should be aware of.


When you’re moving into a new home, there’s a lot of stress involved. With that being the case, homeowners tend to forget about certain things during the process. Here is a list of the top five things you should remember when moving: 1. Switch banks. If you are at a regional bank and moving to a different region, you’ll need to switch banks. 2. Take care of medical needs. You might have to get a new doctor, too. This is another thing that can fall by the wayside during the moving process. 3. Transfer your utilities. This includes things like cable, utilities, and internet. Make sure your utilities are turned off at your old home and on at your new one.

Try to be aware of transfer expenses up front and budget them into your moving costs.
4. Prepare for transfer fees. For example, if you have a home alarm contract, you might have to pay a fee or penalty for canceling your agreement early. Try to be aware of any expenses upfront and budget them into your moving costs. 5. Raid the kitchen. Don’t leave any food behind. The freezer is a common place where these items end up sitting for years until you move. One great idea is to take inventory of what’s in your freezer and start planning to cook it before the move happens. These are five basic things that you should keep an eye on if you’re considering a move. If you have any questions in the meantime or if you are interested in buying or selling a home in the area anytime soon, don’t hesitate 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

The Top 10 Myths About Real Estate, Part 1


There are 10 major real estate myths you shouldn’t buy into, and here are the first five.


Here are five of the top 10 most common real estate myths floating around out there and the truth behind them: 1. The agent keeps all of the commission. I’ve heard this one many times over the years. As an agent myself, I wish it was true, but it’s not. When we list a home for one of our clients, our team typically spends thousands of dollars marketing and advertising it. 2. Agents typically charge a 6% commission rate. The truth is, there is no standard commission cost among agents. Some charge 6%, some charge more, and some charge less. What kind of commission rate an agent charges should reflect the value that they bring to you. If an agent can sell your home quickly and sell it for thousands of dollars more than the average agent can, they’ll probably be worth more and cost more. 3. Agents can get reimbursed for car-related expenses. When agents are out showing houses, they have to pay their own transportation expenses. However, some of these expenses can be deducted from their taxes.

What kind of commission rate an agent charges should reflect the value that they bring to you.
4. Agents can be reimbursed for marketing expenses. Real estate companies, even the large ones like RE/MAX or Keller Williams, don’t dictate to their agents how they should market their homes. This is why, even at big-name brands, you’ll see both agents who are very successful and agents who aren’t. Because they don’t mandate any form of marketing, its up to the agent what they want to spend on marketing their homes. 5. A home either “passes” or “fails” an inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to point out any issues that a home may have. Any home will have its share of deficiencies, and just because there are issues revealed in the inspection doesn’t mean it “passes” or “fails.” If anything, these deficiencies enable the buyer and seller to negotiate over the home’s condition and its price. Stay tuned for the second part of this series, where we’ll delve into some myths that are more related to the real estate sales process. In the meantime, if you have any questions or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

The Pros and Cons of Open Houses


I'm often asked whether open houses help sell homes. Today, I will be sharing the pros and cons of this strategy so you can decide for yourself.


Do open houses work or not? Depending on the agent that you talk to, you are going to hear a lot of different opinions. For this reason, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some pros and cons. Let's begin with our list of cons. First, open houses provide a very low probability of a sale. This might sound pessimistic, but it's important to understand the true odds of successfully finding a buyer from hosting an open house. Secondly, there are a lot of security concerns involved. With so many potential buyers touring your home at once, it can be difficult to keep an eye on everyone. And, although I have never personally encountered such an issue, open houses can invite the potential for theft. Trying to keep track of all of them is very difficult and it is very possible that someone gets into your stuff and steals something. Although I have never personally had this issue at any of my open houses or showings, it’s not unheard of. The third drawback of hosting an open house is that it could bring out nosy neighbors. Oftentimes, the majority of people who turn out for an open house are from your own neighborhood. Rather than showing up with an interest in buying your home, they attend simply out of curiosity.

Open houses can invite the potential for theft.
On a positive note, an open house is, well, open to everybody. Anyone can drive up and walk through the house, which sometimes pulls down the barriers to engaging with a real estate agent. While it is rare that these people end up buying the house that you are selling, it does allow you potentially pick up a buyer. Agents can engage with these people and discuss what they are looking for. Open houses also offer a lot of convenience. They allow potential buyers to see your property without scheduling a showing. The final benefit I'd like to highlight is that open houses provide buyers with a more complete perspective on your home. It's one thing to see a home in photos, videos, or in a 3D virtual walkthrough, but it's something else entirely to actually visit it in-person. So, do open houses work? It depends on your goals. Open houses offer a great networking opportunity, especially for agents, but the odds of finding a buyer at such an event is lower than some may assume. If you have any additional questions or are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
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Location: Temple, TX, USA

How to Come out on Top in Real Estate Negotiations


Negotiations are crucial in any real estate deal, so today I’d like to share some basic tips on how to be a strong negotiator.


Very rarely does a buyer offer every penny, let alone every term, the seller is asking for. Therefore, negotiations are a critical aspect of any real estate transaction, and knowing the basics of negotiating can make or break your success as a seller. First, don’t be offended by counteroffers. It’s easy to forget that each party in a transaction has their own distinct motive. Sellers (usually) want to make the most money they can from their home sale, while buyers are often looking to strike a bargain. But merely understanding these differences won’t necessarily improve your negotiation skills. In order to be a skilled negotiator, you will also need to be knowledgeable about the state of the market. Understanding current market conditions will be paramount to your success in any real estate negotiation scenario.

The key to negotiating is being informed, being realistic, and working with a strong agent who can help guide you on the path to your goals.
And coupling your own knowledge with that of an experienced agent will only further your chances of striking a great deal. That said, those listing while in a strong seller’s market likely won’t need to negotiate much to begin with. In a competitive market, one potential buyer may be easily replaced by another. This isn’t to say, though, that there are times where conceding to a lower offer may be advisable. Along with understanding the market, you’ve also got to understand the “big picture” of the transaction as a whole. That means thinking realistically about how your, and the buyer’s, circumstances may impact the deal. If your home is in need of several repairs, but a buyer is willing to overlook them under the condition that they offer a lower price, you may actually save yourself some money by taking that reduced amount. Ultimately, the key to negotiating is being informed, being realistic, and working with a strong agent who can help guide you on the path to your goals. If you have any other questions or would like to 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

What to Do When Your Appraisal Doesn't Match Your List Price


What happens when a property doesn’t appraise? Allow me to share a few ways this scenario can play out.


What should you do if a home appraises for less than the sales price? Well, if you’re the seller of that property: Don’t panic. Hopefully you’ve hired a great agent who will work to appeal the results of the appraisal. If you’ve hired someone on my team, we will do everything we can on your behalf to make sure the deal goes smoothly. When our team works to appeal an appraisal, we begin by doing our research. We gather information on home values in the area and determine what other properties tend to sell for. If, after presenting the findings of this research to the appraiser, the appeal doesn’t succeed, then it’s time to renegotiate with the buyer.

If you’ve hired someone on my team, we will do everything we can on your behalf to make sure the deal goes smoothly.
Sometimes when a home appraises for less than the agreed-upon price, the solution is for the buyer to make up the difference in cash. So if a home’s contract listed its price as $205,000, but the appraisal came in at $200,000, the buyer could still use financing for the appraised amount while making up the remaining $5,000 in cash. The seller could also lower the sales price to match the appraised value, or a combination of these solutions could be negotiated. It’s also important to realize that the loan type a buyer is using to finance the purchase will impact how the scenario can be handled. In some cases, the best option is to seek out another appraiser’s opinion. FHA loans or VA loans will make this more difficult, though, because the initial appraisal figure will stick with the property for some time. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team or me a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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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

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 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

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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