Once we receive the professional photos of your property, we will have it listed within 1 business day. We will immediately create your single property website, submit your listing to the IDX websites, and if you choose to syndicate nationally, do so at that time. We will create your print materials and submit them to you for approval, so the print materials are usually ready 2-3 business days after we receive the photos. In short, we work very quickly. Preparing your property for market is extremely case by case. If your house is ready to go, we can usually have you listed within one week. However, if you plan to make improvements to your property before listing, then it will take as long as those improvements do.

The general rule is: “If you have to remove it with a tool, it stays.” However, some items are specifically included in the contract and other items will go with you. Unless specifically excluded, your drapes, window treatments, & television mounts will stay with the house. Unless specifically included, your washer & dryer and refrigerator will go with you. If you have a question about a specific item, please don’t hesitate to ask, and if there is any doubt (and you want to keep the item) then list it as an exclusion in your Seller’s Disclosure Notice!

It’s almost always best for you to leave the property during showings. Buyers feel much more comfortable in a home without the seller present, and it’s in your best interest for buyers to feel comfortable. You will certainly have a unique perspective on your own home, and it’s our job to make sure that this unique perspective is communicated to any potential buyer through our marketing materials.

The average days on market will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood (or condo development to condo development.) How long it will take to sell your property will also be a function of your property’s condition & where you decide to price it. After we’ve viewed your property, we can give you a good estimate of the time it will take to sell your property, given the amount of preparation you would like to do.

Unless otherwise agreed with your buyer, all of your personal items need to be removed. While a standard contract doesn’t require it, it’s very standard for a seller to clean the property well after move out (vacuum, dust, wipe countertops, etc…) It is relatively common for a buyer to stipulate in the contract that they want the house professionally cleaned and/or the carpets to be steamed. If there’s no such stipulation, then we recommend using common sense, and leaving the property in the same condition you would want it to be in, if you were the buyer. Bear in mind that the buyer will have a final walk through before closing, so you want to make sure they’re happy with the property’s condition.

While all contracts are negotiable, the standard fees are outlined here. There is typically a 6% broker fee and 1.5% in additional escrow, title, & miscellaneous fees. The easiest way to determine how much you will net in the sale is to multiply the sales price X 92.5%.

The buyer & seller usually sign at different times. This helps you close as quickly as possible. If both parties sign at the same scheduled time, then both parties wait on each other (one goes first and one waits for the second to finish.)

The buyer walkthrough allows the buyer to physically see that the property hasn’t been damaged prior to closing. While uncommon, things can happen. Storms can cause trees to come down & movers can bang holes in the walls. If something unlikely happens, then we have to either give a monetary credit or fix the problem prior to closing. The walkthrough is most certainly not an opportunity for the buyer to renegotiate prior to closing & it is generally quick and painless. You are contractually obligated to allow the buyer walkthrough during reasonable times with reasonable notice.

You can expect to have the proceeds from closing the following business day, and you sometimes get proceeds the same day as closing.

Contractually, an option period is the period during which a buyer can terminate the contract and receive their earnest money back for any reason. They have the “option” to terminate. In practice, the option period is almost always used as an inspection period. Buyers hire a licensed inspector to inspect the home and provide them a report. Buyers usually do ask for repairs or a credit for repairs. You are not contractually obligated to negotiate repairs during the option period, but we will always look at what is in your best interest – negotiating repairs or going back to market.

A licensed Texas real estate inspector will provide a visual inspection of your home based on current code. This means that the inspector will not disassemble anything to inspect it and that they will not take into account the year the property was built. It’s fairly common for older homes to show deficiencies simply because code has changed, but you’re under no obligation to bring anything to current code. Sometimes, an inspector will recommend that a specialist inspect a specific system further (HVAC, foundation, plumbing, etc…).