Why Use a Qualified Realtor?

 

Why do you need a qualified agent to list your home?

All you hear about in the Real Estate Market is multiple offers and homes selling in a day.  It seems like that would mean that you could hire a discount realtor to get the job done, right?  Well… not so much.  Yesterday I had a meeting with a seller to discuss listing their home.  Afterwards, I decided to preview a home that was for sale in the same community.  At this time there are 3 homes for sale in the neighborhood.  One is under contract; one is negotiating a contract and this one.  This home is priced well above the others but the agent really goes on and on about the upgrades so I was really expecting to have my mind BLOWN by this house. My mind was blown but not by the house instead by the unprofessionalism of the agent.  This house was nowhere near as nice (even with all the upgrades) as the other two homes in the community. I could bore you getting into all the marketing and staging details that were an issue or I could break down the errors in pricing the house but lets just get down to the nitty gritty…. The other two homes where being looked at and offers are coming in and this one is sitting… sellers have moved out and are floating two mortgages.  If this agent had helped them price their home correctly, utilized effective marketing and perhaps a little staging this home would already be SOLD!  You may not like it when a professional agent tells you what they think your home will sell for, by all means ask them to explain, but pricing your home too high will not make you more money.  It will leave you frustrated and still holding the note to that home.

When looking for an agent to sell your home you want someone who will help you remove as many challenges, in regards to selling your home, as possible.  You want an agent that will do their homework when it comes to pricing your house.  They need to be honest about the market you are in and what you need to get done to help your home sale.  We all love to hear our house is perfect and it is worth 2 times what our neighbors home is, however that is not going to help you meet your end goal of selling your home.

Now is a great time to sell your home.  Prices are on the rise and interest rates are still low.  Do not miss the opportunity to sell your home in this incredible housing market by pricing it too high and scaring all the buyers away. If you would like an honest take on what your home should sale for, what you need to do to get it ready to sell and top notch photography and marketing to get it done Call Me! Keisha 469-853-9784 or email @ keisha.york@gmail.com.  You can also go to http://keisha.jphomesforsale.com/sell.php for a free home valuation.

 

Another Reason Prosper is a GREAT Place to Live

A while back I noticed a banner hanging on my daughters school that said, “Texas High Performance School Consortium.” I had no idea what that meant, being a former middle school teacher I was curious.  I did a bit of research and discovered yet ANOTHER reason I LOVE Prosper and LOVE Prosper ISD! Reading the information I found really explained the philosophy behind what I see everyday in my kids schooling. Just one more reason Prosper is a GREAT place to Live!

Below is an Overview from the Texas High Performance School Consortium web site, I also thought this Video did a great job of helping to explain:

Mission: School Transformation

The goal of the Consortium is to transform education so that all Texas students are future ready. Students should be given the power to create and innovate, and teachers should be given the opportunity to use feedback and assessments to design learning that is both relevant and rigorous.  Parents, members of the local business community, and individuals from higher education, agree that they are looking for students who are critical thinkers, innovators, problem solvers, collaborators, and good communicators.  Unfortunately, our current system focuses on teaching to the high-stakes tests, not fostering the skills needed to be future ready.

The Consortium is designed to give the districts space to research, explore, develop and implement an assessment and accountability framework that is not over-reliant on high-stakes testing and is malleable enough to meet the needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities.  Consortium districts have been identified by the state as high performing, and will be allowed to operate outside the current assessment and accountability system for five years in order to have the necessary freedom to create the next generation accountability system that is balanced, flexible and helps prepare students for the future.

The preferred future for Texas schools includes an educational system that is built around:

• Dynamic curriculum standards in each content area;
• A variety of assessment alternatives that are not limited to paper and pencil tests;
• The use of technology that is integrated into the learning for students;
• Student interests;
• Involving local communities in determining the accountability features that are important to that community; and
• A variety of pathways to graduation.

Having such a system will prepare students for post-secondary education, the workforce and to be productive citizens.