I am so grateful that Lubbock received much needed moisture this week in the form of rain, sleet and even a few flakes of snow. Things are beginning to green up - a few blossoms and leaves unfurling on the trees.
March is a natural time to think about going green. I am not an environmental wacko, but with water issues, rising costs, and down turn economics one would be remiss not to consider conserving. I am planning to go paperless in my office this year. (save a tree!) I'll do most of my communicating via email. And I have friends who are "environmental" gurus who are going to help me with a rain barrel.
Just two days till St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear green on March 17th. A few years ago I bid on an antique shamrock pin. The photo of it looked awesome - a real one of a kind bit of bling for the season. I won the auction! When the package arrived I opened it to find a tiny version of what I thought I had won. The pin is still absolutely adorable, but lots smaller than what I anticipated.
The same thing often happens with photos of homes online. An estimated 80% of people today begin looking for a new home on the internet. But we know that the photos can be misleading - for better or worse. Pictures of a house can make a house seem darker than it is in person or can make a room look larger than in reality. Most often the photos don't capture a charming ambience or the feel of a neighborhood. And certainly a photo can't convey a strange smell. Definitely start with internet shopping - I love to do that. But you will need to do your leg work and/or Lubbock shoppers can let me do some previewing for you. Below are tips I like to share.
Tip list for home buyer -
* Develop a list of what you need in a house
* Add a list of some 'wants'
* Get pre-qualified with lender (let me know if you want a referral)
* Call or email me and let me know what you are looking for and your time frame
* Get a customized online home search set up - I can do that for you
* If you want a particular neighborhood, drive it and note homes for sale
* Do some internet shopping - stick to your needs at this point
* Make a list of homes of interest
* Do a bit of driving - check out the home's exterior and the neighborhood
* Ask me to investigate homes you like to see if they fit your criteria
* Make an appointment - call me to arrange a time to go see the house
If you need to sell your house in order to buy a new home, get your house on the market BEFORE you get seriously interested in a particular house. It is taking an average of 90+ days for a home in Lubbock to sell. And with close to 1200 single family homes and garden homes on the market it will likely take lots less time to find a great home than to sell one.
Hope you all have a great Spring Break week!
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