A home inspection is probably one of the most underrated and important pieces of the home buying process. A certified inspector will spend approximately 2-3 hours conducting an inspection and testing on the property. An inspection report that highlights proposed repairs can save potential buyers thousands of dollars. If you are a first time home purchaser, your realtor should strongly suggest that you pay for the inspection. There are very few reasons why a buyer would want to decline one. Quick note: Usually an inspection is contingent upon the sale of the home. This will allow the buyer to cancel or re-negotiate the sale based upon what the inspector uncovers. It's usually not required, and although the buyer is normally responsible, it is often negotiable between both parties. A motivated seller may even have taken initiative and have a current inspection for your review. This is called a pre-inspection. If the homeowner lives in an old home and suspects that there will be several repairs, then a pre-inspection might be suggested. This will prevent any potential surprises. Here is what a home inspection covers, what its purpose is, and how much you can expect to pay for one. The Motivation for an Inspection The purpose of the home inspection is to discover any defects in the home that exist. Some will need to be repaired, while others won't require any immediate attention. Below you can view some of the important parts of the home inspection should cover, or look for: Mold Pests Water Damage Electrical Systems Plumbing Foundation/Structural Components Status of Roof and Chimney HVAC Ceiling Floors Usually, it's recommended that the buyer remain on-site while the inspector completes the inspection. This serves as two-fold. 1. You can ask potential questions you have about the process or point out any concerns. 2. It gives the buyer an opportunity to observe the inspection process in its entirety. The inspector may point out details that you can expect to view in the report. After the inspection is completed, then you will receive a full report of what the inspector uncovered. The report should be carefully scrutinized. Remember that no home is perfect. So you will discover items that may need some sort of repair. In many cases, the report will highlight a multitude of items. Many will be so minor that you won't care. However, a homeowner should be aware of all of the items in the report. Be sure and share this report with your realtor. They should have prior knowledge of what might raise a red flag. In the event that there are repairs that need to be conducted, have your realtor relay the information to the buyer or the buyer's realtor. This can lead to further negotiations in the home process. Unfortunately, an inspection can even uncover issues that will cause the sale to be canceled. Be aware that a buyer shouldn't ask for smaller repairs to be made. These are usually cosmetic or a nominal fee to repair. Some of these will include: Loose doorknobs Exterior or interior paint Sellers should walk away from buyers who ask for small repairs to be made. Re-negotiating isn't advised under these specific conditions. Read more about sellers mistakes here.  The Cost of a Home Inspection "Each inspection will be different. The total cost will vary based upon the size of the house, the location, and the age" says Greg Covell, a Maple Ridge real estate agent. If you are purchasing a brand new home you should expect the home to be in near perfect condition. Our experts at Rentkidz estimate that the cost for a home inspection will be between $300 to $600. How did we arrive at this number? Some companies actually publish their costs online. Here is a rundown of a company in Texas that illustrates this. 2500 square feet and under is a flat rate of $395 Homes above 4000 square feet will be charged an additional 14 cents per square foot Swimming pools cost an additional $100 A home older than 30 years, +$100. Sprinkler System +$50 Buying a home is probably the largest monetary purchase for most people in their lifetime. Spending a few hundred dollars on a report makes complete sense. Roof repairs alone can cost well over five thousand dollars!

Let's start the year (Well, I said "start" since we are still in the first quarter, right?) with a few pep talks-- on broken New Year's resolution, homestead exemptions, market update and property tax protest.  I have made timestamps so you can skip directly to the exact topic of your interest: 0:00 Intro 0:32 Broken New Year's Resolution 3:32 Homestead Exemption 4:19 January Market Update 4:26 Sales Prices 5:15 A look at supply 5:40 Accuracy of sales numbers 8:54 Property Tax Protest Broken New Year's Resolution I will bet to my last dollar, you have broken your New Year's resolution. But let me tell you something. I did some reflecting during our company Christmas party last year when we recognized our top-performing employees. It dawned on me that at the end of the year, what we really value are the positive things and we do not dwell so much on losses and negativity. Another thing, most people choose to not lose, but we need to get out of the comfort zone, do the things that we have never done before. Homestead Exemption People who bought the home last year didn't qualify for homestead exemption until January 1st of this year. They still have until the end of April to have it filed. You may check out our video about filing your homestead exemptions here. Market Update You can see a trend in sales price, however we also discussed how these numbers may not be accurate yet, and explain the reasons why such thing happens. Details with facts and figures are explained starting at 4:19 in the video above.

One for the books! We just hit 1,000 YouTube subscribers. Hooray! It has been an amazing privilege to have all of you with us on this journey. Real estate is a relatively complex yet interesting topic that is why we are glad to share our knowledge with all of you guys.  We also look forward to helping more property owners in the local community in doing their property tax protests. We always believe that there is no better way to pay it forward than to serve and give love to the ones who are close to us. Special shout out to my buddies and of course to our avid followers who made this possible. Cheers to more informational videos and to more awesome subscribers! Sending you more than a thousand of love!

I can't believe it's already December! This month's video is different. If you saw our live Halloween facebook video, you heard about all of the upcoming plans we have over the holiday season. Many people have been asking for an update, so this video is your answer! This video is longer than most, so I made timestamps so you can skip directly to the exact topic of your interest: 0:00 Intro 0:52 Update - How we fed 57 foster families a Thanksgiving dinner (Thank YOU!) 1:40 Update - Chandler's botched "Dog Father" attempt 2:29 Update - Chandler on his experience running his first marathon 3:00 How to sign your child up for a free Santa home visit (first come first serve)  www.chandlercrouch.com/santa 4:00 December real estate market update 4:40 Month's of inventory (absorption rate) 5:33 A look at supply 6:45 A look at demand 8:30 Median sales price 11:10 What does this mean for sellers 11:45 What does this mean for buyers 12:10 Tax protest tips    

Scroll below the video for a text summary. 0:45 November real estate market update 5:55 How we're feeding 56 orphans/foster families and what you can do to help 9:35 How to get Santa to visit your child at home for free Market Update Inventory levels are softening because demand is down. Supply remains steady. Home prices continue to stay strong. Details with facts and figures are explained starting at 0:45 in the video below.   Feeding 56 Foster Families for Thanksgiving This year we are partnering with CJ Wilson with foodtronix.com feeding 56 foster families. We need your help: Volunteer to cook. Sign up here. Help by delivering a meal. Sign up here. Donate to feed a family here:  mychosenones.org Click "Give" in the top right corner. Click "special instructions" then enter "Thanksgiving Mission." This will ensure the funds go to the appropriate place   How to get Santa to visit your child at home for free Santa is going to take a break from managing the elves to visit a few lucky families this year, for free. We have an overwhelming demand for this. As a way to thank our volunteers, we will give priority access to sign up for Santa home visits to the volunteers of our Thanksgiving foster feeding mission.    

The most recent real estate sales numbers show a pretty grim change in our local real estate market.  Inventory levels are up almost 14%, demand has dropped off a shelf, and it seems as if the sky is falling... but is it really? In this month's real estate market update video Chandler and the Team take a deep dive into the numbers, consider recent headlines, and put the most recent market changes into perspective. Also, learn about an exciting company announcement, and discover where you can get free mulch and dispose of your toxic trash (paint cans, tires, batteries, etc) for FREE!

Home inspections by a licensed property inspector are well worth the money.  They have tools to test various components (eg hvac), and experience of seeing hundreds of houses. You can't replace an expert with a checklist.   You can, however, use a checklist like this to prepare your house for sale, eliminate issues to avoid an overly negative inspection report, and help to find issues for your property tax protest. Here is a link to the home inspection checklist.   

As my team protested for over 3200 people (for free) my team and I became aware of many problems in the system. We also began proposing some solutions. If you can help identify problems or brainstorm solutions, please write them in the comments below, or contact us directly to discuss them. We want your input! (Also, if you would like to put your technical writing skills to good use and help edit this document, please contact us)  

If you are a REALTOR who is passionate about providing expert assistance to homeowners against unfair property taxation and you would like to be a part of the Homeowner Advocacy Group, complete the form below.     Loading...

If you need to get your home in "market-ready" condition or you need to find everything wrong with your house to serve as evidence in a property tax protest, this checklist will be your best friend.     Scroll down or click here: Property Condition Checklist

Our property tax system is broken. Taxes have gone up so high that some people can no longer afford their homes. Current reform proposals don't adequately protect the rights of homeowners. I am working with a state representative and powerful lobby group to amend Governer Abbot's proposal to include provisions that would reform our property tax code to protect homeowners. Legislation won't gain the necessary support unless they know that this is something that the public demands. Sign this petition to join in supporting reform to protect the rights of homeowners.     Loading...

The IRS changed the rules in 1997 that stated you had to sell your residence and buy another house within 2 years. This rule no longer applies. Now the IRS doesn’t care what you do with your money when you sell. Under the newest changes, you must have lived in your previous home for at least 2 out of the last 5 years. If, however, you rented your house out during your ownership, the situation gets more complicated and you should consult a tax expert. A single person may qualify to exclude up to $250,000 of that gain from your income, or up to $500,000 of that gain if you file a joint return with your spouse. Certain exceptions exist for uniformed personnel, owners that lived in a nursing home, experienced divorce, or death. There are a few misconceptions and avenues you can tad advantage of that I'd like to clear up. Q: What if it wasn't my primary residence... Can I still avoid capital gains? A: Yes You can avoid having to immediately pay capital gains tax selling an investment property through doing a 1031 exchange. To qualify you must purchase another investment property of equal or greater value than your current property. Use the gains from the previous property sale to purchase the new property. Also, the new property must be considered "like-kind", which basically just means it's used for a similar type of investment. For example, if you're selling a house, you must buy another house. If you're selling a retail commercial building, you must buy another retail commercial building. There are some timing factors and logistical measures you need to be aware of that aren't very complicated but you will find helpful to get some guidance on. For help or questions, just contact our office. We would be glad to walk you through a purchase involving a 1031 exchange. Q: Can I claim a capital loss if I lose money on the sale of my home? A: Unfortunately, no You must report and pay tax on unexempt capital gains from the sale of your personal residence, but you can never claim a capital loss on the sale of a personal residence. For some reason, the government allows deductions on certain capital losses on investment property, but not on personal use property. The good news is that you're on the right website to help avoid losses. Our track record shows that we sell houses for considerably more than the average agent, and have many times set a new record price for highest sale in a subdivision.   Q: Are moving expenses always deductible? A: Yes sometimes, but not always You can only deduct moving expenses that are work-related under certain strict conditions. If you are moving for purely personal reasons, they are never deductible. If your company is relocating you, then you should take a closer look to see if your moving expenses are deductible. A few things to consider - it really helps if your job move and house move are within 1 year of each other, and you're moving at least 50 miles away. If you are self-employed or have any kind of part-time or limited employment, the rules get a little sticky. You should consult a tax advisor to get more details under these circumstances. Have more tax questions? Just give us a call or contact us any time. We would love the opportunity to serve you. 

In case you don't already know, last year we helped over 3200 people protest their property tax value for free. This year our goal is to help 6000. I just wanted to give you an update on where we're at on that... We're working hard to get things ready so that when we help with your property tax protest, everything runs smoothly without any trouble. The appraisal district needed to get further approval fro some technology we're using to help make the process streamlined for you. It shouldn't be too much longer, but we have until May 15th to turn everything in, so we're still in great shape. Chandler and the team recorded a video just to provide an update (see below).   Also, Chandler will be speaking to several home owner's associations, community groups, possibly a chamber of commerce or two, and other types of groups to teach homeowners how to protest and provide some tips etc. If you know of any groups that might appreciate hearing from us on that, please let me know asap. Our calendar for speaking engagements is filling up pretty quick. In the meantime, if you have any other real estate related questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help any way we can. Have a great day!     

I put together a short video with our team that covers some current issues.  Don't have 10 minutes? Jump to the section that interests you most or scroll below the video to see abbreviated notes. What's in the video: 0:00 - 0:44 Why real estate prices crashed in January: 0:45 - 2:45 Pillow talk 2:46 - 4:23 Do this 1 thing NOW to save thousands when you sell your home 4:24 - 5:38 What you need to know about Amazon moving their headquarters to DFW 5:39 - 7:50 1 big change to Tax protests this year 7:51 - 9:39     Real estate prices are down, which was expected. December was a record month and we expect to see significant price gains in February. Pricing is a result of the relationship between supply and demand so in the video I show you exactly where demand and supply levels are at and discuss what this means for you.  Amazon recently announced that they are moving their headquarters. Dallas Fort Worth is one of 20 areas under consideration. This would bring 50,000 new jobs over a 10 year period of time. Watch the video to learn which key factors play a role in their decision process.  Recent changes in the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) contract could cost you thousands if you don't know about them and take action now, well ahead of your plans to sell your home. Now all repairs must be completed by a licensed professional. This means after you get under contract, you can't fix anything in the house without calling a licensed professional. What may have cost you just $5 to do on your own will now cost as much as $75 when considering that most professionals will charge you a trip fee just to show up.  The main tax protest deadline this year is going to be May 15 instead of May 31. There is no need to act on this information now. They plan to send value notices out around April 1st. As soon as they do, we'll be on top of it to help. We are making preparations to help a record number of people. If you know someone that would reliably show up on time, do great work, treat it like a high paying job, but would be interested in volunteering to help, please send them my way. 

This video is different than any other we have ever released. I have been reflecting on 2017 and thinking about what 2018 will bring. I had a little fun with it and just thought I would share my thoughts.  You'll hear what I got for Christmas, how to make a successful New Year's resolution, a thank you message for 2017, and your real estate market report for Tarrant County Texas as well as a hint on what the real estate market is expected to do in 2018. Enjoy! Video Content Time Stamps: https://youtu.be/2pNJkksLJtU 0:16 What I got for Christmas - "My Pillow" and the answer revealed... Is it the most comfortable pillow I've ever owned. 1:43 My 1 tip on how to make a successful New Year's resolution 2:19 Walking on water and Aux'ing Link to song by Thirty Seconds to Mars https://youtu.be/44NYFvhXmW8 5:14 What happened in 2017 - I must say Thank You! 7:00 Real estate market update - The Bottom Line 7:35 2018 Real estate market forecast  https://youtu.be/2pNJkksLJtU  

Click here to view your property tax bill online. Watch the video below to discover... How to reduce your monthly payment How to eliminate your tax burden completely      If you haven't received your property tax bill in the mail yet, you need to find out why. Taxes are due by Jan 31 whether you received your bill or not.  Call your mortgage company and see if they received your bill. Go online search and contact the tax assessor's office If your taxes are higher than you were expecting, it's likely because the appraisal district proposed a value significantly higher than last year. We may have protested to lower the value from what they proposed, but your taxes may still have gone up if the amount we reduced it to is still more than last year's tax value. Options if your tax burden is too high If your monthly payment went up, you likely have an escrow shortage. The mortgage company's default payment plan is 12 months. Call and ask if you can pay it out over a 2-3 year period of time. This is usually an easy 15-minute phone conversation. Prepare for your protest for next year. Take photos of issues. Get quotes. Save quotes / unpaid invoices to use as evidence in your protest. File them away to save them for your protest next May. We can help you eliminate your entire tax bill for good... By helping you sell your house. If you can't afford to live there, we want you to call us. Our goal will be to help you find a way to stay in your house, but if you have no other option and you've determined that you must move, we will help in 2 ways. 2 Ways We Can Help if You Must Move We will help you determine how much you can expect to sell it for. Often times it's more than you think. We will review 14 options that our team put together for you.  Call one of our team members today or contact our office directly at 817-381-3800 or hello@chandlercrouch.com

Click the market update you would like to see: Fort Worth Real Estate Market Update  Keller Real Estate Market Update  Entire DFW Metroplex Real Estate Market Update  Heritage & Crawford Farms Real Estate Market Update Discover the answers to these questions... Is it a bad idea to sell in fall and winter? Are we in a bubble? How does the market look?   0:30 Tax protest update 1:20 market report 1:32 median price trend 2:25 if you have your house on the market now 2:45 how the news affects you 3:08 effect of seasons on pricing 3:20 cause of new demands on housing 3:30 spring and summer vs fall and winter 3:50 how we can help you personally for free 4:20 contact info    

We are honored to be recognized as the Realtor of the month for NewHomesDirectory.com Kelley Watkins is a terrific writer and kind soul. I am flattered by this and humbled by such an incredible team that has done so much to help so many people. If I didn't work with the best people on earth this recognition wouldn't be possible. If you have a minute click here to check out the article she wrote featuring us as New Homes Directory Realtor of the Month.     

Realtor.com Published Our Advice in One of Their Recent Articles http://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/are-you-ready-to-buy-a-home-first-time-buyer-questions/   There's a certain point in the lifecycle of renting where you say to yourself: I just can't do this anymore. Maybe it's the upstairs neighbors, who relentlessly stomp across their apartment into the wee hours of the morning. Maybe it's the numbingly dull white walls you've stared at year after year. Or perhaps it's that bitter pill of knowledge that your hard-earned money is circling down the drain—en route to paying someone else's mortgage. No matter the reason, most of us eventually hit a breaking point with renting, and vow to become homeowners once and for all. But just because you want to buy a home doesn't mean you should buy a home. Even if you've already evaluated your finances and told yourself, "I can swing a down payment," there are some additional key questions to ask to determine whether you're ready. Here, we unveil some oft-overlooked, soul-searching inquiries that you really should ask yourself before you make the biggest financial commitment of your life. Ready? 1. Have I recently experienced a loss? If you’ve recently gone through a breakup, lost your job, or suffered any other kind of negative life event, you might feel like the answer is to start over. A reset can indeed do you a world of good, but taking on a mortgage probably won’t be the fresh new beginning you’re looking for. “The most challenging time in someone's life to buy a home is during a time of loss—and that can be many kinds of loss,” says Tyler Whitman, real estate agent with TripleMint in New York. “If it's truly a high-stress moment, adding a move on top of that only makes things worse." 2. If I get a new job, will I have to move? Even if you think you're in a good place, emotionally speaking, Whitman warns that stress might cause you to subconsciously make your housing decisions out of fear. It's better to wait until you’re past a situation and can know you’re making the best choice for you. The job market has changed drastically since the days when your parents bought a home, and you should know how that will affect you before you buy. “Previous generations planned to get one job, keep it forever, and retire. Buying into a house because they were looking for a permanent living situation made a lot more sense,” says Chandler Crouch, broker for Chandler Crouch Realtors in Fort Worth, TX. “Now, job-hopping is prevalent.” Changing jobs won’t be a big deal if you can keep—or raise—your salary, and your new gig is in your current city. But if there aren’t a ton of jobs in your industry in your area, you may find yourself having to relocate a year after you bought your home. “It honestly isn't a good idea to buy a house unless you plan on staying there for at least five years,” Crouch says. If you sell earlier, you may end up taking a loss on the deal. 3. Am I ready to write (a lot) of checks beyond the down payment? Here's the good news: Mortgage requirements have been loosening since the credit crunch, and you may very well be able to buy with less than 20% down. But the bad news is that won’t be the end of your upfront costs. Hire a mortgage broker and you could pay a 1% to 2% fee on the amount of the loan. A home inspection will cost you a few hundred. Your closing costs could add up to 7% of the total cost of the home. And then there’s the Murphy’s Law of it all: If something can go wrong, it probably will. “If the air conditioner breaks a month after you close, or the dishwasher gives out, that's now up to you,” Whitman says. If you don’t have the funds to cover your closing costs and a separate emergency account for the inevitable “just moved in” headaches, it might be better to wait until you do. And don't forget about the additional costs of things like homeowner insurance and taxes. (Although you'll likely be eligible for some pretty sweet tax deductions for being a homeowner, you'll still have to pay property taxes—and that can mean a bit of sticker shock for long-term renters.) 4. Am I OK with owing the bank lots of money for a long time? One of the biggest benefits of homeownership, of course, is the equity. Instead of handing all your hard-earned cash over to a landlord, you're putting it back into your home—which you (hopefully) will sell for a profit down the line. But that equity doesn't happen immediately. In fact, for many buyers, it takes time. Sometimes a long time. Unless you pay for your house in cash, you'll be on the hook for not only your monthly mortgage payment but the interest on the loan as well. Stretching out your payments over more years—as with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage—can help reduce (and stabilize) your interest charges. But it can be hard to pay down your principal when you're constantly trying to cover other costs. It's part of being a homeowner, and you need to decide if you’re good with it. “Anyone considering buying needs to look at an amortization schedule to see exactly how much out of their monthly payment will be going toward paying off the house,” Crouch says. 5. Is buying truly cheaper in the long run? This one depends quite a bit on where you live. So do the math. Understand that when you're buying, you'll be taking on a big down payment and all those additional costs. On the other hand, you'll want to take a look at your local rental market. If your rents are increasing steadily year over year, you might be shelling out more on temporary housing then you would on your own home each month. And you may find yourself with your savings too depleted to buy. “On average landlords raise rent 7% per year," Crouch says. "This is a compounding increase in expense.” That could mean that buying, while a punch to the wallet now, will be more affordable in the long run. But if you live in a more stable rental market, it could be better to sock away some cash and wait a few more years to purchase a home. You can use our handy Rent vs. Buy Calculator to crunch the numbers and decide what's right for you. 6. Am I secretly trying to talk myself into it? Your co-workers don’t understand why you’re still renting. Your friends are all buying their first homes. You've been saving for years specifically so you can buy a house and become a key-carrying member of the Great American Dream. It may seem like you should just buy already, but try asking yourself: Do you really, truly want to? Even if it might make sense on paper, Crouch still recommends asking yourself three questions before you finally decide: Am I trying to sell myself on the idea of buying a home? Am I trying too hard to justify it financially? Do my reasons to buy outnumber my reasons not to buy? After all, buying a home is arguably the biggest financial (and, sometimes, emotional) commitment you'll ever make. You need to be sure it's right for you—no matter what anybody else says.  

Real Estate Commissions Aren't Cheap, But Are They Worth It? A new independent study by Collateral Analytics shows that Realtors are indeed worth their commission, generally speaking. The study concludes that successful "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) sellers achieve prices significantly below those from similar properties sold by a Realtor. The study does not take into account sales that were first attempted as FSBO then switched to a Realtor due to an unsuccessful FSBO attempt. Something that doesn't appear to be taken into consideration by the study is the extra benefit of having someone deal with contracts, negotiate, and field dozens of interactions with inspectors, title company, lender, and the opposing party to the transaction. It's important to acknowledge that not every agent provides a service as valuable as what they charge, however, they do on average. This means that if you do your homework and hire an above average agent, you are likely to get a better than average return on your money hiring a Realtor. Several cities were studied. The conclusions were the same in every location. See below for the graph showing the findings of the Pheonix area study. The study can be seen in its entirety here: http://collateralanalytics.com/saving-real-estate-commissions-at-any-price/