Customers today rely heavily on their peers past experience in making purchasing decisions, and selecting a real estate service provider is no exception to that rule. If you've worked with the Claus Team as either a buyer or seller, we'd like to ask that you take a moment to share your positive experience with the world.
While there are many review outlets available, right now the Claus Team is focusing on our Zillow.com web presence and would love it if you'd leave us a review or a rating for our service to you. To rate the Claus Team on Zillow, CLICK HERE.
And if there's anything we need to adjust to make your experience with us five-star worthy, then please call our office at 210.566.6355 and discuss it with us, and thank you!
Sincerely,
The Claus Team
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Top Ten Tips to Finding the Perfect Home this Summer Season
At the height of the summer home buying season, the Claus Team is ON FIRE! As we work with our buyers and sellers moving properties, we thought we'd take a minute and share with you our Top 10 Tips to Finding the Perfect Home...
1. Figure out
what your 'perfect home' looks like. Write down on a piece of paper all of
the things you must have in your new home, things that would be nice to have
and things that don't really matter. Here's an example one of our buyers used...
2. Purchase a home that stays in budget. Make sure to get pre-approved for a loan before going out to look at houses. It will make the buying process much easier and you will know which houses to look at.
3. Bigger isn't always better. While we all dream of having a huge mansion, it's good to think about what will be best for your family. Figure out how many rooms you need to fit your family comfortably and look in that range.
4. Think about remodeling. Many homes you will look at may not be in the best condition, but think about the potential of the house. Would painting and new wood floors turn it into your dream house? How about a kitchen or bathroom remodel? There are many easy fix-ups such as adding new light fixtures and painting that can turn your house into the perfect home.
5. Location is important. Check the surrounding area of the home. Drive around the 2 mile radius to see what is around your home. Make sure it is in an area you feel comfortable with. Find out what school district you'll be in. Even if you don't have kids, you may want to think about the school district you live in for resale. You may also want to take the commute to your work and see how long it will take you.
6. Do your research. Research property values in the area. Stalk your neighborhood and find out what it's like at all times of the day. Is it a family friendly neighborhood? You could even knock on the neighbors' doors before buying.
7. Do a home inspection. The home inspector will look at everything in a home and give you a non-biased opinion. They will also tell you the true value of the home you are looking at. It's better to spend a couple hundred dollars doing a home inspection than finding out the house had several problems.
8. Picture your family living in the house. When you walk into the home, can you picture your family living there? Does it have a good feeling? Picture your family living in each room and see you how feel.
9. Leave room to grow. Make sure your 'perfect home' has extra storage and gives you room to grow.
10. Don't put your expectations to high. Realize that most houses aren't perfect to begin with. Even if you are building your dream home, there are always things that could have been different. Be flexible. Once you move in and add your own style it will soon become your dream home.
|
Really Want
|
Could Work
|
Absolutely
Not
|
|
Three Bedroom+
|
Two Bedroom + Study/Den
|
Two Bedroom w/o Flex Space
|
|
At Least 1500 sq. ft.
|
1200-1500 sq. ft.
|
Under 1200 sq. ft.
|
|
Garage
|
Covered Parking
|
|
|
2 Baths
|
1.5 Baths
|
Only 1 Toilet
|
|
Payment Under $1400/month
|
$1400-$1600
|
Payment Over $1600
|
|
House
|
Townhouse or Condo
|
Rental
|
|
Easy Drive to Work – Schertz
|
Cibolo, Selma
|
South of 1604
|
|
1 Story
|
Secondary Bedrooms Up
|
All Bedrooms Up
|
|
All appliances included
|
No fridge or washer/dryer included
|
No dishwasher
|
|
SCUC ISD
|
Comal ISD
|
NEISD
|
2. Purchase a home that stays in budget. Make sure to get pre-approved for a loan before going out to look at houses. It will make the buying process much easier and you will know which houses to look at.
3. Bigger isn't always better. While we all dream of having a huge mansion, it's good to think about what will be best for your family. Figure out how many rooms you need to fit your family comfortably and look in that range.
4. Think about remodeling. Many homes you will look at may not be in the best condition, but think about the potential of the house. Would painting and new wood floors turn it into your dream house? How about a kitchen or bathroom remodel? There are many easy fix-ups such as adding new light fixtures and painting that can turn your house into the perfect home.
5. Location is important. Check the surrounding area of the home. Drive around the 2 mile radius to see what is around your home. Make sure it is in an area you feel comfortable with. Find out what school district you'll be in. Even if you don't have kids, you may want to think about the school district you live in for resale. You may also want to take the commute to your work and see how long it will take you.
6. Do your research. Research property values in the area. Stalk your neighborhood and find out what it's like at all times of the day. Is it a family friendly neighborhood? You could even knock on the neighbors' doors before buying.
7. Do a home inspection. The home inspector will look at everything in a home and give you a non-biased opinion. They will also tell you the true value of the home you are looking at. It's better to spend a couple hundred dollars doing a home inspection than finding out the house had several problems.
8. Picture your family living in the house. When you walk into the home, can you picture your family living there? Does it have a good feeling? Picture your family living in each room and see you how feel.
9. Leave room to grow. Make sure your 'perfect home' has extra storage and gives you room to grow.
10. Don't put your expectations to high. Realize that most houses aren't perfect to begin with. Even if you are building your dream home, there are always things that could have been different. Be flexible. Once you move in and add your own style it will soon become your dream home.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Give the Claus Team a Wave at Schertz 2013 Fourth of July Jubilee Parade!
Schertz is gearing up for its annual Fourth of July Jubilee Celebration and Parade, and the Claus Team will once again be marching as part of the parade!
This year's parade theme is "Honoring our First Responders." Look for the Claus Team's "Real Estate Emergency? Call the Claus Team!" t-shirts on the day of the parade. We'll be passing out Dum-Dums to remind everyone that, "Smart Buyers and Sellers Choose the Claus Team!"
The parade kicks off at Clemens High School at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4, but we'd like to invite you to stop by our office at 2901 Ashley Oak Drive, Suite 200 in Schertz between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday or Wednesday, July 2-3 to pick up either a koozy or one of our fantastic red Claus Team Tervis cups.
If we see you with our gear at the Jubilee, we'll register you to win a $50 gift card!
Questions? Call us at 210.566.6355! Want to know more about the parade, visit the City of Schertz Jubilee webpage. See you at the festival!
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