El Paso Real Estate

Welcome to my  Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in El Paso.

As a REALTOR I have found it challenging yet interesting learning this business of real estate.  I thoroughly enjoy working with people and overcoming challenges...I especially love when my clients are satisfied.  I look forward to the future and hope that it will be successful and filled with new and exciting experiences.  I would appreciate any advice other REALTORS or other professionals could offer me.

I look forward in reading your comments.

Thank you.

Make your home stand out amongst the others on the market. Rather than advertise your house for what it is, advertise it for what it could be. Buyers want to see your house empty of any personal touches that are difficult to remove. The Willy Wonka fruit wallpaper in the kitchen and any cute little mural trees with you and your spouse's name carved into them have got to go. Similar to the Julie Andrews philosophy, when you know the rules to sell, you can sell most anything.

Selling a home in today's buyer's market is a challenge. The average homebuyer is inundated with HG TV Make Over Shows with professional designers and stagers, perfect color plates and a good-looking funny carpenter who can fix/make anything out of nothing for under $2000 in 2 days. WOW!  I want that house and so do today's home buyers!

Buyers are not looking to buy your house - they want to take it off their long list of houses they're looking at. Lets make YOUR HOME the only house on their list. 

So let's start step-by-step, inch-by-inch, hour by tedious hour - minus the good looking funny carpenter - and get to work.

First Impression:

1. Your address:  Is the house number visible from the street or is it obstructed? 
2. Make sure it's clear and visible!

Second Impression:

1. Your mail box: Is the mail box clean, freshly painted and in good repair? (or is your little red flag hanging on for dear life?).
2. A quick go-over with a can of spray paint (rust resistant) will make it like new and make your home stand out!

Overall Impression:

1. Curb appeal!!! Yea, yea, that's another HG TV show also. However, I want you to think a little bigger about curb appeal. You need to consider the area around  your house as well.
2. Is there over-grown grass on city land close by?  Street lights out? 
   • Time to start calling consumer action lines.
   • Check your local city web pages as well.
   • Most major news stations have a mayor's hot-line and they love to hear about areas of neglect! J
   1. Your yard and your neighbors yard.
      Are you blessed with a green thumb perfectly manicured yard, beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables? - then you are one of the chosen few! I bow in the presence of greatness! But if you are not, you should pay the nice guy and his son to come around once a week and do it no matter how hot or how wet it is. Your lawn must be maintained -  mow, trim, weed and water each and every week - PERIOD!  No if, ands or BUTS!! 
      If your lawn skills are leaps and bounds above the retired - gone fishing most the time - next-door neighbor guy (Ask first) but add his frontyard to your weekly routine - even if you have to pay to have it done.
      Buyers will drive right past your house if your neighborhood/area does not look good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Overall Impression - Matters!

When it comes to buying a home the choices are unbelievable! Before you begin, help yourself and help your agent by making a list of your absolute needs.  Be careful not to confuse your needs with strong desires!  Just doing this will weed out hundreds of homes that just do not fit. This will save countless hours and lots of gas!!  Once you have your basic needs list, then make another list of desires ranking them from "strong" to "would like".  This will help you and your agent (preferably me!) get started with ease. The list are not concrete and will evolve. Just be sure to keep me (or your agent) involved as your needs "evolve"! 

Caution: Some needs and wants come with a hidden cost! Pools, acreage and those soaring ceilings you desire can sometimes add considerably to maintenance and utility cost.  In Haciendas del Norte people have 3 acre lots that look very attractive,...but most have a minimum 1 acre for a reason! It's called Septic System! That is additional yearly cost as well. 

Always hire an experienced person to view the type of property you are looking for.  If they don't know the difference between a portapot and a portecochere or a stock tank versus a septic tank....you should probably find someone that does! Good Luck!

While I'm working on my current project of my sons' rooms transformations I have a renewed appreciation for my house. I have also learned a few things about myself.

While I enjoy the look of contemporary, my personal style is eclectic and cozy. I've been clearing out junk because clutter is annoying plus adds to the cleaning, but I require certain items around because they're pretty. I like my kitchen clean, it so rarely stays that way. I like the counters cleared, they don't stay that way either - but there is nothing as homey as a fresh pie or plate of cookies next to a vase of flowers on the kitchen island.

There are certain things that make this house, or any I have lived in for that matter, feel like home:

~ Morning sunlight in the kitchen, open windows with sheer curtains waving in the breeze
~ Candles
~ Flowers on the table
~ Soft glow of lamps at night
~ Smell of coffee, or cookies in the oven or soup simmering on the stove
~ Sounds of the kids & their friends chatting, the goofy next door neighbor's dogs barking, the football game eminating from the den, the lovely racket of family and friends spilling in the door carrying a casserole of mashed potatoes or the like yelling "Watch out! It's hot!"
~ Snuggling under the blanket my mother knitted as I watch a movie while eating popcorn with my sons.
~ Folding clean towels straight from the dryer
~ A crackling fire on a snowy day

The so-called little things in life are the really important things and mean "home" to me.

What means HOME to you? I am looking forward to reading your lists & make them as long as you like!