Author: Andrew Gardner

What does a Real Estate Agent do?

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Thinking of selling your home by going the traditional route… through a real estate agent?  Well, you wouldn’t be alone.  Millions of people around the nation work with real estate agents every year to make real estate transactions easier and more seamless.  But here’s a question that you might not have the answer to… What … Continued

Struggling to Sell Your Home?

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Are you struggling to find a real estate agent that you feel like you can trust to sell your home?  We get it… Some — not all, but some — real estate agents seem to just be in it for themselves and don’t really care about helping you get top-dollar on your home. They take … Continued

Tips for Selling Fast on MLS

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Want to sell your home faster?  As it is, the average time to sell on the MLS is right around 90 days, according to Zillow.  And while many people, for various reasons, need to sell faster than that — maybe they need to move because of work or family changes, for instance — doing so … Continued

Partying Neighbors

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Are the neighbors having a little too much fun on your block? Back in the day, YOU may have been the life of the party! “Aint’ slowin’ down ‘til the sun comes up” and all that. Fun times! But, things have changed a bit and life moves on. Now you’ve got responsibilities, a job, a … Continued

Promise to Buy

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Someone promising to buy your house? Well, that’s awesome.  But remember, even the most well-intended promise (from a neighbor or family member, for instance) isn’t a guarantee unless they’ve signed a contract.  It’s unfortunate, but at LEAP Properties, we’ve worked with a lot of homeowners who counted on someone’s promise to buy their home. But … Continued

Remodeling Your Kitchen

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Want to remodel your kitchen? According to a survey by the National Association of House Buyers, kitchen remodels are the most common type of remodeling, followed by the bathroom, the entire house, and room additions.  So you’re definitely not alone in wanting to remodel your kitchen.  But how much is it going to cost?  And … Continued

Bad Air Quality

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Have you considered improving your home’s air quality?  It’s probably not something you spend a lot of time thinking about, but today’s buyers are actually pretty diligent about NOT buying homes with poor indoor air quality.  One study by UL Environment of 1,000 consumers found that 70% of Americans are actively looking for “greener products” … Continued

Remodel or Sell

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Wishing your home was more modern or updated?  There are a lot of cool things that can be done with homes today (kitchen islands, efficient power systems and appliances, smart devices for controlling temperature, etc.) to increase value AND make living spaces more comfortable.  But here’s a question… Is it best for a homeowner to … Continued

Property Value Going Down

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Has the value of your property taken a dive?  We’ve seen it happen before. Someone buys a property and its worth steadily increases… until it doesn’t.  For one reason or another — often, a reason that’s outside of the owner’s control — the property’s value tanks.  And to help homeowners protect themselves, here are a … Continued

Moving an Elderly Parent in?

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Are you moving an elderly parent into your house? The different stages of life are many – young adult, newly marrieds, growing families, middle age…and it’s astonishing how quickly the years fly by. Author Gretchen Rubin said, “The days are long, but the years are short.” So true! Before we know it, we find ourselves … Continued

Pet Problems

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 Are you dealing with pet problems? Most of the time, pets are the BEST! They are good listeners, never judge, love everyone unconditionally and become part of the family. With pet health insurance, pet bakeries, and their toys & food delivered to our front door, we love them and spoil them rotten.  It’s the way … Continued

Selling in the ‘Off’ Season

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Want to sell your home but not sure it’s a good time of year?  Well, according to research by HomeLight, the best months to sell are March, April, and May — typically, this is when homes sell quickly for top dollar.  Which is great… unless you need to sell during a different time of year.  … Continued

HOA Not Doing its Job?

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Is your HOA not doing its job? Often buyers specifically look for houses that are part of a Homeowners’ Association so that their investment is protected, and their property values aren’t negatively impacted by the choices of their neighbors.   But sometimes an HOA isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, or their budget just … Continued

Gratitude

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Let’s be honest. This year has had its challenges. And then some. Still, there is always always something to be thankful for. It may not seem so, if we only focus on the big things, but we need to remember all the little things. Especially this year. Things like a simple kindness, an encouraging word, … Continued
Adding a Room

Adding A Room to Your House

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Want to add another room to your house?  Well, you’re not the only one! According to HomeAdvisor, homeowners spend about $20,703 – $71,423 in order to build an addition to their home.  But… how much would a room addition cost YOU? At LEAP Properties, we’ve been managing real estate in Houston for years now, and … Continued