Buying a Home in a Hot Seller’s Market

** Please note I am not a real estate attorney and I don’t practice real-estate law. This advice is not meant to be a one-size fits all approach. Please consult your real estate attorney if you have questions**

Home Buying Guide

You may have noticed that I took a brief hiatus from blogging the past month. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to write about… to be honest, I just couldn’t find the time! Here in Dallas, spring came early this year. The real-estate market didn’t really slow down this fall. Instead, I found myself ramping up showings and offers as I had buyers entering the home buying process in November and December in an effort to avoid the HOT buyer competition of the spring and summer months. It seems that everyone else in the city had the same idea, so instead of the slight slow down I normally enjoy around the holidays, I was busier than ever!

As I was gathering my thoughts this afternoon after sending off contracts and talking to buyers and sellers, I thought it would be beneficial to put together a survival guide, so to speak, for buying in this market.

Buying a house can be stressful in the most favorable of markets. But when you’re faced with buying a home during a seller’s market, it can be down-right daunting. How can you stand out from the crowd? How long will it take to buy? What can you do to finally find a home? These are all questions that I answer everyday as an agent. Being prepared can eliminate a lot of the stress from the home-buying process. So what can you do to get ready? If you’re thinking of buying, start here:

Buying Tips to Make the Process Easier:

  1. Talk to a Lender. Get Pre-Approved First.

    There is a difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval. Finding a lender that you trust and who can get you pre-approved is a crucial first step in the buying process. Pre-qualification means that you have spoken to a lender and they think they can get you approved. Pre-approved means that you have given them documentation to back up your conversation and that based on those documents they can approve you. A pre-approval is stronger and tells a seller that you are serious about buying. Make sure you take the time to complete this step first.

  2. Find a Real-Estate Agent You Can Count On.

    In a faced paced market, a good real-estate agent can make or break a deal. If a house pops up on MLS in the morning, and you can’t get ahold of your agent until noon – you may have potentially just lost out on the house. Make sure that you and your agent have a conversation about how quickly you plan on buying, exactly what you’re looking for in a property and what price you’re willing to go up to. You need an agent that is responsive and that you can get in touch with easily.

  3. Make Your Offer Early

    The old adage is sometimes true: The early bird gets the worm. Sometimes, being the first through the door with an offer will get you the house. Don’t wait to make your offer if you want the house. Time is a luxury we don’t have in a competitive market.

  4. Make Your Best Offer

    Don’t expect the seller’s to counter your offer. If there are 10 offers on the first day (which is happening constantly in this market), you will not get another shot to make an offer. Go in with your highest and best offer initially. At the top of your budget? There are additional ways to sweeten the deal and make your offer more attractive to the seller. Consider these:

    1. Shorten your option period. If you have an inspector lined up who can get the inspection done in 3 days, consider asking for a 5 or 7 day option.
    2. Increase the option money – offering more than $100 or so can make your offer more attractive.
    3. Increase your earnest money – instead of the standard 1% offer 2% or more if you’re comfortable.
    4. Drop the contingencies – don’t ask for cash back towards closing costs, seller repairs or other contingencies unless you have to.
  5. Be Prepared to Lose the House

    If you’ve done everything you can to make your offer attractive, you still need to be prepared to lose out. When it comes to bidding wars, there are no guarantees. You can make an offer $20000 above asking price and still not be the highest offer.

  6. Be Patient

    The right house for you will come along. Sometimes buying can take months, and sometimes you get lucky on your first offer. It all comes down to timing. Be patient and it will all work out!

Live in D-FW and want information about buying or selling? Email me at christine.beckendorf@winansbhg.com. Let me help you navigate this crazy market!

**I am a licensed REALTOR in the State of Texas number 0641852. Broker info: Better Homes & Gardens – David Winans & Associates. For more information go to BHG DFW**

 

DIY Flat Panel Lined Curtains

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase by clicking on the links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.*

Saving Thousands by Sewing Your Own Curtain Panels – A DIY Tutorial

Sewing seems to be somewhat of a lost art. But, I know many women my age who are picking up the needle (or sewing machine) again, and taking an interest in crafting and creating themselves over buying mass-made clothes/draperies and decor.

“I got quotes upwards of $1500 a panel. A PANEL! I’m sorry. Say what?”

My mother taught me how to sew over 20 years ago, but I haven’t really taken much interest in sewing, outside of making some quick and easy curtains for my classroom. Then I priced the panels for our living room a few months ago! OH. MY. GOSH. When did curtains get so expensive?? We have 20 foot ceilings in our formal living room, and 12 foot ceilings in our master bedroom. I got quotes upwards of $1500 a panel. A PANEL! I’m sorry. Say what? (Yall – I’m talking custom made panels here – not the cheap store bought ones – they don’t make those for 20 foot ceilings).

That’s when I decided it would be well worth my time to renew my interest in sewing. So I went about picking a fabric from JoAnn’s. (They didn’t have an upholstery fabric I liked in store so I special ordered.) With all of the special order fabric (which was pretty expensive), the new sewing machine, and the thread and supplies needed, I spent approximately $2500. So far, I have made curtains for the formal living and dining room, and the master bedroom. And I have enough fabric for the front bedroom and game room left. That’s a total of 13 total panels completed, and fabric for 6 additional. Let’s do the math here for a second … 19 curtain panels multiplied by $1500 is $28,500. Yea… I would say that savings is well worth my time.

The Brother CS6000i. This amazing machine can do 60 different stitches, has an extendable table for wider fabrics, self winding bobbin, self threading needle and it comes with tons of accessories.

So, if you’re like me and want to save some serious cash, and love to create things, pull out your trusty sewing machine, or buy the one I bought.

Some other supplies you will need:

  • Fabric
  • Liner (We used a blackout)
  • Thread
  • Scissors
  • Measuring tape
  • Curtain rods
  • Curtain clip rings (We used the ones on the left)

The hardest part for me was picking a fabric that I loved. I knew that if I was going to put in the time to create the curtains myself, then they needed to be so beautiful that I would love them for a long time.

Curtain Ring Clips – These work like a charm! They have a great clip that holds even the heaviest fabrics! I was doubtful at first – but no more!

For the formal living and dining areas, I selected a shiny silver threaded fabric that goes very well with my decor and is elegant enough to elevate our formal rooms, while not outshining the rest of the decor. For the bedrooms, I picked a fun patterned fabric that coordinates well with our rugs and bedding.

So, after checking out samples, and bringing them home, I held them next to the walls and other decor to make sure the patterns wouldn’t clash. I also waited to purchase until the fabric was on a great sale. You’ll notice it says $59.99 a yard in the picture on the right! Oh. My. No, I did not pay that. They were running a 40% off sale on special orders, plus I got 15% with my teacher card! So, with all the discounts I paid a little over $30 a yard. Not bad for a fabric I really love!

After getting all my fabrics in, I tackled the unlined curtains in the formal living and dining room first. The lined curtains for our master bedroom took a little bit longer because you have to wrangle two fabrics, but the end result is so worth it! No light in our bedroom at night! Woohoo!


Easy Lined Flat Panel Curtain Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions for how to sew your own lined flat panel curtains:

  1. Install the Curtain Rod.
  2. Using a measuring tape, measure from the bottom of the curtain rod to the floor.
  3. Add 8-10″ to the length you measured depending on how large you want the hems to be.
  4. Roll out your fabric on the floor (You need it to be flat, so roll it in a large hallway or open space).
  5. Use your measuring tape to measure (in inches) the height you need (Don’t forget to add for your hem).

    Sew with the backside facing up. As you can see the decorative side is facing down.

  6. Cut the fabric in a straight line using very sharp fabric scissors.
  7. Start your sewing machine. (Not sure how to get started? I will upload a quick start for the Brother CS6000i soon!)
  8. Select a simple single stitch.
  9. Hem the side of the curtains by folding over the fraying edge by 1/2″. (Sew face down)
  10. Sew a single stitch down the length of the curtain.
  11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 along all other sides.

    Flip the frayed or rough edge over by 1/2 an inch and sew a simple stitch to to hold in place.

  12. Roll out your Lining.
  13. Cut the lining to the original length you measured (No need to add for a hem).
  14. Lay out your curtain fabric face down.
  15. Layer the lining along the back side of the fabric – be sure to lay it out flat with no wrinkles.
  16. Pin about 1″ down each side of the curtain, folding the decorative fabric over the lining and inserting the pin. (Do not pin the top or bottom)

    Pin the sides of the fabric over the top of the lining by about an inch. This will create a nice even hem along the sides of the curtain panel.

  17. Sew a zig zag (or any sturdy stitch) down one side to hem the fabric removing pins as you go.
  18. Lay the fabric flat again on the floor. Make sure the pins still have both fabrics laying flat (If not readjust them).
  19. Hem down the second side of the curtain removing pins as you go.
  20. Lay your panel flat on the floor.
  21. Fold over the top of your fabric until it covers the lining by about 1/2 an inch. Pin in place.
  22. Hem the top using a sturdy stitch like the zig zag.

    Make sure you have a large enough area to lay your fabric out completely flat.

  23. Take your panel and hold it up right underneath the curtain rod. (You will need another person here).
  24. Fold the bottom until you have the curtain just barely dusting the floor. Pin in place. This will be your bottom hem. – When you add the clips, the curtain will hang even lower creating a beautiful pooling effect.
  25. Hem the bottom at the desired height.
  26. Add the clips to the top of the curtain panel and hang from the rod.
  27. Repeat for however many panels you need to make.
  28. Sit back and enjoy your hard work!

I think it goes without saying, but making something like this by hand, just gives you such a sense of pride at what you have accomplished! I LOVE the way my curtains have turned out so far, and I can’t wait to make more with my new sewing machine. Like I said above, I have 2 rooms left to finish and then who knows… maybe some throw pillows!?

What are some fun things that you have sewn?? Put your pictures in the comments!

Happy Sewing!

 


 

Something is wrong.
Instagram token error.

chrispro21

Follow
Load More

Holiday Decor! Making Your Home Festive and Bright!

I absolutely adore the Holidays. It is by far my favorite time of year!! I love cocoa, sweaters, Christmas lights, holiday music and the general festivity of the season! Every year, one of the things I most anticipate, is decorating our home for Christmas. Most years, I go all out, but this year, I have scaled things back a little bit. Having a 15 month old who loves to grab and throw things certainly makes you think twice prior to putting out those delicate Christmas ornaments and decor. So, this year we’ve put up the tree and just a few other areas.

The Christmas Tree is my favorite thing to decorate. I love to change our theme each year (which of course drives my husband crazy)… but whatever. Haha! So I choose a different color or combination of colors each year. This year I wanted to do a classic Christmas look, being our first year in the new house. That said, I’ve gone with Red, Gold and Silver. Luckily for my husband, I already had a bunch of Gold and Silver ornaments, so all I “had” to buy was more Red ornaments. (I’m not saying that’s all I bought… LOL!) I also like to get new ribbon each year to freshen up the tree regardless of how many times I have used those colors in the past.

When decorating the tree, I adhere to a specific order to put things up:

  • Lights
  • Ornaments (Aim for even spacing)
  • The Tree Topper
  • Ribbon
  • Picks (Like holly, berries, sparkly tinsel, pinecones, etc)
  • Bows

Why do I put the tree topper up before ribbon, you ask? Well… we use an angel on top of the tree, so I like to tuck the ribbon under her skirt to keep it in place.

This year, I chose to put the ribbon around the tree in swags and in a horizontal pattern, sometimes I do vertical, it’s totally up to you. I think it turned out beautifully!

The garland I put going up the railing, was originally just a $10 plain garland from Hobby Lobby. I added some picks with extra branches and pinecones, red berries, and sparkly sticks and berries. Then, I took 2 ribbons and layered them. The first is a plain red ribbon that pairs well with the mesh ribbon from the tree, I layered it with a grey burlap ribbon that says “Merry Christmas.” I swagged the ribbon around the banister, and then cut some extra pieces of ribbon and tied them in simple knots. I’ve never decorated a garland before. I think I’m addicted… we may have garland everywhere next year.

In the formal living room, I hung our stockings and put up some simple decorations from prior years, including a pre-decorated garland, some gorgeous Christmas decor I found at Hobby Lobby, and our Advent Wreath.

On the buffet in the formal dining, I lay out our tiny Christmas Village. This village is special for me, because over the years I have hand painted each of these little houses. I put lights under the houses and surround it with fake snow.

I love the way these decorations make our house look and feel and hope they give you some inspiration! Show me your decor… share your pictures in the comments!