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Winterizing My El Paso Home

As you may know already from following me on Facebook or Instagram, I love gardening. I love everything outdoors. Naturally, I spend a lot of time in my backyard and when I’m not helping my clients find and negotiate real estate deals here in El Paso Texas; I am covered in dirt. Below, are some tips I have for you to help winterize your garden this winter.

Sweep and Rake

Rake all the leaves and start a compost pile. Credit: MiracleGro

Keeping your grass surfaces clean will help the soil stay healthy through winter and frost, weeds don’t drop seeds later on as they die giving the seeds time to germinate… then you have weeds all around your home again in summer.

Trim After 2 Frosts

Tree trimming is very important here in El Paso Tx.

I normally wait until it has frosted a couple of times before I trim back the trees and bushes. One of the reasons why is because normally the bugs and other pests leave their eggs dormant attached to the branches. Sometimes a frost isn’t cold enough to deter these bugs from showing up in the springtime. Last year, here in El Paso Tx., we had the chinch bugs everywhere! It was really difficult dealing with that, but a good trim and toss does the trick.

Pruning is especially important for buyers here in El Paso looking at homes for sale, keep the maintance cost and effort in mind. But if you are buying a home during the winter times, make a mental list to trim down the plants since you don’t know what went on during the summer days.

Cover Your Plants Early On

I cover my plants typically as the nights begin to average around 50degrees Fahrenheit at night or lower. When I do this I will use clear plastic sheets, like the ones used to cover items when painting. I do this early on because I want the warmth of the day to build up inside and essentially give it a time for the plants to get enough warmth still to create it’s own ecosystem and plants to get used to the indirect light as well. I personally believe it makes a difference keeping them healthy through the winter. Burlap is also amazing to keep them warm but lets little light in. If you find the burlap sacks just drop them over your plants.

Concrete Maintenance

El Paso’s typical rock wall in a backyard

One item of our backyards that usually go unnoticed and unattended is the typical rock wall we find in almost every house and road here in El Paso. We use this rock for everything. Unfortunately, the concrete doesn’t adhere too well to the rocks and overtime this and the fact that some contractors skimp out on concrete mix and our watering erodes the cement and walls need to be patched up to help your soil keep moisture as well to prevent it from crumbling on you.

Get Rid Of Spent Plants

Dead or spent plants can cause harm to your healthy awake and dormant plants. Instead clip them as close to the ground as you can or pull out and turn to mulch. Add leaves to your compost pile and aerate the soil a little one last time before winter sets in.

Almost every house here in El Paso Tx has enough room for a garden, but not every part of town provides good quality natural soil. If you have a home with lots of space but no good soil, I recommend doing a compost pile for sure. I don’t use anything in particular, but during the winter especially I use a corner of my backyard as a dedicated spot for this and I often toss it over to aerate it This helps the veggies and fruits keep those nutrients alive. It took me almost 4 years but I slowly converted my backyard from the dry red dirt to nice brown, healthy and lively soil – all thanks to my compost.

Make sure that you also check the window seals and or any exterior water line valve that may be slightly corroded, chances are that with the freezes we’re bound to have that they may not survive and you will end up dealing with an emergency. Replacing the water valves isn’t something too complicated and shouldn’t be too costly if you do it yourself. If you or someone you know needs some handyman help, don’t hesitate in letting me know as I am often volunteering my work to my community. Especially for those who can’t easily do it themselves.

I am part of a Facebook gardening group where we share gardening things and try to spread the love by trading plants amongst us. Join us by click here.

Other posts you may like: Are El Paso Home’s over priced?

West Texas’ own Humberto Valle has a passion for mentoring new real estate agents to help them grow and find success.

After receiving his first Real Estate license in Arizona almost 10 years ago, Humberto Valle, now back home in El Paso Texas, has never stopped using his experience as a sound board for many others to learn through his hardships and experiences in the real estate and marketing industry.

Years passed, running his own business working with business owners, investors and then first-time home buyers…

Then he got his Texas license and after referring other Realtor friends, Humberto decided it was time to find new ways to help others in a more efficient and sustainable way. – Then COVID-19 happened.

That’s when Valle found eXp and realized it would change Real Estate for good.

You see, eXp is not like your traditional El Paso Tx brokerage office where buyers or sellers need to go and sit down in person with an agent to get information, fill paperwork and then go drive around finding houses. Once you find a home, you will most likely not encounter a home that is listed by your same team members. During Covid-19 shutdown, we couldn’t be near other, operating under the same foundation as we have always done. That’s when eXp really showed it’s value to both agents, clients and consumers alike.

Redbox & Netflix were the end for brick and mortar video rental stores like Blockbuster.

Amazon is forcing retailers like Target and Walmart to innovate and change their business models.

eXp Realty is now also forcing traditional brokers to reconsider how they do business and many of them are joining eXp because of the powerful tool it provides. Humberto, just like many other agent members, benefit through the efficiencies and sheer scale of the teams. Which in turn benefits clients and customers.

To Humberto, Mentorship Is Key

“When I started and joined a team I found a passion for recruiting and teaching. I love helping new and experienced agents alike by helping them start and grow their business in real estate,” Valle said. “I found out that many agents just simply need the right mentor and tools to grow. Sometimes Realtors need help in an area other than ‘real estate.’ I want to continue helping many agents succeed in real estate. I know that eXp is helping me achieve this goal.”

My background in marketing and investment finance coupled with the powerful resources and team effort found in eXp is perfect for any seasoned agent wanting to build a strong platform for retirement without becoming a broker at all. Providing resources and guidance to other agents gives Valle the highest sense of satisfaction. 

“To be a good mentor is having the experience, number one, being a good team leader, and basically just going in and wanting to help out — giving back to the agents,” Humberto said. “If you are there to help them, and you want to watch them grow and succeed, that is going to go a long way.”

Today, Humberto has increased his team to reach across borders to Mexico and is working tightly hand in hand with investors from many countries as far as Germany but the majority of his clients are Military buyers and families wanting to sell to take advantage of their equity and being more active plan towards retirement through Real Estate investments.

Enjoyed reading this? You may like this other short read:

Reasons Why FSBOs Fail
Curious? for questions about exp – give me a call 915-910-0908

Are homes in El Paso overpriced?

The short answer is no.

I know what you’re thinking; everyone {who’s not a realtor or involved in real estate at all} says that right now is not the best time to buy a house, that right now houses are overpriced and the market is going to crash soon, etc., etc. …

Let me tell you why.

“If you build it, they will come” that’s the notion that most home developers adopted prior to the 2007 housing market crash – that’s exactly what led to the crash. The overproduction and surplus of housing inventory is what led to the housing crash of 2007 and while some of us saw it coming and bought during that crisis, many lost the single largest investment of their lifetime. The overproduction of houses and the eagerness of most banks and lenders to get paid on these homes is what led to the crisis. That isn’t what’s happening now.

And… no it’s not because of the shortage of supplies like lumber either, yes, that plays a role but only on a microscale.

Record Low Inventory

The current housing cycle is much different than cycles prior. Fundamentally different. Banks are more responsible with their processes now as well. Prior to the housing and market crash we had still over 2 million houses available left to sell. Over the years, production has rationalized itself better and by 2020 we had a shortage of about 4.8 million to meet readily available buyers.

With little available housing supply, markets like El Paso Texas or the rest of our country have seen prices accelerate their climb up. Inflation plays a role. All-cash sales surged to about 25% of the existing home sales in April 2021, up from about 18% in January. Repeat buyers are becoming more competitive with their offers and yes, more often than not, they push first-time homebuyers out of the way.

Number of homes built in the United States between 1900 and 2019 (in millions)

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041889/construction-year-homes-usa/

Homebuilding activity in 2021 will be slightly above historical norms. But it will take at least a few years to correct the massive shortage. In the meantime, we expect the national median home price to rise 9% this year and another 3% in 2022. Hyperspeed homebuying should taper off by year’s end as supply improves and affordability challenges persist. For now, the market isn’t expected to correct and just like anything else, the longer you wait the more opportunity loss you suffer. The key is to getting a good Realtor partner to help you. I believe I can help and I focus on always doing more for the next person. Maybe, that’s you!

When I hear people say that houses are overpriced right now, I can’t help but feel bad and flustered that some out there are spreading those rumors in ways people are believing them. We all know of inflation, unfortunately, that plays a role in the prices we are seeing today, but besides waiting for a future year to come when prices drop, if they do at all, the other best alternative by far is to buy now. Houses aren’t overpriced, there is a higher demand than there is supply and that will eventually adjust but that adjustment doesn’t mean houses will drop in price. At least not immediately if at all. If you’re an investor, you can buy now, refinance later and take advantage of a lower-priced home later when/if house prices drop and meanwhile you have been making money and earning equity that otherwise you wouldn’t have.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Give me a call ( 915-910-0908 ) if you would like to chat, bounce some ideas or want me to help you negotiate a good deal on the sale or purchase of your next property.

Reasons Why FSBOs Fail

Opinion:

Many realtors have seen “for sale by owner’ signs pop up and then drop from our radar but not because the properties sell – many home sellers fail at successfully selling a property and there’s many reasons for that. Today I will focus on just a few strong factors that if you- maybe someone here in El Paso, Texas who is considering to sell a home on your own – should consider and instead hire a real estate agent such as myself.

Not all Real Estate agents are created equal – some have more experience than others, some are better at finding properties and some are great at finding buyers or negotiations and some aren’t good period. If you have had a bad experience with a less than par real estate agent – know that this isn’t a pattern that you can expect with most agents. Most agents are experts in their area, dedicated and committed to their real estate career.

What Is The Upside Of FSBO?

While there are some benefits of selling a home yourself there are more possible risks and downside considerations from it. The obvious benefit of selling your own home is that if you succesfully sell it, you would save on paying a commission to a realtor. I think this is the one thing most homeowners focus on. Some others simply like to feel in control and ensure the process goes their way. This is acceptable if maximizing time and profits aren’t your priority.

Home For Sale Real Estate Sign in Front of Beautiful New House.

What are the Benefits of Hiring A Real Estate In El Paso To Sell My Home?


Answer:
Generally speaking – Real Estate agents in El Paso are experts in our market. We know people – that’s our job. We know the city and the current market conditions and we have the tools to leverage buyer’s needs to profit you more if possible. Here is a short list of benefits you can expect from working with an El Paso Realtor:

  • You may lack the expertise to draw from an Agent’s thorough experience and knowledge.
    Your pricing may be off, your marketing pricing may be off, and of course, this leads buyers to offer you lower bids than your asking price and even if you don’t accept them they’ll definitely waste your time. Agent’s maximize your time, negotiate and set the right pricing to sell your home.

  • Agents are expert marketing, advertising, and wording needed to sell your home
    Agents can work for you any time every day not just when you are able to – opening your buyer prospect list

  • Trying to save on commission often leads to sellers LOSING MUCH MORE from a higher sales price.
    Realtors have a huge network of prequalified and cash buyers – So you don’t have to sit and wait.

  • If you can’t sell your home and you remove it from listing sites, buyers (& buyer agents) will know and negotiate a lower offer in the future – Good realtors help you avoid failed listings

  • Depending on the property, some initial financial investment is needed to properly market a home – Realtor agents often invest on your behalf to ensure that your house sells. Meaning, hiring a realtor is almost a full risk-free decision for you.

  • Agents are experts in maximizing the potential value and asking price.
    You won’t have an agent’s expertise to draw from; you’ll truly be calling the shots on your own, which can be daunting!

  • You get Legal and Sales process support and guidance when you need it. Preventing future problems if a sale goes through – you could be liable for years to come if something is done wrong.

  • Did I mention Realtors accelerate the timeframe of the sale and get you more money?
    Agent’s are committed to you because it reflects on us and our ability to do our job

  • You’ll need to devote a lot of time to your FSBO listing. Flexibility is key!

  • Avoid failure to properly prepare or stage the home for a higher sale price.

  • Agent’s deal with unwanted Inspection Reports you may have not expected.

  • Of course – hold your hand throughout the whole process, including closing.

Curious? Give me a call for a hassle free consultation today. What you can expect from a simple call : Thoroughness, transparency, expertise and what I consider crucial is straightforwardness. I promise to not waste your time, over promise or over sell my ability or your property’s potential. You can expect honesty from me.

What you won’t get from a call with me: Uncomfortable situations, questions or a one size-fits all type of agent. My goal is to maximize your potential profits from a succesful real estate sale here in El Paso Texas.

Give me a call (915)910-0908

el paso real estate agent business card

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