Welcome
let's get youSold
Selling a home is a big deal, financially and emotionally. My job is to make it feel organized and calm, and to get you the best result the market will give.
This guide walks through how I price, prepare, and market your home, what happens once offers come in, and what to expect at closing. Keep it handy, and text me whenever a question comes up. No question is too small.
What you can expect from me
- Honest pricingA real market analysis from recent sales, not a number to win your listing
- Strategic marketingProfessional photos, coming-soon buzz, online, social, and print
- Steady updatesShowing feedback and a weekly check-in so you always know where things stand
- Skilled negotiationOffers compared on more than price, and terms that protect you
- A trusted benchPainters, handymen, roofers, and more who show up and do good work
- Team supportThe Bailey Maberry Group behind you from listing to closing
The process
theHome Seller Roadmap
Ten steps from our first conversation to handing over the keys. Once you're under contract, most Texas sales close in about 30 to 45 days.
- 1
Consult & listing agreement
We'll walk your home together and talk through your goals, timing, and what you need from the sale. Then we sign a listing agreement that spells out my services, the marketing plan, and how I'm paid.
Where it starts - 2
Competitive pricing
I'll prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that compares your home with similar homes that recently sold and those you'd be competing with now. We'll set a price based on condition, location, and market trends. A well-priced home draws more buyers and sells faster.
- 3
Prepare to list
Declutter, take care of small repairs, and stage key rooms so buyers can picture themselves living there. I'll tell you exactly what's worth doing and what you can skip.
- 4
Professional imagery
A professional photographer captures your home at its best: bright, inviting, and spacious. These images do most of the work online, so we schedule them only once the house is truly ready.
- 5
Strategic marketing
Your home goes live on the MLS and syndicates to the major real estate sites, backed by a custom plan that can include coming-soon promotion, social media, print, my agent network, and an open house.
Launch week - 6
Showings
Buyers tour your home through a secure lockbox and a showing service that notifies you of every appointment. I follow up with agents for feedback and share it with you, along with any adjustments I'd suggest.
- 7
Offers, negotiation & contract
When offers come in, I'll lay them side by side and walk you through more than the price. We'll accept, counter, or decline until we reach terms you love, then sign the contract.
Under contract - 8
Inspection & appraisal
The buyer schedules a home inspection during their option period, and their lender orders an appraisal. I coordinate access and help you understand anything that comes up.
- 9
Repairs & negotiation
If the inspection turns up issues, the buyer may ask for repairs, a credit, or a price change. I'll negotiate a fair resolution and can line up trusted vendors if repairs are needed.
- 10
Closing
You'll sign at the title company (or remotely, if needed), hand over the keys, and receive your proceeds once the sale funds. Congratulations, you sold your home!
Keys handed over
What sells a home
the threeDeciding Factors
Whether a home sells, and for how much, comes down to three things. We control all three together.
1 · Price
The first two weeks bring the most attention a listing will ever get. Pricing right from day one, based on real sales, puts your home in front of the most buyers and protects you from chasing the market with price cuts later.
2 · Presentation
Your home should be ready on day one, in person and online. That means repairs done, clutter and personal items put away, carpets cleaned, walls neutral, and a home that's clean and smells fresh.
3 · Marketing
Great photos and a smart launch get your home seen by the right buyers. I prospect daily, talk with neighbors and other agents, and keep you updated every week with feedback and what I'm seeing.
Maximize your home's potential
preparingTo List
A clean, neutral, and streamlined home helps buyers imagine life there. Bright lighting and good presentation come first; big replacement projects usually aren't worth it.
Exterior
- Wash or paint the exterior
- Paint the front door
- Keep the yard trimmed and free of clutter
- Weed and freshly mulch the beds
- Clean windows inside and out
- Refresh wood fences with paint or stain
Interior
- Remove personal items and extra furniture and decor
- Clean or replace carpets
- Declutter and organize closets
- Fresh, neutral paint on walls, trim, and ceilings
- Clean light fixtures and replace any burnt-out bulbs
- Minimize and deep-clean pet areas
Best bang for your buck
- Fresh paint is the biggest return for the money
- Can't paint it all? Paint the trim for a quick lift
- Update dated exterior light fixtures
- Swap the brightest bulbs into every fixture
- Pre-list cleaning, top to bottom
Put away valuables, mail, and anything with personal information. Lock up prescription medications. Keep doors and windows locked, and never let someone in without an appointment, even if they saw the sign. Ask them to call me instead; all showings go through a secure, agent-only lockbox.
Staged homes photograph better and help buyers picture themselves living there. My sellers get 10% off their first 30 days with JJ Staging & Design Co. using code CHEVY. See sellwithchevy.com/staging.html for details. (I have a personal and financial interest in JJ Staging & Design Co.)
Your personalized marketing plan
strategicMarketing
We'll build a plan as unique as your home. Here's what goes into it.
- Professional photos & video
- Coming-soon promotion
- MLS & listing websites
- Social media
- Targeted online ads
- Postcards
- Open house
- Agent network
- Yard sign
- Property flyers
- Neighborhood outreach
- Follow-up with prospects
Online exposure
Most buyers start online. Your home is on the MLS and syndicated to the major real estate sites and hundreds more.
Agent networking
Most buyers have an agent. I make sure the agents working with buyers in your price range know about your home.
Social media
Your listing gets featured on Instagram and Facebook, where your future buyer (and their friends) are scrolling.
Signage
A yard sign goes up, plus directional and open house signs placed at the right times for the most traffic.
A new-listing announcement goes to buyers searching in your area and to my network of local agents.
Property flyers
Printed flyers in the home help buyers remember your home's best features after a full day of tours.
Showings
A showing service alerts you to every appointment. If an agent doesn't leave feedback, I follow up within 24 hours.
Open houses
We'll pick the right day to launch and the right weekend for an open house, and invite the neighbors first.
Weekly updates
You'll get a regular update with showings, feedback, online activity, and what's happening in the market around you.
Day to day while you're listed
tips forHome Showings
Say yes to as many showing times as you can. A missed showing can be a missed buyer.
Make sure everyone in the house knows when showings are scheduled so spaces stay tidy.
Wipe down kitchen and bathroom counters before you leave each day.
Skip strong-smelling meals while you're on the market. Keep cooking simple.
Clean up after pets right away, wash their bedding often, and tuck away food bowls and litter.
Open blinds and curtains and leave the lights on before you head out.
Empty trash cans nightly so the house is fresh every morning.
Keep the house comfortable. It also shows buyers the HVAC works well.
Keep valuables and prescriptions out of sight and somewhere safe.
Buyers relax and linger when the owners aren't home, so plan to leave during showings.
Offers, negotiation & contract
reading anOffer
The highest price isn't always the best offer. Here's what we weigh together.
Offer price
Price matters, but a high offer that costs you more in concessions or repairs may net you less.
Financing & pre-approval
Cash removes lender risk. A strong pre-approval shows the buyer can get their loan. Conventional loans tend to be smoother than FHA or VA, which can come with extra repair requirements.
Option period & contingencies
Fewer contingencies and a shorter option period mean more certainty for you.
Closing costs
Some buyers offer more but ask you to cover part of their closing costs. We'll compare offers by what you actually walk away with.
Closing timeline
Need to close fast, or need extra time for your next home? The right date can matter as much as the price.
Repair requests
A buyer willing to take the home as-is can be worth a lot if you don't have the time or budget for repairs.
- You respond
Accept the offer, decline it, or send a counteroffer with different terms.
- The buyer responds
They can accept, decline, or counter back. We go back and forth until we agree or someone walks away.
- You're under contract
Everyone signs, the buyer delivers earnest money and option fee to title, and the option period begins.
The appraisal
If the buyer is getting a loan, their lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home is worth the loan amount. Before the appraiser visits, I send over the comps and upgrades that support your price.
You're in the clear, and we move toward closing.
We can renegotiate the price, ask the buyer to cover some or all of the gap, consider another offer, or cancel and relist. It depends on the contract and the market, and I'll walk you through it.
Selling in Texas
need to knowTexas Seller Basics
Seller's Disclosure Notice
Most Texas sellers fill out a Seller's Disclosure Notice about the home's condition and history. I'll help you complete it before we list so buyers have it up front.
Survey & T-47
If you have an existing survey, find it. With a signed T-47 affidavit saying nothing has changed, the buyer may be able to use it and skip a new one.
Owner's title policy
In our area, the seller customarily pays for the buyer's owner's title policy. It's part of your closing costs and we'll include it in your net sheet.
Property taxes
Texas property taxes are paid in arrears, so your share for the year is prorated and credited to the buyer at closing.
HOA documents
If you're in an HOA, the buyer receives a resale certificate and the subdivision documents. These take time to order, so we request them early.
Option period
The buyer pays an option fee for a set number of days to inspect and back out for any reason. Keep the home accessible during this window.
What to expect
a guide toClosing the Sale
The title company handles the closing. They review the contract, prepare documents, pay off your mortgage and anything else owed, record the deed, and send you your proceeds.
Sellers commonly pay
- Remaining mortgage balance
- Any liens or judgments on the property
- Prorated property taxes and any unpaid HOA dues
- Real estate commissions, as agreed
- The buyer's owner's title policy
- Any credits or repairs agreed to in the contract
Bring to closing
- A government-issued photo ID
- House keys and garage door openers
- Mailbox, gate, and pool keys
Save for taxes
- All closing documents
- Home improvement receipts
Final move-out checklist
- Move everything out; check every drawer, cabinet, and closet
- Clean the home, appliances, and garage inside and out
- Leave keys, remotes, and manuals in a kitchen drawer
- Transfer utilities and set a change of address
- Cancel your homeowner's insurance after the sale funds
- Lock windows and doors and turn off lights and fans
Never send or receive money based on an email alone. Always call the title company at a number you know is real to confirm any wiring instructions.
My trusted bench
recommendedResources
General contractor
CLR Contractors214-897-0460Painting
Brothers Custom Painting · Isiah817-565-2746Roofing
Frontier Roofing Solutions · Colton Gaston817-713-6687Heating & air
Jeffrey Goff817-939-8116Windows & glass
An Lee817-657-9065Plumbing
Bearcat Plumbing817-300-3228Handyman
Jay Cole325-829-6368Landscaping
Vogel Landscape Services · Barrett Vogel817-944-0040thank youLet's Get You Sold
Thank you for considering me for your home sale. From listed to sold, I'm honored to be with you every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
Proud member of the Bailey Maberry Group
- Deborah Bailey
- Kandy Maberry
- Michelle Scarborough