Getting your home ready to sell!!

Are you getting ready to put your home on the market?! Don't wait, this market is hot and there are ready buyers just waiting for more homes to come on the market. Here are some tips to get your home market ready and able to sell quickly!

* De-clutter your home-  Anything you will not be using (or wearing that is in your closet) pack away and either store in the attic or invest in a small storage unit close to your home (it will be well worth the small amount it costs to rent it for a month or two) Once you have de-cluttered, then take some time to neatly organize cabinets and closets. The more spacious the home looks the better it will look to the buyer.

* Minor fixes- Any small thing that is an easy/cheap fix go ahead and fix it because the home inspector will find it at the time of inspections anyways and it may be what turns a buyer off and keeps them from making an offer. If a light bulb has blown out replace it, if a fixture is not operating properly fix or replace it, touch up paint on walls and trim where needed (fresh paint can make a huge difference)

* Small/cheap upgrades- Changing out door knobs/cabinet hardware, fresh paint, Add crown molding for a nice and elegant update, have the carpet/large rugs cleaned by a professional

* Keep your home clean and show ready!! If you are planning to not be around the house before you leave for the day do a quick walk thru of your house and make sure everything is nice, neat, and tidy. (Dishes cleaned and put away, clothing put away, beds made for the day.. a couple of times a week do more of a deep clean making sure baseboards are clean, toilets and bathtubs/showers stay looking fresh and clean, mop etc....)

* Don't forget about curb appeal! What a potential buyer sees from the road is their very first impression of your home and you want to make sure it is a good one that makes them want to see more and schedule a showing. Keep the yard mowed, the flower beds looking fresh, any shrubs trimmed back, porch areas swept off and a cute wreath on the door with some bright colored flowers or hanging baskets are nice and inviting touches as well.

For many more great tips check back or feel free to contact me anytime and I can answer any and all questions you may have regarding selling your home!

903-931-3588
Hope Knepper, Realtor® 
Platinum Properties Real Estate

catch up post...

So just to catch up since I know it has been a bit since I have made a post... We made our selections for the scholarship committee and I am so glad I had to opportunity to be a part of the committee and selection process. Every one of those kids are AMAZING kids and their parents and family should be so proud of them!! Congratulations to all of the 2016 Graduates and Good Luck with your future endeavors! So with that being said I am now looking for some other volunteer/ charity work to do.. just something I love to do-- helping others is a passion of mine so if you have ideas feel free to throw them out there :)

Our "not so little" boy has also graduated since my last post... Kindergarten that is!! I really just can not believe how fast the time has flown by but just watching him grow has been awesome.. he has learned so much and we are so proud of him!

I have been busy, busy with the Real Estate world... the market is HOT right now so if you are on the fence about buying or selling now is the time to go for it!!! Make sure to call me for all of your real estate needs..  serving all of beautiful East Texas!!
903-931-3588
Hope Knepper, Realtor- Platinum Properties

Stay tuned for my next post on how to get your property ready to sell in this hot market!

Decisions, Decisions....

Decisions, decisions... I am terrible when it comes to making decisions and this time is no exception to that... 

As a member of the Scholarship Committee I have spent many nights reading and re-reading the essays, applications and letters of recommendation for these high school seniors that have applied.(The ones I was given to read and take care of that is.... ) 

I have asked myself over and over "What does it take and mean to be a well rounded student and person?" Well, I do like to think of myself as being well rounded and as a student I went to a tiny 2A high school that I excelled at and loved! That little school has come a long way since I graduated as far as programs they now offer to have their students more ready for college and certification programs that are offered now that I definitely would have taken advantage of if they had them when I was in school but instead I took some AP courses and took certification courses once I graduated high school which led me to the medical field...strange how things change huh... after many years in the medical field I decided to stay at home with our son, Connor, and then I began my real estate career, which has been the best decision ever. The people I have met, my co-workers that are like family to me, new friends I have made, and the knowledge I have gained has made this career an amazing choice for me. I love meeting people, talking and helping others in any way possible. 

So, as I am reading all of these applications for Scholarships how will I ever decide on who my top picks are to present to the rest of my committee members? They are all so good and well deserving! I want to just be able to say YES to them all but I know it just doesn't work that way.
So, yall help me out.... if you were in my shoes tell me some qualities YOU would look for in the well rounded high schooler that would put them above all others and make them your pick!!

Now, off  to read some more applications but please do comment and give me your input (share with friends for more input as well if you would like) The more opinions and comments the better....Thank you all!! 

-Hope Knepper, Realtor ®

Real Estate Life

When it comes to being a Realtor I know a lot of people think it is just a glamorous job where you go around dressed up in heels and showing fancy houses and you make a lot of money with very little work. I wish it were that simple haha... honestly, we put in a lot of hours 7 days a week and we only make money if we sell a home/property. So, most of the time we work for free pulling listings, showing homes, driving to and from properties, phone calls, answering questions, etc.. and sometimes that client (family members even) that you have spent so much time with you may never make any money because they use you to see homes and get info then they contact the listing agent or another agent and put in an offer (sometimes not knowing of how real estate works) and once they have done that then you are out of the deal. Yep, it has happened to me...more than once... and it will happen again I'm positive!! Hey, its life.. it stinks at the time that you lost money but it is not the end of the world and tomorrow is a new day, put on a smile, move on and try to brighten someone elses day!

My inspiration to become a Realtor came from a beautiful woman whom I loved very much, my Husband's Grandmother, Nana was an amazing Realtor (and person--anyone that knew her loved everything about her) and she always told me that I needed to go to school and get my license to become a Realtor. She knew how much of a people person I was and how I would do anything to help others in any way so she always said "you will do great being a Real Estate Agent" after Nana passed away I knew exactly what I was going to do and I did it and could not be more blessed! I immediately started at Platinum Properties and knew it was the perfect fit, we are like a big family here and I am constantly learning new things, growing and bettering myself! I miss Nana every single day but I know she is here with me....she loved Real Estate and so do I!!!

Nana with Connor when he was a baby! She LOVED this boy more than anything!

Now, for Connor's funny conversation from last night... we are eating at Corner Bakery and Connor tells us " we are gonna milk a cow at school tomorrow"

we all look around and I am like What?! Milk a cow? Who's bringing a cow? 

Connor: a dairy man is bringing it....you milk the cow by squeezing its bottom (he was being so serious when he said this too and then just keeps eating his food)...

We all died laughing and my mom said No, its not their bottom have you not seen the shows on TV with cows?! He then says "yeah, i know it is their privates you squeeze".... we just laughed and told him he needed to finish eating... hopefully if they are really learning about that at school today he figures out more than he knows now...LOL!!!

Introducing the Realtor Mommy.... Welcome!

Ever wonder what a day in the Life of a Realtor is like... and a Mom... well I am here to tell you all about it... never a dull moment that's for sure!

To introduce myself to all of my readers if you didn't know already my name is Hope Knepper and I am a Realtor for Platinum Properties Real Estate located in the beautiful Longview, TX (everything is bigger and better in Texas, ya know) and I am a Mom to an adorable little boy named Connor. He is 6 years old and finishing up Kindergarten-- that has been an experience and a challenge for us to say the least-- I will touch more on that subject at a later time but boy do I have some stories... anyone that has ever met Connor knows he is the "class clown" or center of attention all the time and will have you laughing constantly but he is a handful and he knows it...

Awww... isn't he cute!! Ok, that is enough of that his head is big enough already LOL!!
I decided to start this blog as a way to get to know me as a Realtor and to open up about a day in our life.. there will be some funny stories told here, some tips for buyers and sellers, market trends, and much more so tune in.... feel free to ask me any questions you have that you may want answered and I would be happy to do that!
Off to check out what is going on in the market and try to find some houses for some buyers. Have a wonderful Monday!! Below is my Facebook page to see more including listings etc...
https://www.facebook.com/Hope-Knepper-Realtor-Platinum-Properties-Real-Estate-886997464740649/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
~Hope Knepper, Realtor ®