Why choose the Grove Team to sell your home?

Why choose the Grove Team?



Because the real estate industry is dynamic and continually changing, you need the guidance of proven professionals to represent your individual interests.

Meet our Listing Specialists -

Diane Grove, Mahannah Pike, and Diane Jones

As licensed professionals, our listing team is dedicated to providing maximum exposure for all sellers who have entrusted us with the marketing of their homes. With over twenty years of experience, members of our listing team are all licensed Realtors who proactively search for buyers for our listings. As experienced negotiators, they represent our sellers interest and have been able to negotiate an average of 96% of the asking price for our clients. Marketing both to buyers and other agents, an average of 46% of our listings sell in 30-days or less!

Other value we provide to all of our clients selling their home include, but are not limited to -

* Establishing your individual needs
* Formulate competitive pricing
* Maintain weekly communication
* Follow changes in the new construction and pre-owned markets
* Negotiate contracts
* Manage the market response to ensure a faster sale
* Monitor values and trends in your neighborhood
* Recommend repairs that will maximize your sale price
* Customize a marketing plan to help your home sell fast

Every member of the Grove Team is a licensed professional, most with over 10-years experience.

Are you or someone you know considering selling your home? Contact the Grove Team here at the office, (817) 337-0000 or find us online, www.groveteam.com.

Homeowners Insurance 101

AF Insurance
Jonathan Kobler
(817) 405-2631

Insurance. Let’s face it – it’s not a subject that people like to talk about at parties, unless you are an insurance agent. In fact, for most people, it’s just one of life’s necessary evils. If you are one of those people, my goal today is to let you see another side of the coin. While it’s true that insurance is probably one of the few things in life you purchase with hopes of never having to use it, it does provide some pretty significant benefits if something ever does. At a basic level, homeowners insurance protects the insured against the possible perils, such as fire or tornado for example, that could cause damage to the structure of the home or the personal belongings kept in the home. Most insurance companies provide this coverage through 6 basic components of a homeowners policy:

Part A - Dwelling: This is the amount the insurance company estimates it would take to rebuild your home in the event your home is completely destroyed. This number consists of the building materials used to build the home, both interior and exterior features. In North Texas, you should expect a dwelling amount that is somewhere in the ballpark of $90 - $110 per sq ft. If your home has custom work done, like a custom kitchen or bath, then you might expect your dwelling amount to be higher.

Part B – Separate Structure: This is the amount of insurance a homeowners policy provides for structures that are not attached to the home, such as garages, gazebos, or storage sheds. Generally, separate structures are covered at about 10% of the Dwelling amount.

Part C – Personal Property: This is the amount of insurance a homeowners policy provides for all personal property kept on premises of the home. Which includes but not limited to electronics, clothing, furniture, home décor etc. Expensive items such as jewelry, collectible art, and furs have limited coverage. If the value of these items is higher than the limits provided for in the policy such as wedding or engagement rings, it is highly recommended that you add floaters to ensure that these items are insured to their full value.

Part D – Loss of Use: This pays the additional costs of living away from home if a house is inhabitable due to damage from a fire, storm or other insured disaster. It covers hotel bills, restaurant meals and other extra living expenses incurred while the home is being fixed or rebuilt.

Part E – Medical Payments to Others: In the event that someone is injured in a policyholder’s home, the injured person can simply submit medical bills to the policyholder’s insurance company. In this way expenses are paid without a liability claim being filed. This coverage, however, does not pay the medical bills for the policyholder’s own family or pets.

Part F – Personal Liability: Liability coverage protects against the cost of lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that policyholders or family members cause to other people. It also pays for damage caused by pets.

Most people would identify their home as their greatest investment. At the same time, most people do not have enough in savings to rebuild, repair or replace their home and belongings in the event of a sudden loss. Homeowners insurance allows you to share costs associated with rebuilding or repairing covered losses with an insurance company. So when you think about it, insurance is something that helps protects your financial assets just as much as the property. Can you imagine if you didn’t have insurance and a tornado leveled your home? What would you do? The mortgage company will still want their money, right? And if you are like me, you probably don’t have $200,000 just sitting around in your bank account. Can you see how that might put you and your family in a bad spot financially?

There is a lot to consider when purchasing an insurance policy, and sadly some people don’t take the time to sit down and really assess their needs. Make sure that you take the time to talk with an agent and choose one that you can really trust. If there’s something I’ve learned in my career as an agent, everyone is happy with their insurance until they have to make a claim. Don’t find out too late that you saved $100 dollars up front, but lost $1,000s on the back end. I’ll leave you with a quote from an unknown person that applies to everything in life, including insurance – “The frustration of poor quality lingers long after the thrill of the lowest price.”

Here’s hoping you never have to make a homeowners insurance claim!

Jonathan Kobler, contributor
AF Insurance Agency representing Farmers Insurance in Dallas Fort Worth

The Grove Team would like to extend a big thank you to Jonathan for contributing to our blog. Jonathan is available to you to assist with this and all of your other insurance needs. Are you or someone you know in need of a real estate team? Contact us direct, (817) 337-0000 or find us online, www.groveteam.com.

January MLS Activity

	# of Sales	Change over 2010	Average Sale Price	Change over 2010	Average Days on Market	Change over 2010
Bedford (120)	23	35%	$156,317	-9%	92	19%
Colleyville (123)	16	-11%	$435,071	-5%	115	-6%
Euless (121)	13	-19%	$146,517	-8%	80	21%
Haltom City (129)	12	-48%	$62,657	5%	38	-43%
FW - North * Saginaw (102)	54	-18%	$119,670	-12%	86	13%
Park Glen * Heritage (130)	74	1%	$158,881	2%	89	24%
Grapevine (124)	20	-5%	$233,956	-5%	68	33%
Hurst (122)	19	-10%	$115,150	-8%	149	181%
Keller (126)	32	-14%	$347,503	8%	130	15%
NRH * Richland Hills (127)	37	-5%	$175,562	14%	76	9%
Roanoke (131)	8	0%	$148,207	-24%	222	319%
Southlake (125)	16	-47%	$540,000	-18%	98	-20%
Trophy Club * Westlake (132)	9	-36%	$741,090	105%	142	190%
Watauga (128)	13	-13%	$101,271	-3%	45	7%

Do you have questions on the market activity in your area? Call the Grove Team direct for up to date information around you. Our number is (817) 337-0000 or find us online, www.groveteam.com.

Your Agent Matters

The agent you select to sell your home is the most important decision you will make...

Before choosing a real estate team, be sure to ask these important questions:

* What strategies will your team use to find a buyer for my home?

* How do you determine the correct asking price for my home?

* What type of communication can I expect from your team?

For more information on selecting a real estate team, call us or visit our website, www.groveteam.com for more information.

Are you in the process of interviewing agents to represent you in the sale of your home? The Grove Team would appreciate an opportunity to interview for the job! Call us direct, (817) 337-0000 to schedule an appointment and meet our team today.

Find us online, www.groveteam.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Selling Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex Area Homes

Including N Fort Worth, Keller, Roanoke, Southlake, Grapevine, Hurst, Euless , Bedford, N. Richland Hills, Haltom City, Richland Hills, Watauga, Arlington, Irving and Surrounding Area.

Are you considering selling your home? Contact the Grove Team direct, (817) 337-0000 to discuss how our team can work to help you sell your home.

Find us online, www.groveteam.com - follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Is your home renovation project really worth doing?

Maybe you've watched one too many home improvement shows. Perhaps you're still stinging from that holiday guest's comment about how your kitchen countertop has seen better days. Or maybe you're just really tired of the same old, same old every day.

Whatever the reason the remodeling itch has settled into your brain, before you bring in a contractor - or pick up a hammer - you should consider two important questions: How will you fund your project? And will it be worth it in the end?

A little research and credit self-assessment can answer both questions. In addition to pulling your credit report to see how likely you are to qualify for good loan terms, you should consider the potential resale value of the improvement, how it will improve your life and if it will enhance your enjoyment of your home.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to evaluate the potential resale value. Kitchen and bathroom remodels, adding a deck, or finishing a basement or attic are all popular renovations because they upgrade the most-used rooms in the house or add living space.

In terms of resale value, here are some popular projects with high paybacks, according to Remodeling Magazine's 2009-2010 Cost versus Value Report:

* Adding an attic bedroom - 83.1 percent

* Adding a wooden deck - 80.6 percent

* Minor kitchen remodel - 78.3 percent

* Major kitchen remodel - 72.1 percent

* Basement remodel - 75.4 percent

* Bathroom remodel - 71 percent

Keep in mind that smaller remodels, while costing less than major jobs, can still have a major impact on how your home looks and feels. For example, simply replacing that old front door with a steel version can cost around $1,000 but offers a return on investment of nearly 129 percent, according to the report.

Another factor to consider when weighing the value of any remodeling project is how it will affect your quality of life in terms of financial security. It's important to be sure the cost of the project won't be a financial burden that detracts from your enjoyment of the results.

To help understand your current credit status and how it might affect your remodeling loan terms, obtain a copy of your credit report. Websites like CreditReport.com can provide you with a credit report with your paid monitoring membership. Obtaining your credit report and monitoring your credit can help you identify any inaccuracies or errors that might lead to higher interest rates, and also catch and resolve potential fraud quickly. You'll also find tips on the website for understanding your credit, and tools such as a credit score tracker to help you anticipate how certain financial decisions - like financing a remodel - might affect your credit.

Remodeling projects will likely remain popular as homeowners continue to stay put in a still-sluggish real estate market, experts agree. With some careful planning, budgeting, research and credit insight, you can ensure you reap the most financial and personal value for whatever renovation you decide to undertake.

Are you considering buying or selling? Contact the Grove Team direct (817) 337-0000 or online www.groveteam.com.

How is the market - is now a good time to buy?

The most common question we hear at the Grove Team is, "How is the market? Is now a good time to buy or sell?"

The short answer - YES!

The Wall Street Journal last week stated: “With home sales starting to improve, and with prices now possibly forming a bottom, real estate could well be the asset class that represents the best low-risk buying opportunity out there today.”

Donald Trump was just quoted saying: “I’m pretty sure this is a great time to go out and buy a house. And if you do, in 10 years you’re going to look back and say, ‘You know, I‘m glad I listened to Donald Trump’.”

John Paulson, a multibillionaire hedge fund operator and the investment genius who made a killing betting against housing a few years ago, is now bullish on residential real estate market. He recently said: “If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own one home, buy another one. If you own two homes, buy a third. And, lend your relatives the money to buy a home.”

A recent Gallup Poll showed that 67% of American’s think that now is a ‘good time’ to buy a home. The Gallup Organization went on to say: “Overall, there is good reason for most Americans to think now is a good time to buy a house. Interest rates remain near historic lows. Home prices are down sharply, providing many incredible buys.”

The iconic financial paper in this country, the country’s most famous real estate investor, the most successful prognosticator of the housing market and 2/3 of all Americans say now is the time to buy a home.

Are you or someone you know in the market to buy or sell? Call us on the Grove Team direct, (817) 337-0000 or online www.groveteam.com.

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