Home improvement and maintenance tips from two New Braunfels homebuilders

Community Impact newspaper spoke to a local real estate agent and roofer about what to look for in today's housing market. The following conversations have been edited slightly for length and clarity.

Ask a real estate agent:

Sarah McDaniel, owner and operator of Greenbelt Realty, shared some of her recommendations for buyers and sellers in the current New Braunfels real estate market.

What are your top picks for homebuyers right now?

"Have great faith in [the real estate agent] you work with. Second, I think it's practical not to shy away from some of these lending programs like homeward.com... At this time of year, the 65% of all deals that most mortgage brokers have closed have been refinances. And of course, with rising interest rates, that's not the case. Lenders are suffering too... This is not the time to mess with part-time agents, and I'm not afraid of non-traditional methods of financing.

What are your top picks for doorstep sellers right now?

"As stock continues to increase this time of year, making your home the best it can be is always a big problem... Our strategy is always to list where the house is available at a reasonable price... it will give your agent a better one." Chance to bargain better Valuation language... Even when the market is that hot always list your house at a reasonable amount that could actually be valued say don't go crazy.

Sarah McDaniel, Owner and Broker, Greenbelt Realty

147 S. Academy Ave., New Braunfels • 979-308-1385 • www.sarah.greenbeltrealty.com

Ask a roofer:

Ami Feller, owner of Roofer Chicks, shared some tips to keep in mind about the condition of a roof when buying a home.

What are your top picks for home buyers, whether new build or older?

"I usually tell people that it would be their job to have a roofer inspect the roof; many inspectors aren't specialists, they're generalists. Very often they don't know what they are when they look at the roof, to be honest 50% of them don't even go up on the roof, they just take pictures of the ground or climb up the ladder and take pictures of a ladder so I would ask a roofer to come and look at the ceiling for example we charge $185 for an item inspection and it's worth it so you can be sure it's not hail damage because if it does have hail damage it will need to be replaced and the seller's insurance will likely cover most replacement costs. It's really good to have that too Understand before you buy the Mai Su."

If someone is looking for a new roof or buying a newly built home, what recommendations might they have?

"For most builders, the roof is where they save money. We don't build new because the prices are very low. The roof quality is just pretty low. Even in million dollar houses. They go out and look for teams, and the teams aren't necessarily roofers. They know how to nail shingles, but they're not very good at all the details. And again I would encourage people to at least inspect the roof before signing and agreeing to this.

Ami Feller, owner, roofer chick

808 W County Line Road, New Braunfels • 830-783-1328 • www.rooferchicks.com

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