Should you buy a Thomasville home for sale? Maybe yes, maybe no. People don’t live in cookie cutter situations; everyone has a unique set of circumstances. For that matter, you may not even need a house. Maybe an apartment is a better fit.

Here are four factors to consider before deciding whether to buy or rent:

1. Maintenance: One factor you might use to decide whether or not you want to buy a Thomasville home for sale is maintenance. As a homeowner, you’re responsible for the roof when it leaks and the plumbing when it’s clogged. As a renter, you have a landlord who takes care of all that.

2. Frequency of relocation: Another factor to consider is how long you plan to be in the area. For example, if you plan to move in less than five years and don’t fancy renting out the home after you move, buying may not be for you.

3. Tax deductions: The interest you pay on your mortgage is usually tax-deductible. As well, when you close on a home you have the option to pay “points” to reduce your interest over the life of your loan. The amount you pay to cover the points is also usually tax deductible for the year in which you buy the home. Now think about renting… none of your rent is tax deductible. You don’t get money back for living in a home; you get money back for buying a home. With that money, you could further pay down your loan, make repairs or any number of things you need to do.

4. Home decor: When you own, you can decorate any way you want. You can paint, hang pictures or even knock down walls. When you rent, you must live by the rules and regulations established by the landlord, which are usually very restrictive.

So, should you rent or buy? We could tell you buying is the best thing to do, but we could be wrong because we don’t know your particular situation. However, if you can afford a Thomasville home for sale and want to buy one, don’t pass up the best mortgage rates the real estate industry has ever seen!

Still confused as to whether renting or buying is best for you? Give us a call at 229-226-6515, and we’ll personally help you figure it out.

Have you decided owning a home is right for you? Let First Thomasville Realty help you find and buy a great home at a great price. Call us at 229-226-6515 or email info@FTRealty.com for more information.

Sometimes, thought provoking questions come in from readers with national or Thomasville homes for sale. I thought I’d answer a few of the questions I’ve received recently. Maybe you have some of the same questions.

Is a mural considered a personal touch or a selling point?

This is a hard question to answer. It really depends on the mural, the room it’s in, and if it could be considered part of the décor. For instance, would a rooster painted on the wall of a country-style kitchen add or detract?

If you have a real estate agent, ask his or her opinion. If you don’t have an agent, I strongly suggest you hire one to walk through and give you suggestions. For most Thomasville homes for sale, the answer will be “paint over it.” However, you never really know when an image might be that extra touch that makes the room special. So, get a professional opinion from someone who can actually go to your home and see it.

Some murals can add to the room, such as whimsical rabbit murals in a child’s bedroom. Others can severely detract from a room, such as a large mural of Elvis on the bathroom wall. Tons of people like Elvis, but I’m not so sure they’d all like an image of him in the bathroom.

On a side note, one of the good things about having an agent is that he or she just might know a really big Elvis fan who would love the home as is.

My budget is really tight. I read about home staging, but I can’t afford it. Is it absolutely necessary to sell a home?

No. Real estate agents often talk about that “extra touch.” Home staging is one of those extra touches. If your budget is severely limited, don’t break the bank to have a professional stage your home. Although I do suggest staging your home, a cheaper alternative is to borrow a book on home staging from your local library (free), or buying a book on home staging ($40 at the most). Much can be done by you once you have the right information. Or, hire a real estate agent, like me, who is a professional stager.

I’m getting ready to put my house on the market and am trying to make sure all the repairs are done. Should I hire a home inspector before or after I do the repairs?

Hire the home inspector first. The inspection report will include an overview of needed repairs, as well as an estimate of what those repairs will cost. This way, you can better prioritize the repairs rather than using a “hit and miss” approach.

Thank you all for your questions. I hope my answers are helpful. With Thomasville homes for sale, the most important advice I can give is to remember that no home is exactly alike. Everything has a unique selling point and unique selling detractor. Finding out which is which can make all the difference.

Have questions of your own? You can add them as a comment here, email them to us at info@FTRealty.com or call First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515. We promise to answer promptly!

A survey conducted by “Money” magazine and Lowe’s found that out of 21 common projects, energy updates gave DIYers the most satisfaction, given the time and money. Get some satisfaction this week by implementing one or two of these easy energy savers at your Thomasville home:

1. Add dimmers: If every home in the U.S replaced two standard light switches with a dimmer, we could save $1.5 billion in electricity.

2. Recycle rechargeable batteries, plastic bags and compact fluorescent lights (CFLs): It’s as easy as taking them to your local Lowe’s Recycling Center. Simply drop the items in the bins near the store’s entrance.

3. Stop energy leaks: Seal all holes and cracks in your Thomasville home. Add weather stripping or caulk to leaky doors and windows. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates these changes can save you up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.

4. Wrap up your water heater: Cover your water heater with an insulating jacket.

5. Install a programmable thermostat: By lowering the temperature in your Thomasville home slightly while you’re at work or on vacation, the thermostat saves you up to $180 a year.

6. Repair Leaky Toilets: According to the EPA, a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water a day. Depending how much you’re charged for water, a leaky toilet could add as much as $400 a year to your water bill. Check for leaks by putting food coloring in the tank. If you have a leak, color will appear in the bowl within 15 minutes. Flush as soon as you're done with this test to avoid staining the bowl.

7. Use a power strip: Save electricity and more than $500 over five years by plugging devices with standby power, such as TVs and stereos, into a power strip. When not in use, you can turn them all off at once by turning off the power strip.

Saving energy not only helps the environment, it also lowers your expenses considerably.

Want to buy an energy-efficient Thomasville home? We can help. Call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

Selling a home is never an easy decision. If you’ve ever wondered how most people make this decision, you’ll enjoy this top 10 list. Here are the top 10 reasons people sell their Thomasville homes.

1. Death or divorce. Death and divorce can cause major changes to a family’s financial situation. Homeowners are often unable to cover the maintenance and cost of the home on a single income and are forced to sell their home.

2. School district. People move to certain neighborhoods to be in the school district. They also leave neighborhoods because the schools have changed or to be in a district that better meets their child’s needs.

3. Job. A very common reason for selling a home is a job change. The family may need to move to a new area because of a new job. A job loss can mean the owners can no longer afford their home.

4. Marriage. When a couple with separate homes marries, they often choose to live in one home and sell the other. Marriage can also mean a change in finances.

5. Too much debt. Sometimes medical bills or consumer debt can become so overwhelming that homeowners have no recourse but to sell their Thomasville homes. Homeowners may sell their homes to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy.

6. Need more space. Growing families need more space. A couple may discover that their cozy bungalow does not meet the needs of their small children. They may sell their home so they can upgrade.

7. Need less space. As children move out, some owners may find they need less space. They may no longer want to be responsible for cleaning and maintaining a large home.

8. Neighborhood. Neighborhoods change as people move in and out. What seemed like the perfect area when the owners bought their home may no longer fit their lifestyle. For this reason, people sell their Thomasville homes.

9. Climate. People living in the north may decide they want a break from the snow. Residents of the south sometimes want to be in a cooler climate.

10. Home defects. Homeowners may find themselves faced with major repairs that they don’t have the time or money to fix. Selling their home and moving is sometimes a better option.

Trying to decide if you’re ready to sell? We can help. Call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.

New Years is just around the corner, and for many with Thomasville homes for sale, it’s the perfect time to make some resolutions. Let’s be expansive, though, shall we? Don’t say, “I will sell my house by April.” We can be more specific than that. Here’s a short list of resolutions that might help you take that home off the sales shelf:

1. Resolve to look over the competition. Not just one or two of the Thomasville homes for sale, but ten or eleven. Look at them with the buyer’s mindset. What selling points do they have? What negative points do they have? Your goal should be to outshine the competition. You can’t do that if you don’t know what the competition is.

2. Resolve to do a little home improvement. These don’t have to be big projects. Your project could be as simple as adding a few bushes for better curb appeal. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or a huge amount of time for the home improvement to count. What you do have to do, however, is make the improvement count. In other words, don’t forget to walk buyers past whatever you’ve decided to do, or tell your real estate agent about it.

3. Resolve to check with your agent about the state of your home. Not when they think it will sell, but what you can do to up the value. Remember, “value” is a relative term. Upping the value for buyers may be as simple as cutting $5,000 off your price.

4. Resolve to be calm if a buyer suggests a lower price than you want. Consider the options fully – don’t just snap his or her nose off. Can you afford to let the house go at the offered price? If you can and still want to say no, think about it… how long did it take to get this potential buyer? Can you afford to wait longer?

If you have one of the homes for sale in Thomasville, keep in mind that it’s just one of the many homes for sale. You have an amazing amount of competition; not just here, but around the nation. Take a chance to do something a little different. Your New Years may turn out to be even happier than you expected!

If you’re looking for unique ways to sell your home, First Thomasville Realty can help. Call us at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.