Questions people ask me about buying and selling north of Houston

Buyer questions

Straight answers to what buyers ask me most. If yours isn't here, start here and ask me directly.

Starting out

What's the actual first step to buying a home?

A conversation, then a lender. Most people start by scrolling listings, which is backwards, because you can't judge a house until you know what you're working with and what you want out of the area. Call me first, we'll talk through it, and I'll point you at a lender who'll answer the phone.

Do I need to be pre-approved before I look at homes?

Yes, before you tour anything serious. A pre-approval tells you what you're working with and tells a seller you're real, and in a decent market an offer without one gets set aside. Getting one is mostly paperwork and a credit pull, and it's free.

What's the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved?

Pre-qualified is a conversation, pre-approved is a file. Pre-qualification is a lender's quick read based on what you told them, while pre-approval means they pulled credit and reviewed real documents. Sellers take the second one seriously and mostly ignore the first.

How long does buying a home actually take?

Longer than people expect on the front end and faster than they expect on the back end. Finding the right place is the slow part and it depends entirely on how picky you are, while contract to closing runs on a schedule everyone agrees to up front. I'll give you a realistic timeline for your situation on the first call.

Do I have to sign something before you'll show me homes?

Yes, we sign a written buyer agreement before I tour homes with you. It's an industry-wide requirement now, not a Brian thing, and it spells out what I do for you and how I get paid. It's negotiable, and I'll walk you through every line before you sign anything.

What does it cost me to work with you as a buyer?

That's spelled out in the buyer agreement, and it's a real conversation rather than a fixed answer. Compensation is negotiable, it can come from different places in a deal, and pretending otherwise would be doing you a disservice. Ask me directly on the first call and I'll give you a direct answer.

What's that IABS form you sent me?

It's the Information About Brokerage Services notice, and Texas requires every agent to give it to you. All it does is explain who represents whom in a transaction, so you know whose side I'm on before we get into anything. It's information, not a contract, and signing it doesn't hire me.

Can I just use the listing agent to buy the house?

You can, but understand what you're choosing. The listing agent works for the seller, and depending on how it's structured they may not be able to advise you the way an agent representing only you would. If you want someone whose only job is your side of it, that's a different arrangement.

I'm just starting to look. Is it too early to call you?

No, and it's usually the opposite problem. The people who call me a year out end up making better decisions than the ones who call the week they need to move, because they've had time to drive the area and rule things out. There's nothing to sign for a first conversation.

How do I know if I'm ready to buy instead of rent?

It comes down to how long you plan to stay, whether your income is steady, and whether you've got reserves after the down payment. Buying rewards time, so if you might move in a year or two the math often doesn't work no matter what the market does. I'm not a financial advisor, so run the numbers with one, but I'll tell you straight if I think you should wait.

Money and financing

How much do I really need for a down payment?

Less than most people think, and more than zero in most cases. There are loan programs with low down payment requirements and some with none for those who qualify, but the down payment is only part of the cash you need at closing. Talk to a lender early, because the answer is specific to you and your loan type.

How do I figure out what I can actually afford?

A lender tells you what you can borrow, and you decide what you're comfortable paying. Those are two different numbers, and the gap between them is where people get into trouble. Look at the whole monthly payment, taxes and insurance included, and pick the number that still lets you live.

What credit score do I need to buy a home?

There's no single cutoff, because different loan programs have different requirements and lenders layer their own standards on top. Better credit generally means better terms, so it's worth pulling your report early and cleaning up anything wrong. A good lender will tell you exactly where you stand and what would move you up.

What are closing costs, and who pays them?

Closing costs are the fees to actually complete the sale: lender charges, title work, insurance, prepaid taxes and so on. Who pays what is negotiable and gets written into the contract, so it's part of the offer strategy rather than a fixed rule. Your lender gives you a written estimate early, and I'll help you read it.

What's earnest money, and do I get it back?

Earnest money is a deposit you put up when you go under contract to show you're serious, and it's held by the title company. Whether you get it back depends on the contract's deadlines and what you do inside them, which is exactly why those dates matter so much. Miss a deadline and you can put it at risk, so I track them for you.

What's the option period?

It's a negotiated window at the start of the contract where you can terminate for any reason, in exchange for a fee you pay the seller. It's the buyer's protection, and it's when inspections happen. The length and the fee are both negotiated, not standard, so don't let anyone tell you there's a normal number.

Should I lock my interest rate?

That's a conversation with your lender, not with me, and anyone who tells you they know where rates are going is guessing. What I can tell you is that the decision has a deadline attached to your closing date, so it isn't one to leave open indefinitely. Ask your lender about lock periods and what it costs to extend.

Is a 15-year or 30-year loan better?

Different tools for different situations, and it depends on your cash flow and what else you'd do with the money. A shorter term generally means more per month and less interest over the life of the loan. That's a financial planning question, so bring it to your lender or a financial advisor rather than to me.

What is PMI, and can I avoid it?

Private mortgage insurance is a charge some loans carry when your down payment is under a certain threshold, and it protects the lender rather than you. There are ways around it depending on your loan type and how much you put down. Your lender can lay out the options side by side, which is the only way to compare them.

Do I need to sell my current home before I can buy?

Not necessarily, but it changes how you write the offer and how a seller reads it. Some people carry both briefly, some use a sale contingency, and some move to a rental in between to buy without strings. There's no universally right answer, so we look at your situation and pick the one you can actually live with.

What is a title policy and do I need one?

Title insurance protects your ownership against claims and defects that come out of the property's history, like an old lien or an error in a past deed. In Texas the title company handles the closing itself, so they're in the middle of the deal either way. It's a standard part of nearly every transaction here, and who pays for it is negotiated.

What's a survey, and who pays for it?

A survey is a drawing showing exactly where the property lines, the improvements and the easements sit. Sometimes an existing survey can be reused with a signed affidavit from the seller, and sometimes a new one is required, which depends on your lender and the title company. Who pays is negotiable and gets settled in the contract.

Why do I need homeowners insurance before I close?

Your lender will require proof of coverage in place at closing, so it isn't optional if you're financing. Start shopping early rather than the week of, because coverage and cost vary more than people expect and some properties take longer to quote. Get quotes on the specific address, not a general estimate.

What is an escrow account on my mortgage?

It's an account your lender uses to collect and pay your property taxes and insurance along with your monthly payment. It's why your payment can change year to year even on a fixed-rate loan. When taxes or insurance move, the escrow portion adjusts to match.

What can I do that would mess up my loan before closing?

Open new credit, change jobs, move large sums between accounts or buy a vehicle. Lenders re-verify near closing, and a change in your file can slow the deal or kill it outright. The rule is simple: from application to keys, don't change anything financial without telling your lender first.

Choosing where to live up here

How do I pick which community north of Houston is right for me?

Start with how you want your days to feel, then work backward to the map. Commute, pace, how much space you want and what you want within ten minutes of your door will narrow fifteen communities down to two or three fast. The quiz at /find-your-community is the shortcut, and it takes about three minutes.

What's the real difference between The Woodlands, Conroe and Magnolia?

They feel like three different decisions, not three versions of the same one. The Woodlands is dense and designed with everything close, Conroe is a real working town with a lot of range in it, and Magnolia is more spread out with more land between things. Which one is right depends entirely on what you want your Saturday to look like.

Can I still find land and space up here, or is it all built up now?

Both are true depending on where you stand. Some corridors have filled in fast and others still have real acreage and quiet roads, and the line between them moves every year. I'll show you where it actually sits today rather than where it sat when the last article was written.

What's the commute really like into Houston from up here?

It depends far more on where in Houston you're going than on where up here you live. The same address can be a reasonable drive to one job center and a punishing one to another, and the tollways change the math significantly. Tell me where you're headed and we'll drive it at the hour you'd actually drive it.

How do I check the schools before I pick a neighborhood?

Look them up yourself, by the exact address, on the district's site and on the Texas Education Agency site. I won't tell you a school is good or bad, because that's not my call to make and boundaries shift more often than people realize. What I will do is make sure you're confirming the district and the campuses for the specific property rather than the neighborhood name.

Is Lake Conroe just for weekend homes, or do people live there year round?

Plenty of people live there full time, and plenty of others use it on weekends, and the two look different from the inside. Full time means thinking about the drive to work, groceries and everything else, while weekend use means thinking about how easy it is to lock up and leave. Both work, they just point you to different neighborhoods.

What is a master-planned community, and is it worth it?

It's a large development built to a plan, usually with its own amenities, standards and a mandatory association. You're trading some freedom over what you do with your property for consistency and shared amenities, and that trade is great for some people and miserable for others. Read the covenants before you fall in love with the pool.

I work from home. Does that change where I should look?

Substantially, because the commute stops driving the decision. What matters instead is internet reliability at the specific address, whether the house has a room that can actually be an office, and what's nearby when you need to get out of the house. Some of the best value up here sits where the commute would have been the dealbreaker.

What surprises people who move here from out of state?

The scale of everything, the way the seasons work, and how much of daily life is a drive rather than a walk. None of that is bad, but it's different, and the people who adjust fastest are the ones who knew going in. I'd rather tell you the tradeoffs before you move than have you find them in month three.

Why are so many people moving from Houston to up here?

Mostly space, pace and what they get for what they spend, though everyone frames it differently. It's the same drive home in a lot of cases, just a very different place to land at the end of it. The honest version includes what you give up too, which is proximity to a lot of what makes Houston Houston.

Should I rent up here first before I buy?

Often, yes, and I'll say that even though it delays my paycheck. A short rental lets you learn the traffic, the noise and the rhythm of an area before you commit to a mortgage in it. If you're relocating from far away and can't drive the area repeatedly, renting first is usually the smarter call.

How far apart are these communities, really?

Farther than the map suggests and closer than the reputations suggest. Fifteen minutes up here can move you between two very different places, and people routinely rule out an area they've never actually driven. Give me a day and I'll drive you across three of them so you can feel it.

Which community has the best value right now?

That question doesn't have a public answer, because value is specific to what you want and the market moves month to month. I pull live MLS the day you ask and we look at real numbers for your actual criteria. Anything anyone publishes as a general answer is out of date by the time you read it.

Is it safe up here?

I don't rate neighborhoods, and any agent who does is on thin ice legally and factually. What I'll do is point you to the sheriff's office and local police department crime mapping tools so you can look at the actual data for the actual address. Then drive it yourself, at night and on a weekend, which tells you things no map will.

What's Two Step Farm, and why do I keep hearing about it?

It's one of the newer large developments in the area, and it's getting attention because of its scale and its approach. Whether it's right for you depends on the same things every community decision depends on, not on how much people are talking about it. I'll walk you through it, including what's built and what's still a rendering.

Taxes, MUDs, HOAs and water

How do property taxes work in Texas?

There's no state property tax, so your bill is set by local entities like the county, the school district and any special districts your address sits in. Each entity sets its own rate and the county appraisal district sets the value, which is why two houses a mile apart can be taxed differently. Look up the exact address on the county appraisal district site before you make an offer.

What's a MUD district, and why is it on my tax bill?

A Municipal Utility District is a local government entity that finances water, sewer and drainage for an area that the city doesn't serve. It levies its own tax to pay off that debt, which is why it shows up as a separate line. MUD rates vary by district and can change over time, so check the specific district for the specific property.

What's a homestead exemption, and how do I get one?

It's a Texas property tax exemption on your principal residence that reduces your taxable value, and there are additional exemptions some owners qualify for. You apply through the county appraisal district after you own and occupy the home, and it's free to file. Do not pay a company that mails you an official-looking letter offering to file it for you.

Will my property taxes go up after I buy?

They can, and the reasons are worth understanding before you're surprised by an escrow adjustment. Values get reassessed, rates get set annually by each taxing entity, and exemptions the previous owner had do not automatically carry to you. Ask your lender how they're estimating taxes in your payment, because a low estimate now means a bigger bill later.

Texas has no state income tax. What's the catch?

The revenue comes from somewhere else, largely property and sales taxes. Whether you come out ahead depends on your income, what you buy and what your property tax bill looks like, so it's a per-person calculation. I wrote a whole post on it, and the short version is: it's real, and it's not free money.

What does an HOA actually control?

More than most people check before they buy: exterior changes, what you can park where, fences, additions, sometimes paint colors and rentals. The rules live in the covenants and restrictions, and they're binding whether or not you read them. Get those documents during your option period and actually read them, because "I didn't know" is not a defense.

How do I find out if a home is in a flood zone?

Start with the FEMA flood map service for the exact address, then ask the seller's disclosure what they know about past flooding. A property outside a mapped high-risk zone can still flood, and a property inside one can be perfectly fine with the right coverage. Get an insurance quote on the specific address early, because it tells you things the map doesn't.

Is the water out here well water or city water?

Depends on the address, and up here you'll find city systems, MUD systems and private wells all within a short drive of each other. Each comes with different costs, different maintenance and different things to inspect. Find out which one you're buying before the option period ends, not after.

What's a septic system, and should it worry me?

It's an on-site wastewater system used where there's no sewer connection, which is common on larger lots up here. It isn't a problem, it's a maintenance item, and it needs its own inspection separate from the general home inspection. Ask specifically for a septic inspection, because a standard inspection usually doesn't cover it.

How do I look up what a house sold for?

You mostly can't, because Texas is a non-disclosure state and sale prices aren't public record. That's exactly why the sites that guess at values guess badly here. I pull live MLS data the day you ask, which is the real number rather than an estimate built on missing information.

Seller questions

Straight answers to what sellers ask me most. If yours isn't here, start here and ask me directly.

Deciding to sell

How do I know if it's the right time for me to sell?

The right time is mostly about your life, not the market. The market decides how you price and how you prepare, but whether you should move at all comes down to whether the house still fits, what you'd move to, and what the numbers do for you. Call me before you decide, and I'll give you an honest read even if the honest read is "wait."

Is now a good time to sell up here?

That depends on your community and your price band, not on a headline about Houston. Conditions in Magnolia and conditions on Lake Conroe can look nothing alike in the same month, and a citywide story tells you almost nothing about your street. I pull live MLS for your specific area the day you ask.

Should I sell first or buy first?

It depends on whether you can carry two payments and how much certainty you need. Selling first is safer financially and harder logistically, buying first is the reverse, and there are ways to bridge the gap that a lender should walk you through. We'll map your version of it on the first call.

What's my home actually worth right now?

I'll tell you, but not from a website. I look at what's actually sold nearby, what's competing with you right now, and what makes your home different from the one down the street, then I give you a range and the reasoning behind it. That takes a walkthrough and live MLS, and it's free.

Why is the online estimate different from what you told me?

Because an online estimate has never been inside your house. Those tools work off public records and broad patterns, so they miss a remodel, a bad layout, a view, road noise, and everything else a buyer actually reacts to. Use them as a rough starting point and nothing more.

Why can't I just look up what my neighbor's house sold for?

Texas is a non-disclosure state, which means sale prices aren't part of the public record here. That's why the free estimate sites are weaker in Texas than they are in most of the country, and why licensed access to MLS data matters more here. I pull the real numbers when you ask.

How much does it cost to sell a home?

Commission, title and closing fees, any repairs you agree to, and whatever you contribute toward the buyer's costs. All of it is negotiable and all of it is spelled out in writing before you sign anything. I'll build you a net sheet with real numbers for your situation so you see the bottom line, not just the top one.

Is your commission negotiable?

Yes. Commission has always been negotiable and it's set between you and me in the listing agreement, not by any board or association. Ask me what I do for it, and if the answer isn't worth it, don't hire me.

What do you actually do that I couldn't do myself?

Pricing, preparation, marketing and negotiation, in that order of impact. I spent 29 years in advertising and marketing before real estate, so the marketing piece is the part I'd point at first, but the pricing conversation is where most sellers win or lose the deal. Read How I Market Your Home on the blog and judge for yourself.

What if I owe more than the house is worth?

Then we look at your options before we list anything. There are paths, some involve your lender and some involve bringing money to closing, and a few of them have tax and credit consequences I'm not licensed to advise you on. Let's talk early, because this is much harder to solve in the middle of a contract.

Should I sell it myself and save the commission?

You can, and some people do it well. Understand what you're taking on: pricing without MLS access, your own marketing, showing your own home to strangers, and negotiating directly with a professional on the other side. If you try it and it doesn't go the way you hoped, call me and there'll be no I-told-you-so.

Should I sell or rent it out?

Different question than it looks, because it's an investment decision, not a real estate one. Renting means you're now a landlord with tenants, maintenance, vacancy risk and a different tax picture, and that suits some people and not others. Talk to a CPA about the tax side, and I'll give you a straight read on what the property would realistically do in each direction.

I got a letter offering to buy my house for cash. Should I take it?

Read it slowly and compare it to what the open market would do. Those offers buy speed and certainty, and they pay for it by paying less, which is a fair trade for some people in some situations. Send it to me and I'll tell you honestly whether the discount is reasonable for what you'd be getting.

Pricing

How do you decide what to list my home for?

A Comparative Market Analysis, which is a real analysis and not a printout. I look at what's sold recently and genuinely compares to yours, what's active right now and competing with you, and what expired without selling, which is often the most useful group. Then we talk about it together, because the number is your decision and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.

What if I want to list higher than you recommend?

Then say so, and we'll talk about what it costs. I'll always tell you my read and the reasoning, and you'll always make the call, but I'm not going to nod along at a number I think will sit. Read Pricing Right in This Market first, then let's have the conversation.

Doesn't pricing high leave room to negotiate?

It usually does the opposite. An overpriced home gets skipped by the buyers who'd have paid the most for it, sits long enough to look like something's wrong with it, and ends up selling for less than it would have if it had been priced right on day one. Every seller wants the highest price, and a high list price is generally not how you get there.

Why do the first two weeks matter so much?

Because that's when the buyers who have been waiting for a home like yours all see it at once. Everyone with a saved search and an agent watching for them gets the alert in that window, and the showings that follow are the most motivated traffic your listing will ever get. Waste that window on a price test and you don't get it back.

Should I price at a round number or just under?

Price to the search, not to the psychology. Buyers set filters at round numbers, so a home priced just above a common cutoff is invisible to everyone whose search stops there, which costs far more than the few dollars you gave up. We'll look at where the real filter breaks are in your range.

How do you handle it when the market shifts while I'm listed?

We look at the data on a schedule, not when it gets uncomfortable. I send an honest weekly update with showings, feedback, what's newly competing with you and what's sold, so a price conversation is never a surprise. If something needs to change, you'll know before you feel it.

My house has been on the market a while. What now?

We go back to the three things that move a listing: price, condition and exposure. Most often it's price, but I'll look at all three honestly before I say that, because sometimes it's photos and sometimes it's a showing problem nobody flagged. If you're currently listed with someone else, talk to them first, that's the right order.

My listing expired without selling. What went wrong?

Usually one of a small number of things, and it's rarely the market by itself. Price relative to the competition, presentation, access for showings, or a marketing plan that stopped after the photos went up. I'll do a free honest post-mortem whether or not you end up listing with me.

Should I get an appraisal before I list?

Usually not. An appraisal is a lender's tool for a specific loan on a specific contract, it costs money, and a buyer's lender is going to order their own regardless. A well-built CMA does the job for pricing, and it's free.

Do I have to reduce the price if it isn't selling, or can I wait?

You can wait, and waiting has a cost worth naming. Days on market is public to every buyer and agent looking, and a listing that's been sitting invites lower offers regardless of why it sat. If we're going to adjust, doing it decisively and early beats a slow drip of small cuts.

Does the time of year I list actually matter?

Some, and less than people think up here. There are busier and quieter stretches, but the number of homes competing with you moves in the same direction as the number of buyers, so the tradeoff is closer to even than the seasonal advice suggests. Your life and your timeline should drive this more than the calendar does.

Getting the home ready

What should I fix before I list?

Anything that reads as deferred maintenance, and not much else. Buyers forgive dated, they punish neglected, so a dripping faucet and a soft spot in the deck cost you more than an old countertop does. Preparing Your Home to Sell on the blog walks through the whole list.

What actually adds value before I sell?

Cleanliness, light, paint and a working house, in roughly that order. The expensive renovations people ask about rarely return what they cost when you're selling in a few months, while the cheap unglamorous stuff punches far above its price. I'll walk your house and tell you specifically where to spend and where not to.

Should I remodel the kitchen before selling?

Almost never, if you're selling soon. A full remodel is a big spend on a taste decision that a buyer may want to redo anyway, and you rarely get all of it back. If the kitchen is genuinely rough, there's usually a middle path that costs a fraction and shows most of the benefit.

Do I need to paint?

Often yes, and it's the highest-return money in the house. Fresh neutral paint fixes scuffs, smells and dated color all at once for less than almost any other improvement. If you only do one thing before photos, do this one.

What's the deal with staging? Do I need it?

You need it to look intentional, which is not the same as hiring a stager. For an occupied home that mostly means decluttering hard, pulling furniture back so rooms read larger, and taking the personal items off the walls and counters. Vacant homes are a different conversation, because empty rooms photograph small and feel cold.

How much should I declutter?

More than feels comfortable. The goal is for a buyer to see the house rather than your things, and that usually means the closets and the garage too, since storage is one of the first things people evaluate. Think of it as starting the packing early, because you're moving anyway.

Should I do a pre-listing inspection?

It's worth considering, and it cuts both ways. You find the problems before a buyer does, which lets you fix or price for them on your terms instead of renegotiating mid-contract, but anything you learn generally has to be disclosed. We'll talk through whether it makes sense for your house.

What do I have to disclose about my home?

Texas requires a written Seller's Disclosure Notice covering what you actually know about the property's condition. Answer it honestly and completely, including past problems you repaired, because a disclosure failure is the kind of thing that follows you after closing. If you're unsure whether something belongs on it, the answer is almost always to disclose it and ask a real estate attorney if you're still unsure.

Do I have to tell buyers the house flooded?

Yes. Texas disclosure specifically asks about flooding history, flood insurance claims and whether the property sits in a flood zone, and this is not an area to be vague in. Disclose what you know, and point buyers at the official mapping tools so they can verify for themselves.

What if something breaks while I'm under contract?

Tell me immediately, and we handle it. A material change to the property's condition generally needs to be disclosed and may need the disclosure updated, and dealing with it openly almost always goes better than a buyer finding it at the final walkthrough. Most of these are smaller problems than they feel like in the moment.

Should I be there for showings?

No. Buyers don't talk honestly in front of the owner, they hurry, and they don't open the closets, which means they don't fall for the house. Take the dog and go get a coffee.

Marketing and showings

How do you market my home?

Photography and copy first, then distribution, then the follow-up that most listings skip. That means real photography, a listing written to be read rather than filled in, MLS syndication, video where the home earns it, social and the community audience I've built, and a marketing report to you every week. How I Market Your Home on the blog is the long version.

Are professional photos really worth it?

Yes, and it isn't close. The photos are the showing for almost every buyer, because they decide whether to come see it from their phone before they ever ask about the house. This is not an area where saving money saves money.

Do you use video or drone footage?

Where the property earns it. A home with acreage, water or a setting you can't understand from inside benefits enormously from aerial and video, and a standard suburban interior often does not. Aerial is shot by an FAA-certified drone pilot, and I'll tell you which kind of home yours is rather than upselling you.

What does the lockbox and showing process look like?

Showings get requested through a scheduling system, you approve or decline them, and agents access the home through an electronic lockbox that logs who entered and when. You can set windows when the house isn't available. Understand that every restriction you add removes some buyers, so we'll be thoughtful about which ones are worth it.

How much notice will I get before a showing?

We set that when we list, and it's a real tradeoff. Longer notice is more convenient for you and less convenient for a buyer who's in the area today with an agent and a short list. Most sellers land somewhere in the middle, and the ones who can flex on short notice generally see more traffic.

Do I have to allow open houses?

No, it's your call. Open houses are better at meeting future buyers and neighbors than at selling the specific home they're held in, which is worth knowing before you decide either way. If yours is the kind of home and location where they help, I'll say so.

Is it safe to have strangers walking through my house?

Take the normal precautions and it's manageable. Put away prescriptions, small valuables, mail and anything with account numbers on it, and know that lockbox access logs who came in. Anything irreplaceable should be out of the house entirely while you're listed.

Should I take down my security cameras during showings?

You don't have to remove them, but you do need to think about it carefully. Recording audio of a private conversation raises legal questions that vary by situation, and buyers who spot cameras often stop talking freely, which costs you the honest reaction you want. A real estate attorney is the right person to ask about the recording question.

Will I get feedback after showings?

Yes, and I'll pass it along straight even when it isn't flattering. Not every agent responds, so it's never a complete picture, but patterns show up quickly and patterns are what matter. When three people say the same thing, that's information worth acting on.

Why is my house getting showings but no offers?

Showings mean the marketing is working and something in the house or the price isn't. When people come and don't write, the gap is usually between what they expected from the photos and what they found, or between the price and what they think it's worth against the alternatives. That's a fixable problem once we know which one it is.

Offers and closing

What should I look at in an offer besides the price?

Financing, the option period, the closing date, what the buyer is asking you to pay, and how much of their own money is at risk. The highest number is not always the strongest offer, and a clean offer that closes beats a bigger one that falls apart in three weeks. I'll lay them side by side so you're comparing the whole thing.

What's the option period, and why does my house go back on the market?

It's a short negotiated window where the buyer can inspect and walk away for essentially any reason, in exchange for a fee they pay you. It's normal, it's in nearly every Texas contract, and the listing status changes during it because the deal isn't firm yet. Most contracts get through it.

Do I have to make the repairs the buyer asks for?

No. Repair requests after an inspection are a negotiation, and your options include doing some, doing none, offering a credit instead, or holding firm and seeing what the buyer does. What makes sense depends on how real the items are and how strong the offer was to begin with.

What happens if the appraisal comes in below the offer price?

Several things can, and none of them automatically kills the deal. The buyer can bring the difference in cash, you can adjust, you can meet somewhere between, or the contract can end depending on how it was written. This is one more reason pricing to the actual comparable sales matters from day one.

What do I need to bring to closing, and how do I get paid?

Photo ID, keys, remotes, gate and mailbox codes, and anything the title company asks for in advance, which often includes a survey and a signed affidavit about it. Funds come from the title company after the deal funds, usually by wire, and you set that up with them directly. Never accept wiring instructions that arrive by email without calling the title company at a number you already had to confirm them.