Sharon Powell, Realtor, Option One Real Estate

09/04/2026

The more you know. When you want to buy a house but you have a house to sell too, how does that work?

There are 3 basic ways:

•𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.
This is the safest financial choice, because you’d know exactly how much money you’d be bringing to the next house. The downside is that you’d need somewhere to live between the two sales, unless you negotiate to stay in your house after closing until you buy the next one.

•𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.
You can make an offer on the next house, contingent on selling yours. Then we coordinate the two transactions so the sale of your current home funds your purchase. With careful planning, this option can work really well in the current market.

•𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.
If you qualify to own both homes temporarily or plan to purchase with cash, you can buy the new one, move in, and sell yours afterward. There are also financing options that can sometimes help you do this without having all of your current equity available yet.

Each option has pros and cons, and deciding which one makes sense for you depends on your finances AND how quickly we expect your current house to sell.

And the best news? When it’s done right, you’ll only move once!

08/31/2026

“I’m thinking about selling my home- how is Opendoor different from hiring an agent?”

With Opendoor, they’re the buyer and you’re selling by owner. One and done. This can be a good option if your biggest priorities are convenience and concern about showings. They’ll make you an offer, you review their fees and any condition adjustments, and then you decide whether to sell to them.

When you hire an agent, your home is exposed to the open market. Their job is to help you prepare the house, price it strategically, market it, negotiate for you, and protect you all the way through closing.

Interestingly, I sometimes get asked to work on the other side of this too- to gather property information prior to the offer and to provide professional opinions when they’re considering a price adjustment.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing convenience. For some homeowners, that may be the best option.

And really, the choice isn’t Opendoor vs a Realtor. It’s selling directly to one buyer vs exposing your house to the whole market.

If you have- or want help getting- an Opendoor offer, I’m happy to put it side by side with what you could expect to sell for on the open market, and estimate your net both ways.
Then you can decide what the convenience is worth to you.

Sharon
830-581-0814

08/30/2026

Their new spot for sunsets, air shows, fireworks, picnics and swim days.
I think they’re going to like it here. ❤️

Welcome home.

08/27/2026

The more you know. Nearly 1 in 5 home contracts were canceled in July in San Antonio.

That’s a LOT of contracts getting signed, but not making it to the closing table. What is happening???

There are more houses to choose from. Buyers are being more particular. More cautious. An inspection comes back with more than they bargained for. Insurance is higher than expected. The payment numbers aren’t what they expected. Or they just decided this isn’t the house after all.

If you’re selling, this is another reason to focus on preparation before you go on market. Repair the obvious. Be realistic about condition. And don’t automatically assume the highest offer is the best offer.

And if you’re buying, you really do have more room right now to ask questions, do your due diligence and negotiate when something comes up.

Getting a house under contract is one thing.
Getting everybody to closing is a whole ‘nother.

08/27/2026

Do you recognize it??🤩🦇

Wayne Manor is for sale!!

What the listing talks about:
Unrivaled architecture.
The 7 bedrooms.
Nearly 5 acres.
18,655 SF.
Pool, pickleball court, theater.
A $32M list price (holy property taxes, Batman!)

What it’s oddly quiet about: 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝘾𝘼𝙑𝙀!
Obviously we need to go see it… call me.☎️

For Sale: View 28 photos for 380 S San Rafael Ave, this 7 bed, 7.5 bath, 18655 sqft. single family home in Pasadena, CA listed at $32,000,000. MLS #26848149

08/23/2026

Three more front doors getting ready for new tenants!

I don’t talk about this side of my business nearly enough, but yes- I do tenant placement and manage long-term rental properties too.

For me, great property management looks a lot like helping someone buy or sell a home: communicate well, document everything, protect their interests, and never forget there are actual humans on both sides of the lease.

My owners stay involved in the decisions that matter. They approve tenants, choose how much or little money I spend on their behalf, and are welcome to use their own trusted repair people or mine- I don’t mark up maintenance. And when a home is vacant, I don’t just put a lockbox on it and forget about it.. it’s getting regular spruce-ups until it’s rented.

The wreaths and fresh doormats? That’s just me wanting my client’s investment to feel like home when the next potential tenant walks up. 😊

If you have a rental- or a home you’re considering keeping instead of selling- I’m happy to talk through what management could look like.

Sharon
830-581-0814

08/21/2026

The more you know. Redfin says right now in San Antonio, for every 10 buyers in the market, there are about 22 sellers competing for their attention.

So if you’re selling, there’s one question worth asking:
“Why will they choose your place?”

Not why do you love it, but why will a buyer choose it over the dozen other houses they can go see?

Usually it’s one or more of these four things: price, condition, presentation, and terms.

Maybe yours is priced smarter.
Maybe it’s the one that’s clean, well maintained and doesn’t come with a honey-do list.
Maybe the photos and marketing really make people want to come see more.
Maybe you’re offering an assumable rate or concession the other sellers can’t offer.

Listen, you don’t have to be the cheapest house.
And you don’t have to be the fanciest house.
You don’t have to do cartwheels in the driveway to get people to come look.
But in a market where buyers have choices, you do need to give them a reason to choose yours.

This is the conversation I’d be having before the sign goes in the yard.

08/15/2026

If “unrestricted” and “owner finance” are your favorite words in a land listing, keep reading!

📍Floresville, TX
•30.27 acres
•Water meter at the road
•Electric stubbed in 3 locations
•3 septic systems installed
•Slab, tractor cover, sheds
•No floodplain
•No restrictions
•Fully fenced
•563’ of county road frontage

Build. Farm. Bring the horses. Create a family compound…. there’s room here to make it what you want.

Offered at $415,000 by James Peterson
Owner financing available

Details and showings: 830-581-0814

08/13/2026

The more you know: Mortgage rates dropped today!!!
By 0.02%.🙄

If you’ve been waiting for “rates to come down,” this is a good reminder that they don’t usually make hugely dramatic moves- they wiggle their way up and down.

While you’re waiting, the house you want might get a price reduction. A seller might become willing to help with closing costs or a rate buydown. You might have less competition.

Any one of those could matter a lot more than waiting around for another .02%.

So if you’re thinking about buying, let’s look at the whole deal and see if the numbers work.

If they don’t? Definitely keep waiting.

If they do… maybe your decision doesn’t have to hinge on the rate after all.