So you’ve found two Knoxville homes for sale that you absolutely love.  In today’s market, because of dwindling inventory, there is serious competition between buyers. How do you quickly choose between them and pick a Knoxville real estate winner? Let’s take a look at what things to evaluate at when trying to decide between two great homes. If they are already similar in price, square footage, and features, then what? The following are some tips we suggested for getting one to rise to the top.

If the specifications on the top few homes are similar, it never fails to go back to the age old real estate mantra..location, location, location. First and foremost you should look at which physical location has better proximity to things that are important to you. Speaking of physical location, perhaps one of the Knoxville homes for sale faces a different direction. Think about where you would like the sun to be on your home during different times of the day. Maybe one is on a busier street and the other is in a cul-de-sac.  After looking at physical location, one should look at the quality of the neighborhood and it’s amenities, crime rates, and the quality of the schools.  This is a big investment, and a place you may be living for a long time, so don’t be afraid to go out and talk with some neighbors to get their opinions and a feel for the overall mood.  Neighbors love to see and talk with who is potentially moving in, and you can garner quite a bit of information from them.

As a Knoxville real estate team that is typically selling these same homes once the buyer needs to move up, down size, or relocate, the 865 Real Estate team always keeps resale value on the forefront of the mind’s of our clients.  Although they are just moving in and excited about a new home, we remind our clients that this is typically their largest investment, so we want to make sure it is a good investment when it comes time to sell. We’ve had more than one client choose one house over another because of our advice as to which would be more valuable when it comes time to sell.  And resale value may not only be decided by which home is in a better neighborhood, it could be decided on which home the buyer can get the better deal.

The 865 Real Estate team, the leading Knoxville real estate team at Gables & Gates, REALTORS announces the utilization of a new mobile technology that will provide customers with immediate access to information on all Knoxville homes for sale.

The Gables & Gates Curbcall Information System allows homebuyers immediate access to the entire “Knoxville homes for sale” inventory from ANY telephone. Troy Stavros, Broker and Partner with the 865 Real Estate team states, “All that home buyers need to do is call the local number, 865-321-8966, and enter the house street number to immediately hear the details on any home for sale in the Knoxville MLS inventory”.

The description of the property is delivered via telephone in an easy-to-understand sentence format in both English and Spanish 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With the use of their custom Curbcall sign riders, the technology also notifies the 865 Real Estate team that there has been an inquiry on a listing and provides sellers with reports detailing the interest their home receives from potential buyers.


Stavros stated that the beauty of the technology is it’s simplicity, “It’s really simple. First, I’d recommend programming the number into your mobile phone. Then anytime you drive past or see a property you’re interested in, stop, call the number, and enter the house number and first letter of the street name and you’re immediately given all the pertinent details”. Stavros stated that after given the details, additional options are available including receiving an estimated mortgage payment or a text message with the home’s features sent directly to their cell phone or handheld device. For those inquiring with smartphones, they’ll receive a web link that will give them GPS property directions and photos of the property. During all stages of the inquiry the customer is a simple button push away from speaking directly with a Knoxville real estate agent at the 865 Real Estate team should they have any additional questions or want to schedule a showing.

Stavros says if all that wasn’t enough there’s more, “Another really cool part of the technology is if you have the 865 Real Estate team enter your cell phone number and email address in the Curbcall database, we can register you to ensure that no other agent will ever contact you if you use the 865-321-8966 number. The important thing to remember is that this system can be used on ALL Knoxville homes for sale, not just homes listed by Gables & Gates, REALTORS or the 865 Real Estate team. Registering does more than eliminate callbacks from other agents when you are just looking for information. With your email in place, the Curbcall system will send you an email with property information on every home on which you inquire, so it is waiting in your email when you get home from driving around.”

Many buyers who have not been given guidance in the current home buying process believe that the first step is getting online to search internet sites or going out with a Knoxville real estate agent to view Knoxville homes for sale.  If this is the first thing you are doing then you are skipping the most important step. Unlike the past when a buyer with marginal credit could typically qualify for a larger mortgage payment, today’s stringent lending guidelines have completely changed. Unless you have excellent credit and a solid income history, you cannot even guarantee that you will be approved. For those who are approved, there are parameters that can effect your interest rate, as well as the amount of loan for which you qualify. For the most productive experience in buying a Knoxville home there is a specific process that should and ultimately will take place, but straying outside the order of these steps can ultimately cost you time, money, and heartache.

First and foremost a buyer should speak with one or more lenders to get a pre-approval.  You may ask yourself, why is this more important than looking at homes right away.  It is because this step is the one that all of the others hinge on. It tells the buyer how much home they can afford and the price range in which they and their Knoxville real estate agent should be looking. Buyers who fail to follow this first step, may end up looking in a price range that they cannot afford, and ultimately be let down. By viewing homes they cannot afford, they will then have to lower their expectations.  This makes it more difficult to find a home they will like, because they have been exposed to homes with amenities and features above their price range.

Another important point to be made is the difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval. A pre-qualification looks only at a buyers credit history and income, and does not guaranty a loan. On the other hand, a pre-approval both looks at AND VERIFIES a buyer’s credit, income, and debt and provides a loan approval within a specific dollar amount with certain conditions and terms. Becoming pre-approved means you can comfortably search for your dream home, knowing exactly how much you can afford.