Should I fix up my house before selling?

Not every repair is worth the money. The key is knowing which fixes create buyer confidence and which ones you can skip without hurting your sale price. Stephen gives every seller a pre-inspection repair plan built around real return on investment, so you spend only where it pays off and avoid over-improving for the market.

How do you price a home correctly in this market?

Pricing is the single most important decision you make when selling. Too high and buyers skip you, days pile up, and you accept less with no leverage. Too low and you leave money behind. As a certified Home Pricing Expert, Stephen builds a full market analysis for every listing and positions your home where serious buyers compete rather than hesitate.

Can I sell my home while I'm stationed overseas or out of state?

Yes. Stephen has sold homes for military clients stationed in Japan, Germany, and across the country. As a certified Military Relocation Professional, he handles the full process remotely, including pricing, prep coordination, showings, negotiation, and closing, so you do not have to be physically present.

How long will it take to sell my home in Killeen?

A correctly priced and well-prepared home in Killeen and the Fort Hood market typically goes under contract within two to three weeks of listing. Homes that sit longer are usually overpriced at launch or lack a targeted marketing strategy. Stephen uses a structured launch with a Day-10 checkpoint to catch momentum issues early before they become a problem.

What is the difference between list price and what I actually walk away with?

A lot can happen between list price and closing table. Buyer concessions, repair credits, closing cost contributions, and weak contract terms can all reduce what you keep. Stephen focuses on your net proceeds, negotiating price, terms, credits, and contingencies together so the number that matters is the one on your final settlement statement.

Why should I hire Stephen Harris over another agent in Killeen?

Stephen has 400+ closings, $92 million in sales volume, 100+ five-star Google reviews, and 10 years of Central Texas experience. He gives you a straight answer, builds a real plan for your specific home, and stays reachable throughout the entire process.

Killeen · Fort Hood · Harker Heights · Copperas Cove · Belton · Temple · Georgetown · Hutto · Pflugerville · Round Rock

Our job is to keep you out of a money pit.

Central Texas home buyers · Led by Stephen Harris, Real Estate Broker

Anyone can open a door. What you need is someone who tells you where the market really stands, whether the house is a good deal, what it’s going to cost you, and how to get out of a contract if the house turns out wrong. That’s what we do with our buyers, and we explain all of it before you sign anything.

Start With a Buyer Call (256) 226-2757

Call or text. A real person answers.

500+Homes Closed

10Years in Central Texas

126Five-Star Reviews

1M+YouTube Views

Stephen Harris

Real Estate Broker · Founder, Good Life Team

I built our buyer process and trained the team that runs it. Verjuana Foreman and Laura Waggoner are the ones in the car with you, and I’m one call away on every contract and every negotiation.

What We Actually Do

Four Jobs. Every Buyer. Every Time.

Finding the house is the easy part. Here’s where the work is.

🔎

Find the Right House

Your search set up on the MLS so you see homes before the apps do. Feedback on every favorite. A straight answer on whether it’s priced right for what it is.

🤝

Negotiate the Contract

Price, upfront money, timelines, and who’s on the hook if the deal breaks. We walk you through every major term before you sign, so nothing comes back around as a surprise.

🧰

Do the Due Diligence

Inspection, repair negotiation, appraisal, final walk-through. We check the house so you know what you’re buying before the money is gone.

❤️

Build a Team Around You

Lender, inspector, title, contractors for quotes. You don’t go find these people. We bring them, and we’ve worked with them before.

How We Work With Buyers

Three Phases. On Purpose.

Most buyers get hit with lender stress and house stress at the same time. We split them up so you only carry one at a time.

Get Fully Approved First

Full approval, not a prequal. Your documents go to the lender before the house hunt starts. Two reasons: a seller takes your offer more seriously, and the paperwork stress is behind you before you fall in love with a kitchen. We’ll show one or two homes early if you need to, then we lock this in.

Shop With a Blank Check

With the money handled, you can walk into any house and know exactly what you can do. We bring the MLS sheet to every showing so your questions get answered standing in the room, and we tell you when a house is overpriced for what it is.

Prove It’s the Right House

Inspection, repair negotiation, appraisal, walk-through. This is where we earn it. The house you picked has to hold up, and if it doesn’t, you’ll know how to get out and what it costs you. Usually that’s $200 to $500.

Every buyer gets two prep calls. The first is about you: what you need, what you’re looking for, your timeline. The second is orientation: the process, the upfront money, how our fee works, and what to expect at each step. If you’re moving fast, we fit it into one. The two things we never skip are what money you’ll need up front and how you can get out of a contract you’ve signed.

No Surprises

The Money You’ll Need Before Closing.

These are the numbers we go over on your first call, because nobody should learn about them from a title company email. Typical figures for a Central Texas purchase. Yours will vary with the price and the lender.

Cost	Typical amount	What it does	Comes back at closing?
Earnest money	$500 up to 1% of the price	Shows the seller you’re serious. Held by the title company.	Yes. Credited to you at closing.
Option fee	$200 to $500	Buys you the right to walk away for any reason during the option period you negotiate. This is your way out.	Yes. Credited to you at closing.
Inspection	Around $450	A licensed inspector goes through the house. More or less depending on square footage and what you add on.	No. The inspector works for you, not the deal.
Appraisal	Around $680 on a VA loan	Paid to your lender. Confirms the house is worth what you’re paying.	Sometimes. We’ll ask your lender to credit it. Some do, some don’t.

Our fee: in most of our recent purchases the seller paid it at closing. We’ll show you exactly how it works and what you’d owe in each scenario before you sign a thing.

Real Deals

What “Keeping You Safe” Looks Like on Actual Houses.

Three buyer-side files from this year. Addresses and names left off. The lessons are the point.

Temple · 2026

The hail claim that didn’t match the disclosure.

The seller’s disclosure said no insurance claim had been filed. The claim file said otherwise: a hail loss, money paid out to the sellers, and the work never done. We caught it inside the option period, with a $12,000 foundation bid in hand so our buyer knew the full picture before deciding to stay in or walk.

The disclosure is a starting point. We verify it.

Belton · 2026

254 days on the market is leverage. We used it.

A lake-view home that had already failed once and taken a $100,000 price cut. We pulled the two closest sales, both of which closed well under their original asking, and wrote the offer $30,000 under list with the seller paying our fee. Priced to the comps, not to the sign.

Days on market tells you who has the leverage.

Kempner · 2026

Two contracts fell through before ours. We asked why.

Acreage home, 243 days listed, three price cuts, and the remarks admitted two prior buyers backed out. Before writing, we pulled three closed sales on the same road and built the price from what actually closed. Our buyer went in knowing the number and the history.

We bring the data before we bring the offer.

Contract to Keys

What Happens After the Seller Says Yes.

This is the part most buyers never get explained. Here’s ours.

📋

Inspection & Repairs

Your inspector or ours. You read the report, we read the report, and we pull the items that actually matter from experience. Then we build the repair request together. If the seller won’t fix something and you don’t know what it costs, we send it to our contractor for a number so you know what you’re taking on.

📐

Appraisal

Ordered after repairs are settled. If it comes in low, that’s a second negotiation, and we tell you that on day one. Usually the seller comes down. Sometimes they want to meet in the middle. Either way, it’s your call, with the numbers in front of you.

🚶

Final Walk-Through

Two to three days before closing. In person, on FaceTime, or by video if you’re moving from out of state. If something agreed to isn’t done, we set the timeline with the listing agent and re-walk before you sign.

🔑

Closing

Someone from the team is at the table with you. Local buyers get their closing gift there. If you’re arriving from somewhere else, it’s waiting in the house.

Who’s On It

A Team on Your Side.

Stephen built the process and trained the people running it. Nothing about your purchase waits on one person’s calendar.

Real Estate Broker · Founder

Stephen Harris

Built the buyer process. On the hard calls: offer strategy, a low appraisal, a repair fight. Ten years and 500+ closings in this market.

Client Care Specialist

Verjuana Foreman

Your showings, your search, your questions in real time. The one in the car with you.

Client Care Specialist

Laura Waggoner

Your showings, your search, your questions in real time. Buyers and sellers, start to finish.

Operations Manager

Sarah Hagelstein

Contract to keys. Deadlines, documents, inspections scheduled, closing details handled.

★★★★★

“Their honest advice and knowledge helped us take our time and find our home. The experience can be stressful, but not with Stephen and his team. I strongly recommend him before anyone else.”

Verified Google Review

First-time buyer · Central Texas

★★★★★

“Stephen is very knowledgeable, kind, and trustworthy. He definitely knows this business and looks out for his clients. Thankful I found Stephen Harris.”

Verified Google Review

Knowledge · Process · Responsiveness · Negotiation, all 5/5

126 five-star reviews

Across Google and Zillow.

Read them

Common Questions

Questions Buyers Ask Us First.

If yours isn’t here, call and we’ll answer it directly.

Do I have to be approved before you’ll show me a house?

We’ll show you one or two homes early if the timing calls for it. After that, full approval has to be locked in. It makes your offer stronger with sellers and it gets the paperwork stress out of the way before the house stress starts.

Why do I have to sign something before we look at a house?

Texas law requires a buyer representation agreement and a form called Information About Brokerage Services before an agent opens a door, even for a single showing. We’ll explain what each one says so you understand what you’re signing. We don’t just collect signatures.

How do I get out of a contract if I change my mind?

The option fee. For $200 to $500, you get an unrestricted right to walk away during the option period we negotiate, usually 7 to 14 days. We go over this and who’s in default at each stage before you ever sign an offer. It’s the single most important thing to understand about a Texas contract.

What does it cost me to use you?

In most of our recent purchases the seller paid our fee at closing. How that works is part of your orientation call, and you’ll see what you’d owe in each scenario before you sign anything.

What if the appraisal comes in low?

It becomes a second negotiation, and we tell you that on day one so it’s never a surprise. Usually the seller lowers the price. Sometimes they want to meet in the middle. You decide, with the numbers in front of you.

I’m PCSing to Fort Hood. Can I buy before I get there?

Yes. We set up your search now so you can watch homes come and go and figure out which floor plans you like. Then we do a video call every few weeks to review your favorites. Showings on FaceTime, a virtual final walk-through, and your closing gift waiting in the house when you arrive.

I’m six months out. Is it too early to talk?

No. That’s when we set up your MLS alerts and start the check-in calls. By the time you’re ready, you already know the market and what you want. Nothing about it costs you anything.

Our job is to keep you out of a money pit.

Stephen Harris