Keeping It Real with O’Neal
Beautiful Homes. The Questions That Matter.
Go beyond the listing photos with Michael O’Neal: what to investigate, what affects a sale, and how to make a more informed move in Houston.
The questions that decide a move rarely show up in listing photos. A beautiful backyard does not tell you which side of the fairway it sits on. The highest offer is not always the one that closes. A lovely home can sit on the market for reasons the seller never hears.
This series walks through those questions the way I would with you at the kitchen table: what I would check, how to check it, and where to get the official answer. When an example is hypothetical, it says so at the top, in plain words. Real case studies will appear only with the owner’s permission and documented results.
Michael O’Neal
Broker · REALTOR®, The Michael O’Neal Group, Keller Williams Realty Northeast
My weekly column with the same name runs in The O’Neal Insider.
Featured
- Hypothetical exampleWhy This Luxury Home Didn’t Sell—and What We Would ReviewA clearly labeled hypothetical walk-through of a higher-priced listing that sat: the presentation, the competition, the price and the feedback, and what we would review first.Selling · Oct. 28, 2026
- Visual guideThe Golf-Course Lot Nobody ExplainsTee box, landing area, cart path, sun, maintenance, membership and the deed restrictions: what to check on a specific golf-course lot, with an annotated diagram and a lot-by-lot checklist.GolfBuyingNeighborhoods · Oct. 28, 2026
- InteractiveThe Seller’s Three OffersThree hypothetical offers on the same house: a higher price with more contingencies, a lower price with stronger financing, and cash. Compare the estimated net, pick one, then see what Michael would talk through.Selling · Oct. 28, 2026
All episodes and guides
- Hypothetical exampleWhy This Luxury Home Didn’t Sell—and What We Would ReviewA clearly labeled hypothetical walk-through of a higher-priced listing that sat: the presentation, the competition, the price and the feedback, and what we would review first.Selling · Oct. 28, 2026
- Visual guideThe Golf-Course Lot Nobody ExplainsTee box, landing area, cart path, sun, maintenance, membership and the deed restrictions: what to check on a specific golf-course lot, with an annotated diagram and a lot-by-lot checklist.GolfBuyingNeighborhoods · Oct. 28, 2026
- InteractiveThe Seller’s Three OffersThree hypothetical offers on the same house: a higher price with more contingencies, a lower price with stronger financing, and cash. Compare the estimated net, pick one, then see what Michael would talk through.Selling · Oct. 28, 2026
- GuideWhy Isn’t My House Selling?The five patterns behind most listings that sit, the six-stage review and an optional seven-question check.Selling
- CalculatorSell As-Is or Renovate First?Compare the estimated net of selling as-is, repairing first or taking a written investor offer, with your own numbers.Selling
- GuideSelling an Inherited Home in HoustonWho can sign, what title will ask for, taxes and the steps that usually come first, with official sources.Complicated SalesSelling
- GuideBehind on Payments? Your Options Before a Foreclosure SaleThe Texas notice timeline, HUD-approved counseling, and how a sale, a short sale or a loan workout compare.Complicated SalesSelling
- GuideKingwood Greens: Golf-Course and Non-Golf HomesFence and setback rules on course lots, club membership terms and the questions to ask before you buy in Kingwood Greens.GolfNeighborhoods
- GuideIs Your Houston Home in a Flood Zone?Four different flood questions, how to read FEMA’s maps and what to ask for on a specific address.BuyingNeighborhoods
- GuideMoving to Houston: Six Areas Side by SideThe Heights, The Woodlands, Cypress, Katy, Sugar Land and Kingwood compared, with the free relocation guide.NeighborhoodsBuying
Talk it through with Michael
- Selling a higher-priced home, or one that did not sell? Book a home selling review
- Weighing more than one offer? Talk through your offers
- Looking at golf-course homes? Find a golf-course home that fits how you live
- Something else? Ask below, or call or text 832-797-3780.