January 15, 2010

Spring Texas Real Estate 2009 – Year in Review

With the February 2009 numbers of home sales down 30% and median sales price down 16%, the Spring Texas real estate market was off to a frightening start. The 8.5% of the Houston Realtors who decided not to practice real estate at the end of 2008 were starting to look like the smart ones in the room. As we […]

January 13, 2010

How do damage points affect your FICO credit score?

Over the years, the secret behind how your credit score is calculated and how different “what ifs?” affect it have been guarded better than the Bush’s baked beans recipe . That is until recently as FICO has shared how different “what if?” scenarios can affect your credit scores . Did you max out your Macy’s card over Christmas? Expect a […]

January 11, 2010

Water costs on the rise …… AGAIN!!!

That’s right again! Last summer, the cost of watering my Spring Texas yard increased and I wrote a post about it titled “Are the days of cheap water gone?”. The answer to the question was Yes. The portion of my water bill identified as Regional Water Authority had increased from $0.99 to $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. An increase […]

January 8, 2010

8 ways for homeowners to save money

Did the holidays drain your bank account? If so, here are some tips to help you save money on the costs of homeownership this year. 1. Claim all your real estate tax exemptions – one of the easiest ways to reduce the taxes on your Spring Texas home is to claim the homestead exemption offered by the state. Go to […]

January 6, 2010

Tax credits for move-up home buyers

If you are looking to buy a house in Spring Texas this year, there is a good chance you are familiar with the first time home buyers tax credit. But did you know the expanded and extended homebuyers tax credit bill that was passed in November 2009 contained a tax credit for what is being […]

January 4, 2010

how to reduce spring texas property taxes

The easiest way to save money on your real estate taxes

Content UPDATED for 2021 – filing for a homestead exemption is still the easiest way to save money on your real estate taxes. These days we are all looking for ways to save money whether it be on our grocery bill or our real estate tax bill. The easiest way to save money on your Spring Texas […]

December 31, 2009

Fireworks and New Year’s Eve

Parties, horns, Champagne toasts and fireworks are all things that are associated with ringing in the New Year. In some parts of the country and in most cities fireworks are prohibited. In the city of Houston fireworks are prohibited but in unincorporated areas of Harris County such as Spring Texas fireworks are permitted. But it is not a free for […]

December 30, 2009

New Year … New sellers disclosure

A new year brings lots of things. New resolutions, new opportunities, new laws, and this year a new seller’s disclosure from the Texas Association of Realtors. Well …. maybe not quite new but changed. Effective on the first day of 2010, changes to TAR-1406 (the Seller’s Disclosure Notice) will be made to …. Section 5 – Are you […]

December 28, 2009

A new business model

Its almost the end of December and I am doing what I usually do this time of year. I am finishing up on my business plan for the coming year. I start by reviewing my expenses, analyzing the source of my business, and the calculating the ROI. I also analysis ROT (Return on Time) since I do a lot of Social Media Marketing . After analyzing […]

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