October 4, 2009

The appraisal came back low – Now what?

Before the new HVCC rules concerning home appraisals went into effect on May 1, 2009, I did not have any of my own stories to tell of apprasials coming in low. This is no longer true as I now have two of my own stories to share of low appraisals. Both of the low appraisals were in real estate […]

October 2, 2009

DiscoverSpringTexas.com Presents Windrose

Sidewalks – Are they important to you?

In Spring Texas, we have over 45 neighborhoods for home buyers to choose from. Since each neighborhood / subdivision offers something a little different for its residents, the task of choosing a neighborhood sometimes can become a little overwhelming. So how do to choose which Spring Texas subdivision is right for you? By deciding what’s important to you. To begin the […]

September 26, 2009

The other side of the fence

The other day I was showing a home in the master planned community of Gleannloch Farms that seemed to be exactly what my buyers had been searching for. The house was zoned to the elementary school they wanted their children to attend, it was in their price range, in great condition, and had the amenities and open floor plan we had been searching for. […]

September 24, 2009

How does a buyer’s agent get paid?

If I did as a survey and randomly called 100 Spring Texas residences at dinner time and asked “How does a seller’s agent (a.k.a. listing agent) get paid?” I predict 98 of them would say “by the seller” and they would be right. If I rudely kept those same people on the phone longer and asked them “How does a buyer’s […]

September 19, 2009

IRS reminds homebuyers of deadline through video

To remind potential first time homebuyers of up the upcoming December 1st deadline for the first time homebuyers tax credit the IRS created a short video and posted it on its YouTube channel. The information shared in the video is not necessarily new information but the video is only 1 minute in duration so its still worth your time to watch. […]

September 5, 2009

Are the days of cheap water gone?

What’s on the mind of Spring Texas homeowners these days? Water. Not water in the form of rain. Although it could be because this summer has certainly been drier than most. But instead it is the increase we are seeing in our water bills that has captured our attention. At first I thought maybe I was just using […]

September 3, 2009

The accuracy of the Zestimate

If you have not heard of Zillow’s Zestimate yet, then “Welcome back from what must have been a long vacation”. The Zestimate has to be Zillow’s most popular tool and both home buyers and home sellers love it. Us Realtors on the other hand we love it NOT so much. Why? Because we have to defend the source of data […]

August 21, 2009

How to give your fluorescent light a new look

As I was flipping through the pages of the latest Realtor® Magazine, I came across an article on decorative light lenses. At only $32 a piece, a light lense is an inexpensive way to add a little pizazz to your big and boxy kitchen fluorescent light. The light lenses are made to easily slip into a standard 24 by 48 inch fluorescent ceiling light. […]

August 20, 2009

Is renting or buying better for you?

I think we all know that over the long-term buying a home instead of renting is the better financial decision. Homeownership provides us with the financial benefits of tax savings, the ability to build up equity, and the opportunity for price appreciation. But homeownership is not for everyone. You need to evaluate your situation and determine if now is […]

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