Blog

April 11, 2016

3 things buyers should know about a home’s square footage

Before you filter your Spring Texas home search by a minimum and maximum of square footage, here’s 3 things you should know about a home’s square footage. 1. Not all square footage is created equally – A home’s floor plan / layout can significantly impact how large or small a house may feel. A house with […]
March 30, 2016

What’s the difference between earnest money and option money?

The main differences between earnest money and option money are amount, payee, and refundability. Although negotiated between buyers and sellers, earnest money is typically 1% of the sales price. The earnest money is made payable to a title company (another term negotiated between buyers and sellers) and deposited into an escrow account at the title company. […]
March 23, 2016

Spring Festivals in and around Spring Texas – 2016

April is almost here and Spring Texas and the surrounding areas of Tomball and the Woodlands are gearing up for a jam packed spring festival line up. From art shows to music festivals to juicy mudbugs to cold beer there is a festival for everyone. Here’s our favorite (must attend) list of spring time festivals […]
March 16, 2016

What you should do to prepare your house for sale

Are you getting ready to list your Spring Texas house for sale?  Before you list take the time to see, smell, and experience your house as a potential buyer. See:  Look at your house through fresh eyes. Enter your house through the front door. Does the door need to be refinished? Does the door frame […]
March 3, 2016

How much earnest money is required when buying a house?

Upon execution of a residential contract, the buyer is required to deposit a defined amount as earnest money with a title company or the builder.  The amount of earnest money is one of numerous terms that are negotiated between buyers and sellers.  The amount of earnest money depends upon the local real estate market and […]
February 25, 2016

Do you have to pay an additional option fee to extend the option period?

Your inspector said the A/C isn’t cooling so you want to have the A/C evaluated by a HVAC technician. The problem is your option period ends today and you can’t get an HVAC technician out to the property today. So you and the sellers have agreed to extend the option period by 2 days. Do […]
February 12, 2016

How do you find out if you have a homestead exemption?

You think your Spring Texas home has a homestead exemption but you are not 100% sure.  So how can you easily find out if you have a homestead exemption? At the Harris County Appraisal District website of www.hcad.org  you can look up your account and see which if any exemptions have been applied to your […]
February 8, 2016

The pros and cons of an escrow account

Make a minimum 20% down payment on your purchase of a Spring Texas home and the choice of an escrow account will be yours. A less than 20% down payment forfeits the choice. If the choice of an escrow account is yours, should or shouldn’t you establish it?  What are the pros and cons of […]
January 22, 2016

When does the option period end?

The option period is a defined length of time that has been negotiated and agreed upon by both buyers and sellers.  The option period starts the day AFTER the contract execution date and ends at 5 pm (local time) on the last day. For example: If you are buying a home in Spring Texas and you […]