Spring Spotlight on Real Estate!

The weather in Houston is currently what most Houstonians would tell you they live here for!  Mild temps, sweater weather evenings, and lunches on the patios of our favorite Houston restaurants!  It is also a time when homes on the market increase in number and the market conditions become more competitive offering an opportunity for qualified buyers to pick from an expanding number of available homes for sale!  Sunday Open Houses offer an excellent chance to inspect homes of interest in neighborhoods all over town so be sure to take the time in your schedule to go out and see them!  In the meantime, take a look around your own home and assess what it would take to get it ready for a quick sale should you want to take advantage of a chance to upgrade while the mortgage rates are still favorable and there still exists a nice product selection to choose from!  Get in touch with your Realtor and let them know now what you would be interested in seeing so they can watch the market for you.  So remember that Spring is your time to get out there and assess your living situation and that means keep a vigil over your credit score, get that Spring cleaning done, and don't forget to get out there and see those Open Houses!

Real Estate's Election Returns!

Been waiting for the Election to be over? Well it is and the rates are projected to stay low on Mortgage Loans well into 2011 so it's time to talk Real Estate! If you have not yet made the most important investment of your life, buying a home, then this is your year! First time buyers will enjoy some of the lowest prices AND interest rates in history and that combination doesnt come along often! If you havent started to save for your down payment, DO IT NOW! The amount of money you have saved may be the determining factor on what you can buy! While your monthly financial ability may allow you to pay more, if you do not have what it takes to put down on your home, you may find yourself being limited to what you have to invest in cash! So give up that morning designer coffee and expensive lunches out and save up for your new home and be one of the lucky ones who buys low in hopes on one day SELLING HIGH!

Market is Heating Up with Home Sales!

The temperatures are not the only thing getting hotter in Houston these days! The Real Estate market is showing signs of blossoming into full summer color with prices and availability increasing! As luck would have it, a well groomed credit score can get you a low interest loan making a purchase at it's prime! But like all blooms, this one will also wither with the advent of Fall so make your plans now to get out there and be a part of this soon to fade opportunity. Watch your Real Estate section in your local paper and get out and visit some Open Houses this weekend. Ask your Realtor about how to get pre-qualified for a loan and how to get the current market value of your property and get it on the market while activity is still at it's peak. This is the time to clean out the closets, replace that rotting wood and touch up the paint. Get your property looking good and ready for the market. Don't miss out on the 2010 garden of values awaiting your big chance to trade up your daisy mum for a rose in full bloom! See you at the open houses!

Home for the Holidays!

No plans this weekend? Check out the Sunday Real Estate pages and plan a staycation in your home town! There are dozens of beautiful homes, condos and townhomes open this weekend for you to tour! Need to get some decorating ideas? Getting your home ready to sell? Looking for your perfect chance to upgrade? Well this is a great way to launch any of those projects! Get out and check out the homes on the market and see what's available! This will give you the information you need to start the process of selling your home or purchasing a new one! See how the homes in your market size up to yours and identify the amenities that your own home may have to offer over the competition! Watch for opportunities to purchase your new home with the amenities you have been looking for! See how the professionals ready a home for sale making the property more appealing by staging it with attractive furnishings and accessories! The market is heating up and the inventory is showing signs of shorter market times so don't be one of the buyers that misses out! Make sure you get your home for the holidays!

Changing Real Estate Opportunities!

The new statistics are in! The gap between the available product and the number of closings is narrowing! That means that there will be fewer and fewer choices for those buyers entering the market if the trend continues. This is one of those good news-bad news scenarios where the sellers will receive a higher price for their home and the buyers will have to pay more! This is true in nearly ever sector of the market including single-family, townhomes & condos and even some light commercial. The only exception seems to be for the high rise condo market where HAR is reporting a 37 month inventory. So my advice is to get out there and get your home on the market or start your property search! Time is a wasting and there is still opportunity to get in on not only a better than average selection, but low interest rates that are not forecasted to last! Call your Realtor to get started today!

Buying a Home for the Holidays!

While change is always difficult to approach with it's unknown outcome, it brings with it the opportunity for opportunity! The Real Estate market of 2009 has deviated from past markets with tighter requirements for financing and irregular pricing, however, there exists many wonderful choices especially for those that qualify for the recent tax incentives. The importance of minding your financial health takes on a new meaning in this discerning environment for mortgage approval but if you can make some changes and even a few sacrifices, you may be able to buy yourself a home for the holidays! If you do not have the means to be able to access your credit report, consider signing up for one of the services that allow you to monitor it and watch for irregularities that could affect your score. If you have not started to save some cash towards your purchase, you may also want to sit down and figure out how to do without some of your unnecessary expenditures such as brewing coffee at home instead of stopping by your favorite spot each morning for a latte, or taking your lunch to the office. Just a few small lifestyle changes might be able to afford you that Home for the Holidays you have always hoped for before years end!

Local Home Sales Up in 2009!

Are you still sitting around wondering when it will be the right time to sell your home or buy a new one? Well, get off of the sofa, because the news is here! Home sales are up this quarter and there are no signs that will change! Interest rates are favorable, inventories are good and the Tax Credit is icing on the cake! Afraid that your home might sell for less than you expect? Well, chances are the one you buy might also, so take the leap and get out there and make your move! While there has been a correction in the market, prices are holding substantially higher than overall predictions and economic conditions are believed to be doing the same. Pick up the newspaper or check out the latest news predictions for 2010. I think you will agree that while things are not expected to be rising at rapid rates, we have some signs that the correction in the market might be the reason for the stability that is expected for the first quarter of the coming year. So go ahead and put the kids in the car and check out the open houses this Sunday and talk to your real estate professional about listing your existing home. Remember, if you can get your closing to happen before year end, you will be eligible for the Homestead exemption and that can mean a savings of around 20% on your property taxes in Texas!