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Your property should be secure at all times, whether you're home or not.
Adequate security can prevent thieves from being tempted to target your house.
Follow these few easy tips so your house becomes a bad choice for a burglar: * Remove any plants or shrubs that obscure the front of your property * Plant thorny bushes such as roses, bougainvillea etc., under windows and along fences
* If you have a fence on theside of the house that leads to the rear of the property,
make sure there is a secure latch on the gate door. For night protection or added
security, place a padlock on the inside of the gate latch.
* Do not leave ladders or tools next to the house. A ladder leaning against the house
or a tool left by a window is quite helpful to the burglar trying to enter your home.
* Install sensor lights around the perimeter of the reisdence. * Install 1 inch deadbolts on all entrance doors.
* Put locks on all windows. * Have some type of covering on all windows. * Designate and fully equip a "safe room". * If you don't have a dog in the house, get a tape recording of a really loud, scary bark that
can be played if an unwanted solicitor comes to your door.
* Install an alarm system in the house.
HOUSTON - (Per Houston Association of Realtors) - While the number of properties sold and the average sales price dropped modestly from last month's blistering rates, the figures for July were still the best ever for the month. July real estate sales in the greater Houston region continued their streak of new monthly records.
Total property sales for the month totaled 7,975, which was a 3.3 percent increase over July 2005. Properties sold during the month reached a total of nearly $1.6 billion, a 10.3 percent increase compared to last year's more than $1.4 billion in July sales. Additionally, the median home price for a single-family home reached a monthly record for July of $155,890 (after last month's median sales price was revised slightly lower), and the average single-family home price topped the $200,000 mark for the third month in a row at $206,045, increases from last year of 7.5 and 7.0 percent, respectively.
"The greater Houston housing market has been tremendous this summer. Whether someone was in the market to buy a home or looking to sell, residents of the region have certainly been keeping Realtors busy," said Lorraine Abercrombie, HAR Chair and Marketing Director for Greenwood King Properties. "We look for 2006 to be the best year ever for Houston real estate sales, which means we hope the rates of homeownership also rise as more people realize the American Dream."
July Monthly Market Comparison
All listing categories combined, Houston's overall housing market in July saw increases in most categories, including total property sales, average sales price, median sales price, and overall total dollar volume on a year-over-year basis.
The number of available homes (active listings) at the end of July was 45,613 properties, which was an increase of 0.6 percent versus last July and the first month with a year-over-year increase, after 10 consecutive declines. The figure was an increase of 1,171 properties from last month though, which is an increase of more than 2,000 homes in the last two months and shows new listings may be outpacing sales activity.
Month-end pending sales - those listings expected to close within the next 30 days - reached 5,108, which was up 2.1 percent from last year, and signals a fairly strong August for sales. The months inventory of single-family homes for July came in at 5.6 months. This statistic signals more of a seller's market and also shows that demand is more than keeping up with the available supply of homes, as displayed by July reporting the 21st consecutive decline in year-over-year months inventory figures. Single-family Homes Update
The overall median price of single-family homes of $155,890 was an all-time record after last month's initial median sales price was revised down, which was an increase of 7.5 percent compared to the prior year, and the average sales price for single-family homes was $206,045 during July, which was up 7.0 percent versus the same period last year. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less than that figure.
Houston's current median price of $155,890, while an all-time record for the Houston market, is 32.7 percent less than the national median price, which reached $231,500 in June, according to statistics released by the National Association of REALTORS®. These data continue to show the tremendous value and lower cost of living afforded to Houstonians.
Additionally, total sales for single-family homes in Houston continued its streak of year-over-year increases, marking 30 consecutive months that sales have been higher than the same month of the previous year. For July 2006, single-family home sales increased by 3.7 percent to 6,717, up from last year's 6,476.
HAR is now also reporting existing home statistics for the single-family home segment of the real estate market. For the month of July 2006, existing single-family home sales totaled 5,757, which was a 3.0 percent increase from July 2005. The median sales price for existing homes in the Houston area was $150,000, an increase of 7.9 percent compared to the same period last year. The average sales price for the month of $194,216 was an increase of 5.7 percent from last year's level.
Townhouse/Condo Update
The overall median price in the townhouse/condo segment in Houston was up 1.3 percent for July, with the median sales price for the month being $120,000. The average sales price for which a townhouse or condo sold in the greater Houston area was $146,468 in July 2006, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the same month last year.
Additionally, the number of townhouses and condos that sold in July increased compared to last year's sales, with 684 units being sold last month, versus 656 properties in July 2005, or a 4.3 percent increase in year-over-year sales.
Houston Real Estate Milestones in July
Reached the highest average sales price for single-family homes for July. Marked the all-time highest median sales price for single-family homes. Marked the highest dollar volume of sales for July. Recorded the highest number of single-family homes ever sold in July. | | | The computerized Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association of REALTORS® includes residential properties and new homes listed by 22,000 REALTORS throughout Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, as well as parts of Brazoria, Galveston, Waller and Wharton counties. Residential home sales statistics as well as listing information for about 43,000 properties can be found on the Internet at http://www.har.com/.
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Irena Gorski
Houston,
TX
More about me…
Trend Setter Realty
Address: 5851 Southwest Frwy, # 203, Houston, TX, 77057
Office Phone: (281) 610-4524
Cell Phone: (281) 610-4524
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