relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Aerobic septics are the norm for country homes in Harris County and Montgomery County!
- 04/07/11 05:26 AM
One thing you will want to consider when you are buying or building a country home in either Harris County or Montgomery County is where you are going to get your water and how your septic will be handled. For the most part our country subdivisions are on community water and have their own septic systems. There are of course exceptions to this but I show in country subdivisions all the time and this seems to be the norm. Now if you are not in a subdivision then chances are good that you will have to have both septic and a … (20 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: The economic outlook of Tomball for 2011!
- 03/20/11 03:28 PM
Betty Reinbeck past Executive Director of the Tomball Economic Development was our speaker for this month’s meeting of Tomball Business & Professional Women. Notice I said “Past director” as we were her last presentation before she retired. She filled us in on the economic outlook of Tomball for 2011. Tomball economic development corporation is a type B sales tax organization; which means it is funded by sales tax revenue and that is its only funding. Betty told us for the last 6 months the sales tax revenue has been up which means the economy of Tomball is doing quite well. This … (7 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Icicle Fountain in Spring TX!!
- 02/10/11 01:50 PM
Like the rest of the country we are experiencing freezing temperatures in Spring TX. I was opening a home for a buyer to take some measurements this afternoon and drove by this fountain on the way to the home. This is Spring TX we are not supposed to be having freezing temperatures. My client is moving here from Alaska and she was telling me how cold she thought it was. That made me feel better as having moved here from Colorado I was thinking I had become a wimp. Our cold is a wet cold that gets you to the bone. … (26 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Cold Facts for Plant survival in Spring-Magnolia-Tomball TX!!
- 02/01/11 02:43 AM
Last year the Houston Chronicle had a great article about plant survival in freezing temperatures. Since it is almost February I was thinking I was going to get away without having to post about this but it is not to be; we are looking to have several days of frigid temperatures starting today (lows in the low to mid 20's). Here in Houston we rarely have frigid temperatures and for sure not several days in a row. I love all the tropical plants that I'm able to grow in Spring and by using what they said I saved my plants last … (11 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Why you need deed restrictions in Harris and Montgomery County!
- 01/23/11 06:44 AM
It really boils down to 2 words and they are NO ZONING. When we moved here in 1997 and I was in real estate school I almost fell off my chair when I found out that Houston did not have zoning. It is especially apparent when you live in either unincorporated Harris County or unincorporated Montgomery County. If you are not in an area that has some deed restrictions it is a total free for all. Those subdivisions without restrictions have mobile homes, businesses, salvage yards, farm animals etc. You get the point! Since we don’t have zoning something that has … (26 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Home dings that might make for a hard re-sale!!
- 11/19/10 04:00 AM
Years ago my mentor told me to not sell a home that I can't resale. I have taken that message to heart and I'm always looking for dings that could make a home hard to resale. I'm going to give you a list of some of the major dings that might make your home hard to sale. Mind you this does not mean you won't be able to sell your home if you have these dings but you might have to take less to make it competitive with similar homes that don't have the ding. It also might take a little … (54 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Characteristics of a Recession - Texas specific!
- 08/17/10 11:42 AM
Gary Maler the Director of the Texas A&M real estate center recently talked to a group of real estate agents in Tomball about the state of our economy. Much of the talk was about the state of our national economy but he also went in to specifics for us here in Texas. Some of the daunting challenges we face. Business uncertainties from Washington policies The great credit contraction Budget cuts for states, cities and school districts. One of the things that I came away with is that as a state Texas is weathering fairly good. A few years ago I would … (21 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: The Texas "termination option" clause!
- 08/14/10 01:44 PM
In Texas we have a "termination option" clause in our real estate contract that you will want to understand. This clause allows buyers and sellers to negotiate a specified time during which the buyer can fully evaluate the house. For this right, they buyer pays the seller a nonrefundable "option fee". Your option period is typically that period of time where you do your home inspections however you can back out for any reason during this option period. Everything is negotiable but usually you will have put $100 (plus or minus) down for a 5 to 10 day option period. (These are not business … (22 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Moving your Dog and Cat Cross Country to Northwest Houston!
- 04/17/08 07:21 AM
Moving your Pets Cross Country to Northwest Houston! We have made two cross country moves with pets and it is an interesting experience. We moved a dog named Rusty and a cat named Rosy from Colorado to North Carolina and then from North Carolina to Texas. There are certain things that you can do to help your pet have a smooth transition to your new location. Both Rusty and Rosy have passed on since that time but they died from old age with us. I have included their pictures in this post. One of the first things you will want to do is to … (26 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Living in an HOA in Harris or Montgomery Counties!!
- 03/16/08 04:04 AM
On a regular basis I have people asking me to find them a home that is not in a homeowner's association (HOA). Usually this is someone moving here from another state and usually the area that they are moving from has zoning in affect. I am going to tell you why I think you need to live in a HOA with deed restrictions. I have lived in three different states besides Texas. I have lived in Kansas, Colorado and North Carolina. In all of those states I did not live in subdivision's that had HOA's. It was not a big deal because all three of the areas … (23 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Pre-qualification vs. Pre-approval in today's changing mortgage market!
- 03/05/08 12:57 AM
Pre-qualification vs. Pre-approval in today's changing mortgage market! I have written about pre-approval vs. pre-qualification before but with the current state of the mortgage industry I decided to write about it again. The rules have changed in the mortgage industry. The days of a real estate transaction being dependent upon the creativity of a loose lender are finished. Down payments are back again and FHA loans have had a resurgence in popularity. With all of this in mind getting yourself pre-approved or at the least pre-qualified before you ever start looking is more important than ever. One of the most common reasons … (14 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: What is a Texas Title Committment?
- 03/01/08 03:14 PM
I have lived both in states that close homes at attorneys offices and in states that close homes at Title Companies. In Texas we close at Title companies and if you are getting a loan you will probably be required by your lender to have a title policy. If you are paying cash you can choose whether to get a policy or not. In my opinion you are taking a big risk that could come back to bite you later on by not acquiring a title policy but that will be your choice. I have heard nightmare stories about people who have not bought … (13 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Property Taxes in Texas - they are high but the good news is no state income tax!
- 02/27/08 11:12 AM
When people move to the Houston area from other states they are often surprised by our high property taxes. We were in that group when we moved here 11 years ago. What we found however is that Texas is one of seven states without an individual or corporate income tax. Most states derive about 40% of their revenue from income taxes, a third from sales tax and the rest from taxes on items such as business licenses and gasoline. Since Texas doesn't have a state income tax they have a fairly high sales tax (in our area 7 to 8%) and high property taxes but that is offset by no state income … (17 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: No deed restrictions and no HOA in Spring TX!!
- 07/02/07 06:37 AM
I often get request asking to be set up for home searches for subdivisions that do not have homeowner's associations. Since we don't have zoning in the Houston area when there are also no deed restrictions you get a little bit of everything. I decided to take some pictures in a subdivision here in Spring that is unrestricted. These pictures were taken in Mossy Oaks and are in the order that I saw the homes. This is a small subdivision and does not have a big turnover. There is only one home presently on the market and the asking price … (7 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Property Taxes in Northwest Harris and Southeast Montgomery Counties
- 04/04/07 02:44 PM
Property Taxes in Northwest Harris and Southeast Montgomery Counties When people move to the Houston area from other states they are often surprised by our high taxes. Texas is one of five states without an individual or corporate income tax. Most states derive about 40% of their revenue from income taxes, a third from sales tax and the rest from taxes on items such as business licenses and gasoline. Because of this Texas has a fairly high sales tax and significantly higher property taxes. In Northwest Harris and Southeast Montgomery Counties there are basically three different property taxing authorities. There is a … (2 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: Pre-approval vs. pre-qualification
- 03/14/07 10:28 AM
One of the most common reasons for a real estate transaction to break down before closing is due to the loan not being approved. The buyer thinks that they are approved but the problem is the lender often issues pre-qualification and pre-approval letters based on limited information. The lender pre-qualifies them on nothing more than what the client tells them their income is. In addition they often don't run a credit report before issuing a pre-qualification letter. If you think you are pre-approved but have not provided the lender with income and asset documentation you are not approved. A true approval, … (3 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: What is a Municipal Utility District (MUD)
- 02/08/07 03:00 PM
When we moved to Texas 10 years ago from another state we had never heard of a MUD district. If you live in Texas, especially the Houston area long it doesn't take long to get acquainted with municipal utility districts. A Municipal Utility District (MUD) is a political entity created under Texas State law, specifically, Chapter 54 of the Texas Water Code. Since most of our subdivisions in Northwest Harris County and Southeast Montgomery County are in an unincorporated part of the county we typically get our water through MUD districts. A MUD is similar to a small town however the MUD … (5 comments)
relocating to spring tomball magnolia: What is a Title Committment?
- 01/27/07 02:33 PM
What is a Title Committment?Title insurance provides protection against title defects that were unknown to you at the time you purchased the policy. Before writing a policy, a title company will check for defects in your title by examining public records, including deed, mortgages, wills, divorces, court judgements, tax records, liens, and encumbrances. The company will then defend in court any claims to the property that are covered by your policy, subject to certain limitations. If the company loses, it will pay you for covered losses up the the amount of your policy. In Texas, the two most common types of title policies … (1 comments)
One thing you will want to consider when you are buying or building a country home in either Harris County or Montgomery County is where you are going to get your water and how your septic will be handled. For the most part our country subdivisions are on community water and have their own septic systems. There are of course exceptions to this but I show in country subdivisions all the time and this seems to be the norm. Now if you are not in a subdivision then chances are good that you will have to have both septic and a … (20 comments)
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