EVALUATING LISTINGS IN A TOUGH MARKET - 11/21/08 10:35 PM
Here is a great article posted by one of my favorite coaches Brett Noel here on Active Rain.
Via Brett Noel, California's Success Coach Author / Motivational Speaker / Broker:
EVALUATING LISTINGS IN A TOUGH MARKET
 
We have all been hearing that listing inventories are at all-time highs in many markets.  This is especially true in areas where there has been a high level of new home construction.  Overall, some MLS systems are reporting inventories of resale properties to be more than ten times what they were three years ago.  Many agents are walking away from listing opportunities simply because they have judged … (0 comments)

Bond vote approves Sugar Land cultural and entertainment district - 11/21/08 10:06 PM

During the Nov. 4 election, Sugar Land voters approved propositions allowing the city to use existing sales-tax revenues and establish venue taxes to fund development of a sports stadium and live entertainment venue. Sugar Land officials are now seeking private partners to make the city's proposed Cultural and Entertainment District a reality.
Sugar Land officials envision a sports stadium being a minor league baseball park. An affiliated minor league team would require a partnership with the Houston Astros.
The city has been working with AEG, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment presentation firm, to conduct market feasibility studies for the indoor concert venue and … (0 comments)

Tax Breaks in The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - 11/21/08 09:43 PM

Included in the $700 Billion Bailout package are some new tax breaks, and many of the tax breaks set to expire in 2008 are being extended in this bill.
New tax breaks for disaster victims in presidentially declared disaster areas in the Midwest that were hit by major floods, storms and tornadoes in 2008. Disaster victims whose primary residence was damaged between May 20, 2008, and Aug. 1, 2008, will be able to withdraw money from IRAs, 401k's, 403b's and other retirement plans without the normal 10% early withdrawal penalty and can spread the tax bill over three years.
New laws … (2 comments)

Cell phone mistaken for a gun shuts down Interstate 20 - 11/20/08 09:33 PM

Traffic on Interstate 20 was shut down for nearly an hour. I-20 was shut down briefly Thursday morning after authorities responded to reports of a motorist holding a gun to his head which turned out to actually be a cell phone.
A driver had noticed a car on the side of Interstate 20 west of Fort Worth and thought the man inside had a gun to his head.  An officer who was sent there also thought the man had a gun. A tactical force of the Parker County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies responded and determined that the man's sport utility … (1 comments)

Farmers Insurance to increase rates by 9.9% - 11/15/08 11:16 PM

Be warned Farmers home insurance policyholders, you may see your rates climb an average 9.9% in February 2009.
The new rates don't account for losses related to Ike, rather Farmers needed the hike to cover rising labor and materials costs. Farmers has not calculated the hurricane damage costs into thier rates, which means there could be another planned increase on the horizon ready to hit your pocketbook like a hurricane.
The company, which sells home insurance through its Texas companies Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Texas Farmers Insurance Co., notified state regulators of the bump in rates earlier this week.
Farmers … (0 comments)

Mosaic now offering leasing option in second tower - 11/11/08 10:57 PM

At the popular and well marketed Mosaic Towers overlooking Herman Park near the Museum District there is a new option for potential residents. Units in the second tower of the Mosaic condominium project will be leased as apartments instead of sold as condos. When the project was announced in January 2006, the first tower was designated as apartments and the second tower as condos. Now it will be the opposite.
Phillips Development & Realty the developer of the twin-tower project at 5925 Almeda, decided to lease units during the current slower sales market, according to a spokesperson. The second tower, which will be … (1 comments)

General Growth Properties facing bankruptcy - 11/11/08 10:35 PM
General Growth Properties which owns 5 shopping malls in the Houston area: Baybrook Mall, Deerbrook Mall, First Colony Mall, The Woodlands Mall and Willowbrook Mall reported in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it faces potential bankruptcy if it's unable to refinance its debt. In addition to its Houston malls and other holdings, General Growth has dozens of other malls and high-end properties throughout the U.S.
The publicly traded company also owns a 50% interest in The Woodlands and was a developer of Bridgeland which are both master-planned communities. The company reported it has about $958 million in debt that is due Dec. 1, with another $3 billion due … (2 comments)

The 9 Worst Credit Mistakes that affect your FICO score - 11/10/08 10:49 PM
I attended an informative mortgage update seminar today provided by Dixie Sanders of Patriot Bank. Here are some great tips and information she provided to us.
Here are the 9 worst credit mistakes that will affect your FICO score in order of severity:
1) Bankruptcy: will appear on your credit report for at least 7 years, and possibly up to 10 years.
2) Judgments: from court cases, settlements, or liens are the second deadliest sins to your credit.
3) Tax Liens: unpaid tax liens will appear on your credit report.
4) Foreclosures: expect it to be difficcult to get another mortgage if you … (5 comments)

Houston STILL one of best real estate investment markets - 11/08/08 05:30 PM

According to a report by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers Houston is one of the nation's Top 10 real estate markets for the first time in more than 10 years due to its ties to the strong energy industry.
Houston is ranked 6th in the nation for real estate investment prospects - was declared a "hot-growth market," according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2009. Market strengths include the Johnson Space Center, the Texas Medical Center, the Port of Houston and trade with Mexico, the report says.
"The population keeps expanding due to the high-octane job engine and reasonable cost … (0 comments)

RealtyTrac reports Texas home foreclosures dropped in September - 11/08/08 05:15 PM
Texas' real estate foreclosure statistics declined for the month of September and for the third quarter. According to a September report from RealtyTrac: a total of 9,193 homes in Texas entered the foreclosure process - a 15.4 percent decline from the volume filings posted in August 2008.
Even more improved news, the September 2008 numbers mark a 37.4 percent decline from the number of filings posted in Texas over the course of September 2007.
Third-quarter results show a total of 27,445 homes in Texas entered the foreclosure process - marking a 5.7 percent decline from the number of postings reported during the second … (0 comments)

To Have No Regrets! - 11/05/08 09:58 PM
Here is a recent post by someone I follow regularly Coach Patti of Active Rain. I learned to adapt to live life without regrets, and overcome my fears. Once we can identlfy our weaknesses we can begin to make ourselves stronger.
Via Coach Patti Kouri:
Recently I asked a group of people over 65, "If you could live your life over, what would you do differently?" There were three answers:
I’d take the time to stop and ask the big questions. I’d be more courageous and take more risks in work and in love. I’d try to live with purpose - to make … (1 comments)

Houston home sales increasing as prices decline - 11/05/08 07:37 PM
A Department of Commerce report reveals that new home sales rose 2.7 percent nationally in September as median home prices dropped to the lowest level in four years.
Sales of new single-family homes for September 2008 were 464,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development figures. For August there were 452,000 homes sold nationally.
Data show homes sales in the United States have been up and down since June, with August sales the lowest of the year. New homes sold in September 2007 were reported at 694,000 which is a 33.1% more than September 2008 sales.
The national median price … (2 comments)

Texas Attorney General proposing a foreclosure act for distressed home owners - 11/04/08 04:49 PM

The Texas Attorney General's office has a new proposal that may double the amount of time a homeowner has to fix a defaulted loan before going into foreclosure. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's proposal would require a lender to give a homeowner 45 days - up from 20 days under the current law - to cure a loan default before the home is put up for sale. If approved by the legislature the act will also give homeowners 30 days to vacate the property following the foreclosure filing.
The AG's office also plans to create a model foreclosure notice for mortgage … (2 comments)

Chase to suspend new foreclosures for 90 days - 11/04/08 04:38 PM

JPMorgan Chase has announced they will suspend upcomming homes from foreclosure for the next 90 days while it implements a plan to help borrowers stay in their homes, the company said. Chase will hire 300 loan counselors and 150 people to review mortgages before they are placed into foreclosure to ensure homeowners were offered modifications first.
The plan will include proactive offers to refinance mortgages to more affordable terms along with a network of 24 regional counseling centers. Chase will offer borrowers with payment option ARMs alternatives such as 30-year, fixed-rate loans with affordable payments, principal deferral and interest-only payments for 10 years. Other … (0 comments)