Want to restore old cars in privacy? Want to put some miles between you and the pavement? Want a lower tax bill? Then come home to 5.34 acres of your own! There is a 40' by 60' metal workshop ready to house your restoration projects. There is plenty of room to spread out, as this land has road frontage on two sides. Check out the stock tank if you like to fish!

Nathan Cook,

Broker Associate, Classic Realty Associates

3600 HWY 6 South, STE 100 College Station, TX 77845

(979) 324-8844 Direct Line www.nathan-cook.com

 

When I visited with my friends after listing their home last August, I advised them that their sale might be a long and difficult one because of the age of their single wide mobile home. It was built in 1977. Looking around, I could see that many loving touches had been added over the 30 years they had been there together. They had even hired a contractor to put a 20' by 30' addition on their home. (*Street name changed for Privacy).

Their lot was park-like and beautiful–their emerald encompassed one and a half acres of lovely, country property. It gently sloped in an attractive manner. The green carpet stretched towards the boundaries, wistfully calling you back to those cool-grass-on-the-bare-feet moments of childhood.

Our correspondence at times was like the blizzard on the north forty, then other times like a hunter waiting all day in the blind... As the months of summer gave way to autumn, and those months morphed into winter and spring, there were times of discouragement for my seller friends.

Through it, though, was their strong faith that God would bring the right buyer in the right time. The listing period gracefully expired and that day found me leaving their home, with another extension to the listing. They had purchased an appraisal at my recommendation in July of last year before our August listing date. As the months rolled along, we made those necessary price adjustments, finally lowering it to match the appraised price from that July appraisal.

Then came the day for which we had long worked, prayed and waited. My seller called me, this time, stating that he had shown the property several times to this buyer and her extended family AND that she wanted to make an offer. He said that she had found the property online through the ad I had placed on Craig’s list–the amazing thing was that she lived on the main road not three miles away from Pine Ridge, but had never seen my sign!

We arranged to meet at my office to write the offer. It was like a family reunion, because the buyers actually knew my uncle (who lives locally) when he was in highschool those many years ago. My seller friends came to my office for the meeting, because they had already negotiated most of the terms and we were just formalizing it on paper.

Inspections created an interesting situation, but we were able to negotiate a settlement suitable to both parties. The buyer’s first loan would have been 10.44% through a credit union who did not require much paperwork. While we were visiting, the buyer said that she almost forgot...she had a rich friend who might be willing to loan her the money.

He was willing...so willing, fact, that he sent her a cashier’s check for the total amount that she requested. The title company drew up the papers for us and we closed on June 10, 2008–three hundred and ten days after listing the property. We saw the hand of God through the process, including when the seller himself found a provision of Texas State law which nullifies old Deeds of Trusts which have been paid off for more than four years (even those a Release was not recorded).  

There was much rejoicing during those final moments of the closing process. I reminded my seller friend what he had told me years ago... “You know, you promised me your listing while standing on my front porch at home some years ago.” He said, “Yes, I did. I kept my word.”

Today, June 18, 2008, is a special day in the lives of my friends. They closed on their new home in East Texas at 10:30 this morning. It is only a half mile from her sister’s house in the same subdivision. They are now living their dream of being in the Piney Woods of Texas.

I am grateful that God did the impossible and brought a “cash” buyer for an otherwise “unsaleable” listing. Yes, it took much time and effort and prayer, but it was worth all that energy to be able to write “SOLD” across that file. My brother a Realtor here at Classic Realty, gave me much assistance as the co-listing agent.  Similar to the Miracle at Dunkirk (on a much smaller scale), this was the...

 

....Miracle on Pine Ridge!

 

~Nathan

 

Nathan Cook, Realtor,

Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate

3600 HWY 6 South, STE 100

College Station, TX 77845

info@nathan-cook.com

979-324-8844 cell

Several weeks ago, during a routine home inspection of a new home in Bryan, Texas, the inspector told my first time home buyer client that the left side of the soffit did not have vent holes, like were present on the right hand side.  It became an issue of concern to my buyer...why were the vents missing from the solid, Hardi plank soffit?

One of the builder’s architect  is a friend of mine, so I sent him a message asking about the missing ventilation holes.  He sent me the following reply, “I'm glad you have a prospect for our house! The houses in [that subdivision] are not vented on the zero-lot-line side because of the building code. It has to be a one-hour fire-rated wall since it's on the lot line. That's why we can't have openings in the soffit.”

(Zero-Lot-Line lots are like they sound.  The developer obtains permission from the City of Bryan to build a house right on the property line–typically the overhang drip line is right at  the property. This is much less than the normal set-back requirement. The benefit to home buyers is that they will have less yard to maintain). 

This explanation satisfied my client, so we moved one step closer to closing.  My client is excited to be able to purchase the first home, which is also a brand new home. I saw the growing excitement of moving towards closing when we did the walk through.  Congratulations are in order!

Among other types of home buyers, I enjoy working with first time buyers in Bryan and College Station, Texas.  It is a pleasure to help them find that first home, to see the excitement in their eyes during the walk-through and then join them at the closing table.

~Nathan Cook, Realtor®
Broker Associate


Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate
3600 HWY 6 South, STE 100
College Station, TX 77845
979-324-8844 cell

As of late December 2007, we are blessed to now refer property management and leasing  requests in-house. Realtor® Mary Derkowski, with many years of local experience in the Bryan/College Station Real Estate Market since 1983, has  joined our firm as the Property Manager.  She brought with her the hundreds of  properties she currently manages.

Investors, homeowners, and multi-family property owners (current or prospective)  are among those who can benefit from her years of experience as a property manager.  She will do a good job for you when you, or someone you know, is in the market for a property manager.

If you are thinking about entering into the real estate investment arena in College Station, you may want to know about another benefit Mary offers.  “She handles all owner communications, budgeting, and preparing pro forma/ budgets for existing and future property owners. She will work with [you] to project anticipated rental rate and determine operating costs on properties [you have] under consideration to purchase.”  (Internal Memo).

She also takes care of maintenance requests, freeing owners from the day to day hassles of owning investment properties.    Her qualified repair men take care of the issues for your tenants (subject to the management agreement).  She deals with clients, tenants, and others in a professional, upbeat manner.  We are glad to have her and her staff on board with our firm. Please let me know if you are interested, and I can refer you to her.

~Nathan Cook

Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate

A Full Service Real Estate Company  offering

Premier Service 

Welcome Parents!  We're glad that you made the effort to come to the place which we call home -- Aggieland in the Brazos Valley.  College Station welcomes you and so do we at Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate, your source for Aggie Student Homes!

 

As you may know, Parents' Weekend in Aggieland is a fun time where, "the students to express their gratitude to those whom have impacted their lives. This is done through a number of events that show the parents of Texas A&M the essence of the Aggie Family."   Source : http://parentsweekend.tamu.edu

 

Here are some important times you may want to note.

"Parents' Weekend 2008 takes place on the weekend of April 11-13, 2008" in College Station Texas for Parents of Texas Aggies

 

"Important Times and Dates

• Midnight Yell: April 11, Midnight, Kyle Field
• MSC Variety Show: April 11, 7:30 pm, Rudder Auditorium
• Bevo Burn BBQ: April 12, 11 am-2 pm, Duncan Field
• Live Auction & Singing Cadets Concert: April 12, 7:30 pm, Rudder Auditorium
• Aggie Moms' Boutique: April 11, 10 am- 4:30 pm, Reed Arena & April 12, 9 am- 5 pm, Reed Arena
• All University Awards Ceremony: April 13, 9:30 am, Rudder Auditorium"

 Source:  http://parentsweekend.tamu.edu/?q=node/2

 

Our office is located at: 

Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate 

3600 HWY 6 South, STE 100 

College Station, TX  77845

Phone 979-324-8844 cell

 

Feel free to give us a call or just come on in!   Enjoy your stay!

"Y'all  come  again, you hear? "

~Nathan Cook, Realtor

 

 

 

 

Today’s Home Buyers in College Station, Texas, who are perusing the real estate and homes for sale, can expect to find a diverse offering. There are many great homes on the market at this time. The current inventory ranges from one bedroom one bathroom condos to luxury homes in south College Station, with list prices in excess of 1.2 million dollars.  Whether you are looking for an economical first time home, a time-saving condo or townhome, upscale housing, or luxury living, there is a choice for you. 

In our market, prepare to find single family starter homes in the $100k plus range. At the moment, there are seven homes for less than $100,000.00.  This does not count the sixteen condos and 6 town homes in a similar price range.  There are more options for those whose budget allows for a higher monthly payment.

Overall, you can expect to pay in the $80.00 to $120.00+ per square foot range for housing in College Station, Texas, depending on what and where you buy.

 We are proud to be the Home of Texas A&M University.  Driving down University Drive in College Station, you can see that many different nationalities are represented here.  As a Realtor, I am glad to be of service to Texans, Americans, and folks from all over the world. 

What is the current state of real estate in College Station?  Now is a great time to buy a home if you are considering to purchase.  Some houses are still on the market from last year, so home sellers may be interested in making a deal.  Reminds me of what one of my clients authorized me to say, “Please present all offers!” 

If you are new to College Station, here’s a warm “Howdy!” to you!   Welcome to Aggieland!

Nathan Cook, Realtor


For all of your City of College Station Real Estate Needs contact  Nathan Cook, Realtor, Classic GMAC Real Estate in College Station, TX. 
 
Serving College Station Real Estate Home buyers and home sellers.

The words were music to our ears, “Yes, we still have some money we can use for them, since they contacted me earlier.” This is what Mary Lou said while speaking with her on behalf of my clients recently.  She was favorable towards working with them since they were within the guidelines for the program.

Here is what the City says about this beneficial program, “The City of Bryan Community Development may provide eligible persons up to $7500 in funds for down payment and closing cost assistance for eligible home ...”               (City of Bryan Home Buyer Assistance).

The cool thing is that this is a forgivable debt, the longer you stay, the less you repay.  This allows those who fit within the income range to be able to purchase a home sooner than they otherwise might be able to purchase.

My first time home buying clients are looking forward to moving into their new home, to transition from renting to owning, from mowing a landlord’s yard to mowing their own yard.  

Isn’t this  part of the American dream?

For help with your City of Bryan Homebuyer Assistance program needs, please contact Nathan Cook at 979-324-8844.

To continue the saga, my Russian e-mail correspondent’s next question was whether or not he could buy real property while holding an H1-b Visa (employer sponsored visa).  With the fair housing laws playing in my mind, I checked with legal counsel for confirmation.  The official answer is yes, an H1-b Visa will certainly work for identification (for that matter, so would a visitor’s visa).  Therefore, as long as he qualifies, that Russian may purchase real estate here in College Station. 

He will be glad to know....Moscow is nine hours ahead of us, so he may get the response today, or he could wake up and read it tomorrow before tomorrow’s sun dawns on our Nation.  Wonder how it would be to travel to another country to make a living...?   Of his choice of countries, America, the Land of Opportunity is the BEST choice!

Am grateful to be an American, which is “One Nation Under God”,

-Nathan Cook, Realtor

Russian investors:  for your real estate needs in College Station, Texas, visit College Station properties.

Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate 

The e-mail notifying me that he signed my guest book arrived on Monday.  He had visited my website some hours earlier.  In responding to his e-mail, it was apparent that the location was unusual.  It said “...@mail.ru.”  A quick Google search reveal that ".ru" is Russian internet provider.

A reason that “Russia” caught my attention, is that I sold a home to a first time home buyer from Russia, who had a charming accent.  In the e-mail response back to him, I casually asked if he were using a Russian provider.  He responded back that he would like to know “more of his countrymen.”  Am finding out that he is not in the United States...!

Am in the process of corresponding with him.  We will see what he wants to do about purchasing real estate for sale in College Station Texas.  One question he had was if property owners have to hold United States citizenship.  From our real estate principles class, we remember we cannot discriminate on the basis of national origin...etc. 

We will see what he does in the process.  In the meantime, it is nice to know that College Station, which is home to the Fightin’ Texas Aggies (Texas A&M University), is attracting international attention. 

 -Nathan Cook

Serving investors in College Station, Texas.  For more information on the College Station market, click here! 

 

 

When home buying clients in Bryan / College Station, Texas ask me whether or not they should get a new survey, I give them their options. They can utilize the seller’s old survey, typically saving $460.00 plus tax, or they can get a new one. 

THE  PRO’s:   for reusing the old survey.  It saves time–sometimes surveyors are backed up about a week or more here in Bryan, Texas, and it saves money–these days, $460.00 will fill the gas tank about nine times, right?

THE CON’s: If the seller’s surveyor made a mistake, there is very little recourse for the buyers since they did not hire that surveyor. 

They can choose to utilize a seller’s old survey (inheriting any and all potential mistakes on it) or they can obtain a new survey through a local, reputable surveyor.  The choice is up to them. 

If they decide to buy a new one, I schedule the work for them.  If they opt to reuse the old one, I ask them to sign a waiver for the file. 

Yes, the survey decision,  whether old or new, is just a tiny detail, but remember the poem...?

“For want of a nail, a shoe was lost,”
“For want of a shoe, a horse was lost,”
“For want of a horse, a battle was lost,”
“For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost,”
“And all for want of a horseshoe nail.”

Nathan Cook, REALTOR®

Serving home buyers and home sellers in Bryan/College Station, Texas through Classic Realty/GMAC Real Estate