Nelia 's Blog

East Houston Income Property for Sale

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:52:15 -0700

THIS HOME IS A 4 BEDROOMS, 2 BATH, 2 CAR GARAGE LOCATED NEAR I-10 EAST. YEAR BUILD 1968, SF 1800.

See all houston bank foreclosures and houston hud homes

Contact Nelia Valdez- Real Estate Agent, VP
Signature Real Estate
713-952-3200

Asking Price	$92,250.00
Aprox. Value	$114,500.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	$1,200.00
Expenses
Mortgage (10% Down Payment @ 7%)	$552.20
Taxes ($2939.00)	$244.91
Insurance ($960)	$80.00
Homeowner Association ($200)	$16.60
Total	$893.71
Monthly Cash Flow	$306.29
Annual Cash Flow	$3,675.48
Cash Investment	$9,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	40.84%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	$22,250.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	$28,625.00
Total Rental Income	$18,377.40
Loan Repayment	$4,871.00
Total Return	$74,123.40

CY-FAIR INCOME PROPERTY HOME FOR SALE

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:57:34 -0700

THIS HOME IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF HOUSTON, IN THE CY-FAIR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUILD YEAR: 2003, 1668 SF, 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS, 2 CAR GARAGE.

See all houston bank foreclosures and houston hud homes

Contact Nelia Valdez- Real Estate VP
Signature Real Estate
713-952-3200

*All Property Values are estimates and must be independently verified

Asking Price	$79,900.00
Aprox. Value	$99,900.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	$1,050.00
Expenses
Mortgage (10% Down Payment @ 7%)	$479.00
Taxes ($3237.00)	$275.00
Insurance ($1200.00)	$100.00
HOA (n/a)	$0.00
Total	$854.00
Monthly Cash Flow	$196.00
Annual Cash Flow	$2,352.00
Cash Investment	$7,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	33.60%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	$20,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	$24,975.00
Total Rental Income	$11,760.00
Loan Repayment	$3,522.00
Total Return	$60,257.00

League City Income Property for Sale.

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:46:34 -0700

This is a beautiful home located in the county of Galveston, city of Leage City, closed to FM 518 and in the school district of Clear Lake making this home a great income property and a fabulous investment for the long term minded.

Asking Price	$100,000.00
Aprox. Value	$120,000.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	$1,200.00
Expenses
Mortgage (10% @ 7%)	$598.00
Taxes ($3237.00)	$269.27
Insurance ($1295.00)	$108.00
HOA ($150.00)	$12.50
Total	$987.77
Monthly Cash Flow	$212.23
Annual Cash Flow	$2,546.76
Cash Investment	$10,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	25.47%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	$20,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	$30,000.00
Total Rental Income	$12,733.80
Loan Repayment	$3,522.00
Total Return	$66,255.80

GALVESTON RENTAL INCOME PROPERTY FOR SALE

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:02:12 -0700

THIS IS A SINGLE FAMILY CONSIST OF 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHROOMS AND 2 ATTACH CAR GARAGE; LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF GALVESTON, TEXAS CITY NEAR I-45 AND 1746; YEAR BUILT 2005, SF 1350.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL ME @ 713-480-1939

Asking Price	100,000.00
Aprox. Value	124,000.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	1,275.00
Expenses
Mortgage ($60,000 with a 7.00% interest)	598.77
Taxes ($3028.00)	340.00
Insurance ($1080.00)	90.00
HOA ($372.00)	10.50
Total	1,039.27
Monthly Cash Flow	235.73
Annual Cash Flow	2,828.76
Cash Investment	10,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	28.29%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	24,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	31,000.00
Total Rental Income	14,143.80
Loan Repayment	5,282.00
Total Return	74,425.80

SPRING INCOME PROPERTY FOR SALE

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:44:49 -0700

THIS IS A 4 BEDROOM, 2 FULL BATHROOMS, 2 CAR GARAGE IN THE NORTH SIDE OF HOUSTON.

Asking Price	65,000.00
Aprox. Value	90,700.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	950.00
Expenses
Mortgage ($60,000 with a 7.00% interest)	399.00
Taxes ($3028.00)	252.33
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($372.00)	31.00
Total	740.33
Monthly Cash Flow	209.67
Annual Cash Flow	2,516.04
Cash Investment	5,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	50.32%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	25,700.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	22,675.00
Total Rental Income	12,580.20
Loan Repayment	3,522.00
Total Return	64,477.20

TOMBALL INCOME PROPERTY FOR SALE

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:43:58 -0700

THIS IS A 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH, 2 CAR GARAGE, BUILD 2002, SF 1623

Asking Price	100,000.00
Aprox. Value	120,000.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	1,200.00
Expenses
Mortgage ($90,000 with a 7.00% interest)	598.00
Taxes ($3445.00)	287.00
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($250.00)	21.00
Total	964.00
Monthly Cash Flow	236.00
Annual Cash Flow	2,832.00
Cash Investment	10,000.00
Annual Return on Investment	28.32%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	20,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	30,000.00
Total Rental Income	14,160.00
Loan Repayment	5,075.00
Total Return	69,235.00

Houston / Cy-Fair Income Property For Sale.

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:25:28 -0700

3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 2 Car Garage. Year Built: 1983, SF 1510

Asking Price	84,208.00
Aprox. Value	100,000.00
Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed
Income
Monthly Rent	1,100.00
Expenses
Mortgage ($76,000 with a 7.00% interest)	505.63
Taxes ($2956.00)	246.33
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($250.00)	20.83
Total	830.79
Monthly Cash Flow	269.21
Annual Cash Flow	3,230.52
Cash Investment	8,400.00
Annual Return on Investment	38.46%
5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	16,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	25,000.00
Total Rental Income	16,152.60
Loan Repayment	4,460.00
Total Return	61,612.60

FRESNO INCOME PROPERY FOR SALE

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:43:06 -0700

Asking Price	98,000.00
Aprox. Value	125,000.00

Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed

Income
Monthly Rent	1,250.00

Expenses
Mortgage ($88,200 with a 7.00% interest)	586.80
Taxes ($4153.00)	346.08
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($360.00)	30.00
Total	1,020.88

Monthly Cash Flow	229.12
Annual Cash Flow	2,749.44
Cash Investment	9,800.00
Annual Return on Investment	28.06%

5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	25,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	31,250.00
Total Rental Income	13,740.00
Loan Repayment	5,075.00
Total Return	75,065.00

Missouri City Income Property for Sale

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:24:11 -0700

Asking Price	95,000.00
Aprox. Value	117,000.00

Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed

Income
Monthly Rent	1,200.00

Expenses
Mortgage ($76,000 with a 7.00% interest)	568.83
Taxes ($2854.00)	238.66
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($150.00)	12.50
Total	877.99

Monthly Cash Flow	322.01
Annual Cash Flow	3,864.12
Cash Investment	9,500.00
Annual Return on Investment	40.67%

5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	22,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	29,250.00
Total Rental Income	19,320.00
Loan Repayment	4,581.00
Total Return	75,151.00

Atascocita Rental Investment Home for Sale

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:59:44 -0700

Asking Price	85,000.00
Aprox. Value	105,000.00

Investment Scenario 1: 10% Down 30-Year Fixed

Income
Monthly Rent	1,100.00

Expenses
Mortgage ($76,000 with a 7.00% interest)	508.00
Taxes ($2743.00)	228.00
Insurance ($700.00)	58.00
HOA ($195.00)	16.25
Total	810.25

Monthly Cash Flow	289.75
Annual Cash Flow	3,477.00
Cash Investment	8,500.00
Annual Return on Investment	40.91%

5 Year Outlook
Locked in Equity at Purchase	20,000.00
Appreciation (5% a year)	26,250.00
Total Rental Income	15,780.00
Loan Repayment	4,490.00
Total Return	66,520.00

Buscando casa???

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:35:04 -0700

Hace unos meces atras me di cuenta que en bienes raices no hay ninguna forma completamente en espanol para las personas que hablan solo ese idioma. Tengo muchos clientes hispanos que necesitan ayuda en comprar casa, el proceso de compra y el prestamo es muy complicado y nadie se toma el tiempo de explicar la manera "inteligente" de comprar casa. Siendo de origen Hispano y trabajando con muchos clientes hispanos deveriamos de tomarnos el tiempo de explicar mejor las formas, contratos, inspecciones y demas que el cliente necesita, no solucionar todo con un "no te preocupes yo me encargo" Entre mas educacion tenga el cliente mejor trabajo podemos hacer nosotros.

En esta plataforma donde todos nosotros ponemos un grano de arena y expresamos lo que sabemos y las situaciones que se nos presentan. Hoy quiero saludar a todos los agentes que se tomaron el tiempo de ir un poco mas de lo necesario para que una venta sea realizada. En comprar y vender casas a gente que no habla ingles o simplemente no entiende el proceso. Educacion es la clave del exito. Y con mucho orgullo yo puedo decir que Hablamos Tu Idioma!!

Hola Estados Unidos - Real Estate Implications of immigration reform

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:11:27 -0700

Today I wanted to provide some insight into the real estate implications of one of the hot button issues in the upcoming presidential election: Immigration Reform! For a moment let's suppose that this is not just a political game that might not materialize into much and pretend that the proposed legislation got passed into law. What would be the implications in our specific field and most importantly what must individuals affected by this issue do to position themselves and take advantage of the new opportunities? Obviously, I can't stress enough how big this could be not just for our field but for the economy as a whole. We are talking about (roughly) 12 million people attaining legal status and being able to purchase homes with similar terms as the rest of us. Now, it wouldn't be fair to say that all this contingent of people are currently renting, but the fact is, even the ones that actually own a home now were only able to do so either by getting a super high interest rate on loans provided by certain banks or through owner financing with similar terms. Wouldn't it be safe to say that many of the legalized individuals with these loans would either want to refinance or play the field a little more into the options that would be newly available to them? Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that if this measure were to pass, it would give such a positive shock to the real estate business throughout the country like no other before. But are we as real estate professionals ready to serve the needs of such a demand? Do you encourage the fact of being bilingual in all of your staff and not limit yourself to clerical positions? Because this wave of prospective clients will want a real estate professional they can truly communicate with not just to be translated to. I would even go out on a limb and suggest that if this measure were to pass its effects would be enough to end the housing slump and send our industry into the green again.

Flipping more than houses

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:52:54 -0700

Maybe this is obvious to everyone else, but I recently realized that most business is a flip - whether on a small or large scale - but a flip nevertheless. Think about this for a second. A few weeks ago, Chrysler was bought out by a private equity firm, that is going to take the company private. What do you think is their plan? They buy low, fix the management, show a profit and sell high. That my friends is a flip! A multi billion dollar one at that...

I wonder if one of these days, A&E will feature their brand new show "Flip that Automaker" where a couple of jerks from San Antonio, also known as the "fastest growing" company in Texas, flip Hunday...

I must digress a little from the flow of this post, as I wanted to tell you about this great article I read in a blog yesterday, about Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, the Hall of Fame NBA Player having made more money in real estate investment in 10 years than he did in his 17 yrs in the NBA.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, most business is a flip and the rest is facilitators (brokers and agents of some kind)

Help Needed: E & O Insurance

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:42:20 -0700

Recently, we have been looking around for Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance and we must have been talking to the wrong insurance agents because I get the very distinct feeling that they don't really know how to underwrite it correctly. The consensus seems to be that you need to find the right insurance agent that knows this field but so far it has been filling out endless online forms without ever getting a response back.

If anybody knows of an agent that can underwrite E&O correctly that you can recommend, please help. I'm sure many "newbies" here might be looking for the same thing.

Our company is located in Texas. I don't know if that makes a difference but I wanted to throw it out there.

30 Year of 15 Year Mortgage? That is the question

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Sat, 12 May 2007 14:50:13 -0700

This is a question that comes up quite often in the home buying process. Doesn't it make more sense to get a 15 year mortgage since the interest cost over time is reduced significantly?

My answer in most cases is no. Not because I favor debt because I certainly don't. The problem is when you get a 30 year home loan (vs. a 15 year one), you have the right but not the obligation to pay more on your mortgage. More specifically, if you get a 30 year mortgage, you can always pay more than your monthly payment, or even match the 15 year payment. But the trick is, under that mortgage, you are only obligated to pay the lower payment as ammortized over 30 years. On the other hand, if you get the 15 year loan, your payment will be higher and you will have no choice but to pay that high amount every month of the loan.

Why does all that matter? Well, it matters if one month you run into car trouble and unforeseen expenses arise and you cannot make the 15 year payment. If you had chosen a 15 year mortgage, you may have to make a late payment which would hurt your credit standing. Don't forget that when you borrow money in a mortgage your interest rate is low and favorable. If you have a mortgage (on which you're paying 6% interest) and credit card consumer debt (on which you are paying 20%) wouldn't it make more sense from a financial standpoint to pay off the higher interest debt first?

If you are going to take a mortgage on a home, take a 30 year loan and still reserve the right to pay more without the obligation to do so.

Buying Right: Real Estate as a Savings Account

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:11:44 -0700

I know by now you might be a little perplexed by the title but do not worry as it will all be clear in the end. First, let's start by a quick question: Let's say that your bank representative called you one day and told you that if you opened a savings account in the bank today, they would put $20,000 in it with the stipulation that you couldn't touch it for 2-5 years. Would you take that deal? In a heartbeat, right?

Well, buying a home right is in a way the same proposition as the pretend example above. "Right" being the absolute operative word in that sentence. "Buying right" simply means buying a property below its true market value. Some of the reasons why a property may be below market value is as a result of a distress situation such as divorce or pending foreclosure. Other reasons may be the need for repairs or imminent job transfer. In other words, any time the seller of the home (be that an individual or an institution like a bank or HUD) must liquidate the home quick and will take a lesser price than the true market value of the property it is a good opportunity to buy a property right.

What happens when you do buy a property right and what does that have to do with savings accounts? Take the following example for instance: If you purchase a property that is worth $200,000 for $180,000, you are in effect realizing an equity gain of $20,000. Put simply, you just made $20,000 with the stipulation that you cannot touch it until you sell the home later. In that context, this home that you just bought is serving as a locked savings account the money in which you earned by simply making a smart purchase decision. In addition to the instant equity, you also gain the benefits of home value appreciation for every year you own the home. Most importantly, if you stay in the home as your primary residence for two years or more, you can avoid paying taxes on up to $500,000 of profit depending on your marital status. How about that: Instant Equity, Value Appreciation and No Taxes! Sounds pretty good to me

Too much real estate bubble talk

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:06:50 -0700

These days, you don't have to flip through too many national TV channels to hear something being said about the impending real estate bubble and its effects on property buyers and sellers. Usually the report will start quoting some report of the National Association of Realtors where the average national median home price has fallen by 4% or some number on the new home sales not being as crisp as last year. I certainly do not wish to take away from the validity of those reports as those figures are quite accurate. However, I do warn against making a local decision (i.e. buying or selling your home) based on national numbers. Let me explain. The home sales numbers being tracked and used by the TV stations are average national figures. That means, home sales in California, Arizona and Florida are being mixed with home sales in say Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to calculate a national average and then compared with the same average the previous year. This method, while being quite valid to predict the entire housing market as a whole for investment purposes, is not as valid in predicting the local housing market and how it affects you individually. More specifically speaking, real estate prices in previously "hot" markets such as California and Florida are experiencing a significant drop which makes perfect sense considering the rampant property appreciation rate experienced in those states in the past 3-4 years. Whereas, states like Texas, never experienced the bubble itself so as a result, they are not expected to see a drastic correction in prices. From personal experience in Houston, my property inventory has been moving at about the same pace as last year and though I have been able to feel a slight slowdown, it certainly does not match the talk of impending doom you hear on TV. More importantly, buyers are being told that it is better for them to stay on the sidelines and sellers to keep the house out of the market for a while. The problem with that advice is that since the mortgage rates are still quite low, buyers listening to this advice may be missing out on a good buying opportunity. Also, major homebuilders are more affected by the national figures, and this could present a golden buying opportunity in the new homes section. By the same token, sellers might not have to modify their life plans as their property in certain states like Texas, would sell at the same pace as pretty much any other time. My advice is to take the news hype for what it is and never make a local decision based on national numbers.

Do not buy too much homeowners insurance

Nelia Valdez (Signature Real Estate) — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:05:12 -0700

If you are financing your home with a mortgage loan, your lender will require that you carry homeowners insurance. The problem is that the insurance is one of the last steps in the closing process and it is usually purchased when things are quite hectic. For this reason it is no wonder that many home buyers over insure their homes which causes them to overpay on the premium. How does this happen? The insurance company can use one of several methods for determining what the insured value of your home should be. Two of the most common ones are replacement cost and mortgage amount. The replacement cost method of determining your home's value takes in consideration how much would it cost to rebuild your home from scratch using today's prices. As you can imagine, the replacement cost method usually comes up with a higher value for the home and therefore will cost you more to insure it. The mortgage amount method only insures the home for what your are borrowing from your lender. Your lender requires insurance up to the balance of the loan they are lending you. For your peace of mind, you can insure your home for the entire purchase price in order to cover your down payment. But to over insure your home only makes sense for the insurance company.