Morgan Carey, also known as "webmaster" at RealEstateWebmasters.com, blogged today about a very interesting wager between his real estate agent and himself. Basically, he bet that he could sell his home online (at least generate the lead that would) faster than his agent could using traditional real estate marketing methods and the agent's sphere of influence.
"I think I can sell a house (Without any prior real estate sales experience or training) using internet marketing tactics faster than he can sell a house using his traditional methods of advertising." - Morgan Carey
What do you think? I know that SEO can greatly help the relocation market take a look at his home for sale, but do you think that it has the ability to drive enough traffic to his home for sale online to generate the lead that will sell his home?
If anyone can do it, I know that with Morgan's expertise, he could.
I'm always excited to hear when real estate developments are taking advantage of the latest technologies available. The Mosaic at Hermann Park is doing just that. They have decided to adopt and become a "Certified Fiber Optic Development" through Connexion Technologies. Basically fiber optic has unlimited bandwidth, therefore further enhancing the entertainment and communication services we are all growing accustomed to. Can you imagine data being sent at the speed of light?
“Being a Certified Fiber-Optic Development brings Mosaic to a whole new level of excellence,” said Don Phillips, Phillips Development. “Some people have to see excellence to believe it. Now we’ve got the certification to prove it.”
Fiber Optic is better than Cable or DSL. Mind you that most consumers will probably not know what this means, though it does lay an excellent foundation for future technology developments.
The prices at the Mosaic at Hermann park start in the high $200's, but my clients have been seeing tremendous appreciation on their units before they are even complete. I've included some images from the Mosaic here for your viewing pleasure.
Directions
The Mosaic at Hermann Park is located along Highway 288 south of Downtown Houston and Old Spanish Trail. View this Google map to get the exact location, satellite images, and driving directions.
Steve Castaneda, Realtor is a real estate consultant specializing in Houston Real Estate. He is the team leader of the MyHomeHouston team, who works in selling luxury condos in downtown Houston. The team website features a Houston MLS tool that will allow you to see properties currently for sale in the Houston market.
In North Houston you will find a quiet subdivision with a young community filled with a mixture of cozy single garage homes along side of newly constructed 2 car garage homes with a very affordable price entry point.
The Westbourne subdivision in Cypress, Texas is surely a growing neighborhood perfect for families looking for their first home.
Westbourne Real Estate Sales History
We keep track of Westbourne real estate so you don't have to. As you can see, the Westbourne subdivision has been experiences an upward trend in average sales price and the homes sold per year increases by a small margin. The average days on market hovers right around 2 months for Westbourne, with a noticeable increase in average sales price occurring in 2006.
Below, you will find the sold history for Westbourne for recent years.
Steve Castaneda, Realtor, is a real estate consultant specializing in Houston Texas Real Estate. He is the team leader of the MyHomeHouston team; a team focused on providing the latest information and strategies in helping their clients make the most informed and intelligent decisions possible. The MyHomeHouston team site features a Houston MLS tool to currently see properties for sale on the market in Houston.
North of Houston is a booming town that goes by the name of Tomball, TX. This once small town is now homes to many new home communities, shopping, and good old fashioned country living.
Tomball TX real estate is now beginning to really make an impact on the real estate sales in North Houston. The major freeway that extends well past Tomball, known has Highway 249, is now being expanded and actually finished, thus encouraging even more visitors to this quiet community.
Tomball is home to its very own independent school district; appropriately named the Tomball Independent School District (Tomball ISD). With 12 campuses and a 16 student to teacher ratio, your children will get the attention and education they deserve.
Tomball has a wide variety of real estate to offer you and your family. As the community grows, many new builder subdivisions begin to appear across town and older subdivisions steadily increase in value from the new influx of buyers to the area.
Tomball Communities
The subdivisions and new home communities in Tomball range from the low 100's to well into the million dollar range, depending on the location and size of the home you desire. Notable subdivisions and areas in the Tomball area include:
Tomball, Texas is zoned to the Tomball Independent School District. Children attending Tomball ISD are also subject to a higher quality of education as the teacher to student ratio hovers slightly under 16 per student.
Over a quarter of the teachers at Tomball ISD bring between 11-20 years of experience being a teacher. In addition to numerous campuses being rated as "recognized" and "exemplary", your children will be in a district with a graduation rate of over 96.7%, further acknowledging the high stands that Tomball ISD expects from its students.
Tomball Realtor
If you are looking to buy a home the MyHomeHouston team can help you with your new home in Tomball, TX. Of course, using the services of one of our buyer specialists is absolutely free to you; you will not be charged a single dime from us. With such an important decision on your mind, the stress of buying a home can be taken care of by those that do it for a living. We can help you by providing a pricing analysis of your prospective home, and coach you on an offer strategy by negotiating on your behalf.
When it comes to Tomball Real Estate, the MyHomeHouston team is here to answer all of your questions and help you make the most informed, intelligent decision possible.
About the Author
Steven Castaneda, Realtor is a real estate consultant specializing in Houston Texas real estate. He is the team leader of the MyHomeHouston team at Keller Williams Realty, who aim to provide exceptional service and provide expert guidance in each of their client's real estate transactions. You can view homes for sale using their tool for Houston MLS access at MyHomeHouston.com.
Back in December of 2006, Harris county released new flood plain maps. Many properties in the Houston real estate market that weren't in a flood plain were now classified to be in a flood plain, therefor making it mandatory that the homeowners carry flood insurance. When the maps were released, new homeowners in the new flood plain boundaries were allowed 6 months to obtain flood insurance at non-flood plain rates. The current deadline is June 18, 2008.
Here were are in May, 2007, and this deadline is quickly approaching! If your home is located within the new flood plain boundaries, be sure to take advantage of the cheaper flood insurance offered by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Find Out If You Are In A Floodplain
To get the latest maps, be sure to head over to http://maps.tsarp.org/ to see if your property is located in a flood zone. If the map isn't working, be sure to call the Harris County Flood Control District at 713-722-7227.
You will then want to call your insurance provider and ask for flood insurance coverage and make sure your rates are grandfathered from the pre-floodplain rates. Don't worry about shopping around, because the rates are set by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
To learn more about flood plains, be sure to check out my article, Flood Plains Explained.
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Steve Castaneda, Realtor, is team leader of the MyHomeHouston team at Keller Williams Realty. His team focuses on helping their clients make the most informed and intelligent decisions with their real estate transactions and strives to "Exceed Expectations!".
By Michica Guillory, Realtor - The MyHomeHouston Team
All over Houston, people are living out their American dream and buying their own home. And all over Houston, some people are living a nightmare because they bought a new car to put into that new home…before their closing.
So, what’s the big deal? The big deal is a little thing called “debt-to-income ratio.”
What It's All About
This fancy term describes a lender’s simple way of illustrating what percentage of your income is available for a mortgage payment after your other major monthly debt is paid. This “other” debt might include student loans, car loans or even that Sears credit card that mysteriously keeps getting used.
In other words, this ratio tells a lender how much a home buyer can reasonably borrow and pay back. This ratio is determined at the beginning of your home buying process during pre-qualification.
Conventional loans largely have a qualifying ratio of 28/36, and these two numbers represent two different facets of your debt.
The first number represents the maximum portion of your monthly gross income – that is, before taxes – a lender will allow for essential housing expenses, including loan payments, property taxes, home owners’ association fees, private mortgage insurance and hazard insurance.
The second number represents the maximum portion of your monthly gross income that the lender allows for the debts mentioned above plus your recurring debt including auto or student loans, credit card payments and other such debts that may not be paid off quickly.
Let's Run The Numbers
For this example, let’s say a husband and wife earn $81,000 a year. Here’s how a lender might calculate their debt-to-income ratio for a conventional loan with a qualifying ratio of 28/36:
Annual Gross Income = $81,000
Monthly Income = $6,750
$6,750 x 28% = $1890 allowed for housing expense or PITI (principal, interest, taxes & insurance)
$6,750 x 36% = $2,430 allowed for PITI plus recurring debt
Closing First, Car Last
So, if this family’s debt plus housing expenses remains at or below $2,430, then they can be on their way to owning a home.
But if their debt suddenly exceeds this number they may destroy their chances of getting a home loan. So, if this couple buys that Nissan Altima they’ve been eyeing since the end of football season, they can say goodbye to their dream home.
And it happens all the time. Just days before meeting at the closing table, clients purchase everything from cars to refrigerators, from bedroom sets to summer wardrobes, and they forget they’re in the process of buying a home. Dreams are literally lost at the closing table.
Realtors have a saying, “If you buy a car while trying to buy a home, you just may find yourself living in that car.”
When entering into the home buying process it’s important to set priorities, get a Realtor, make a plan and stick to it!
About The Author
Michica Guillory is a buyer specialist with The MyHomeHouston Team, and has been in the Houston real estate industry since 2001. She’s also the winner of a 2006 Real Estate Apprentice Foundation Grant, ranking in the Top Five.
Tucked away in the tall pines of Spring in Northwest Houston, you'll discover a lovely community known for it's unique look, active community, and attention to the preservation of nature's beauty. Gleannloch Farms is a masterplanned community in Spring that includes many amenities residents enjoy each year, including 41 acres of lakes, a 27-hole golf course, hiking and bike trails, and even canoes to enjoy along with catch and release fishing.
Gleannloch Farms even features an equestrian center complete with arenas and paddocks, white tall fences, and majestic trees to provide the reminiscent feel that Gleannloch Farms was known for back in the 1950's.
Did you know that Gleannloch Farms was known for it's Egyptian Arabian horses?
Gleannloch Farms is located within the Klein Independent School District; a district known for it's quality education, clean and well kept campuses, and high marks in education resulting in excellent graduation rates. Your children will attend one of the best districts in Houston; attending exemplary schools with low student to teacher ratios.
If you are looking to purchase a home in Gleannloch Farms, you have quite a bit to choose from. There are six main builders, each offering a different home appeal, including Darling Homes, Village Builders, Ryland Homes, Newmark Homes, David Weekly Homes, and Trendmaker Homes. Prices in Gleannloch Farms starts in the high 100's and exceeds the million dollar mark for over-sized lots and large custom homes.
Gleannloch Farms Real Estate Sales History
We keep track of Gleannloch Farms real estate so you don't have to. Below, you will find the sold history for Gleannloch Farms for recent years. As you can see the average sales price is well into the 200's, and the amount of sales has been increasing steady from year to year.
Note: The accuracy of this information may be affected by the absence of new construction sales history in the HAR listing database.
Gleannloch Farms Realtor
If you are looking to buy a home, the MyHomeHouston team can help you with your new home Gleannloch Farms. Of course, using the services of one of our buyer specialists is absolutely free to you; you will not be charged a single dime from us. With such an important decision on your mind, the stress of buying a home can be taken care of by those that do it for a living. We can help you by providing a pricing analysis of your prospective home, and coach you on an offer strategy by negotiating on your behalf.
When it comes to Gleannloch Farms Real Estate, the MyHomeHouston team is here to answer all of your questions and help you make the most informed, intelligent decision possible. We specialize in helping our clients buy and sell Houston real estate.
About the Author
Steven Castaneda, Realtor is a real estate consultant specializing in Houston Texas real estate. He is the team leader of the MyHomeHouston team at Keller Williams Realty, who aim to provide exceptional service and provide expert guidance in each of their client's real estate transactions. You can view homes for sale using their tool for Houston MLS access at MyHomeHouston.com.
Written by Steve Castaneda, Realtor - The MyHomeHouston Team
Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States. Since Houston is so large, I've comprised the following tips to make sure that your visit to Houston is comfortable and pleasant. If you are looking to visit Houston in the near future, you definitely owe it to yourself to plan carefully prior to scheduling your trip.
Major Airports of Houston
There are two main airports you will be glad to familiarize yourself with when planning your flight to Houston. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is located 23 miles North of downtown and serves well over 40 million passengers a year. This major airport is located in the North part of Houston, so if your stay will involve visiting Humble, Spring, Cypress, Tomball, The Woodlands, Kingwood, or Atascocita, then the Bush Intercontinential Airport should be your best choice.
On the Southern side of Houston is the William P. Hobby Airport of Houston (HOU). This airport is located seven miles South of downtown Houston and serves 10 million passengers a year through it's terminals. If your stay will involve Pearland, Sugarland, Pasedena, Rosenberg, or Fresno, then this should be your choice for an airport arrival in Houston.
Katy is located to the far West of Houston, so if you are going to be visiting Katy you shouldn't go wrong with either the Bush Intercontinental Airport or Hobby Airport.
Major Freeways of Houston
Houston has two main loops that it would be wise to be aware of. Highway 610, also known as the inner loop, encircles the center of Houston by approximately 6 miles from the center and includes communities like Bellaire and Memorial Park. The next loop extending outwards from the center of Houston is named Beltway 8 and is actually a toll road at some sections of the highway. Most of the North West, West, and Southwest portions of Beltway 8 are tolled at a rate anywhere from $0.75 to $1.50, depending if you are exiting the tollway or continuing your drive along Beltway 8. Expect to have to pay toll booths at every 10 mile increment or so.
The other major highways of Houston are as follows:
I-10: From East to West in relation to Houston. Provides access to the center of Houston and Katy in the Western portion of this way.
Highway 59: From North to Southwest in relation to Houston. In the north, this major highway provides access to Kingwood and Atascocita. It continues through the center of Houston, then to the Southwest into Sugarland and Rosenberg.
Highway 45: From North to Southeast in relation to Houston. In the North, Highway 45 provides access to Spring, Humble and The Woodlands. It continues through the center of Houston proceeding to the Southeast toward Galveston, our nearest beach (The Gulf of Mexico).
Highway 290: From Northwest to the center of Houston. In the Northwest, Highway 290 provides access to Cypress and continues towards Austin, Texas. Highway 290 terminates towards the center of Houston at the inner loop or Highway 610.
Highway 249: This is a Northwest Houston major highway. Highway 249 provides access to Cypress and Spring, and continues North to Tomball and Magnolia.
Shopping In Houston
Houston has it's fair share of malls for you to spend countless hours touring. The most prominent shopping district in Houston is named The Galleria. This mall includes upscale shopping such as Fendi, Coach, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. The Galleria is also known for it ice skating rink that many Houstonians have the pleasure of enjoying throughout the year. The Galleria is located just outside the Inner Loop of Houston to the West of downtown.
Things to See in Houston
Near downtown Houston, you will discover the Houston Museum District. This district in Houston includes many different museums to enjoy, including the fine arts, natural science, and children's museum. There are also many specialty museums for you to tour in your visit to Houston such as the Menil Collection.
Houston is also home to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). When visiting NASA, you can see actual space shuttles that have been in orbit around the Earth, and discover the Space Center of Houston where you will learn all sorts of interesting details about the discoveries that NASA has uncovered since 1958.
Houstonians also are proud to have many new stadiums for their professional sport teams. The Minute Maid Park serves our own Houston Astros, while the Toyota Center houses the Houston Rockets, and the Reliant Center is for the Houston Texans. Each stadium is newly constructed and provides the latest amenities in technology to all visitors. Minute Maid Park is said to not have a single bad seat in the house!
In Summary
As you can see, there are many things to see an do in Houston. If you are looking to visit Houston just to see what Houston has to offer or if you are thinking about relocating and buying your own piece of Houston real estate, the MyHomeHouston team is here to help you with all of your Houston needs. We would be happy to point you in the right direction, or provide a list of upcoming "things to see" in Houston for your next visit.
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About The Author Steven Castaneda, Realtor, is a real estate consultant specializing in Houston Texas Real Estate. He is the team leader of The MyHomeHouston Team; a team that strives to help their clients make the most informed and intelligent decisions with their real estate transactions. The MyHomeHouston Team website features a Houston MLS tool for viewing properties for sale in Houston, guides on buying and selling real estate, and tools to see the pricing trends of communities in Houston.
By Steve Castaneda, Realtor - The MyHomeHouston Team
When we meet someone looking to put their home on the market without the help of a real estate professional, we seek to help by offering advice in hopes of building a great relationship. This is simply because we believe in the laws of reciprocity: if we help them sell their homes themselves, somewhere down the line they may meet someone that doesn't want to sell their home without representation, and our name may come to mind. It's a win for the seller since they get free advice in selling their home themselves, plus we may get a referral some day in the future.
In this article you will learn about the property disclosures you must take into account, how to get your home exposed online, and security risks to take into account when holding showing tours. You will also get some useful advice on preparing contracts and where to close on your home. If you are thinking about putting your home on the market without the help of a real estate professional, this article may help you tremendously.
Your Disclosure To Prospective Buyers
According to Texas Property Code, you must disclose the current condition of your home to all prospective buyers. The form you will use to disclose all information is called the Seller's Disclosure Form*. This is a four page disclosure that will ask you a series of questions about your home, and is provided to the buyer to initial and sign prior to purchasing your home. Be sure to be completely honest and up-front in this disclosure; since you are selling your home on your own, if the buyer decides to sue you for not disclosing a major defect or repair in your home then they will go straight to you instead of your real estate agent.
Getting Your Home Exposed
First and foremost, you must place a for sale sign in your yard. This is obviously the easy part, but be sure that all repairs and cleaning has been performed before putting your sign out as you could very well attract a buyer that day. You want to make sure your home is ready to be shown, and that you will not have to tell the buyer to postpone their tour. They may move on to the next property and pass your home on their list.
There are plenty of free sites to put your home online to be exposed to prospective buyers looking to buy in the Houston market. Some of these sites are Google Base, Trulia and Zillow. For a fee, you may even place your home on MyHomeHouston.com, which currently attracts over 200 visitors a day looking for properties in Houston. You will also want to be sure to place you home for sale on Craiglist, which is basically a national classifieds website.
During this stage of the process you must be patient; realize that over 80% of buyers use real estate agents to buy their next home because it's free. If you are selling your home without representation, chances are that you won't be listed in the local MLS database as well. Real estate agents are not searching through online websites or for sale by owner (fsbo) catalogs to find homes for their buyers. They are searching their Houston MLS database on homes that are listed with other agents, which have their commission already negotiated with the sale.
Security During Showings
When showing your home to prospective buyers, realize that they may or may not have a real estate professional to pre-qualify them, and test their motivation to buy a home. Chances are that you will have a lot of "lookers" that are curious about the homes for sale in your area. When allowing prospective buyers to tour your home there are some key steps to take to make sure you do not put yourself at a security risk.
Make sure that the front door is left open at all times. Having the front door open at all times ensures that in case of an emergency, you will have an easy way to exit the home. You will most likely not know the individual(s) entering your home so it is wise to take safety precautions at all times.
Do not show homes at night. Showing homes at night is not only a security risk, but also it does not allow the buyer to see your home in it's true light. Insist to all prospective buyers that showing tours are only to be performed during daylight hours.
Do not enter any closet areas or rooms first. Always stay behind the prospective buyer. Standing behind the buyer will allow you to see what is going on at all times. Again, you will not know the buyer personally the minute they show up for a tour so be sure to take personal safety very seriously during these meetings.
Turn on all lights prior to the showing tour. Nothing is more awkward than standing with a complete stranger in a dark room. Turn on all the lights before they arrive to your home.
Get Contracts Signed and Close
Since you are not represented during the sale of your home, it is very important to either hire a real estate attorney or real estate agent to at least write up contracts for the sale of Houston real estate. The promulgated contracts by the Texas Real Estate Commission are created to protect both yourself and the buyer in case of a discrepancy or conflict. It is also important to close at a title company to ensure that a legitimate escrow agent and notary is handling your transaction from start to finish. They will also ensure that your home doesn't have any prior liens before selling and will issue a title policy to the buyer so that if any problem arises with the title after closing they will not come to you. Rather, the buyer will take the matter up with the title company that issued the title policy in the first place - as the policy was to insure the buyer that the home was purchased free and clear of all liens and judgments.
Conclusion
In the end, selling your home without representation is quite a daunting task but financially rewarding. If you do decide to take this transaction up without help of a real estate professional, we would be happy to provide any advice we legally can and to help you get your home exposed the right way. In the future, if you ever meet someone looking to buy or sell Houston Texas Real Estate you might think of the MyHomeHouston team and to us, that makes all the difference.
*Form can be sent to you by calling 281-664-8339 and referencing the form in need.
After finding that perfect home for you and your family, undoubtedly you will have to seek to acquire a homeowner's insurance policy on your home. Just like any other financed asset, your lender will require you to have insurance on your home to protect their investment. Getting insurance on your home is usually a simple task; one must contact their local insurance agent and request a formal quote. However, what happens if your home is situated in a floodplain? Did you know that your lender may require you to get flood insurance on your home, even if this home wasn't in the floodplain 5 years ago?
What Are Floodplains?
Floodplains are established by determining the areas that flood when creeks, bayous, and river waters exceed their banks. In most cases, floodplains are determined by their chance to flood in the future, hence the 10, 100, and 500 year floodplain references. Many times these terms can be confused as the risk of flood is determined over a long period of time. The Harris County Flood Control District in Houston has broken these floodplains down into one year increments, and given a chance of possible flooding based on a one year time frame for each floodplain.
10 Year Floodplain - 10% chance of flooding in a single year - 95% chance of flooding in a 30 year mortgage.
100 Year Floodplain - 1% chance of flooding in a single year - 26% chance of flooding in a 30 year mortgage.
500 Year Floodplain - 0.2% chance of flooding in a single year - 6% chance of flooding in a 30 year mortgage.
As you can see, when the percentages are broken down into the yearly level they are much easier to understand. It's also important to know that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) sets the rates for flood insurance and it will not differ between insurance company to insurance company. They will first determine the floodplain you are located in, then using your elevation cetificate that optionally comes when purchasing a survey, will determine the yearly rate for your flood insurance. If you are in need for flood insurance, it is best to speak with your local insurance agent to determine the cost incurred for obtaining a property located in a flood plain.
Is It A Bad Choice?
Buying a home in a floodplain (also referred to as a flood zone) is not necessarily a bad decision if you are deciding to live in an area that is prone to flooding. Many areas in and around coastal cities are located in various floodplain areas. Does this make buying in a home in a floodplain a bad decision? Absolutely not! It simply means that homes in this area are more susceptable to flooding and necessary precautions must be taken. Home owners will have to obtain additional insurance to protect themselves in case of a flooding emergency.
On the contrary, if you decide to purchase a home in the 10 year floodplain, you must understand that this home is very likely to flood during inclement weather. Be sure to review the pros and cons of purchasing a home in a floodplain with your real estate professional to ensure that you are making the most educated and logical decision in your next real estate transaction.
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Steve Castaneda, Realtor, is the team leader of the MyHomeHouston team who specializes in helping consumers buy and sell Houston Texas Real Estate. He has been servicing the Houston community since 2005, and focuses on educating his clients to the most informed and intelligent decision possible. The MyHomeHouston team website enables consumers to get insights into the Houston Real Estate market and also provides access to see property listing using their Houston MLS Search.
The MyHomeHouston Team
I'm always excited to hear when real estate developments are taking advantage of the latest technologies available. The Mosaic at Hermann Park is doing just that. They have decided to adopt and become a "Certified Fiber Optic Development" through Connexion Technologies. Basically fiber optic has unlimited bandwidth, therefore further enhancing the entertainment and communication services we are all growing accustomed to. Can you imagine data being sent at the speed of light? 
All over Houston, people are living out their American dream and buying their own home. And all over Houston, some people are living a nightmare because they bought a new car to put into that new home…before their closing.
When we meet someone looking to put their home on the market without the help of a real estate professional, we seek to help by offering advice in hopes of building a great relationship. This is simply because we believe in the laws of reciprocity: if we help them sell their homes themselves, somewhere down the line they may meet someone that doesn't want to sell their home without representation, and our name may come to mind. It's a win for the seller since they get free advice in selling their home themselves, plus we may get a referral some day in the future.
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