montgomery: ROI on Home Remodeling Projects - 01/11/12 04:42 AM
It is that time of the year again when homeowners are starting to think about remodeling projects. In many cases it is because they are thinking about selling their home in the near future. With this in mind HouseLogic.com recently rated the seven best home improvement projects along with the respective Return on Investment (ROI). Here are the HouseLogic rankings from lowest to highest ROI. With the exception of the vinyl siding most of these projects should be great for the Lake Conroe area.
#7 – Vinyl Siding (foam backed) ROI 69.6%
#6 – Rear deck ROI 70.1%
#5 – New … (1 comments)

montgomery: Lake Conroe Water Level - 01/09/12 05:15 AM
The lake level for Lake Conroe this morning (1/9/12) was 193.6ft. We are currently down 7.6' from our normal pool level of 201'. With the rain we are getting today and that is forecast for tomorrow our poor lake is slowly healing. Please keep the rain coming!
As our lake level rises to its' normal level expect those waterfront homes for sale to return to a normal pricing pattern. The deals now available won't be there for long.
 
 
Here are the current conditions from the San Jacinto River Authority.
Have a great day!
Ron
www.lakeconroeconsulting.com
www.lakeconroegroup.com
 
… (0 comments)

montgomery: Conroe YMCA SCUBA - 06/05/10 05:48 AM
Now taking registrations for the next SCUBA class at the Conroe YMCA. Please give me a shout if you or someone you know is interested in learning to be an open water SCUBA diver. Ages 12 and up. I can take 10 and 11 year olds depending on the size of the class. SCUBA is a lifetime adventure!!
Here is a link to Google Docs with some basic information on the program.
Conroe Family YMCA SCUBA program
If you have any questions please send me an email!
Looking forward to see you in class!!
Have a great weekend!
Ron
www.ronwickes.com
www.lakeconroeconsulting.com
… (1 comments)

montgomery: Credit disputes affecting mortgages? - 09/08/09 06:33 AM
Fannie Mae, which as most of you know operates in the secondary mortgage market, apparently has recently instituted some new guidelines concerning disputed items on a person's credit report. Fannie Mae will no longer issue a preapproval for mortgage applications when the applicant's credit report shows a disputed item. In order to receive a preapproval the credit report must be free of any disputed items plus meet all of the other normal Fannie Mae criteria. The disputed items must be removed from dispute or totally removed before Fannie Mae will even consider the application for preapproval.  It is not known if … (0 comments)

montgomery: Saturday 8/29 - 08/28/09 02:07 PM
Please don't forget that Saturday, 8/29 from 9:00 until noon the Conroe Family YMCA will be offering free SCUBA diving introductions. This marks the start of the official Conroe Family YMCA SCUBA program. This is your chance to try something you not normally do.
The first Open Water Diver Certification class starts on Septmber 4th.
Come by the Y Saturday and try it!! You just might like it!!
Have a great day!!
Ron 
… (1 comments)

montgomery: Market Data - Conroe MLS area 19 - 08/17/09 02:59 AM
Here is the market data for the first six months of 2009 for MLS area 19 in Montgomery County. MLS area 19 includes the City of Conroe and its' immediate area. As with MLS area 15 I have compared the numbers for 2007, 2008 and 2009. The numbers are not pretty. In fact some of you may even call them down right ugly. I will not say that I disagree.
What do the numbers show? The numbers show that it is time to buy, buy, buy and buy some more. With prices down and listings down I do not believe that … (2 comments)

montgomery: Montgomery County YTD Market Report - 03/24/09 09:19 AM
Montgomery County's single family residence (SFR) year-to-date sales numbers for the first two months of 2009 are not pretty. In fact you might just say they are ugly. In fact you can probably say they are down right ugly. Okay I said it they are down right ugly. So let's all gag now get over it and get on with a new and refreshed attitude. It is getting better!!! Here are the numbers.

Please remember that when you are looking for Lake Conroe Real Estate.........call me.
Thanks and have a great day!
Ron
… (1 comments)

montgomery: Pros and Cons of Condos - 03/10/09 08:38 AM
We have a fair number of condos in my market area. Consequently I think about them often. If you are thinking about buy on here are some things put together by the National Association of Realtors that you should keep in mind. Storage. Some condos have storage lockers, but usually there are no attics or basements to store belongings. Outdoor space. Yards and outdoor areas are usually smaller in condos, so if you like to garden or entertain outdoors, this may not be a good fit. However, if you hate yard work, this may be the perfect option for you. Amenities. … (1 comments)

montgomery: Time to go to work! - 03/06/09 06:25 AM
Spring is here! The weather is fantastic! Taken together those two things mean it is time for spring cleanup work. What are some things that you can do cheaply that will enhance the value and look of your home? Consider these ten easy and worthwhile ideas.
1- Look at your front door. Does it need painting or possibly replacing? This one simple thing can make a huge difference in the look of your home.
2- Have you looked at your garage lately? Why not paint the walls, organize the clutter or paint the floor. Remember it is not a big storage … (1 comments)

montgomery: Montgomery County, TX 2008 SFR Real Estate Review - 02/04/09 03:01 AM
Today I just finished mailing to my database the Executive Summary to my 2008 Montgomery County Single Family Residence Review. The actual report is 42 pages in length and shows all of the important data for 2008 as compared to 2007. The report really is not a shocker by any means. Unit sales were down just over 20% for 2008 versus 2007. However the good news is that the average sales price and median sales price for the four MLS areas that comprise our county held steady and in some cases were up. We really saw no price deterioration in our county. That is … (3 comments)

montgomery: Lake Conroe Hydrilla - 02/02/09 08:31 AM
I ran into a friend of mine on Saturday who works for the San Jacinto River Authority. I ask him how the hydrilla situation was and what it might be like this coming summer. He said that with as many weed fish that are currently in the lake that we should not have a problem for five to ten years. Good news. Please realize that this is not an official statment from the SJRA but rather a disclosure from what might be called a "deep cover source". How's that for Washington DC speak?
Anyway I thought that was great news. He did mention … (2 comments)

montgomery: Our Economic Crisis - The WHY! - 01/29/09 08:40 AM
Did you ever wonder how our economy got in the mess it is today? We all listen to CNN, Foxnews, the sage old male talking news anchor, the young pretty blonde up and coming news anchor, the fat bald loud politically active male and tall slender blonde political active female and they all blame a different person or group of people.
But are these the people we should be listening too? Are they the ones who really know what happened to our economy? What do the really smart people have to say about what caused this horrendous mess we find ourselves … (0 comments)

montgomery: Thinking of doing it yourself? - 01/21/09 03:35 AM
Since it is the beginning of a new year and a time when we all set our new annual goals I thought it appropriate to review why you should use a realtor if buying or selling real estate is part of your plans for this year. Let me start by asking a question. Are you thinking of buying a home or selling your home without the services of a great Realtor? I hope not but in case you are you will find below twelve reasons to use a Realtor. yes the reasons were written by the National Association of Realtors so you … (0 comments)

montgomery: Real Estate Review - 01/14/09 07:37 AM
I'm back. I know that may not be a good thing but here I am anyway. It has been a hectic two months since I last wrote. I promise I won't vanish for that long again. So what is on the horizon now that i am back? What else but my annual Montgomery County Single Family Residence Real Estate Review.
This report will contain information on units sold, hotness index, average price, median price, days on the market and monthly inventory for each month and MLS area in Montgomery County. It will show YTD figures for each month of 2008 versus the same month … (0 comments)

montgomery: Credit Repair Links!! - 08/15/08 06:53 AM
I have been asked by several people who have read some of my credit restoration blogs to provide some additional resources. This particular blog will take care of those requests.
Below you will find three links. The first link is to our short seven minute video on credit repair. The second link connects to our full thirty-three minute association benefits video. We offer over 20 benefits. The final link is to our association's website. Please take some time to review these links. I know you will find them of interest to you and your many credit challenged customers. I can help you the realtor sell more homes by assisting your clients in improving their … (2 comments)

montgomery: April Sales Results - 05/30/08 03:53 AM
How were the April, 2008 sales results for single family residence (SFR) unit sales as compared to April, 2007? Down again but not as bad. Let's take a look.In MLS area 15 (Woodlands & West) sales were down 17%. In MLS area 19 (Conroe) they were down 9.68%. MLS area 39 (Lake Conroe area) was down 15.91% and MLS area 40 (East Montgomery County) was UP, yes UP 45.45%. Overall county single family residence unit sales declined 12.27% from April, 2007. This 12.27% decline was less than the previous three months of 2008. This lessening in the sales decline may be … (0 comments)

montgomery: Home Buying and Credit Scores - 05/19/08 03:26 AM
I didn't realize that you had money to throw away during these almost $4.00 per gallon gasoline days. But from what most of you are telling me you do. Congratulations you are richer than I am.What am I talking about? I am talking about your desire to buy a home in six months with a credit score between 620 and 650, live in it for 10 years and throw away about $15,000. Yep 15 big ones down the tank. Let's see, that is 3,750 gallons of gas idled away because you don't want to get your credit score to 720 or … (0 comments)

montgomery: Are you a veteran or a reservist? - 05/07/08 06:13 AM
Are you a veteran or serving member of the armed forces of the United States? Were you or are you currently a member of a reserve unit or National Guard unit?Why do I ask the questions? Because most of you are missing out on some great opportunities that are available to you when it comes to real estate. There are special programs available to armed forces veterans that are truly unbelievable. I was shocked when I received my update briefing yesterday. We never had it so good when it comes to real estate.I know you are thinking that I mean the … (0 comments)