Aggieland Archives

Need an excellent agent in Greensboro, NC. CRS & RE/MAX preferred.

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:33:40 -0700

I need an excellent agent for some of my sweetest clients here in College Station, TX. They are moving to Greensboro and want to start looking next month. They are looking for the 500-700K range. Anyone have any good ones out there? RE/MAX and CRS not necessary if they are strong agents.

College Station Relocation

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:45:02 -0800

Thinking about moving to Bryan or College Station, TX? You're not alone!!! The area is attracting attention from a number of companies and individuals. Regardless of whether you are looking for a smaller community, a new career, or a different lifestyle, College Station has a lot to offer.

College Station Home Prices

Home prices are moderate and well positioned to rise. In the last 5-7 years we've had a steady appreciation of 3-5% per year. Not bad, but not enough for a "crash". We've seen a bit of a tougher market just recently but even then the prices didn't dive like they did in many areas. For a moderate price range, say $150K you can get a newer home in several areas that is anywhere from 1200-1400 square feet in a nice neighborhood. Click here for see College Station Homes for sale.

Source: Texas Real Estate Center

Jobs Rebounding

College Station is ranked highly for job growth,as a matter of fact #3 for Texas for 2010. Large employers in the area include Texas A&M Univerisity, Blinn College, Reynolds and Reynolds, St. Josephs Hospital. Many others are coming to the area each and every day. One of the latest announcements was the new Scott and White Hospital coming to the area.

Location Within Texas

You might be wondering why College Station is growing so well. Many other places are struggling but College Station with it's unique location is prime for servicing any area in Texas. Geographically we are close to Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are considered the Texas Triangle. Large metropolitan areas that are fast growing and spreading. The general concensus is that soon it will be one mego metropolitan area encompassing College Station and other small towns like it.

Source: Visit Aggieland

College Station Ranks #4 for Military Retirement! .http://www.cstx.gov/index.aspx?page=3084&recordid=5847&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

Partnership with the university

Texas A&M is part of the College Station lifestyle. We get many benefits by being close to the university even if we don't attend or work on the campua, From our wonderful Opas productions bringing excellent shows right to our own backyard to Aggies working dilligently with our students in schools our community reaps many benefits from our partnership with Texas A&M University.

Click here if you would like more information about College Station Neighborhoods. If you need a relocation package please don't hesitate to call me at (979)574-1084 or email me at Chris@ChrisTesch.com.

College Station Real Estate Already on the Rebound

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:51:56 -0700

It's been a tough few months, no doubt. At the end of April the buyer incentives went away and showings slowed radically. Sellers were compromising fairly heavily on their prices gladly. Interestingly enough it's picking up quickly here. Lot's of speculation revolves around the upcoming election giving Bryan/College Station residents a ray of hope. In addition all one has to do here is to look at the commercial building, which is absolutely exploding, and see that we are doing well here. Several of my listings are receiving multiple looks and we're in the middle of negotiating on one currently.

I never doubted it, but College Station real estate is on the rebound!!!!

Open House! 6942 River Place Ct.

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:31:42 -0700

Sunday, May 23 2 P.M.-4 P.M. 6942 River Place Ct. College Station, Tx 778405

$459,900

Fabulous 5K built home ready for your family!Tuscan finished walls, art niches, gleaming granite counter tops and beautiful wood floor in living room are just a few of the amenities in this beautiful home. True gourmet kitchen with an island,five burner gas cooktop,and stainless steel convection oven.Study, gameroom, and four large bedrooms.Soaring ceilings in living, expansive master suite. MIL suite downstairs with high ceilings. Sitting on a beautiful, 1.76 acre lot in College Station ISD.

Gorgeous living room looking out onto the open field in the backyard

A spacious gourmet kitchen also looking out at the country side, makes for a relaxing breakfast as the sun rises!

Relax at night with this amazing master bed and bath combo

This home will take your breath away!!!!!!!!!!!!

6942 River Place Ct.

Sunday, May 23 College Station, TX 77845 2 P.M.-4 P.M.

Interviewing Agents to Sell Your Home? Essential Knowledge

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Sat, 08 May 2010 10:50:34 -0700

Do you want to know how to maximize your money at the closing table? It's easy to lose when you list your home! Picking an agent will either make you money or loose you money at the closing table.

You've decided to sell your home and it's time to pick a Real Estate Agent to list it with. How exactly are you going to choose? Everyone, including your neighbor, and your great Aunt Thelma has their license so who do you pick? I've seen some very creative ways that people pick. One woman recently sent an email out to a bunch of agents and chose the first one to get back with her. I've seen people list with friends that are also working at a fast food place until they get their career up and running. Another creative way is to go to the Internet and pull up a site and see who's featured. After all, if they know how to get featured in this website maybe they'll know how to sell your home. Probably not good strategies when selling the bulk of your net worth.

Let's look at some strategies to choose a good agent

Is the agents website easily accessible? Is it search engine optimized coming up in the first few pages of an internet search for, let's say, College Station real estate? Not necessarily the company name such as RE/MAX rankings, but the individual agents. How well does the website feature the properties listed?

Does the agent use excellent advertising? Putting your house on the MLS with appealing photos and descriptions is necessary, but a great agent will back that up with an advertising strategy. Not necessarily newspapers, cable channels or open houses (though they can be used to some avail) but optimizing your listing on Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, Hot Pads and a host of other web sites that really pack a punch!

Is the agent with a recognized brokerage name that's national? I know many clients have come specifically because I'm with RE/MAX and they are selling their home with another RE/MAX agent in their hometown.

Does the agent have a good reputation in the area? In an area as small as ours agent have a reputation of either being easy to work with or hard to work with. This can make or break your sale. The Buyer's Agent will work harder times to make a sale work with a listing agent that is easy to deal with.

Does the agent have adequate experience? I'm not necessarily talking about years in the business. An agent that only does five transactions a year for the last 10 years doesn't have as much experience as an agent that does 50 transactions a year for the last 5 years.

Does the agent use good photos with their listings? Study the agents listings, whether they have one or fifty and see exactly what that agent brings to the table. A great agent will either invest in excellent cameras with wide angle lenses or other tools to really show your property off to it's best potential OR will hire a professional photographer. I use a professional architectural photographer myself. Yes, it does cost the listing agent money but it gets their homes more exposure, more showings sold faster and for more money.

The top photos are the professional versions. Below that are examples of my best attempt at my own photography of one listing. Compare the difference and you'll see exactly why using a professional can be a great idea.

Does the agent use appealing (and accurate) descriptions of the homes they have listed? It's definitely entertaining to read some of the listings and your homes listing shouldn't be out there to amuse. Common themes are calling the house something like a "cream puff", misspellings in the description (how many minuets from a grocery store DO you need to be? I've never danced there so I don't know!) or just plain strange descriptions. One very notable listing from a few years ago enticed buyers with the verbiage "Tall ceilings for easy living and tile floors for no cleaning".

In short, it pays to interview agents and to find the agent that will market your home aggressively and get it off the market in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of hassle!

Visit my website for more College Station Real Estate tips.

Great South College Station Home For Sale, $149,900

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:25:02 -0800

South College Station location with great schools, new Lowe's going in and new HEB about to get started and right down from the location of the new College Station high school this house is nestled in a great neighborhood with park and pools. This house is on a cul de sac street and features four bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2 car garage. For more information call (979)574-1084.

College Station Condos having challenges

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:52:42 -0800

For years condos have been a favorite of mine for parents investing in student properties. No maintenance on the exteriors, no mowing and community common areas such as pools are perks with condos. This year, however, condo financing has suffered.

FHA, long the leader in low downpayment mortgages all but pulled out of condo financing. The rational is basically that home owners association fees can be steep. People with condos could be foreclosed on just because they are behind in their home owners associaiton dues. This, in and of itself, could threaten other people in the condo complex with larger home owners association dues as the HOA struggles and has difficulty affording even basic services. Now that FHA has pulled back with condo financing many conventional investors are pulling back as well. One of our condo financing experts in College Station recently told me that only one company whe dealt with was financing condos and that they would make people just through quite a few hoops to get one.

Having no idea of how long this virtual moritorium on condos will last leaves me suggtesting alternatives to condos to everyone. After all, you don't want to be done with the condo in three years only to find it virtually unsalable. Resale should be a large focus when buying.

What is a parent wanting to invest in property here to do? A serious look needs to be made at townhomes. Some offer the same amenities as condos but are as easy to finance as single family homes. Do keep in mind though that some projects calling themselfves townhomes are actually condos.

Use an experienced Realtor for these transactions as there can be many pitfalls. By using an experienced agent and making excellent decisions you can have a great investment here in College Station.

Bryan & College Station Real Estate Recognized as Being Undervalued

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:38:46 -0700

For the second time in the last five years Bryan and College Station have been recognized as places where real estate is selling for under what the values should be. This means that there are definate bargains here in Aggieland. Houston was the only other city in Texas that got this designation. With the prospects of tremendous job growth and undervalued real estate it's a wonderful market to be in. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M believe that our appreciation rates will be higher than ever in the next few years.

With higher than ever appreciation values will you make a mint on your property? NO! We are still not California with ridiculous appreciation in short times. In the last few years our appreciaton rates have been 3-5% per year. We're looking at appreciation rates raising to about 7%. A stable market in the price ranges lower than 200K and lot's of first time homebuyer interest it's a great time to buy!

First time buyers please take note. The $8,000 tax credit requires that you close on your home by December 1st. There are programs to help you tap into some of that tax credit to help with closing costs as well. Take advantage of tax credits, low interest rates, and an undervalued market now.

Here's a link to the Bryan/College Station MLS

College Station Condos and Townhomes Vs College Station homes

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:54:47 -0700

Many parents, wanting to buy a College Station home for their students, visit the idea of a condo or townhome. As with anything there are some very positive points to consider and some other negative points on these issues.

First let's talk about what the difference is between condos and townhomes. The major difference is that condos always have associations and the homeowner doesn't actually own the land beneath the condo, the association does and you typically only own from the studs in. The exterior is owned and maintained by the association. Townhomes may, or may not have associations formed to maintain community resources. With a townhome you own the land that it sits on and the entire structure.

The down side of Condo associations is that there is a monthly fee. This fee can range, in College Station Condos, from $65 a month to over $200. There's no set answer on what these fees cover unless you look at individual associations. Most will cover exterior landscaping and insurance on the common areas. A good many will cover exterior maintenance on the roof and sides of the building. Some will have pools and a very few will cover things like internet service and water. Each association varies.

The down side to a townhome is that the maintenance typically is not covered. You may find yourself with the nicest property on the block with other properties to the right and left of you not nearly as well maintained. Also many share roofs with the other townhomes so eventually roofs may become mismatched.

With a College Station home you are always going to be responsible for lawn care, maintenance of the exterior and interior and all insurance. Keep in mind that the City of College Station conducts periodic checks of areas to ensure that residents are mowing their grass and other upkeep items. Getting a letter from the city warning of an impending fine if the situation doesn't improve is typically the parents first indication that the property isn't being maintained as well as it should be.

Any of these options can be the right choice for you and your student. The first thing you need to do when deciding to buy a student property is to think about what appeals to you the most. If you're not in Texas and maintenance needs to happen on your student property a condo might be the best bet. Also if you really want an easy care solution a condo can be a very good choice.

Want a glimpse of all the College Station real estate for sale? Go to my website and click on "Search Listings". When you buy I'd love to help!

A Must Read! Increase the Value of Your Home in One Day

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:33:29 -0700

So, you've bought the house of your dreams and moved in. What's the next step? Remembering that one day, whether you realize it or not today, you'll be selling. Increasing the value of your home isn't just a blitz right before you list it. Protecting and increasing the value of your home starts the day that you write the offer.

So you've closed now. What is the number one thing to do as soon as you've bought the home? If I could tell you that in one day you could make a change to increase the value of your home by possibly up to 20%, decrease your utility bills, and reduce your stress while helping the entire ecology of our area would you be interested? You can! Quick, plant trees!

In any area this holds true, but in our area it's of prime importance. Bryan and College Station, actually all of Brazos Valley, has traditionally been used as farm land. Trees in fields aren't a great value, as they provide unneeded shade and reduce the area given for crops or livestock. Therefore many were eliminated. The remaining trees in many cases, are Post Oaks. Post Oak trees are beautiful trees and very hardy, when given a natural enviroment. They are, however, very resistant to change and to human intervention. Pouring a slab close to their root system, watering them with clorinated and processed water, putting a tree house in them or driving over or near their root systems are all huge problems for these gorgeous natives. In other words, as homeowners, we don't play nice with them. They tend to die within a year of a new property being built on, leaving you with a big empty space in your yard.

Here's some quick statistics on the value of a tree:

Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University stated that "in laboratory research, visual exposure ot settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension."

The USDA Forest Service states "Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20-50 percent in energy used for heating"

The Management Information Services/ICMA states "Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent."

According to the US Department of Agriculture "The net cooling effect of a young, healty tree is equivilant to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day."

"A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000," according to the Concil of Tree and Landscape Appraisers.

Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research states "if you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%."

Wow, lower your blood pressure, decrease your utility bills and increase your property value in one fell swoop! Definately a recipe for success!!!!!!!

For more information on local tree farms and resources visit my website.

Pebble Creek Market Report, June 2008 College Station real estate

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:18:40 -0700

Pebble Creek is a golf course subdivision in south College Station. Nestled within Pebble Creek boundries are an elementary school, Pebble Creek Elementary http://mail.csisd.org/~pc/ and the attendant park/playground. This neighborhood has homes priced from the low 200's to over one million.

14 homes sold in Pebble Creek in June. These homes were priced from $254,900 to $929,900 and sold for $250,000 to $929,900. This brings total solds so far this year in Pebble Creek to 50. 41 Pebblecreek homes are active on the market and range from listing prices of $219,900 to $1,300,000.

There are currently 8 pending sales in Pebble Creek.

For more information about this wonderful neighborhood or to see listings go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

Whether buying or selling, call Chris, your neighborhood specialist!

Alexandria and Shenandoah Market Report, June 2008 College Station real estate

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:45:40 -0700

Alexandria and Shenandoah are in south College Station off Barron Road and Highway 6. These neighborhoods show great value for the money with homes ranging from the low 100's (not common) to 200K.

Eight homes sold in Shenandoah and Alexandria in June. These ranged for a list price of 105K to $154,900 and sold for 108K to $154,900. The lower priced home was a 3/2 that was 1189 square feet and was active on the market for 56 days total. The higher price home was 1,655 square feet and was a 3/2 that was on the market 55 days total.

Year to date 51 homes have sold in these twin neighborhoods with prices from $108,000 to $197,800.

Shenandoah features a park and community pool.

For more information about homes in this great area go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084. Whether buying or selling call Chris, your neighborhood specialist.

Raintree Market Report, June 2008 College Station real estate

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:32:35 -0700

Raintree subdivision is located off Hwy 6 and Southwest Parkway in College Station. Raintree is prized for being close to everywhere you want to be in College Station and has an awesome wooded park. Most of the homes were built in the early 1980's and offer good values for your money.

There are currently 4 homes on the market in Raintree. These range from $134,900 to $164,900.

Four sold in June as well and these were listed from $129,900 to $172,500. They sold for $129,400 (1679 square foot patio home) to $165,000, which bought a 2331 square foot home. Year to date Raintree has had 10 sales.

There is currently one home under contract in Raintree.

For more information about homes in Raintree, or other great neighborhoods, go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

Whether buying or selling call your neighborhood specialist!

Emerald Forest Market Report, June 2008 College Station real estate

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:21:08 -0700

Emerald Forest, a charming subdivision central to Bryan and College Station right off Highway 6 and minutes away from the University currently has 4 homes for sale. These homes range from $269,900 to $575,900, though homes in this great sudvision range from around 140K to 600K.

The neighborhood has older sections as well as newer sections and offers a pool ad community center as well as walking trails and Sandstone Park right nearby. New neighborhoods are being built nearby currently as well.

In June Emerald Forest only had one sale and that was a home that was built in 2005 and was 2441 square feet. It was listed for $244,900 and sold after 100 active days on the market for $240,000.

For more great homes go to www.ChrisTesch,.com Whether you need to buy, or sell, your Emerald Forest Home call me, your neighborhood specialist.

Market Value is Not a One Size Fits All

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:42:22 -0700

You've seen the web sites. Find your market value from here! Know what your home is worth today! If only it were that easy! Relying on these mechanisms can make you give up huge amounts of equity or have you market your home for too much money which results in longer market time and typically a lower price.

Market value depends on many parts to an equation. Square footage, finish out, location, existing roadways, floorplan of your home and the effective age of the property all figure into the analysis. Even appraisals can be off, so anyone promising you a "instant valuation" of your home over the net isn't doing you any service.

To get a market analysis have an experienced agent come over and do a walk through of the house discussing age of air condition, appliances, roof, flooring and countertops. The agent will examine the house from a perspective buyers perspective and make several recommendations regarding your home. Some of these might be wallpaper removal, painting, fixture replacement and updating (always get your agents opinion before spending money, they might have better ways around it or feel that the money would be better off in buyer incentives or lowering the price if you are on a significant pricing cut off.

Don't cheat yourself out of valuable equity by thinking you will get an "instant valuation" over the net.

For expert real estate advice go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

Caldwell, Texas Market Analysis

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:16:08 -0700

Caldwell Texas, about 35 miles away brom Bryan-College Station is known for three things; kolaches, the Czech Heritage Museum and an awesome school district. This small town has an approximate population of 4000 people and is the county seat of Burleson County.

For the seven months of sales encompassing 1/1/08 through 6/30/08 Caldwell showed 23 sales in the Bryan-College Station MLS. The lowest sale was listed at 86K. It was a 3/2 home 1304 square foot older home that was active on the market for 116 days and sold for 84K.

The highest sale recorded in our MLS for Caldwell was listed at 495,000. It was a 5/3.6 home built by Southwest Homes in 2004 that was 3500 square feet. The homke sat on 20.25 acres and was active on the market for 176 days. It sold for 455,000.

These statistics are only down slightly from the same time frame last year where 25 homes sold. There are currently active in the Caldwell area 27 homes.

My assistant, Coti Freeman, hails from the Caldwell area and would be happy to give you a private tour! For more information about Caldwell visit my web site at www.ChrisTesch.com or call Coti today at (979)575-7765.

Bryan, Texas Sales for June, 2008

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:24:47 -0700

Bryan showed a steady 93 sales in single family homes, patio homes and new builder homes in June, 2008. During the same timeframe last year 109 sales were made. This last month sales ranged from a property listed for 585,000 to a property listed for 32,500.

The 585,000 property was a 3 bedroom/3.5 bath home active on the market for 87 days. It sold for the asking price (which had been lowered during the 87 days). It was 4,105 square feet.

The 32,500 property was a 2 bedroom/1 bath that was on the market 8 active days. It sold for 25K.

Sales are still strong in Bryan, Texas. For more information about the Bryan Market please visit my website at www.ChrisTesch.com or phone (979)574-1084.

Condominium and Patio, Townhome Sales Strong in College Station

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:00:37 -0700

June 2008 showed sales of 30 condominiums patio homes and town homes in College Station, Texas. The previous years thirty day period showed sales of 32. This month the sales went from a high list price of 169,900 to a low of 58,900. The statistics are a bit low because several of the Cripple Creek Condos were bundled onto one listing.

For the list price of 169,900 this 3 bedroom, 2 bath unit was on the market for 81 active days and sold for 175,750. Typically when properties sell for more than their list price improvements were made or closing costs were paid.

The low was the beautifully remodeled Cripple Creek Condos that are one bedroom/one bath and sold for 58900. Several of these units were for sale and all sold within a fairly short time frame.

Of the solds 7 were from Gateway Village, 5 were from Wood Brook Condos and Woodstock Condos, 4 sold in Waterwood, 2 in Fox Run and 2 on Fraternity Row (Deacon townhomes). Several miscellaneous condos sold, with these being the predominate ones.

Now is still a great time to invest in College Station real estate for your Texas A&M student! Last year in July, 2007 we had 29 sales for these units! For more information go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

College Station Single Family and New Builder Home Sales for June 2008

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:42:05 -0700

College Station again showed good numbers in sales of single family and new builder homes for June, 2008. 147 sales occured during this time in College Station. Last year during this one month period 179 sales occured. Obviously numbers are down a bit, but the sales were strong with some of our more expensive properties sold this month. Total actives in these categories in College Station currently are 427. This shows less than a four month supply of homes currently on the market.

The least expensive home sold in College Station in June was listed for 86K and was a 2 bedroom/1 bath older home. It was active on the market 7 days before going under contract and sold for 85K. The most expensive home sold was listed for 1,985,000 and was a 4 bedroom/4.5 bath on 39 acres and was active on the market for 404 days. It sold for 1,815,000.

There were three sales listed originally over 600K this month

3 sales from 500-599K

2 sales from 400-499K

9 sales from 300-399K

12 sales from 250-299K

46 sales from 150-249

52 sales from 100-149K

9 sales from 85-99K

For more information about College Station real estate go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

2710 Camelot, Bryan $147,900

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:13:36 -0700

Want a great house in Bryan for under $150K? You can't miss with this meticulously maintained home located near Briarcrest Golf Course, St. Joseph Hospital and Blinn Campus. Wood laminate floor in the spacious living area and ceramic tile in kitchen and baths just installed last year. New carpet in all berooms to be installed Monday. Over 2000 square foot with wonderful built ins and the beginning of an awesome front porch area can be yours for this low, low price.

The front area is a verde scored concrete patio that would make a wonderful sitting area.

Charming built ins in several areas. Excellent eating bar!

Another view of the kitchen. Stove replaced two years ago.

Beautiful laminate floors and a great size makes this a great family gathering area!

Seperate dining area with great built in.

For more information about this home, or more information about Bryan, Texas or College Station, Texas real estate go to www.ChrisTesch.com or call (979)574-1084.

Awesome Bryan Home $229,900

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:53:32 -0700

Want a location close to A&M yet not right next to your neighbors? Dreaming of a sun dappled home with gleaming wood floors and wide open spaces? This home located in Beverly Estates is your dream come true! This four bedroom/three bath home has cedar lined closets and built in chest and is minutes to A&M, Blinn, or St. Joseph Hospital. Over 2000 square feet awaits with a tiled porch waiting for you and a glass of lemonaide. This 1939 home situated on a more than one acre is sure to please.

A seperate entrance for the fourth bedroom paired with the third bath makes for a great teen get-away, mother-in-law suite or home office.

Large open spaces and tons of windows grace this beautiful home!

Extra storage is abundant in this beauty and the closets and chest are cedar lined!

Grab your lemonaide and sit right down!

For information on more Bryan Texas properties visit my website at www.ChrisTesch.com

New Condo Project Almost Sold Out

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:43:23 -0700

One of our newest condo projects in College Station is almost sold out in Phase One currently. Phase two should be ready for fall of 2009 and will signal the completion of this 98 unit complex complete with clubhouse and pool.

The townhomes are quality built and have many features that aren't typical with other condos around. These three and four bedroom condos are in Wolf Pen Creek area and back up to Harvey Road being connected by walking paths to Johnny Carinos, Sonic and several other local restaurants. Close to the mall and the excellent Wolf Pen Ampitheatre they are very popular with students and young singles alike. Currently they have 2 four bedroom units that start at around 191K. They are nicely finished out with ceramic tile in the kitchen and dining. The base price does not include washer or dryer but does include the refrigerator. Upgrades to look for are tumbled marble backsplash ($200), vinyl wood look flooring (call for price quote, depends on the area), washer and dryer ($650), double door refrigerator, and security system ($350).

The builder is the same developer that built Waterwood Townhomes, one of my favorite resale condo areas. We've seen great appreciation there, and expect to see great appreciation with this new condo project.

For more information contact me at Chris@ChrisTesch.com or (979)574-1084

For more exciting single family or condo opportunities go to www.ChrisTesch.com.

Condos Are Only As Good as Their Association

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:18:18 -0700

In buying a condo remember that your condo value is only as good as its association. There are luxury student condo projects in town that offers amenities such as a car wash, fitness coordinator and activities planner. This is, of course, during their original selling phase of the project. What happens if the fitness coordinator goes away? Is the car wash going to be working four years from now when you want to sell? There is nothing in the documentations that describes services such as these and guarantees them long term.

What's the take away lesson in this? Remember that with a condo project you only get one vote per unit. If the fitness coordinators position is hingeing on a vote of all the owners to pay an extra $10 a month it might not pass. Don't overpay for a project based on sunny views of what you might get. Look carefully at the structure and figure out if the location and the structure itself is worth what you are paying. Remember too that if many investors own units it might be very difficult to get them to pay an additional fee per month for an amenity that they won't even use.

Make your condo decisions with a clear head.

Non Warrantable Condos

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:00:06 -0700

In buying a condo in Bryan or College Station, whether for students or singles, there are some things that you need to know to get the best deal possible. Potential issues come up for condos, typically only in the lower priced ones, but you, as a potential buyer, need to be aware and prepared for them.

Non-Warrantable Condos-one of the first things we do with a condominium purchase is to have a condo questionaire filled out. In this questionaire there are several items that can have a big impact on your purchase. These are to determine whether the property is eligable for regular warrantable loans, sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or a non-warrantable loan that is not eligable for the normal loan programs. The non warrantable properties are presumed to be a bit riskier an investment because of several factors. Most loans get called non warrantable because of a property condition. Thought there is a whole checklist that must be gone through, The most common of these is below a 60% owner-occupancy rate in the complex. The reason that lenders are affected by this is that there is a perception that owner-occupants will work harder to pay their loan than investors. If a major portion of the condo is held by investors and many default the HOA may have issues paying for the maintenance of the grounds or exterior of the units.

How does this affect you as a condo purchasor? First, don't think you will get into these condos with 3%-5% down. Non warrantable condos are best purchased by strong borrowers that have 20-25% down payments available. The interest rate is bound to be a bit higher, since it is considered a riskier loan. The normal 6.25% interest rate isn't what you will see with these units.

Are these bad investents? Not at all, just something to be considered carefully before you invest. Currently I am purchasing a one bedroom/one bath condo in Doubletree Condominiums. Rentals over there for these units are $550 a month and up. I am paying $43,500, and putting 20% down. My total payment on a 15 year fixed at 6.61% interest, with HOA fees (115.60 a month), taxes, insurance and principal and interest will run $515. In 15 years it will be paid off and the profit will be mine. Meantime the rent will go up and the return will be even better.

If you're looking for a property like this, or something a bit bigger, go to my web site at www.ChrisTesch.com.

Look What You Can Buy In Bryan Texas For Under $155K

Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Select) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:49:09 -0700

This gorgeous property is a property that I helped some gracious clients buy last month. It's a beautiful 4 beroom home across from a park in Bryan, Texas. For those of you that are unaware of what great properties can be had for under $160K in our area this will be a real eye opener!

The gorgeous front porch alone is a welcome sight!

The yard is inviting and the house is well maintained!

The house is over 2000 square feet and on a small, manageable lot near a golf course. The rooms are large with the master downstairs and three other bedrooms up.

For more homes like this recently sold Bryan home that are active on the market go to my website at www.ChrisTesch.com. We'll make your nest something to crow about!