The Bayou City Blogger ~ 
Houston Real Estate Blog, Market Trends and Other Happenings
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Tips to Planning an Affordable Home
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 5:04pm. 110 Views, 0 Comments.
If you’ve finally decided it’s time to get the house of your dreams and have been unable to find a house on the market, building may be your best option. If you think building is out of the question based on expenses, this is not necessarily true. You can build the home of your dreams on a budget. Often, you get a much better home for less than what you would have paid for an already-built home. To get started, you first need to decide what is important to you and where you want to place the bulk of your money.
Follow these tips for an affordable home of your dreams:
- Size matters. Homes that are less than 1,500 square feet are more affordable than building a large home. Builders generally assign a square footage cost that increases with larger, more complex…
How to Identify Signs of Pest Damage
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 11:40pm. 651 Views, 0 Comments.
Part of the difficulty in looking for a new home is that besides trying to decide where your furniture would go, you’re also playing detective and looking for hidden signs of problems. Whether you’re house hunting in the suburbs, downtown, or in the country, one of the things you need to look out for is pest damage.
While sellers are supposed to disclose if they know of any problems, you won’t be so fortunate if you buy a foreclosure. And in some cases, even the owners aren’t aware of pest problems. Of course, in some houses, you might be able to see critters – ant, mice, termites - and then, at least, you’ve got issues. But, you might have to do some detective work.
Termites are great for creating topsoil – it’s what they do. Unfortunately, the…
Hurricane Preparedness Tips for Houston Homeowners
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 7:37am. 175 Views, 1 Comments.
As the nation marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and gets ready for the peak of the Atlantic storm season, hurricane preparedness is on many minds - particularly for owners of Houston homes. Memories of Hurricane Ike are still fresh, and while the chances of Houston seeing another storm like that again so soon are (hopefully) slim, even small storms can cause significant damage to homes which aren't properly protected. So, whether you're new to the area, a new homeowner, or just needing a quick refresher - here are a few key items to check off your list to ensure your home is hurricane ready.
Windows
We all know what a baseball thrown by the neighbor's kid can do to our windows. Now just imagine a piece of debris being thrown at it with…
Staging Your Home for Selling
Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 10:22am. 304 Views, 1 Comments.
They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But they also say looks can be deceiving. If you're selling your house, both idioms are true.
The moment a potential buyer step out of the vehicle, a first impression has been seared into his or her brain. Hopefully, the inside of your house impresses them too.
Consider this - most people have already seen pictures of a seller's house online. They love what they see, so they book a showing. Walking up to the front door, it's everything they pictured and more.
Next - the Realtor opens the door and the buyer is greeted by barking dogs. Or, they step into the lovely foyer, admiring the gleaming wood floors, the elegant staircase - and right beside it, a six-foot tall, carpeted scratching post. And - over there is a…
Energy Efficienct Construction Means More Green for Homeowners
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 5:29pm. 303 Views, 0 Comments.
The incorporation of energy efficient materials into new home construction has been steadily rising since 2001 when Texas adopted the Texas Building Energy Performance Standards, which include the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Residential Code (IRC). This created standards for new home construction that mandated requirements for windows, air conditioning units, insulation and other aspects to help conserve more energy and protect against conditioned air leaking outside.
Many homebuilders are voluntarily seeking out certification programs that require even greater energy saving components be incorporated into their building specs. These certifications go by many different names and guarantee that the home has been built with…
FINANCING YOUR FIRST HOME
Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 10:04pm. 390 Views, 0 Comments.
There are a number of ways to secure financing for your first home. If you are one of those rare people who have been a planner since high school, you would have started saving your babysitting earnings, paper route tips, profits from your lemonade stand and cash gifts from family members together with savings from your summer jobs at Burger King or McDonald’s. This might accumulate into a nice sum of money to be used for a down payment on your first home.
If you are lucky enough to have parents or grandparents who are willing and able to do so, you could get a down payment from family members. Most lenders will require that the relatives give them a letter stating that this down payment is a gift and not a loan that must be repaid.
Consider buying a “fixer…
Houston Area Neighborhods: Bellaire Texas
Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 9:44am. 272 Views, 1 Comments.
Native Iowan William Baldwin established Bellaire in 1908 from ranch land belonging to Rice University founder William Rice. Named Bellaire (or “good air”) for its temperate breezes, the town experienced a residential boom after World War II, when its population increased tenfold in a mere decade. In 1948 Houston annexed the land around Bellaire, limiting Bellaire to its current size. What remains is a lovely little city with oak-lined streets, tucked in the heart of Houston.
Bellaire is located in the southwest region of Harris County, Texas, with approximately 18,000 residents. This small but pristine town has a total land mass of 3.6 miles and is surrounded by Houston, West University Place and Southside Place. Baseball looms large in Bellaire: their…
2M Realty Elevates Real Estate Agents Earning Capacity With Treehouse
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 10:20am. 249 Views, 1 Comments.
Virtual, End-to-End Office Program for Real Estate Agents
Offers Up To 100 Percent in Commission Guarantee
Houston, TX (PRWEB) August 17, 2010
2M Realty, an independent firm providing services throughout the Greater Houston real estate market, has exclusively partnered with Treehouse Agent Services to “un-tether” the sales agent from their brick and mortar broker through the use of the Internet and a new virtual office program. The Treehouse program provides a complete, end-to-end service for independent agents looking to conduct their trade online. According to the pricing package purchased, agents can retain a guaranteed 100 percent or 80 percent commission upon closing.
“Through the Treehouse program, 2M Realty is putting the power of independent selling…
Are Smaller Homes a New Way of Life?
Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 8:56am. 354 Views, 0 Comments.
As economy continues to struggle in its recovery, Americans are responding to the ongoing challenges by changing their ways. They’re paying down debts faster and limiting new borrowing (although not always voluntarily). They’re keeping more money in the bank, too, driving personal saving rates higher than they’ve been in years. And, more and more Americans are buying and building smaller homes.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average new home size shrank 81 square feet in 2009. Of course, our homes still dwarf those of our parents and grandparents - the average home size in the 1950s was 983 square feet; today it stands at 2438.
Still, 9 out of 10 home builders recently surveyed said they have plans to build smaller or lower-priced homes. And a…
Top Ten Houston Real Estate Hot Spots
Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 8:38am. 344 Views, 0 Comments.
Houston, Texas is known for having great neighborhoods that range in style and diversity. Whether you are looking for a family home in residential suburbia or want to live near a fast-paced metropolitan area, Houston truly has something for everyone. Regardless of your budget or needs, purchasing Houston real estate is always worthwhile.
If you are looking into the Houston real estate market, you will quickly discover that the city is huge. For this reason, 2M Realty has created this list of “Top Ten Houston Real Estate Hot Spots” to aid you in your search for the perfect residence:
Kingwood – In the 1970s, Kingwood real estate was not that popular. However, in the 1980s – 1990s, its population increased by over 40%. Known as the “Livable Forest”,…
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