How You Can Determine the Worth of Your Houston Home

Looking to buy or sell a home in Houston, TX? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (832) 428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Determining the value of your home can be difficult. Texas is a nondisclosure state, which means what a home actually sells for is not publicly disclosed. The county assesses how much homes are worth and the resultant tax data is typically all that is available.

This is a problem for people who want to sell their home because coming up with a list price is difficult, especially in our strong, growing market. Many people use Zillow to get their home estimate. The problem with that, however, is estimates can be hundreds of thousands of dollars off in either direction. If you are looking for a ballpark figure, online home evaluations are just fine - but if you want a true value, an accurate estimate, your best bet is working with a real estate professional.

An agent has a better understanding of market trends than websites like Zillow and Trulia. We have access to comparable property sales and other data that help us price your home in an informed manner. Additionally, HAR.com has been consistently ranked the #1 MLS site in the nation, so you do have at least one helpful online resource.

Real estate is incredibly local - what is happening regionally doesn't apply to the multitude of micro markets, especially in a large city like Houston. If you want the best information available so you can find the value of your home, give us a call or shoot us an email. We'll help you price your home competitively so you can sell it fast and get maximum value. 

Houston Real Estate Market Update for Summer 2014

Looking to buy or sell a home in Houston, TX? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (832) 428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We are halfway through the year in Houston, so we thought today would be a good time to send a market update out. This will cover the Houston real estate market, as well as the nationwide real estate market as  a whole. There are a lot of things to report, so let's get started with what's going on right here in Houston.

• Market levels are up 2.6% from last year
• Sales for homes under $500,000 are down because there are just not enough properties out there for the demand, while homes listed over $500,000 have seen an increase in sales.
• There is a strong demand for properties in Houston, and the building is just starting to catch up with the demand.
• Appreciation for single-family homes is huge, with about a 10% appreciation rate

Now, here are some statistics on the nationwide housing market as a whole.

• Inventory levels around the country have risen 12% this year after decreasing in each of the last 2 years.
• New home sales are up 18%, a much larger number than was expected. Builder confidence is high and more and more builders are confident in people looking for new homes.

If you have any questions about either our Houston market or the nationwide market, please don't hesitate to call. We would love to help you sort things out.

How to Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation

Looking to buy or sell a home in Houston, TX? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (832) 428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Summer time is here in Houston. With the kids on summer vacation and the weather heating up, you or somebody you know may be heading out on vacation soon. While you are relaxing on vacation, the last thing you want to do is worry about  what is going on at your home. I want to share with you some helpful tips that will keep your home safe  and make your vacation that much more enjoyable. Here are 5 great tips for keeping your home safe.

1. Stop The Social Media Updates
• As social media sites have become more popular, a rising trend we have seen is people posting on these sites where they are going, who they are with, and how long they will be gone. While sharing memories with all of your family and friends online is a great thing, advertising that you are going to be vacant from your home is not. You may want to hold off on this until you get home.
2. Hold Your Mail
   • Nothing advertises that nobody is home better than stacked up mail or newspapers on your front porch or in your mailbox. A simple call to the post office or newspaper to put a hold on your mail is a simple fix for an obvious sign.
3. Call Police Authorities
   • If you live in a small town, a smart move would be to notify the police that you will be out of town so that they can keep an eye out for your home on their patrol. This can really scare home intruders away and make them think twice.
4. Notify Your Neighbors
   • Let your neighbors know that you will be out of town. They are around your house every day and will be the first line of defense against home break-ins or vandalism. 
5. Install a Float Switch
• There have been clients in the past who have had their air conditioning drain back up, which results in them returning to an absolute mess. Installing a float switch on the drain pan in your air conditioner is a simple, cheap fix that can save you a lot of headaches.

Both the weather and market are heating up, and I will be back in a few weeks with another market update. I hope you have a great start to your summer  and as always, please give me a call if you have any questions at all.