Register Real Estate Advisors

WASHINGTON (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) – The price of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage has fallen for the fourth straight week.
Breaking last week’s record-low rate of 3.79 percent, the new U.S. average rate for a 30-year mortgage is now at 3.78 percent. The 30-year rate has remained below 4 percent since December.
The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage held on to last week’s record low of 3.04 percent.

1.  Take out trash daily

2.  Use HEPA Air Filters and replace frequently

3.  Remove all carpet from the home and wash area rugs frequently

4.  Keep pets outdoors

5.  Use bleach to clean bathrooms and replace moldy shower mats and bath curtains

After your real estate contract is executed and the option period is over, you can relax a little.  Whether you are the buyer or seller, one of the most stressful aspects of the transaction is over.  Now you are heading to closing.

To avoid common closing delays make sure your income taxes have been filed and paid and your driver’s license has not expired.  You will need to get your payoff or the lender information to the title company if you are the seller and have a mortgage on the property.  If a power of attorney is to be used for closing, get it executed before closing.

When you go to your closing you will want to bring your driver’s license, social security numbers if you don’t have them memorized, a check book (for an minor incidentals or to set up a wire transfer,) and all of the keys to the house.  Make sure you bring any other keys – mailbox keys, gate keys, etc.  Also bring your garage door openers and a gate opener if it’s a gated subdivision.  If you have a binder from your builder, it’s nice to leave that in the house for the buyers.  Extra paint and any booklets or owners guides for appliances are also nice things to leave in the house for the buyers.  If you are the buyer, bring your cashier’s check with you to the title company at closing or have the funds wired to the title company.

Your Realtor should let you know what to expect along the way.  If you are using a lender, they will tell you what amount of money to bring to the closing.  There will be many documents to sign at closing.  When you are finished, the title company will make copies for you to keep.  A smooth real estate closing is what every buyer and seller wants, but there are things that need to be done to make that happen.  If you have questions, ask your Realtor.

Many builders are moving to Green Choices.  Green Choices that builders make can save you big money on your utility bills.  Whatever you motivation for making green choices, it makes all of us and our kids healthier and more sustainable for the future.  Below are just a few tips that will make you a little more “Green.”

1. Put a brick or full 2-liter bottle in your toilet tank to save water. Saving that volume space of water each time you flush saves you money.
2. Turn down the temperature on your hot-water heater by at least 2 degrees and wrap your unit with insulation.
3. Replace burned out light bulbs with new CFLs or LEDs.

As always, when you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate, call me at 281.288.3500

Here are some links to the topics covered on today’s show:

• COL (Ret.) Albert Nahas – You can find more about his book, “Warriors Remembered” at WarriorsRemembered.com.
• Jerry Patterson, Chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board – You can find out more about the TVLB at TexasVets.com.
• Andy Pujols, President and Founder of Building Homes for Heroes – You can learn more about this wonderful charity at BuildingHomesForHeroes.org.
  
  Below is a great clip from the Sean Hanity Show highlighting one of the homes built by Building Homes for Heroes and the soldier who received it.
  
• Jeff Wagner – You can learn more about VA loans by contacting Jeff at VeryBestMortgage.com or you can apply for a loan directly on the RREA website HERE.
• At 2:55, we are going to be giving away a copy of “Warriors Remembered” to one of our callers from the last week.
• “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
  John Stuart Mill
  English economist & philosopher (1806 – 1873)

Here is the first segment with COL (Ret.) Albert Nahas.

Here is the second segment with Jerry Patterson, Chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board.

Here is the third segment with Andy Pujols, Founder and President of Building Homes for Heroes.

Here is the last segment with Jeff Wagner, RREA’s in-house lender and Mortgage Banker with OnQ Financial on VA loans.

We would like to thank you for listening to this week’s Memorial Day Weekend special!

In Texas, 100% Disabled Veterans are now eligible to receive the new 100% Homestead Exemption.  A qualified 100% Disabled Veteran’s home will be totally exempt from property taxes in all jurisdictions, regardless of the home’s value.

The qualifications for the prior disabled veteran’s exemption differ from the qualifications for this 100% Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption.  To qualify for this 100% Homestead Exemption, you must:

• Own a home and occupy it as your homestead residence.
• Be receiving 100% disability compensation from the US Department of Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability.
• Have a disability rating of 100% disabled or of individual unemployability.

This exemption is not automatically given.  To obtain this exemption, you must:

• Complete Form 11.13 by checking the box for 100% Disabled Veterans Exemption and all other boxes which apply to you.
• Attach to completed Form 11.13 a copy of your award letter, a “VA tax letter,” or other document from the US Department of Veterans Affairs which states 100% disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100% disability or of individual unemployability.  (You can contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000.  Their website is:  www.va.gov.)

Following are other limitations and features with regard to the 100% Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption:

• Only a disabled veteran can claim the new 100% homestead exemption.  Accordingly, upon your death, the new 100% homestead exemption does not pass to your surviving spouse or children.
• If you owned your home and met the qualifications for the new 100% homestead exemption as of the effective date of January 1, 2010, this exemption will apply for the 2010 tax year forward.
• If you are hospitalized or in a nursing home, you can get the new 100% homestead exemption as long as you intend to return home when you are able.
• If you own your home with your spouse and the home is community property, the new 100% homestead exemption is calculated as if you own 100% of the home.  If the home is not community property, the exemption is prorated in proportion to the value of your ownership interest in the home.
• If there is a mortgage on your home, you can still get the new 100% homestead exemption.
• You should apply for the regular homestead exemption and the over-65 homestead exemption, when applicable, in addition to the new 100% homestead exemption, to ensure that you receive the maximum benefits of the regular and over-65 homestead exemptions in the event that your qualifications for the new exemption change.
• Once the new 100% homestead exemption is granted, you do not have to reapply for future tax years unless the chief appraiser sends a written requirement for you to do so.
• While this 100% Disabled Veteran’s Homestead Exemption and the general homestead exemption apply only to your homestead—your principal residence, if you receive the prior disabled veteran’s exemption, you may apply that exemption to your vacation home.

Welcome to the new ExxonMobil Campus of the future. This world class facility is coming to the Houston, Texas area and we are ready. Here at RREA, our agents specialize in new and resale homes in the Spring and Woodlands area. Call us today so we can help you relocate to your new home – 281.288.3500. We hope you enjoy the video below provided by ExxonMobil that lays out the project plans.

You can usually purchase a home with a FICO Credit Score of 650.  However, with a credit score of 760 you will get a much better interest rate from your lender.  Getting a better interest rate up front (maybe over 1%) can save you money over the life of the loan.  If you had a $200K loan with a point higher interest rate that could measure up to as much as $70K over the life of your loan.  This is an estimate, but you can check with your lender for specifics.  Call RREA for all of your purchasing and renting needs, no matter what your credit score is.  If we can’t help you now, we will help you find a route to fix your credit so we can help you later!

Recently I have begun the adventure of trying new or unusual activities that are happening right here in my own community. Getting outside of the repeated hum drum let’s do the same thing as last week attitude I found a somewhat new event happening at the Woodlands Mall every Wednesday from 3 – 7pm. The Feast of the Artisans is a Farmers Market combined with an Artisan Market, thus the name Feast of Artisans.

Starting with a late lunch at Café Express my guests and I then caught The Woodlands Trolley at Market Street – Central Park. The air-conditioned Trolley dropped us off right where we needed to shop without having to move and then park our automobiles.

The Trolley stop above The Waterway located close to The Cheesecake Factory and Barnes & Noble is where you want to deboard. Then make your way to the tents of local vendors selling seasonal local fruits and vegetables, local honey, free-range chicken eggs, meats, olive oil, tie-dyed products, Indian food, bath sundries, ceramics and more. I personally found: squash, peaches, tomatoes, organic green beans, Luxurious Face & Body Cream, and wine.

We had a wonderfully relaxed time shopping, made our way back to the car via The Trolley and left our bags. Then we headed back into Market Square to finish the evening with Yogurt. Does this sound like an out of the ordinary evening to you? Try it!

What: Feast of Artisans Farmers Market
Where: The Woodlands Mall, I-45 north at Lake Woodlands Drive, south side of the shopping center.
When: Every Wednesday 3 – 7pm
Why: Support local farmers and Artisans making unique items conveniently available to area families.
Interested in Participating? feastofartisans.com

1. Motto:  Auburn Lakes is a beautifully wooded community with a great location.

2. Golfer’s paradise, Auburn Lakes is home to the Willow Creek Golf Club, a scenic championship course.

3. A 500-acre master plan with amenities like golf, tennis, lakes, greenbelt trails, and an active community and recreation center.

4. Great location next to The Woodlands and even closer to everywhere you want to go via I-45, FM 2920 and Hardy Toll Rd.

5. Great builders offering new homes in a wide variety of price ranges, including the gated custom home neighborhood.

6. Klein ISD, a TEA Recognized District.  Schools include Northampton Elementary; Hildebrandt Intermediate; and Klein Oak High School.

7. The Club, a full-service tennis and fitness private membership club, offers 12 tennis courts, swimming pools, a fitness center, a restaurant and many more amenities available to Auburn Lakes residents.

8. Auburn Lakes Community Center is a great place where residents of all ages can swim, workout, play tennis, and host events in the spacious clubhouse.  As an Auburn Lakes resident you can also enjoy amenities in the neighboring sister community, Northampton.

9. Miles of greenbelt trails where every member of the family can enjoy their favorite mode of exercise from bikes and blades to running shoes.

10. A secluded community with a secure and closely knit atmosphere, combined with the advantage of onsite fire protection.

Community Facts

Description:  A 500-acre master-planned community that is densely wooded by a mature pine and hardwood forest.  Developer and home builders are working carefully to preserve as many trees as possible.  Other distinguishing characteristics include gently rolling terrain and scenic ravines.  Upon completion, Auburn Lakes will have more than 1,200 single-family homes in a variety of price ranges.  The master plan also includes land designated for commercial development.

For more information contact me at: judy@rrea.com