Register Real Estate Advisors

Register Real Estate Advisors (RREA) was born out of the lack of effective marketing for sellers in this changing market place.  Many brokerages are failing to recognize the changes taking place and are not responding quickly enough to the consumer needs.  Not only do we have the toughest economy in a generation, but we also see a complete lack of understanding on how to react and respond to generation X and Y to meet their real estate needs.  They have changing and different buying habits than previous generations.  Gone are the days of putting a home in MLS and being an effective advocate for selling your client’s home.  Today you must meet buyers where they are which means heavy and effective multimedia to include a large online presence and a multitude of social media.  Correctly done, this results in an echo chamber that amplifies the presence of the home you’re selling and results in your home standing out above the thousands that are currently on the market.  This additional presence is only a portion of the effort required.  Having a website does you no good unless it’s search engine friendly and findable and most websites geared for real estate area not maximized.  At RREA we understand how to make your home stand out from the competition.

 To stand out from the competition, you can’t just be findable on the web.  The home must be presented in rich, high quality multimedia.  This can be achieved thru a combination of home staging, professional photography, professional videography, and creativity.  Before you sell your home with another real estate company, check out what we can offer you at RREA.com.

 If you are relocating to the Houston area we offer a user friendly interactive home search that can be found at RREA.com/search.  Our well trained agents can show you any home on the market.  Feel free to use our website to narrow down your search and give us a call.  We are trained relocation specialist and trained negotiators that work on your behalf.  You can visit our youtube channel to see videos of homes for sale at RREA.tv or visit our award winning website at RREA.com.  If you’re relocating from another area of the country, we offer a FREE relocation packet to help you understand the entire Houston area. 

 Shannon Register is a Realtor and Owner of Register Real Estate Advisors and was awarded “The Best Real Estate Blog in Texas” by Texas A&M University.  Her designations and certificates include Accredited Buyers Representative, ePRO, Graduate Realtor Institute, Texas Realtor Leadership Program, Social Media Pro, Certified Distressed Property Expert, Certified Negotiation Expert, Short Sale and Foreclosure Certified, Texas Land Board Certified and Accredited Luxury Home Specialist.  You won’t find a more qualified Realtor!   See what past clients have said about her service at RREA.com/testimonials.  You can listen to her on CBS 650AM on the Price of Business or American Lifestyles. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhzkkPn1q4

Moving to the Houston area?  I would like to be the first to welcome you and assist you with all of your real estate needs whether you are moving to Houston, The Woodlands, or Spring, Texas.  As a Relocation Specialist, I can help you sell your current property anywhere in the world and find a new one in this area.  At Register Real Estate Advisors our Realtors are ready to help your family relocate to our area of the country.  Please call us today and we will be happy to send you a copy of the Houston Newcomer Guide and maps of the area.  The guides will help you narrow your search area and give you a lot of helpful information about the communities in the surrounding area.  I would like to help you with all of your relocation needs and our website offers a wealth of information.  You can search the entire Houston MLS database on our website and see my featured listings, too.  You can read our award winning blog and catch up on all the latest housing news.  Please call us today so we can get started.  When you talk to your human resources coordinator, please ask for me by name!  Shannon Register 832.628.SELL

Moving to the Houston area?  I would like to be the first to welcome you and assist you with all of your real estate needs whether you are moving to Houston, The Woodlands, or Spring, Texas.  As a relocation specialist, I can help you sell your current property anywhere in the world and find a new one in this area.  I help relocate families all over the globe.  Please call me today and I will be happy to send you a copy of the Houston Newcomer Guide.  It will help you narrow your search area and give you a lot of helpful information about the communities in the surrounding area.  I would like to help you with all of your relocation needs and my website offers a wealth of information.  You can search the entire Houston MLS database on my website and see my featured listings, too.  You can read my award winning blog and catch up on all the latest housing news.  Please call me today so we can get started.  When you talk to your human resources coordinator, please ask for me by name!  Shannon Register 832.628.SELL

If you just moved to Texas, you’ll soon learn plenty about the culture, customs, and history of the state. In the meantime, here are a few items to consider as you get acclimated.

Get legal on the road
As a new Texas resident, you have 30 days to register your vehicle and get your driver’s license. Before you register your vehicle, though, it must pass the state inspection process. In order, here are the three steps to follow:
1. Take your vehicle to a state inspection station. You can find a list of what types of inspections are required in your county and an inspections-station locator at www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi. When you go, make sure you take your driver’s license and proof of insurance. If your insurance policy wasn’t issued in Texas, you may need to show proof that you carry the minimum coverage required by the state: $20,000 bodily injury or death to one person; $40,000 bodily injury or death to two or more persons; and $15,000 injury or destruction to other property.
2. When your vehicle passes inspection, the inspection station will give you a verification form to bring to the county tax assessor-collector’s office. This is where you obtain a Texas vehicle registration sticker and license plates. You’ll need proof of ownership, such as registration or title from your previous home state, as well as proof of insurance. Again, you may need to show that you carry minimum coverage amounts.
3. Apply for a Texas driver’s license at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office in your area. To find the location nearest you, visit www.txdps.state.tx.us. Bring an ID, proof of Social Security number, proof of liability insurance, and proof of Texas vehicle registration. Expect to provide a thumbprint and surrender any valid out-of-state license you currently have.

Register to vote
While at the driver’s license office, you can register to vote—or you can pick up a voter-registration application from the county voter registrar’s office, a library, post office, or from the secretary of state’s Web site, www.sos.state.tx.us. The application must be received 30 days before an election to vote in that election.

Go online
You can find a wealth of information about the state at TexasOnline.com. You can also search here for links to Web sites for counties, cities, chambers of commerce, schools, and libraries. If you’re looking for answers to questions about state laws, required business licenses, taxes, and more, you may also find that information here.

Don’t fall for misleading solicitations to file your homestead exemption
There is no fee to file a property-tax homestead exemption. You might receive letters, though, on official-looking stationery offering to file your homestead exemption for you for a fee. Even some people who have lived in Texas their entire lives confuse these letters as a form from a state agency requiring a mandatory fee. Don’t fall for it. The process is simple and costs nothing. You can download the application from
www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/50-114.pdf, fill out the form, and send it in to your appraisal district. If you have other questions, please feel free to get in touch with me. Welcome to your new home!

Texas REALTORS®

Moving to the Houston area?  I would like to be the first to welcome you and assist you with all of your real estate needs whether you are moving to Houston, The Woodlands, or Spring, Texas.  As a relocation specialist, I can help you sell your current property anywhere in the world and find a new one in this area.  I help relocate families all over the globe.  Please call me today and I will be happy to send you a copy of the Houston Newcomer Guide.  It will help you narrow your search area and give you a lot of helpful information about the communities in the surrounding area.  I would like to help you with all of your relocation needs and my website offers a wealth of information.  You can search the entire Houston MLS database on my website and see my featured listings, too.  You can read my award winning blog and catch up on all the latest housing news.  Please call me today so we can get started.  When you talk to your human resources coordinator, please ask for me by name!  Shannon Register 832.628.SELL

Make your project shine with a perfect finish.

1) Select materials and supplies. After you decide on the type of paint you will use (interior or exterior; latex or oil-based), choose a primer that works with it. Use wide brushes for larger areas and smaller brushes on edges and details. Cover your work surface with a drop cloth, newspaper, or old tablecloth.
TIP: Use paintbrushes with natural bristles for oil-based finishes and synthetic bristles for water-based finishes.

2) Prepare. Use a finishing cloth to clean the sanded surface of your project. To make cleaning your paintbrush easier after painting, pre-condition it with a cleanser that is recommended for your primer and paint (water for latex paints and mineral spirits for oil-based paints). Squeeze the liquid from the brush.

3) Prime. Stir the primer, and dip your brush halfway up the bristles. Dipping the brush halfway allows you to paint without constantly reloading. Apply one coat of primer, and allow to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sand the primed areas with fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface.
TIP: Always paint in a well-ventilated area.

4) Paint. Use a clean, pre-conditioned brush for the first coat of paint. Be sure to apply smooth brush lines in long, even strokes. Avoid dabbing the brush on the project surface. Allow the first coat to dry, and then apply a second coat. Add subsequent coats if needed at attain full coverage.
TIP: Paintbrushes can last longer than paint rollers if they are cleaned and stored properly.

Antique Finish Give a new project instant character.
Create the appearance of a well – loved piece of furniture with a few simple steps. Apply a light color over a dark color, and then sand to reveal the layers and raw wood.

Your recent woodworking project looks and feels like a new piece of furniture – but you may prefer an aged – wood appearance, instead. Several techniques can mimic the finish of antique furniture.
HOW-TO TIPS:
• Prep the wood for painting by cleaning and/or sanding all surfaces.
• Apply your first coat of paint once you create a good bonding base. This color will be seen the least with you are finished. Let dry thoroughly.
• Mimic a layered look by applying coats of one or two other colors. After reaching your desired number of layers, use coarse-grit sandpaper to scrape away paint on any portion of the piece that might be exposed to natural wear. You can continue this process using a finer grip paper.
• Create an antique finish by applying a crackle glaze to the paint layers. This will make crakes and fissures in the paint surface. For another look, apply a wiping glaze or a thinner coat of dark latex paint over the entire piece, and immediately wipe with a rag. The darker pigment will look like grime collected in the crevices and corners of the furniture.
• Add battle scars to the surface. Several well-placed hammer blows, a rap or two with a length of chain, and a few pokes with a screwdriver or an awl will do the job nicely.

This article was first published in the Fall 2010 issue of Woodworkers distributed by Lowe’s.

LOS ANGELES (Milken Institute) – Texas metropolitan areas dominated the Milken Institute’s “Best-Performing Cities” index for the second year in a row, claiming half of the top ten slots.

 Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood ranked first this year, bumping last year’s leader, Austin-Round Rock, down one notch. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission held its ground at number four.

 El Paso jumped five slots to number nine, meeting Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown on the way (H-town dropped from fifth to tenth place).

 The index ranks 200 of the nation’s largest metros based on their ability to create and sustain jobs.

 According to a Milken press release, “a business-friendly climate, a vibrant tech industry, and little exposure to the housing bubble and the financial services industry helped keep Texas cities and many of their peers on stable ground during the economic downturn.”

This is a great video to watch if you are unsure whether you want to purchase a home in town or one with some acreage. Enjoy!

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – Long-term mortgage rates fell to a record low this week with the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the week ending Oct. 7 of 4.27 percent, down from 4.32 percent last week.

 A 15-year fixed-rate mortgage also fell from an average of 3.75 percent to 3.72 percent. The two rates represent the lowest long-term figures recorded since Freddie Mac began keeping track.

 “The 12-month growth rate in the core price index for personal consumption, which the Federal Reserve closely tracks, has been drifting lower over the last six months ending in August and suggests inflation is running at a tepid pace at best,” said Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft. “This allowed mortgage rates to ease to new or near record lows.”

 Additionally, the number of existing homes pending sale rose for the second consecutive month in August, up 4.3 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. The association also reported that Austin home sales fell 15 percent year-over-year in August while sales so far this year have outperformed 2009.

Moving to the Houston area?  I would like to be the first to welcome you and assist you with all of your real estate needs whether you are moving to Houston, The Woodlands, or Spring, Texas.  As a relocation specialist, I can help you sell your current property anywhere in the world and find a new one in this area.  As a RE/MAX agent, I help relocate families all over the globe.  Please call me today and I will be happy to send you a copy of the Houston Newcomer Guide.  It will help you narrow your search area and give you a lot of helpful information about the communities in the surrounding area.  I would like to help you with all of your relocation needs and my website offers a wealth of information.  You can search the entire Houston MLS database on my website and see my featured listings, too.  You can read my award winning blog and catch up on all the latest housing news.  Please call me today so we can get started.  When you talk to your human resources coordinator, please ask for me by name!  Shannon Register 832.628.SELL