Register Real Estate Advisors

HOUSTON (Metrostudy) – Houston’s housing market appears to be building up steam, according to a recent report by housing data and consulting firm Metrostudy.

Area homebuilders started 18,417 new homes in 2011, a 2 percent decline from the 2010 total. But the 4,387 homes started in fourth quarter 2011 represent a 24 percent increase over last year’s tax credit-depressed quarterly starts count. Just over 4,890 new homes were closed last quarter, 388 more than the year before.

At the end of 2011, the city’s new home market had an inventory of fewer than 10,000 homes, a first since 1997. A 10 percent decline in new home closings in 2011 caused new home inventory to rise from 5.9 last year to 6.4 months.

But the city’s job growth should mean more work for builders this year.

“Based on the job growth of the last 12 months, the tight housing supply and the building confidence of the Houston market should lead to an increase in new home starts through the end of 2012,” said David Jarvis, director of Metrostudy’s Houston division.

Metrostudy said the city’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.6 percent in fourth quarter 2011, a full percentage point less than the previous quarter’s reading. Employment also grew by 3.3 percent annually.

HOUSTON (Houston Business Journal) – Houston is home to two of the country’s five top-selling master-planned communities, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting LLC.

The Woodlands ranked second based on 945 home sales last year, up from 786 sales in 2010. Cinco Ranch came in third with 862 home sales, up from 823 sales in 2010.

Also cracking the top five was Alamo Ranch in San Antonio, with 500 home sales last year.

The top spot went to The Villages in Orlando, Fla., which had 2,307 sales.

Twelve of the top 50 master-planned communities in the survey are in Houston. A list is posted on the Houston Business Journal‘s website.

A total of 133 master-planned communities were surveyed by Irvine, Calif.-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting for the second annual ranking.

Ever wonder how to find the right builder to build your family a home?  Below are my Top 10 recommendations for finding the builder that is right for you!  If you would like to purchase a home, RREA has many experienced and seasoned Realtors that can help you and there is no cost to you.  Your builder will pay our commission!  Call RREA today to find the Realtor that best meets your real estate needs – 281.288.3500.

10.  Use a Realtor!  Realtor’s comply to a strict Code of Ethics and are licensed by the state.  They have a fiduciary responsibility to protect your best interest in a transaction.  Builders do not fall under this Code of Ethics.  They are looking out for their best interest, and many times have their attorneys write their contracts for them.

9.  Find the areas of town you want to live in and interview the builders that will build in those areas.

8.  Get Pre-Approved for your Financing or have a letter from your financial institution stating how much home you can afford to buy.

7.  Figure out the type of home you want – ranch style, basement, two story, patio home, etc.

6.   If your Realtor is a member of the Greater Houston Home Builders Association they have access to the list of builders who construct homes in the area.  All of the Realtors at Register Real Estate Advisors has access to this membership list.

5.  Once you have narrowed down a list of builders, see some of the homes they have under construction and some that have been completed.  Ask for testimonials from their clients or references.

4.  Before picking a floorplan, walk through as many new homes as you can.  You can do this by attending open houses or visiting new communities.  This way you can see the differences between builders and find ideas you want to incorporate in your new home.  Check out the quality of the homes and see what building trends they use (bay windows, art niches, etc.)

3.  Remember that you will be picking your tiles, carpet, countertops, paint, appliances, and much more.  When touring homes and looking at magazines, inspect these items to find out what you like best.  Take lots of notes to share with your builder and photos if possible.  Ask lots of questions!

2.  Your goal should be to find a builder you trust and feel comfortable talking to.  You will have a close relationship during the months that your home is being built.

1.  When you finally pick your builder, ask about his company history, experience, philosophy, and building and payment process.  Talk with the builder at length about what your expectations are for the new home.

The time is now to File your Homestead Exemption. You may apply for homestead exemptions on your principal residence. Homestead exemptions remove part of your home’s value from taxation, so they lower your taxes. Additional information for rules governing the Homestead Exemptions can be found on the Texas Comptrollers website. For those of us in Montgomery County, Texas who need the forms they can be found here. There are some changes this year if you are new to filing so pay special attention to the documents that must be copied and sent with the form. If you are ready to search for property in Conroe, Willis, The Woodlands, or Spring let me know. Let’s get you moving this year while interest rates are low!

When you purchase a new home or a resale home, you will want to make sure your home has sufficient insurance coverage.  You want a homeowner’s insurance policy that will cover your new house and all of your family’s items inside.  To determine how much insurance you need, figure our how much it would cost you to rebuild your house today on your existing lot.  Your personal property coverage should then be anywhere from 55-75% of that amount, according to most insurance salesman.

If you live in Texas, you know there are natural disasters that take place.  Along the coast, we have to be prepared for hurricanes.  In other areas, there are wildfires.  Damage caused by natural disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes are not covered by regular homeowner’s policies, so depending on where you live, you may want to consider additional coverage.  Your insurance agent can help you figure out the right amount of coverage and suggest upgrades or additional policies that would be appropriate for your specific situation.  In the Spring and Woodlands area I recommend LaVon da Fletcher at State Farm Insurance.  She and her team are experts at helping homeowners figure out how much insurance they need.

First of all, home ownership is the American Dream.  It’s creating a home for your family with potential finacial rewards in the future.  How can you benefit in the future from home ownership?  Appreciation.  Usually land and homes appreciate in value over time.  Historically, your home will be worth more in the future than when you purchased it, but you can’t sell it the year after you purchase it.  It’s considered a long term investment.  As your home appreciates and you have been paying down the mortgage, you can use the equity in your home to move to a more expensive or nicer home.  Or move to a smaller home and use that equity to pay off bills, pay for a child’s college, or fund your retirement.  It gives you some flexibility for your future.  If you don’t want to sell the home, you can still tap into the equity by refinancing or getting a home equity loan to remodel or make a large purchase.  Basically, you can leverage your property.  This is just another benefit of home ownership.  Lastly, you get tax breaks when you own a home.  You can deduct property taxes and mortgage interest.  Owning a home has always been a wise investment.  If you would like to know more about the benefits of home ownership, please call Register Real Estate Advisors at 281.288.3500 where we can advise you on purchasing land, a home, or any residential or commercial property.  Our Realtors fall under a strict code of ethics and can help you make the best financial decision for your family!

As a member of the GHBA, RREA received the Houston Custom Home Builders Resource Guide.  The article below was reprinted from an article in the 2011 Resource Guide.  I felt it was very informative for consumers and wanted to share it with you so when you purchase a new home, you will know how to maintain it.  It’s very important that you maintain the home so that the warranty will work in your favor.  I hope you enjoy this information:

Maintaining a clean home is one way to ensure its longevity.  Here are some tips for properly maintaining some of the systems in your new home.

Heating and Cooling Systems

• Late summer or early fall are the ideal times to do an annual inspection and cleaning of these systems.
• Change or wash the filters every three months.
• If you have a gas furnace, keep your pilot light burning during the summer to help keep the furnace dry and prevent corrosion.
• Registers help regulate the flow of air and maintain the desired temperature in your home.  Keep registers closed in rooms you don’t use to save on cooling/heating costs.

Plumbing

• Every member of your family should know where the intake valves are located.  Label each one.
• If any of your appliances develop a leak, inspect your drain trap.  A partially clogged drain can cause overflow.  Use a plunger or a plumber’s snake to unclog the drain.  If you need to, use boiling water to help unclog a partially opened drain.  Call a plumber if these techniques don’t work.
• A worn washer, a loose part in a faucet or steam in a hot water pipe are generally the causes of a noisy pipe.  Do not hesitate to repair the noise—vibrations can follow the noise and lead to leaks.

Gutters and Downspouts

• Clear away leaves, tree limbs and other debris from gutters and downspouts.
• Turn the downspouts away from your home’s foundation.
• Every four to six years, paint gutters that are not made of aluminum or vinyl to help prevent rust.

Remember to read the instruction manual for every appliance in your new home.  The manuals provide recommended cleaning and maintenance schedules.  Also familiarize yourself with any warranties you have on both the house and its systems.  Some warranties may be voided if problems arise because of failure to perform routine maintenance.

Did you know that January 13th is “Make Your Dream Come True Day?”  Maybe

your dream is leasing or purchasing a home. Or maybe your dream is putting your

home on the market to sale. Well, go ahead and take the first step by giving me a call.

I would love to help you make your dream come true!

The September 2011 real estate search results are in and Houston, TX was the #31 most searched market in the country in September 2011, based on data released today by Realtor.com, the #1 homes for sale real estate web site.  Median list prices for homes in Houston, TX hit $174,000 in September 2011, a 2.35% increase from one year ago this month, and -0.51% decrease from August 2011.  The national median list price in September 2011 was $190,000, a 1.60% increase compared to September 2010.  The median age of inventory in Houston, TX in September was 85 days, a 2.41% increase compared to August 2011.  Nationally, the median age of inventory was 107 days, a 3.88% increase compared to August.

Are you planning to buy a home near the new Exxon Mobile Houston Campus?  Exxon Mobile has been planning to consolidate many of its Houston offices into a new campus which will relocate many of the employees.  The new campus will be located on a 385 acre site between Spring and The Woodlands in Harris County.  Move in is slated for early 2014, so if you will be moving to this campus you will want to relocate your family soon.  Register Real Estate Advisors is located within five miles of the new campus.  Our agents are well trained and specialize in the surrounding communities.  If you are planning to relocate to this area, move your family with the security of an agent that knows the area well and can help you find the best property to meet your family’s needs.  Call us today to find the agent that will best meet your needs at 281.288.3500.

The economic impact of this new campus has been estimated to create 44,000 jobs.  That will mean a lot of people moving to the Spring and Woodlands area.  This project will provide significant economic benefits for Texas and the local economy even while under construction.  It is estimated that housing prices will rise as we approach 2014.  So I encourage you to begin planning your move now so that you can get the best interest rate, location, and price for your new home.