Dear Future Homeowner,
It´s my pleasure to introduce myself and offer my services to you. I´ve had the opportunity to help many homebuyers find their ideal homes. I look forward to working with you too!
Buying a new home is one of the largest financial transactions that most people ever undertake. Because the process can be lengthy and sometimes confusing, I want you to know that I will be here to help you through every step. My goal is to help you find the home of your dreams, and make your home buying experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.
When you are ready to purchase your next home, I welcome the opportunity to represent you. In the meantime, I will provide you with valuable information about homeownership, the real estate market and many other helpful topics by email.
I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about buying, financing or current market conditions. I can also send you listings of suitable properties currently on the market in area you want to live. My services include helping you find a home, arranging financing, negotiating the purchase, and handling the details to ensure a smooth closing.
When you are thinking about buying a home, there are always plenty of questions to ask. Please don't hesitate to call or email me any time. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to you.
Getting Started
1. Get acquainted with the area & decide on a particular part of the city that best suits your needs. I serve all of West & Northwest Houston. From I-45 to Just south of I-10.
2. Get Pre-approved. I have a great working relationship with several loan officers who offer competitive rates, great products & excellent service.
3. Search online for a list of homes on our local association´s website www.har.com. Currently, it hosts more than 95% of all area listing, encompassing Harris, Montgomery, Waller, Brazoria and other surrounding counties. Visit at your pace and with no strings attached. Set-up a username & password & have listings that match your search criteria emailed to you as often as you like.
4. We will then communicate about your list of chosen properties, your travel plans to Houston and time we can go and view all selected properties.
5. I will provide you a complete neighborhood market evaluation prior to your offer being submitted so you can make an informed decision based on comparable sales in the area you have selected.
Interesting Information About Houston
The City of Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation and the largest city in the south/southwest. The City of Houston covers 596.11 square miles of flat land 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 100 feet above sea level.
Population estimates for the Houston Brazoria Galveston Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area is 4,253,428 ranking it 10th among the nation's metropolitan areas. The Houston CMSA covers 8,778.31 square miles!
Home to NASA Johnson Space Center, focal point for U.S. manned space flight program.
Houston is reportedly the most air-conditioned place on the earth. The climate is classified as marine or semi-tropical. More than 60 primary languages other than English are spoken in the homes of Houston Independent School District students.
Houston is second only to New York City for number of theater seats, with nearly 8,000. We are one of only a handful of cities to boast resident companies that perform 12 months a year in all four performing arts: ballet, opera, symphony and theater, including the Tony Award-winning Alley Theater. Unexpected museums in Houston include: The Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Health & Medical Science, the Children's Museum, the Menil Collection and the Holocaust Museum Houston.
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Size |
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While Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, there is still a unique, small town atmosphere that distinguishes many of its neighborhoods and communities. A recent national survey ranked Houston the fifth most helpful city of the 36 cities polled. |
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Many smaller cities and master-planned communities located throughout the area foster a community spirit and bond that makes them among the most desirable places to live in the nation. |
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Yet Houston can offer such "big city" attributes as world class arts and culture and an international business center. For its size, Houston is an amazingly affordable place to live. |
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Traffic |
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In the early 1980s Houston's freeways were frequently congested, but after a concerted effort by government and private and public entities, Houston has become the only major American city to actually improve its mobility. Hundreds of miles of freeways and toll-ways have been built in Houston in the past 10 years. When the 104.2 mile transit way system is complete, Houston will have more miles of high occupancy vehicle lanes than any other U.S. city. |
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The Sam Houston Parkway and the Hardy Toll Road, completed in the early 1990's have significantly contributed to Houston's improved mobility. |
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Houstonians average close to 280,000 passenger trips per weekday on METRO buses, some 60 million per year. In 21993, METRO's fleet of 1,289 vehicles ranked ninth in size nationally, versus 20th in 1984. |
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The arrival of METRORail brings a new era of transportation to Houston. It's a fast, convenient and safe way to travel between Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, the Texas Medical Center, Reliant Park and the South Fannin Park & Ride lot. With frequent service and the capacity to carry up to 400 passengers per trip, METRORail will help cut through congestion in these heavily traveled areas. |
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The Weather |
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While the adjectives "hot and humid" are often used to describe Houston's weather, its temperature seldom reaches 100 degrees. Houston has fewer than 20 days per year with temperatures at or below 32 degrees F and only about 96 days of 90 degrees F or more. The annual average relative humidity at noon is 60 percent. |
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The annual average precipitation is 46.07 inches and Houston averages 58 percent of possible sunshine annually, ranging from 43 percent in January to 68 percent in July. Houston's climate allows residents to enjoy year-round outdoor sports and recreational activity. |
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The Culture |
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Houston is home to the world's largest rodeo and livestock show that attracts 1.5 million visitors from all over the world each year. Many of the nation's top country and western musicians have Houston roots. |
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Houston also has a dynamic arts community that receives wide support throughout the region. Houston is home to the internationally acclaimed Jones Hall, free concerts in Miler Theater and concerts on tour. Houston Grand Opera, one of the nation's five largest opera companies, is recognized throughout the world for the balance between contemporary works and classics in its standard repertoire. Founded in 1955, Houston ballet presents a season of local and touring performances. Theater Under The Stars offers lavish musicals in free summer productions and in a winter subscription season. |
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Live dramatic and musical theater have developed a committed following in Houston. The Alley Theater is one of the country's three oldest resident theaters and Stages Repertory Theater offers Southwestern and world premieres, experimental productions of classic works and revivals of American Masterpieces. Houston is home to a host of notable no equity professional companies. Museums with rare and unique collections abound in Houston, including the Museum of Fine Arts that displays more than 27,000 works from antiquity to the present and The Menil Collection that houses a highly acclaimed privately assembled collection of some 10,000 art objects. |
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The Cost of Living |
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The ACCRA Cost of Living Index shows that Houston's overall after-taxes living costs are 5 percent below the nationwide average, largely due to housing costs that are 17 percent below the average. |
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In the context of the 23 metropolitan areas with more than 1.7 million population that participated in the Fourth Quarter 2001 ACCRA survey, Houston's cost-of-living advantage is even more pronounced. Excluding ultra-expensive New York City and San Francisco, Houston's housing costs are 33 percent below the average for the remaining 21 large metro areas, and its overall costs are 15 percent below the average for this group. |
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Houston has the lowest housing prices among the 23 large metros. Houston's grocery prices are 16 percent below the major-metro average; its utility costs are 3 percent below the average; its transportation costs are 5 percent below the average; its health care costs are 10 percent below the average; and its costs for miscellaneous good and services are 8 percent below the average. |
Searching For Homes
Our local real estate association is the second largest in the United States with over 50,000 listed properties. What can your money buy you? Are you buying in a "good part of town?" Where do I start? These are just a few questions and examples of things I can do to help you as your local real estate professional.
Simply email me your search criteria needs so I can email you a continuous list of homes or feel free to visit the site yourself.
Below is an example of what you will see after you reach www.har.com. Simply click on Find a Home, create a username & password and begin searching listed properties that suit your needs & likes.
I am available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have about any home, neighborhood or area that you may be interested in.
I will assist you with all utility providers´ options.
I will provide you with a list of preferred inspectors, local vendors & any other company or service you might need to make your transaction as smooth as possible.
Understanding & Using The MLS
The MLS certainly has lots of resourceful goodies to help you navigate your way through the area listings. Here are a few details and examples of some abbreviations you will likely notice.
A - Active, on the market.
OP- Option Pending. A listing that is "under contract" and the buyer & seller have agreed to use the "Termination Option." During this time, (usually 10 days) the buyer will conduct inspections, check for termites and attempt to negotiate all repairs. The buyer also makes the decision whether or not to exercise their right to terminate which would allow the earnest money to be refunded.
PS - Pending Continue To Show. This is where a listing is under contract and showings are still permitted. The option as typically expired and repairs, if any have been negotiated. All negotiations are likely complete.
P - Pending. Again, a listing that is under contract, but showings are no longer permitted.
S - Sold. The property is closed & funded. A transaction has occurred and ownership has changed.
X - Expired. The Listing Agreement to allow the home to be placed on the market has expired.
T - Terminated. The home is NOT on the market and the Listing Agreement between the seller and Listing firm is has been
W - Withdrawn. A valid listing agreement exist and the home has been temporarily been removed from the market.
* It is not uncommon for listings to be logged in as PS when in fact the actual status is Pending. Should you still expect to view a home that is in a PS status? Can you view a W listing if you´re interested in buying? Contact me 24/7 for any questions you might have.
Online Search Advice
As you search online for your next home you will begin to notice a few things that are worth discussing.
* A Listing Agent lists a home and is typically in a seller representative type relationship with the homeowner. According to Texas Law & Realtor Code of Ethics a Listing Agent is permitted to represent both buyer & seller in same transaction but cannot provide advice & opinion to the buyer if doing so! Naturally it would be in YOUR best interest to have a Buyer´s Agent! Remember me?
* While playing with Google or any other Search Engine you may also realize that there are countless websites with countless listings. How do you know which one to rely on?
* Here´s a little secrete that some companies & agents don´t want you to know3;
Most, if not ALL of those sites are designed to capture your contact information then have it sold to Realtors. I know this because I do it every day. I buy buyer & seller leads!
* Your best way with the least amount of hassle is to search for listings is on our association´s website www.HAR.com. Remember, it´s free to use and HASSEL FREE! Don´t be reeled in by other colorful sites pretending to offer you bells and whistles, comparable sales and other tantalizing pieces of information. (They are usually outdated, inaccurate, wrong or made up!)
* Don´t ask the Listing Agent questions about the price, negotiations, "how much can they come down" or anything like that. Listing Agents hate these questions.
Most, if not all the information is on the MLS printout like price, schools and so forth.
* Lots of interesting information exists on our MLS that is not viewable by the general public like DOM or Day´s On Market, Property Archive Reports. Imagine being able to view what the original list price was, when it was listed and how long it has been on the market. The list is pretty extensive, so be sure to ask me if you have any questions while search for properties.
Important Links
One of the largest things a buyer should consider when looking for a new home is the properties potential resale value.
Factors like:
1. Schools
2. Crime rates
3. Area development, including highway improvements.
4. Area desirability
5. Location
Here are few popular Real Estate Links
www.My290.com (updates on local freeway modifications)
www.Har.com (Houston Association of Realtors)
www.GreatSchools.net (Be an informed parent, school ratings)
www.txdps.state.tx.us (Texas Department of Public Safety)
www.houston.citysearch.com (Everything about Houston)
No Worries
I take special care in working with buyers that are relocating to the Houston area. I have lived in Houston and its surrounding counties & suburbs for over 30 years.
I am detail oriented, patient and very concerned about ensuring your experience is both a positive and memorable one.
As a local Top Producer and Industry leader you can be assured you will be in good hands.
I have surrounded myself with a solid group of professionals such as a team of Mortgage Experts, Home Inspectors, Appraisers, Handy Men & Escrow Officers.
