How To Find Great Homes for Sale

How to Find Great Homes for Sale in the Woodlands, Spring and Magnolia

When you are house-hunting with kids in the ever-changing landscape of the real estate world of homes for sale in the Woodlands, comfort and security should always take precedence over other aspects, such as a big backyard or modern amenities like dishwashers and microwaves. What should be far more important is the neighborhood your children will be growing up in and the services that are nearby, most importantly the school.

All of this can be extremely stressful for most parents, but this article will help to alleviate your stress and give you a good starting point from which to start looking for homes for sale in the Woodlands.

1. Start at the bottom. The most important thing for your child is the school that they attend; your house should always be within the schools area. Keep in mind that your children’s education will have a significant effect on their future, which means that it would be best for you to pick the schools you’re interested in and then aim to find homes for sale in the Woodlands near that area.

2. Tour the grounds. Before you commit to the school you’ve picked, it’s always a good idea to have a look around the campus of the prospective schools. Taking your child along will also give them an idea of which school they would like to go to and often enough, the deciding factor that determines which house you pick is based on which school you pick.

3. The area. It’s always a good idea to get a feel for the area before you move in. Take a weekend to go look around the areas that you’re interested in and get a hands on feel for the area. Pay attention to cleanliness, the state of the buildings, and the types of homes you’ll be near, is everything neat and tidy? All of these factors will help keep your houses value up.

Learning the area where your child could be growing up is of crucial importance, so take a wander through on a school afternoon to see the environment your child will be living in, as well. Are there other kids playing in driveways that could be potential friends for your child? And last but not least, make it a point to come back at night; this will help you to get a truer feel for the neighborhood. Is it full of loud parties, hooligans and drugs? Does there seem to be an inordinate amount of activity going on, with people walking the streets, or loitering on street corners? Or is it a quiet peaceful area where you can raise your child in peace?

Despite your stringent screening process, (which is entirely necessary) there will still be an abundance of homes for sale in the Woodlands within your price range. At this point, it all comes down to personal preference. Review all the information you’ve gathered in order to decide which neighborhood is best to raise a child in. After all, your child’s happiness – and your own – are paramount to create a happy home.

Jutta “Utah” Burden’s Real Estate Market Update

The Woodlands Market Update

 As expected, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a decline in existing home sales at the end of 2009, as first time    buyers rushed to beat the tax credit deadline and close their transactions by November 30. Although Existing home sales fell by 16.7 percent in December, sales remained brisk enough to break the 5 million unit mark, bringing total the number of existing homes sales up to 5,156,000 for all of 2009. The 2009 sales figures were almost 5 percent higher than the year before, creating first year-over-year sales gain since 2005.

Chief NAR economist Lawrence Yun remains cautiously optimistic about the national housing market. “It’s significant that home sales remain above year-ago levels, but the market is going through a period of swings driven by the tax credit,” he said. ‘We’ll likely have another surge in the spring as home buyers take advantage of the extended and expanded tax credit. By early summer the overall market should benefit from more balanced inventory, and sales are on track to rise again in 2010. However, the job market remains a concern and could dampen the housing recovery – job creation is key to a continued recovery in the second half of the year.”

Great Opportunity for Buyers

Historically low interest rates and the extended federal tax credit have helped millions of buyers take advantage of one of the best buyers markets in history. Market conditions have improved considerably with the help of these stabilizing forces. Expect to see continued market activity through the winter and spring as savvy buyers take advantage of the extended $8,000 tax credit. Freddie Mac reports that 30 year conventional loans available in the high-4 to low-5 percent range.

Increased demand has shrunk inventory while slightly raising homes prices. The national median existing home price rose to $178,300 in December, up 1.5 percent over 2008 prices. The increase was attributed in part to an increase in mid- to upper-priced homes.

The reduction of housing inventory has brought stability to many parts of the country, creating more competition for available homes, and multiple offers in some areas.

Five Winter Staging Tips

When selling your home in the winter, the art of staging the inside becomes more important. Here are five simple tips that can help you sell your home shine even when the outside landscaping has faded:

Keep your house warm. In the winter people tend to turn the thermostat down to save money, however a warmer house is more welcoming to a potential buyer.
Clear your walkways and driveways of any snow or ice. Make it easy for buyers to get to your home.
Clean the windows and blinds. Letting in the natural light can brighten up a room and cheer up the home. This also brings attention to the windows and blinds so make sure they are clean even during winter. Dirty windows will make the home seem as those it’s not well maintained.
Background music played softly can completely change the atmosphere making the home seem cozy and keep potential buyers around longer. Stick with classical music which can appeal to anyone.
Leave the light on. Before showing a home, make sure it’s well lit. A well lit home is more inviting. If you’re not home, consider setting up timers.
Following these simple tips can give your house that added boost in today’s competitive market. For information on selling in our local market, please feel free to call and ask for a computer analysis of our recent market activity. We would be more than happy answer any questions you might have!