Selling this spring? Start cleaning now

Spring is the busiest time of the year for selling a home. The trees are budding, the grass is green, the songbirds return, and homebuyers feel the urge to begin their home-buying search.

January is one of the best times for home-sellers to begin the home-selling process. If you are planning to sell your home in the spring, January is the time to start moving. Successful home-sellers know there is more to selling a house than simply putting a “for sale” sign in the front yard, negotiating the top price for their home, and handing the keys over to the next homeowner. In today’s economy, your home has to sparkle to differentiate it from the competition. The drive-up must be inviting, the interior must be spotless, and the price must truly be competitive.

January is a good time to put the yard and exterior of the home back in “drive-by” condition. A brisk January day is a good time to clean up the debris blown into your yard by the winter winds. Rake up the stray leaves and trim the dormant bushes and hedges. If it is warm enough, wash the windows and wash or repaint the exterior doors. Clean the rain gutters. And while you have the ladder out, take down the Christmas lights. The lights looked nice in December, but now, some of the bulbs are burned out, so take them down. The new buyers can design their own lighting scheme next year.

January is also a perfect time to spread some weed and feed fertilizer on the lawn. Make sure the grass really is greener at your house than the other houses on the block. A tidy, green lawn will help your house sell quicker.

January is also a good time to get the interior of your home ready for the spring selling season. While preparing to sell your home, take some time to really inspect your home’s interior. Enter your house and look at it the way a new buyer will look at it. Pretend you are visiting for the first time. Now, start removing things. Donate or sell the items you really don’t use, put away the items of sentimental value and remove the items that are truly high-value. Remove everything you don’t want lost, broken, or touched.

The candlesticks you received as a wedding present from Grandma 20 years ago may be nice, and the dusty Kitchenaid mixer, sitting on the kitchen counter, will be handy when you make Halloween cookies in 10 months, but new buyers won’t appreciate them. The same goes for your child’s first-grade drawing proudly posted on the refrigerator door. They all have meaning to you, but put them in storage! They detract from the house.

Donate the sneakers you purchased to run the marathon you never entered. Pack that high school prom dress you will never wear again. No matter how nice your “stuff,” buyers want to see your house, not your possessions or memories. You are planning to move so pack your keepsakes, unused kitchen tools, and clothes that are too small, too old, or too outdated to wear.

You really won’t miss the items, and buyers will be able to “see” the house more clearly. You are selling your house, not your stuff … so remove it. The more you remove, the bigger your home will appear to prospective buyers. Rent a storage space if you have to and clean out the closets. It will be money well spent!

After removing all the clutter (including most of your family pictures), start cleaning. Really clean. A quick vacuum of the carpet will not make your home “showroom ready” to potential buyers. Deep clean. Have the carpets professionally cleaned, scrub the tile and vinyl flooring, clean the baseboards, wipe down the door and window frames, disinfect the bathrooms, and scour the oven and cooktop.

Do it all! If the walls have spots that can’t be cleaned, paint the walls. If the carpet can’t be cleaned, replace the carpet. Everything you do today to improve your home’s appearance will pay dividends when you sell, either through a higher price, a quicker sale, or easier negotiating. Buyers tend to “horrible-ize” any blemish in a house and hold your house to an idealized standard. Remember, the used house you are selling is a buyer’s new house, so they expect it to be in new-house condition.

Finally, after all the yard work is complete and the interior pristine, you are ready to begin the most competitive portion of the home selling process … pricing and marketing. I recommend speaking with a Texas REALTOR® to maximize your competitive edge when marketing your home. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2011 Profile of Texas Home Buyers and Sellers, only 8% of sellers sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent, and half of those sellers knew the buyers prior to the home sale. If you don’t already know the name of the next buyer of your house (only 4% of sellers do), can you really afford to miss the remaining 96% of the buyers?

Interview several Texas REALTORS®, ask them for their professional opinion of the value of your home, request a comparative market analysis, known in the real estate business as a CMA (and usually provided free of charge) of similar homes in your area, compare marketing plans presented by these Texas REALTORS® … and, finally, listen to their advice.

To sell your house this spring, start the process now. Dig out the cleaning supplies, de-clutter your house, call a Texas REALTOR®, and get started. Today.

Why Homes in the Woodlands and Spring are a Match Made in Heaven

Not everybody knows how seasons can affect how well a home can get sold or bought. Well, spring would be the best season to do so in the Woodlands due to the weather and the changes that occur during the season. This is also why homes in the Woodlands and spring agree with one another, among other reasons.

First of all, without a doubt, everybody has more time during the spring because every other season is much busier; there are summer vacations, Thanksgiving holidays and Christmas holidays, after all. The best thing about the spring is the weather. because it is so warm, it would be much more convenient to take a look at different homes within the area. Plus, if you have children, spring break will give you the perfect opportunity to take a look at how homes in the Woodlands and spring go well together.

Another reason why it would be best to look at the Woodlands homes during the spring is because down payments won’t be as much trouble during this season compared to the busier months. This is also the time when house sales remain steady while other months usually see a drop in house sales.

When looking at buying homes in the Woodlands and spring, you might come to notice that many more choices will be available to you. However, you will also have to remember that the competition is sure to be higher, too, and so sellers will be much more strict with the prices, whereas other months might give you cheaper prices because of the lower demand. Now, if it is a mortgage you are looking for, off-peak months would also be the best time to look for great deals.

It would also be much easier to negotiate during the off-peak months because the offers will be less overall. This may results in less choices when it comes to the homes, but they won’t exactly be extremely limited. There will still be many homes available for you; don’t worry.

One buyer tip you should really know: when selling your old home to make way for a new one in the Woodlands, you should think ahead and sell before anything else. This will help get rid of any unnecessary selling stress that might come about when time starts closing in and money starts becoming a problem. Remember: you won’t be able to pay off two mortgages together, so do something about it before that happens.

When you should look into buying or selling homes should ultimately depend on your own circumstances, though. However, if you want it comes to the Woodlands, looking into homes in the Woodlands and spring would usually be best.

Jutta “Utah” Burden’s Market Update!

How to Eliminate Risk in Real Estate Investment!

Why is it Best to Buy Homes in Spring?

 A lot of people seem to be unaware that a lot of places in Texas are actually good places to buy homes to live in. Spring happens to one of the best of them as the weather there is warm most of the time. People will especially love to buy homes in Spring during the warmer seasons due to various reasons.

For one, people have a lot more time to waste during the warmer months compared to other busier seasons. Plus, because the weather is warmer overall, it would be much more convenient to move around in search of homes. Buyers would also prefer to move during spring break before school starts up again and this is probably one of the bigger reasons why more families move to new homes in Spring during that time.

The weather aside, people usually get tax returns early on, as well, making home down payments much easier to deal with compared to other months. In fact, overall, house sales in general remain steady in Spring during the warmer months and drop during the busier months of the year.

If you are a buyer, you are sure to have a much wider variety to choose from in Spring compared to other places in Texas, though the competition might be much higher, as well. This conversely translates to sellers keeping to their original asking prices. Now, if you want to find a mortgage in Spring, you will probably find much better deals if you apply in the off-peak seasons.

During off-peak seasons, sellers will more likely negotiate when it comes to price, as well, because not a lot of offers will be present then. So, although your choices of homes might not be huge, they still won’t be completely limited. A lot of homes in Spring will still be for sale this season.

As an extra tip: if you have plans of buying a brand new home and selling your home, you need to make sure you sell yours as early as possible, so you can alleviate some stress from selling your house because of financial pressure and time constraints. After all, you will now want to pay for two mortgages at the same time, right?

Now, the greatest homes to buy in Spring might still be relative to personal circumstances and preferences, though. So find out what would work best for you first, so you can put the seasons to your advantage and look into those homes in Spring that truly cater to your needs.

Texas economy still best; 2012 looks to mirror 2011

David S. Jones | columnist

Dec. 27, 2011

On New Year’s Eve, many bid farewell to the old year by singing “Auld Lang Syne” lyrics that include, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind.“

Apparently, it will be hard to forget 2011 because 2012 is expected to look pretty much like it.

If the experts are correct, however, Texans will again have more to sing about in the New Year than will their fellow Americans.

Texas: Slow but still leading

Real Estate Center Chief Economist Mark Dotzour, Ph.D., sees “modest, positive economic growth” for the nation in the next 12 months. Nationally, he expects 2012 to look something like 2003-06.

By comparison, Dotzour predicts a “much more robust economic outlook” for Texas in the coming year. He bases this on documented evidence that Texas dramatically outperformed the United States in 2011.

The state’s positive job growth came not only in the energy industry but also in construction, manufacturing, retail, transportation, professional business services, health care, and hospitality.

“Job growth is occurring in nearly all Texas metro areas and is likely to continue into 2012,” says Dotzour.

Wait-and-see election watch

Real Estate Center residential expert Jim Gaines, Ph.D., doesn’t expect major business and investment decisions until after the 2012 election. Even then, he predicts first quarter 2013 will be sluggish despite what should be low interest rates through 2013.

Gaines believes the U.S. housing market will remain steady with no major movement in 2012. He says Texas and local housing markets should show some modest improvement but no major upgrade.

“In general, Texas’s housing markets in 2012 are expected to show small, but nevertheless positive gains,” Gaines says. “The projected levels of home sales, prices, and new construction statewide for 2012 and into 2013 indicate gradual improvement. This gradual improvement should also prevail in most local markets, with some doing better than others based on local factors.”

Dotzour says buyers and sellers are aware there is a “shadow inventory” of between 4.5 million and 6 million homes that have delinquent loans and will soon need to be sold.

“It is unlikely that home sales volume will return until this overhang of distressed houses sells to investors,” he says. “Unfortunately, the foreclosure process is severely retarded from the normal pace.”

Distressed commercial sales going up

According to commercial real estate insiders, distressed sales are on the way up. Real Estate Center Research Economist Harold Hunt, Ph.D., talked with Texas commercial real estate professionals about the outlook for 2012.

Real Capital Analytics reports about $1.2 trillion in commercial real estate assets were traded nationally between 2005 and 2007.

“For the most part, these assets are still being held by those purchasers,” Russell Ingrum, managing director of investment sales in the CB Richard Ellis Houston office, recently told Hunt. “As a result, many of them will come up for sale in the next four years, depending on holding period, market conditions, and so on.”

These properties could represent $200 billion per year in transactions. Many of them will be in the distressed category because of when they were purchased.

“If you are a broker, you should consider focusing on what traded back then,” says Ingrum.

Stagnant land market

“The trouble is we have not dealt with the problems that caused 2008,” says Research Economist Charles Gilliland, Ph.D., the Center’s authority on rural land. “In the early 1980s, the Latin American sovereign debt defaults wrecked balance sheets.

“The solution was to pretend that nothing had really happened and let the economy come back to allow write offs of those bad debts. This time we are trying the same thing, but the recovery is not happening.

“Nobody knows how long it might be before a reckoning ensues. It would appear that an increasing number of observers are deciding that it is going to be a while. So, with that preamble, I’m thinking that the land market is likely to extend recent trends through 2012.

“Those are fewer sales than had been the norm. Smaller sales than had been the norm because larger properties still are not selling. Overall, it looks like a rather stagnant market.”

Oil shines bright in Texas

“The Texas story is brighter,” confirms Dotzour. “For the past 15 years, Texas seems to double the U.S. economy in terms of job growth. It will continue to do so in 2012.”

Dotzour sums up the Texas economic outlook heading into 2012 and beyond …

“The oil and gas industry is on fire,” he says. “We are experiencing job growth in all sectors except for government and information. Our population is expanding. People are migrating here from places like California and Illinois, where taxes are much higher and regulations more prohibitive. Businesses and investors are cautiously hopeful that the economic environment in America could become substantially more attractive in 2013.”

Magnolia Real Estate

Real Estate Property in Magnolia

Do you sink thousands of dollars each year into hotels in the area of your family’s favorite vacation spot? Do you wish that those thousands could have been invested in a piece of real estate in Magnolia that could possibly increase in its value in the years to come? You should contact your Magnolia real estate agent to discuss options in the market of Magnolia real estate. For the family that has already paid off their home and is now looking to vacation in order to spend their slush money, a vacation home is an absolutely brilliant real estate investment. Not only will your family enjoy the time that they spend at your new piece of Magnolia real estate and you enjoy the benefits of renting out your home during the off season, but also you will be able to sell the property at a higher price later on as the property values rise in your favorite vacation town. A vacation home is a healthy and fun way to invest your cash in the Magnolia real estate market.

Your Family

You love every moment that you spend with your family on vacation, don’t you? It is always so hard to leave and you almost always wish that you could go back on vacation the very next day, as you strut through the door of the office, sporting your new suntan. Investing in a piece of vacation real estate in Magnolia will allow you and your family to remain on vacation longer and return to vacation more frequently. A large portion of travel expenses goes to the hotel or condominium in which you are staying. Imagine, years from now, when you have completely paid off your vacation real estate. You can return to your hideaway for free. No more hotel fees for you. This will allow you ultimate freedom to vacation when you want in the place that you love so much.

Real Estate Rental

During the weeks that you are not in your beloved new real estate property, you can rent it out to tourists who are begging to experience the comfort of your real estate. This will allow you to pay off the real estate’s mortgage and, eventually, will allow you to make money off of owning your own real estate. It does not get much better than returning to your vacation real estate property each season, knowing that you have paid for it all simply by allowing other people to come and enjoy your property. Owning your own vacation real estate is fabulous in this way. You benefit financially as much as you do emotionally. So, sit back in that beach chair, sip on your fruity beverage and bask in the fact that you are making money doing so. That is truly the best job in the world.

Real Estate Property in Magnolia

Eventually, once your secret hideaway vacation spot becomes well known and flooded with tourists, your property will be worth more than ever. At this time you are met with an opportunity. Continue renting out the place and raking in the benefits, or cash out and begin all over again in a less known vacation area. You see, you have full control when you purchase a piece of vacation real estate. If you decide that you now wish to vacation on the other coast, just sell your vacation real estate, pack up all those hundred dollar bills and go reinvest in a vacation real estate property that is more suitable for your vacation desires. There is no loss in this scenario. Continue operating the home and become that hotel owner that you used to pay to visit your beloved vacation spot, or sell out and get yourself a fresh new perspective. It is entirely up to you.

Magnolia Real Estate

Once you have paid off your traditional home, you do not merely have to pull away from the real estate market. Put yourself dead in the middle of it by purchasing a vacation real estate property. Take in all the cash that you used to throw away to hotel operators and enjoy doing so. Who wouldn’t want to vacation more and eventually make money doing so?

Why Should You Look into Spring Texas Real Estate?

There is a lot of Spring Texas real estate available for sale nowadays, so potential homeowners won’t have trouble finding homes that will suit their needs. In fact, regardless of whether you want to find a luxury home, a planned community home, a single family home or an inventory home, you will definitely find one to meet your family’s needs.

If you are looking for a single family home, then you should take a look at Northcrest Village, which focuses on environmental conservation and has an Esmart feature theme. This means that the homes are constructed with indoor air quality and water and energy conservation in mind. There are a lot of different facilities and amenities available here, too, and the international airport and shopping malls are easy to access, including various entertainment and sporting facilities.

Another great place to find Spring Texas real estate would be Legends Ranch 50. The homes here focus on energy and water conservation, as well, but are mostly set in more luxurious surroundings. They have great features available, too, including 24/7 guards and recreational facilities, like walking trails, amenity lakes and a clubhouse, to name a few.

Spring Texas real estate has a lot of things going for it, so it appeals to all kinds of homeowners. And, since it is located near Houston, the town’s residents can get to the city with ease and enjoy the facilities there, as well. The same goes for the Woodlands amenities. Spring also has a lot of good golf courses and recreational facilities available and it is on the borders of Montgomery County, too, so it has both the country and city experience going on.

There are also a lot of different shopping facilities available in Spring Texas, including a Kroger, a Walmart a Palais Royal and Walgreens. The town’s business is also very vibrant as can be seen through its Chamber of Commerce in Spring itself.

Yes, Spring Texas real estate definitely has a lot going for it, so it really isn’t any wonder why so many potential homeowners go there looking for a home. However, if you want to find a home for sale in Spring Texas yourself, then it would be highly recommended to find a realtor who works in the area and knows the place by heart. This way, you can be sure that you find the perfect home for your family.

Utah burden specializes in <a href=’http://www.utahburden.com’>Spring Texas

Reasons Why You Should Choose Carlton Woods Luxury Homes

The Carlton Woods Luxury Homes is one of the finest residential community in Houston, Texas. Newlyweds, young professionals, or those looking for a fresh start go to this community in order to purchase a house they can call their own. The houses in this area are indeed as sight to behold and a comfort to live in. The high-end houses are nestled in a naturally inspired setting. This is indeed to perfect place to come home to after a tough day at work. The harmonious setting that surrounds the community makes the Carlton Woods Luxury Homes a paradise on earth.

If you are still thinking twice about owning a house at this community, then maybe these facts may help you reach a decision.

The Country Club Lifestyle

The Carlton Woods Luxury Homes is more than just a bunch of high-end homes. It also boasts of a one of kind country club lifestyle that you dream of. When you move to this community, you get the chance to enjoy its exclusive clubhouse. You can do many things at the clubhouse. First, if you are craving for a romantic dinner with your wife then you can take her to Carlton Room. Second, if you are into family bonding over great food then grab a bite at Fazio Grille or Nicklaus Grille. Third, for an all adult bonding moment you and your friends can go to the Bear’s Den. When it comes to shopping The Woodland’s Mall is the place to be.

The Environment

As publicized, the Carlton Woods Luxury Homes is nestled in a nature-inspired setting. The community is surrounded by ponds and lakes, which are perfect spots for small gatherings and family picnics. If you are a health buff then you will surely enjoy the lengthy walking trail. There are also several parks located in Carlton Woods these are the George Mitchell Nature Preserve and the Rob Fleming Park. There are also parks located outside the Carlton Woods Luxury Homes, one of which is the Northshore Park, this is the park famous for hosting events like the Concerts in the Park series. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is an amphitheatre created to host huge events and is one of the most popular recreational sites outside of Carlton Woods Luxury Homes.

The Education, Health Care, and Travel Means

The Carlton Woods Luxury Homes is not only a community focused on providing its residents a harmonious lifestyle but also a community that is keen at meeting the residents’ basic needs. The young residents of Carlton Woods Luxury Homes have to options when it comes to choosing their school. Two school districts are easily accessible from the community these are the Conroe and Tomball. Schools under Conroe are Knox Junior High school and Lamar Elementary. On the other hand, the Tomball school district boasts of the Creekside Forest Elementary, which is considered one of the many exceptional academic institutions near Carlton Woods Luxury Homes.

Enchantment of The Woodlands Market Street

Enchantment of the Woodlands market street

The setting of all the modern cities is more or less as most of these cities are developed according to a plan and that is why it is always possible to find every part of these cities well managed and well organized. There is no doubt that the market and business establishments get enough attention in these cities as these market places work as the hearts of the city life.  All these cities are planned with special attention towards the placement of the market places. The city of Woodlands in Texas in the United States of America is another example of great planning that is proving to be boon for the proper development of the city. As per the noted facts, most of these developed cities from all over the world have well developed market places that are known for their extraordinary facilities and services.

The Woodlands market Street is an example of great planning of township. This street is the life line of the city as it plays a very important role in the life of every native of this city. If you ever visit to this city of Woodlands, then you must not forget to visit the Woodlands market street which is indeed the most attractive place in the entire city of Woodlands. This city street has separate areas for different types of business establishments. It is an important principle of modern planning of any city. Due to this well managed planning, it becomes easier for the people to find out the things that they are looking for as they are only required to know which area of the city market they are supposed to appear.

The Woodlands market street is wide and smooth and that helps ion the smooth flow of traffic on this extraordinary street.  The activity of the traffic authorities can be noticed all through this market street. These authorities work relentlessly and selflessly to make the most important street of the city to make it free from any traffic trouble. The flow of traffic remains closed during a certain part of the day as the business activities remain on the height during this part of the day. The Woodlands market street is probably the best example of well organized city life. This market street is like an important place of visit for the people who come to Woodlands on a personal or business trip set at the side walk cafe and visit with friends !! The Best Place to  call HOME