How to Find a Good the Woodlands Realtor

How to Find a Good the Woodlands Realtor

 Choosing a good the Woodlands realtor will make the experience of buying a home in the Woodlands more stress-free and joyful for you. See, buying a home happens to be a vital financial decision to make, so finding the proper realtor would be of the utmost essence. What you need to know is the truth: good realtors do not necessarily work for big companies with big ads and huge sales. Rather, a great realtor should be one that listens to your needs, shows high integrity and is highly familiar with their own market.

 One easy way to find the perfect the Woodlands realtor for you would be through referrals. The best advertising method of a realtor would be your family members and friends. This is why you need to ask your family members, friends, colleagues and other trustworthy people for this information. See, great realtors should definitely put you as their first priority and you will see if they will do this through their previous clients.  

Naturally, you won’t always be lucky enough to know somebody with experience with a the Woodlands realtor, most of all if you know nothing about the Woodlands to begin with. If this is the case, you will need to depend on tools like the Internet to make your final decision. Fortunately, search engines can be used to find realtors all over the city and you can even find testimonials and reviews about them there, as well. This means that you will need to do more research, but it will not be impossible to find a realtor this way.

 Now, a great the Woodlands realtor will stand out after the initial several sessions you share together. First and foremost, you should never feel pressured in picking them out of the whole batch – even without a commitment. They should be straightforward when it comes to things and answer any question you might have without any hesitation and if they have doubts, they should tell you about them and get back to you once they are sure about the answer. Good realtors should always act and listen accordingly, as well.

 Keep in mind that finding the perfect the Woodlands realtor for you could truly save or ruin your buying experience in the Woodlands, so make sure you do enough research and never settle down until your needs are fully satisfied.

Tax Credit Expires April 30

Looking for a great deal on a home in The Woodlands,Texas ? April may be your best chance! The Extended Home Buyers Tax Credit offers current homeowners and first-time home buyers alike an incredible tax-saving opportunity when they buy a home through April 30, 2010. First time buyers, who haven’t owned a primary residence in the past three years, are eligible for a tax credit of 10 percent of a home’s purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. Current homeowners are also eligible for a tax credit of their own. Homeowners who have lived in their primary residence for 5 consecutive years of the past 8 are eligible for a tax credit of 10% of a home’s purchase price, up to maximum of $6,500.

The following conditions apply:

• The tax credit is only awarded on homes purchased for $800,000, or less.
• Full tax credit is available to buyers earning up to $125,000 a year, or $225,000 for married couples filing jointly.
• Partial tax credit is available to buyers earning between $125,000 to $145,000, or for married couples earning between $225,000 to $245,000.
• Under the rules, as long as a written binding purchase contract is in effect on April 30, 2010, the buyer has until July 1, 2010 to close.

Under the rules, as long as a written binding purchase contract is in effect on April 30, 2010, the buyer has until July 1, 2010 to close. National Association of REALTORS president Vicki Cox Golder said some buyers are just starting to realize the urgency involved. “If home buyers want this tax credit, there is literally no time to waste,” she said.

The tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the buyers tax liability, and does not have to be paid back as long as the buyer remains in their home for three years or more. This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer to have Uncle Sam help you buy a house. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

The Woodlands Texas Real Estate has been stable compared to other area of the contry. Feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions. You can always reach me on my cell 713-515-7847

Market Update

First-time buyers rushed to purchase homes in November, providing an extra boost for housing markets across the country. According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), existing homes sales — including single family, condominiums, townhomes and co-ops — were up 7.4 percent to an adjusted annual rate of 6.54 million units for 2009. NAR also reported that 51 percent of November home purchases were made by first time buyers, up from 50 percent reported in October.

NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun sees more activity on the horizon. “We expect a temporary sales drop while buying activity ramps up for another surge in the spring when buyers take advantage of the expanded tax credit, which hopefully will take us into a self-sustaining market in the second half of 2010. In all, 4.4 million households are expected to claim the tax credit before it expires and balance should be restored to the housing sector with inventories continuing to decline.”

Mortgage backer Freddie Mac reported an average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage of 4.88 percent in November. This is down from over 6 percent in November 2008, and is the second lowest interest rate on record since the reaching 4.81 percent in April 2009.

Congress Extends Tax Credit

The Extended Home Buyers Tax Credit offers current homeowners and first-time home buyers alike an incredible tax-saving opportunity when they buy a home through April 30, 2010. First time buyers, who haven’t owned a primary residence in the past three years, are eligible for a tax credit of 10 percent of a home’s purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. Current homeowners, who are vacating a principle residence that they have lived in for 5 consecutive years of the past 8 are eligible for a tax credit of 10% of a home’s purchase price, up to maximum of $6,500.

The following conditions apply:

The tax credit is only awarded on homes purchased for $800,000, or less
Full tax credit is available to buyers earning up to $125,000 a year, or $225,000 for married couples filing jointly
Partial tax credit is available to buyers earning between $125,000 to $145,000, or for married couples earning between $225,000 to $245,000.
Under the rules, as long as a written binding purchase contract is in effect on April 30, 2010, the buyer has until July 1, 2010 to close.
The tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the buyers tax liability, and does not have to be paid back as long as the buyer remains in their home for three years or more. This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer to have Uncle Sam help you buy a house. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

Are You Ready For Winter?

Winter is one of our favorite times of the year! It’s often easy to overlook your home’s needs with so much going on. Here is a simple checklist of items that can save you money through the winter:

Check for leaks and drafts around the house. Replace weather stripping and re-caulk around doors and windows. Drafty doors and windows will cool off the house and cost you money in heating bills.
Inspect your attic’s insulation. Heat rises so adding good insulation can keep the heat from escaping.
Check your heating system. Sometimes something as easy as replacing your filter or having simple maintenance done can save on heating costs.
Consider changing from standard light bulbs to energy saving bulbs. Winter uses a lot of your electricity so even saving a little here and there will help.
Whether you live in a warm or cold climate, take this opportunity to inspect your home systems. You’ll be money ahead in the long run!