Welcome Home party for Olympic speed skater, Chad Hedrick
March 4th, 2010 categories: Events and Activities | views
On March 6th at 6 P.M. Strack’s restaurant is hosting a “Welcome Home” party for Spring Texas’s hometown boy, Chad Hedrick. Chad is returning from his second Winter Olympics where he competed in the sport of speed skating and compete he did. As Chad is bringing home a silver and a bronze medal from the 2010 Winter Olympics.
To have a Winter Olympics medal winner from Spring Texas is just a tad bit unusual because if you haven’t noticed we don’t get a lot of snow. A lot of heat, yes. But a lot of snow, no.
Chad Hedrick grew up in Spring Texas on roller skates. By the age of two, Chad was skating at Champions Roller World. The skating rink that was and still is owned by his parents.
Chad revolutionized inline speed skating with his technique known as the double push. In 2002, Chad switched to the ice. In 2006, he competed in his first Winter Olympics in Turin. He won a medal of every color. Chad won a gold medal in the 5,000 m, a silver medal in the 10,000 m, and a bronze medal in the 1,500 m speed skating events.
Come out and congratulate Chad and wish him well in his future endeavours off the ice. Strack’s restaurant is located at 5707 Louetta Spring TX 77379.
Congratulations, Chad! You have done us proud!
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Deed Restrictions Dos and Don’ts
March 2nd, 2010 categories: Home Buyer Information | views
If you are living in Spring Texas, you will find it hard to escape deed restrictions. As about 99% of our Spring Texas subdivisions have deed restrictions. The existence of deed restrictions means you will have someone telling you what you can and can’t do to your yard and house.
I know not everyone is fond of deed restricitons but since there are no zoning laws in Spring Texas, deed restrictions are about the only way to protect your home’s value from your neighbors bad tastes.
Since you can’t get rid of deed restrictions, you might as well learn how to live with them.
Deed Restrictions Dos:
- Do read the subdivision’s deed restrictions before you purchase a Spring Texas home. If you don’t like the subdivision’s deed restrictions, you can terminate your real estate contract. Although, you must terminate the contract during the option period to avoid a penalty.
- Do respond promptly to deed restriction violation notices. Ignoring the violation will not make it go away. It will only proceed to the next step which will be to turn the matter over to the lawyers. Once the lawyers are involved fees start racking up and your HOA is not going to kindly waive the fees for you.
Deed Restrictions Don’ts:
- Don’t paint your fence to match your house. Deed restrictions prohibit the painting of fences. Only a clear coat of varnish is allowed.
- Don’t run a pet rescue home. Deed restrictions place a limit on the total number of pets and species you can have residing at your home.
- Don’t turn your front yard into a tropical oasis. I know it may look great but check the deed restrictions first because they may specirfy only pines and oak trees in the front yard.
- Don’t run an auto shop in your driveway. Cars on blocks and in non-working condition is an eye sore in addition to being a deed restriction violation.
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What do buyers want in a Spring Texas home?
February 24th, 2010 categories: Home Seller Information | views
Each year a real estate magazine or a home magazine will publish a new list on what buyers want in a home. If you are thinking about remodeling or getting ready to put your home on the Spring Texas real estate market, then reviewing a list on what today’s buyers want is a great way to make sure your decisions will appeal to buyers.
The thing is real estate is local. What buyers want in a home in Miami Beach Florida is not what buyers want in a home in Spring Texas. The best way to find out what Spring Texas home buyers want is to ask a Spring Texas Realtor.
What are Spring Texas home buyers telling me they want in a home?
Granite kitchen counter tops- Granite has become so popular and ubiquitous that home buyers expect it. Buyers will do a give on the square footage of a home just to get their granite. What about solid surface counter tops? They may be easier to care for and some may even look like granite but buyers still want granite.
Wood and / or tile flooring - Buyers prefer the look of wood and tile flooring. This coupled with a larger percentage of buyers being pet owners (dog, cat, or both), they want a flooring that is durable and easy to keep clean.
Stainless Steel appliances - It is still buyers preferred type of appliances. What about black and white appliances? Spring Texas home buyers will consider black appliances but they would prefer NOT to have white appliances.
Brushed nickle fixtures – They have been the favorite for at least the last six years with oil rubbed bronze beginning to grow in popularity.
Dark cabinets - Buyers don’t have a strong preference on the type of wood be it maple, cherry, or oak the cabinets are made from but they do prefer a dark stain.
Designer paint colors- Buyers love the light tans, beiges, greens, browns, and blues.
Large closets and lots of storage - Buyers have stuff and they want places to store their stuff.
Spacious master bathroom with a “spa” feeling – A master bathroom spacious enough for two people to get ready in the morning without having to dancing around each other. Long counter tops with separate vanities or two bowls. A garden or jacuzzi bath tub and a separate shower with nice tile work.
Home office / Study – Even with all the wireless applications available to buyers, they still prefer to have a dedicated place to work. A place for a desk, printer, and filing cabinet to organize paperwork.
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T.C. Jester connection from Louetta to Spring Cypress completed
February 22nd, 2010 categories: Discover Spring Texas | views
Getting around Spring Texas has just gotten a little easier with the completion of the extension of T.C. Jester. At an estimated cost of over $3.4 million, the Harris County Precinct 4 project, extends T.C. Jester from Center Court Dr. (the last street in the Spring Creek Oaks subdivision) to Spring Cypress.
The project also included the addition of a must needed traffic light at the intersection of T.C. Jester and Spring Cypress. Previously attempting a left hand turn during peak drive times into the WindRose subdivision required a lesson in patience.
The T.C. Jester connection from Louetta to Spring Cypress coupled with last year’s extension of T.C. Jester over Cypress Creek has created another major North – South route in the area. As T.C. Jester now connects F.M. 2920 to F.M. 1960.
Click on the map for a closer look at the Spring Creek Oaks subdivision and the surrounding area.
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What’s the value of the over 65 exemption?
February 19th, 2010 categories: Property Taxes | views
Are you going to be turning 65 soon? If so, you are probably already aware that you are eligible for Medicare. But did you know you will be eligible for a reduction in your Spring Texas real estate taxes? That’s right another reason to get excited about turning 65.
Unlike the homestead exemption that comes with restrictions on when you can apply for and receive it, the over 65 exemption has only one restriction and that is you have to wait until you reach the age of 65.
What you really want to know is what’s the value of the over 65 exemption? How much will your Spring Texas real estate taxes reduce? I dig numbers and I don’t know any better way to show you the money than through the use of a spreadsheet / chart. Click on the chart to get a larger image and a better view.
Since the over 65 exemption varies based upon county (Harris County is $160,000 and Montgomery County is $35,000), school district (Klein School District is $23,330 and Spring School District is $30,000), and MUD, I had to use some assumptions to calculate the savings in real estate taxes.
The assumptions used were:
- House is located in Harris County, Klein School District, and MUD 104
- Tax assessed value of property is $165,000
Based upon these assumptions, your annual real estate taxes for your Spring Texas home with no exemptions is $4,532.
Qualifying and receiving the homestead exemption, will reduce your taxes to $4,114. A savings of $418.
Qualifying and receiving the homestead exemption and the over 65 exemption, will reduce your taxes to $2,712. A combined savings of $1,820 or a 40% reduction in your real estate taxes. Dependent upon the county you reside in, you will either need to fill out and the over 65 exemption form for Harris County or the over 65 exemption form for Montgomery County.
Plus the over 65 exemption, freezes the school tax portion of your real estate taxes. The school tax portion will not increase with rate increases in the school tax nor with increases in the value of your Spring Texas home. But it will increase if you make substantial improvements to your home through the addition of a pool or another room.
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Don’t flush your credit score down the drain
February 17th, 2010 categories: Home Buyer Information | views
Maintaining a great or even a good credit score is tough. Sometimes no matter how hard you try that pesky thing called life still manages to get in your way.
But if you want to buy a house in Spring Texas or any other place for that matter you are going to have to maintain a good credit score. As a good credit score will get you a home loan and a great credit score will get you a lower interest rate saving you thousands upon thousands of dollars.
So how do you maintain a good credit score? Probably the easiest way is to know what not to do. Spendonlife.com created this great chart (click on the chart to enlarge) that depicts how paying your bills late damages your credit scores. The later the payment the further down the drain your credit score goes.
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Spring Texas Real Estate: Market Report Januaury 2010
February 15th, 2010 categories: Spring Texas Real Estate Market Reports | views
The Spring Texas real estate market for January 2010 looks a lot like January 2009. Months of inventory (time it would take all single family homes in Spring Texas to sell) is 5.6 months. Not much difference from last year’s 5.4 months of inventory. Active listings (homes on the real estate market) are 1,056. Again not much difference than last year’s number of 1,140 listings.
The noticeable difference between January 2009 and 2010 is in the average sales price. For January 2010 the average sales price was $160,096 versus $138,464 from the previous year. The January 2010 median sales price experienced a slight increase of 3.4% to $135,000.
Thus the jump in the average sales price was not attributable to price appreciation but instead due to a larger percentage of higher priced homes being sold. Buyers at the $400,000 and above sales price are still in hibernation with 72% of total home sales occurring at prices of $169,999 or less.
Over the last couple of months, first time home buyers have been doing a lot of searching but not a lot of buying. That is all about to change. With the April 30th tax credit expiration date only 74 days away, homes for sale in Spring Texas in the $200,000 or less price range will be receiving a significant increase in showing activity. Sellers get ready. A first time home buyer will soon be sending you an offer.
The data represented is from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and the Houston Association of Realtors MLS for single family existing homes in Area 13. Area 13 covers the geographic boundaries of East – I45 to West – Hwy 249 to South – Beltway 8 to North – Spring Cypress. A good portion of the houses in MLS area 13 have a Spring TX mailing address
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Sellers existing survey reduces home buyers closing costs
February 12th, 2010 categories: Home Buyer Information | views
The costs to close on a Spring Texas house are significant easily totaling several thousand dollars. Due to the magnitude of the closing costs, it is easy to understand why buyers are looking at every way possible to save money. One way you can save money is by using the sellers existing survey. How much can you save? Around $300 to $500 which is how much it will cost if you have to get a new survey for the house.
Both your lender and the title company have to agree to accept the sellers existing survey and the majority of time they will. But the majority of the time is not all of the time. Thus there are instances in which you will not be able to use the existing survey the seller has of his Spring Texas house.
The sellers existing survey may not be accepted if:
- after the date of the survey, permanent structures were added to the property such as a pool, gazebo, or a room addition.
- the survey contains an inaccurate description of the property such as the lot and block of the property is wrong.
- the survey is over 10 years old. This time frame of 10 years is not a hard and fast rule as surveys do not have a specified expiration date. In fact I have seen lenders and title companies accept surveys that were 30+ years old. But the lender or in this case the lender’s attorney has the power to reject a 10 year old survey and require you spend money on a new survey.
Bottom line – don’t get excited when you hear the sellers have an existing survey for the house because it doesn’t always work out that you will get to use it.
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Spring selling season arrives early
February 10th, 2010 categories: Home Seller Information | views
If the value of your house is $200,000 or less, the time to put your house on the Spring Texas real estate market is now. Why now? Because with the first time home buyers tax credit set to expire at the end of April, the spring selling season has arrived early.
The traffic to our real estate blogsite has been steadily growing over the last couple of months as first time home buyers have been casually searching homes for sale in Spring Texas. With the tax credit deadline less than 50 days away those casual lookers are turning into serious buyers.
If your desire is get the most money possible for your home and why wouldn’t it be, you need to put your house on the market right away. The highest demand for Spring Texas homes priced at $200,000 or less will be between now and the end of April. Put your house on the market now and cash in on the high demand created by first time home buyers.
Read also:
- Where are all the buyers?
- How to increase your list price and attract more buyers
- Top 30 things to do before putting your house on the Spring Texas real estate market
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Who decides the closing date?
February 8th, 2010 categories: Home Buyer Information, Home Seller Information | views
Who decides the closing date? Do the buyers? Do the sellers? Do the real estate agents? Does the loan officer?
In a residential real estate transaction there are many terms that will need to be negotiated between you and the sellers and the closing date is one of them.
As a buyer, you are probably ready to move-in to your new Spring Texas house tomorrow. As the sellers can’t seem to get their stuff, out of what you are already calling your house, soon enough.
As a seller, moving out tomorrow would be impossible because over the years you have lived in your home you have collected stuff. Not just a little stuff but a lot of stuff. All of it needing to be packed. Packing which certainly can not be done in just one day.
As a buyer, its impossible to try to predict what date the sellers would prefer to close on. Instead its just best to worry about what date fits your schedule. Later you can determine a date that will work for both yours and the sellers schedules.
Where to begin? To decide upon a date to close on, you need to ask yourself a series of questions:
- How long will it take your lender to process your loan? 30 days? 45 days?
- Do you have any upcoming trips that will have you out of town on certain days?
- Do you have to be out of your apartment or the place you are currently living by a certain date?
- Are you trying to bring the bare minimum amount of money to the closing table? If the answer is “Yes”, then you will want to close towards the end of the month to reduce the quantity of days you are charged interest on your home loan.
- In Spring Texas, closings take place at title companies. Closings only occur Monday – Friday. As the title companies are NOT open on Saturdays and Sundays nor on Holidays. So those days are out.
- When are you wanting to move in? If you are wanting to move in over the weekend, then ask for a closing date that falls on a Friday.
Review your answers to these questions and decide what date works best for your schedule then let the negotiations begin. Typically negotiating the closing date is fairly easy, especially if the sellers are truly wanting to sell their Spring Texas home. But there are other times when deciding upon a closing date turns out to be the most difficult term for buyers and sellers to reach an agreement on.
Read also:
- What is a sellers leaseback and should you get one?
- What stays and what goes with a Spring Texas house?
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