I’m trying to discover some practical applications that will make my Houston and Bellaire Real Estate Business more valuable to consumers. Everyone wants to know what local amenities are near a home they’re considering to purchase. I used this technology tool to find out what grocery stores, libraries, parks, restaurants, bus stations, schools, etc. might be near my Houston real estate listing located at 6026 High Star. The information offered appears fairly complete and correct.

The Walkscore.com site shows you where each of these amenities is located, the address and the mileage from this particular home.

It appears that there are quite a few places you could walk to, but there are many you would want to drive to, ride a bike to or use public transportation to take you to your destination. I found this to be a very useful tool. Let me know what you think.

This is the walkscore.com results for 6026 High Star in Houston, Texas: http://www.walkscore.com/get-score.php?street=6026+HIGH+STAR%2C+HOUSTON%2C+TX&go=Go

Oh, by the way . . .as of 2/20/10 6026 High Star is still for sale in the Houston real estate market.

Please check out the Houston real estate sales information for 6026 High Star. http://www.finehomeshouston.com/property-detail.php?data_id=13911&page=1.  It will make you a wonderful home!

In my first money saving Houston Home Buyer post I offered 10 common sense ways to reduce your reoccurring utility cost. In my second post in this series you were provided 7 smart ways to reduce your monthly payments.  In this final installment you will receive 8 tips to saving money so you can purchase Houston real estate.

A Sign of the Times

Many families and individuals are financially strapped and can’t afford to meet the new mortgage guidelines for securing a loan and financing a Houston home especially if it’s their first Houston home. That’s way it is so important to provide you these timely tips. This way you are better prepared to effectively save for your down payment and closing cost for your next Houston home purchase.

Your 8 Money Saving Strategies

1. Strip the car – If your car has a bike rack, remove it when not in use for improved gas mileage
2. Be regular – Go with regular gas and not the premium stuff (unless your car’s owners manual specifically states premium grade fuel is required!). Maintain the air pressure in your tires for improved mileage too
3. Take a stroll – When practical, park the car and walk more often. Plus there are so many walkable Houston neighborhoods
4. Share the ride – Car pool
5. Reduce the caffeine intake and save $ – Stop drinking lattes every morning at Starve4urbucks
6. Eat out less – Eat at home more often trim the waste line!
7. Stock up the freezer – Purchase meats when they are on sale and use the Grocery Game coupons for superior savings
8. Go green – Yes – going green can also be cost effective too. Use cloth reusable grocery bags to reduce waste. Plus it will help your grocery store reduce their cost and hopefully pass the savings on to you!

Take Action Now and Benefit Later!

By implementing these 8 money saving tips you will be on your way to saving money for your down payment and closing cost for your next Houston home.

What Other Timely Money Saving Tips Would You Add?

Be sure to comment and offer your favorite money saving tips for the rest of my readers.

Until my next post,

Meg

Everyone knows managing a Houston real estate website is an ongoing process. We are constantly tweaking our web site with the desire to offer our visitors more value, more tools and more reliable information. Not only are Jim and I Houston real estate agent experts who represent and guide our clients in the fine art of buying and selling Houston real estate, we must be web-savvy real estate marketers too.

Standing Out in the Sea of Houston Real Estate Websites & Blogs

In an age when it seems many of the real estate web sites and blogs offer little valuable information and look the same, we are mindful to ensure consumers have the “latest and greatest” real-time area information and user-friendly property search tools to help accomplish their goals.

Houston Neighborhood Information is Now Easier to Find!

One of the exciting new improvements we recently made is the addition of the quick access drop-down menu of Houston Neighborhoods. Our site visitors can now access 50 Houston area neighborhoods and communities from any page on our Houston real estate site. As a Houston home buyer, it makes no difference if you are moving across town or relocating to Houston from across the country, you really need detailed information about our Houston neighborhoods. Offering you this quick access means obtaining the valuable information you need much quicker.

More Quick Access Houston Neighborhood Features

Here are a few more enhancements we have made to the Houston neighborhood details page. They include the following important features:

• Quick access to the neighborhood MLS property search link

• Featured property link to easily access the Zoller Group Exclusive Neighborhood Listings

• Real-time Neighborhood Average Listing Price Information (Provided by Trulia)

• Ability to search the Google Neighborhood map for Houston area schools, grocery stores, even the local Starbucks in or near the neighborhood

It’s All For YOU – Mr. or Ms. Houston Home Buyer!

All of these improvements and neighborhood tools were enhanced and added to benefit you. If there are other features we are missing and you would like to see added, we welcome your comments.