Houston Real Estate Blog http://blog.finehomeshouston.com Just another Myswiftblog Blogs weblog Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:42:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 “WALKABILITY” OF 6026 HIGH STAR, HOUSTON REAL ESTATE http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/20/walkability-of-6026-high-star-houston-real-estate/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/20/walkability-of-6026-high-star-houston-real-estate/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:42:58 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/?p=347 I just discovered Walkscore.com at Dallas RainCamp 2010 this week.

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!

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/20/walkability-of-6026-high-star-houston-real-estate/feed/ 0 DALLAS RAINCAMP 2010 – RICH WITH INFORMATION! http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/dallas-raincamp-2010/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/dallas-raincamp-2010/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:11:20 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/?p=339 Activerain’s RainCamp in Dallas was RICH with information! Dallas RainCamp offered new information on blogging, technical tools, Twitter, Facebook, Activerain, Google, websites, Zillow,  and lead conversion.  I know that I will be able to incorporate information provided to help me market Houston and Bellaire real estate in new and exciting ways.

Of course, often when you attend events like this you get so excited about all that you’ve heard.  However, you drive or fly back home . . .only to have to go back to work immediately . . .and then you tend to forget so much.  Well, I did something different this time.  I had my hotel room until noon the next day.  So, after our evening networking mixer I went back to the room and studied what I had learned at Dallas RainCamp until 2:00 in the morning.  Then I got up about 8:00 and went  through all the helpful websites that Brad Andersohn presented. I checked out at noon, but continued studying in the hotel lobby until 2:00.  It really made a difference in my retention of the information. The only reason I really stopped was because I was hungry. So I left, ate lunch and headed out on my 4 hour drive back to Houston.  During that time I thought about what the speakers said and emphasized.  I made a plan to incorporate information to use in marketing homes for sale in Houston, Bellaire and a resort I love, Artesian Lakes which is near Cleveland, Texas.

This was a great seminar for me!!

Brad Andersohn shared over 30 FREE websites that will benefit me in marketing and blogging about Houston and Bellaire real estate.

My TOP 10 FREE WEBSITES ( not in any particular order) that I’m going to add to my real estate business are:

  1. picnik.com – take any picture. change it’s size, etc.
  2. OneTrueMedia.com – mix photos & videos to create something “WOW”
  3. FillanyPDF.com – great for online signatures
  4. eventbrite.com – publish customised event to website or blog
  5. Retagger.com – single real estate source for all your social networking, blogs & websites
  6. Freeconferencecall.com – self explanatory
  7. AVG.com -anti-virus & spam
  8. collecta.com – gets anything from twitter
  9. walkscore.com – type in address, it brings up grocery stores, restaurants, parks,etc. Promote listings.
  10. wix.com – create custom “Flashy” web pages in minutes

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WITH THESE SITES . . .OR IF IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME TO LOOK AT THESE . . .GIVE ME YOUR OPINION ON HOW THEY CAN BE USED IN THE BEST WAY FOR YOU!!  I look forward to hearing what ya’ll have to say about these technology tools.

If you have a chance, please take the opportunity to attend RainCamp when it’s offered in any city that may be close to you.You can’t help to learn from the experience.  It is information packed!!  I am so thankful that Ben Kinney, Bob Stewart, Brad Andersohn, the great panel and John took their time to share and teach. 

Right now it’s time for me to go  implement some ideas.  I want to do the best I can for my clients and customers when I help them buy real estate in Houston, Bellaire and Artesian Lakes.  It’s another great day!!

 

 

 

 

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/dallas-raincamp-2010/feed/ 1 HOMEBUYERS TAX CREDIT http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/27/homebuyers-tax-credit/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/27/homebuyers-tax-credit/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:41:08 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/27/homebuyers-tax-credit/ The new tax credits give many people the opportunity to buy a home. You can get up to an $8000.00 tax break. The following is information provided by the National Association of Realtors on how this new government program actually works. Contact me via phone or email, 713-661-0884 or meg@finehomeshouston.com, if I may assist with any questions or if I may help you buy or sell a home in the Houston area. http://www.realtor.org/ewarehouse.nsf/WebDocs/03053073093204323793222D74D54173043297E24146E06F16E37966D26FCBC773C4ABB05A6286257569004D854A/%24FILE/e135-90.pdf

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/27/homebuyers-tax-credit/feed/ 0 LOG CABIN PICTURES – ARTESIAN LAKES http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/log-cabin-pictures-artesian-lakes/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/log-cabin-pictures-artesian-lakes/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:35:43 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/log-cabin-pictures-artesian-lakes/ I hope you enjoy the pictures of our log cabin which is located in Artesian Lakes, Romayor, TX. It’s 18 miles ENE of Cleveland, Texas. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=94559&id=722768915&ref=mf

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/log-cabin-pictures-artesian-lakes/feed/ 1 Nick Vujicic – No Arms-No Legs-No Worries-31 http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/02/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries-31/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/02/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries-31/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:30:32 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/02/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries-31/ There are days when we don’t appreciate our own abilities . . .that we don’t do the best we can . . .and that we might even feel sorry for ourselves. Once in awhile we need a reminder that we can do absolutely anything we set our mind to do. We ourselves . . .limit ourselves. We ourselves . . .give ourselves all the possibilities in life. We are capable of making choices.

I had the extraordinary opportunity to hear Nick talk at KW Mega Camp in Austin last week. When we focus on the small things in life . . .our worlds can become huge. I hope you will enjoy seeing a small part of Nick’s life in the attachment. He has inspored me to appreciate more in life and to not be afraid of trying things out of my comfort level.

http://www.youdrivethesuccess.com/content.html?Nick-Vujicic—No-Arms-No-Legs-No-Worries-31

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/02/nick-vujicic-no-arms-no-legs-no-worries-31/feed/ 0 ROBERT COULDN’T FIND HIS HOME http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/29/robert-couldnt-find-his-home/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/29/robert-couldnt-find-his-home/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:35:07 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/29/robert-couldnt-find-his-home/ Robert found my husband, Jim, in our front yard this morning. Jim was doing some carpentry work. Robert walked up to Jim in front of our blue house and started talking to him. However, due to lawnmowers being used in other folks yards, Jim couldn’t understand Robert, so he came into the house and got me. Robert wanted to know where he was. He told me that his name was Robert, that he was 90 years old, and that he had been to Church. Robert couldn’t remember the Church name, his last name, nor his address. I asked him if he had a driver’s license. He pulled out his wallet and it was completely empty. There was absolutely nothing in it. He started going through his breast pocket and found a few dollars . . which he wanted me to take. Of course, I wouldn’t do that. Robert is the sweetest gentleman. He kissed my hand a number of times because I was trying to help him. While Jim kept this darling man company in the front yard, I went into the house and called the Bellaire police. As soon as I told them my story, they said that there was a missing person report and they asked me for a description. Yes, Robert’s children had already notified the police. They had been looking for him all morning. They own a bloodhound and the bloodhound had tracked him to a cross street on the other side of the freeway. . .quite a way from our home. Then the scent dissappeared. We all assume someone gave Robert a ride to a Church so he could listen to the music. Robert took a wrong direction and ended up in front of our home. He likes carpentry and the house he lives in is blue like ours. He possibly thought it was his home. Unfortunately, he knew he was lost. He was scared. His daughters were so upset and happy when the Bellaire police put us together. They were at our home to pick Robert up immediately. Everyone was so appreciative and relieved. Thank goodness this was a happy ending. It was a glorious day to meet Robert and his family. So some nice things came out of this. I think I’m going to have some business cards made up for Robert so that he can keep them in his wallet. We all need help sometimes and shouldn’t be afraid to ask. Our lives are too short not to take care of each other. I am so appreciative of the fact that we were here to help Robert and his family today.

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/29/robert-couldnt-find-his-home/feed/ 0 HOUSTON SIGN ORDINANCE http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/03/houston-sign-ordinance/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/03/houston-sign-ordinance/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:18:57 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/03/houston-sign-ordinance/ HAR is reminding agents about the sign ordinance in Houston. I am forwarding their message to all.

SIGN ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT

ALIVE AND WELL

After some period of relative calm, Houston Sign Ordinance enforcement is back in the news. Recent reports indicate “open house” signs photographed by city sign inspectors were later confiscated and fines levied against the listing agent (as much as $432 per sign per day) for violation of the Houston Sign Code. Some of the violating signs had been placed in the roadway medians which are definitely off-limits.

While signs provide some quick and direct advertising for real estate sales, signs placed in the wrong place can mean extra costs to your business. Brokers and their agents must be familiar with the Houston Sign Ordinances to avoid costly fines. Here are the critical provisions:

Sec. 4608 (c)(3) of the Houston Sign Code in part states: any unlawful sign found within public right-of-way shall be seized and removed. This includes the area by the side of the road and medians.

Section 28-39 of the Code of Ordinances in part states: It shall be unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed any advertising matter of any kind whatsoever located in the public streets, public sidewalks alleyways, easements, public property or any other public place.

Section 40-7 of the Code of Ordinances in part states: It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, place, build, construct or maintain….sign or other obstruction upon any public street…..but the same shall be construed to prohibit and forbid every type and kind of obstruction….

Citations carry a minimum fine of $300.00 with a maximum of $500.00 per day per sign. For more information, please visit the City of Houston’s Sign Administration/Permits Webpage.

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All information is subject to change and should be independently verified.
Copyright© 2009, HOUSTON REALTORS® INFORMATION SERVICE, INC. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: HAR makes no representations or warranties of any nature with regard to the privacy and/or business practices of the websites linked from or to HAR.com
nor with regard to their use of any information they may collect.

Equal Housing Opportunity
REALTOR®– A registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/03/houston-sign-ordinance/feed/ 0 Houston, Texas Real Estate Economic Data-and It’s Not All Bad http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/houston-texas-real-estate-economic-data-and-its-not-all-bad/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/houston-texas-real-estate-economic-data-and-its-not-all-bad/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:16:33 +0000 megzoller http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/?p=326 As a partner of the Houston real estate team of The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty. I thought a would take time to share the following with you.

I attended a meeting this week and the speaker was a real estate investor whose topic concerned how things have gone so far in 2009 and what the trend is for the rest of this year. He makes his living buying and selling real estate and is constantly monitoring statistics which he thinks are real estate related. He had nothing to sell and had no handouts.  All the statistics I will be stating come from my notes. I haven’t verified any of them, but did find them interesting and thought that I would share them.

The Bad News-Nationally the latest unemployment figure was 9.4% and predictions are that it might climb to 10.5%. The latest Houston unemployment figure at the time of the talk was 6.90%, which is worse than predicted at the first of the year. Yesterday I read that this increased to 8.0%.  Through May 2009, the cumulative number of  jobs lost was 56,300, also worse than predicted.  

The Good News for Houston-we’ve gained about 7000 of the jobs back and have a chance to gain most of the remainder back by the end of the year. Major projects which will help gain jobs are the 1.5 billion dollar mass transit project, the 1.4 billion dollar restoration project for the UTMB facility in Galveston, the 98.3 million dollar stimulus money for the Port of Houston and the 40 million dollar stimulus money for the Port of Galveston. There is also a new 14 story medical building nearing completion at the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and surprisingly to me, numerous new commercial projects planned throughout Houston.

National Real Estate Trends for single family homes:

For the last 3 months, pending sales have increased. 

 Sales in California, one of the biggest  losers real estate-wise, are double from their worst month.

May 2009  . . . job cuts were the lowest this year

The national home inventory is down to 9.7 months

Consumer sentiment is up for 4 months in a row

The HAI(Housing Affordability Index) is the highest since it became an index in 1971

The latest Durable Goods Index was up 1.8%   after predictions were for a .6% decrease

Houston Real Estate Trends for single family homes:

Home Inventory is 45,282 which is less than last year’s number of 53,305

Days on Market is 6.2 months which is considered a neutral market and is less than last year’s figure of 6.5 months. For those of you who remember the 1980’s in Houston, I believe that this number was about 2 years

May 2009 foreclosures accounted for 19.8 % of sales down from a high of 34% in January2009

Although new home sales are down 60% in Houston, we are still #1 in the nation.

The Brookings Institute has Houston as the major market least affected by the economy and ranked #5 in the “Market Expected to Rise” category.

Big Picture:

I bet that most people think that it is a strong buyers market, but the figures don’t support that. I know that some neighborhoods are worse than others, but overall it could be a lot worse.

The latest population prediction that I remember was 5.7 million in 2008 for Houston and vicinity . . . increasing to 11.7 million in 2040.  Can you imagine?!?!  If true, they gotta’  live somewhere.

If you have any information to add to this or want to discuss anything concerning this blog, please let me know.

This article was written July, 2009 by Guest Writer, JIM ZOLLER.

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/19/houston-texas-real-estate-economic-data-and-its-not-all-bad/feed/ 0 Houston Real Estate Reaps Benefits of Statewide Population Growth http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/14/houston-real-estate-reaps-benefits-of-statewide-population-growth/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/14/houston-real-estate-reaps-benefits-of-statewide-population-growth/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:23:58 +0000 megzoller http://www.finehomeshouston.com/blog/?p=278 Texas is Growing

Recently the Forbes.com website reported the top states in our nation to experience an inbound population growth. The Lone Star state was recognized in the top three in growth. From 2000 to 2008, Texas’ population increased by a whopping 16.7%. Many of those individuals and families who moved to Houston. during that time span can be attributed (from our perspective) to Job growth here in Houston in the fields of energy and health care. See my previous post on this topic.

Here are the numbers as reported by Forbes.com:

  • Job growth projections 2008-2017: 2%
  • 2008 Population: 24,326,974
  • 2007 Population: 23,843,432
  • Year-over-year Increase: 2.03%

Relocating to Houston?

If you are among the many who are relocating to Houston whether it’s with a job or maybe you’re a Boomer seeking a change in scenery, selecting the right Houston Realtor is a big step. Make sure you and your agent fit and they are awesome listeners who truly pay close attention to your home buying needs. If you’re relocating with a job in the medical field, per chance you will be working in the Texas Medical Center area. There are several prime Houston neighborhoods locate nearby including Braeswood, and the neighborhoods in the Texas Medical Center area itself.

Who’s Dancin!

In this economy, what with all the doom and gloom any good news is something we should all celebrate. Excuse me while I perform the Elaine Benes “dance of joy”! Care to join me?

]]> http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/14/houston-real-estate-reaps-benefits-of-statewide-population-growth/feed/ 1 Houston Realtor Defined! http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/04/houston-realtor-defined/ http://blog.finehomeshouston.com/04/houston-realtor-defined/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:19:55 +0000 megzoller http://www.finehomeshouston.com/blog/?p=251 As a member of the Houston real estate agent team of the Zoller Group, I decided to write this post to help define the many roles we fulfill in the Houston real estate market. By painting you a word picture, hopefully you will gain a better sense of the many “hats” we wear as Houston real estate agents.

While I gain a greater sense of fulfillment from some roles more so than others, this list is in no particular order of preference:

  1. Houston home buying and selling consumers require a Trusted Advisor. Someone who will look out for their best interest. I take this responsibility as a licensed Houston Realtor and real estate agent very seriously. When selecting your Houston Realtor, I recommend you make certain the agent you choose is focused first and foremost on protecting your Houston real estate interest. Your peace of mind is priceless!
  2. Houston home buyers and sellers depend on an Area Expert for obvious reasons. Even within the vast Houston real estate market home values differ greatly and having a very comprehensive knowledge about every community, town and village surrounding all of Houston just isn’t practical in an ever-changing Houston real estate market. All the more reason to locate a team of Houston neighborhood experts and tap into their knowledge about that particular market. Do that and you will reap greater rewards.
  3. Savvy transaction negotiator is another one of the many hats I enjoy wearing. With many years of experience under my belt in this role, The Zoller Group is driven to helping our clients experience successful Houston real estate outcomes. Within the Houston real estate transaction, one of the benefits you enjoy is the role our team plays to coordinate every detail of your transaction. That’s another one of the great benefits to working with a team of specialist.
  4. Today’s Houston Realtor should be a polished pro who is totally immersed in online social media and transparent both in person and on the web. While we put forth a tremendous effort in being all over the web whether it’s on Facebook, Active Rain, LinkedIn, Trulia or our Houston real estate blog, ultimately the real estate business is a person to person business that is relationship driven. That’s the part that gets me excited!
  5. I also relish the role of a real estate educator. While a great many of our buyers and sellers have bought and sold many Houston properties, everyone knows no two real estate transactions are ever the same. Helping consumers thoroughly understand each step in the home buying or selling process in an easy to understand fashion is one of my top priorities. Remember, never sign anything until you know what you are signing!
  6. The last role that I feel is very important is that of a marketing expert. In addition to Jim and I’s role as experienced marketers we feel this aspect of Houston real estate is so critical we designated an in-house person for marketing. We also rely heavily on our outside partner at Dakno Real Estate Marketing to help manage our Houston real estate website. That ensures your home selling needs are given top priority.

Your Feedback?

As a Houston home buyer or seller, what role do you see as the most important to you? I’d love to read your comments.

Until next my post,

Meg

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