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!!

HOUSTON REAL ESTATE

Houston real estate, buyers and sellers always keeps me interested in the needs of those buying, selling, renting and building new construction.  It is what makes me passionate for the business.  After selling real estate for over 19 years, you would think that I’ve encountered most everything that you can imagine in the residential real estate business.  However, I continue to have something new or different come up in almost every transaction.  Therefore, I am constantly learning.  What I learn . . . I try to share.

BELLAIRE, TEXAS

Bellaire, TX is basically a city and a community of homes located near downtown Houston.   Many people want to live in this community because of the city environment, location, schools, and homes.  Homes now sell for anywhere from the mid $200’s to over $3,000,000.  There are some custom built homes that are probably worth considerably more. 

There is very little that you can buy right now for under $300,000.   However, Bellaire does have a few gems that will entice many.  There are a number of townhomes that offer much more than some of the surrounding communities.  Some of these features include low maintenance fees, small yards, one and two story properties and some with master bedrooms located downstairs.

5714 INNSBRUCK, BELLAIRE, TX

I recently listed a lovely townhome at 5714 Innsbruck in Bellaire, TX that has quite a few of the features that people request on a regular basis.  It offers:

• Low maintenance fees of $25. per month
• Some front yard, a large side yard and bit of a back yard
• Two story home
• Downstairs master bedroom presently used as a study/family room
• Gleaming wood floors
• Corner brick gaslog fireplace with a pretty mantle
• Granite kitchen counters with tumbled travertine backsplash
• Double paned window and doors
• Large walk-in closets and ceiling fans in each bedroom
• Very nice bathrooms
• Back patio area
• Well located inside Loop 610 in Bellaire, TX
• Zoned by HISD to Horn Elementary, Pershing Middle (can apply for Pin Oak Middle) & Bellaire High schools (sought after schools)
• Price in the mid $200’s.

PICTURES OF 5714 INNSBRUCK, BELLAIRE, TX

Front view of the townhome as seen standing under the large shade tree in front near the street.	Pretty landscaping, the side yard and touch of slate invite you into this beautifully updated 3/2/2 in Bellaire located inside Loop 610.
Living room features include recently installed wood floors, built-in entertainment center, optional TV, breakfast bar opening to kitchen, and built-ins with mirrored backing.	Another view of the living room from the edge of the dining room. A point of interest is that all the windows have recently been replaced with vinyl double paned windows and garden doors.
From the hallway you can view the living room, corner gaslog fireplace(could be made woodburning again) and garden doors. Aren’t the floors beautiful?	Once again the living room is nicely presented.
The charming brick corner fireplace is cozy and offers a nice hearth and a gorgeous custom made mantle. Presently the fireplace is gaslog, but supposedly can be converted back to woodburning.	Tastful mirrored wall and garden doors aid in making this dining room light and enjoyable for dining.
Peek over the granite breakfast bar into the kitchen from the living room.	Viewing the kitchen from the breakfast bar allows you to see the abundant cabinetry and gorgeous granite countertops. The electric range is a flat surface.
Looking down into the kitchen gives you an idea of the attention to detail from the tile floor, cabinets and hardware, granite counters and tumbled travertine backsplash.	Large upstairs bedroom is presently being used fot the master bedroom. All bedrooms have ceiling fans and large, deep walk-in closets.
The other upstairs bedroom has a high window for better furniture arrangement. All bedrooms are carpeted.	Presently the downstairs master bedroom is being used for a study. You can peek into the master bath that features decorator touches.
The slate step helps you enter onto the patio area from the dining room. This is a great spot for grilling. The back and large side yard are fully fenced.	This large fully fenced side yard can be used in so many ways. The back corner of this yard has nice landscaping. There is quite a bit of yard space that comes along with this home. The low maintenance fees cover mowing the front yard.

There is very little that you can buy in Bellaire for the price of this nice three bedroom, two bath, two garage home.  Prices are historically and continually rising in Bellaire.  Buying a townhome like this one that I listed is a great deal in my opinion . . . if you want to live in Bellaire, TX.

If you are looking to buy or sell in Bellaire, TX . . .would this information be helpful to you?  What would you add or delete to make this post better?

Market Conditions for Bellaire, Texas Reported by Meg & Jim Zoller and Susi McCauley of The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty, REALTORS May  2008.

According to information that I reviewed on Houston Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service, there are currently 164 single family residential homes on the market priced from $215,000 for a 1065 sq. ft., 3 bed/1 bath home on a 7345 sq. ft. lot priced mainly for the land to a high of $2,899,000 for a 9662 sq. ft., 5 bedroom/ 5 full, 2 half bath, 3 car garage home on a 18,450 sq. ft. lot built in 2004. The average list price per sq ft is $243.78. Fifty four homes are for sale for over $1,000,000 and 22 homes are priced at $400,000 or less. As of 5/20/2008 there are an additional 41 homes pending under contract priced from $229,000 to $2,295,000.

March Single Family Home Sales – Bellaire

During the month of March 2008, 21 single family homes closed with sale prices ranging from $227,500 to $1,250,000. The average sales price per average sq. ft. was $206.69/ sq. ft.

Single Family Home Sales – Bellaire – April

In April 2008, 21 sales closed with an average sales price per average sq. ft. of $213.84. The low sales price was $199,500 for a 2 bed/ 1 bath, 1130 sq. ft. home on a 5125 sq. ft. lot near the railroad tracks. The highest reported sales price was $1,710,000 for a 5 bed/6 full 2 half bath, 6700 sq. ft., new construction home on a 15,990 sq. ft. lot.

Townhomes

There are presently reported to be 6 townhomes actively on the market, priced from $176,950 to $310,000. The average list price per sq ft is $145.36.Three sold in April 2008 for an average of $142.20 per sq. ft.

Bellaire New Construction

New construction in Bellaire is still strong and the prices are increasing due to rising building costs and lot prices. For the most part, construction in Bellaire originated in the late 40’s and 50’s. Many of these original homes have been and are being purchased at lot value with the old homes being replaced with larger, new construction homes.

ZIP Code: 77401

Bellaire Texas Location and Characteristics

 Bellaire, Texas, located on both sides of Interstate Loop 610 West, is surrounded by Houston and many subdivisions including West University Place, Southside Place, Meyerland, Willow Meadows, and Afton Oaks. It’s a very short distance to the Galleria, Reliant Stadium, downtown Houston, the Theater District, and the Medical Center.

Bellaire is zoned for residential, commercial, and light industrial sections. The city is well known as a residential city. The city is well-liked for its police and fire protection, parks and recreation facilities, library, public works department, and recycling center.

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