Hard to believe it is the 20th of February and a balmy 72 out there right now! We in the south central region of Texas enjoy a lot of nice weather all year round. Still this is a bit warmer than normal, but why complain?
I talked to friends and family in the northern states and am reminded of things like ice storms that coat the roads, causing a lot of bumps and crunches. The snow is beautiful at the ski resort, but since we don't teach skiing, working here is much nicer.
The golf courses are in great shape, the rivers are flowing (slower than last year, but still flowing) and the wildflowers are just waiting to start their growth.
If you need to take a break from the cold, come on down and visit us. If you like it, you are welcome to stay.
Wow!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
It's a Good Time to buy Real Estate
Check out this article frmo RIS Media, the real estate news service:
By Beth McGuire
RISMEDIA, Feb. 8, 2008–”It’s a good time to buy real estate.” That’s the message Realogy, the nation’s largest real estate franchisor, wants agents to broadcast to buyers across the country.
The company is spreading the word through a national advertising campaign in USA Today, which began this past Wednesday and will run again on Feb. 13th and 20th. This is Realogy’s second national push in as many years to take a strong stance against the barrage of negative press directed toward the real estate industry over what is reported as the declining condition of the housing market.
The Parsippany, New Jersey-based parent of the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, ERA® and Sotheby’s International Realty® brands, ran a full-page advertisement in the front section of USA Today and expects to reach more than 3.9 million consumers with its message. The ad lets consumers know that recently-cut mortgage rates and a wealth of available properties, make today a “great time” to purchase a home.
The timing of the ad, titled, “Think You Can’t Get a Home Loan? Well Think Again. You May Be Pleasantly Surprised.,” aligns with the recent Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and lets consumers know that: money is available for those who meet basic requirements; affordability has improved; rates are attractive; and inventory is plentiful.
In an exclusive interview with Alex Perriello, president & CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group, he said the ads aim to educate consumers who might be at the positive tipping point on buying a home.
“We want to educate the consumer with relevant facts about today’s real estate market,” he said. “There are a lot of positives, and we feel that reinforcing the positives will help clarify things for consumers who are on the fence what to do in today’s market. I travel a lot to real estate offices and I hear from a lot of our agents that buyers are out there, but that they are not sure what to do. We felt that talking openly about the opportunities may help people to see that it is a good time to get into the market, and we believe it is.”
Perriello said there are three common misconceptions consumers have about the real estate market right now :people can’t get a loan: affordability is out of reach: and consumers should wait for rates to go lower.
“I was watching a news show last week after the Federal Reserve made its second rate cut on Tuesday, and the host of the program said, ‘I don’t know if it will help because you can’t get a mortgage.’ You hear this over and over again. We want to set the record straight on that. If you meet very basic requirements - you have a job for the past two years, you can make the payments, you plan to live in the property and you have a credit score that suggests you are responsible, you can get a mortgage. These are all reasonable requirements.”
He added that affordability today is better than it has been in almost three years, and that interest rates are now at 40-year historic lows, so people shouldn’t wait to buy.
In the national scope of the economy, Perriello said that the Federal Reserve is doing a good job of doing what it can to avert a recession, but stopped short on any market predictions for the remainder of 2008.
“It’s too early to know how it will go,” he said. ‘We’ll see what the impact of the rate cut brings. Another wild card is [President Bush’s economic] stimulus package, which has gotten through the House but is now stalled in the Senate.”
To combat negative press, Perriello believes that all real estate professionals need to take a very proactive position in the marketplace. “We recommend they absolutely follow our lead,” he said. “We are providing to our franchisees the ad template so they can customize it with their branding and information in their local markets. There are some great talking points in these ads.”
For more information, visit www.realogy.com.
By Beth McGuire
RISMEDIA, Feb. 8, 2008–”It’s a good time to buy real estate.” That’s the message Realogy, the nation’s largest real estate franchisor, wants agents to broadcast to buyers across the country.
The company is spreading the word through a national advertising campaign in USA Today, which began this past Wednesday and will run again on Feb. 13th and 20th. This is Realogy’s second national push in as many years to take a strong stance against the barrage of negative press directed toward the real estate industry over what is reported as the declining condition of the housing market.
The Parsippany, New Jersey-based parent of the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, ERA® and Sotheby’s International Realty® brands, ran a full-page advertisement in the front section of USA Today and expects to reach more than 3.9 million consumers with its message. The ad lets consumers know that recently-cut mortgage rates and a wealth of available properties, make today a “great time” to purchase a home.
The timing of the ad, titled, “Think You Can’t Get a Home Loan? Well Think Again. You May Be Pleasantly Surprised.,” aligns with the recent Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and lets consumers know that: money is available for those who meet basic requirements; affordability has improved; rates are attractive; and inventory is plentiful.
In an exclusive interview with Alex Perriello, president & CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group, he said the ads aim to educate consumers who might be at the positive tipping point on buying a home.
“We want to educate the consumer with relevant facts about today’s real estate market,” he said. “There are a lot of positives, and we feel that reinforcing the positives will help clarify things for consumers who are on the fence what to do in today’s market. I travel a lot to real estate offices and I hear from a lot of our agents that buyers are out there, but that they are not sure what to do. We felt that talking openly about the opportunities may help people to see that it is a good time to get into the market, and we believe it is.”
Perriello said there are three common misconceptions consumers have about the real estate market right now :people can’t get a loan: affordability is out of reach: and consumers should wait for rates to go lower.
“I was watching a news show last week after the Federal Reserve made its second rate cut on Tuesday, and the host of the program said, ‘I don’t know if it will help because you can’t get a mortgage.’ You hear this over and over again. We want to set the record straight on that. If you meet very basic requirements - you have a job for the past two years, you can make the payments, you plan to live in the property and you have a credit score that suggests you are responsible, you can get a mortgage. These are all reasonable requirements.”
He added that affordability today is better than it has been in almost three years, and that interest rates are now at 40-year historic lows, so people shouldn’t wait to buy.
In the national scope of the economy, Perriello said that the Federal Reserve is doing a good job of doing what it can to avert a recession, but stopped short on any market predictions for the remainder of 2008.
“It’s too early to know how it will go,” he said. ‘We’ll see what the impact of the rate cut brings. Another wild card is [President Bush’s economic] stimulus package, which has gotten through the House but is now stalled in the Senate.”
To combat negative press, Perriello believes that all real estate professionals need to take a very proactive position in the marketplace. “We recommend they absolutely follow our lead,” he said. “We are providing to our franchisees the ad template so they can customize it with their branding and information in their local markets. There are some great talking points in these ads.”
For more information, visit www.realogy.com.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Home Seller Workshop Scheduled
We are proud to announce our next consumer education event - the Home Seller Workshop. Scheduled for February 28th at 7 - 9 PM in the Schertz Civic Center. We are putting together the now famous team that made our Home Buyers Workshop so successful. Title, Inspection, Home Warranty, Home Staging, and more will be on hand to discuss all aspects of selling your house. From preparation to contract and closing, we will go over the entore process and be there to answer your questions.
Put this on your schedule! If you are going to sell your house this year, you need to attend!
Call us or email info@tanrealty.com to RSVP or for questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
Put this on your schedule! If you are going to sell your house this year, you need to attend!
Call us or email info@tanrealty.com to RSVP or for questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Home Buyer Workshop a Success!
We hosted our first ever Home Buyer Workshop the other night and the feedback is all positive! Althought the weather was not the best, those that ventured out to the event were rewarded with a lot of great information and they all said they learned a lot. With our friends from Supreme Lending, United Title of Texas, AnuHome4U Inspections, First American Home Warranty, Allstate Insurance, and Edward Jones Investments, we covered the entire buyer process with a professional representing all the major transaction parts. This made for great question and answer sessions and everyone benefitted.
We look forward to both a seller workshop and more buyer workshops in the future. We hope you can attend and will keep this site updated with the latest plans and schedules.
We look forward to both a seller workshop and more buyer workshops in the future. We hope you can attend and will keep this site updated with the latest plans and schedules.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Home Buyer Workshop 17 Jan 08
It's on the books! We are excited to host a Home Buyer Workshop on 17 Jan 08 at the Schertz Civic Center from 7-9 PM. Sign in will start at 6:30, and we would really appreciate an RSVP so we can plan refreshements accordingly. Just drop an email to info@tanrealty.com or call us at 210-392-4070 with the number of attendees.
Presenters will include:
United Title of Texas
Supreme Mortgage Lending
First American Home Warranty
A Nu Home 4 U Home Inspection Service
Edward Jones Investments
Allstate Insurance
And of course, Realty Executives!!
This is for new and seasoned home buyers as we will have the experts on hand to address the local housing market and answer your questions. In fact, if you have specific questions, email me and we'll provide and answer at the Workshop.
This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in local real estate. from a personal home to investing, we will be able to discuss the entire process and what you need to know before you start.
We are looking forward to this and hope you will enjoy it as well. Please let everyone that might need this information know.
Presenters will include:
United Title of Texas
Supreme Mortgage Lending
First American Home Warranty
A Nu Home 4 U Home Inspection Service
Edward Jones Investments
Allstate Insurance
And of course, Realty Executives!!
This is for new and seasoned home buyers as we will have the experts on hand to address the local housing market and answer your questions. In fact, if you have specific questions, email me and we'll provide and answer at the Workshop.
This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in local real estate. from a personal home to investing, we will be able to discuss the entire process and what you need to know before you start.
We are looking forward to this and hope you will enjoy it as well. Please let everyone that might need this information know.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Happy New Year
Well, the last transaction is closed ans we are working on 2008 already! We want to wish all of you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2008!
It's been a great year and for those we have worked with, thank you again. For those that are just waiting for the right time, now is a great time to buy and the spring looks great to sell your home.
We are hosting a Home Buyer Workshop on 22 Jan at 7PM in the Schertz Civic Center. If you or anyone you know is thinking about buying this year, be there! We will have Supreme Lending, First American Home Warranty, United Title of Texas, A New Home For You Home Inspections, Allstate Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, and of course, Realty Executives on hand to discuss all aspects of home buying and provide one on one counseling.
Then on 28 Feb, we will host a Seller Workshop and discuss the specifics of home sales. Again, these are going to be educational and will have something for the first time buyer/seller, as well as seasoned investors. Take a couple of hours and become a better prepared buyer/seller. It's on us!
Again, all the best to all of you for 2008!
It's been a great year and for those we have worked with, thank you again. For those that are just waiting for the right time, now is a great time to buy and the spring looks great to sell your home.
We are hosting a Home Buyer Workshop on 22 Jan at 7PM in the Schertz Civic Center. If you or anyone you know is thinking about buying this year, be there! We will have Supreme Lending, First American Home Warranty, United Title of Texas, A New Home For You Home Inspections, Allstate Insurance, Edward Jones Investments, and of course, Realty Executives on hand to discuss all aspects of home buying and provide one on one counseling.
Then on 28 Feb, we will host a Seller Workshop and discuss the specifics of home sales. Again, these are going to be educational and will have something for the first time buyer/seller, as well as seasoned investors. Take a couple of hours and become a better prepared buyer/seller. It's on us!
Again, all the best to all of you for 2008!
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Holiday market
Here we are, nearly the end of 2007! Congratulations - we truly hope it has been a good year for all of you! We certainly have had a great year and look forward to 2008 with enthusiasm. Completing over 40 transactions, bringing Amanda on to help, and preparing for more listings in the coming months make us feel blessed for sure.
Many people ask about the "Holiday Season" and if it is always slow? Well, it is in a way, but we are seeing more activity now than the last three months and believe that the horror stories from the rest of the country are being balanced with our great local conditions. The local market is slow in that there are more listings active than last year at the same time. That means buyers have more choices and will go with the home that makes the most sense to them with price, condition, location, location, condition, location, and price being the biggest factors. Yes, I think that is the right order!
So, do you put your house on the market now? Yes, if you are ready to sell, it is in good condition, and you are prepared to price correctly for the local market. And, be prepared for buyers to turn out and you can be moving quicker than the media would let you believe.
But, you also need to make sure the house is marketed and advertised properly and efficiently. That is what we do for you; MLS postings with full photo gallery, NEW - Virtual Tour, Realtor.Com exposure through Enhanced Listings and Featured Homes, E-mail flyers to the local community, and much more. We have located the best and most effective blend of marketing activities we can to not just list a home, but to sell it! So, if you are considering selling your home, call and we can discuss options.
If you are looking at purchasing a home, the same rules apply - now is a great time, interest rates are fantastic, choices are great, and prices are fair. Call and we can show you.
Well, get back to your shopping and we will be planning that Buyer and Seller Workshop for you.
Many people ask about the "Holiday Season" and if it is always slow? Well, it is in a way, but we are seeing more activity now than the last three months and believe that the horror stories from the rest of the country are being balanced with our great local conditions. The local market is slow in that there are more listings active than last year at the same time. That means buyers have more choices and will go with the home that makes the most sense to them with price, condition, location, location, condition, location, and price being the biggest factors. Yes, I think that is the right order!
So, do you put your house on the market now? Yes, if you are ready to sell, it is in good condition, and you are prepared to price correctly for the local market. And, be prepared for buyers to turn out and you can be moving quicker than the media would let you believe.
But, you also need to make sure the house is marketed and advertised properly and efficiently. That is what we do for you; MLS postings with full photo gallery, NEW - Virtual Tour, Realtor.Com exposure through Enhanced Listings and Featured Homes, E-mail flyers to the local community, and much more. We have located the best and most effective blend of marketing activities we can to not just list a home, but to sell it! So, if you are considering selling your home, call and we can discuss options.
If you are looking at purchasing a home, the same rules apply - now is a great time, interest rates are fantastic, choices are great, and prices are fair. Call and we can show you.
Well, get back to your shopping and we will be planning that Buyer and Seller Workshop for you.
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