Like many folks, I am a big fan of technology. Most Realtors nowadays stay up with technology or they fall behind. Today, I am reviewing the new iPhone 4. This is my second iPhone as I bought the first one when they first came out a few years ago. Although I loved the original phone, at my home here in Pearland, my service...how do I put it politely...sucked. This is the main reason I got rid of it after a year or so.
The other day, I bought the new iPhone 4 as it does several things I wanted in a phone. One of the main reasons is it shoots High Def video. This is useful in my field as I am implementing it on all my listing as part of my service. Now, it is pretty easy to post a video of each home on youtube. This along with a new feature call "Facetime" that allows you to see the person you are speaking to, influenced my decision. Now, Facetime only works within a broadband wireless connection but is still really cool.
That solved all of my issues with the exception of the service. So, I have now found another AT&T product called MicroCell which will set you back about $160 bucks. Some naysayers will say it should be free as I am having to fix AT&T's bad service. Well, this is true, but it also fixed my problem. My phone already worked well everywhere but my home and now that I have spent more money, it works well there too.
Now, on to the review. I find the phone very sleek looking with a very good, clear screen. The phone surfs the net with blazing speeds with your wireless service and is not too shabby when using it's own 4G network. Of course, the best apps are made for the iPhone so real estate apps like Zillow are of particular interest to me. There are hundreds of apps to choose from many that are free as well as many more you pay a few dollars for.
All in all, despite the $199 price tag for the phone (with a 2 year contract) and an additional $169 for the Microcell, I find the phone well worth the money. So far, I haven't noticed any dropped calls from the antenna being on the side of the phone, but AT&T is now giving iPhone customers a free case. I took mine, but probably won't use it. It would be a shame to spend this much money and then cover it up.
I hope you find this useful and feel free to comment.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Open House Today
I am having another open house today from 2pm until 4pm. Come out and take a look at this beautiful 2300 square foot home built by Lennar. This home has a great price point at only $164,900. It is a 3/2.5/2 with an upstairs gameroom. This home is located at 3326 Southdown Pearland, TX...just minutes from downtown and the medical center.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Heros
I am focusing this morning on heros. Not the TV show, by the way. A few of my personal heros are Warren Buffet, Jimmy Carter (for his humanitarian efforts), Chris Christie (Governor of NJ), Tony Robbins (Motivational Speaker), Hillary Clinton and Harvey Milk to name a few.
However, those heros are public celebrities more or less. I have many heros in my life who aren't celebrities. For instance, I know several ladies who are fighting or have overcome cancer. While these people aren't on the TV everyday, their brave fight inspires me and makes me appreciate how precious life is. They are brave beyond my imagination; they are stronger then even they knew. I am proud and grateful to call them my friends.
Yes, there are heros all around us. From the men and women fighting for our country to the folks fighting an aggressive illness; heros are everywhere. Although they do not ask for admiration, they most certainly deserve it.
While this blog is typically about real estate, sometimes I find it more important to remind the heros in my life how much I admire them. If you have a hero in your life, you should tell them so. Sometimes, it may come when they really need it.
However, those heros are public celebrities more or less. I have many heros in my life who aren't celebrities. For instance, I know several ladies who are fighting or have overcome cancer. While these people aren't on the TV everyday, their brave fight inspires me and makes me appreciate how precious life is. They are brave beyond my imagination; they are stronger then even they knew. I am proud and grateful to call them my friends.
Yes, there are heros all around us. From the men and women fighting for our country to the folks fighting an aggressive illness; heros are everywhere. Although they do not ask for admiration, they most certainly deserve it.
While this blog is typically about real estate, sometimes I find it more important to remind the heros in my life how much I admire them. If you have a hero in your life, you should tell them so. Sometimes, it may come when they really need it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Home Buying
When I was a youngster, I remember new home signs all over Houston that read "From the 40's". Now, that was more than a few years ago and you can't buy a new home in the forty thousand dollar range any longer, but there are still great deals out there.
Remember, when homes were that low, the interest rate was around 15% and folks were still buying like crazy. Now, interest rates are staying low (around 5.75%). Although credit is a little harder to get than before, but if you have a fairly good credit rating 620 or above, you can buy and pay about the same or less than you would renting.
I believe folks are more cautious about buying than ever before. I suppose it has a lot to do with our somewhat sketchy economy and the lack of stability in the job market. I usually recommend to my clients to buy less than they can afford so that they can not only build wealth, but be prepared for emergencies. Too often I see a person that has been approved for $200,000 but wants to spend $220,000.
The bottom line is spend wisely, but remember buying a home is still a great way to add stability to your life and your financial portfolio.
Remember, when homes were that low, the interest rate was around 15% and folks were still buying like crazy. Now, interest rates are staying low (around 5.75%). Although credit is a little harder to get than before, but if you have a fairly good credit rating 620 or above, you can buy and pay about the same or less than you would renting.
I believe folks are more cautious about buying than ever before. I suppose it has a lot to do with our somewhat sketchy economy and the lack of stability in the job market. I usually recommend to my clients to buy less than they can afford so that they can not only build wealth, but be prepared for emergencies. Too often I see a person that has been approved for $200,000 but wants to spend $220,000.
The bottom line is spend wisely, but remember buying a home is still a great way to add stability to your life and your financial portfolio.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Foreclosures
As many of you may know, I handle foreclosures for several major banks. Foreclosures can be a great value as they are typically priced below non foreclosures. However, there seems to be some confusion over foreclosure pricing.
Foreclosures are also known as REO properties. It seems many buyers think that an REO (Real Estate Owned) property listed at $100,000 by the bank will sell for $70,000 or below. This is not the case. REO's are already usually priced below their market value and the bank has had their REO Broker, in this case me, due a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) to help set the price. Then they follow up on my BPO with an appraisal. They use the experience of the real estate Broker to aid in pricing the property where it will sell within 90 days or less.
So, I regularly see offers from investors for pennies on the dollar that the bank flat out rejects. These investors are under the impression buying a foreclosed property listed with a Broker is the same as buying one from a tax sale, let's say. At a tax sale, investors can sometimes buy REO's for pennies on the dollar. This is a very common mistake.
If you are in the market for a foreclosure, you can get a very good deal. However, your agent should always do a market analysis prior to your offer so you are assured you are getting the good deal it appears to be. After all, there are overpriced foreclosures, just like any other home. Sometimes, the bank has been given bad pricing advice from their agent and therefore the price is off. It is difficult to get a bank to accept less than what their agent has said it is worth. In those instances, you are probably better off looking for another property.
In closing, my team and I are happy to help you in your home search including bank owned properties. Part of our standard practice is to make sure the home you are buying is priced correctly whether it is a foreclosure or not. We are locally owned and operated and specialize in the Pearland and surrounding areas. If you have questions prior to buying, give us a call anytime as we welcome your questions either through email or phone. The road to home ownership is not as long as you think...we can help. Thanks for reading my blog.
Foreclosures are also known as REO properties. It seems many buyers think that an REO (Real Estate Owned) property listed at $100,000 by the bank will sell for $70,000 or below. This is not the case. REO's are already usually priced below their market value and the bank has had their REO Broker, in this case me, due a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) to help set the price. Then they follow up on my BPO with an appraisal. They use the experience of the real estate Broker to aid in pricing the property where it will sell within 90 days or less.
So, I regularly see offers from investors for pennies on the dollar that the bank flat out rejects. These investors are under the impression buying a foreclosed property listed with a Broker is the same as buying one from a tax sale, let's say. At a tax sale, investors can sometimes buy REO's for pennies on the dollar. This is a very common mistake.
If you are in the market for a foreclosure, you can get a very good deal. However, your agent should always do a market analysis prior to your offer so you are assured you are getting the good deal it appears to be. After all, there are overpriced foreclosures, just like any other home. Sometimes, the bank has been given bad pricing advice from their agent and therefore the price is off. It is difficult to get a bank to accept less than what their agent has said it is worth. In those instances, you are probably better off looking for another property.
In closing, my team and I are happy to help you in your home search including bank owned properties. Part of our standard practice is to make sure the home you are buying is priced correctly whether it is a foreclosure or not. We are locally owned and operated and specialize in the Pearland and surrounding areas. If you have questions prior to buying, give us a call anytime as we welcome your questions either through email or phone. The road to home ownership is not as long as you think...we can help. Thanks for reading my blog.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
My Political Opinions
Let me preface this blog by stating I am a Democrat, however I am on a tear this morning...
I am very frustrated with this administration at the moment. First of all, who really knows what is in the new health care package that has been implemented? It is over 2000 pages which seems a little ridiculous to begin with. I am a Independant Contractor so I pay for my own health care, and I was somewhat optimistic at the beginning. However, this is starting to seem like a nightmare now. We were promised by this administration that we would be able to keep our own doctor, however, that is not looking to be the case at the moment. We still aren't sure how much this is going to cost each of us, then on top of that, there were several bills that made it into law by "piggybacking" onto this bill. One of the craziest is folks like me will have to 1099 each vendor if we spend $1000 or more per year. That means if I buy a thousand dollars worth of copy paper over the course of the year, I will have to 1099 Office Depot. Talk about an accounting nightmare! Oh, then, members of Congress have made themselves exempt from the Healthcare Reform and they can retire after one term and keep the same pay for life! What?? We weren't given a vote on this of course.
Another issue that bothers me is the Stimulus package. I am still not sure how a few hundred dollars was supposed to help those in need. In my opinion, that was a huge waste of money. The old adage 'Give a man a fish, he eats for a day...teach a man to fish he eats for life" would seem to apply. That money should have been used to re-train those out of work, not give them enough money for a couple of days. Spending seems out of control and the economy has certainly been better. You can feel that there is less optimism now than before about the future. That has me worried...
I also realize the budget will never be balanced while there is a war going on...no to mention two wars. However, I believe we are heading in the wrong direction. This makes being a Democrat a little difficult at the moment. I am hopeful that either we will get a new person in the White House next term, or we see a radical shift in policies. This is my opinion and you are welcome to submit yours or make comments about this blog as I welcome all.
I am very frustrated with this administration at the moment. First of all, who really knows what is in the new health care package that has been implemented? It is over 2000 pages which seems a little ridiculous to begin with. I am a Independant Contractor so I pay for my own health care, and I was somewhat optimistic at the beginning. However, this is starting to seem like a nightmare now. We were promised by this administration that we would be able to keep our own doctor, however, that is not looking to be the case at the moment. We still aren't sure how much this is going to cost each of us, then on top of that, there were several bills that made it into law by "piggybacking" onto this bill. One of the craziest is folks like me will have to 1099 each vendor if we spend $1000 or more per year. That means if I buy a thousand dollars worth of copy paper over the course of the year, I will have to 1099 Office Depot. Talk about an accounting nightmare! Oh, then, members of Congress have made themselves exempt from the Healthcare Reform and they can retire after one term and keep the same pay for life! What?? We weren't given a vote on this of course.
Another issue that bothers me is the Stimulus package. I am still not sure how a few hundred dollars was supposed to help those in need. In my opinion, that was a huge waste of money. The old adage 'Give a man a fish, he eats for a day...teach a man to fish he eats for life" would seem to apply. That money should have been used to re-train those out of work, not give them enough money for a couple of days. Spending seems out of control and the economy has certainly been better. You can feel that there is less optimism now than before about the future. That has me worried...
I also realize the budget will never be balanced while there is a war going on...no to mention two wars. However, I believe we are heading in the wrong direction. This makes being a Democrat a little difficult at the moment. I am hopeful that either we will get a new person in the White House next term, or we see a radical shift in policies. This is my opinion and you are welcome to submit yours or make comments about this blog as I welcome all.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
OPEN HOUSES TODAY
11501 Bay Crossing - $284,900
I wanted to take a moment and invite all of you out to my two open houses today from 2pm until 4pm. The first is a beautiful home in Shadow Creek Ranch. This Meritage home was built in 2005 and features a 3-car garage and has over 2900 sq ft. In the back yard, this home has a heated in-ground pool and spa and still has a full back yard because the lot is over 11,000 square feet.
3326 Southdown - $164,900This home is located in Southdown and has over 2300 sq ft. Nice landscaping as well as a great corner lot, this home was built in 2000 and has an upstairs gameroom as well as 3 bedrooms with the master downstairs. This home has fresh paint and carpet and is ready for move-in. Come tour this home today from 2pm until
4pm; hope to see you there.
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