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College Station, TX Real Estate News

By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
The College Station and Bryan ares n Texas continue to move along with some great gains in the local market.  We are seeing 3-4% appreciation rates with most properties moving with 112 days on average.  Our list to sold price ratio is running at 97 percent.  While new construction appears that current inventories are ready for spring.  The condo market is strong with several units a week selling.  Summer leases are also on the increase as students plan the sumer class schedule.  Average prices for a home in College Station is around $167,000.Till Next Time,Matt RatcliffeTeam LeaderKWRBV
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Our hopes and dreams are what make us great. They push us to do whatever it takes to reach them. They give us the enthusiasm with which we inspire others to see our vision. They help us through all the obstacles along the way. There is a reason for the dreams that you have. Your dreams are yours so that you will follow them. The pain you feel if you're not following your dream, has the same purpose as any other pain -- to get your attention and prompt you to correct the situation.The joy you feel when pursuing your dream is there to keep you on the path.The value of your dream is in the person you become by following it -- in the skills you learn, in the people you help, in the growth you experience.Dare to dream big dreams. The bigger your dream, the more motivation it will give you. W...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
 In every desire is the energy and motivation needed to fulfill that desire. The problem is that we often use even more energy to fight the desire. That's like driving your car with one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake pedal at the same time. We have desires for a reason. They motivate us to take action. They compel us to take action. Unfortunately, we often don't want to take action. So we launch a counterattack on our desires, with powerful weapons such as fear, unworthiness, guilt, and anger. Not only does this require tremendous effort, it also destroys the original power of the desire. What a waste!What are your desires, your goals? Are you using their own energy to go toward them? Or are you wasting your energy by fighting them, by frightening, shaming or rationalizing...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
 You cannot see or touch or be shoved into a ditch by disappointment. Its power is only what you make of it, only what you allow it to be. So make of each disappointment the very best you possibly can. When disappointment comes, take control of it rather than allowing it to take control of you.The seeds of great achievements are often planted in the midst of tragic disappointments. There is a raw energy in every disappointment that can be focused in any direction you choose. It can bring you way, way down if you let it. Or you can grab hold of that energy and ride it steadily upward toward whatever goal you seek.Even when the results you achieve are not the results you were after, you've nonetheless taken a significant step forward. You have, after all, achieved results. Getting the res...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
In its raw form, frustration can be painful, negative and even destructive. However, frustration also has a positive side. There is an enormous amount of energy in frustration. There is the potential for powerful and meaningful motivation in your frustration.The key to successfully dealing with frustration is not to avoid it or to fight it or to let it overwhelm you. The best thing to do with frustration is to turn it into positive motivation.The more intensely you feel frustration, the more motivated you can be to make positive changes to the situation. When you feel frustrated, stop for a moment and calmly consider your circumstances.Instead of thinking of a thousand different ways to complain or to feel sorry for yourself, think of one way in which you can take a step forward. Then d...
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By Trey Thurmond, College Station , Texas Homes
(BCR Realtors)
Wonderful New Patio Home by  Classic HomesSpring Meadows SubdivisionMLS #44822      Approx 1973 sq. ft. heated    3 BDR.      2 Baths     Perfect for retirees or anyone seeking to size down without sacrificing quality.Elegant finish and decor throughout.   Minutes to Pebble Creek Golf and Country ClubQuiet Cul-de-sac settingShort drive to Medical services  http://www.csmedcenter.com/Convenient to the University     http://www.txcyber.com/  Price  $ 228,000M. F. Trey Thurmond , Broker. CRB, GRI3 Decades of Servicehttp://www.treythurmond.com/979- 229-8465www.aggiecastles.com 
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
When it comes to covering your assets then writing notes on your transaction is a must.  Here is what I know about problems that happen in a real estate transaction.  If the agent involved does not have a time-line with notes, they are at a huge disadvantage.  Whether you put it in the file or on the file you should keep notes about your transaction.  These should with dates and times of when someone called you and what you talked about.  If you use a contact management software then that would be a great place to put the notes.  We get busy and a lot of times loose track of what is going on in a transaction.  I know over time I tend to forget the exact actions that happened in a transaction, however with my notes I can follow the trail pretty easy.Keep good notes, it will save you time...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
The Byran College Station Texas over all continues to move along.  We had our 2nd best year in units, howvwer the volume went up by 6 percent.  We sold a fw lwss homes bute values continues to rise.  We are looking for a great year in 2008.  The way in whic it has started feels about normal for the area.  Below please find a report from Mark Dotzour PH. D. on the outlook for the Texas economy as a whole.The Texas housing market will slow down further in 2008 from the 2006 peak but will still be strong relative to most other states. The Texas market is not immune from national economic conditions, from forces in the mortgage and credit markets, or from overbuilding in the past, but sustained job and population growth will keep demand strong. It may well take two or three years before the...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
The domestic economic outlook was put in a state of suspension yesterday, after the global markets traded to their lows.. some of the worst in their history. The foundation of this, is that the foreign markets rely on the US for so many goods & services. The fear of our economy slowing, greatly impacted global markets & conditions, stemming from the fear that the US is sliding into a recession. The Feds decreasing the short term interest rates by 75 basis points, is a clear indication that the economy is slowing. With that being said... interest rates will follow suit, and for the short term, will come down.  We must maintain our focus on building our business & taking advantage of the positives.Use this a point of conversation with clients and customer.  Talk about how our area is hold...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
When was the last time anxiety knocked at your front door? Have you ever met stress walking down the street? When did you ever answer the telephone and discover anger on the other end of the line? Things such as stress, anxiety and anger do not exist in real, tangible form. They exist only in you and only with your cooperation. They are not grown in a field or manufactured in a factory. They are created in your head.And as such, there is no need for you to "deal" with them or "resolve" them. You have it in your power to simply annihilate them or, better yet, to avoid giving birth to them in the first place.Do not let your anxieties control you. Do not let them do anything. Do not let them be. Just throw them away. What good are they? Why allow them to clutter and complicate your life? I...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Sometimes learning can feel like a chore. Sometimes it seems that learning is just the mundane, yet necessary thing you must do before you undertake whatever it is you really want to do. Yet learning is much more than that. In additional to showing you what action to take, learning also can significantly increase the effectiveness of that action.Learning is not merely an obligatory step on the path to action. Learning has a value all its own, a value that lasts long after you've completed whatever it was that compelled you to learn in the first place.Learning not only enables you to know what and how. It also provides you the opportunity to understand why.Understanding why can add enormous value and effectiveness to anything you do. When you have a solid grasp of the fundamental concept...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Just when home prices and interest rates are really starting to look attractive, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced increased delivery fees and new Loan-Level Price Adjustments, making credit much more expensive for potential homebuyers and homeowners looking to refinance. These increased fees are mandatory and have nothing to do with your mortgage professional. They are simply Fannie and Freddie's way of recouping losses associated with the recent rise in delinquencies and foreclosures. Under Loan-Level Price Adjustments, additional costs are assessed to mortgages based solely on FICO credit score ranges that fall below 680. In the mortgage industry, this is called risk-based pricing, and it can really add substantial costs to a mortgage if borrowers aren't credit ready. If you or so...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Ingham's latest report points to slowed economic growth - 11/18/2007(College Station-Bryan: Economy)The rapid growth that the Bryan-College Station economy enjoyed for several years has slowed in 2007, according to Amarillo-based economist Karr Ingham, but the area is not experiencing an economic decline. Ingham compiles a monthly index to measure the local economy using city and state reports. The index held almost level from August to September, increasing from 122.7 to 122.8. That figure represented a 2.4 percent increase from September 2006, however. Ingham said it is important to recognize that a slowdown is not a decline and that the cities' economy is still growing at a healthy rate. The index's growth peaked in March 2006 at 7.1 percent over the previous year's, and that growth ...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
In 1985 Nicholas Barzon, a Century 21 Agent in Jackson Heights, New York was celebrated as the first Agent of a National Franchise to earn personal income of a million dollars. It was many years before another Agent hit that mark.Now, in 2008 there are hundreds of Agents earning a seven figure personal income in cities all across the United States and Canada.Every one of these prosperous Agents operates their business under a new paradigm. The old paradigm of prospecting for hours a day, focusing on listings and letting the buyers work with other Agents is over. The mentality of make service a low priority, forget marketing, sell them and forget them is doomed to become extinct, thank goodness.The new paradigm is what I call the "Whole Business" approach and is the new rule of the day.T...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
If everything works out the way you planned, that's great. If things don't work out as planned, that can be great, too, because it opens up new possibilities to you. Give your best thought, effort and attention to the factors that you can control. And give your full acceptance to the factors you cannot control.What's the best response when some unforeseen event beyond your control prevents things from working out as you planned? Accept the situation, find the very best of the new possibilities that have been created, and move forward with them.Acceptance of what has happened does not mean that you agree with it or that you resign yourself to live with it. Acceptance means that you see it for what it is and make positive use of it.Instead of constantly worrying that something will come a...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
You've probably heard of Stephen Covey, author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." He uses the word paradigm a lot, which simply means a belief, or a point of view.  Dr. Covey believes that you need to have a paradigm shift before you can make dramatic breakthroughs in your business success -- or your life.   Here's a story I heard a few years ago that illustrates the point perfectly. Imagine you're in London's Heathrow Airport. While you're waiting for your flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies. You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies.   Finally you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread c...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Whenever anything seems too difficult, tedious or uncomfortable, stop for a moment and remember. Stop for a moment and remember why you're doing it in the first place. When there's a meaningful reason for what you're doing, then you can summon the motivation and the energy to get it done. Connect yourself with that reason, and allow it to push you forward. You have a very real stake in the outcome of your own efforts because you've chosen to make those efforts for a reason. Be sure to keep yourself connected to what that reason is.Discipline, persistence, commitment and effectiveness cannot exist in a vacuum. They need a real and meaningful reason, a driving purpose, in order to thrive.Whenever something starts to get you down, challenge yourself to remember why you're doing it. Remembe...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
 How do you get yourself to do what you know is best, what you know you must do? You find a way to truly want it. Think of your favorite food. If you were hungry, and that food was sitting on the table in front of you, would you be able to bring yourself to eat it?Of course you would. It would be no problem at all.You wouldn't have to attend a seminar, or buy a book, or watch a video instructing you on what to do. You'd simply take the necessary steps, out of a desire to eat your favorite food.No, not everything is as easy as reaching out and taking a bite of food. Yet the fact remains that the things you get done are the things you want to get done, whether they are easy or difficult, simple or complex.You are completely capable of figuring out how, and finding the motivation to do som...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Have you ever wondered what motivates billionaires? They've long since accumulated enough wealth to provide a life of ease for themselves, their children, their grandchildren and probably even more generations. Yet many billionaires are very hard working people, getting up early each morning and putting in long days. They certainly don't need the money. What drives them to do it? Is is greed, or the desire for power? Perhaps. But, by and large, greedy people do not usually succeed to any great extent because they are unwilling to provide value to people. With few exceptions, modern-day billionaires didn't get to be billionaires by being greedy.Hard-working billionaires are motivated by their vision, by the need to make a difference, by the need to leave their mark on the world. And it i...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
 It is in all that you see and hear, all that you touch and taste. Can you feel the profound and unparalleled energy of life as it fills your every moment? It comes to you not at your bidding, nor does it cease to come when you ignore it. It simply comes, rich and lush and ready to be lived as much as you will. Even in the moments of sadness or disappointment or frustration, it is in the background, whispering its joy. You can choose to listen or not, and still it is there.Think of what a joy and a privilege it is to be alive in this moment. Nothing else can compare. Stop for just a minute and reconnect yourself with the wonder and irreplaceable energy that is your life. Reacquaint yourself on a regular basis with this most fundamental of all your blessings.Then move joyfully forward, f...
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