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College Station, TX Real Estate News

By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
When things go bad have you noticed a trend...?  When I came to the office this morning one of our agents had a river run through his house due to the rain this past week end.  Another one had a water heater go out in the attic of her home, great fun.  Then I had a GFCI go out in the garage due to some lightning over the weekend and my freezer and the food in it defrosted.  Sometimes you just have to sit back and say, HMMMMM.  I know it will all get better and life will go on.  If it is true that bad things happen in threes then we got it made.  Have a great week and a wonderful Christmas Holiday.Till Next Time,Matt RatcliffeTeam Leader
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Texas Real Estate Commission Requiring REALTORS Finger PrintsFingerprint Requirements (and FAST Print Pass)A recently enacted law (HB 1530, 80th Legislature, regular session) requires any person applying for or renewing a broker or salesperson license on or after January 1, 2008 to provide their fingerprints, in a specified format, in order to enable an FBI criminal background check to be performed. These new fingerprint requirements apply only to brokers and salespersons. They do not apply to other TREC licensees, such as inspectors. Once fingerprints are on file with DPS, a licensee will not need to be fingerprinted for subsequent renewals. I can not wait to renew my license.  It appears to me that the powers to be want to clean up our industry.  I thought we had back ground checks ra...
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By Matt Ratcliffe
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
When I arrived in College Station in June 2007, there was not a Keller Williams office in Bryan and College Station.  Now here I sit in an office with over 40 agents wondering what 2008 will look like.  It is amazing to me that we could get here so fast.  I have to thank the agents for making it possible.  You guys have made the transition from Lubbock to here so wonderful.  You have at every turn, built your business and of course our KWRBV office.  Look around next time you are in the office and take a deep breath, then get ready for 2008 and let's blow the lid off this town.  Here are few things that have happened:1)  Leased office space2)  Went from no agents to 413)  Went from no profit to profit!!4)  Shared profit back to agents who helped grow the company!Go KWRBV!Matt Ratcliffe,...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
VIP Vendor programOk we all have websites and they can be very expensive.  Most of the sites have the abilities to had a page to them.  Call this page , "The Vendor VIP" page.  You can do this or pay someone to do it, college students are best, they need the money and they know technology.  Create areas that you use:Lenders      Insurance    Yard Work  Landscape etc...Once these are created then go to these fine folks and ask them for $100.00 per year to be on your VIP Site.  You can link back to thier home page or set it up to email them when a consumer clicks on their business card ad.Just a thought hava a great holiday season and a happy new year!Till Next Time!Matt RatcliffeTeam Leader  
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
If you have never had a steak at the Republic off of Tarrow and University in College Station you are missing out.  These guys, Nathan and Wade take dining out to a new level.  Another great place in College Station for a quick cup of coffee then The Grind is another great place to sit back and enjoy life.  It is so great ot be in a community that has so much to offer.  I moved here in June of last year, and I'm amazed at all the great people I have met in my trade as well as in the community.Here is to all of you as we head towards 2008 together.Till Next Time,Matt RatcliffeTeam Leader
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Sub-prime is out and FHA is in, or soon to be.  The following e-mail is one that I got this morning from NAR.  It is nice to know that our efforts when we strive to make a difference does pay off.____________________________________________________________________________________________________Over the past two weeks REALTORS have flown to Washington, DC to meet with Senators, met with Senators in their home states and generated thousands and thousands of letters, email messages and phone calls urging the Senate to take action on the vitally important FHA Modernization Bill.  I am pleased to report that our grassroots efforts worked and the Senate has passed the FHA Modernization Bill. The bill now goes to a conference committee where it will be reconciled with a version passed by the ...
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Great location for Texas A&M University students.  Three bedrooms with split bedroom arrangement, two baths, family room with raised ceiling and corner fireplace, spacious kitchen with refrigerator included, nice sized breakfast area.  Fenced backyard.  Nice front landscaping.  $127,900 makes it very affordable.  This one won't last long.  Call Kay at 979-220-5644 or your local realtor today to see. 
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Yahoo! The new Keller Williams Market Center we opened in August turned a profit in November! And with Keller Williams, profit means profit sharing.It was a rocky summer. No one plans to open a new office at the END of the selling season...and that hadn't been our plan either. What went wrong? Well, we discovered that there is a lot more to getting the blessings of Keller Williams International than just writing a check.We began recruiting agents in February for a May opening with 40 agents. But, when May grew to June, and then July, we started losing people. Truthfully, we almost lost me, but several of us hung in there and we were happy to hang a sign on the building in early August...but the 40 agents had dwindled almost in half.Nevertheless, we hit the ground running. Our core group...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Just a quick reminder that the Brazos Animal Shelter in Bryan & College Station, Texas begins their 12 days of Christmas campaign tomorrow (Dec 10) through December 22. During the 12 days of Christmas, pet adoptions are 1/2 price.Check out this Blue Heeler - http://www.brazosanimalshelter.org/petsoweek.html The shelter is located at 2207 Finfeather Road, about 1 mile North of the Villa Maria & Finfeather intersection in Bryan. Hours are 10am-6pm Monday - Friday and 10am-2pm Saturday. Call them at 979.775.5755.Adopt a pet. Save a life. Woof!Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.com
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,OK. I admit it. The real estate market in Bryan and College Station, Texas is still good. The numbers are in through November, and although there was a slight dip in October, our MLS averages are still ahead of 2006.Why? One reason is Texas A&M University. We are a university town. Bless the kids and the parents who send them, and their money, to our fair valley. There is a reason College Station keeps ending up on national lists of best places to live.How do we keep our market good? First, I'm making sure that everyone in my SOI knows the market is still good. Face it, everyone listens to the national media, and can't help but think the Sky is falling. I'm making sure my clients know it isn't.Every piece of mail I've sent this month, and every piece of mail I'm sending in ...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Many in the Brazos Valley enjoy our area because of the mild winter weather. Hard freezes have become rare, and it's not unusual to see college kids at Texas A&M University in shorts and flip-flops in November and even December.This year I think we've hit an extreme (or I hope so). Our family headed out today to get our Christmas tree. Now, we are traditionalists. No fake trees. No fake fireplaces. The strange thing about today was that I was wearing shorts and flip-flops, and we drove to the tree farm with the air conditioning on. I remember doing this when we lived in Guam and Hawaii, but I didn't really expect it here in College Station. It was 84 degrees.So here I sit in the family room, admiring our fine tree, with every window in the house open and seriously consideri...
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By Aggie Friend Kay Perry, A&M Class of '94 & '97
(Kay Perry, Broker)
Howdy Aggies, The good news - the semester is almost over.  The bad news - finals begin tomorrow on the 7th and continue until the 12th.    The BEST news, after that you get a few weeks off.One question I have is this:  Since Thursday night is typically 'party' night for students and young people, WHY do they start finals on a Friday?  I haven't figured that one out yet. Can someone explain that to me?I know it is a STRESSFUL time for students.  I've been there before.  I have two degrees from A&M.Tips to reduce stress:study hard and hopefully your finals will go welltake a ten minute break every hour when studyingdrink plenty of WATERdon't forget to eattake deep breaths through your nose, hold for 3 seconds, then breathe out through your mouth slowly.  Do this three or four times in a ...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers, Just a quick thanks to all of those who attended the 81st Annual Bryan - College Station Christmas Parade.The weather was great, the floats were fun, and a good time was had by all. Thanks to our wonderful community for their support.We enjoyed see many of our friends and real estate colleagues on the floats. Great job!See you next year! We'll hope for great weather again.Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.com
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By Ginger Magoon, Bryan, College Station Texas Real Estate
(Remax - Bryan College Station)
The Bryan, College Station Christmas parade was a lot of fun for everyone.  There were over 100 Floats in the parade. Our Remax Bryan College Station was 97 in the line up. The rain Gods Blessed us today.  It looked like it wanted to storm but it only sprinkled a little then the sun came out.  It was so nice to see happy kids anxiously  waiting for Santa's Sleigh to pass them by.  It was a day of fun and we all got plenty of exercise. Here are a few of the pictures from today.
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By Aggie Friend Kay Perry, A&M Class of '94 & '97
(Kay Perry, Broker)
Howdy Aggie Young Women, It's that time of the year.  What would be a better gift to give your sweetheart (or parents) than a photo with you and Santa or a photo of Santa, you and your favorite pet.  I know you're a little old to believe in Santa, but the photos are always so nice...parents still see you as a little girl.....If you hurry, there is still time. Photo times:Daily 10 a.m.m to 9 p.m. Mondays through SaturdaySundays 12 noon to 6 p.m.Pet Photos on Wednesday Nights only!Go to Post Oak Mall on Harvey Road in College Station to find Santa's Shop.
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,I can't tell you how proud I am of the agents in our new Keller Williams office here in College Station, Texas. We  have gained momentum. We opened Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley in August and now have 40 agents. But they aren't just agents...they are producing agents.We were a rag-tag mix when we came together from several different brokerages. We had been waiting for several months for the office to open (we committed to KW in late February), so when we opened the doors inn August, we were ready to rock and roll. Our new team leader immediately began KW's famous Camp 4-4-3 class (four listings and four sales in three months) which gave our agents the groundwork to begin building THEIR business. In addition to Camp 4-4-3, our market center offers weekly classes on te...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,With Christmas rapidly approaching, many folks are looking for appropriate gifts. Many families consider Christmas tree pets this time of year. There is nothing cuter than a puppy playing in the wrapping paper.When considering a pet, please think of the Brazos Animal Shelter first. As the holidays approach, the shelter fills to capacity with lost and unwanted pets looking for a new home. If these animals are not adopted, many will be put to sleep.Adopting through the shelter not only saves an animal from death, but also supports the facility that houses and adopts stray pets here in the Brazos Valley, keeping loose animals from roaming our neighborhoods.The Brazos Animal Shelter, on Finfeather Rd north of Villla Maria, can be reached at 979.775.5755 or at www.BrazosAnimalSh...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Last call for he 81st Annual Bryan-College Station Christmas Parade, tomorrow (Sunday December 2). With over 108 entries, this year promises to be one of the biggest thus far.The parade will begin near Polo Rd off of University Avenue, will enter Texas Ave at University, proceeding north until dispersal near Sulphur Springs Road.With good weather, more than 10,000 local residents are expected for the event.See you there!Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.com
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Soccer fans should mark their calendars for December 7th & 9th for the NCAA 2007 Women's College Cup of Soccer. The 2007 NCAA champion will be crowned here at the Texas A&M Soccer Stadium in College Station, Texas.Tickets are available at 979.845.2311 or at www.aggieathletics.com. Let's all support Women's soccer here at Texas A&M. Go Aggies!Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.com
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
Our market in College Station still is going strong, despite it being the "off-season".  Our more expensive listings, those 500 and up have been getting overall more showings than typical.College Station currently has 453 properties active.  This does not include the 97 properties currently under contract, or the 3 that are under contingency contract.Market Price                     Active                           Under Contract                Buyers Market/Sellers Market100K and under                  16                                     7                            Sellers101-125K                           18                                     8                            Sellers126-150K                           96                                    25                           S...
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