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Katy, TX Real Estate News

By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
I ran across this and felt like I should share the thoughts of Robin Crow, speaker and author of the book, Rock Solid Leadership.  This totally resonates with me, as owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty I completely share these ideas on leadership.  My Real Estate Co. is small but mighty, efficient and FUN to work at.  There are only nine team members including myself.  We have averaged selling over 200 homes a year for 10 straight years.  Before I had a team, I was the stand along independent Realtor.  Even then I sold 60 homes a year with no help, so of course I was working 24/7 for 20 years.  Then I met my mentor and Real Estate coach Mike Ferry, and began to develop my team.  It was the best decision of my life, because now I have a life, and give better service to my clients.  However...
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By Christi Borden, CIPS, ABR, GRI
(BHGRE Gary Greene)
While good news regarding real estate is rare these days, Katy, TX is still a great place to relocate, especially the area known as South Katy (South of I-10 and East of Hwy 6). For those of you who have never heard of Katy, we are located just 20 miles west of Downtown Houston, TX along the Interstate 10 corridor. One of the problems facing our seller's in the Katy, TX real estate market is that potential buyers are listening to the national media about the real estate woes and assuming that the entire nation is facing a slump. Not so for South Katy, TX - still the hottest real estate market in Houston. One issue that I face over and over again, whether I am working for the seller or the buyer (I never do both, by the way... and that is another blog subject entirely) is the buyer comes...
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
I am so excited and had to share this great news!  I just received this Google Search Engine resultsfrom my web host, Best Image, Number 1 Expert.  They had done some tweaking to my web site and this is their results.  However I would like to personally thank Justin Smith, know to my friends on the Rain as The Tomato man for all his hard work.  After years of just "having a web site", that had fair rankings, it was not until I got involved with Active Rain, that a whole new world was opened up to me.  I swear when I first got on Active Rain I posed a question to AR, "WHAT DOES SEO STAND FOR?"...how embarrassing, but I had to share in case there are "OTHERS" out there like I was.  Don't be afraid to ask this wonderful group of people on Active Rain anything...they are like FAMILY, and yo...
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
A different way to look at market stats., not only do you as a professional Realtor need to be aware of them, and have a total understanding to be able to explain them to your clients.  Think about using them as a tool to get more business by staying in touch with your past clients.  This is one of the areas that most Realtors are lacking in...they never or hardly ever call there past clients.  That totally baffles me, since they represent one of your largest sources of new business.  CALL YOUR PAST CLIENTS, and ask for business, give them information and become there "Real Estate Resource For Life"...which is my slogan too.         Liz Carter & Team Realty  I have 3000 past clients in my data base (I use Top Producer), and I  call them once a quarter, I also mail something to them ever...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
The Internet is Great for Real Estate What's the greatest thing about the Internet? Is it that there is so much real estate information available? You can find real estate information about just about anything you can imagine. The internet is especially useful for looking up information about real estate in any area of the country, or the world for that matter. If you live in Katy, Texas you can plan a move to Houston or even Orange County, California, Texas or any of the other seven Orange Counties in the United States. You can look up everything from land records to how and why to buy property. You can even look up prices on most MLS listings from Katy, TX to Los Angeles, California and get up to date changes and complete information about the houses for sale. You can get information ...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
Buying a Home With Resale Value Location – Local Community, Town or City Before you can actually pick out a house, you need to choose what cities or communities you would like to live in. There are many factors you should pay attention to, not only for yourself, but because you intend to eventually sell the home to someone else. Carefully choosing your community is the first step in "location, location, location" and can help maximize your future potential resale value. Economic Stability When choosing a community for your purchase, it makes the most sense to buy in a city with a viable and stable economy. Five, ten, or even fifteen years from now – when you want to sell your home – you can have a reasonable expectation that your community will still be a desirable place to live.You als...
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By Ron Tarvin, Broker, Katy, Houston, Cypress 77450,77494,77095
(Residential, Investment properties, rehab projects, property management, luxury homes, new construction!)
I dropped my daughter off at her daycare today.  They were having a Valentine's day party.  Imagine all the sugar-hyper 1-2 year olds bouncing off the wall.  Hopefully that means she will sleep well tonight!I dropped by Walmart and saw TONS of roses on table after table for sale (they seemed to have the best deal I've seen). There were lots of folks buying too (mostly men!). The roses without a vase were $20.I also went by Kroger on the way home and they had a special tent set up to sell to the last minute guys and gals for their Valentines.  The average dozen roses in a vase was $70.A few days ago, I heard a radio announcement for proflowers dot com and they had a dozen roses for $29.99, I thought that sounded reasonable but what they don't tell you is that the roses and vase are $29.9...
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By Justin Smith
(Christian Real Estate Network & SpeakMyLanguage)
Many of you may have seen this seo “competition” started by REW. I’m officially dropping out. It was short lived. I’m just really sick of people giving me a hard time and claiming that I’m using spamming to get the results I’m getting. One of my so called “spam” techniques was to include the keyword: “greatest real estate agent in the world” in some anchor text on comments I left at a few blogs. I immediately got an ear full from other commenters that I was spamming. But the ironic thing is that 24 hours later, I started seeing about 10 other competitors doing the exact same thing. It just cracks me up… I even saw 2 people in particular that did it after telling me it was spam! Sometimes these competitions just bring out the worst in people… so, instead of creating a bad name for myself...
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By Christi Borden, CIPS, ABR, GRI
(BHGRE Gary Greene)
Your KatyBlogger:I am constantly asked by friends, clients and neighbors about the need for renovations to their home and how this will impact their pocket book when and if they decide to sell.In Katy/West Houston, Texas, our market is fast-moving and ever changing. Due to the availability of land and the low costs of home production, our resale homes are constantly being compared to new construction. Because of this I suggest the following:If your home is older than 5 years, there is certainly some updating that would be of benefit to not only you and your family but to your future buyer as well, such as flooring, paint, landscaping, etc. At 10 years or more, you are looking at a pretty major kitchen and master bathroom renovation/update as these are the areas that today's builders are...
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
Does't everyone LOVE ART AND CHOCOLATE!  Put the date in your calendar and join the Cinco Ranch Ladies Club in Cinco Ranch, Katy Texas for a great "NIGHT OUT".  For this special meeting you do not have to be a member of the CINCO RANCH LADIES CLUB, so grab a friend or a neighbor and plan on attending.  We meet at the Golf Club in Cinco Ranch which is located at the corner of Peek Rd. & Cinco Lakes Blvd.  Feb. 26th at 7:00 PM.'  An Art Walk event, hosted by Cinco Ranch Ladies ClubBe inspired by local artists, fine wines and chocolates!You are cordially invited to join us on Tuesday evening, February 26th , starting at7pm and take a stroll through The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch as it is transformed for theevening into a display of artistry.Local artists Claire Payne, Terri Bieber, Elizabeth...
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
This is part 3 in the series of Realities of Real Estate for 2008.  The points are from my coach Mike Ferry and I have elaborated on each 2 points per post.  We as Realtors can learn a lot from this market, after years of real estate prices soaring to all time highs, and everyone getting a real estate licence we are now in a more "normalized" market.  Prices could not continue to increase, Real Estate is a cyclical business just like the stock market and it has to adjust itself.  This is called "normal", what goes up, must come down, and then we will go through the cycle again in about 7-10 years.  Even in the greater HOUSTON TEXAS MLS, which includes KATY, SUGAR LAND, and several other surrounding cities and suburbs we did not have a steep decline in home prices, but then we did not ha...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
Education Pupils in Cinco Ranch are zoned to schools of the Katy Independent School District in and around Cinco Ranch. Elementary Schools Betty Sue Creech Elementary School Jo Ella Exley Elementary School Edna Mae Fielder Elementary School Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School Michael L. Griffin Elementary School James E. Williams Elementary School Roberta Wright Rylander Elementary School Junior High Schools Rodger & Ellen Beck Junior High School Beckendorff Junior High School Cinco Ranch Junior High School Garland McMeans Junior High School. High Schools Cinco Ranch High School Seven Lakes High School Cinco Ranch is served by the Cinco Ranch Branch of the Fort Bend County Libraries system. University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch is in Cinco Ranch. Location within the state of Texas...
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Cinco Ranch Commercial Development & Demographics : Overview Over the past few years, Cinco Ranch has been experiencing major commercial growth. LaCenterra Located across the street from Cinco Ranch High School, LaCenterra features a broad range of national and specialty retail, along with a variety of dining options. List Of Current Tenants Coming Soon Villagio Major Mixed Use Development in Cinco Ranch Southwest Geography Cinco Ranch is located at 29°44?29?N, 95°45?30?W (29.741522, -95.758343)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.8 km?). None of the area is covered with water. Demographics As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 11,196 people, 3,375 households, and 3,064 families residing in the CDP. The population density ...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
Cinco Ranch Resident Amenities : Cinco Ranch Recreation Center The Beach Club Includes : A half-acre swim lagoon A white sand beach Sailboats and paddleboats available for resident use in adjacent South Lake Catch-and-release fishing permitted Sandpit volleyball courts Shade verandah and covered deck Picnic facilities The Water Park : A new amenity, it includes: Three swimming pools, including a diving well and baby pool Spray park with a frog slide for small children Two water slides Two water chutes Tennis courts Covered picnic area with barbecue grill Wooded setting Playground Basketball half-court Neighborhood Recreation North Lake Village Recreation Center, includes : Swimming pool Two wading pools Four laykold tennis courts Playground Greenway Village Recreation Center, includes :...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
Cinco Ranch History: The Cinco Ranch community goes back to before Texas became a republic. In the 1820s, pioneer Moses Austin was granted by the Spanish government the authority to settle 300 families in the valleys of the Brazos and Colorado rivers. He died before he was able to accomplish this, but his son Stephen F. Austin was able to complete his father's wishes, even under the newly established Mexican government. One of the men who moved into these 300 slots of land (each one over 4000 acres (16 km?) was Randolph Foster, whose land spread across Fort Bend and Waller counties and upon which wild horses, deer, Indians and buffalo lived. Foster’s daughter married Thomas Blakeley, cattleman and future sheriff of Fort Bend County. Their son, Bassett Blakeley, took after his father and...
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By Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty, Florida Space Coast Homes
(Waves Realty)
The best January ever...that is the only way to explain it! It was busy from the time the ball dropped in Times Square...until just before midnight on the 31st. The Katy Texas market is still going strong and our Internet marketing techniques are helping both buyers and sellers find us on the web. We limit ourselves to 10 home listings at a time so if you are a seller please call or e-mail us so we can begin the process of getting you on the schedule and showing you how we can help you sell your home with the lowest volume of stress and the highest yield in your pocket! We are also scheduling buyers at this time and still have good flexibility on our schedules to help...we want you to feel like you are our only clients!  Thanks again for a Wonderful January- Jeff
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
The SIX FACES OF LIZ...vs the three faces of Eve :)On a dive boat geared up and ready to jump into the tropical waters of Bali!  An avid scuba diver since 1978, I've been to most of the premiere dive spots world wide. From Galapagos Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia,Thailand, Palau, Costa Rico, British Virgin Islands, Cozumel, Cayman, Belize, and just about everywhere else in the Caribbean.  Diving is my passion, and it is one of the only times I totally am "IN THE MOMENT"! I don't think about selling REAL ESTATE, whats going on with my sellers and buyers, or anything else for that matter except the total experience I am having underwater, it's an incredible feeling.  What I am in search of...and bingo, got the shot, a pair of  Nudie's  mating :)  I don't show my fist attempts of und...
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By J Clark
(The Best of Katy)
Katy Geography Katy is located at 29°47?33?N, 95°49?21?W (29.792582, -95.822436)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.6 km?). None of the area is covered with water. Katy Proper (City of Katy) vs. Katy Area Katy residents often split the city into two informal sections: "Old Katy" (or Katy Proper) and "Katy Area". Old Katy is the actual city limits of Katy and lies mostly north of Interstate 10. This is the original Katy from before the 1970s when Houston's Energy Corridor (and the development that came with it) made its way west on I-10. The "Katy area" is made up of large sections of unincorporated Harris and Fort Bend counties and mostly sits east and southeast of the city limits of Katy. This area is within the Katy In...
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By Liz Carter, Broker/Owner of Liz Carter & Team Realty, Katy TX (Houston)
(Liz Carter & Team Realty-Your Real Estate Resource For Life!)
The is part 2 in a series I'm doing based on my recent attendance of Mike Ferry's One-on-One Real Estate Seminar held in San Diego, CA.  I have paid MFO $12,000 a year for my real estate training for the last 16 years, and I'm sharing it with you for FREE!  I honestly believe in "paying it forward".  Liz Carter & Team Realty has averaged selling 200 homes a year for the last 16 years in the greater Houston, Katy and Sugar Land Texas area.  Mike presented his distinct proven techniques on increasing production, listings, sales, transaction and income.  When I attend the One-on-One retreat I get focused on developing and maintaining the mindset of a top-producing Realtor, which allows me to have a powerful jump-start on the new year.  This is why Mike always has it in January of each year...
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By Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty, Florida Space Coast Homes
(Waves Realty)
The Houston Association of Realtors puts out its hotness index every month. The Katy area south of I-10 rated number one for the month of December...in fact Katy has been number one for 10 of the last 12 months. The index is based on the number of listings that are sold or under contract in relation to the number of homes available on the market. The numbers show a strong market in the Katy area for residential real estate. These numbers are also helped by the commercial real estate boom in Katy...especially the medical building boom that has recently added two full service state of the art hospitals with two more on the way (Texas Children's and St Luke's). We feel this trend will continue in Katy because of the commercial real estate boom, the medical boom that has Katy being called "...
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