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Rosenberg, TX Real Estate News

By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Your mailbox likely isn’t a feature of your home that you think about very often, but it can actually have a big impact on how people view your home. This is especially true if your mailbox is rusty, damaged, or otherwise has obviously seen better days. Giving your mailbox a facelift can make a big difference in how your home looks, even if your mailbox is a standalone unit that sits up by the road.How much work should you put into a mailbox refresh, though? This depends entirely on the condition your mailbox is in and what sort of revamp you’d like to give it. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some ideas that cover everything from basic retouches to your mailbox to entire rebuilds of your mailbox mounting to create a unique new look on your property. You might be surprised at...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
What’s a Plant Ledge?Sometimes, the purpose of features in your home isn’t quite apparent. This can lead to you having an “a-ha!” moment later when the purpose of a seemingly quirky home feature becomes apparent. With some features, though, that moment can take a while to arrive. One feature that might not seem to have a real purpose, if you aren’t already aware of what it’s for, is a plant ledge.Plant ledges were pretty popular in the mid 90s and early 2000s, so homes built or remodeled around this time are likely to have these random high ledges in rooms that may not seem that practical at first glance. You can probably guess to at least some of the purpose from their names, but plant ledges can be used for a number of things. Given that plant shelves and similar storage options are c...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
First impressions go a long way. This is applicable to not only when you meet someone new, but also when somebody sees your house for the first time. Regardless of whether it’s a friend or colleague coming over to visit or a prospective buyer looking at a property you’re trying to sell, the importance of curb appeal shouldn’t be underestimated.You might think that it takes a lot of work and money to update the curb appeal of your home, but that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s possible to significantly increase the curb appeal of your home and your property just by changing your landscaping. Here are a few ways that your landscaping can change up the look of your property and give your overall curb appeal a significant boost.Adjusting Existing Landscaping It doesn’t take a lot to turn ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Rosenberg TX 77471 Homes For Sale Under $200kRosenberg TX 77471 Homes / Houses For Sale Under $200k, there are still some great opportunities in finding the right house for y'all's family in the Fort Bend County, Rosenberg TX 77471 77406 area!Rather your an Investor or a First-Time Homebuyer, you still can locate a home / house for sale in Richmond Texas 77406 under $200k. For the Investors these time of homes / houses make for a great income stream as Rentals / Income Properties. For the First-Time Homebuyer, these type of homes / houses is a great start to begin your financial future!FYI - most people stay in their home / house on average of 7-10 years today. That means over a period of time y'all will be building up a lot of Equity (Profit) that you can take away when you sell or ref...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
As the days are gradually getting shorter and the nights grow a little cooler, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you want to handle your fall landscaping. It’s possible that you’ve never really put much thought into what your fall landscaping will look like; after all, many people see fall as a time to start prepping for winter and let the look of their landscaping kind of fall by the wayside until spring. With a little bit of TLC, though, you can transform your landscaping and create a striking contrast between spring and fall without having to break the bank or spend all your time working in the yard.One easy way to do this is to add some new plants to your landscape as the season change approaches. There are a wide range of autumn-hardy plants in both flowering and ornamen...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
If you're trying to decide whether or not to sell your house, this is the time to think seriously about making a move. Fannie Maes recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) reveals the number of respondents who say its a good time to sell is higher now than it was over the past few summers (see graph below). Today, the majority of consumers, 75 percent, say its a good time to sell a house.Why is sellers sentiment up year-over-year?The higher good time to sell sentiment has to do with todays market conditions, specifically low housing supply and high buyer demand. In the simplest terms, we don't have enough houses available for sale to meet buyer demand.According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), were still firmly in a sellers market because housing su...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
There are many non-financial benefits of buying your own home. However, todays headlines seem to be focusing primarily on the financial aspects of homeownership specifically affordability. Many articles are making the claim that its not affordable to buy a home in todays market, but that isn't the case.Todays buyers are spending approximately 20% of their income on their monthly mortgage payments. According to The Essential Guide to Creating a Homebuying Budget from Freddie Mac, the 20% of income that purchasers are currently paying is well within the 28% guideline suggested:Most lenders agree that you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on a mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance).So why is there so much talk about challenges regardi...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
When you hear the phrase home price appreciation, what does it mean to you? Through context clues alone, chances are you know it has to do with rising home prices. And as a seller, you know rising home prices are good news for your potential sale. But lets look past the dollar signs and dive deeper into the concept. To truly understand home price appreciation, you need to know how it works and why it matters to you.Investopedia defines appreciation like this:Appreciation, in general terms, is an increase in the value of an asset over time. The increase can occur for a number of reasons, including increased demand or weakening supply, or as a result of changes in inflation or interest rates. This is the opposite of depreciation, which is a decrease in value over time.When we consider thi...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
There's a common misconception that younger generations aren't interested in homeownership. Many people point to the fact that millennials put off purchasing their first home as a reason for this belief.Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist for First American, explains why millennials have put off certain milestones linked to homeownership. Those delays led to their homeownership rates trailing slightly behind older generations:Historically, millennials have delayed the critical lifestyle choices often linked to buying a first home, including getting married and having children, in order to further their education. This is clear in cross-generational comparisons of homeownership rates which show millennials lagging their generational predecessors.So, its partially true that some millennia...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Some Highlights With a housing market this competitive, sometimes you have to think outside the box. Work with your trusted real estate advisors to do things like assess your budget, expand your search radius, look into other options, and determine your true needs. If you’re having trouble finding your first home, lets connect to explore your options. It’s out there!   
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
In the current sellers market, many homeowners wonder what, if anything, needs to be remodeled before they list their house. That's where a trusted real estate professional comes in. They can help you think through todays market conditions and how they impact what you should and shouldn't renovate before selling.Here are some considerations a professional will guide you through:1. With current supply challenges, buyers may be willing to take on projects of their own. A more balanced market typically sees a 6-month supply of homes for sale. Above that, and were in a buyers market. Below that, and were in a sellers market. According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), our current supply of homes for sale, while rising, still remains solidly in sellers market ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Sometimes it can feel like everyone has advice when it comes to buying a home. While your friends and loved ones may have your best interests in mind, they may also be missing crucial information about todays housing market that you need to make your best decision.Before you decide whether you're ready to buy a home, you should know how to answer these three questions.1. What's Going on with Home Prices?Home prices are one factor that directly impacts how much it will cost to buy a home and how much you stand to gain as a homeowner when prices appreciate.The graph below shows just how much experts are forecasting prices to rise this year:Continued price appreciation is great news for existing homeowners but can pose a significant challenge if you wait to buy. Using these forecasts, you ...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
If you're a prospective buyer or seller, its important to understand the current real estate market conditions and how they affect you. The Counselors of Real Estate(CRE) just released its Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate report. Here are three hot topics from the list and how they impact todays housing market.Technology Acceleration and InnovationThe past year ushered in many changes to the real estate industry, especially when it comes to technology. The CRE report elaborates on this:Lockdown-driven changes in our work, in the economy, in social structures, and in our personal behavior have pushed our reluctance aside. The acceleration and adoption of technology during the pandemic has impacted everything, and real estate is no exception.For real estate, innovations like digital d...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
With home prices continuing to deliver double-digit increases, some are concerned were in a housing bubble like the one in 2006. However, a closer look at the market data indicates this is nothing like 2006 for three major reasons.1. The housing market isn't driven by risky mortgage loans.Back in 2006, nearly everyone could qualify for a loan. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) from the Mortgage Bankers Association is an indicator of the availability of mortgage money. The higher the index, the easier it is to obtain a mortgage. The MCAI more than doubled from 2004 (378) to 2006 (869). Today, the index stands at 130. As an example of the difference between today and 2006, lets look at the volume of mortgages that originated when a buyer had less than a 620 credit score.Dr. Fr...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
As we move into the second half of the year, one thing is clear: the current real estate market is one for the record books. The exact mix of conditions we have today creates opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Here's a look at four key components that are shaping this unprecedented market.A Shortage of Homes for SaleEarlier this year, the number of homes available for sale fell to an all-time low. In recent months, however, inventory levels are starting to trend up. The latest Monthly Housing Market Trends Report from realtor.com says:In June, newly listed homes grew by 5.5% on a year-over-year basis, and by 10.9% on a month-over-month basis. Typically, fewer newly listed homes appear on the market in the month of June compared to May. This year, growth in new listings is contin...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
When you think of a garage area, most likely the first thing that comes to mind is a place to store your car or other vehicles. You might also picture some shelving or storage on some of the walls, but for most people, the garage is largely a single-purpose structure. It doesn’t have to be this way, however; for an increasing number of homeowners, the garage is becoming a multipurpose room with easy access to fresh air, light, and the outside in general via the garage doors.There are a lot of options available when it comes to converting a garage into some other space. To really get the most out of these conversions, you might consider upgrading or changing your garage door as well. The type of door that you have can make a big difference in the overall effectiveness of your converted s...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Home prices have increased significantly over the last year, which in turn has grown the net worth of homeowners. Appreciation and home equity are directly linked as the value of a home increases, so does a homeowners equity. And with these recent gains, homeowners are witnessing their financial stability and well-being grow to record levels. In more good news for homeowners, the most recent Home Price Expectations Survey a survey of a national panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists forecasts home prices will continue appreciating over the next five years, adding to the record amount of equity homeowners have already gained over the past year. Below are the expected year-over-year rates of home price appreciation from the report:...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
For many young or first-time homebuyers, purchasing a home can feel intimidating. A recent survey shows some homebuyers ages 25 to 40 may be unsure about the homebuying process and what they can afford. It found: 1 in 4 underestimated their buying potential by 150k or more 1 in 4 underestimated the increase in value by 100k or more 47% don't know what a good interest rate is Because they feel uncertain, many young homebuyers have given up on their search, or worse, they've decided homebuying isn't for them and never started on their journey to begin with.If you're interested in buying but aren't sure where to begin, here are three key concepts about homeownership you should understand before you get started.1. What You Need To Know About Down PaymentsSaving for a down payment is sometim...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
There's no denying were in a sellers market. With low inventory and high buyer demand, homes today are selling above the asking price at a record rate. According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR): Homes typically sell within 17 days (compared to 26 days one year ago). The average home sold has five offers to pick from. 54% of offers are over the asking price. Because so many buyers are competing for so few homes, bidding wars are driving up home prices. According to an average of leading expert projections, existing home prices are expected to increase by 8.9% this year.Yet even in todays red-hot sellers market, its important to price your house right. While it may be tempting to price your house on the high side to capitalize...
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By Shayne Stone, "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" RETIRED
(HomeSmart)
Selling a house is a time-consuming process especially if you decide to do it on your own, known as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). From conducting market research to reviewing legal documents, handling negotiations, and more, its an involved and highly detailed process that requires a lot of expertise to navigate effectively. That's one of the reasons why the percentage of people selling their own house has declined from 19% to 8% (See graph below):To help you understand just how much time and effort it takes to sell on your own, here's a look at a few of the things you need to think about before putting that For Sale sign up in your yard.1. Making a Good First ImpressionWhile it may sound simple, there are a lot of proven best practices to consider when prepping a house for sale. Do you n...
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