8 Good Reasons for Home Ownership

Pride in Owning: Most people buy homes to have control over where they live.  Although investment features are important, the psychological reasons for buying—the satisfaction of owning and the freedom from paying rent—are at least as important. In a recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey of 6,000 homeowners and 2,000 renters, 76% of owners and of renters considered pride of ownership an important reason for buying a home.

Dislike Paying Rent: Almost 7 in 10 home owners admit that their dislike of paying rent was an important factor in their decision to buy.  Although renting offers a lifestyle that’s nearly maintenance free, it offers you no equity, no tax benefits, and no protection against regular rent increases.  Writing a rent check is just like watching your hard-earned money slip away.

Good Investment: 76% of owners and 69% of renters said the investment aspect of ownership was important.

Tax Advantages: Property taxes and qualified home interest are deductible on Schedule A for itemized deduction.

Long-Term Appreciation: People consider home ownership a good investment because they view it as a long-term venture.  Historically, home prices have risen at relatively steady rates.  For example, existing home prices rose an average of 4% per year between 1980 and 1992.

Leverage Investment: People borrow a great deal to buy a home, yet they receive the full benefits of price appreciation.  In the long run, investments in homes greatly outpace inflation.

Source of Savings: Home ownership always has and continues to comprise the single largest source of savings for American households. Homeowners build equity and can borrow against it.

Sacrifices Are Worth It: Almost 7 in 10 renters in the NAR home-ownership survey said they planned to buy a home in the future.  More than three-quarters of these people said they were willing to sacrifice to do that.

 

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Successful Real Estate Agents in League City, TX

League City Realtor

Are you getting your real estate license and interested in becoming a great agent?  Our brokerage is in League City which is about 30 minutes southeast from Houston.  We are always looking to create more success for our agents and many times there are either misconceptions or a lack of knowledge on how to get the ball rolling properly to become a great agent for your clients.  Here are a few tips to ensuring success and longevity as a real estate agent that will allow you to serve your clients better:

Take the time to find the right brokerage for YOU.

A quick online search shows there are over twenty five thousand Realtors in the Houston market.  Granted, many of them are not very active but that’s still a lot of people no matter how you cut it.  In economic terms, the barrier to entry into the profession is low, meaning it’s not terribly difficult to get a license.  With that many Realtors in the market, there are so many different types of brokerages to choose from and they are not created equally.  Spend the time to make sure that the brokerage you are joining is the right fit for you in terms of personality/vibe, support, location, fees, and teams versus lone wolf agents.

a) Personality and Vibe – Do you feel comfortable with the tempo of the office and how do you feel about your coworkers? When you are not with clients, you will be spending the majority of your time around your broker and fellow agents.  There are plenty of brokerage options out where you don’t have to feel trapped in a toxic work environment.  Your broker helps to set the tone for the office vibe by bringing on agents that are a good match with work ethic, ethics, and personality matching.  If you’re surrounded by too many “Negative Nancy” types, seek greener pastures.

b) Support – Are you getting the right amount of hand-holding and coaching for your experience level?  If you are light on experience, a good mentor in the office can make or break you and you should also ensure that the leadership has a friendly and supportive attitude, i.e. they are happy to help and engaged in your success.

c) Location – When you join an office, you want to make sure that they are reasonably close to you to cut down on commute.  Houston is spread out geographically and a long commute can be a drag on both your happiness and productivity.

d) Fees – Beyond the HAR and TREC fees that all Realtors pay to keep their license active and compliant, I’m referring to the different types of fees that vary and are broker-specific like 1) Training Fees and 2) “Desk” Fees you will owe the broker for your office space.  These fees vary wildly between brokerages and you want to know what charges you’re going to get hit with before you ever earn your first dollar in commissions and there can be recurring fees that you may be responsible every single month whether you’re a producing agent or not.  You’ll want to compare those fees on every brokerage you look at joining.  If you’re being charged an arm and a leg up front for training and desk fees, how likely is it that your broker cares whether you’re successful or not when they’ve already collected a lot of money off of you?  If you’re just getting your license, that may be the most important paragraph you’ll ever read.  Take note!

e) Teams Versus the Lone Wolf Agent – Many agents enjoy the collaborative approach to working within teams.  You receive more assistance with the deals you’re working on and can also enjoy not having to feel like you’re trying to figure out everything on your own.  A real estate agent is a small business owner and responsible for accounting, compliance, fiduciary responsibility to clients, transaction coordination, supplies, marketing, lead generation, and on and on.  It is easier to be a part of a team that can assist you with the different aspects of the transactions and business instead of being overwhelmed and feeling responsible for everything.  As the old saying goes, “Many hands make light work.”  The lone wolf real estate agent will generally not be prepared for all the different types of skills required for the business that a team can fulfill much more easily and the lone wolf will usually fail and quit because of that which explains why the majority of real estate agents in any market do not last more than 3 years on average!

If you take the time to assess these items on the front-end before you join a brokerage, it can help increase your probability of success dramatically.   If I can help make an introduction for you to interview our outstanding real estate team, give us a call!

713-965-4561 Tim LaBorde

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Pearland Luxury Homes

Below is a current list of Pearland Luxury Homes. Please bookmark this page as the available real estate listings change from day-to-day. If you have any questions about any of these properties located in Pearland, Texas or are thinking about putting your home on the market please call us at (281) 962-4082.

Click here for Pearland Luxury Homes

If you have any questions about any of the homes listed above or if you would like to schedule a private showing contact us today!

Are you looking to buy your dream home in Pearland, Texas?

If you are a home buyer, our foremost goal is to provide you with exceptional customer service. Our goals are to help you purchase the right home, make sure you don’t miss out on any homes that meet your needs and make sure you don’t pay too much for your next home. Please utilize our Pearland real estate expertise to make your home search and buying experience as stress-free and rewarding as possible.

Search Available Pearland Properties

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Pearland is located within the Houston area. If you are thinking about relocating to Pearland, Texas we can help you find the perfect home and make your move as stress-free as possible. We offer valuable insight into the area to help you through your home buying experience. Contact Us at (281) 962-4082.

Are you thinking about buying or selling in Pearland, Texas?

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Pearland News: Man Moves Into Starbucks?!

How Far Is Starbucks From You?

Lately, stats have proven that your home’s value can be dependent upon your proximity to the local Starbucks, Trader Joe’s or any other local grocery store as well as fast food locations. According to Zillow, things that increase your home’s value are good school districts and neighborhoods, larger square footage and its closeness to these local retailers.

Recent research shows major increases in value for homes that are “in the thick of things” as opposed to those that are out of the way a bit.

Of course, we’ve heard this our whole life. Location, location, location.

The most recent data we’ve found shows that homes within a quarter mile of Starbucks had value appreciations nearly double that of homes that are further away. Meanwhile in Detroit, homes near a brand-new opening of a Whole Foods have nearly DOUBLED in price!

A RealtyTrac study showed that homes in the same zip code as a Trader Joe’s went up by an amazing 40% during a period when the average growth for the nation was only 34%.

In all fairness, what happens in other areas around the nation doesn’t necessarily apply here in our area all the time, but it certainly makes sense when buying the next home to start thinking more about location!

There’s a definite connection between property values and it’s closeness to these new or popular retail locations around the country.

There are many factors that go into what you are looking for when considering a possible move. First and foremost is always about finding the perfect home for your family’s needs. However, a very important second factor to consider is location to popular retail locations even if it’s not establishments that you would frequent yourself. You have to keep resale value in mind anytime you are buying a home for your family, or for investment purposes. If you have questions about any of these thoughts, just give me a quick call here. I’m always happy to speak with you (if it’s at Starbucks in Pearland)!

When Is The Best Time To Sell A Home?

This is the question of all questions when it comes to real estate. As a professional agent and marketing specialist, I talk to homeowners during every month of the year that are hoping to “time the market” to sell the home for as much as possible.

The common misconception is that you will sell a home for more money during one season as opposed to another one. Unfortunately, we’ve never found any data whatsoever to support that in this area.

In some areas of the country, there are more buyers in the Summertime and in other areas, the Wintertime is the big season. But guess what??? When there are more buyers, there are also more sellers trying to sell. As a matter of fact, most of those buyers also put their current property on the market so that they can make the move.

The most ridiculous thing anyone can do when making a move for their primary residence is to try to “time the market” in lieu of making the move when the family needs change.

In real estate, we know that most people have a housing need change when they go through a life change. In other words, a birth or death in the family, a job promotion or a job loss, children heading off to college, a marriage or divorce and other things of this nature. When there’s a life change, it creates a housing need change. The last thing you’d ever want to do is wait until “the hot market” time in the area. The truth is, everything is based on supply and demand and your home won’t sell for more money when there are 5 times as many homes available for sale in your neighborhood. As a matter of fact, due to the competition, I’ve personally witnessed this having a negative effect on home prices because after all, you probably don’t really NEED to sell your home so someone will always be a heck of a lot more motivated to unload their home than you are. That creates a downward pressure on asking prices.

In reality, if you are going to be utilizing a mortgage when buying your next home, you want to time the market by timing YOUR expenses which is the interest rate. Since rates are going up and it appears that will continue to happen for the next several years, the absolute BEST time to buy a home was 3 months ago. The next best time is right now. Waiting a year or two can cause you to pay several hundred dollars per month more in the form of a higher interest rate.

While nobody can precisely predict the future of the economy in any country, it’s safe to say that rates will never go any lower than they’ve been lately. After all, for all of us still living and breathing, we’ve never seen anything like this before throughout our adult lives.

It may be wise to find that new place sooner, rather than later. If you feel like your family deserves a bigger home and could really utilize the extra space, now is the time for us to start casually looking around with no commitment of officially making a move. But for my clients, I want to ensure they don’t wait until rates are way up again and it prices them out of the ability to secure a larger home for the same monthly payment they have now.

Give us a call if our team can help!

Tim LaBorde

713-965-4561

tim@directedrealty.com

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New Homes and Home Builders in Texas City


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I had a great time in Texas City checking out these new homes in the Marlow Lake subdivision made by GreenEco Builders.  I live in a DR Horton in Pearland, which I’m very fond of and my family loves but one thing stood out to me about these Texas City homes besides their professional quality and beauty: the fact that GreenEco has a 3rd party inspector coming in to review the construction process as the house is being built.  It is traditional for the city / jurisdiction to have their own inspectors stop through during different phases of the construction process to make sure the builder is complying with the city’s local building ordinance / standards / regulations and the builders are required to pull permits to get construction done.  However, I tend to look at the city’s standards as being barebone and ensuring minimal safety guidelines.  I’m not knocking that inspection – it’s important.  However, GreenEco Builders is the first builder that I’ve heard of that puts it into their regular process to have a 3rd party inspection done on each of their homes.  I was kind of blown away by that because when we bought our DR Horton, no one suggested to us to get a 3rd party inspection.  My wife, the brilliant sage that she is, did some research on buying a new build and insisted on getting the 3rd party inspector and I ended up being glad we did.  Not that we found any major issues with our DR Horton at all, but there were minor things that the construction crew did that needed corrections that were pointed out by our inspector that wouldn’t get tagged by a city inspector.  The typical consumer would probably not think to get an inspection on a new build but after having looked at many new builds around town, I’d always advise clients to look at that inspection as an insurance policy to protect yourself from the builder.  The takeaway for me was that with GreenEco, you didn’t have to because they make it apart of their process to include it.  Anyway, check out these pictures and give us a call at 281-962-4082 if we can help you look at some new builds in Texas City.  With 4 decades of real estate experience on our team, I know that we can add value to your home-buying process and take the heavy lifting off of your shoulders!  Give us a call! 713-965-4561

GreenEco Pictures:

Brand New Homes From Different Builders in Texas City Just Coming Onto Market:

 

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Relocation Information

Texas City is located within the Houston area. If you are thinking about relocating to Texas City, Texas we can help you find the perfect home and make your move as stress-free as possible. We offer valuable insight into the area to help you through your home buying experience. Contact Us at (281) 962-4082.

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Successful Saver Tips For Buying A Home In League City, TX

Did you know that 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in the bank? The list of things to spend money on is endless, from luxuries like eating out at restaurants and going on vacation, to necessities like household repairs and gas. There’s always something to spend that money on that feels more pressing than saving, which is why so many people struggle to put away the 20% of each paycheck that experts recommend as a baseline for healthy savings.

Here are a few things that successful savers do as part of an effective savings strategy:

They don’t leave savings for last. Too many people wait until they’ve budgeted out all their monthly spending, and then put the leftover into savings. But if you want to make saving a priority, it should be one of your first line items on your budget — up there with rent and utilities. This is often referred to as “paying yourself first.”

They automate their savings. Out of sight, out of mind! If you don’t even see the money before it’s in your savings account, you’ll have less temptation to spend it. Use recurring automated bank transfers or a saving software to set up rules for savings that happen whether you think about them or not.

They’re aggressive with their debt. When it comes to saving money, bad debt is your worst enemy! Truly effective savers prioritize paying off debts so that their income can start going into their pockets again. The Debt Snowball Method is one popular strategy for paying off debt quickly. (Also, if you are in the process of, or interested in, obtaining home financing we’re here to talk to you about debt repayment strategies.)

They spend less than they earn. This one sounds obvious, but many people don’t follow this shockingly simple rule. This can be achieved by spending less, earning more, or some combination of the two. Either way, there’s no way to save if you’re spending more than you earn each month.

More than anything else, the key to beefing up a savings account is simply creating a plan and sticking to it. If you take the time to work out a budget, set goals, and create systems, you’ll start seeing bigger numbers in no time.

Click here for a fresh list of League City homes! 713-965-4561

 

Relocation Information

League City is located within the Houston area. If you are thinking about relocating to League City, Texas we can help you find the perfect home and make your move as stress-free as possible. We offer valuable insight into the area to help you through your home buying experience. Contact Us at (713) 965-4561.

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Your House Didn’t Sell…Now What? Still Want to SELL?

expired home

By now you have heard several reasons why it didn’t sell from everybody in town.  They are saying it is everything from location to price, the condition or the market, or even the Agent you selected.

While they may be right, they may also be way off base.  What if the real reason why it didn’t sell was how it was marketed to buyers?

Don’t be discouraged, this can be a challenging market and selling a home in the Houston area is quite competitive. If your listing has expired and you still want results, before you put your home back on the market, take a step back and review your situation.

It’s time to stop wondering why it didn’t sell and figure out how to get it sold.

What is the biggest challenge you have selling your home now?  Finding a buyer, right?

It should be obvious that finding an ideal buyer will be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.

It will take more than just the traditional, passive marketing. It’s not enough to stick a sign in the yard, blast the listing to a bunch of real estate websites, and hope for a buyer to show up.

Where should you begin?  If you want to sell your house, start by making a commitment to do what it takes to market your house to get it sold.

With the right marketing system, the home sale you want is still well within reach.

Yes, your home still needs to be priced correctly, be clean and be in good condition.  It must also be readily accessible to other agents…but that is not enough.

More than 93% of buyers are searching the internet to research and buy their homes. The significance of powerful internet technologies to market your home is very important. Outlined below is my extensive and exciting Real Estate Internet Marketing System which can be implemented to give your property the utmost exposure!

Here are some ideas you can use to market your home to sell it:

First, set up a Single Property Website that includes a Virtual Tour.

A Single Property Website is a separate website that is completely dedicated to the online marketing of your property. It is a full, multi-page website that includes a virtual tour and photo gallery of your property along with all the property information including map, schools, Walk Score, and weather. A printable flyer, documents, and a mortgage calculator must also available.

You will also need a Virtual Tour.  This is not just a slow, panoramic view of each room, but a tour with upbeat music, and slides interacting and giving information.  Ideally, this will be not just 1 video, but several different videos (10 or more) featuring different angles and different rooms. You need to make sure all videos are listed on Youtube with the correct SEO tags to ensure your videos get listed on page 1 of Google etc.  Other videos should be included to pique their interest in your area such as community attractions showing what is going on around town, neighborhood reviews spotlighting places of interest, and developing some backlinking.

Next, you will need a Listing Flyer with designs to promote your property and entice buyers to schedule showings.

In addition to the above, you should also blog about your home, vlog it, and occasionally do a podcast and get your home up on slideshare.

Another important tool you must use is Social Networking.

Social Networking is the latest real estate marketing trend with the ability to connect and communicate with others in a fast and efficient manner. Your property can be posted on virtually any social networking site including Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Instagram and hundreds more for free!  A summary of paid ads on these platforms (PPC with targeting) is covered in more detail below.

Facebook and Instagram are probably the most important here.  You will need a fan page for your home.  In addition, you will need to promote ads on your house and do several dark posts targeting different crowds and areas.  In order to get the most bang for your buck, you will need to be sure to utilize the custom audience and retargeting features.

Other options include Craigslist Ads and ActiveRain Blog.

A professional and attractive Craigslist Ad for your property will allow you to generate buyer leads. Property can also be posted on ActiveRain, the largest community of Real Estate Professionals, giving it exposure to a massive audience of buyer real estate agents.

Don’t neglect to set up a Lead Management and Showing Feedback System.

The lead management system will help you to track and maintain communication with prospective buyers. Text Messages and Emails need to be sent out immediately for the fastest response time to potential buyers.  You must send out information on a continual basis to the potential buyers so they will stay engaged and interested in your property or they will move on to another.

The showing feedback system will help you obtain and compile crucial feedback from property showings for instant analysis.  This will be key in continued targeted marketing.

Yet another beneficial marketing tool will be a pay-per-click online ad that will bring in more leads, as well as using Real Bird, Listing Book, Barter Town and e-properties.  Your property needs to be syndicated to every real estate listing service available – several hundred.

You need High Impact Marketing so your home will be seen by nearly every potential buyer in the market.

Those were several online marketing ideas.  Don’t forget about a more traditional avenue though: there is plenty of helpful information online about how to run an effective open house.  You need to make a plan for the proper creation and placement of marketing signs and test for the optimal times to be able to drive the most lead traffic to your property.  Then you also want to spend some time learning how to qualify your buyer, as you’ll have random strangers driving by and then coming in to look through your home.  As an agent, I’d always suggest keeping safety in mind and having someone with you if you decide to go that route.  The safety of our agents is always a top priority for us and we discuss best practices regularly in our office due to article like this: https://kdvr.com/2019/08/07/denver-real-estate-agent-survives-attack-by-man-during-open-house/

You can do it yourself by using my tips listed above or you can call me – Tim LaBorde – at 713-965-4561.  Send me an email at Tim@DirectedRealty.com…

… and I would be happy to discuss how I can get your home SOLD with a plan like this plus even more.  To find out why your home didn’t sell and to get moving toward the goal of selling your home, give me a call AND start packing!

What others are saying:

“Tim has a strong character and work ethic.  He can make deals happen.  I know he takes great care of his clients.” – Emil R.

“You are the best sales person, I’ve interacted with others but I see you are definitely committed to your clients.” – Claire N.

“Tim’s thoughtfulness and integrity has been impeccable.” – Leah C.

Of all the individuals I have had the pleasure of serving with, I found Tim to be among the most competent and professional. Tim was also very good at creating solutions to problems. – Chris M.

Tim LaBorde

713-965-4561

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Affordable La Porte Homes for Sale


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This is a current list of the Affordable La Porte Homes that are available for sale. Please bookmark this page as the available real estate listings change from day-to-day. If you have any questions about any of these affordable homes located in La Porte, Texas or are thinking about putting your home on the market please call us at (713) 965-4561.

Affordable La Porte Homes for Sale

If you have any questions about any of the homes listed above or if you would like to schedule a private showing contact us today!

Are you looking to buy your dream home in La Porte, Texas?

If you are a home buyer, our foremost goal is to provide you with exceptional customer service. Our goals are to help you purchase the right home, make sure you don’t miss out on any homes that meet your needs and make sure you don’t pay too much for your next home. Please utilize our La Porte real estate expertise to make your home search and buying experience as stress-free and rewarding as possible.

Search Available La Porte Properties

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Are you thinking about relocating to La Porte, Texas? We can help you find the perfect home and make your move as stress-free as possible. We offer valuable insight into the area to help you through your home buying experience. Contact Us at (713) 965-4561.

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Have you Koala-fied for Home Hunting with Heather yet?!


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Minimize your home-buying headaches and get Koala-fied with Realtor Heather Chromcak as our resident East Houston Buyer’s Agent breaks down some common questions and concerns our buyer clients run into regularly!

Heather’s Top Tips for Buyers:

A Few More Koala-fying Buyer Tips from Heather:

Tip#1, Tip#2, Tip#3, Tip#4, Tip#5

Heather-Chromchak-Koala-fied

Heather’s Hot List: The newest $250-$350k Pasadena homes just coming onto the market!

Pasadena is located within the Houston area. If you are thinking about relocating, we can help you find the perfect home and make your move as stress-free as possible. We offer valuable insight into the area to help you through your home buying experience. Contact Us at (281) 962-4082.

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We are local Pasadena experts and are here to help guide you through your home buying or selling experience.

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