ear Terese, I am so excited, we close on our first home this week!   Do you have any advice that will help us avoid any unexpected surprises? Erin Dear Erin, Congratulations!   I’m so happy to hear that you have invested in home ownership.   There are several items that many new homeowners may not t...

D ear Terese, I don’t have the best credit, and I’m not sure I could qualify to buy a house.   Would you work with me to find a home? Poppy Dear Poppy , Just because you have a less than perfect credit report does not mean you cannot purchase a home!   There are several options you can consider.   F...

ear Terese, My tax appraisal for my home went up 20% this year!  Why are my property taxes rising so high? Bruce Dear Bruce, The Texas Association of Realtors recently addressed this issue in their monthly publication, “Texas REALTOR”.   The main reason is that Texas property is in high demand.   In...

ear Terese, How do you feel like the real estate market will fair in 2017?   Ken Dear Ken, None of us have a crystal ball, but several contributors to The Residential Specialist publication, published by the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS), have mentioned the following indicators.   I agree...

ear Terese, I’d like to spiff up the exterior of my home before I list it, without spending a fortune.   Do you have some simple ideas? Jay Dear Jay, Curb appeal is very important, so here are a few ideas for staging your outdoor areas.   A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea.   Although you w...

ear Terese, What is the busiest month for sales activity? Chrissy Dear Chrissy, Ali Anari, with Tierra Grande, the Journal of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, recently published an article about the seasonal pattern of sales in Texas. In Texas, sales activity tends to accelerate begin...

ear Terese, I’m going to be helping my mother sell her home.   I have Power of Attorney (POA).   How will this affect the real estate transaction? Peggy Dear Peggy, It can be an emotional time for the family, but since you already have the legal documents in place, the sale of property can move forw...

ear Terese, I like decorating for the holidays, but my home will be going on the market in the next week.   Should I not put out any decorations to celebrate the season? Janice Dear Janice, The principals for staging stay true all year round.   You want to make sure that every prospective buyer that...

ear Terese, I’m going to be listing my home over the holidays.  A friend has told me to spruce up the exterior of my home, specifically my siding.  Besides painting, what exterior treatments do you recommend? Mae Dear Mae, There are several items you can address on the exterior of your home to impro...

By Ashley Sava Months after swirling speculation that the property where the popular Nutty Brown Café sits was sold, the new landowners recently confirmed the rumors are true. According Mike Farr, Nutty Brown owner, the new landowner is H-E-B.  The grocery chain closed on the 65-acre property along ...