When The Appraisal Comes In Low
When you buy or sell a home, and a mortgage lender is involved, an appraisal is required. The appraisal is an estimate of a property's value and is required by the lender to make sure that the value of the…
Houston’s Top Dog Parks Inside the Loop
Houston is an ever-changing city and becoming increasingly dog-friendly is just one way that the bayou city has grown. Just 5 years ago, apartment communities capped weight limits for dogs at 25-50 lbs, and we didn’t have many options to…
Option Fee and Earnest Money – What Are They?
You have found the home of your dreams and you made an offer - congratulations! If you are like many buyers, you did not read every single word of the 1-4 Family Residential Sales Contract. You were excited, a bit frazzled and probably busy,…
Does the Fridge Come With The House
The purchase of real estate can get a bit muddy when it comes to which items convey with the sale and the personal property that the seller removes. Does the fridge come with the house is a really common buyer…
When You Can’t Put 20 Percent Down
Last weekend, my boyfriend said to me, "babe, we can’t buy a house. We don’t have 30% to put down!” Right then, I realized I had failed somewhere. We talk about real estate all the time. No really, all the…
Understanding the Sellers Disclosure
What if a seller's disclosure is incorrect? Does a seller have to disclose a death on the property? If there has been an inspection, must a seller share that with potential buyers? The Seller's Disclosure is one of many forms…
Should You Submit A Back-Up Offer?
What happens when the home of your dreams gets away from you? Let's say you are looking at homes and you find the home of your dreams, but before you're able to submit an offer, the sellers accept another offer…
Is A Townhouse Right For You?
Many first time buyers decide to buy because their income is finally stable and sufficient, they have reached a place in life where they’re able to save, or they are tired of throwing away money on rent. When the time…
The Top Tips for Homebuying in 2016
It is a brand new year and if you are like me, you probably have several resolutions for 2016. One of my goals for this year is to purchase my first house. I have been thinking about this for a…
Can You Really Get a One Bedroom In Houston for $1000?
I feel like nearly every other day, I see another article about the cost of living in Houston. More specifically, these articles are always discussing the average rental rate in Houston. The rates that are being published are discouraging for…
Houston Neighborhoods-Greenway Plaza
Greenway Plaza is one of my favorite affordable walkable areas. Sure, it's not as happening as downtown or midtown, but it's significantly more affordable. There are several newer apartment communities starting in the low $1300s with a few older options…
Houston Neighborhoods – Bellaire and West University
Just west of the Medical Center, you’ll find Bellaire, West University Place and The City of Southside Place. These three actually aren’t neighborhoods at all. They’re small cities that have never been annexed by Houston. The city of Houston has…
Houston Neighborhoods – Rice Village and Museum District
The neighborhoods surrounding Rice University, St. Thomas University and the majority of Houston’s museums are delightful tree-lined streets filled with mostly historic homes. You’ll find duplexes, four-plexes, small Melrose Place style apartment communities, charming bungalows from the turn of the…
Houston Neighborhoods – Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is world-renowned with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, The Houston Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and many more in-patient and out-patient facilities. It isn’t just about healthcare though! The medical center is home to NFL team,…
Houston Neighborhoods – Memorial Heights
The area of Houston South of I-10 and North of Allen Parkway has been called many names over the years. Even today, some refer to it as Washington Heights, others say it is Rice Military and some infuriate native Houstonians…
Preventable Common Buyer Mistakes
You have decided to buy, and now you are saving your pennies. My parents always preached “save your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” However, despite your efforts to put aside money for a down payment and…