June 2013 RSS Feed

Found 3 blog entries for June 2013.

This just out - May home sales in the greater Houston area marked the 24th straight month of positive home sales and accounted for the largest one-month sales volume of all time and record-high pricing.  Needless to say, this is causing a further shrinkage in the short supply of Houston area homes on the market.

According to HAR's latest monthly report home sales jumped 28% compared to May of last year, with contracts closing on 7,794 single-family homes during the month of May. Both the median price and average price of single-family homes saw increases. The median price rose 11.9% over last year to $188,000.  The average price increased 9% year over year to an all time high of $256,790.

Homes selling between $150,000 - $500,000 saw the greatest…

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Texas shoppers will again get a tax break from state and local taxes on most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks priced under $100.  Shoppers can save as much as $8.25 for every $100 they spend.  You must keep each individual item purchased under $100.  If the item is over $100, you will pay the full tax due.

Here's a short explanation of what's included and what's not:

Most clothing but not special clothing or footwear designed for athletic activity or protective use and not normally worn except for the athletic activity or protective use.  For example, golf cleats or football pads which are designed for athletic use and not normally worn elsewhere do not qualify.  But, tennis shoes, jogging suits, and swim suits qualify.

Jewelry,…

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funny_man_approvalI realize that by now, everyone looking to purchase a home is aware of the fact that a pre-approval letter is a must-have.  But some of you may not understand exactly why you have to have one, and why it should be from a local lender.  Here are some reasons:

1.  You should only look at homes you can afford and are comfortable making the payments on.  Why in the world would you want to torture yourself looking at homes that you cannot afford or frustrate yourself looking at homes that are well below your price point and don't meet your expectations?

2.  Realtors® are self-employed and only get paid when the transaction closes which is sometimes 6-8 weeks after a contract is accepted.  Many hours and money goes into helping you find your dream home.…

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