Mischer News

According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), sales of all property types in Houston for May totaled 6,659, up 20.3 percent compared to May 2009. Total dollar volume for properties sold during the month was $1.3 billion versus $1.1 billion one year earlier, representing an 18.9 percent increase.

In May, sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 5,693, up 19.1 percent from May 2009, marking the third consecutive month of increased sales activity. Separated out by individual segments:

• May sales of homes priced from $80,000 and below increased 7.3 percent.
• Those between $80,000 and $150,000 rose by the largest amount of all pricing segments—28.0 percent.
• Those in the $150,000 to $250,000 range climbed 19.2 percent.
• Those priced between $250,000 and $500,000 ae up 13.6 percent.
• Sales of luxury homes—those priced from $500,000 to the millions—edged up 5.1 percent, a dramatic drop compared to a 53.4 percent increase one month earlier.

Local Realtors Credit Ongoing Effects of Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit to the three month increase. HAR goes on to state that “the average price of single-family homes in May was $209,920, down 0.9 percent compared to one year earlier. That followed seven straight months of appreciated average pricing.” The national single-family median price reported by NAR is $173,100, illustrating the continued higher value and lower cost of living that consumers enjoy in the Houston market. 

These statistics all point to good news for Houston area builders and developers. Only time will tell if the trend will hold, but for now Houstonians can breath a little easier!

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PLANTATION HOMES, PIONEER HOMES, COVENTRY HOMES, AND CARMEL BUILDERS PARTNER WITH HOUSTON AFFILIATE OF

SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE(r)

Houston, TX (May 6, 2010).... Plantation Homes, Pioneer Homes, Coventry Homes and Carmel Builders, are honored to announce their partnership with the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r), supporting its efforts with large scale promotions and a very generous fund raising commitment.

The builder's newly launched 'Built for the Cure' marketing campaign which includes promotions corporately and in all four brands in Houston, is intended to heighten awareness of the efforts of the organization known for bringing worldwide attention to breast cancer; and to let buyers of Plantation Homes, Pioneer Homes, Coventry Homes and Carmel Builders in Houston know that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their new home will be donated to the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r).

This is the first partnership of its kind between a large Houston new home builder and the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r).

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As a homeowner, you are well aware of the importance of homeowners insurance to protect your home and its contents. But did you know that your homeowner insurance DOES NOT cover damage to your home or contents resulting from a flood (aka rising water)? Everyone’s home is at risk of flash flooding, but depending on your property location, your home is either considered at high-risk or at moderate-to-low risk for a flood. And, your insurance premiums will fluctuate accordingly.

Although you cannot prevent a flood, you can be prepared for the event and insure that you are able to get your family, home and hard-earned belongings back in order as quickly as possible. Follow these simple steps below and be prepared!

Safeguard your family’s financial stability. Create a personal “flood file” containing information about all family members and your personal possessions. Then come up with a safe place to store the file, such as a fireproof or safety deposit box, and make sure both you and your spouse or children know where the file is kept. This special file should contain copies of the following: 

•A copy of all family members personal, life and health insurance policies and contact information for your agent and toll free numbers for the companies in the event the agent is effected by the storm too!

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According to the Associated Press and Freddie Mac, mortgage rates on a 30-year fixed loan have fallen dangerously close this week to the all-time low.

Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac states that “the average rate sank to 4.72%, down from 4.79% last week. It was just above the record of 4.71 set last December.” They go on to state that “the average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 4.17%, down from 4.2% last week and the lowest on records dating back to August 1991.”

Falling rates are thought to be the result of last years Federal Reserve campaign designed to “reduce borrowing costs for consumers [and to] push rates down to extraordinarily low levels.” Although rates were speculated to rise after the campaign, which ended this spring, rates have unexpectedly fallen over the past two months instead.

Guarded investors, still shell shocked from the European debt crisis and turbulent stock market, have shifted their money into the more stable U.S. Treasury bonds, which in turn have pushed down interest rates, or the yield, on U.S. Treasury debt. Fixed mortgage rates have a tendency to follow that yield. Other factors that affect the bond yield include, but are not limited to, the national employment report.

Only time will tell if these historically low interest rates are enough to revive the housing market, but it is definitely good news for customers intending to purchase a new home this summer! 

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Some good news, and a possible clearing of the dark clouds looming over the new home construction industry, was revealed in a statistical report issued today. According to Realtor Magazine, construction spending rose 2.7 percent in April among residential, government buildings, and industrial segments. 

Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, expressed his opinion on the rise, stating that “the government tax credits drove residential increases and nonresidential activity is unreliable. We expect a downward revision next month.”

Despite the down-played pessimism of Shepherdson, Houston’s new home builders are forecasting a positive shift. Luxury home builder and Former CEO of Toll Brothers Robert Toll said, “It appears our business has finally emerged from the tunnel and into a bit of daylight.”

Only time will tell, but all eyes will me on construction statistics over the next few months as builders anticipate the summer housing rush to be the “new beginning” they have been waiting for since the housing crisis began. 

If you are looking for extra storage in you busy, multi-functional family bathroom, consider moving in a few furniture pieces from other rooms in your home.

Move a bookshelf into your bathroom as an unexpected source of extra storage space and mix items such as washcloths, books and a lamp with more practical, daily use items like cotton balls and after-bath lotions.

Paint the cabinet and drawer fronts with chalkboard paint and then label them with your kids' names so there will never be a question as to whose things belong where. This can be especially useful when girls are sharing a bathroom, but boys will find it a fun accent too. No kids, no problem… just label the drawers with fun words or the items inside to entertain your guests.

Add a trunk or shallow side table as an unexpected accent and fill it with excess items such as shampoos, soap bars, old bath towels or tuck away child bath toys when not in use to help maintain a clutter-free bathroom that can function for guests of any age.

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Do cities have a future? Pessimists point to industrial-era holdovers like Detroit and Cleveland. Urban boosters point to dense, expensive cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco. Yet if you want to see successful 21st-century urbanism, hop on down to Houston and the Lone Star State.

You won't be alone: Last year Houston added 141,000 residents, more than any region in the U.S. save the city's similarly sprawling rival, Dallas-Fort Worth. Over the past decade Houston's population has grown by 24%--five times the rate of San Francisco, Boston and New York. In that time it has attracted 244,000 new residents from other parts of the U.S., while older cities experienced high rates of out-migration. It is even catching up on foreign immigration, enjoying a rate comparable with New York's and roughly 50% higher than that of Boston or Chicago.

So what does Houston have that these other cities lack? Opportunity. Between 2000 and 2009 Houston's employment grew by 260,000. Greater New York City--with nearly three times the population of Houston--has added only 96,000 jobs. The Chicago area has lost 258,000 jobs, San Francisco 217,000, Los Angeles 168,000 and Boston 100,004.

Politicians in big cities talk about jobs, but by keeping taxes, fees and regulatory barriers high they discourage the creation of jobs, at least in the private sector. A business in San Francisco or Los Angeles never knows what bizarre new cost will be imposed by city hall. In New York or Boston you can thrive as a nonprofit executive, high-end consultant or financier, but if you are the owner of a business that wants to grow you're out of luck.

Houston, however, has kept the cost of government low while investing in ports, airports, roads, transit and schools. A person or business moving there gets an immediate raise through lower taxes and cheaper real estate. Houston just works better at nurturing jobs.

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So you’ve bought your new home and want to add a touch of personal style to it with a splash of color on the walls. Here are a few tips to painting your new walls like a pro!

Figure out how much paint you will really need before you get started. You are much less likely to have color inconsistencies if it is all mixed at once, instead of going back for another can. Most brands suggest their paint should cover about 400 square feet per gallon (that’s one coat of paint on the walls of a 10 by 12 foot bedroom, excluding ceiling, doors and windows). If you are on the fence, buy that extra quart!

Get organized and have everything you need in the room before you start your project so you won’t have to stop mid-project and wash brushes or go buy more paint. And, as basic as it may seem, paint (and complete) one room at a time! 

Once you have bought the paint, brushes, rollers, trays, and drop cloths and taped off all the trim boards, you are ready to go. Start at the ceiling first and, with a cutting pad, paint a border about 6 inches wide. Then, use a paint brush to fill in all corners and follow by painting the walls from the top down with a roller. Finish by using the cutting pad along the baseboards. Since some paints dry quicker than others, complete one whole wall before moving onto the next. 

Now that you know some of the best kept pro’s secrets – get busy and paint!

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As we head into summer and our lawns become more labor intensive, take a few tips from golf course turf experts on how to water your yard like a pro.

Water your yard deep, but infrequently."The No. 1 thing I see homeowners do is overwater, which builds up excess thatch (an unsightly thick mat of tangled roots between the grass blades and soil)," says turf pro Brooks. “Daily watering encourages shallow roots and wastes water. Instead, water deeply, watching closely to see when more is needed.” A few signs it's time to water include:

1.The soil resists when you try to push a stake into the ground

2.Your grass begins to show a hint of bluish tint

3.Your footprints in the grass don’t spring back and disappear, but instead remain compressed

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Did you know that your new 2010 property tax bill is not set in stone...at least not yet? Before you issue a check, consider this useful advice.

• Make sure all of the deductions you're entitled to were, in fact, included.
• If something just doesn’t add up, check the tax assessor's math as well as the description of your property. Sometimes the problem is simple human error, like miscalculated square footage or an incorrect number of rooms.
• Visit your counties web site and check the assessments of at least five of your neighbors. Your neighbors may have already disputed their taxes and done half the work for you!
• Remember, no tow houses are exactly the same, so make adjustments for the differences between your property and those you are using for comparison purposes.
• If your assessment is incorrect or unfairly assessed, contact your appraisal district and make an informal appeal to their assessor first. If you are unsuccessful in coming to an agreement on the value, then file a formal appeal.

If you have to file a formal appeal, "the first thing you need to do is call and ask about the review process" of your local assessor's office, says Geoffrey White, a tax attorney in Cincinnati. "Find out what the important timing points are. Since you might only have 60 days (from the time you receive the assessment in the mail) to do this, you don't want to sit on it."

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