Picking the right house in Bryan or College Station is, of course, a matter of personal opinion. There are as many distincive homes as there are types of people, and the "right" home for some would be a disaster for others. However, it is important to keep a few things in mind when choosing your next Bryan, Texas or College Station, Texas home.
1. Pick your Realtor carefully. A good Realtor can make the difference between a successful search and a flop. Finding the right agent can be the first step in finding the right home, and negotiating the right price. Look for an agent with experience. Not necessarily a lifetime...sometimes too much can harm the transaction (do you really want your agent to not be in touch with todays prices?), but enough to help you in evaluating homes and negotiating the price. You also want an active agent. Last month was an extraordinarily busy month in real estate in both College Station and Bryan. Despite that only over 350 units were sold in July, 08', the busiest month in the last seven years. We have over 640 agents on the books in our BCS MLS! In July I closed 9 transactions...our srongest 25-50 agents are the ones doing most of the business and are the ones most in touch with the market. Pick your agent amongst those that are actually in the business full time with experience. It will make a better experience all around!
2. Search for your new home with resale in mind! It may seem strange you right now, but money is made on real estate when it's bought, not when it's sold! You need to negotiate the best possible price on the best possible property for it to be a successful transaction!
3. Stay within the market averages! Though it goes against many peoples grain, staying within the average purchase price of homes in the area is a smart move. You may be able to afford much more house that the 120-200K that our market pulls, but you will maximize your resale if you stay within a margin of plus or minus 50 percent when buying. Buying a home for over 300K can be a good investment if your are going to stay in place for quite some time. If, however, you are planning on moving (or would like to be able to entertain the idea) within the next 3-5 years stay at under 300K to maximize your return.
These are just a few of the tips I can give you to maximize your real estate investment. Call today to set up a complimentary meeting to find out how we can work together to maximize your real estate experience! Call Coti or Chris today at (979)575-7765 or (979)574-1084!
Showing posts with label college station homes for sale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college station homes for sale. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
College Station Real Estate in 2008, Meca, or Disaster?
The news has been bombarding us with information about how low new housing starts are; as well as how "prices are plummeting" on existing homes. In many cases what the reporter is doing is taking statistics from one area and applying them to the nation. No matter how you slice it, Bryan and College Station real estate is very different from San Francisco real estate, or New York real estate or, as as matter of fact, any other real estate market in the United States.
Nationally there has been a downturn in sales. Most of the areas affected by this are in places where double digit increases in value previously were the norm. Bryan College Station, in contrast, has had steady, but slow appreciation with rates ranging from 3% to 7% per year. We have actually had some of our highest appreciation while some markets have suffered.
Our market is a dynamic market. We constantly have professors, college students and administration moving in and out. Bryan-College Station also has many non-university jobs that are just moving into town. This doesn't guarantee that we will never have a slump, but plummeting prices are highly unlikely.
A couple of years ago a very nice reporter for the Wall Street Journal came to College Station to interview me and several other top agents in the area. His first question to me when we were face to face is "show me the houses that haven't been selling in the area". He truly didn't want to hear that the market was robust and that we were, overall, in very good shape. He neglected the fact that our average sales price home (at the time right around 150K) was showing days on the market of less than 90, and in certain segments hardly 30. Some of the other agents cooperated with him by showing him homes that were priced twice our market average that were suffering from market lag. College Station luxury homes do tend to sit on the market a bit longer than the average home. Sales, however, in this segment have recently been picking up. Just goes to show you, if you look hard enough you can always find the black lining in the silver cloud!
Overall we are expecting 2008 to be a great real estate year. It will be slower than the boom times that we were experiencing in the 2002-2005 time frames, but still a very healthy market.
For more information about College Station real estate or our market overall don't hesitate to email me or call me at (979)574-1084. Have a Happy New Year!
Nationally there has been a downturn in sales. Most of the areas affected by this are in places where double digit increases in value previously were the norm. Bryan College Station, in contrast, has had steady, but slow appreciation with rates ranging from 3% to 7% per year. We have actually had some of our highest appreciation while some markets have suffered.
Our market is a dynamic market. We constantly have professors, college students and administration moving in and out. Bryan-College Station also has many non-university jobs that are just moving into town. This doesn't guarantee that we will never have a slump, but plummeting prices are highly unlikely.
A couple of years ago a very nice reporter for the Wall Street Journal came to College Station to interview me and several other top agents in the area. His first question to me when we were face to face is "show me the houses that haven't been selling in the area". He truly didn't want to hear that the market was robust and that we were, overall, in very good shape. He neglected the fact that our average sales price home (at the time right around 150K) was showing days on the market of less than 90, and in certain segments hardly 30. Some of the other agents cooperated with him by showing him homes that were priced twice our market average that were suffering from market lag. College Station luxury homes do tend to sit on the market a bit longer than the average home. Sales, however, in this segment have recently been picking up. Just goes to show you, if you look hard enough you can always find the black lining in the silver cloud!
Overall we are expecting 2008 to be a great real estate year. It will be slower than the boom times that we were experiencing in the 2002-2005 time frames, but still a very healthy market.
For more information about College Station real estate or our market overall don't hesitate to email me or call me at (979)574-1084. Have a Happy New Year!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
College Station First Time Homebuyers
College Station offers a variety of different neighborhoods to suit your needs. Single family housing can be found in price ranges from the low 100K's up to over a million dollars. Your housing dollars stretch far here and you will enjoy a low cost of living. Condominiums and townhomes can be an excellent option for both students and older adults. We have neighborhoods that fits their varying needs.
College Station Entry Level Plus Neighborhoods
College Hills smaller homes can be had in this trendy neighborhood right off Texas Avenue and across from campus. These homes were primarily built in the 50's and 60's and are reminiscent of the "front porch neighborhoods" around the country. Clapboard homes, some of them restored beautifully, can be had, but the pickings are slim. Expect to wait a while for the right house to be available.
Southwood Valley close in to the University you will find Southwood Valley. This is a neighborhood that features mature trees and wide streets. Southwood Valley is in the area of Deacon and Texas Avenue and stretches to Wellborn. The homes range in size from around 1,200 square feet on up to over 3,000 square feet with an average size of somewhere around 1,500 square feet. These homes, for the most part, were built in the late 70's and 80's with a few areas being added in the 90's. Close to shopping, Wings N' More (and other restaurants) and shuttle route this neighborhood remains very popular with it's great housing values. Houses here tend to start at around 120K and go on up, with an average home being somewhere around 140K.
Raintree is a wonderful neighborhood located off Southwest Parkway and Highway 6. This neighborhood features it's own park and is heavily wooded. Homes can be had from the 130's and are large with generous lot sizes. This neighborhood is right off Highway 6 and is easily accessible for those with long commutes. The homes tend to have been built in the mid to later 80's.
Westfield is a newer area located off Graham Road and close to Victoria in South College Station. Close to schools and shopping this neighborhood is situated very near Rock Prairie Road, widely considered the center of College Station. Homes here range from being built in the late 90's to current and offer a wide variety of styles. Housing prices tend to be at around the 120's and up, and most of the building has been done by Stylecraft and Main Street Homes.
Shenandoah, nested deep in College Station is this subdivision off Barron Road and Highway 6. This subdivision features a pool, a park, tennis courts and a small clubhouse. Despite the amenities homeowner dues is a low $120 year. This subdivision feaures Froehling homes built anywhere from the 80's to currently. Prices start in the low 130's and this subdivision is zoned to the newest elementary school, Forest Ridge.
Alexandria, a subdivison virtually connected with Shenandoah, this newer area is right down the street off Barron Road. It doesn't have the benefit of the pool, and the homes tend to be larger, and priced accordingly. Prices here begin in the high 130's.
Springbrook-Cypress is a wonderful neighborhood off Highway 6 and Barron across from Shenandoah. This is a rental restricted neighborhood and gives you a chance to have pride of ownership show everywhere, while keeping the prices down to a minimum as well. Houses here start in the 140's with some going up to the 200's.
Camelot the area near South Knoll Elementary off Southwest Parkway features older homes with mature landscaping. Housing here starts at the 130's and is very affordable.
Westfield Village, off Barron Road and Victoria Stylecraft is building it's signature Neo-Traditional style homes. These homes feature Hardiplank siding and trim reminiscenct of the 50's and 60's in these newly built homes. Excellent floorplans meld with front porches and granite countertops in many homes. These homes start in the high 120's.
For more information, or to set up a search, call or email me today!
Chris Tesch (979)574-1084
Sonya Johnson (979)575-4565
College Station Entry Level Plus Neighborhoods
College Hills smaller homes can be had in this trendy neighborhood right off Texas Avenue and across from campus. These homes were primarily built in the 50's and 60's and are reminiscent of the "front porch neighborhoods" around the country. Clapboard homes, some of them restored beautifully, can be had, but the pickings are slim. Expect to wait a while for the right house to be available.
Southwood Valley close in to the University you will find Southwood Valley. This is a neighborhood that features mature trees and wide streets. Southwood Valley is in the area of Deacon and Texas Avenue and stretches to Wellborn. The homes range in size from around 1,200 square feet on up to over 3,000 square feet with an average size of somewhere around 1,500 square feet. These homes, for the most part, were built in the late 70's and 80's with a few areas being added in the 90's. Close to shopping, Wings N' More (and other restaurants) and shuttle route this neighborhood remains very popular with it's great housing values. Houses here tend to start at around 120K and go on up, with an average home being somewhere around 140K.
Raintree is a wonderful neighborhood located off Southwest Parkway and Highway 6. This neighborhood features it's own park and is heavily wooded. Homes can be had from the 130's and are large with generous lot sizes. This neighborhood is right off Highway 6 and is easily accessible for those with long commutes. The homes tend to have been built in the mid to later 80's.
Westfield is a newer area located off Graham Road and close to Victoria in South College Station. Close to schools and shopping this neighborhood is situated very near Rock Prairie Road, widely considered the center of College Station. Homes here range from being built in the late 90's to current and offer a wide variety of styles. Housing prices tend to be at around the 120's and up, and most of the building has been done by Stylecraft and Main Street Homes.
Shenandoah, nested deep in College Station is this subdivision off Barron Road and Highway 6. This subdivision features a pool, a park, tennis courts and a small clubhouse. Despite the amenities homeowner dues is a low $120 year. This subdivision feaures Froehling homes built anywhere from the 80's to currently. Prices start in the low 130's and this subdivision is zoned to the newest elementary school, Forest Ridge.
Alexandria, a subdivison virtually connected with Shenandoah, this newer area is right down the street off Barron Road. It doesn't have the benefit of the pool, and the homes tend to be larger, and priced accordingly. Prices here begin in the high 130's.
Springbrook-Cypress is a wonderful neighborhood off Highway 6 and Barron across from Shenandoah. This is a rental restricted neighborhood and gives you a chance to have pride of ownership show everywhere, while keeping the prices down to a minimum as well. Houses here start in the 140's with some going up to the 200's.
Camelot the area near South Knoll Elementary off Southwest Parkway features older homes with mature landscaping. Housing here starts at the 130's and is very affordable.
Westfield Village, off Barron Road and Victoria Stylecraft is building it's signature Neo-Traditional style homes. These homes feature Hardiplank siding and trim reminiscenct of the 50's and 60's in these newly built homes. Excellent floorplans meld with front porches and granite countertops in many homes. These homes start in the high 120's.
For more information, or to set up a search, call or email me today!
Chris Tesch (979)574-1084
Sonya Johnson (979)575-4565
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