Real Estate Blog - May, 2015

Neighborhood Spotlight: Stone Forest

Each week, I’ll spotlight a neighborhood in the Bryan/College Station area. This week, I’ll tell you about Stone Forest, a neighborhood in South College Station.

I’ve lived in Stone Forest for more than eight years now, and it’s been a wonderful place for my daughters to grow up.

Stone Forest is made up of a little under 150 homes, and it’s only a short drive away from HEB and other stores in the Towerpoint shopping center, as well as Scott & White Health Center.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Median home age: 11 years

Median list price: $287,000

Median home value: $273,000

Own to rent ratio: 100:0

Students who live in Stone Forest are zoned for the CSISD schools: Pebble Creek Elementary, Oakwood Intermediate School, A&M Consolidated Middle…

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Spotlight: 8675 Joyce Road, Bryan

8675 Joyce Road is a stunning 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom Bryan home on 13 acres of land, in a quiet and serene gated community 20 minutes from the heart of Bryan/College Station. This home features an open floor plan, huge windows for natural light, granite countertops, a three car garage, and two master suites. 8675 Joyce Road could make an excellent home for horse-owners — one horse is allowed per each two acres of the property. Avid fishers can delight in the fabulous pond, stocked with catfish, bass, and perch.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

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Weather, Walkability, & What's Next

When Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow back in February, most of us rationalized six more weeks of winter as a blessing vs. the impending Texas heat… what we didn’t account for was the additional three months of rain, creating an extremely soggy spring. Although a blessing to lake levels and parched areas across Texas, the rain has created havoc in the real estate/building world, especially here in the Brazos Valley.

This wild weather has delayed developments, commercial projects, and home starts – why, just this past year (Jan-April 2015), the City of Bryan has seen an increase in building permits in Single Family detached homes upwards of 70% and an over 40% increase in Commercial building permits[1], all of which have seen severe delays due to the…

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6 questions to ask in a multiple offer situation

In Bryan-College Station right now, it’s a seller’s market – the number of people who want to buy homes outnumber the number of people selling homes.

When home buyers outnumber sellers, the result can be a multiple offer scenario. If you’re searching for homes in a competitive market environment, you’ll want to take time to understand the dynamics of multiple offers and understand how this might impact your negotiating strategy.

Here are some questions to go over with your buyer’s representative:

1. Will I know if I’m in a multiple offer situation?

Not necessarily. Typically it works to a seller’s advantage if buyers are told they are competing with one another. But a seller must give their agent permission to disclose the existence of…

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Texas A&M's Vet School Ranks #6 in the World

Photo Source: ags.tamu.edu

A recent survey analyzing veterinary schools across globe ranked the vet school at Texas A&M as the sixth in the world and third in the nation.  (Whoop!)

Of the seventeen countries ranked, only three vet schools in the US placed in the top ten; two of which received the top spots: University of California-Davis followed by Cornell University.  University of London’s Royal Veterinary College came in third, then Canada’s University of Guelph, and Utrecht University in The Netherlands.  Within the top twenty, ten were awarded to US vet schools.

The rankings were conducted by the worldwide educational services firm, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), and were based upon several factors.  They used numerous well-respected university…

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Decluttering your home in 15 minutes a day

If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, get it ready to sell by starting the staging and decluttering process early. Clean & Scentsible came out with a 31 day challenge to help you get organized in 15 minutes per day.

Before you get started, remember:

1. This is a big project, and we’re tackling it in little pieces.
2. Make sure you stay focused for the 15 minutes you’re using to declutter.
3. Have plenty of donation bins and trash bags ready as you go through the clutter in your home.

Check out Clean & Scentsible’s plan for the first week of decluttering, and head to their blog for the rest of the month’s tasks and a printable calendar.

Day 1: Paperwork.
Do you have a pile of paperwork (or two?) collecting on your…

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Does This House Make Me Look Fat???

As ridculous as that question may sound, it is actually at the heart of an extremely important element in selling your home- Presentation/Staging.  While most women are experts in thier own right at personal presentation, it is a different beast altogether when it comes to staging a home to sell.  It is estimated that 80-90% of buyers cannot visualize themselves living in a home that they are viewing.  WHAT?? I can see myself living in TONS of the houses I veiw!!! In reality, buyers need help to see a house as a home they can live in.  That help is STAGING!  

Want to know the "BIG ONES"  that turn buyers off??

Clutter, lack of cleanliness, bad colors and cold emptiness top the list.  For me personally, add weird smell!!  Certainly none of…

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Top 10 best cities for public education in Texas

College Station was named one of the top cities in Texas for public education in 2015. With an education score of 97.77 out of 100, College Station made the third spot on the list, compiled by Niche. 

Nationally, College Station ranked 55th for best public schools.

Check out a map of the top ten towns on the list for the best public schools in the state. 

Here's the list of the top ten towns for public schools in Texas. See the rest of the list on Niche.

1. Boerne (Kendall County) – Education score: 98.55

2. McGregor (McLennan County) – Education score: 98.04

3. College Station (Brazos County) – Education score: 97.77

4. Lago Vista (Travis County) – Education score: 94.94

5. Lindale (Smith County) – Education score: 94.59

…

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First time leasing and not sure what to do?

Have you been so busy with the semester that thinking about where you are going to live next year just hasn’t crossed your mind? Or maybe it’s your first time to think about renting and you have no clue where to start.  Now that finals are finishing up and the fall is creeping closer, it’s a great time to lock down your next place for the fall semester.  How can you get ready to sign for the fall? There are some things you should be prepared for:

• Pick ONE Realtor
• Have a list of 3-4 properties
• Set a budget
• Application fees
• Paperwork
• Lease signing
• Deposits

I go over this process with clients all the time and they always seem a little shocked at what goes into renting/leasing. 

Picking ONE Realtor will save time and…

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New Maroon Series luxury listing — 1016 Sanctuary Court, College Station

Immaculate, one of a kind custom home designed by Kirby Fleming located in a prestigious gated community within one mile of A&M. No expense was spared in the creation of this masterpiece. Extremely versatile floor plan - can be great family home or a fabulous home for entertaining on the weekend. Magnificent cook's kitchen, formal dining, butler's pantry, bright open concept living area, three fireplaces, and a three car garage. The outdoor living space tops 780 sq ft and boasts a built in barbecue and a sparkling pool with spa. Within walking distance to highly acclaimed College Hills Elementary. University Preserve has a 3000sqft requirement.

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