This week I needed to transfer the title of my car and register it in my name. Dreading the thought of heading to the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector’s offices and waiting in the dismal, grey rooms filled with the most uncomfortable plastic chairs, I happened to notice that there were some alternatives. In Pennsylvania, where I grew up, we call these “Fast Tags” and they are there for the sole purpose of speeding up the process required to change title or register a vehicle. I didn’t know they existed. So, I checked out the nearest one to me, River City Auto Title. Not only was the office a little more pleasant than your typical government office, but the staff were super friendly and helpful. Best part? No wait time at all. I went from my to the front door to a chair in front of the woman helping me. The process took about two minutes (if that) and I walked out with my new registration sticker and paperwork for my auto title. Simple as that. What would have taken at least an hour at the Tax-Assessor-Collector, was as easy as could be. If you hate to wait as much as I do, I highly recommend you check them out.

image courtesy of lindsayshaver

As our website took off, I slowed down on the birthday posts as we had so many other posts to write that it became a little impossible to keep up with, but this birthday is different. Today is Lisha Spellman‘s birthday. For those unfamiliar with that name, Lisha is our office manager…but, she’s way more than that. She’s ten years younger than me, but has knowledge levels about fifty years beyond me. When I don’t know an answer, I go to her. She’s funny, hard-working, and maybe even a little crazy; but she’s definitely the glue that keeps this office together. Have a problem with a contract? Go to Lisha. Need some friendly advice? Go to Lisha. Don’t know what to eat for lunch? Go to Lisha. Need cool marketing pieces done and need them yesterday? Go to Lisha. While I do what I can to assist, she truly would take it all on herself if she had to…and wouldn’t even break a sweat doing it. She’s more than just a co-worker too, she’s our friend and part of our family. To put is simply, she’s awesome.

The photo is of her office today. The fine folks at The IMG Studio decorated her office with images of 1983, the year Lisha was born and the rest of the world was listening to Kajagoogoo. So thank you Lisha for all you do…and thank you Kajagoogoo for being the soundtrack of my day.

We’re proud to announce that we have launched www.gardensatgreystone.com, a new neighborhood website focusing on McNair Custom Homes’ The Gardens at Greystone. This website will serve as a source of information about the community, the homes, and the local area for those interested in this neighborhood of forty three Tusan-style garden homes. We are excited to list these homes and showcase them for McNair Custom Homes and hope you’ll take a few moments to check out this new site.

Last night, on the 2600 block of Grayson Street in San Antonio, a local off-duty Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy was shot as he entered a home with his REALTOR® wife. Details are still not fully clear, but it appears the couple were viewing the home, when the homeowner heard someone in the house and grabbed their gun. The Sheriff’s Deputy was shot, but is said to be in stable condition. Certainly not the home showing everyone had hoped for.

REALTOR® Safety

As agents, we should remember to be cautious when entering any home, whether occupied or vacant. A good rule of thumb is to a) always use CSS (Centralized Showing Service) to sschedule showings, b) knock or ring the bell (even if the property is listed as vacant), c) announce yourself as you enter, and d) be on the lookout for an signs of occupancy (running water in showers is often a good one to listen for). We all have stories about entering a home where someone didn’t expect us and these steps will never guarantee your safety, but they will help.

Seller Safety

Make sure you give your agent current contact info, so that the showing service we use to set up appointments knows how best to get a hold of you. There are several different types of notifications that your agent can require from CSS: go and show (no contact needed), courtesy (a call will be placed to you, but if no one answers, CSS will just leave a message), and appointment required (CSS must speak with the owner before granting approval). Even with these protections in place, the system does fail from time to time. Stay alert, but also be aware that it is possible that someone might enter your home unannounced. If this happens, explain to the agent that you weren’t notified properly (depending on how your showings were set up by your agent) and ask them to call CSS to confirm the showing with you (so you’re not letting a stranger into your home). You should also call your REALTOR® to make sure the info CSS has on file is up to date and correct.

We’re happy, as it sounds like this could have ended much worse, although it is sad to see someone did get shot. We hope we won’t be hearing any more news like this as the selling season picks up and the chances for these sorts of situations increases and we wish the best for the Sheriff’s Deputy in his recovery.

image courtesy of Drummer Photo Experience

special thanks to KSAT News for reporting on this story

Kimberly Howell Properties is happy to announce our partnership with McNair Custom Homes for The Gardens at Greystone community. This neighborhood rests against the bluffs of Greystone Country Estates along Blanco Road, just north of 1604 and has several floorplans to choose from. In addition to the lots, there are several inventory homes available for immediate purchase. McNair Custom Homes can build one of their floorplans or work with you to design and build the perfect garden home for your needs. In the coming days, we will be launching a special neighborhood website to help you see more detailed information about the homes and the local area that surrounds this luxury gated neighborhood.

Join Kimberly Howell Properties tomorrow, May 2nd from 11:30AM-1:30PM, at 923 Foxton in The Forest at Stone Oak. This open house luncheon will be an excellent time for you to peruse this former Mann model home. Whether it’s indoor luxury and upgrades or an outdoor oasis with inground pool and spa, you’re certain to find what you’ve been looking for in this home. So stop on by and visit us, bring your buyers, and let’s get this home sold!

The big question.

While the market has been heating up and interest rates have remained low, many people are asking the question; “Am I ready to buy a house?” Buying a home is (obviously) a big decision in anyone’s life and certainly not to be taken lightly. The question is important not just for first time home buyers, but move-up buyers as well. Is now the right time? Have I prepared sufficiently? Is the home of my dreams out there waiting for me? Can we sell this house and buy a new one? So many questions. Hopefully, the following thoughts will help you prepare and decide whether you are ready to buy a house or not.

Ask yourself these questions.

Money, money, money. – The biggest questions, hands down, in determining if you are ready to buy a house are the questions of money. Buying a house takes money. There is no other way. Whether you pay cash or get a loan, you will still need money to buy a home, but there’s more to it than just what you spend at the closing table.

Down payment and closing costs are the big chunks of money you’re going to spend before you even get the keys to your new house. Whether you choose an FHA, VA, or conventional loan, you’re still going to need some cash. Even after you’ve considered the down payment, there are also closing costs. These range from the cost of getting the loan (lender’s fees) to the actual cost of the closing (title companies don’t work for free). Once a home is located and decided on, a much more detailed analysis of closing costs can be done and you can see the numbers and decide if you’re ready to buy this house.

Am I (credit) worthy? – Ahhh, the dreaded credit score. No one likes them. I’ve had people with excellent credit tell me their scores were terrible and I’ve had people with poor credit tell me their scores were amazing. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding credit scores. Your best bet? Sit down with a qualified, local lender (not an online source like LendingTree). They will review your basic finances, run a credit report, and if they can pre-approve you, they will give you a price range you can afford and estimates of what your monthly payment will be.

Many buyers I speak with are worried about visiting multiple lenders as they don’t want their credit score to go down (each credit inquiry in your file negatively impacts your score). In the case of home and car loans, as long as the queries are based in a short amount of time, you do not get penalized for multiple inquiries. You can review your credit report (but not your score) prior to visiting with a lender by visiting AnnualCreditReport. This site (unlike many others) is absolutely free. You can use it every year to keep track of what’s in your credit file. My suggestion is to take one report from one of the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once every four months. By rotating who you take the report from, you’ll be able to view your info three times each year. Knowing what’s in your credit report can help you know what needs fixed in advance.

Rent vs. buy. – One of the easiest things you can do if you’re renting and have begun to think about whether or not you’re ready to buy a house is to take a look at your current rent. First, when does your lease expire? If you just signed a new two year extension on your lease, you might want to stay put for awhile. A lease is a legal contract and breaking your lease often has negative monetary consequences. If you’re a few months away from the end of your lease, you might want to start thinking about it. The better you can time the switch, the less problem you will have when you tell our landlord you’re moving.

How much do you pay a month in rent? Do you scrape together each month’s rent by looking under the sofa cushions? Or do you pay it and still have money to save? If your budget is tight with your current rent, the goal of buying a house should be to pay less than you currently do. If the money is good and you’re actually able to save money each month, you might want to think of targeting that area as a monthly payment. Your lender will help you see the difference between rental and home ownership (there are advantages to owning a primary residence such as mortgage interest deductions).

Are you mentally (and financially) prepared for the challenge? – Ask any homeowner about their first home (or their current home) and they will tell you the same thing – “expect the unexpected.” This is why lenders push for “cash reserves” as part of their agreement to loan you the money to buy your house. Other homeowners will tell you of all the things they never thought of before buying a house. Although owning a home can be a lot of fun, it can also be frustrating at times – when your water heater blows in the middle of the night, when your sink or toilet backs up, when the appliances pass their useful life span and simply die on you – no matter what it is, there will be more costs associated with owning a home then you plan out. Being prepared is always a good thing.

“Now is a great time to buy.” – You’ve probably heard this phrase before. I think sometimes we as REALTORS® try to shove this down everyone’s throats, even though the true questions is “Is now a good time to buy for me?” Although there are many excellent factors affecting the potential for a buyer to purchase a home right now, the simple fact remains, that you have to be comfortable with the purchase. Buying a home that you can’t afford or doesn’t suit your needs solves nothing. It will only hurt in the long run if you buy when you’re not ready.

image courtesy of jamuraa

Zeroing in on the perfect home.

Most of you reading this blog who are actively thinking of buying a home, will probably search online through hundreds of homes before ever contacting an agent. The internet has completely revised the way we search for homes – even I went online before contacting an agent when I moved to San Antonio. Scrolling through the listings helps create a sense of excitement for homebuyers; they see homes they instantly love, they learn about neighborhoods they want to live in, and start to get a sense for just what it is they want most in a new home.

All the information available can be daunting though. Online home search sites are chock full of data, both in terms of actual listings and information (take this blog for instance). Making sense of all the data is not always easy and there’s a few things you can do to make it flow smoothly.

Five tips to target your online home search.

Begin with a wide set of criteria. – At this point, you should have already been pre-approved (or at least spoken to a lender about what you can afford). Start your online home search based on as few factors as possible. I suggest you try and target the price range you’re looking for and perhaps a basic requirement for bedrooms, but keeping it wide open will show you a great picture of what’s out there. As you move along, you can start narrowing it down – one-story vs. two, having that extra half bath, communities you prefer, amenities you prefer, etc. You’ll be able to eliminate more and more homes as you get more detailed.

Use different sites. – Although we’d love to sit here and say “use only our site for your online home search,” (and we’d love it if you did), we know you’ll be out there searching a ton of sites. Sometimes, you may find that seeing a house on one site, you might love it, but seeing it on another site, you might not like it as much. Just remember that the data from one site to the next might not be the same. The best data will come direct from the MLS, so although you may see something on a site, check with your agent to be sure it is accurate and the home is still available.

Take notes. Lots of notes. – When searching online for a home, you’ll begin to see many similarities in properties. As you see more and more homes, they have a tendency to blend together. This is true of going to see the homes in person as well. Many builders use similar floor plans, materials, and design features – so it’s easy to get one house confused with the next. The better your notes, the easier it will be for you to say, “What about that one house…?”

Rank homes by preference. – Build a ranking system for yourself. Use stars, letters, numbers – any system you are comfortable with. Once you’ve ranked some homes, as you add more, go back and re-rank all the homes. You’ll find you can eliminate some that you once thought were perfect. As your online home search builds it’s easy to wind up with 100 must-see homes. Eliminating them as you go (we recommend keeping notes on the eliminated ones though – you never know when you might change your mind) helps alleviate some of the hopelessness of feeling like you just don’t know which ones to go see in person.

Use your REALTOR®. – We see it a lot: buyers who say “my agent is too busy, so we’re calling to get some info ourselves.” Many times, buyers will call the listing agent with questions (or ask questions in an online forum). Your REALTOR® gets paid to do this, why put so much of the burden on yourself? By all means, continue your online home search, but let your agent in on the process. Let them make the follow up calls to find out if the home has had foundation repairs. Let them call the listing agent to ask if the sellers plan on leaving the swingset in the backyard. Your agent should be sending listings to you, but if you see something you like that may not have come up in their search (often because it is out of the set criteria that your agent and you have discussed), give them the address or MLS# and see what they can find out for you. Same thing goes for a house you drove by the night before.

Time to start seeing homes in person.

There comes a point when searching for a home online stops being viable and it’s time to suit up and hit the road to visit these homes in person. Photos, virtual tours, and descriptions only tell part of the story. Seeing a home in person can completely change your mind about it (which is why we recommend hanging onto the eliminated properties). This is truly where the fun begins…are you ready? Let’s go find you your new home.

image courtesy of hans s

For anyone living in and around San Antonio, the appearance of San Antonio on Bloomberg’s list of the Top 12 American Boomtowns, will certainly come as no surprise. In addition to being the seventh largest city in the United States, San Antonio has recently experienced new growth and expansion of several areas in and around town. From the Eagle Ford Shale boom to the revitalization of downtown to the ever northward expansion of homes along the 281 corridor, there’s no doubt that San Antonio is a booming city full of growth and opportunity.

image courtesy of heatheronhertravels

There are some people who will always want to go it alone and sell their home as a for sale by owner. Real estate agents will often argue the pros and cons with anyone thinking about doing things themselves and it is our belief that the cons outweigh the pros (but, we’re real estate agents, so we have to say that). Although the potential for doing it as a for sale by owner (or FSBO as they are called in the industry) has greatly increased since the boom of the internet for real estate by making it easier to be spotted, there is still a key ingredient missing from most for sale by owners properties. Bet you’re thinking it’s “the expertise of an agent”…right? Well, that’s not where I’m going with this one.

The key ingredient? The MLS or Mutiple Listing Service. While it can be argued that the wealth of property sites on the internet make up for this, the MLS is still a treasure trove of information for home buyers.

Ninety-one percent of home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent, as did 71 percent of non-Internet users, who were more likely to purchase directly from a builder or from an owner they already knew in a private transaction.

As you can see from the quote above (from an analysis of the NAR Survey of Home Buyers and Sellers), 91% of home buyers that used the internet still used a real estate agent. So where did they find the property they eventually bought?

When buyers were asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, 42 percent said the Internet; 34 percent from a real estate agent; 10 percent a yard sign or open house; 6 percent from a friend, neighbor or relative; 5 percent home builders; 2 percent directly from the seller; 1 percent a print or newspaper ad; and less than 1 percent from other sources.

Although more people said they found their home on the internet (42%) than they did from a real estate agent (34%), this number is not something to throw away. Would you want to throw away 1/3 of your potential buyers by not using a real estate agent? Something else to consider – what percentage of the 42% of people that first found their home on the internet were using an agent’s IDX search or found a home that was on a listing syndication website (which are often pushed through thanks to the MLS)? Even if the answer is zero, the 34% is still a large chunk of people to not advertise your property to.

Of course, there are other pitfalls and problems to selling a home on your own, but for now, I’ll leave that argument for another day.

image courtesy of sidewalk flying