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Beneficios de ser dueño de su propia casa.

October 18, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Felicidad: No hay nada que se compare a la sensación de tener su propio hogar. Puede arreglarlo, darle su propio estilo, tener un perro o un gato, e incluso plantar un árbol si lo desea. ¡Solo imaginarlo causa alegría!

Ahorro de impuestos: el gobierno recompensa a los propietarios de viviendas proporcionándoles excelentes beneficios en los impuestos. El interés pagado por su hipoteca y otros gastos relacionados con el hogar generalmente se pueden deducir de sus ingresos.

Apreciación: Hay un crecimiento de valor en las viviendas con el paso del tiempo; este aumento se convierte en ganancia cuando sea el momento de re-financiar o vender la propiedad.

Renta variable: tanto rentar como alquilar se puede comparar a pagar 100% de interés, pero cuando usted es dueño de una casa y cuenta con una hipoteca, una parte del pago se destina al saldo principal de su préstamo. Esto construye su capital y actúa como una cuenta de ahorros.

Vida en comunidad: quienes son dueños de sus casas son más propensos a permanecer en sus hogares 4 veces más que quienes rentan propiedades. Esto brinda la oportunidad de conocer a sus vecinos y conectarse con su comunidad.

Educación: las investigaciones muestran que los hijos de los propietarios de viviendas obtienen puntajes más altos en exámenes y se gradúan en un porcentaje más alto que los hijos de inquilinos.

¿Necesita un agente de bienes raíces que hable español?

A Bird’s Eye View of 650 Winding Ravine

August 9, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

As 650 Winding Ravine continues to take shape, Stadler Custom Homes has provided us with some new drone footage to share with you. The home, which is being built to benefit the Military Warriors Support Foundation and the San Antonio Food Bank, will be sold with all net proceeds going to these two terrific charities. Kimberly Howell Properties is thrilled to be a part of this project and we’re excited to see the home take shape. The home will be a 4,814 square foot, four bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary luxury home right in the heart of Stone Oak. There aren’t many opportunities like this left in Stone Oak and with all of the proceeds being donated to worthy causes, this home will be something you can be proud of for many reasons. If you’d like to schedule a tour, please contact Kimberly Howell.

Downpayments: How Much Should You Pay Up Front?

July 10, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

If you’re going to be buying a home any time soon, you’re going to need to start thinking about your downpayment. Typically expressed as a percentage of the sales price, the downpayment is often one of the more difficult obstacles for people to overcome on their way to home ownership. You’ll need to budget your money and save up enough to make your downpayment, but how much will you need? You’ve probably heard the rule – you’ll need to save for a 20% downpayment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20% is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long term goal and it can also help you get favorable interest rates from your lender. Additionally, the bigger your downpayment, the less you need to borrow, so the less you’ll pay in interest in the long run.

But there can actually be financial benefits to putting down a smaller downpayment — as low as three percent – rather than parting with so much cash up front, even if you have the money available.

The Downside of a Small Downpayment

The downsides of a smaller downpayment are pretty well known. You’ll have to pay private mortgage insurance (often referred to as just PMI) for years, and the lower your downpayment, the more you’ll pay. You’ll also be offered a lesser loan amount than borrowers who have a 20% downpayment, which will put some higher priced homes out of reach for you when searching.

THe Upside of a Small Downpayment

The national average for home appreciation is about five percent. The appreciation is independent from your home payment, so whether you put down 20% or three percent, the increase in equity is going to be the same. If you’re looking at your home as an investment, putting down a smaller amount can lead to a higher return on investment, while also leaving more of your savings free for home repairs, upgrades, or other investment opportunities.

The Happy Medium

Of course, your home payment options aren’t binary. Most borrowers can find some common ground between the security of a traditional 20% and an investment focused, small downpayment. It’s always a good idea to talk with your Realtor and your lender to discuss the potential paths for you and to see what strategy works best for you and your personal needs.

image courtesy of AleXander Agopian

Things to Do After You Move In

April 30, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

It’s move in day! Moving into a new home is an exciting time. So much to do; trying to remember where you put your spoons or your coffee mugs, running up and down steps, paying the movers, meeting the neighbors for the first time while your hair is sticking up and you look like you just rolled out of bed, calming the cat down because she’s probably freaking out right about now…whew. Who else is tired already? Now you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture, but before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first.

Change the locks. Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can never be too careful. It’s worth the money to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that no one else has the keys to your home. Even if the sellers handed you all of their keys, you never know if they made one for their uncle that time he stayed for a week or the maid and their best friend has one “just in case.” Changing the locks can be a DIY project, or you can call in a locksmith for a little extra money. It’s also advisable to change the garage door code if you have a keypad entry. Not sure how to do it? Find your model and then look up the manual at ManualsLib.

Steam clean the carpets. It’s always a good idea to get a fresh start with your floors before you start decorating. The previous owners may have had pets, young children, or just some plain old clumsiness. Take the time to steam clean the carpets so that your floors are free of stains and allergens. It will also help freshen up the smell of the new place – it’s amazing how much odor gets trapped in those carpets! It’s pretty easy and affordable to rent a steam cleaner – most HEBs carry them as well as the big box hardware stores. Not in the DIY mood? Call a steam cleaning company and have them arrive before your move in day.

Call an exterminator. Prior to move-in, you probably haven’t spent enough time in the house to get a view of any pests that may be lurking. You’ve probably had a WDI inspection, but those only look for wood destroying insects. Call an exterminator to take care of any mice, insects, and other critters that may be hiding in your home. Here in South Texas we have a lot of creepy crawlies and a good, regular pest control service will help keep the insects at bay.

Clean out the kitchen. If the previous occupants wanted to skip on some of their cleaning duties when they moved out, the kitchen is where they probably cut corners. Wipe down the inside of cabinets, clean out the refrigerator, clean the oven, and clean in the nooks and crannies underneath the appliances. If you’re feeling brave, see if you can pull out appliances like the refrigerator, stove/range, and dishwasher to get under and behind those. Be careful though, those appliances may be attached and can be heavy.

image courtesy of Genista

HomeBuild4Heroes – 650 Winding Ravine

April 25, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Breathtaking contemporary, luxury home in Hidden Canyon being built for a cause! This four bedroom, three and a half bath home by Stadler Custom Homes will be sold with the proceeds benefiting Military Warriors Support Foundation and the San Antonio Food Bank. The Preserve at Hidden Canyon is Stone Oak’s latest, premier, gated neighborhood and features an amenity center with pool, soccer fields, and clubhouse as well as nature trails and protected green spaces.

To purchase this home, please contact Kimberly Howell at (210) 861-0188 and ask about the HomeBuild4Heroes home, located in Hidden Canyon.

To learn more about the home and its construction or if you would like to know how you could customize the home to your liking, please contact Stadler Custom Homes at (830) 980-4198.

For more information about Military Warriors Support Foundation, please visit us at www.militarywarriors.org.

For more information about San Antonio Food Bank, please visit them at www.safoodbank.org.

To donate towards the cost of the home:, please visit HomeBuild4Heros at Zola.com

Breathtaking contemporary, luxury home in Hidden Canyon being built for a cause! This four bedroom, three and a half bath home by Stadler Custom Homes will be sold with the proceeds benefiting Military Warriors Support Foundation and the San Antonio Food Bank. The Preserve at Hidden Canyon is Stone Oak's latest, premier, gated neighborhood and features an amenity center with pool, soccer fields, and clubhouse as well as nature trails and protected green spaces.

$1,500,000 Active

650 Winding Ravine San Antonio, Texas

4 Beds 4 Baths 4,814 SqFt 1.080 Acres

music used in video provided by artist Jason Shaw, “Marathon Man” off the album Audionautix: Acoustic under Creative Commons licensing

What We Look At When Pricing a Home

April 18, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

When you put your home up for sale, there is a lot that happens “behind the scenes” in order to come up with the right price. You’ve heard about comparable sales (or “comps” as they’re often referred to) and they are hands down one of the best ways to determine the asking price for your home. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several recent sales in the area. It’s both an art and a science and finding the balance between the two is the key to successfully pricing a home. Here are a few of the things we look for when working on pricing your home and preparing a CMA (comparative market analysis).

Location. Homes in the same neighborhood typically follow the same market trends. Comparing your home to another in the same neighborhood is a good start, but comparing it to homes on the same street or block is even better. We typically will start with a very narrow focus (street level, neighborhood) and then widen the scope to look further out if we’re not finding a lot of sales in the area.

Date of sale. We don’t want to use homes that sold too long ago as market conditions shift over time. A good rule of thumb is to look within the last three months, although exceptions can be made for unique properties that are not as easy to define. The closer the date, the better for comparable purposes as even a couple of months can shift the market in a different direction. Other factors, like time of year should also be considered (ie a home in the springtime market is more likely to sell faster and for a higher price than one sold in December).

Home build. Look for homes with similar architectural styles, numbers of bathrooms and bedrooms, square footage, and other basics. We will often try to compare to the same builder or floorplan if possible. Knowing who built in a neighborhood and where else they have built can be a huge help in knowing where to look for potential comparable sales.

Features and upgrades. Remodeled bathrooms and kitchens can raise a home’s price, and so can less flashy upgrades like a new roof or HVAC system. We want to be sure to look for similar bells and whistles. If properties with similar upgrades can’t be found, adjustments can be made to compensate although it is worth noting that these upgrades never come with a dollar-to-dollar value.

Sale types and terms. Homes that are sold as short sales or foreclosures are often in distress or sold at a lower price than they’d receive from a more typical sale. These homes are not as useful for comparisons. Other items like seller paid closing costs and concessions should be looked at as well. A home that sold for $10,000 over asking price that included $10,000 in seller paid closing costs isn’t the same as a house that sold for $10,000 over asking with no seller concessions.

image courtesy of AlanH2O