Seriously, if your online MLS home photos even resemble these, it’s time to get a new Realtor! With nearly 20 years in the business, I’m still shocked by some agents’ idea of marketing.
The monthly “Bad MLS Photos” column is my absolute favorite to write, hope you enjoy it, too. Stay tuned for my May offerings; I promise they’ll be painfully awful!
For information about Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from this blog. For questions or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404.I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
by Danielle Hale, Research Economist
- Headline CPI is the measure of inflation based on the Consumer Price Index most often discussed in the media because it is what most consumers actually feel in their pocket books—the changes in the prices of all goods. Headline CPI is used to adjust Treasury Inflation Protected Securities and individual income tax parameters.
- Core CPI is a measure of inflation also based on the Consumer Price Index and reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is called “Core” inflation, because it excludes volatile food and energy prices, which tend to swing in response to economic rather than monetary shocks. It tends to be used by monetary policy makers.
- Looking at data from the late 1990s through the present, we see that headline inflation is more varied and is frequently but not always higher than core inflation.
- Core inflation, has remained in the 1 to 3 percent range (denoted by green brackets).
- Whether the Fed is intentional about it or not, core CPI has tracked a 2 percent target fairly closely in the last decade. Even in recent months, when talk of inflation and deflation is grabbing headlines, Core CPI has remained at 1.7 to 1.8 percent on a year-over-year basis—well within the range it has maintained for the last 10 years.Copyright National Association of Realtors, Reprinted with permission
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
About today’s real estate market:
Courtesy of federalhousingtaxcredit.com
It seems like every time we turn on the evening news or read a newspaper headline, the bad news deepens our fear and concerns about the economy. With the news media in full throttle, using terms like “meltdown” and “crises”, it’s easy to see why you might lack confidence in buying and selling a home.
We have to remind ourselves that the media reports negative news, not positive. Their key objective is to pull in an audience and advertisers, not to make you feel good about yourself. They announce the unemployment rate rising despite the fact that millions of people are still working, making money, eating at restaurants and even buying and selling homes.
Are we really spinning out of control? Let’s look at the facts remembering that Katy is far ahead in financial recovery than other parts of the nation. The following data in based on national averages:
- The U.S. Gross Domestic Product is greater than Japan’s, Germany’s and China’s combined.
- Approximately 30% of American homes are owned free and clear and Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
PathFinder Energy Services, Inc., a Houston based company, has announced it has begun work on their new corporate location in Katy. The 34-acre site is located near the northwest corner of Colonial Parkway and the Grand Parkway on the north side of I-10. The site is adjacent to the 800,000 square-foot 99-Cents-Only warehouse.
This influx of PathFinder employees to the Katy area will be a boon to Katy real estate particularly to homes on the market.
According to The Houston Chronicle, “The firm anticipates spending more than $20 million on the technology center. Plans are to build a two-story facility and Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Hippity-hoppity, Easters on its way! If you’ve got plans for a backyard Easter egg hunt or a gathering with family, consider these tips from the Farmers’ Market at LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch to make your Easter eco-friendly and egg-cellent.
- Avoid the plastics! Instead of artificial and imported baskets, use containers you already own for Easter goodies. Dress them up with ribbons or scraps of fabric. Opt for paper crinkles, (often found in the gift wrap section), in your basket instead of pesky plastic grass.
- Gift healthy. When giving sweets, look for fair-trade or locally made chocolates to support independent farmers. Consider balancing the sugars with granola bars, trail mixes or other Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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