Houston temperatures finally cooled a bit in September, but home sales remained hot. Sales of single-family homes climbed nearly 17 percent when compared to one year earlier and accounted for the fourth consecutive month of increased sales volume. The prices of those homes achieved all-time highs for a September in Houston. In addition, months inventory fell to the lowest level since May 2010 while pending sales rose and active listings declined. All are considered signs of a healthy and balanced housing market as the fall season gets underway.
According to the latest monthly data prepared by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), September sales of single-family homes rose 16.9 percent versus one year earlier. This increase followed home sales gains recorded in January, June, July and August of this year. All segments of the housing market, from the sub-$80,000 to the $500,000 and above, experienced positive sales in September. On a year-to-date basis, sales were up 3.2 percent.
“The combination of increased closed and pending sales, fewer active listings and strong pricing suggests that we are entering the fall home buying season on strong footing,” said Carlos P. Bujosa, HAR chairman and VP at Transwestern. “HAR’s September report shows rebalanced supply and demand throughout the Houston housing market with diminishing traces of the distortions caused by last year’s federal home buyer tax credit.”
The average price of a single-family home ticked up 0.4 percent from September 2010 to Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Houston home sales rose for the second time this year in June, with the average price reaching an all-time high and the median price achieving the highest level in nearly two years. The sales increase reflects the slowdown in home purchases that set in a year ago following expiration of the home buyer tax credit. The credit triggered a surge in home buying during the spring of 2010 that resulted in slower sales volume during the remainder of that year.
According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), June sales of single-family homes edged up 0.6 percent versus one year earlier. That represents the first increase since January when sales volume rose 8.4 percent. The under-$80,000 segment of the market as well as homes priced from $250,000 and above experienced increased sales while the popular middle range, consisting of homes priced between $80,000 and $250,000, saw declines. Compared to June of 2009, a year with no unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 2.7 percent.
“We see the effects of the 2010 tax credit in the June Houston real estate market report in the form of a drop-off in sales that took place a year ago once the credit expired,” said Carlos P. Bujosa, HAR chairman and VP at Transwestern. “We expect these credit-skewed readings to taper soon, providing us with a more accurate gauge of market Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
M/I Homes is the newest homebuilder to join the builder team at Firethorne, a 1,400-acre master-designed residential community located in Katy/Fulshear. The builder’s 60-foot lot model home will be constructed in the new Firethorne West Model Park. Firethorne is situated 10 and 15 miles west of the Texas Medical Center-West Campus and Houston’s Energy Corridor, respectively.
M/I Homes’ one- and two-story homes, available in brick, stone and stucco exterior elevations, will range from 2,000 to 3,400 square feet and priced from the $220,000s. The builder’s signature features include soaring windows, rotundas, structural and designer options and a 30-year transferable structural warranty.
“We hand-select each of our builders based upon their high standards for design, quality, customer satisfaction and reputation,” said Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer. Currently completing the Firethorne builder team are: Ashton Woods Homes, Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Partners in Building, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes and David Weekley Homes.
Firethorne, located in the top-ranked Katy Independent School District and Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, features 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, resort-style swim center, new competitive swim center, sports fields, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat.
To tour Firethorne, visiting both new construction and resale homes, call me at 713-818-2404. I have sold Katy real estate for over 22 years and would be delighted to hear from you!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Article compliments of The National Association of Realtors, written by Joseph D’Agnese
Conduct a do-it-yourself home security check by walking around your house to assess what needs to be done to reduce the risk of a break-in.
1. Keep your home well-maintained on the outside
Burglars want an easy target. Stand on the street outside your house and ask yourself: Does my property look neglected, hidden, or uninhabited? A front door or walkway that’s obscured by shrubbery offers crooks the perfect cover they need while they break a door or window. To improve security, trim shrubs away from windows and widen front walks.
2. Install motion detector lights
All sides of your house should be well-lit with motion-activated lighting, not just the front. Simple motion-activated floodlights cost less than $50 each, and installing them is an easy DIY job if the wiring is already in place.
3. Store your valuables
Thieves want easy-to-grab electronics, cash, jewelry, and other valuables, though some are not Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
HOUSTON — (June 21, 2011) — The 2010 home buyer tax credit continues to obscure an accurate gauge of how the Houston real estate market is performing. The 2010 federal incentive triggered a short-term surge in local home sales last spring that has skewed the year-over-year analysis most of this year.
When compared to the tax credit incentivized closed sales of May 2010, there were fewer home sales recorded in May 2011, according to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) report prepared by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). At the same time, the number of listings that went under contract this May and expected to close in the next 30 to 60 days was up more than 35 percent when compared to May 2010—yet another comparison that is skewed by the tax credit that required buyers to enter purchase contracts by the April 30, 2010 deadline.
“Getting an accurate read on the Houston real estate market remains challenging because the 2010 tax credit prompted a surge in home sales during the first half of last year that otherwise would have occurred throughout the summer,” said Carlos P. Bujosa, HAR chairman and VP at Transwestern.
The average price of a single-family home jumped 6.5 percent from May 2010 to $220,210. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Abbreviated Article Compliments of “Realtor Magazine”
Pricing a home competively from the beginning is very important. Your largest number of showings occur in the first two to three weeks. The multiple listing service and the Internet drives the majority of showings. That’s why real estate experts stress that it’s important that sellers set a competitive, realistic price from the start.
Consider sweetening the deal. Sellers may be able to lure more buyers by offering some extra incentives such as leaving that top-of-the-line washer and dryer. Some items may be difficult to move like wall-mounted flat-screen TV’s. These perks may add a little extra Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Houston – (May 17, 2011d) The boost that the federal tax credit gave the Houston housing market in April 2010 continues to overshadow local home sales one year later. Sales of homes declined in April 2011 along with average and median prices, however volume increased among rental properties.
According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), April single-family home sales fell 14.2 percent versus one year earlier. Only the under-$80,000 segment of the market experienced increased sales, which weighed down pricing. Compared to April of 2009, a year with no unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 10.1 percent.
The average price of a single-family home dipped 0.6 percent from April 2010 to $202,545. The April single-family home median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less—declined 2.2 percent year-over-year to $148,000.
Foreclosure property sales reported in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) decreased 4.6 percent in April compared to one year earlier. Foreclosures comprised 22.0 percent of all property sales in April, down from 23.5 percent in March. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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In what reads like a carbon copy of the February housing report, local home sales fell slightly in March while the average price of those homes rose.
In what reads like a carbon copy of the February housing report, local home sales fell slightly in March while the average price of those homes rose. The lower sales volume compares to sales activity in March 2010 that was driven, in part, by the federal government’s first-time home buyer tax credit incentive.
According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), March sales of single-family homes fell 4.4 percent versus one year earlier. As in February, the popular middle segments of the Houston housing market, consisting of homes priced between $80,000 and $250,000, experienced declining sales while the low and high ends saw an increase in number of sales. Compared to March of 2009, a year without unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 6.6 percent.
Luxury home sales boosted the average price of a single-family home for a third straight month. The average price rose 3.3 percent from March 2010 Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
I love this photo and immediately thought it would be a great analogy for the recovering real estate market. Steadily and most assuredly the Katy real estate market is making great strides.
Certain areas of Katy, especially those houses south of I-10, are experiencing a very competitive market. In most sections of Cinco Ranch, it is not a buyers market.
Public perception seems to lag behind the current market movement. Sometimes a buyer has to lose several houses when they make low-ball offers before they enter into competitive negotiations.
To tour Katy homes and work with a Realtor who can assist you in selecting a home, navigate repairs and negotiations, call me at 713-818-2404. I have sold Katy real estate for over 21 years. Experience does count!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
It’s been way too long since I posted to my blog. Business has been booming and I have been spending my time with sellers and buyers. I sure hope I haven’t lost any of my regular readers! Today’s post is about a new builder who has entered the Cinco Ranch market.
Katy’s reputation as the nation’s number one “most notable high-growth area” has attracted a major national homebuilder, Columbus, Ohio-based M/I Homes. This top national builder is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (MHO).
M/I Homes now has a model home under construction in Cinco Ranch. It plans to open the model in early April to showcase all-new floor plans and architectural designs created especially for the Houston market after extensive research with local homebuyers. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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