Question: What are the most common mistakes made by home sellers? Answer: We can think of three areas where sellers sometimes stumble. The first is pricing the property too high. The logic is, often, “Let’s price it high so that we have room to negotiate down.” We see that backfire all the time. It’s true
Just two months ago, we were trying to catch our breath after the wild record-breaking River Oaks real estate ride of 2018. As we wrote in the River Oaks Market Report ~ 2019 Outlook, 2018 was memorable for the sheer volume of transactions: “more than $300 million of real estate traded hands in River Oaks,
Demographics are a fascinating study, and we always find it satisfying to crunch the data we collect on River Oaks homebuyers and sellers. Some of the results, shown in the pie graphs below, help us to chart the changes in the neighborhood. We run through this exercise every six months and publish our findings in
Question: What is title insurance? Why do I need it? Answer: Before you close on a new home, the title company does a title search that includes examining the deed, tax records and survey. The point is to make sure that there are no existing liens or restrictions on the property you want to buy.
If you love high-end interior design, you’ve probably read the words “Segreto finishes.” Maybe it was in an MLS listing or on Houzz.com or in Architectural Digest. But you might be surprised to learn that Segreto – the word is Italian for “secret” – is a Houston company founded and run by Leslie Sinclair. She
The Big Picture It was a well-shuffled deck in 2018 River Oaks real estate, layered with the usual life-events of birth, divorce and death, but also including bankruptcies, foreclosures, financial windfalls and some malfeasance. It’s what makes River Oaks the most interesting place to work in Houston real estate. Most remarkable, though, for 2018 was
Houston is not destination real estate – that is, it’s not part of the globalized residential real estate market – despite wishful thinking among some of our clients. There are cities around the world in which globetrotters and cross-continental investors will plonk down a tidy sum to buy a status property, either as a pied-à-terre
Question: Does it make any difference whether we close on our new house before or after January 1? Answer: If this new home will be your primary residence, then, yes, it does make a difference. If you own your house as of January 1, you will qualify for the homestead exemption. What does that mean?
Who doesn’t love a good list? This one – the top 10 property sales in River Oaks so far this year – is one we are often asked for. (Editor’s note: These are MLS transactions only. We have not included private sales.) Click the following link to view the listings: River Oaks Top Ten 10) 3233
Question: We’re considering selling our home ourselves without using a real estate agent. Is that legal? Answer: Yes, it’s perfectly legal to sell your own home. But there are many reasons why you are better off using a professional. Sellers who choose to sell their home on their own – the industry term for “for