Ask the Agents #12: What is Title Insurance?

February 8, 2019November 13, 2019Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

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...

Global Residential Real Estate Markets

December 14, 2018December 15, 2018Cameron Ansari

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,...

Ask the Agents #11: When Should We Close on Our House?

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

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....

Ask the Agents #10: For Sale By Owner

November 14, 2018November 15, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

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...

5 Things to Know About Cape Cod

November 2, 2018November 8, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

I say “Cape Cod,” and you think … Patti Page song? Kennedys playing touch football at Hyannis Port? Jaws? Wellfleet oysters? Summer stock theater? Whale-watching? For a small peninsula of just 339 square miles, Cape Cod manages to pack in an immense amount of history, food culture and local color. Cameron...

A Year Ago and Today

September 17, 2018September 18, 2018Cameron Ansari

For all the number nerds out there, here are some statistics showing River Oaks real estate activity August 1 through September 15 this year and last year. A quick glance at the numbers in the table above would suggest that we are in a radically different market as we head into...

Ask the Agents #9: Earnest Money and Option Fees

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: What is an option fee? How is it different from earnest money? Answer: Earnest money is an amount agreed on in your home-purchase contract that you pay soon after the contract is signed by all parties. It is typically about one percent of the agreed-upon price, although it can be...

5 Myths About Flood Insurance

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Along with the rest of greater Houston, the upcoming first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey has us reminiscing. How are our friends recovering? What have we learned? What changes are underway to our region’s infrastructure? One lesson that stands out is the importance of flood insurance. Thousands of Houstonians who had never...

Ask the Agents #8: Short Sales, Setbacks, Home Inspections & More

July 30, 2018August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Last year we began a new feature on our blog called Ask the Agents. It’s proven to be one of the most popular features on the website. Here is the current batch of questions – most of them from our clients – and answers. Question: What does “short sale” mean? Answer:...

At the Half-Way Mark: River Oaks Update

July 10, 2018July 11, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

We are preparing the mid-year print edition of the River Oaks Market Report even as I write. But as a little appetizer before we dig into Cameron’s meaty main course, we have some figures for you on what has been happening in the River Oaks real estate market since January 1. (Please...