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Archive for March, 2016|Monthly archive page

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Selling or Staying, These Home Improvements Are Worth It

In Buying a Home, Home Upgrades, Home Values, Houston Energy Corridor, Real Estate Investment, Selling your home on March 22, 2016 at 6:17 pm

Generally, homeowners undertake home improvement projects for one of two reasons: to enhance their quality of living, or to increase the value of their home. The best improvements, however, pay off whether staying or selling.

The projects worth the most of their investment are:

1. Boost Natural Light – Buyers love balanced, natural light— and you probably do, too! To make the most of the light entering your home, install ENERGY STAR®-qualified, no-leak skylights in the kitchen or bathrooms. Skylight blinds can help control the amount of light at any given time of day, giving you (and buyers) the ability to enhance the ambiance of the home.

2. Install a Deck – Whether seeking to spend more time outdoors or to attract potential buyers, adding a deck (or upgrading an existing one) can be well worth the cost. A composite deck can recoup up to 75 percent of its expense at resale, and a wooden deck can recoup up to 64 percent, according to Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report.

3. Repaint the Exterior – Repainting the exterior of your home is a big job, but a valuable investment whether seeking to update its appearance or entice buyers. Your color choice can also affect your utility bills—lighter colors deflect heat from the home, for example. If you’re selling in the near future, a fresh coat of paint can help increase perceived value.

4. Update the Kitchen – Kitchens sell homes, and are also the center of most households. Even a minor kitchen remodel can recoup more than 83 percent of its cost at the time of resale, according to Remodeling magazine’s report. The most cost-effective projects are to replace old cabinet hardware, upgrade faucets and lighting, and invest in quality countertops.

Whether you plan to place your home on the market or intend to stay put for years to come, it pays to invest in improvements that boost both resale value and your enjoyment of your home.

Source: Brandpoint

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.

If you are looking for Classic Real Estate Services from concept to closing, please contact Connie Vallone by phone (713) 249-4177, email connie@knowsrealestate.com or visit my website at www.houstonenergycorridorhomes.com or www.vallonehomes.com .

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NEW LISTING! 11407 Olympia Drive, Houston, TX 77077 – MLS# 13957902

In Buying a Home, Home Upgrades, Houston Energy Corridor, Houston Real Estate Agent on March 14, 2016 at 6:01 pm

NEW LISTING! 11407 Olympia Drive, Houston, TX 77077 – MLS# 13957902

11407 Olympia DriveBeautiful and completely updated home. The custom wrought iron front door opens to huge living and dining areas that leads you to the open family and island kitchen with granite countertops, Stainless Steel appliances and custom maple cabinets. Gorgeous wood look porcelain tile floors and wood throughout first floor. Master suite downstairs with large walk in travertine shower. All bathrooms remodeled. New energy efficient windows and water heater. Roof, siding and garage door new in 2016. So many more updates.

HAR Link:   http://www.har.com/11407-olympia-drive/sale_13957902

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in West Houston, please contact Connie Vallone with First Market Realty at 713 249 4177, connie@knowsrealestate.com   or visit www.houstonenergycorridorhomes.com  or www.vallonehomes.com .

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Residential Home Prices Continue to Gain Strength

In Buying a Home, Home Values, Houston Energy Corridor, Houston Real Estate Agent, Selling your home on March 4, 2016 at 4:37 pm

Property values nationwide continued to strengthen going into 2016, according to the recently released FNC December home price report – the last report for 2015.
According to the FNC Residential Price Index (RPI), home prices finished 2015 with the fastest pace of yearly appreciation since October 2014. As of December, average property value rose 6.2 percent from the same period a year ago, compared to 4.7 percent at the start of the year.

Despite reported slowing economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2015, home prices grew 6.0 percent during the same period as activities in the housing sector remain robust, with key indicators all pointing to modest to strong growth.

“Now with the spring home buying season soon upon us and with interest rates hovering at historical lows, as well as favorable credit conditions to support home ownership, the latest price trends give many Americans another piece of important information while considering buying a home,” says Yanling Mayer, housing economist and Director of Research at FNC.

To further inform and help potential home buyers evaluate their decisions, FNC complied a 2015 year-end home price snapshot to provide a measure of not only the strength of the ongoing recovery, but also how far have the nation’s largest housing markets come along since the market crash.

“Nationwide, average property value is up 28 percent since early 2012, although there is considerable variation in the pace of the recovery across the country,” Mayer says. “When benchmarked against the level attained in summer 2007 – when U.S. home prices began a freefall – current price level is about 13 percent below the peak run-up,” Mayer said.

“But again, they varied widely by market, attributable to the extent of market fallout as well as the strength of the recovery in the last four years. A handful of cities – including Denver, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas – have made significant strides and are seeing property values higher than eight and a half years ago,” continues Mayer.

For more information, visit www.fncinc.com.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.

If you are looking for Classic Real Estate Services from concept to closing, please contact Connie Vallone by phone (713) 249-4177, email connie@knowsrealestate.com or visit my website at www.houstonenergycorridorhomes.com or www.vallonehomes.com .