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Archive for June, 2016|Monthly archive page

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NEW LISTING! 906 Bayou Parkway, Houston, TX 77077 – MLS# 3256174

In Buying a Home, Houston Energy Corridor, Houston Real Estate Agent, Terry Hershey Park on June 20, 2016 at 5:14 pm

NEW LISTING! 906 Bayou Parkway, Houston, TX 77077 – MLS# 3256174

906 Bayou ParkwayBeautifully remodeled executive home. Step into the impressive foyer with soaring ceiling opens to spacious living/dining rooms lead to sunroom with wall of windows and French doors opens a covered patio and yard with nice mature trees. Huge chef’s kitchen with granite and stainless steel appliances opens to family room. Well appointed remodeled master retreat downstairs plus 3 more bedrooms and game room upstairs. Westside double paned windows and doors, radiant barrier in attic. Walking distance to excellent schools and steps from Terry Hershey Park.

HAR Link: http://www.har.com/906-bayou-parkway/sale_3256174

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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June to Become First-Ever National Healthy Homes Month

In Buying a Home, Environmentmentally Friendly Homes, Home Upgrades, Home Values, Houston Energy Corridor, Houston Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Investment, Selling your home on June 16, 2016 at 5:27 pm

Most Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, exposing them to home health and safety hazards ranging from asthma triggers to potentially deadly pollutants like asbestos and lead-based paint. To reinforce the connection between a family’s health and their homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is declaring this June as the first-ever National Healthy Homes Month. Launched by HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH), this month is designed to educate families of potential health hazards in a home, and empower them to create the healthiest home possible for their family.

This year’s theme is “Everyone Deserves a Safe and Healthy Home,” recognizing that people spend most of their time inside, and introduces them to healthy homes concepts while providing tips for keeping homes healthy and safe.

“National Healthy Homes Month calls attention to the fact that health and home safety are attainable for all,” says Michelle Miller, Acting Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “We are working closely with our federal partners, and many other organizations, to highlight the dangers of residential hazards to everyone, but especially children and other vulnerable populations in low income households.”

To help celebrate the month and to address today’s pressing home health issues, HUD and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) are co-hosting an annual National Healthy Homes Educational Conference from June 13-16, 2016 in San Antonio. The State of Big Ideas: Moving Environmental Health Outside the Box conference will gather 1,200 environmental health and healthy housing professionals for an in-depth look at some of the most important issues facing the nation such as water quality, healthy housing and communities, asthma, emergency preparedness and more. 

Currently, millions of American homes have moderate-to-severe physical housing problems, including lead-based paint hazards, dilapidated structure; roofing problems; heating, plumbing, and electrical deficiencies; water leaks and intrusion; pests; damaged paint; and high radon gas levels.  These conditions are associated with a wide range of health issues, including unintentional injuries, respiratory illnesses like asthma and radon-induced lung cancer.

National Healthy Homes Month 2016 will focus national attention on ways to keep people of all ages safe and healthy in their homes.  To mark this month-long campaign, HUD Secretary Julián Castro, produced a video highlighting the direct link between a household’s health and the conditions within their homes.

Recently, HUD unveiled the Healthy Homes App, designed to raise awareness about potentially serious health and safety problems in the home and the steps consumers can take to protect themselves.

For more information on National Healthy Homes Month 2016, visit HUD’s website.   RISMedia Tracking Snippet *** Do Not Remove *** End RISMedia Tracking Snippet

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

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in the Energy Corridor, 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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6 Essential Things to Look for in a New Home

In Buying a Home, Home Upgrades, Home Values, Houston Energy Corridor, new homes houston energy corridor, Real Estate Investment, Selling your home on June 10, 2016 at 6:53 pm

Investing in real estate is one of the most financially sound things you can do, but buying a new home might feel intimidating when it is your first time. It is understandable that you’d want to make the best decision possible. Here are six things to look for that can help with your decision.

Efficient HVAC System

Heating and cooling count for a large percentage of a home’s monthly operating costs. An outdated heating and air conditioning system will drive up your bills and decrease your comfort. Make sure the HVAC system is one of the newer efficient models and has been well maintained.

Good Layout

Decorating a home is easy and inexpensive, but big renovations like knocking out walls or adding rooms can drive up your costs later on. It is better to start with architectural details that you already enjoy. Pay attention to how one space flows to another, ceiling height, number of rooms and the amount of natural light.

A Sturdy Roof in Good Repair

Many homebuyers forget to check out this important home feature. A damaged roof can indicate water damage and mold problems elsewhere in the home. Your real estate agent can supply you with information about any recent upgrades to the structure and a professional home inspection can supply you with any other data you need to know before making your decision. These agents can also help you find solid listings of homes that have recently repaired.

 Upgraded Plumbing

Old homes can possess a lot of charm, but if you are considering buying a piece of vintage real estate, make sure you have the plumbing checked. Old metal pipes can leak or might be corroding and adding visible sediment to the water supply. Upgraded plumbing helps you avoid problems such as burst pipes and high water bills from inefficient plumbing features.

 A Great Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home. Even if you don’t plan to spend a lot of time there, you will want to make sure the kitchen adds a lot of value to the home in case you put it back on the market in the future. Renovating a kitchen can be costly, and so it is better to start out with a kitchen you know you can live with and enjoy.

The Right Number of Bathrooms

Adding a bathroom is not a simple task. Don’t settle for a home that lacks the right number of bathrooms to match your family’s needs. Two bathrooms at minimum are ideal.

Remember that details such as cabinet color, carpeting and other decorative features can be changed when you tire of them, but the architectural bones of the home is another story. Put more worth on a sound structure that you can do a lot with, and features such as a stone mantel, rather than easily replaced incidentals.

Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max. 

 This post was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall.

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

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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Mortgage Rates Rise Higher but Still Remain Low

In Buying a Home, Home Values, Houston Energy Corridor, Houston Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Investment, Selling your home on June 2, 2016 at 6:49 pm

Mortgage Rates Rise Higher but Still Remain Low

Average fixed mortgage rates are inching up, but remain well below 4 percent as we head into the heart of the spring home buying season, according to recently released data from Freddie Mac.

“Treasury yields marched higher this week,” says Sean Becketti, chief economist, Freddie Mac. “As a result, the 30-year mortgage rate jumped 7 basis points to 3.66 percent. The Federal Reserve’s decision to leave the Federal funds rate unchanged triggered a 9 basis point drop in the 10-year Treasury yield on Wednesday, however the drop occurred too late to impact this week’s survey.”

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.66 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending April 28, 2016, up from last week when it averaged 3.59 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.68 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 2.89 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.85 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.94 percent.

 Results show that the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.86 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.81 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 2.85 percent.

For more information, visit www.freddiemac.com.  RISMedia Tracking Snippet *** Do Not Remove *** End RISMedia Tracking Snippet

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

Do you have real estate questions?   Contact Connie Vallone at (713) 249-4177 or connie@knowsrealestate.com or visit www.houstonenergycorridorhomes.com  or www.vallonehomes.com.