Photography Tips From Professional - Lesson #3

Welcome back! It is now time for our third and final lesson right before Christmas. In Lesson #1 we learned about the simplicity of the camera mechanics with the f-stop (aperture) and shutter speed. In Lesson #2 we learned about ISO as well as how the average person should set his camera when shooting various scenes. Today I will touch on the final two rules for creating stunning photos. As an added bonus for our more advanced users I will include one tip using the f-stop (aperture) to improve the depth of field.

When creating a photo or painting the artist should always consider the Rule of Thirds. So what is the Rule of Thirds? For top painters and photographers alike they view each area of interest by dividing it into thirds both in height and lengthwise. This creates three columns and three rows with nine sections. When you take a photo or create a painting the points of interest should be located around the various quadrants/lines created by this division. The main intention is to have the eyes flow through the picture from one quadrant to another. The picture below illustrates this rule. The castle, horizon, rocks all fall within a quadrant and around the division lines. As you view the picture pay attention to how your eyes move throughout the entire shot. Too many amateur photographers place the point of interest directly in the middle of the frame. Imagine how the castle picture would look if everything was shifted with the castle right in the middle? It would clearly be lacking in pizazz and the eyes would not move throughout the picture.

NOTE: All rules are meant to be broken, but you must first learn the rule before you can break it.

Rule of Thirds

Castle In Italy

Most individuals love portrait shots of friends and family. However, they don’t need to be composed shots with everyone saying “cheese”. (In reality they should say “Whiskey” during that type of shot because it brings about a more natural smile.) When having a family or group of individuals gather together they typically are at their most relaxed and humorous state before you begin shooting. These times provide excellent opportunities to take some really interesting and fun shots without anyone noticing. Notice how the shot captures the candid and relaxed aspect of everyone while also following the Rule of Thirds. (Faces are NOT in the middle of the picture.) Lastly, when taking candid portraits you need to be “in the moment”. Try and become the subject and predict their next move, thoughts, or facial expressions. Doing so allows you to capture some fascinating photographs.

Family Shot at Christmas

Predict Your Subjects Behavior

Before moving to the final tip let’s summarize the past three lessons. I still recommend reading all of them one final time to see the connection between each lesson.

Lesson #1 – The main idea behind f-stop, shutter speed, and auto programing is to determine the amount of light necessary for a properly exposed photograph. The faster the shutter speed and the larger the f-stop number the less light allowed into the camera.

Lesson #2 – Larger ISO numbers mean less light required to produce a good exposed photograph. Large ISO numbers should be used in low light and indoor settings. Amateurs should utilize the Tv (S) setting for their cameras instead of the auto programming features such as Portrait, Action, or Auto. This allows you to adjust and match the shutter speed with the subject matter allowing the auto aperture feature to control the exposure.

Now the bonus feature. Anyone that has spent a small amount of time shooting realizes that not everything in a photograph is in focus. This behavior is more pronounced when using your zoom. This affect is due to physics but a photographer can control the amount of subject matter within focus using the aperture. The area in focus is termed the depth of field - how much distance in front of and behind the subject remains in focus. To increase this distant use a higher f-stop setting. For example instead of shooting at f-8 shoot at f-11 or even f-16. Just remember that the larger the number the smaller the aperture (hole) and the less light allowed into the camera. You will need to reduce the shutter speed or increase the ISO setting to compensate for the reduced amount of light.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the lessons and are now ready for some incredible picture taking over the holidays. Take care everyone!

Photography Tips From Professional - Lesson #2

Welcome back and it’s now time for our second lesson. Last week we learned about the simplicity of the camera through the f-stop (aperture) and shutter speed. Hopefully you dusted off the camera and performed the homework assignment. If so you should now feel very comfortable with the main functions (Av, Tv, Auto, Manual, Portrait, etc.) on your camera that control the main factors in creating a photograph. This week’s topic will focus on two more aspects (ISO and the Tv Setting) for creating a nice photo.

The ISO numbering convention is not important except to realize that the higher the number the less light required by the film or sensor to get a properly exposed photograph. The numbers typically seen are 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600. A simple rule for most shots is that on a very bright and sunny day you should utilize ISO of 100 or 200. For indoor shots and times around dusk 400 and 800 are good choices. This doesn’t mean you can’t utilize any ISO setting you desire, however for most amateurs that shoot using ISO 100 during darker settings the only light source you really have available for a properly exposed photo is your flash. The two pictures below illustrate what happens when using a low ISO setting with a flash in a dark environment.

Duck shot at ISO 800.

Duck shot at ISO 100

Both photos were shot using the Auto feature (what most amateurs select) utilizing flash with the left at ISO 800 and right at ISO 100. Notice the difference in color and exposure of the ISO 100 photo (bottom photo). The chair should be green, the feet orange, and beak a stronger yellow as evident in the ISO 800 photo. However, due to the ISO setting these colors were muted by the flash and the overall picture appears washed out. There are ways professionals can adjust this effect on a higher end camera or through color correction on a computer, but for the amateur it's best to always shoot with a high ISO setting! So, figure out how to set it manually instead of allowing the camera to adjust the setting.

The last tip for today deals with shutter speed and aperture combinations. For most people these are the most confusing aspects of a camera. In my opinion this is caused by manufacturers and other photographers not providing two very basic rules for shooting. Instead they get technical and begin providing information more suited for a thesis.

The first rule for shutter speed/aperture setting combinations is that every amateur should be shooting with either the Tv (or S) setting on their camera. They should rarely every require the auto program features like Portrait, Landscape, Sports, or any other auto feature.

The second rule is shutter speed. When shooting anything that is stationary the shutter speed should be between 1/60^th and 1/125^th. The sole intent is to have nothing blurry in the photo as a result of your own movement. If you can hold the camera extremely steady you may be able to shoot at 1/30^th or slower but for 99.9% of all your stationary shots the above range is perfect. If the scene is moving quickly (like sports) then use a shutter speed of 1/200^th and above. This will stop all movement. This means on almost all your shots the camera should be set on Tv (or S depending on your camera) thereby allowing you to set the shutter speed! Here are two examples.

Example 1: Your on vacation and you see a beautiful mountain range. The day is sunny. You pull out your camera with the Tv setting, set the ISO to 100 or 200 (bright sunny day setting), set the shutter speed to 1/125^th of a second (nothing moving) and shoot the picture. Done! It’s that simple!

Example 2: Your at your son’s indoor basketball game. You want some actions shots but need to make sure your son is not blurry. You then put the ISO setting to 800 (indoor/darker setting) and place the shutter speed at 1/200^th. Done! Again it’s that simple.

Next week (Lesson 3) we will talk about arranging a photo. Until then start adjusting your ISO and Shutter Speeds and see if that alone doesn’t improve your photos! I promise it will!

Photography Tips From Professional - Lesson #1

With Christmas approaching I thought a blog on photography would be appreciated by the masses. There is nothing I like more than a photograph or well written song that stirs the soul. I have always enjoyed not only shooting but teaching others photography my entire life. Watching someone grow in their ability always brings a smile to my face.

I have read many articles and books on photography plus seen many tips for the amateur shooter and the one thing I found most frustrating was the inability to teach in an easy to understand method. Through a series of three simple blogs I hope to have everyone understand the basics of a camera, what the different settings mean, and simple techniques to significantly improve on your abilities. What I present here will be simple to remember so note taking is not required.



Today I will talk about the basics of a camera. Regardless of film or digital they all work the same. A camera has a hole on the front that allows light to pass through and impact film or a computer chip called a CCD or CMOS. In all cases the amount of light determines the exposure. If there is too much light the picture is white, if little to no light the picture is dark. To control the amount of light allowed onto the film or sensor a camera uses two mechanical techniques. These are the shutter speed and f-stop (also called aperture).

Before you begin to panic understanding these two are extremely simple. The f-stop is essentially the size of a hole in the opening. The smaller the f-stop number the larger the hole diameter thereby allowing more light. The number and size have an inverse relationship. Imagine your window blinds partially open allowing some light into your living room. If you open them further you get more light.

The shutter speed is how long the camera absorbs light. One example might be 1/60^th of a second. As the speed increases the amount of light hitting the film or sensor decreases.

At this point I could speak about ISO rating, flash, and other aspects but everything revolves around controlling the amount of light hitting the film or sensor. All the settings on a camera control these two aspects. Below I put together a list of typical settings showing what each controls.

• Manual (M) – user sets the f-stop AND shutter speed.
• Aperture (A) – user sets the f-stop ONLY. The shutter speed is controlled by the camera.
• Shutter Speed (S) – user set the shutter seed ONLY. The f-stop is controlled by the camera.
• Auto, Program, Portrait, Action, Landscape, Night, etc. – user sets nothing as the computer guesses and the correct f-stop and shutter speed combination.

With the advent of the CCD and CMOS users now get direct feedback on their pictures. This is a HUGE advantage because you can retake the shot quickly by adjusting the amount of light entering the camera if your first shot was either too dark or too light. With this in mind there is NO reason not to constantly shoot and do so frequently. Who cares if you get ten shots of the same thing? They can be easily deleted and by adjusting the settings you get different results. So your homework for now is to go play with your camera and try different settings. I promise it won’t break!

The next lesson will teach you about ISO and what combinations of settings you should generally use for most daily shots. The third lesson will teach you a few simple tricks professionals use when taking shots.

Five Energy Tips to Save Upwards of $100 a Month!

There are numerous tasks that can provide energy savings but as we all are aware many aren't really helpful or practical without much work. For example filling the car ties up with air or caulking windows. Well, duh! We all know this, but how about something more realistic including areas you probably haven't realized? Using my engineering background I have compiled five items that you may not realize provide a significant impact on your energy costs. I personally utilize these techniques and my home's energy bill this summer never exceeded $150. So without further ado here is the list.

First, almost all refrigerators allow you to adjust the internal temperature with many now showing the actual temperature in Fahrenheit. Most normal settings are 36 degrees for refrigerators and 2 degrees for freezers. All contents within the refrigerators survive fine at temperatures as high as 39 degrees and freezers upwards of 10 degrees. Depending on the change in temperature this can save you on average $10 a month on your energy bill.



Second, your computer probably has a 750 watt power supply that runs continually when not show off. They have the potential to use upwards of $30 or more a month in electricity. All computers should be turned off when not in use. If standing around for a boot up is frustrating then use the sleep mode. This still shuts down the computer but remembers all your settings providing for a much faster startup.

Third, hot water heaters are typically 3500 watt storage devices. Some homes have two or more. Along side the air conditioner, stoves, microwaves, and furnaces they utilize a large amount of electricity. If your family takes a large number of showers maybe increasing the temperature is worthwhile, but most families should have their hot water heaters set below the recommended setting, especially if you are single. The savings can amount to upwards of $10 a month.

Fourth, the oven is an energy hog having ratings usually around 3500 watts similar to hot water heaters. Most families rarely fill the oven during use because most items cook at varying temperatures. Instead of utilizing the oven purchase a larger toaster oven that instead utilizes 1500-1700 watts. You will cut the energy usage for stove cooked items in half saving upwards of $20 a month depending on the amount of cooking. In addition cooking with convection reduces the cooking temperature by 25 degrees providing additional savings.

Fifth, sprinklers can utilize a large amount of water especially during the summer months. The ground gets hard increasing the surface tension preventing water from fully being absorbed into the ground. To prevent runoff and maximize absorption utilize the same technique as top quality golf courses. They water twice with the first watering lasting only a short period thereby allowing time for the surface tension to break and maximize water absorption. They then utilize a second watering cycle with longer times. This approach reduces the water usage by upwards of 25-30% over a single watering cycle. During the summer when water bills can reach in the upper $100's this amount of savings can easily reach $20-$30 or more. Not to mention your grass will thank you!



There is your total savings of $100 a month in energy costs and the amount of effort to accomplish these savings was essentially zero.

Company now offering insurance for incorrect appraisals.

One concern for banks and investors who purchase mortgage backed securities is the quality of the appraisal. If the appraisal is below actual market conditions the bank has a lower risk of lost revenue. However, if an REO property was appraised too high then upon auction or sale of this property a higher revenue loss is essentially guaranteed. To combat this problem Kirchmeyer & Associates is partnering with Group9 Insurance Solutions to offer appraisal insurance for banks and investors to cover this financial loss.

At first glance this insurance might not seem helpful to home owners. However, home owners currently have issues selling their homes for two reasons. First, banks are reluctant to loan money to particular individuals fearing they will default on the loan. Second, in many cases the appraisals are coming in under the contract price. This prevents banks from providing loans unless larger down payments are made to cover the difference in contract and appraised value. In addition some appraisers are fearing law suits by banks if their evaluations are too high so they tend to evaluate conservatively.

The new insurance coverage will now allow banks to insure against loss due to poor appraisals hopefully freeing up banks to increase their loan amount, and re-leaving some fears of appraisers halting their conservative approaches. For more details click HERE.

Freddie Mac to Provide Cost Incentives For REO Home Buyers!

Yep, you read that correctly. Freddie Mac is offering a new program designed to help reduce the number of REO's from the market. The real estate sales unit of Freddie Mac called HomeSteps is providing several promotions to reduce inventory and depending on your own personal situation you may qualify. Here are the details:

• Freddie Mac will pay up to 3% of the final sales price towards the buyer's closing costs and a $1,000 selling agent bonus for initial offers received by HomeSteps between November 15, 2011 and January 31, 2012 with escrow closed on or before March 15, 2012. This offer is valid only on HomeSteps homes sold to owner-occupant buyers.
• A two-year Home Protect^® limited home warranty that covers electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, heating and other major systems and appliances is offered on some eligible HomeSteps homes. Home Protect also provides discounts of up to 30 percent on the purchase of appliances.

On average a HomeStep house sells for 94% of the estimated market price.

For more details including who actually qualifies head over to the press release or to HomesSteps.com.

Homes In Sugar Land – Telfair

Homes In Sugar Land – Telfair

Telfair located in Sugar Land is a planned unit development community that ranked first in Fort Bend County and third in Houston in new homes sales at 406 last year alone. The community has homes beginning from the $240's to over $1 million. It will cover over 2016 acres consisting of patio homes, single-family homes, custom homes, resort-quality amenities, excellent schools and a multitude of retail shops. The community is next door to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and also has a 9,545 Central Hall with a fitness center, meeting rooms, catering prep kitchen, and outdoor amenities including a water park, three tennis courts, a lakefront patio and a boat launch.



Telfair currently has approximately 1800 single family homes The cost of homes covers a broad range allowing anyone seeking a planned community several options. The average lot size is 8200 sq feet with an average home size of 3500 sq feet.

For a complete review of Telfair please visit http://www.telfair.com. For all the housing statistics on Telfair please visit our website and look under Communities.

 

The tax rates within Telfair are the following:

CITY	CITY OF SUGAR LAND	0.3000%
DRAINAGE DISTRICT	FORT BEND CO DRAINAGE	0.0196%
GENERAL FUND	FORT BEND CO GNRL FND	0.48016%
MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT	FORT BEND MUD 137	0.5700%
MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT	FORT BEND MUD 138	0.5700%
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT	FORT BEND ISD	1.3050%
LEVEE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT	FORT BEND LID #17	0.6300%

At Homes In Sugar Land (Country Club Lifestyle Realty) we are fully integrated into Telfair and can help provide you with the most up-to-date best information available. At our website you have access to every home, school, and club associated with Telfair and Sugar Land.

How much money does energy retrofits really save?

Nearly 19,000 affordable housing units were retrofitted with energy efficient products. A study was then performed to determine how much money was saved due to these upgrades. The changes included items such as new boilers, heating controls, lighting upgrades, windows, and energy efficient refrigerators. The full report will be out soon but some details have already been released and published by The New York Times.



The average savings amounted to 19% on fuel usage and 10% in electrical usage. The range of savings however was vast depending on the upgrades performed. For example in an 88-unit apartment complex that replaced the boilers and heating controls yielded an improvement of $355 per unit annually. Another complex replaced windows, lighting and refrigerators producing an $808 dollar annual savings per unit.

While the complexes modified were some of the worst performing in the city regarding energy efficiency the savings clearly indicates that reasonable upgrades can have a significant impact on an owner's or renter's annual energy costs.

Homes In Sugar Land - Riverstone

Homes In Sugar Land – Riverstone

Riverstone located in Sugar Land is a planned unit development community that will have over 6000 homes once completed. It will cover over 3700 acres consisting of townhomes, single-family homes, custom homes, resort-quality amenities, excellent schools and a multitude of retail shops. The cost of homes covers a broad range allowing anyone seeking a planned community several options. One particular neighborhood within Riverstone is The Terrace at Riverstone containing 147 homes with an average near 5000 square feet. Prices begin in the upper $400’s and top out at just under $1 million. Another neighborhood is Crossing Cover at Riverstone with 172 homes in the 300’s and an average size of 3900 square feet.



Riverstone utilizes numerous builders including Darling, Toll Brothers, Westin Homes, Meritage Homes, Sterling Classic Homes, and Christopher Sims Custom Homes just to name a few. For a complete list of builders please visit http://www.rivestone.com.



Riverstone is mainly outside the city limits so taxes are covered by Districts. The tax rates within Riverstone are the following:

All Sugar Land Addresses and Missouri City Addresses in Stonebrook
MUD # 128, 129, 149 .70
LID # 15, 19 .80
Fort Bend County .49976
Fort Bend ISD 1.34000
= 3.33976

Missouri City Addresses except Stonebrook
MUD # 115 .50
Fort Bend County .49976
Fort Bend ISD 1.3400
Missouri City .5284
Houston Community College .09222
= 2.96038

At Homes In Sugar Land (Country Club Lifestyle Realty) we are fully integrated into Riverstone and can help provide you with the most up-to-date best information available. Heck, one of our owners actually lives there!

Homes In Sugar Land – Sweetwater and Sweetwater Estates

Homes In Sugar Land – Sweetwater and Sweetwater Estates

Sugar Land has numerous neighborhoods suiting every type of home owner but several are highly valued. One such community is Sweetwater and Sweetwater Estates. The Estates is a small community consisting of only twenty homes and these giants of a home average just over 10,000 square feet. Most of these homes back up to some portion of the Sweetwater Country Club Pecan or Cypress Golf Courses giving them magnificent views. That majority of homes were built around 2000 but there are a few empty lots still available for those with the ability to design and build a prestigious beautiful home in Sugar Land.



The second community is Sweetwater consisting of 566 homes with an average size of 500 square feet. Prices range from the low $300’s to just over $1 million. Several of these homes also back up to a Sweetwater Country Club course but they are rarely gated with far less privacy than The Estates.

All of the houses within these communities in Sugar Land fall under the Fort Bend Public School System. These schools have exemplary ratings by the state and as such are highly competitive. Clements High School is so popular that families move to the area solely for the quality of education they provide. In addition their athletics are also top notch with the golf team having the ability to practice and play at Sweetwater Country Club.

If you wish to know more about Sweetwater, Sweetwater Estates, or Sugar Land and other neighborhoods within the area please visit our website. There is a large amount of information on the city and other surrounding neighborhoods. At Homes-In-Sugar-Land (aka Country Club Lifestyle Realty) we strive to provide home buyers and sellers with first class service. That not only includes negotiation skills and real estate knowledge, but we consider ourselves the social and community experts.

FCC Approves Obama Administration Rural Broadband Plan

Obama and his administration desire to increase broadband highspeed internet access to rural Americans. The new rules modify the Universal Serice Fund originally created during Bill Clinton's administration. This fund comes from taxes on phone lines and currently brings in around $8 Billion a year.

The fund will be divided into two parts.  First, covering mobile and broadband service to areas currently not serviced by private business.  Second, expansion of internet access.  The majority of funds will focus on expanding mobile and broadband coverage.

Many are justifiably concerned that fees on phone and internet will increase. However, Democratic FCC Chairman Genachowski stated that he doesn't "expect that overall consumer rates will go up as a result of this." We shall see over time.

The plan will go into effect this year, with funds being put to use between 2012 and 2016.  Between 2017 and 2020, the USF will be discontinued and rural areas will stop receiving subsidies to keep their phone land lines alive.

For more details click here.

New Bill In Congress Would Add Energy Costs To Mortgage Ratios.

A new bill introduced in Congress by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) would call for loans going through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration include the costs associated with energy usage for that home. These costs would be applied to the normal ratios utilized by lenders in assessing one's ability to afford a specified mortage amount. In addition appraisers would be required to adjust a home value accordingly for homes with higher energy efficieny.  Currently many appraisers are not certified or trained to understand energy efficiency and do not include such information.  This is one major reason a professional realtor that understands the impact these improvements have on value are useful when fighting taxes or working with lenders to accept a current contract price.

If this bill goes forward the current lending ratios would most like be adjusted accordingly. Provided this bill does not negatively impact the ability to obtain loans I believe it can only help the overall market.

For more details click here.

Women's Golf Charities Inc. of Greater Houston

This great golf organization originally started when in 1969 after Emil Colemenares and Lou Ragone met to organize and LPGA Tour Event in Houston.  They ultimately were successful with the LPGA represented in Houston till 1975. Since then the group has continued to support golf and women's charities throughout Houston. Member ship is extremely cheap at only $12 annual.

The groupo currently sponsors three tournaments each year; The Greater Houston Senior Women's Amateur, The Greater Houston Women's City Amateur and The Partnership at Sugar Creek.

This is a great group of women!  Their site has a great golf calendar for all types of events throughout Houston and the year as well. For more information head over to their website here or contact Penelope Murphy at pwm626@txun.net or 281-346-2429.

Renters Use 5.2% More in Expenditures Than Home Owners.

The latest study by CoreLogic. Home owners are spending on average 33.2% on housing while renters are spending 38.4%.

Since 1985, homeowners have increased their housing expenditure allocation by 12 percent, while renters increased by 22 percent.

As consumers allocate more of their expenditures toward housing, they have less money to spend on non-housing consumption. The largest decline in a household’s budget occurred in transportation expenditures which fell by 17 percent and 22 percent since 1985 for homeowners and renters, respectively, CoreLogic said.

For more statistics and details click here.

Obama To Promote New Housing Aid

President Obama is touting new policies to help struggling home owners, including a move that would allow borrowers to refinance their mortgage at current low rates no matter how much their home values have dropped.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, also is expected to end a cap that excluded home owners from HARP who had mortgages that were higher than 125 percent of the home’s value.

This will help many refinance at the current low rates freeing up cash in hopes it will help the economy.

For more details click here.

Rental Housing on an Upswing

"While some of the tenure shift from owning to renting reflects financially stressed households (who may face short sales or foreclosure of homes they had owned), much of the rental demand is from young and newly formed households who have decided to postpone homeownership in favor of renting during unsettled economic times. Indeed, the decline in the homeownership rate has been sharpest for those household heads under 30 years of age: While the U.S. homeownership rate has fallen about 1.5 percent over the past year (from 66.9 percent to 65.9 percent during the second quarter of 2011), owner rates have fallen by 4.4 percent (to 21.9 percent) for those under 25 years of age and by 7.0 percent (to 34.7 percent) for those aged 25 to 29 years."

For more statistics and details download the Freddie Mac October 11th Economic Outlook
here.

Do FSBO's Sell for Less? Just ask CEO of ForSaleByOwner.com

You would think that the CEO of ForSaleByOwner.com would not hire an agent to sell his home.  That was the exact approach by Colby Sambrotto listing his prestigeous home at just under $2million as a FSBO for six months.  Ultimately the home didn't sell so he contacted a realtor.  The new MLS listing was much higher than his original offer price and his home did sell.....at $2.15 million.

Numerous studies have shown that For Sale By Owner (FSBO's) when sold earn far less on average then their true value.

"In fact, nearly a quarter of  FSBOs surveyed said that “Getting the right price” was the hardest thing for them to do, even ahead of “having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale” (23%) and “preparing/fixing up the home for sale” (18%)."

For more click on the links below.

Time Moneyland Article

Mail Online from the UK.

1 In 3 Adults Live With Relatives

Has your college son or daughter moved back in?  If you have a highschool son or daughter going to college?  Well, he might find his way back into your home.

"Nearly one in three or 30% of respondents to the Hanley Wood housing survey taken by more than 3,000  U.S. homeowners and renters said they had doubled up their living arrangements with relatives. The study provides insight on the changing dynamics in the  U.S.  housing market and the broader economy as the nation copes with the worst economic downturn since at least the Great Depression. "

For more click here.

Just launched a new Facebook page devoted to Sugar Land only!

Head over and check it out!  We will be adding periodic information related to Sugar Land only.  While we cover large areas Sugar Land news and golfing events warrants its own facebook page.  This will help allow our customers to find information related solely to this area of Houston.

Click here to visit the new page!

Buy my house and get a free Botox treatment!

Home owners, and agents for their open houses, are coming up with all types of ideas to attract attention and hopefully offers.  One particular approach by an agent offered Botox treatments or Thai massages. Other approaches are catered affairs. For more examples and details on this "different" idea go here.

Houston Home Price 12-Month Trend

The single famiily average home price in Houston achieved the second highest level for an August. At $217,047, the average price of single-family homes rose 0.7 percent compared to last August. The highest August level historically was $222,638 in 2008.

At $159,000, the median sales price for single-family homes was statistically flat versus August 2010 and down fractionally from June and July’s $160,000 level, which was the highest median price of 2011 and the highest level in two years. The national single-family median price reported by NAR is $174,000, illustrating the continued higher value and lower cost of living available to consumers in Houston. The cause behind a flat median price is an increase in lower cost housing specifically housing below $80,000.  There was an increase in sales of just over 45% for that category. 

While the median is still flat the data clearly indicates that the overall price of single family homes in Houston is on the rise albeit at a snails pace.



Project Joy and Hope Annual Golf Classic Begins Next Week!

The Annual golf event benefiting Project Joy and Hope begins October 14th. Project  Joy and Hope helps the quality of life for children and familes.  Their mission is to promote the physical and psychological well-being of children with life-limiting conditions and to help their families through community awareness, education, program development and resource development.

The vent is held at Kingwood Country Club on Thursday October 13th with registration beginning at 10:30am. Lunch will be served prior to a shotgun start at noon. Dinner along with a silent auction will also occur following play. For more details on either the event or Project Joy and Hope head over to their website at http://www.joyandhope.org/.

Mortgage Rates Hit Lowest Level in History.

For the first time ever, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell below 4 percent, Freddie Mac reported in its weekly mortgage market survey.

In the last month mortgage rates have continued to set new weekly record lows, but the 30-year mortgages’ latest drop below 4 percent may be an important threshold for potential buyers. The 30-year mortgage is the most popular financing option of buyers. >> More

15-Year fixed mortgages are also at historic lows now just over 3.25%.

New bill in Congress introduced that allows tax-free use of retirement funds for mortgage payments.

Two Republicans introduced what is termed the Home Act bill in congress on Wednesday.  Individuals could not pull up to half of their retirement account not to exceed $50,000 provided the funds are directly used to pay off their current mortgage within 120 days of withdrawel.  The normal 10% early withdrawel penalty would be waived. Multiple withdrawels can be made within their lifetime until the individual reaches the $50,000 cap.

"This bill will help Americans who risk foreclosure use their own resources to make their mortgage payment on time without being penalized by the federal government," Isakson said. "I firmly believe that economic recovery in this country will not occur until the housing market bounces back." >> More.

This bill is extremely interesting. On one side it would allow home owners in dire need to utilize their retirement funds.  However, by removing money it would probably force individuals to work further into retirement to cover the lost funds and interest earned on that money.

CoreLogic Launching New Borrower Credit Report

While credit reports are designed to give lenders a look at an individuals credit history at times the reports don't tell the whole story.  Thus CoreLogic is now beginning to create a new credit report that will supplement existing reports.  The new reports will contain information such as...

• Properties owned (with and without debt obligations)
• Mortgage obligations with companies that may not report to traditional credit reporting agencies
• Property legal filings, such as notices of default
• Property tax amounts and payment status
• Estimated market values on all U.S. properties owned
• Rental applications and evictions
• Inquiries and charge-offs from pay-day and online lenders
• Consumer-specific bankruptcies, liens, judgments and child support obligations

This information is meant to help better determine overall risk of a borrower.  In some cases this information may help someone obtain a loan while in others it may hurt. For more details visit CoreLogic.

Taylor Swift's Home In Nashville Was Up For Sale

She bought the home just over one year ago and believe it or not the house sold quickly for 1.4 million or $50,000 above her original purchase price. If you are interested in viewing the pictures click here.

Athletes With Foreclosed Homes

In today's market even those with money are not immune from foreclosure, especially when they don't monitor their spending habits.  People from Dr. J, to Allen Iverson, and John Smoltz. Head on over to CNBC and check out the other athletes that have had housing problems.

Google Invests $75M In Home Solar Through Clean Power Finance

Despite the recent collapse of solar manufacturer Solyndra, the U.S. solar industry continues to attract private equity such as the $75 million Google announced Tuesday to finance photovoltaic panels for homes.

Google's Rick Needham, speaking at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in San Francisco, said the money would create a fund with Clean Power Finance to help up to 3,000 homeowners lease solar panels. In June, Google announced its first investment in residential solar -- a $280 million fund with SolarCity, of San Mateo, Calif., to install solar panels in up to 9,000 homes and lease them on a monthly basis with zero upfront costs. >> More

What is Necessary For Home Values To Begin Increasing?

The graph below includes what the Real Estate industry calls the "shadow inventory". In simple terms this is the homes currently on the market that are either in Foreclosure, Serious Deliquent Status, or REO (Bank Owned). While the media speaks of the economy in general, and the problems with banks and credit, in reality any product and the value of that produce is driven by supply and demand.  As the plot below indicates during the height of the housing boom the shadow inventory was extremely low down near 0.4 million homes.  As the economy and housing market began to deepen the inventory levels began to rise. During this past year the number reached a peak of 2 million homes in January. This indicator of the housing market is a lagging indicator.  In other words while the inventory levels reached their lowest level in 2006 the housing market had already began to slow. The same will be true as the inventory declines.  The market is always slightly better than the numbers indicate.

The positive side is that the worst is over.  The inventory is now showing a constant continued reduction. At the current rate of decline the shadow inventory will be near or below 1 million homes in 12 months and 0.5 million in 1.5 years. Let's hope this trend continues and home owners are smiling once again as they celebrate the coming of 2013 on new years eve.

New Houston Charity Events Webpage Added to our Site!

We are now adding local charity events to our website. Sporting events and social events will take precedent but if anyone desires to have their event listed please contact us.  We will be more than happy to accomodate! Charity Events

Mortgage Rates Remaining Low

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage reached a new record low of 3.29 percent this week, as 30-year mortgage rates remained at the record low it reached last week, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. Click here for more information.

Insperity Golf and Discovery Green in Downtown Houston

Numerous local area artists including the highly popular The Art Guys ( covered in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, Art In America, ArtNews, Artforum, Sculpture Magazine, CNN, CBS News Sunday Morning) have created a one-of-a-kind 9-hole miniature golf course in Discovery Green park in downtown Houston. The event will be held through October 29th. There are group discounts available and advanced reservations can be made for private parties.  Cost if $5 for adults and $3 for children so head on out and see the incredible art work and have some fun playing.  For more information on artists and the event head over to http://www.discoverygreen.com/.

Bill Hass FedEx Cup Champion!

Congratulations Bill Hass for winning the Tour Championship. The shot from the water during the playoff on the 17th was fantastic!

Adult Flag Football Winter League Beginning Soon!

Men's and Coed flag football winter league begins November 1st and continues till December 15th.  Registration begins October 3rd.  Play is held at Memorial Park Fields on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30pm to 10:30pm.  For more information head over to the City of Houston website.

Halliburton Charity Golf Event - October 6th

The Hallibruton Charity Golf Event will be held this year Thursday October 6th. The event raises large amounts of money and this year is helping 15 charities including Mothers Against Cancer , Driscoll Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House Houston, Teach for America, and Communities in Schools Houston just to name a few. Over the past 18 years the tournament has provided nearly $4 million to charities. This year the tournament will be held at The Club of Kingwood with breakfast starting at 7:30am. A shotgun start will begin at 9am. For more information head over to their website.

Cub Scouts Charity Golf Tournament Starts Today!

The 35th Annual John B Turner Memorial golf Tournament starts today at Kingwood Country Club. The tournament is played on three courses and money raised goes toward the character-building programs in Scouting!  Go out and show your support. For more information about the tournament head over to the Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America.

Facts on Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

Energy Efficient items can really impact a homes value.  In addition you can receive up to 30% depending on the specific improvement. The improvements can be Heat Pumps, Solar, Wind, or Fuel Cell technology. For specifics go here.

What is the Median Family FICO Score?

The median family FICO score is currently 711 as reported by FICO.  That is a reasonable number so one would think it's easy to get a lone even if your score is above that number. Well, think again.  Sadly for current single family mortgages backed by Freddie-Mac has the current average FICO score at 751 with a downpayment of 29%. Compare that with 2007 at 707 for FICO and a 23% downpayment.  Numbers like these really illustrate the difficulty in obtaining a mortgage. >> More.

Have you heard of a "Green Mortgage"?

Mortgages that award and encourage energy efficiency for new homes as well as for existing home upgrades are available.  Most of the public is unaware of theses mortgages but they do exist. One is the Energy Improvement Mortgage or EIM. Another is the Energy-Efficient Mortgage. For more information on these programs check out the Q&A with Mortgage Banker Dave Porter from Stanton, Washington here.

New Texas Homestead Exemption Rules Effective September 1

The application process for a homestead exemption in Texas is about to grow more complex.  Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature approved new standards of mandatory disclosure for any one of several kinds of homestead exemptions. Beginning on September 1, 2011, those new rules go into effect.

Prior to September 1, a homestead exemption was relatively easy to obtain; a property owner simply filed an application. Now, home buyers will have to follow new rules and provide more proof they are eligible for the claimed exemption. >> More

Summary and Scorecard of Obama Administration Housing Relief Efforts

In the days ahead, the Obama administration is expected to announce yet another initiative to help rescue the housing market.  Just what the new plan will entail is unknown, but the New York Times and CNBC have speculated that it might unveil a program that would open up refinancing to borrowers who owe more on their loans than their homes are worth, allowing them to take advantage of current low mortgage rates. Such a move would enable many borrowers to keep their homes by making their monthly payments more affordable.

The Obama administration has unveiled several programs designed to help struggling homeowners and ease the foreclosure crisis -- and many of them have fallen short of their goals.

Here are some of the government's previous efforts, and how they've fared:

1. Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)

2. Second Lien Modification Program (2MP)

3. Hardest Hit States Fund

4. Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA)

5. Principal Reduction Alternative (PRA)

6. Home Affordable Unemployment Program (HAUP)

7. FHA Short Refinance

8. Emergency Homeowner's Loan Program (EHLP)

9. Extended forbearance for FHA loans

Fall Houston Youth Tennis Program Beginning Soon!

The free youth tennis program begins next month on October 10th and runs through November 17th. It is open for ages six through eighteen and meets either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday starting at 4:15pm depending on skill level. Equipment is provided and registration is not required. The league also has a year end tournament in December called the Holiday Cheer Tennis Tournament. For more information call 713-803-1112.  You can also contact the local Houston Tennis Association or the Houston Ladies Tennis Association for details.

Additional information can also be found at the Houston goverment website here.

Energy Star Rating Having Slight Modification Due to Continued Criticism

The EPA and the Department of Energy program commonly called Energy Star has taken criticism over the year so now a  new label termed "most efficient" has been added to recognize the best-of-the-lot products in terms of energy efficiency. This new addition is meant to help improve upon the program by labeling the top 5% in energy use for appliances.

The Energy Star Most Efficient program, which will operate on a pilot basis through 2011, has established top-performance standards for a limited number of appliance categories, including clothes washers, heating and cooling systems, televisions and refrigerator-freezers. >> More

Banks Agree to More Short Sales

Banks are agreeing to more short sale transactions, and short sales are taking less time to sell, which is helping to clear large inventories of distressed properties more efficiently, says James J. Saccacio, RealtyTrac CEO, in releasing new housing data this week.

“This is a glimmer of hope that lenders are getting more realistic,” Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, told Bloomberg News. “It’s a win for borrowers who avoid foreclosure, buyers who get a house in better condition and banks that lose less money, which is also a win for taxpayers.”>> More

More Home Owners Add Second Units to Existing Homes

Creating second units for additional rental income or for combining generations is becoming more and more popular.  Spurring second units... is the "growing awareness of smart growth" and the environmental benefits of urban density and smaller homes. "It's a way of absorbing more people and growth without changing the nature of the neighborhood" and adding to sprawl, says Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. >> More

10 Home Improvements That Pay You Back

If you're planning to sell your house any time soon, home improvements that build property value should be on your to-do list. It's a buyer's market, and between tighter purse strings and plenty of properties to choose from, shoppers want homes that are move-in ready and free of the need for home improvement projects that will add to their own bottom lines.

The following article provides ten areas that can seriously impress buyers.  They can also increase your sales price! >> More

New Bill Offers $20,000 Subsidy to Foreclosure Buyers

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce a bill after the August recess that would give homebuyers up to $20,000 for down payment assistance on a previously foreclosed property. >> More

Buying is Cheaper Than Renting in Most U.S. Cities

According to real estate web site Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74% of the country's 50 largest cities in July. In just 12% of the cities, including New York, Seattle and San Francisco, renting was cheaper. In the remaining 14% of cities, renting was less expensive but close to the cost of buying.

In addition to a continuing decline in home prices, rock-bottom interest rates have added a lot of weight to the buy side of the scale. The overnight average rate for a 30-year fixed was just 4.19% on Monday, according to Bankrate.com. A 15-year fixed averaged just 3.43%.

>> More

Houston July Home Sales Increases and Up 17% From Same Time Last Year

The average price of a single-family home rose 0.7 percent from July 2010 to $224,110, an all-time high for a July in Houston and the second highest average price of 2011. The July single-family home median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less—increased 0.3 percent year-over-year to $160,000. That is unchanged from June and remains the highest that the median price has been this year. >> More

5 Quick and Easy Low Cost Renovations and Remedies

Learn how to earn tidy profits or at minimum increase your chances of selling your home or investment property quickly with these quick renovation and maintenance tips.

Color - Still living in sterile white walls? Does a boring beige and brown exterior greet potential buyers? Eliminate the institutional look and give your home a brand new appearance inside and out with a quality paint job. Just remember dark colors or extremely vibrante colors are not what prospective buyers are seeking.

Clean Air - The sense of smell is a powerful tool especially when it comes to selling a home. Pet odors, smoking or other unpleasant smells can dramatically alter the impression of the home. Deep clean carpet, air vents, upholstery, and drapes plus any other absorbent surface that collects odors. Make it a priority to change the air filter and consider using an enzymatic treatment for deep-set odors. Marketing companies use smell to sell everything from new cars to clothing; put the same tips to work when renovating by using fragrance to create the impression of quality, comfort, and cleanliness. Candles can help but are temporary fixes, plus potential buyers sometimes wonder if you are hiding something.

Clear Clutter -Visually a few well placed large objects of contrasting colors are more attractive than numerous small items. Use this knowledge to tackle objectionable areas and transform them into the center of attention both inside and outside the home. Expand small rooms by adding a window that draws the eye outward or coordinate colors to give the impression of uniformity instead of clutter to make a small kitchen or bathroom look larger.

Carpet Fixes - Before spending big dollars on new carpets, consult with a specialist capable of repairing and restoring the rugs throughout the home. It is often possible to blend or repair burns, snags and stains to make the carpet look nearly as good as new.

Conserve - Invest in low-maintenance lawns, water-saving devices and energy efficient appliances that will appeal to tenants and potential buyers alike. Green is in.

Mortgage Applications Jump 21.7% on Refinancing Activity

Mortgage applications jumped 21.7% this past week as market volatility pushed mortgage rates lower, spurring a 30% rise in refinancing applications, an industry trade group said.

The Mortgage Bankers Association noted the market composite index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – shot up 21.7% over the previous week as refinancing levels hit their highest point yet for 2011.>> More

Foreclosures Reach Lowest Level Since 2007

Foreclosure filings dropped again in July, marking the 10th straight month for year-over-year declines and reaching their lowest level since November 2007, RealtyTrac reports. But analysts are still mostly attributing the drop to banks’ processing delays as they take more time to take action against delinquent home owners. >> More

Debt Rating Dropped Yet Investors Flock to Long Term Treasuries!

"Treasurys are up because they are still the flight to quality instrument despite what S&P says," said Thomas Roth, executive director in the U.S. government bond trading group at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA) Inc in New York, according to a report by WSJ. "All that has occurred is more uncertainty which drives money out of risk assets." >> More

Since mortgage rates are typically linked to the 10-year treasury note they most likely will continue to drop further.  The 15-year fixed is already at historical lows.

Home Inventories Fall Sharply!! Very Good News!!

About 2.34 million homes were listed for sale on the multiple-listing service by the end of June, the lowest level for that time of year since at least 2007, according to Realtor.com. What’s more, some inventory levels even reached their lowest levels since the housing crisis began five years ago, which has prompted some markets to even say their facing a shortage of homes on the market.  >> More

15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Hits All Time Low.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has declined to its lowest level for 2011, while both the 15-year fixed and 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) set new historical record lows. Of the four loan types the GSE assesses, only the 1-year ARM failed to post a decline this week. >> More

Israelis Are No. 2 Foreign Buyers of Real Estate in US

 A survey by Bregman Baraz Real Estate commissioned by Globes found that Israelis were the second-largest foreign buyers of US income-producing real estate in the period from July 2010 to June 2011, after Canadians.

Foreign investment accounted for 7.5 percent of total investment in US income-producing real estate in this period, with Israelis accounting for one-tenth of the foreign investment, or 0.75% of total investment in the sector.

Israelis invested $1.15 billion to buy 36 income-producing properties in the United States over the past 12 months. >> More

Cutbacks and Layoffs at NASA Beginning to Negatively Impact Houston Real Estate

The thousands of layoffs associated with the end of NASA's space shuttle program are putting added pressure on an already stressed housing market.

Homes in the Clear Lake area have been staying on the market longer and more are going up for sale, according to people who live in the area and real estate agents who work there.>> More

Economist Ray Perryman Expects Houston Economy to Grow

Over the next century economist Ray Perryman expects the Greater Houston Economy and surrounding regions to more than double.  That is a fairly large growth over such a short period.  There is more information on the levels compared to pre-recession highs. >> More

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell Malibu Home For Sale or Rent

Considering $14.5 million is a bit steep you could always rent out the unit for $80,000 a month. It is a four bedroom beach house and without a doubt beautiful! >> More

Mortgage Rates Mainly Flat Even with Debt Ceiling Scare

Fixed mortgage rates were mostly unchanged this week as credit markets showed little reaction to Washington's impasse over raising the federal government's borrowing limit.

Freddie Mac says the average rate on the 30-year fixed loan ticked up to 4.55 percent from 4.52 percent a week ago. That's slightly above this year's low of 4.49 percent.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed loan was unchanged at 3.66 percent, just above the yearly low of 3.65 percent. >> More.

A New Program to Help Dilequent Borrowers, BUT...

Ocwen Financial Corp., a servicer of residential mortgages, launched a new loan modification program to reduce the principal on a mortgage for delinquent borrowers, but the borrowers must agree to let loan investors share in future appreciation of the home’s value when the market recovers >> More.

This new type of program is interesting and I wonder if other loan institutions will try something similar?

Where Did Buyer Find Their Home?

From a NAR study 36% found their homes through a real estate agent, 36% found their home through use of the internet, and 12% found their home through a yard sign or open house.  Companies like ReMax, Keller Williams, Caldwell Bankers, etc are spending large sums of advertising dollars on magazine and print media advertisement.  However only 2% of all homes purchased in 2009 were discovered using print media. As a result when finding a realtor analyze their technology knowledge. 

Latest Housing Trends Newsletter

Latest on local market trends, economic indicators, new home sales, and much much more. >> More

Internet now plays a very large roll in real estate!

Consumers in search of information about their local housing market are making national, third-party sites like Zillow and Trulia their first stop -- even though the websites of real estate brokers and agents who once served as the gatekeepers of such knowledge often have more complete listings data. This is just one of many reasons buyers and sellers should seek internet and technology savy realtors. For example companies like ReMax who put large sums of money into magazine advertisements are not adequately marketing sellers homes.>> More

Jerry Seinfeld Colorado Mansion For Sale

Fourteen thousand two hundred square foot home located in Telluride, Colorado. It has eleven bedrooms, spa, and full gym. Check out the pictures. >> More

Buyers Rejected for Loans Can Now Find Out Why

A provision in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, which took effect this week, is requiring lenders to provide consumers with a free credit score, which will help provide new insights into why they may have been rejected for a loan or did not qualify for the best, lowest rate. >> More.

Federal Trade Commission Issuing Nearly $108 Million in Refunds

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners who took out mortgages with Countrywide Financial Corp. will soon receive their slice of a $108 million settlement over claims that the lender charged outsized fees to borrowers facing foreclosure.  The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that it will mail refund checks to 450,177 borrowers starting Thursday. The action is part of a settlement agreement the agency reached last year with Bank of America Corp., which acquired Countrywide in 2008. >> More

Zillow Is Going Public at Full Valuation

Zillow (Z) priced its IPO after the market closed on July 19 at $20 per share. This price equates to a fully diluted market capitalization of over $630mm. >> More

PGA joins Realtors to market golf-course homes

The Southwest Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association has teamed up with Realtors to help golfers buy homes on or near golf courses in Southern Nevada. >> More

Importance of Shopping Around for a Mortgage

A survey from Bankratefound that it can pay off for borrowers to shop around for a mortgage. In New York, for example, lender origination fees were found to vary anywhere from $700 to more than $4,000. The most expensive state is New York followed by Texas for closing costs. For more including the cheapest states go here.

Home Owners in Denial About Price

Home owners who purchased their home in 2007 or later are overpricing their homes by an average of 14 percent, according to a new study by Zillow. >> More

Congratulations Darren Clarke for winning The Open Championships!

After all the ups and downs in life including losing his wife to breast cancer you have to feel good for the guy!  At the age of 42 if the course is not designed solely for long ball hitters (like most of the PGA unfortunately) guys like Darren, Tom Watson and others can compete and actually win.  >> More

6 popular video editing apps for Android

The following is a list of the most popular photo editing apps in the Android Market, based on a keyword search at market.android.com. The rankings are based on total number of downloads and total number of user reviews. >> More

What Does the Future Hold for Jumbo Loans?

The National Association of Home Builders has said that it fears more than 17 million homes nationwide will become ineligible for more affordable federal funding when the loan limit expires. >> More

New Survey Shows Home Buyers Use Lifestyle as Major Factor in Location

If you want to make a sale, selling the lifestyle in a community or neighborhood is becoming an important piece of the presentation of a home, according to a new survey. One in five home owners have moved or would like to move because they don’t think their neighborhood or community is a good fit to their lifestyle, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 home owners and future home buyers. >> More

US Average Home Prices

The average US price for a home has appeared to finally hit bottom.  Although the behavior in Houston is significantly different many people watch the news and only get the US average.  As such I am including it here.  However I caution everyone as the local area can be significantly different.  For example in Houston the year-over-year price increased 0.8% last month while it declinced nationally.  Still, the plot below is clearly an indicator that the bottom has probably been reached on a national level.



Peanuts Creator Charles Schulz's Former Wine Country Estate For Sale

Charles Schulz bought from the Roman Catholic Church this Estate that includes an onsite Chapel. It is located in Santa Rosa, California and currently up for sale at $2.275 million. It is a 6 bedroom home totalling 8000 square feet. >> More

Karl to Witness Davis Cup in Austin

Sadly USA lost to Spain this past Sunday afternoon. Marty Fish was unable to beat Spain's David Ferrer thereby knocking out USA. Fish lost the first two sets and was able to win the third but David proved too much winning the fourth set 7-5 in a tie-break.  Our very own Karl Holub was able to attend the match and he reported the crowd was fantatical.  Just like what you would see at a Davis Cup match. For more info on the match go here.

Bill to merge Fannie and Freddie to be introduced.

A republican from California will introduce a bill in congress calling for the merger of Fannie and Freddie. He wants investors and banks to pay a fee to cover operating expenses. The FHFA would oversee the new company.

Golf and boating vacation in Michigan!

Having a wonderful time in Michigan with my beautiful wife. Time has been filled with golf - including a round at the incredible Belvedere Club - followed by boating and bonfires on Lake Michigan. Will be returning Sunday. I hope everyone is having a fantastic time. In addition if anyone desires a waterfront home built by the owner of Four Winns boats it is up for sale coming in at $9 million. It has a boat house capable of holding up to a 80' yacht.

Dry Spring Strains Royal St George’s Staff

As the British Open nears the course is not receiving the rain as in years past.  The dry conditions are producing some challenges.  Not to mention the harder the normal ground will make play difficult.  However, the fairways have been made wider. I personally can't wait as I wish to see how Rory will perform after winning the US Open. >> More

OOC Mandates Foreclosure Procedure Reviews

After reviewing 14 large mortgage servicers in the fourth quarter of 2010, the OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and the Office of Thrift Supervision found what the regulators described as “a pattern of misconduct and negligence related to deficient practices in residential mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure processing".

Banks that determine weaknesses in their processes must take immediate corrective action. >> More.

Freddie Mac Implementing Changes to Default Service Requirements

More than likely if you own a home and are making loan payments the mortgage is owned by Freddie Mac.  Your loan through a commercial lending institution was sold to Freddie Mac at some point.  However Freddie does not service loans so they contract out this portion to banks such as Chase, Wells Fargo, etc. For home owners having difficulty meeting their monthly payment obligation there are two federal programs designed to help.  First is the Home Affordable Modification Program and the other is the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives initiative.  Freddie is now changing it's requirements and procedures for service banks to follow to hopefully help reduce the number of foreclosures. For more on the changes go here.

House Prices Increased in April

Home prices increased 0.8 percent from March to April according to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) data released today, the first monthly increase since May 2010.  This headline figure is from FHFA’s seasonally adjusted price index—a measure that adjusts for the fact that the housing market has very strong seasonal patterns.

>> More

Federer Out in Quarterfinals at Wimbledon

For the second straight year Federer is out before reaching the Semifinals at Wimbledon. Once a dominating force on grass Roger Federer appears to be sliding. Although Federer took the opening two sets he was unable to prevent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from firing off incredible serves and powerful forhands to take the final three sets. Federer's response will be interesting going into the US Open. >> More

Minneapolis Fed Chief Questions Tax Incentives For Household

Lowering the fraction of mortgage interest households are allowed to deduct from their taxable income would help protect the financial system in the event of another housing boom and bust, Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota said.  This is a very dangerous statement as the Fed Chief apparently believes that by allowing home owners to deduct interest from their mortgages that the same homeowner is more willing to take on higher risk in the form of increased debt. Personally I do not agree with this statement, and by making any changes to the current tax code that reduces the home owners ability to deduct interest would harm the housing market. For more information on the Fed Chief's remarks go here.

Sugarland Real Estate Overview

In Sugarland the current single family average market value is $262,000.  This is an increase of 1.3% from the prior year and 6% from 2009.  There are currently 865 single family homes listed for sale.  While the majority of the United States has shown price decreases over the past two years Sugarland, Texas has continued to grow.  Combined with it's fantastic location, ammenities, and highend schools families have continued to move to the area.

Houston GolfersGuide.com

An excellent source for golfing information in and around the Houston metroplex.  There are schools, news, coupns and much more.
>> More

A Slow-Motion Real Estate Recovery

Jed Smith, managing director of quantitative research for the National Association of Realtors, characterized the economic upturn as "a mediocre recovery," and a "very slow recovery ... largely because of job issues. We're looking at up to a four-year recovery." >> More

Treasury Punishes Top Servicers for Failing Troubled Homeowners

The Treasury Department announced on Thursday that it will withhold incentive payments to Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) and Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) until they substantially improve their performance in the federal Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP. >> More

Proposed Changes to Qualified Residential Mortgage Requirements Would Impact Most Home Buyers

The proposed QRM rule is a risk retention rule required under the Dodd-Frank reforms that is intended to ensure that lenders have “skin in the game”.  It would require loan originators to retain risk equal to 5 percent of all but the safest mortgage loans.  The loans that would be exempt from the risk retention requirements would have a minimum down payment of 20 percent or more.. >> More

This proposed rule change is significant and opposition to these changes is increasing.

Sugarland Residents Asked to Limit Water Usage

Sugarland is asking for voluntary water limits to avoid placing restrictions.  Due to the severe drought the sity has provided a schedule for watering you lawn.  >> More

Ten Most Popular Real Estate Websites

Yahoo Real Estate reclaimed the top spot in May on a list of the most popular real estate websites compiled by Experian Hitwise, bumping the National Association of Realtors' official listing portal, Realtor.com, into second place. >> More

Great Texas Golf Blog

Here is another great place to check out what's happening in the golf community in Texas! Check it out! Texas Golf

Foreclosure Activity Continues Free-Fall in May

Year-over-year foreclosures have decreased 33% and 2% since April.  The Real Estate market continues to show slow signs of improvement even with continued difficulty in obtaining credit for many buyers.  However, bank's have struggled selling these REO properties.  This means buyers have many opportunities to find houses at fantastic prices especially in the Houston markets. >> More

The Houston Real Estate Market Concludes 2010 with a Further Appreciation in Home Prices - Houston REALTOR Online

On a year over year basis the average price of a single family home in Houston rose 0.4%. While the majority of country is showing a decline or overall flat level in prices Houston has continued to out perform the majority of the country. With Exxon building a large faciliy in Houston and the employment figures showing growth it would appear Houston has a strong potential. >> More

Country Club Lifestyle Realty Website

Our new website is up and running.  It is still in the construction phase with additional information continually added so check back often as it continues to grow!
Country Club Lifestyle Realty

Kenny Rogers Country Club Estate

Kenny Rogers is not only a singer but also a golf enthusiast and realtor.  He has designed the ultimate country club estate including an 18 hole championship golf course called Beaver Dam Farms modeled after several PGA courses.  Check it out!  It's for sale! >> More

Successful Facebook Business Pages

Like any piece of your business plan puzzle, your Facebook Business Page needs to be monitored, it needs your attention and – at the risk of sounding a little more touchy-feely than even I am comfortable with – a little TLC. 

Here are a couple of tips to help you revitalize your Facebook Business Page and turn it from drab to fab: >> More

Texas Outperforms in Job Growth

Texas' economy continued to outperform the U.S. economy, gaining 254,000 jobs from April 2010 to April 2011, an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent. Over the same period, U.S. nonfarm employment rose 1.1 percent. The state's private sector also exceeded U.S. figures, posting an annual employment growth rate of 3 percent compared with 1.7 percent for the U.S. private sector from April 2010 to April 2011. >> More

How droughts impact foundations!

Very important for all home owners! Watering your yard helps prevent foundation problems during periods of high drought!

Texas drought starts to nick houses - Beaumont Enterprise

Country Clubs in Sugar land Texas

Country Clubs located within Sugarland. >> More

Sugarland Developers and Builders

From Sugarland Magazine Online. >> More

Picking the Right Production Builder

Residential construction in Houston's outer sphere is dominated by themed master planned communities with pretty lakes, family amenities and green spaces promising a picture perfect family life. That means fashionable people drinking wine around a fab kitchen while the kids play mischievously outside with the dog. 

Model home "amusement parks" are becoming the norm, where homes of all sizes and price ranges appear one after the other in a row. It's a one-stop-shop for home seekers. But synthesizing the information and differentiating between builders can be daunting and overwhelming, if not outright impossible. >> More

Houston Country Club Scholarship Winners

The Royal Oaks Country Club recently announced the scholarship winners for its employee scholarship fund.

Congratulations to the winning recipients! >> Read More

Former Country Club Burns Down

The Clear Lake Country Club, which was a part of Clear Lake City history for many years, burned to the ground Thursday as Houston Fire Department fought the blaze in vain while hundreds of residents looked on. >> More

Amid ups and downs, Houston real estate market has pockets of strength

Certain houses, if priced right, can attract a slew of buyers in today’s market. “This year, we’ve had many properties with multiple offers, which was unheard of last year,” says Tim Surratt of Greenwood King Properties. “Buyers are realizing that the window is closing on the opportunity that has existed since the 2008 market adjustment.” >> More

FHA Loan Limits Set to Drop

Buyers of new residential homes may want to race to complete deals as FHA loan limits are set to drop around the nation. According to an analysis by the FHA, loan limits on government-insured mortgages are likely to decline in 669 of the 3,334 counties or county equivalents when the ceilings revert back to the levels determined under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  Unless Congress says otherwise, the shift will take place on Oct. 1. >> More

Proposed Government Program Requiring 20% Down

With all the mortgage reform news flying around these days, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest developments.  There is, however, one issue of which consumers need to be very aware – a proposal from federal regulators mandating that private lenders require a 20 percent down payment on mortgages for all but the most credit worthy borrowers.  >> More

Housing Shortage Is Likely Coming - RealtorMag

Within the next decade, 16 million new housing units will be needed to meet population growth and shifting demands, according to Harvard Univerity's Joint Center for Housing Studies in the latest annual State of the Nations Housing Report.  That means that housing growth which has dropped drastically in recent years, will need to greatly reverse it's trend to meet the forecasted spike in demand. >> More

Zillow Unveils Mortgage Marketplace App - DSNews

Zillow, a Seattle-based mobile and online real estate information company, launched its Zillow Mortgage Marketplace iPhone app Tuesday for a mobile loan shopping experience. The app combines personalized loan quotes with calculators and tools to help borrowers ascertain home affordability, monthly payment amounts, and whether refinancing makes financial sense. >>More