In and Around Victoria #27 – 2013 Home Product Show

home show

The 2013 Home Product Show is this next weekend March 23 and 24 at the Victoria Community Center. The show starts Saturday, March 23 and runs from 10 AM-5 Pm and again on Sunday from 12 PM-5 PM. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for students. Check out the list of vendors. You’ll find more information at the Builder Association of Victoria website.

In and Around Victoria highlights places to go, things to see, and local area restaurants. The posts are in no particular order or ranking. Let us know if you have a local area attraction that you’d like to see highlighted in the blog. Post a comment or give us a call 361-433-0520.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Accurate Property Search – GCRTx

GCRIcon50x50Do you get frustrated when looking for properties on-line and then find out the ones you really like are no longer available? Although, the internet is a great resource for finding houses sometimes the sites don’t post the most up-to-date status for properties. Try using our website to get accurate data on the status of each house you find. As soon as a realtor uploads a new listing or changes the status of an active property to optioned, under contract or sold, our website will provide the same search results when you are looking for a property. Go to Golden Crescent Realty at http://www.gcrtx.com/ and click on the Property Search button.

You can narrow your search by listing price, area, square footage, number of bedrooms and many more parameters. Enjoy your search.

activeThe capital A means this property is Active and available.

optionedThe capital P means this property is Optioned. The seller has accepted an offer.

under contractThe capital U means this property is Under Contract.

 

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Check Your Credit Report

report_checkGet a copy of your credit report. You can do this for free at Annual Credit Report.

Go over each item on your credit report to verify each debt is in your name. Sometimes debts are put onto reports that don’t belong to that person. When I ran my free credit report I found out I owned a home in Arizona! I’ve never been to Arizona. I was able to have it removed from my credit report but it took some effort. Several years later upon running my free credit report again, I found out I had purchased a pick-up truck! Getting that off my credit report involved a lot of work including filing a police report for fraudulent activity.

It is worth checking your credit report once a year to make sure everything on it is correct.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Ready to List Your House?

You’ve decided you are ready to sell your home. Before you put it on the market there are a few things you can do to create the best first impression for buyers.

  • Organize your closets and kitchen cabinets – crowded closets and cabinets mean not enough storage for buyers
  • Make your floors shine – replace broken tiles, get the carpets cleaned if needed
  • Clean your windows
  • Clean out your refrigerator (yes, buyers look in the fridge and cabinets and closets)
  • Dust and polish everything!
  • Make sure your home smells fresh - buyers are turned off by a smelly house

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Home Inspection – Sellers Get Prepared

Most buyers will have a home inspection within the first 10 days or so of the contract. Sellers, you can do some minor maintenance to your property to prepare for the home inspection.

  • Replace all burned out light bulbs and smoke detector batteries
  • Put in fresh HVAC filters
  • Repair or replace broken items such as window screens and glass, door knobs and latches, and light fixtures
  • Trim trees and shrubs away from the house and roof
  • Make sure the inspector has access to the attic, water heater, electrical panel

The more you prepare the cleaner the inspection report.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Educator Incentive Program

If you are a teacher or school employee Golden Crescent Realty would like to provide a rebate* to you upon the purchase or sale of your home. As retired educators we understand the hard work that’s required from the entire staff to create a successful school environment and we want to say ‘thank you’ with a rebate to help you with the purchase or sale of your home.

  • Please call Rick and Sharon for the details of this program.

*The rebate is to be credited to buyer/seller on the HUD statement and used towards client’s closing cost only. Buyer/Seller does not receive any monies directly from Golden Crescent Realty of Victoria, Texas. Credit may be subject to lender approval. If Buyer/Seller has a loan that prohibits credit, credit will not apply. The rebate is valid only if the broker commission actually received at closing is at least 2.5%. There may be tax consequences to the credit. If you need tax or legal advice, you should consult with the appropriate professional.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Credit Score

Your credit score is mainly based on the credit report information from the three main credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. A credit score is a number based on data from a person’s credit history and signifies the creditworthiness of that person. Lenders use credit scores to decide who qualifies for a loan. The credit score also is a determining factor in what interest rate is offered by the lender.

You are entitled to one free credit report each 12-month period from each of the three credit bureaus. However, your credit score is usually obtained for a fee.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

In and Around Victoria #15 – Eagle Ford Shale

texas_flagEagle Ford Shale – Great news for South Texas and Victoria area!

  • Most active shale play in the world
  • Over 250 rigs running
  • Developed for decades to come
  • 30 Texas counties involved
  • Largest gas and oil development in the world

Are you moving to the Victoria area? Want a great experience when buying your home? Do you want the process to go smoothly and have a positive experience all the way to closing?

Rick and Sharon Martinez can provide that positive experience. They have worked with many first time homebuyers and offer an Educator Incentive Program. Contact Rick and Sharon today to find out how they can help you buy or sell your home.

Rick Martinez, Broker/Owner, Sharon Martinez, REALTOR/Owner Phone: 361-433-0520 Email: rick@gcrtx.com, sharon@gcrtx.com. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information. Like us on Facebook!

Victoria Residential Home Sales

chart_barIn the past 12 months, ending in October 2012, 47% of homes sold were in the $50,000-$150,000 price range. The average price for houses sold from $50,000-$99,999 was $76,433 with an average of 112 days on the market. The average price for houses sold from $100,000-$150,000 was $127,132 with an average of 80 days on the market.

What does this mean for buyers and sellers? Almost 50% of homes sold in Victoria in the past 12 months, ending October 2012, were in the popular price range below $150,000. If you are thinking about selling your house and it’s in this popular price range, more than likely, you will sell it! If you are buying a house in this price range don’t be surprised if other buyers are interested in the same house you like.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information.

If I see it does it stay?

refrigeratorWhen buyers are house shopping there’s often confusion about what will remain with the house after the sale. It’s best the seller is specific in the listing to note what is included and what is not. For instance, normally the refrigerator does not stay. So, if the seller’s intent is to include it with the sale of the home it should be in the listing stating that it conveys with the property or conveys with an acceptable offer.

If items are permanently affixed they generally convey with the sale unless specified otherwise. The dishwasher, oven, light fixtures, and even landscaping are considered fixtures and will generally remain with the house. Things like a flat-screen TV, counter-top microwave (not built-in), curtains, and refrigerator are not considered fixtures and will probably be moved by the seller.

Make sure you get it all in writing even if the listing states the refrigerator will stay because it’s not legally binding unless it’s part of the sales contract or listed on the non-realty addendum.

If you would like Rick and Sharon to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home please call 361-433-0520. Or email rick@gcrtx.com or sharon@gcrtx.com. Ask about our Educator Incentive Program. Try our Property Search to find houses with up-to-date information.