San Antonio Real Estate today

The only way to get hurt on a roller coaster is to get off! As the rates stay low and the loan approval process goes back to pre-stupid days, the desire and need to buy or sell is still there. Got a new baby? Last child left for colledge? Climbing stairs become or will become an issue? Let us help you look at options and the pros and cons of each. I have seen the rates at 18% in the 80's, the S & L's fail and the impact of 9/11. I know how to help you with your real estate needs in this market too! So, stay in your seat and hold on_ this crisis too will pass.

Great News for Home Buyers

Great News for Home Buyers

Fed drops discount rate to 3.5% today. Interest rate reduction will follow very soon. Now is the time to contact me for information on how to buy your dream home. San Antonio is doing great!

Are you ready to Sell?

When you are ready to sell, you'll want to maximize the emotional appeal of your home. People who are enchanted with your home the moment they walk in are most likely to buy the home, and at a fair price.Here are some tips to help enhance the emotional appeal of your home:
* Turn on the lights to create a warm glow and remove the shadows.
* Make sure the windows are clean and open the curtains or blinds.
* Keep the kitchen and baths clean and sparkling. Don’t leave dishes in the sink.
* Remove all clutter, make the beds, and pick up toys.
* Pack away items that may detract from a buyer’s ability to mentally move into your home such as family pictures or teen posters.
* Make the closets look bigger by packing up the clothes you are not using.
* Create a relaxing atmosphere with soft music.
* Make people feel at home with homey scents such as freshly baked cookies or bread or good potpourri.
* Check for pet odors and keep pets safely out of the way when your house is being shown.
* Clean out your basement and garage and neatly stack boxes you have stored there.
* Add charm and appeal with fresh flowers and plants.Set the stage to show your home to its best advantage.

Please call or email me if you have any questions or would like me to provide you with tips on how to prepare your home for sale.

San Antonio Golf Course Home

This beautiful home with pool and spa sit on 1/3 acre and back up to the Hyatt Hill Country Resort Golf Course. The live oaks give lots of shade and privacy, the pool is flanked by 2 decks and the spa has a waterfall feature.

Inside, the 4 bedroom 3 bath home boasts 2 eating areas, 3 living areas and a cooks kitchen. A butlers pantry separate the large dining room from the kichen. The game room upstairs has a beautiful pool table that is available. Set in the NW part of San Antonio, the gated community of The Fairways at Legacy Trails is close to shopping and several major employers.

Contact me for more information!

The Fed helps Home Buyers

The Federal Reserve has taken significant action in the last few weeks due to the credit crunch. To date, over 120 mortgage companies have closed their doors due to reduced liquidity. The result: Borrowers who want to take out non-conforming loans have fewer, more expensive options. Many media outlets have incorrectly added fuel to the fire by stating that mortgage lending has stopped altogether and that borrowers can't get a loan without a 20% down-payment. This is not true. Conforming interest rates and loan programs, those backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have not been significantly impacted by recent events. While this is good news, the market is experiencing unprecedented volatility and changes could come at any time. Borrowers need to act swiftly and decisively in today's climate. The Fed's decision to cut the discount window rate provides stability in the financial markets and this can be good for all of us. It's important to note that the discount rate is different than the Fed Funds Rate, which directly impacts interest rates that you pay for Home Equity Lines of Credit, credit cards, and automobile loans. Most importantly, the discount window rate cut does not directly impact mortgage rates. What should you do now?Information, knowledge, and expertise are the building blocks of sound financial decision making. You need to work with a Real Estae Broker who can help you understand that there are still attractive financing opportunities in today's marketplace – but they might be a little harder to find. Call me and let's discuss how we can give you the information you need to make the best decisions.

As always, your Real Estate Consultant for Life!

Selling Your Home? Must read!

The following are 7 costly mistakes Home Sellers make as they are ready to put their homes on the market. There are many more but these 7 are the most common. Sid Davis' book "A survival Guide to Selling a Home" goes into more detail but here's the points to remember and avoid:

• Mistake #1 Putting your home on the market before it is ready. The street appeal and the interior freshness will either turn on or turn off a home buyer_ make it sparkle.
• Mistake #2 Over improving the home for the neighborhood. Every community has a sales price range_ don't exceed that range with improvements.
• Mistake #3 Pricing the home based on what the seller needs to net. This is the most common. Buyers offers are based on what they see in comparison to your house. If priced properly, it will sell for top dollar in the shortest time.
• Mistake #4 Hiring an agent based on non-business factors. A professional is extremely important in the transaction especially when one of a hundred things go wrong. I work with you and for you through out the entire process.
• Mistake #5 Getting emotionally involved in the sale of your home. When you put it on the market, it changes from your home to your house_ a comodity. People may not love it like you did so don't get upset if they express a dislike.
• Mistake #6 Try to cover up problems with the house or not disclose them. Texas requires a Sellers Disclosure of Condition. Use it properly as the most common cause for a seller to be sued is failure to disclose an issue or condition with the house.
• Mistake #7 Not getting your ducks lined up before trying to sell. Make sure you know what and where you want to buy and the cost before you put your current home on the market.

The costs are high and the frustratiopn great in making these mistakes. I can help you avoid these and many other mistakes. Contact me for a free consultation.

Home Foreclosure looming? I can help.

Overextended homeowners in San Antonio area markets combined with stagnant employment opportunities in some job fields increase the odds that individuals will find themselves in desperate mortgage situations. Despite the trauma foreclosures impose on homeowners and communities, real estate professional Thom Perdue, a foreclosure specialist—can make a difference.
When homeowners fall victim to economic circumstances and face losing their homes, the properties can sit vacant and incorrectly priced for months or even years as lenders try to unload them, leading to a decline in property values at best and a rise in crime at worst.
If enough homes in any particular area enter foreclosure, the fabric of the neighborhood can change as homeowners move—sometimes flipping the properties to investors who flip them again, perhaps without anyone ever moving in. The problem can affect any neighborhood of any economic class in the state.
As your real estate professional, I can help turn the tide against declining neighborhoods by finding stable buyers and helping them locate reliable lenders, contractors, landscapers or repair professionals to restore these properties if needed. Although, many foreclosed homes in today’s market are in good condition, the street appeal is usually degraded at the very least.
I can help homeowners become aware of the financing options available to them to help save them from the many downsides of foreclosure within the often-strict deadlines to close the transaction. The back-and-forth nature of offers generally doesn’t apply with foreclosures. You usually have one shot—win or lose.
Learning to handle foreclosures with grace and expertise has come with time and experience. The process can be frenzied, but it also can be personally and financially rewarding for everyone. If you need help with a pending foreclosure, now’s the time to contact me before it's too late. To learn more about foreclosures, contact Thom Perdue, ABR, CRS, Texas Real Estate Broker.