Christmas Decorations & Gifts for Meals on Wheels Recipients

For the second year, we would like to ask for the help of our Houston community to make this Christmas season for the recipients of Meals on Wheels a little brighter.  Most of these people are elderly, indigent, disabled, ill, lonely, and without family.   The only person that many see is the person who delivers meals to them five days a week.  Last year, the Meals on Wheels shelves were bare and there were no presents for the recipients.  Let’s make a difference and fill the shelves this year for the 4,600 people who receive a daily meal from Interfaith Ministries. 

Christmas is a time people enjoy the sights, sounds, & smells of the season.  Unfortunately, most of these people are unable to leave their home.  So this year, let’s help take Christmas to them.  This year we would like to collect small Christmas decorations, arrangements, stockings, etc…; items that can sit at their bedside or enjoy on their kitchen table.  We would like to deliver these Christmas decorations to Interfaith Ministries by December 4^th so the recipients have time to enjoy them throughout this holiday season.

Also, from now through December 18, we will be collecting small useable items to be used as Christmas gifts.  Some additional items to consider as well are:  toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotions, chap-stick, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shaving cream, etc…. Warm items are also welcomed such as blankets, scarves, hats, slippers, socks, lap quilts, etc….  Also, playing cards, stationary, note cards, small books, bookmarkers, etc….  Collections are starting now through December 18^th for those Christmas gifts, and Interfaith Ministries will begin delivering them to the recipients during the week of Christmas with their meals (starting 12/19).  

Several friends have offered their front porches or businesses as drop-off points.  Hopefully, you will find one that is near you. The addresses are as follows:

• Allegiance Bank – 8727 W. Sam Houston Parkway (Also, as Allegiance Bank has a larger facility for storing donations, they are also collecting pet items for Interfaith Ministries for the Christmas season: dog & cat food, pet treats, etc…)
• Bruner Home – 15310 Philippine, Jersey Village 77040
• Bench Home -   7620 Melody Circle, Woodwind Lakes  77040
• McNinch Home – 18122 Cadbury, Deerfield 77084
• Saufley Home – 16551 Battlecreek Dr., Wheatstone, Copper Creek 11  77095
• Stockton Home  - 8203 Pasha, Rolling Fork 77040
• Wilson Home -  9003 Bent Spur, Winchester Country South  77064

If you would like to offer your front porch as a drop-off point or would like to offer a suggestion, please feel free to call one of us.  We send our appreciation in advance for helping to make this a happier Christmas for some Houstonians who are a little less fortunate.

Blessings to you and your family,

Judy & Elisa

The Texas Legislature is mandating changes in order to obtain Homestead Exemption on your property.  Anyone filing for Homestead Exemption AFTER September 1, 2011 will need to present additional documentation with their Homestead Exemption form.  For example, the State is now asking for you to submit a copy of your driver’s license and vehicle registration with your form.  Both the DL & registration address MUST MATCH the physical address of the property you are claiming as your homesteaded property.  For specific guidelines, visit the following link:  http://www.hcad.org/pdf/HB-252.pdf  or go to Harris County Appraisal District’s main website at http://www.hcad.org/

Love this product! Folex is a great spot carpet cleaner to help “tie you over” between professional carpet cleaning. Learned about this product years ago from Tad Artall from Brightway Carpet Cleaners. It works! I ran out of this product YEARS ago, but found it at Home Depot last month. Of course my Sweetheart “tested it” on our fabric dining room chairs…EEEK! That could have ended REALLY BADLY considering I never used Folex as an upholstery cleaner. Thank goodness the spots came right out. Use it for spot cleaning, but when you need a great professional carpet or upholstery cleaner, please consider giving Brightway a call – (281) 391-2224. They do an AMAZING job!

With the way technology is changing the housing industry, I would like to know what your thoughts are about flyers?  Many Realtors put “INFO tubes” or boxes on yard signs with flyers inside to advertise the home or property.  Do you, a prospective buyer, find the flyers to be an effective form of advertising???  What are your thoughts?  I would love to hear from you.

Stolen AC condenser - 2011

One of my listings’ exterior AC condensers was stolen last week. Unfortunately, this is becoming more common in the Houston area as theives are stealing AC units to sell them for the copper inside.  After looking at the scene, I thought I would share a couple of things with you that perhaps may make your home ”less attractive” to these AC theives.  With this particular home, the theives climbed the fence and cut off the main power to the house at the main breaker box.  (I assume they did this so that they would not electricute themselves when cutting and removing the AC unit).  This home had the main panel box located on the outside of the house but the panel was not locked or secured in any fashion.  The sellers had padlocked the gate entering into the backyard, but the panel box itself was not locked.  Also, the AC condenser was located on the outside of fence-line so that it could be seen from the street, thereby making it easier to remove.  The thieves had fewer obstactles than if the AC had been located behind a fence.  If you have an AC condenser that can be seen from the street, you might consider relocating your fence so that the unit sits behind the fence instead of in front.  This would make the unit much more difficult to remove.  Lastly, please don’t allow your property to appear “unoccupied.”  My seller had moved out of the property the weekend before and there were furniture items left on the driveway that had not been picked up by charity.  I think these may have been what attracted the thieves to stop at this home because it looked empty and unoccupied.  There are also companies now that make metal “cages” that lock over your AC units making them quite difficult to remove as well.  I have noticed that many schools have “caged” their AC units and emergency generators on the outsides of the schools.  I imagine the cages are a  wise investment as  I’m sure commercial ACs and generators would be very costly to replace.  I hope you find some of these suggestions helpful.

Thanks to all of our friends and neighbors who helped contribute to Meals on Wheels this Valentine’s Day.  This was truly a COMMUNITY EFFORT!  Through your help, we collected 26+ boxes of snacks, toiletries,  and little gifts to brighten this day for the sick, elderly, and shut-ins in the Houston area.  Both Jersey Village Baptist Church & Foundy United Methodist Church created gifted bags decorated with hearts and inspirational sayings for the recipients on this special day.  Interfaith Ministries Meals on Wheels program serves 4,500 meals each day.  Thank you for helping make this a special day for so many.  We had many anonymous contributions and we would like to give our sincerest ”thank you.”  We would also like to give a special thanks to Alliegance Bank that set up drop boxes in their lobby to inspire donations from their customers, as well Vintage Gifts & Antiques on Jones Rd who also set up donation boxes in the shop.  We could not have done this without YOU and your thoughtfulness.

For the blog at Interfaith Ministries, click on the link below:  http://sharedbeliefs.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-cards-donated-to-seniors_11.html

As you may know, it is important to get your finances in order by getting loan approval through a lender, as well as look for the right home. It puts you in a much stronger negotiating position to be pre-approved for a home loan when submitting an offer to a seller, but my main goal is for your new purchase to fit comfortably in your budget so that you don’t overextend yourself.  I would recommend talking to several lenders to see what kind of “programs” are out there for you.  Every situation is unique, so a good lender will be able to customize a loan that suits your particular scenario.  Bankers will offer you different “programs” than Brokers can offer you depending on what their bank programs are.  My buyers have seemed to gravitate towards using Brokers instead of Bankers because often times they offer more loan programs for my buyers to choose from.  But it is completely your choice.  The important thing to get pre-approved for a loan before looking for a home.

STEP 1:  Call a few lenders (bankers or brokers) and get pre-qualified over the phone.  This will take about 15 minutes with each individual and it will be free.  The individual loan officer will ask you questions pertaining to your employment and financial situation.  Please be honest with them.

STEP 2:  As you close the conversation with each loan officer, ask him/her to send you a “Good Faith Estimate.”  This will provide you with a list of the lender’s fees and services.

STEP 3:  Review the information and decide to work with ONE lender.  Call him/her back and ask them to pre-approve you for a loan.  Chose someone you feel comfortable with and who you feel will have your best interests in mind.  I would recommend working with someone who will work with you from beginning to end of the transaction, and working with a company where you will not be just a file # but an actual person with a name.  Some companies will transfer your file from one individual to another as the transaction progresses.  This can be frustrating for some buyers who don’t know who to call to help them resolve their issues.  Check with the lender to see how your loan would work if you select them. 

Below are just some of the items the lender will need from you to begin processing your loan application:

1. Borrower & Co-borrower to fill out an application pertaining to employment and financial information.  Lender will also need to conduct a credit check on both Borrower & Co-borrower (about $40 each).
2. Paycheck stubs covering the most recent “30 day” period for Borrower & Co-borrower.
3. All W-2’s and/or 1099 wage statements for the previous two years.
4. Residence addresses for the past two years with landlord addresses/phone numbers, if applicable.
5. Last three statements on all checking, savings, money market, brokerage accounts, mutual funds, and retirement 401k/IRA statements.
6. If self-employed, last two years tax returns (personal and business) with all schedules, plus a year-to-date Profit & Loss statement with Balance Sheet.  No income verification programs are available for self-employed (ask lender for details).
7. For VA loans (past or resent military service), Veteran’s Certificate of Eligibility form and/or DD214 record of military service.
8. If purchasing, copy of accepted Earnest Money Contract signed by all parties.
9. If refinancing, original (blue line) or legible copy of property survey.
10.  A check for the appraisal (about $350) after the contract has been signed and all inspections have been conducted on the property.  Many lenders are now requesting this money at the time of the application so that they have it in their files when the appraisal comes due.  

STEP 4:  Usually within 72 hours after the above information has been submitted, the Lender will pre-approve you for a particular loan and set the perimeters for your loan. (For example, Client A has been approved for a Conventional home loan for the amount of $120,000, with 5% down, at 7% interest, for a term of 30 years.)  Ask for me (or your real estate agent) to be sent a pre-approval letter that states the conditions of your loan (called a Conditional Approval Letter), and also provides me with the name and numbers of your loan officer.

STEP 5:  Once pre-approved for a loan, you and I will begin looking for a home set within those perimeters.  The last thing I will want to do is show you homes that are not within your budget, thus over-extending you for your home loan.  It is important to shop for a home within your means.

I have encountered a new challenge this week that I have not encountered before.  My seller had left the electricity and water “on” to his property, but had turned the gas “off.”  We now have accepted an offer on the property, only to discover it’s not as simple as calling Center Point Energy to have the gas turned back “on.”

From what I understand thus far from Center Point Energy (2/8/11), when gas has been turned “off” for more than 90 days (from 1 person) and 1 year (from another), a licensed plumber has to go out to the property to do a gas test (if the home is located in the City of Houston).  The plumber has to ensure there are no breaks in the line or leaks at the fixtures.  The plumber must also ensure everything is brought up to code at that time.  The plumber must be registered with the City of Houston, and must first get a permit to perform a gas test and do any work on the home.  The permit starts at $150.00 which will cover the first 2 gas “openings” (i.e. gas fixtures) in the home.  The city will then charge the plumber (which will in turn charge the homeowner) for each additional “opening.”  All gas fixtures must be brought up to code by the plumber before the gas test can be performed and the house inspected by the city inspector.  The plumber is the individual who contacts the city inspector once the house is ready for its inspection. 

Only once the house has passed the city inspection, will the inspector make a notation on the property’s “premise” account giving the okay for Center Point to re-install a gas meter to the home and reconnect gas to the property.

I am not sure how or if these steps differ if a home is in the county rather than the city, but my advise to sellers would be to NEVER allow your gas to be turned off or disconnected to your home.  This is a lengthy and cumbersome process of getting the gas turned back ”on” to a home so that the buyers can perform their inspections or tenants can move in.

I found the article entitiled “Facebook: What to Know to Benefit Your Real Estate Practice” quite interesting in Houston Realtor magazine, Feb. 2011.  Personally, when I think of Facebook, I think of a more personal, photo-driven format between friends.  People note when they’ve had breakfast, walked their dog, delivered their kids to school, etc…  But I’ve personally found it challenging ”balancing” personal information and my business on Facebook.  I imagine that I’m not the only person with such a delimma.

Houston Realtor magazaine wrote, “According to iStrategeylabs, of the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas, Houston saw the second largest growth of Facebook users, growing 66.1% from 2010 to 2011…”  It did not surprise me to find that the group with the most growth were college students age 18-24.  I was surprised with our present economy that the largest group of homebuyers were first-time homebuyers aged 25-34, “accounting for 56% of buyers.”  It did not surprise me that 2010 National Association of Realtors announced that “in the past 3 years, 90% of homebuyers use the Internet.”

So, how do I incorporate Facebook to actually get business and not be offensive to my FB “friends.”  I thought the advice given in Houston Realtor was well-thought out.

Some of the advice includes:

1).  Time – As a Realtor, this is my most costly asset.  But the article recommended an agent should FB 30 minutes a day. 

2).  Be Consistent – I thought this was the best advice: for every 4 personal posts, write 1 business post.  Don’t flood our “friends” with things that won’t interest them or too many business “opportunities.”  I liked that rule of thumb: 4 to 1.

3).  Engage – Everything I’m reading right now is talking about the X & Y generations and how they have a need to build relationships with the people.  Houston Realtor cited that”48% of home buyers found their agent through the referral of a friend or family member and 87% of them would use or recommend their agent again….”  FB does allow us to stay connected to people, but that means to ask questions, make posts, and take a real interest in our FB “friends” creating a “relationship.”

I found myself re-thinking what I am (and am not) posting on FB.  I imagine a lot of us have our own businesses that could benefit from our “friends” on FB but could use the advice in how to create a balance in our cyber FB world. 

To read the entire article from Houston Realtor, February 2011 click on the link:  http://hro.har.com/issue/february-2011/article/facebook-what-to-know-to-benefit-your-real-estate-practice

One of my previous clients, Antonette Danna, called me last week when she was looking at refinancing her home.  She could not decide which loan would work best for her.  When looking at her finances, she thought that the 30 year mortgage would likely fit best in her budget, but she wanted to pay off her loan as quickly as possible.  Then I told that one of my loan officers, Matt Brown with Encompassing Lending, shared the following with me:  If a buyer takes out a 30 yr mortgage and makes one (1) extra payment towards the principle each year, he will reduce his 30 year note to approximately 22 years.  If he takes out a 20 year motgage and makes one (1) extra payment a year, he’ll pay it off in about 16.7 years.  If he takes out a 15 year mortgage, he’ll pay it off in about 11.8 years.  The key is to make an additional towards to “principle” and not the interest. 

 This is valuable information to know whether you are looking at refinancing your present home or looking at purchasing a new home.  My advice is to select a payment plan that works best for your budget and then as extra monies become available (i.e. tax returns, holiday bonuses, etc.), then make an extra payment throughout the year.

If you have questions, please give us a call.  We are here for you from Contract through Closing,…and Beyond.