Why You Should Hug a REALTOR - From someone who isn't one!

Read what Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle says about how your Texas REALTORS are looking out for the homeowners in Texas and why you should hug a REALTOR!

Thanks, Rick!

The Lone Star Secret - CNBC

We pride ourselves on being just a little bit different - okay, we're a whole lot different and darn proud of it.

The way I see it, the greatest thing affecting our real estate market these last couple years is that Texans keep forgetting that what happens in the rest of the country isn't what's happening here!

Read what CNBC has to say about the "Lone Star Secret".

Still a lot of March Fun left in San Antonio

According to SanAntonioRiverwalk.com there are still some great events happening in March 2010. Check them out here:

• JW Marriott San Antonio Grand Opening Fundraising Salute to Military Heroes 
• 3/19-3/21 
• JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa

• Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles 
• 3/19-3/20 
• Municipal Auditorium

• The ARTS CART 
• 3/20 
• San Antonio Children's Museum

• Spring Fling with the Wild Things 
• 3/20
• Sunken Gardens Theater

• 10th Annual Empty Bowls Fund Raiser 
• 3/21 
• Southwest School of Art and Craft

• Jasper Johns at the McNay: Past and Present 
• 3/24-6/13 
• McNay Art Museum

• Curtains 
• 3/26-3/27 
• San Pedro Playhouse

• Blaser Skeet Classic 
• 3/26-3/28
• National Shooting Complex

• Mozart and Der Rosenkavalier 
• 3/26-3/27 
• Majestic Theatre

• BRAVO!  Folklorico 
• 3/27-3/27 
• Arneson Riverwalk Theatre

Basura Bash

San Antonio River Authority has announced the upcoming 16th Annual Basura Bash to be held March 27, 2010.

Here's what their website has to say:

The Basura Bash Planning Organization is a volunteer organization committed to increasing stewardship of the San Antonio Area Waterways through:

Mobilizing volunteers and hosting regular cleanups including  the annual Basura Bash.

Providing community education regarding water pollution and natural resource preservation.

Building public/private partnerships for the betterment of our community's environment.

Dust off your Basura Bash work gloves and work boots, it's almost time to clean it like you mean it. Learn more at basurabash.org

8 Tips to Guide Your Home Search

1. Research before you look. Decide what features you most want to have in a home, what neighborhoods you prefer, and how much you’d be willing to spend each month for housing.

2. Be realistic. It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your list of priorities as a guide to evaluate each property.

3. Get your finances in order. Review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and closing costs. Then, talk to a lender and get prequalified for a mortgage. This will save you the heartache later of falling in love with a house you can’t afford.

4. Don’t ask too many people for opinions. It will drive you crazy. Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion, but be ready to make the final decision on your own.

5. Decide your moving timeline. When is your lease up? Are you allowed to sublet? How tight is the rental market in your area? All of these factors will help you determine when you should move.

6. Think long term. Are you looking for a starter house with plans to move up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home for a longer period? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that will best suit you.

7. Insist on a home inspection. If possible, get a warranty from the seller to cover defects for one year.

8. Get help from a REALTOR®. Hire a real estate professional who specializes in buyer representation. Unlike a listing agent, whose first duty is to the seller, a buyer’s representative is working only for you. Buyer’s reps are usually paid out of the seller’s commission payment.

Published with permission of National Association of REALTORS®

Federal Program to Encourage Short Sales

From REALTOR Magazine, March 8, 2010

Beginning April 5, the Obama administration will encourage delinquent borrowers to avoid foreclosure and instead give up their homes in short sales by streamlining the process.

The program will offer a cash payment to the home owner, as well as to the servicer and second-lien holder; and protect borrowers from future lender lawsuits for the unpaid mortgage balance.

To curtail fraud, lenders will have to consult real estate practitioners to assess home value and minimum acceptable offer; they then must accept any offer that is equal to or higher than that.

Source: The New York Times, David Streitfeld (03/08/10)

© Copyright 2010 Information Inc.

Conduct Your Own Energy Audit

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  Conduct Your Own Energy Audit

  A do-it-yourself energy audit can teach you how to be more energy efficient and make you a more-educated consumer should you decide to hire an expert. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2010 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®