Tx Real Estate News

Archive for the 'Tx Real Estate News' Category

Tips for Getting Your Home Ready for Fall

September 1st, 2010 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

Hello Readers,

Now that summer is beginning to wind down and cooler weather is on its way, it’s time to get some of the routine home maintenance out of the way before it gets too cold. If you don’t prepare your home in the fall season, and clean up the yard, when spring comes along, you could be left with an unsightly mess. The Real Estate Blogster offers the following tips to prepare your home for the cold months ahead.

Clean out the rain gutters – If you have rain gutters on your home, fall is the best time to get them cleaned. Cleaning rain gutters isn’t that difficult of a task, it’s just a tedious one. The easiest way to get rid of the junk is to use a high pressure hose, and then use a small trowel to get rid of the rest of the debris. Once you have gotten rid of all the debris, give your gutters a final spray.

Take care of your pots and planters – If you’re like most homeowners, you have some planters or potted plants sitting around the yard. Before it gets too cold, be sure to empty the dirt out of any pots or planters and put them in a place where they won’t freeze. If you don’t empty or store your planters, there’s a good chance they will either crack or fall apart.

Rake the leaves – Keeping your yard free of leaves is an important task for homeowners. If you have numerous trees in your yard and piles of leaves that you don’t take care of, you might find that your grass is dead once spring arrives. Leaves can smother your lawn and replacing a lawn can cost a lot of money, so it’s a good rule of thumb to get rid of the leaves in the fall.

Weed and feed the lawn – The best time to weed and feed the lawn is in the fall. If you add weed killer in the fall, the weeds will store the poison in their roots during the winter season, and will prevent a breakout in the spring. By feeding your lawn with fertilizer in the fall, you are promoting healthy root growth, and this will help your lawn grow greener and faster in the spring.

Give your tools a tune-up – Once you have finished your fall maintenance chores, make sure you clean your tools and store them in a dry place so they will be in working order once spring arrives. Be sure to store metal shovels with the head upwards, as this will help detour rusting when it dries. Sheers need to be oiled up, wheel barrels should be left upside down and don’t forget to spray off the underside of the lawnmower.

This blog was brought to you by: Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR

“For ALL your real estate needs”

Jeremy@FrostFinds.com 512.636.2746

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently No Comments »

Have a Safe and TICKET FREE 4th!!!

June 28th, 2010 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

Please have a Safe and Ticket-Free Fourth!

In just a few short days, drivers across the country will hit the road to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends and family. If you’re heading down the road this coming weekend, remember that it’s never a good idea to speed, both for safety and financial reasons. After all, an accident or ticket can ruin your holiday weekend.

So make sure you have plenty of time and that you plan the most effective route and…you may even want to take a minute to find out if there are any speed traps on your route that you should know about. Thanks to the website speedtrap.org, you can easily read about speed traps in communities across the country.

Simply visit speedtrap.org and click on the state and then the cities that you’ll be driving through. You can even add a speed trap you know about, so others can benefit from your knowledge.

Whether you’re traveling a few miles or a few hundred, have a safe and ticket-free Fourth of July!

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR

“For ALL your real estate needs”

www.FrostFinds.com

512-636-2746

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently No Comments »

Top 15 Movies About Moving

June 24th, 2010 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

Hello readers,

Check out this great blog from www.changeofaddress.org

There are an amazing number of movies that begin with a person or family moving into new surroundings whether they are going to school and moving away from home, taking a new job, or experiencing another life changing event. These movies can be really timely for people that are going through something similar in real life. It’s great to be able to laugh, cry, and yell along with the characters at some of the events surrounding a normal move. Accordingly, we put together the following list of the top 15 Movies About Moving (of All-Time).

Karate Kid (1984) – This starred Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso a teenager forced to move from New Jersey to California. He has a difficult time at best making friends and in fact finds himself making enemies much more easily. He ends up getting beat up by some karate students and finds himself saved by the handy man at his new apartment complex who is eventually convinced to train Daniel. In the end Daniel ends up learning all kinds of maintenance tasks like painting fences, he defeats the bad guys, wins the local karate tournament, and gets the girl of his dreams, not bad. Although most kids that move may not find all of the same opportunities they can relate to most of Daniel’s troubles.
Toy Story (1995) – Lots of people get caught up in the fun surrounding the story of these toys that come to life and they forget that one of the important elements was Andy’s family preparing for a move. Andy is the young boy that all of the toys belong to and the person whom they fight for love from. In the end the toys end up becoming friends and they all make the move with Andy to the new house. In the interim though there are all kinds of action scenes as the toys encounter many different threats out in the real world away from the protection of Andy’s room. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, and several other great actors do the voice over for the cartoon characters in this movie. This is a pre-move movie more about friendship and fun than packing up your home, but there was some of that too.
The Firm (1993) – A young lawyer graduates from law school near the top of his class and finds himself getting seduced by a small law firm in Memphis to join their firm. He and his wife move to Memphis into a company owned home complete with a brand new car and furniture. The whole thing almost seems too good to be true and sure enough it is. They find themselves tied up in an FBI investigation of the business of the firm and some related murders. It takes a great plan by the young lawyer and help from friends to escape from the firm with his life still somewhat intact. (and yes, he moves again). This stars Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, and several other well known actors and actresses.
Money Pit (1986) – This is actually one of my favorite moving stories because it is about a couple that is looking for a new house and end up getting what appears to be a beautiful mansion for a steal. That is, until they move in and find out that it’s in complete disrepair and is going to cost a fortune to fix up. As one remodeling project gets started two more problems seem to pop up and they struggle financially and with their relationship to finally see it through to a happy ending. It stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long and is a great comedy. Hopefully, you never personally experience a move quite this bad, but I know I have felt several times like my home is a money pit.
Cheaper By The Dozen (2003) – This movie stars Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt along with several child stars (Hillary Duff, etc.). This is all about moving your family from a small town to a big city as the father of twelve kids (Martin) took the head coaching job at his alma mater. This movie does a good job of looking at the move from each of the character’s perspective. It’s really funny and might be a good way to remind your family that moving is less about jobs and big houses and more about being there for each other and keeping the family unit strong.
The Lost Boys (1987) – This is a story about a divorced, single Mom that has to move in with her father in order to make ends meet for her and her two sons. They move into a new community and quickly befriend some vampire hunters. One of the brothers finds himself in love with one of the vampires and the other brother enlists his vampire hunting friends to save his sibling. This stars Jason Patric, the late Corey Haim, and Kiefer Sutherland. There’s not much to draw from this other than making sure your family sticks together through everything (and of course don’t move into a town known to have vampires).
Footloose (1984) – Starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, and John Lithgow. Kevin Bacon plays a city boy that moves to a small town where dancing and rock music are forbidden. He immediately starts to fight the system by playing music and dancing eventually leading to him organizing a school dance. He ended up making a big positive impact on the town and his small group of new friends. This shows that one new person can make a difference and that you don’t always have to just accept the status quo.
Funny Farm (1984) – The main star of the show is Chevy Chase and as you would expect from him it is hilarious. Chevy plays a character that quits his job as a successful sports journalist to move to the country to write the Great American Novel he has dreamed of all of his life. He finds country life to not be all that he thought it might be and gets distracted by local customs, wildlife, and more. Eventually, he adapts to the surroundings and finds that he actually does become a changed man in the end. This is a great example of moving with a purpose and struggling through epic failures to eventually fulfill your dreams.
Twilight (2008) – Starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner this movie was based on the incredibly popular Twilight novel series written by Stephenie Meyer. Bella Swan (Stewart) plays a character that moves to a small town and a new school and struggles a bit to make friends. She eventually becomes attracted to Edward (a vampire) and begins to uncover his secret. She actually is not very surprised by this discovery, which is an interesting reaction to say the least. Bella ends up making the best of the situation and adapts well to her new surroundings.
Odd Couple (1968) – The oldest movie in the list by far stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau as the odd couple. Felix (Lemmon) breaks up with his wife and is forced to move in with Oscar (Mathau) and the two begin learning to live together. They couldn’t be more opposites, but yet somehow it works. If you are moving in with a friend and/or find yourself in an odd roommate situation you may really enjoy this classic movie.
Moving (1988) – Richard Pryor stars as a mass transit engineer from New Jersey that gets fired from his job and finds a similar job in Boise, ID. He has to break it to his family that they will be moving and then begin the process of planning the move. Hiring terrible movers (ex Cons) and a person with multiple personalities to drive his car across the country to his new home. He ends up losing his new job and the movers never show up. If you think your move is going poorly or went bad check out this movie and see if you still feel the same.
Son In Law (1993) – Pauly Shore and Carla Gugino star in this comedy where Gugino finds herself moving from her family farm to the communal living in a co-ed dorm. Shore is her resident advisor and he ends up helping her through the transition from the farm to life in the big city. She ends up bringing him home for Thanksgiving and treating him to a bit of life on the farm. This is a fun movie about dealing with being a fish out of water (finding yourself in new and strange surroundings).
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) – Jim Varney, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Lea Thompson, and several more stars contributed to this movie remake of a classic TV sitcom. Jed (Varney) is out hunting and a missed shot penetrates the ground and low and behold he strikes oil. They end up moving from the country to Beverly Hills, CA from a small shack to a huge mansion. This is another fish out of water type story but in the end they choose to remain who they are and it’s the people around them that end up adapting.
Coyote Ugly (2000) – Starring John Goodman and Piper Perabo this is the story of a young girl that moves to New York from New Jersey to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. In order to make ends meet she takes a job in a bar called Coyote Ugly, which has almost a cult following in the area. She has to adapt to a new job, new city, and all kinds of trouble as she tries to become the star she knows she can be. LeAnn Rimes lends her voice and several great songs to the soundtrack of the movie.
Raising Helen (2004) – Kate Hudson, John Corbett, and Joan Cusack lead a cast of great actors that bring this story from tragedy to a happy ending. After her brother-in-law and sister die in an auto accident, a young and up-and-comer in the fashion world gets custody of their 3 children. She has to move and deal with getting the kids setup with a good school and other activities to keep them busy while she tries to squeeze in a career. It’s a roller coaster ride but in the end they find a way to make it work.

If you can think of any great moving movies that we should add to the list please let us know!

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR

“For ALL your real estate needs”

www.FrostFinds.com

512-636-2746

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently No Comments »

Extreme Home Make Over In Texas…With My Parents?

January 19th, 2010 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

That’s right ABC’s Extreme Make Over Home Edition hit Kemah Texas last week as it’s 7th season of helping needy families rolls on.

According to my inside source (my Mom and one of the volunteers) the episode is this seasons 2 hour finale and helps a family with 9 adopted special needs kids that is recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ike. They deserving family was recently living in a 20 foot trailer…all 11 of them!

Thanks to Ty Pennington and his gang of 1,500+ volunteers that included actress Jessica Alba, members of the Houston Texans and of course my parents the home was finished on time and true to what you see on television they really did have to “MOVE THAT BUS”!

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR

Proud son of some pretty cool parents!

For all your real estate needs.

(512)636-2746 Jeremy@FrostFinds.com

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently 4 Comments »

Nine Consecutive Gains for Pending Home Sales

December 16th, 2009 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

Washington December, 2009

Pending home sales have risen for nine months in a row, a first for the series of the index since its inception in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in October, increased 3.7 percent to 114.1 from 110.0 in September, and is 31.8 percent above October 2008 when it was 86.6. The rise from a year ago is the biggest annual increase ever recorded for the index, which is at the highest level since March 2006 when it was 115.2.

If you are considering selling your property, NOW is the time!

Contact Jeremy K. Frost ~ Realtor

(512) 636-2746 or Jeremy@FrostFinds.com

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently No Comments »

House votes to expand homebuyer tax credit

November 6th, 2009 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

House votes to extend homebuyer tax credit into spring,

expand it beyond first-time buyers

By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers — $6,500 cheaper.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. But with the program scheduled to expire at the end of November, the House voted 403-12 Thursday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes. The Senate approved the measure Wednesday, and the White House said President Barack Obama would sign it Friday.Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years — would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.

“This is probably the last extension,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate executive who championed the credits.

The homebuyers tax credit is one of two tax breaks totaling more than $21 billion that was included in a bill extending unemployment benefits for those without a job for more than a year. The other would let companies now losing money recoup taxes they paid on profits earned in the previous five years.

“We are still in a world of economic hurt, and Congress must continue to act boldly and creatively,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. “With the right mix of tax breaks and investments we will get through this recession and get folks working again.”

The real estate industry has been pushing to extend and expand the housing tax credit. About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

“For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home,” Bond said. “And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place.”

The credit is available for the purchase of principal homes costing $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

The credit would be extended an additional year, until June 30, 2011, for members of the military serving outside the United States for at least 90 days.

Expanding the tax credit for money-losing companies is projected to cost $10.4 billion.

The business tax break would allow money-losing companies to use current losses to offset taxable profits earned in the previous five years, giving them refunds of taxes paid in those years. Under current law, businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $15 million can claim losses back only two years.

The tax break would help industries suffering losses in 2008 or 2009, including retailers, homebuilders and newspapers. Congress included a scaled-back version of the tax break — for companies with revenues of $15 million or less — in the economic recovery package enacted in February. The new tax break would be available to companies of any size, providing a quick source of cash.

The U.S Chamber of Commerce has been a big backer of the tax break for money-losing companies.

“It frees up capital that they can use to maintain jobs and potentially even hire new people as the economy returns,” said Caroline Harris, senior tax counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The tax breaks would be paid for largely by delaying a tax break for multinational companies that pay foreign taxes. It was passed in 2004 and originally was to have taken effect this year, but would now be delayed until 2018.

The bill is H.R. 3548.

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR

For all your real estate needs!

512-636-2746 or Jeremy@FrostFinds.com

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently No Comments »

Austin Area Green Homes

June 16th, 2009 Categories: Tx Real Estate News

Homebuilders and homebuyers across the country are increasingly interested in green building. But what exactly makes a home green?

Green building means improving the way that homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water, and materials to reduce impacts on human health and the environment. Building a green home means making environmentally-preferable and sustainable decisions throughout the building process-decisions that will minimize the environmental impact of the home while it is being built and over the many years it will be lived in.

Typical features to look for in ENERGY STAR qualified homes include:

An Efficient Home Envelope, with effective levels of wall, floor and attic insulation properly installed, comprehensive air barrier details, and high-performance windows;
Efficient Air Distribution, where ducts are installed with minimum air leakage and are effectively insulated;
Efficient Equipment for heating, cooling, and water heating;
Efficient Lighting, including fixtures that earn the ENERGY STAR; and
Efficient Appliances, including ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, refrigerators, and clothes washers.

These energy efficiency improvements save homeowners money — about $200 to $400 per year on utility bills. More importantly, monthly energy savings can easily exceed any additional mortgage cost for the energy efficiency improvements, resulting in a positive cash flow from the first day of home ownership. As a result, the cost-effectiveness of ENERGY STAR improvements can help offset additional costs associated with other green home features.

What should home buyers look for first in a green home?

Energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global climate change. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes save money on utility bills, provide a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality, and help protect the environment.

Are you looking for an Austin area Green Home or trying to make your current home more efficient?

Jeremy K. Frost is one of about 350 Central Texas Realtors (out of almost 20,000) that has received extensive GREEN training in new construction and resale homes by the EPA / Energy Star.

Contact Jeremy today for all your GREEN real estate needs!!! ~ Your Energy Star Rated REALTOR!!!

512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeAndLand.com

Share This

Posted by Jeremy K. Frost | Currently 2 Comments »