Texas Hill Country Blog

Buyer’s Agents - and why EVERYONE needs one!
April 1, 2009

I began earnestly searching for a home for my daughter and me in December.    You would think being a real-estate agent would have given me the upper-hand.   But it seems that I was only drawn to the “troubled” properties.   With each home I was interested in, something invariably came up.   I tried buying a “short sale”, but decided the process was too long and arduous.    I considered a couple of other properties, but was concerned about the cost of converting them into the home I envisioned.    More important than the home itself was location.   Don’t get me wrong.   There are no bad areas in Fredericksburg.   Every neighborhood has it’s own charm.   But I knew exactly what I wanted, a quiet, kid-friendly, single-mom friendly place.

And guess what?    Out of all of the available properties for sale, there wasn’t a single one that I felt in my gut was the right one.    I thought perhaps I was making excuses for not buying out of trepidation of being a single home-buyer for the first time.    But I had faith the right home would come along – and I would know it immediately.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was in representing myself.   Again, as a real-estate agent, you would think I would have the upper hand.   But emotions got in the way of common sense – and I wasn’t doing my daughter or myself justice doing this house-hunting on my own.

One of the agents I work with told me of a For Sale By Owner in his neighborhood – an area that was exactly what I had envisioned for my daughter and I.    I immediately called the owner and went and saw the house within the hour.   When I walked in the door, I knew “This is it.   This is our new home.”

Fortunately, I work with a great group of agents, and this same one volunteered to represent me and be my Buyer’s Representative.   We filled out the paperwork and made it a formal agreement.    Almost immediately after entering into this agreement, my Buyer’s Representative had an offer ready to present to the seller.  

Needless to say, it was not an easy process by any means.   I removed my real-estate agent cap entirely for this transaction and allowed my agent to take charge.  And it was one of the best decisions I ever made.    I wanted the house and knew I would do whatever it took – within reason – to get the house.   My agent knew this, but the seller didn’t.    Had I been representing myself, the seller would have known in a heartbeat how much I wanted his home, and I would have lost all negotiating power.

In the end, with much assistance and guidance from my agent, it all worked out.   My daughter and I are now happily ensconced into our long-term home, the seller walked away happy and the buyer (me) is elated.    (Any my agent now has a new neighbor!)

Kudos to my Buyer’s Representative.    He had a challenging deal:  representing an agent he works with in a For Sale By Owner transaction – without any compensation!  (The seller refused to pay any commission, and my agent refused payment from me.)    And he did an excellent, A+ job.

Thanks Charlie!

Rain, rain, rain!!
March 12, 2009

Hallelujah!Finally, after several months of dry, parched weather - we have been blessed to receive rain - and lots of it!    It’s been at least 9 months since our beautiful Texas Hill Country received a significant amount of rain.   With the high winds we’ve been having, the entire area has been under high fire alert.    Several hundred acres of land have been lost to fire.  (A reminder to NEVER toss a cigarette butt out of the car window!)    Gillespie and surrounding counties have been placed in Severe Drought Stage.    As a matter-of-fact, Governor Rick Perry has asked that every county in the state be considered for drought assistance.To put it simply:  
Texas has been bone-dry.But thankfully, the clouds opened up and the

Gillespie
County area received a good, soaking rain.   I’ve heard reports of 3 1/2 inches of rain in the city of Fredericksburg, 4 inches in the outlying areas, 3 plus inches in

Mason
County.Records from the last 21 months show the Hill Country area to be 28″ behind normal rainfall.    While this blessed 3″ rainfall we’ve received is only a small portion of that, we appreciate every last drop of it.Before long, the bluebonnets will be sprouting, the fields will be greening up, and springtime will look like springtime in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.   Come on out and take a look! 

“2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit” in a nutshell
February 24, 2009

With all of the numbers and programs being bounced around Washington these days, The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit seems to be the most well-thought out, easiest to comprehend - and most beneficial to working-class Americans.

A few of the highlights of the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit:

Who is eligible:

• The $8,000 tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only OR those who have not owned a PRINCIPAL residence in the past three years prior to purchase.      
• If you own/ed a vacation home or a rental property, but not your principal residence, you still qualify for this credit.
• All U.S. citizens who file taxes are eligible to participate.

Payback provisions:

• This is a true credit that does not have to be repaid UNLESS the home owner sells the home within three years after purchase.

Income Limits:

• Single or head-of-household:
  • the full $8000 credit can be taken if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $75,000.
  • a partial credit can be taken if MAGI is between $75,000 and $95,000.
  • the credit is not available if MAGI is over $95,000.
• Married filing jointly:
  • the full $8000 credit can be taken if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $150,000.
  • a partial credit can be taken if MAGI is between $150,000 and $170,000.
  • the credit is not available if MAGI is over $170,000.

Effective Dates for the Tax Credit:

Closing on the home must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2009.

Additional Information:

1.  The tax credit is refundable.

Examples:

If you qualify for the full $8000 credit: 

•  
  • If you owe $6000 in income taxes, you will receive a $2000 refund from the IRS.   ($8000 tax credit - $6000 taxes due.
  • If you are due a $2000 refund, you will receive a total refund of $10,000 refund.   ($8000 tax credit + $2000 refund due.)

 2.   All homes are eligible, provided they will serve as the home buyers primary residence.   This includes single-family residential, townhomes, and condominimums.

3.   The tax credit can be taken on either the 2008 or 2009 income tax return. 

For more details on the tax credit, go to  www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

Horseback Riding
January 28, 2009

Did you know you can bring your horse trailer/RV to Fredericksburg and have a place to hook-up and ride your horse?  Yes, at Oxbow stables there are Hookups and stalls available to riders out on the road.  Stay a night or as long as you want:-)  Ask me for details!!!

Christmas in Fredericksburg
December 10, 2008

If you haven’t been to Fredericksburg Texas at Christmas time you are really missing out!!! The lights are amazing, it truly brings out your Christmas spirit. We have a parade to celebrate the Holidays that will definitly put a lump in your throat. People decorate their floats and cars/trucks with lights and decor and the parade takes off right at dark. Fredericksburg is a perfect town to celebrate the Holidays.

Homeownership from a single mom’s perspective!
July 24, 2008

Oh, the life of a single homeowner….

Having recently become a single homeowner for the first time in my life, I am slightly overwhelmed with all that must be done.   My home is on the market (a great family home with a pool, hot-tub, and large yard (more info).  Having to keep it in show ready condition is a full-time job in itself!

Yard work?  I get to pay someone to do that.   Since the yard equipment went to live at another address, I don’t have a lot of options here.   An added expense in an already stretched too-thin budget - but cheaper than buying more lawn equipment.

Pool care?  Again, I get to pay someone to do that.  If the house wasn’t on the market, I would attempt this myself.  But I feel it is best to have it professionaly done to ensure it stays in top working order……again an added expense to a stretched too-thin budget - but cheaper than replacing the pump, etc.

Water softener?  Now this one I can handle….although it’s taken waaay longer than it should have to get to the Culligan store for salt……I finally made it there today, so when I get home I get to haul 50 pound bags of salt from my car to the water softener, lift them up, and attempt to dump the salt in without making a gigantic mess or injuring my back.  Woo-hoo!

Air-conditioner filters?  You would think this would be a no-brainer.  There are two electrostatic ones that need taken out and rinsed off with the water hose every 45 days.   Simple enough.  Except that one of the filters is about 20 feet high - and the tall ladder went to live at another address.  So I am left with a six-foot wooden rickety ladder that would best serve as kindling.  But I’ve become adept at hauling it in, wedging it tight between the refrigerator and the wall, climbing up to the top step (that warns of impending doom and death should I step on it), taking the extra-long spatula used for grilling, reaching up to release the clips for the filter, releasing them, opening the door, and taking out said filter.  Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?  By this time, I am alternating sweating bullets and cursing a blue streak - all while looking at the dust that is visible from 20 feet in the air.

The filters (the other is at ground level, thank God) are taken outside, rinsed well, left to dry - and then - guess what happens next?  I get to replace said filters.  Which means I get to do the rickety ladder, spatula clip switching, sweating, cursing routine all over again, just in reverse.    Double woo-hoo!

My biggest accomplishment thus far is reprogramming the sprinkler system.  Now that may sound simple, but having never looked at the thing before, it was a daunting task.  It took awhile, but I finally got it programmed to water twice a week.   As fate would have it, the city has assigned days to water based on addresses, so…..I get to reprogram the thing again.  Which I did last night, while cooking dinner……bad mistake.   At least the smoke alarms didn’t go off - and I ate two meals at Sonic yesterday.

Having the wonderful home I do (did I mention it’s for sale?), it is equipped with all the bells and whistles I would ever need, and several I don’t.  

There’s an alarm system (which I still don’t understand why the previous owners had installed.  Who uses an alarm system in Fredericksburg?  No one!).  I never learned to program the system, don’t know how to arm it or disarm it.  Never felt the need.  (EXCEPT, when the darn thing went haywire during the middle of the night a couple of months ago.   I quickly learned where the back-up battery was and how to disengage it.)  So alarm company came out, charged me for repairing a system I don’t use anyway and showed me the basics of turning the thing on and off.  Great info to pass on to the new owner (did I mention it’s for sale?).

What’s next?   The daily routine of life still has to go on.  Taking care of kids, taking care of pets, trying to earn a living, paying bills, watering plants, and keeping it all spic and span, spiffy and shiny for any prospective buyers.

Home-ownership is the American dream, but I think I need to rent for awhile to recover from this current dream!

Spring in the Hill Country
March 18, 2008

Rain at last. My gauge show nearly an inch and half. With this rain we can expect the hills to come alive with bluebonnets on a blankets of green grass. Little creeks and the Pederanales River are refreshed. Swiming and fishing holes will be ready when the warmer weather arrives. Time to get out and clean the dusk off the bikes to tour the many county roads. Now is the time to come and enjoy Fredericksburg and the surrounding hill country. Make it a day or week..rest in one of the quaint bed and breakfasts or many motels. Visit the many shops and restraunts and don’t miss Enchanted Rock. You won’t run out of things to do!

March 5, 2008

After several days of 70+ degree weather, you kind of get spoiled and forget it’s still winter!     When I look at the weather forecast, I can’t imagine how people spend entire winters in ice and snow.  Thank goodness I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Southern Texas!

Fredericksburg’s real estate market has seen a steady improvement.  The residential market - which saw a significant decline in the 4th quarter of 2007 -has picked up a bit.  With the spring and summer months ahead of us,  the market should continue to improve. 

Due to the slowdown of the market last year, our inventory of homes is up.   There have been many price reductions, and most sellers are coming around to the idea that Fredericksburg is not so much a “seller’s” market anymore.   There aren’t any “steals” to be had, but there are some decent properties available at decent prices.  Search our area Multiple Listing Service and check it out yourself!

Glorious Day in the Texas Hill Country

What a glorious day in the beautiful Texas Hill Country!

The weather is amazing.  A bit chilly in the mornings, but once the chill is gone, the days are beautiful.  

These are days made for looking at land.   Hopping in the car with another agent (or better yet, an interested buyer) and driving down the backroads, seeing the countryside, and remembering what it is that makes our area so special.

Better take a map along, though.  The little “short-cuts” that I often take end up taking me to newfound territory.   Not that I mind.  Just another opportunity to enjoy the jewel we call the Texas Hill Country.

Fredericksburg’s Great!

The tourism industry in Fredericksburg continues to thrive.  Taking a drive up Main Street, you see license plates from all over the U.S. and parking spaces are hard to come by.     With Spring Break just around the corner, Fredericksburg will see more tourists coming to enjoy our own little “Mayberry RFD.”

Behind the quaintness and uniqueness of the gem of the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg is a progressive community.  Our healthcare system is top-notch, with over 30 medical specialties, an 80+ bed hospital, Women’s Pavillion, 10 bed ICU, etc.   I am personally blessed to have the most wonderful doctor to grace the planet. 

Our community leaders of the past had the vision to prepare for Fredericksburg’s growth over the years.  Our infrastructure is solid.  The City of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County do an amazing job of predicting what needs done, and then they act on it. 

All of this planning and progressive thinking has helped Fredericksburg retain it’s integrity and heritage.  A very proud community, we still have parades - 3 or 4 a year, a county fair, a county stock show, 4-H clubs, and festivals of all types. 

If you are considering relocating, I urge you to make a trip to our lovely town and see what all it has to offer.  

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