Big Buyer Incentives from Lennar Homes in San Antonio

Just passing this info along to any buyer's interested in a Lennar Home here in San Antonio....Ending this weekend January 23rd You could receive up to $25,000 in incentives toward the purchase of a Lennar Home. Lennar has many communities across San Antonio to suit your location needs.

Having trouble choosing a builder or a community? For more info or a FREE San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

David Weekley Homes Now Building in Indian Springs

I just left David Weekley's model home in Indian Springs and can confidently say that it is beautiful. There are plenty of standard features and upgrades to choose from to really enjoy living in one of these homes. You can build from scratch or they will have some builder specs completed soon enough to choose from.

For more information on new construction homes in the San Antonio area or a FREE San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Price Improvement on 2902 Low Oak St 78232

Talk about a great price for a huge home in the quiet neighborhood of Thousand Oaks on a beautiful tree lined street. This home has 5 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in almost 3000 square ft of living space. This home is ready for the updates of your choice and priced accordingly. Fun playscape in the backyard will stay!

For more info on this listing or a FREE San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

2902 Low Oak St in Quiet Thousand Oaks for SALE

Huge Home for a great price on a quiet tree lined street....this home is ready for your decorating and updating tastes....blank solid pallette ready for your paint!

Go to www.HollyGHomes.com for more info or a free San Antonio home search.

Thousand Oaks Home For Sale on Quiet Tree Lined CulDeSac

This beautiful home for sale is quite the deal in a great location inside loop 1604....convenient to shopping, restaurants, the airport and downtown...not to mention the Hill Country.

16206 Garden Oaks St 78232 MLS 871470

For more info or FREE San Antonio Home Search www.HollyGHomes.com

Conway Freight Bringing San Antonio Jobs!

San Antonio's housing market has been one of the more stable markets in the country...mostly because of our employment opportunities.

Conway Freight will be building a new 41,500 square ft service center on 30 acres in the North east area of San Antonio. They currently employ 104 people and have plans to hire 50 new employees.

This is just more good news for San Antonio's steady and healthy growth. San Antonio Business Journal has all of the goodies on the plans.

For information on the San Antonio Real Estate Market or a FREE San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Interest Rates are Creeping Back Up!

I did say creep right? This upward movement of mortgage interest rates have been in every news article sent in my direction today.

30 year fixed mortgage rate has hit 5% first time since May...bullish economic outlook and strong retail sales are doing the push. Rates haven't been above 6% since November 2008.

Rismedia article gives fuller details from bankrate.com.

For more San Antonio real estate info or a free San Antonio Home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Is Your House Telling You It Needs Some Work?

If your home is older, it doesn't have to look shabby or neglected. Even a new construction home needs sprucing/work a couple of years after it's built.

Home inspectors will tell you to take care of the outside of a home before the inside. Keep tree branches trimmed away from your home to prevent damage from the branches and mold and lichen growth...Ivy growth on the walls can damage brick mortar and can leave muddy looking tracks from the rootlets on both masonry and wood. Fresh coats of exterior paint will keep a home looking vibrant and protected from the weather. Keep your decks looking young by coating with clear sealant every two years....grey splintered decks are less than attractive.

Moving inside, stagers have simple tips for updating your home. It might be time to update your storm door if you have the half glass/half something else...full view storm doors in a trim that matches the home is what's popular today.

Curtains....heavy layered curtains with sheers OUT...keep it light, bright and airy. Simple panels on the sides of the windows and perhaps some blinds for privacy if needed.

Wallpaper...OUT OUT OUT....take it down unless it is very subtle.

Lighting....Hollywood light strips in the baths can be replaced inexpensively to anything more modern.

Electrical outlets...if you have outlets and switches that have been painted over, spend a couple of dollars and replace all of these. Rooms look so crisp with new outlets and switches.

Worn carpeting....makes a whole house look tired. Rip it out and start over with new carpet, wood, laminate, or tile.

Molding...skinny is out and big molding around doors and windows is in....crown molding in rooms is also an inexpensive rich touch.

Address numbers....update your address numbers on your home and mailbox with bold heavy gauge numbers perhaps three dimensional. Really inexpensive way to wow up your home's curb appeal.

If you are thinking of selling your home, these items are a must check list to go over....otherwise, do these things for you and your home and enjoy being there everyday!

Go to www.HollyGHomes for a free San Antonio home search or more useful info.

New KFC Song...Not REal Estate...

This isn't Real Estate oriented but everyone needs a laff now and then and I have

been accused of having a sense of humor...!

Don't forget you can go to www.HollyGHomes.com for a free San Antonio home search.

Would You Rather Have a New Construction Home?

Many of us would rather purchase a brand new home with new current features and a builder warranty ... not to mention possible builder incentives to purchase.

Here are just a couple of new homes ready for move in at The Point in Bulverde Village.

For more information on areas, new construction, builder incentives or a free San Antonio Home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Upcoming Events for Bulverde Village in San Antonio

For those of you interested in Bulverde Village....my new neighborhood...here some upcoming events of interest.

10/5/10 National Night Out. From 6 to 9 PM residents in the community are urged to turn on their porch lights and get out in the front yard to meet their neighbors. What a great way to create a friendly community that watches out for each other.

10/16/10 Neighborhood Garage Sale. No permits needed for residents and we are sure to have great weather for treasure hunting.

For more information or a free San Antoni0 home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Be a Competitive Home Buyer!

It is still a buyer's market here in San Antonio but it is smart to be a competitive buyer no matter what the market. You never know when there will be multiple offers on any home for sale.

NUMBER 1...get pre-approved before you begin shopping. This will let you know what price tag you should be shopping for but also proves to any seller that you are ready, willing and able to purchase a home. I rarely submit an offer to a seller without submitting a letter from my buyer's lender....most sellers are reluctant to accept any offer without one.

2. Know what your budget is. Just because you are approved for $300K doesn't mean you should purchase that much house. You need to know how much mortgage payment your budget will allow for with a little extra to eat out now and then.

3. Make a strong offer. Your Realtor can help you with this. If bringing less money to the closing table is most important to you then perhaps you shouldn't slice the home's price tag too much and ask the seller to pay more of your closing costs....perhaps the closing date is more important to the seller so give there to get somewhere else.

4. Be or have a good negotiator to help you. There are many moving pieces to an offer... price, close date, closing costs, home warranty, repairs, option period....it never hurts to know what is important to each party and negotiate the terms to be a good fit for buyer and seller.

5. Be ready to buy....many Realtors have sad stories about the perfect house that got away because someone took too long to think it over.

For more information or a free San Antonio Home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com.

203K StreamLine Loans for Buying a Fixer Upper Home

Did you know that 80% of homes today are at least 20 years old and could probably use some updating? Have you or someone you know thought of getting this kind of fixer upper in a revitalizing neighborhood but wouldn't have the cash after closing to start the remodel?

A 203K Streamline loan is the product that would allow you as a buyer to roll those remodel expenses right into the note! The 203K is an FHA product and the Streamline portion is meant for homes that don't need structural work...just paint, carpeting, appliances, counter tops or basically aesthetic goodies up to $35K. The bank actually becomes in charge of making sure that the contractors are all FHA approved (so they don't run away with the $) and the remodel time line is followed and not to exceed 4-6 months. Not every lender is willing to take on this responsibility or do this type of loan.

This product is meant for home buyers that intend to occupy the home...not investors.

The intention is to revitalize many of our older neighborhoods and get them healthy again...great idea!

For more information on this loan product and qualified lenders to help you through a wonderful adventure such as this in the San Antonio area go to www.HollyGHomes.com or 210-883-4399 cell.

My Insurance Agent...I'm in Good Hands!

This is my Insurance Agent....she is creative and she cares!

For more information or a free San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Picking the Right Home for You to Purchase

Everyone wants to pick the right house when they are house hunting...no one wants buyer's remorse 2 weeks to 6 months after you move in.

Here are some tips to follow when you begin your home search:

1. Find a good Realtor. You want one that can point things out you might miss as well as help with values and what you should offer.

2. Know what your budget is so you can pick the neighborhood that makes you feel warm and fuzzy AND fits the wallet.

3. Know what type home will make you happy for the next 7 years or so...will it be a one story or a two story...how many bedrooms and baths do you think you need, how much yard do you want to enjoy and take care of. Are you looking for new or a fixer upper?

4. Pay attention to the location of the homes that interest you. Are there busy streets in front/behind or in close proximity that you might find annoying in the near future or hurt your resale ability. Are power lines too close for your comfort, does drainage/flooding look like it could be an issue?

5. Be ready to make an offer when you have found the right home....if the home gives you a hug and meets most of the resale and need criteria you should make a strong compelling offer before anyone else buys it out from under you. I have seen it happen in all kinds of markets.

For more information or a free San Antonio Home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

8 Top Reasons for You to Buy a Home Now

The media is all over the board when it comes to homeownership and buying a home in this market. Best time to buy....don't buy now....blah blah blah...

Here is my ten eight reason's to buy a home right now...and some of these reasons are timeless.

1. Current home prices are still great...good time to save money. It's still a buyer's market which makes it easier/acceptable to play hardball. Don't try and catch the bottom of the market. No one knows where the bottom is till the market goes up and anywhere in this market will be great for the long haul.

2. Interest rates are at historic lows! I don't have a crystal ball but they just can't stay this low forever. The lower the rate, the more house you can buy for the same payment.

3. Uncle Sam Tax Break. If you itemize your taxes, you can deduct your mortgage interest and your property taxes every year. You don't get that opportunity when you rent!

4. It's your home....you will be able to do whatever you want in your new home...paint or move your walls as you wish!

5. Investment for your future. Buying a home is not a get rich quick solution. At least you will be putting your money in a vessel you can sell when you wish.

6. Can be cheaper than renting. In some markets, the payment on a home you will own can be less expensive than renting a home/apartment of a lesser quality and space.

7. Large Home inventory for better choices....relocations, foreclosures, and lots of unsold human preowned.

8. Markets are cyclical and this one will change too eventually....the glut will disappear and the interest rates will go up....we just don't know when.

For more information or a free San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Credit Score Misconceptions...

Having a great credit score can help you with more than just buying a home or a car...did you know that? Some insurance companies base what they charge off of a credit score...unfair maybe but it happens.

Here are a few misconceptions people have about their credit scores and what affects them:

Misconception 1: I am caught up now so paying late didn't hurt my credit score....wrong! Recent late payments are like poison for a credit score...keep that in mind.

Misconception 2: It's all about the dollar amount late that matters....wrong! Being late with $5 dollars will hurt your credit score the same as being late with $1000. Debt ratios and recency matters...always pay your bills on time every time.

Misconception 3: Help your credit score by closing credit card accounts...wrong. Canceling a card by ending what could be a good history and available credit...keep them open and current...practice restraint.

In tough economic times we have a tendency of putting more on credit cards rather than pay cash...try and stay on a budget and if your income is tight remember this while you are shopping "If I don't need it and I can't eat it, I can't have it!"

For more information or a free San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

FHA Lending to Change on September 7, 2010

Money changes are coming with FHA financing September 7....good and bad...

The upfront mortgage fees which increases the amount of money a buyer may have to bring to the closing table will drop from 2.25% to 1% so that's good...

MI is going to increase from .55% to between .85 and .90% depending on loan to value ratio. This will increase any FHA buyer's monthly payment...for example on a $175K home the payment would increase by $31 each month.

Interest rates are phenomenal at this moment so give it some thought to be under contract on a home before 9/7/2010....

For more information or a free San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com

Build Your Dream Home in Vintage Oaks...1526 Vintage Way

This beautiful 1.54 acre lot is a steal at $68K which is less than originally paid for...level clear area in the front and beautifully wooded for privacy in the back. Vintage Oaks is an upscale Hill Country neighborhood with a classy mediteranean club house and large relaxing pools...and a lazy river. Enjoy the stars at night and perhaps a beverage from a nearby vineyard. For more info go to www.HollyGHomes.com.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

You and Your Home can be More Eco-Friendly

Everyone should make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint here in San Antonio...better for the environment and your pocketbook!

1. Use less water-turn the water off while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, only run

full loads in the dishwasher and for laundry, buy from sustainable producers that pollute and

use less.

2. Use less energy-plan your errands for less driving, buy energy efficient appliances that use

less energy, unplug chargers when not in use(they continue to use power even when not

charging something), put TV's and other electronics on a power strip and turn that off when

not in use (these items use energy even when they are not on), walk or ride a bicycle on

short trips when possible, buy local...takes less energy for transportation.

3. Reuse-be creative here, old food jars can be used for all kinds of storage, paper towel and

toilet paper holders can be used to sow seeds in the garden and yogurt containers can be cut

and used as labels in the garden...just be creative.

4. Environmentally safe products- buying "natural" cleaning products doesn't always mean

they are natural or safe. Try making cleaners yourself. Did you know that Vinegar makes

a great cleaner and disinfectant for glass and other surfaces? Add some baking soda and

remove a stain or two.

Get the whole family involved and make it fun...while saving the environment and some bucks!

For more information or a free San Antonio home search go to www.HollyGHomes.com.