Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

We know that a person cannot live isolated from society and when you move to a new colony, it is necessary to establish a good relationship with your neighbors.

Good neighbors can create bonds of trust and friendship, often they will be the ones who help you in some problem.

As easy or difficult as it is to live together with you and your neighbors, we give you some tips to promote respect, peace and an environment of tolerance. After all, you are sharing a common place with them.

-Give yourself time to know the colony

Before establishing a dialogue with anyone, observe how they behave. What communication channels they use and how they do it, if there are friendships or enmities and maybe how long they have been living in the property. Knowing your neighbors a bit more, you will know how to approach them and establish a dialogue. 

-Avoid being a noisy neighbor

Of course, is your house or apartment and you can listen to music, watch movies with a sophisticated sound system, make the parties you want or set up a ballroom in the middle of your room but, your neighbors are also entitled to rest at night, to have tranquility and an atmosphere of peace around them. When you think that you will disturb the order a bit, talk to them and let them know what you have planned to do before.

-Have children? 

Children in the house should be explained what it means to live in a community and the importance of respecting common areas: teaching where to play or not, or why it is important not to shout at certain times.

-Your pet, your responsibility

Having a pet is very valid, but remember that you are in charge of a living being that needs attention and care; In addition, the pets end up being part of the neighborhood coexistence. To avoid complaints of odors, clean your home, take your pet to walk with his leash to incite bad faces, collect their waste and teach to make as little noise as possible.

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Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

There are a few good reasons to attend an open house, as nearly half of buyers do. The biggest benefit is that you can learn from the crowd. Pop in during the last hour and check the sign-in sheet for the number of visitors; a throng indicates a competitive market. Plus, curious neighbors often drop by, so it’s a great opportunity to ask questions about the community.

“An open house is the ideal way to determine where you want to be and start gauging area prices,” observes St. Louis agent Carrie Nenonen.

And if you actually like the place, nothing beats kicking the tires in person. Check the water pressure, peek inside the closets, look in the basement. Dig beyond listing data—ask the agent on duty about the home’s sale history and any past renovations.

A word of caution: The agent running the open house works for the seller, so be careful not to disclose too much about your budget or how you feel about the place. Be clear about your intentions; if you’re not a serious buyer, say so. On the other hand, if you already have an agent representing you, write his or her contact information on the sign-in sheet for follow-up.

To access the original article, Click Here.

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

Finding a new home can be a fascinating and challenging experience. It is important to have a real estate agent who takes the time to understand your personal needs and lifestyle.

Step 1: Decide to buy

The decision to buy your first home is one of the best and most important decisions you will make in your life. After all, a home is the most important (and most emotional) investment of life for most people.

Step 2: Hire an agent

When looking for a real estate agent to help you, know that good agents put their clients first and foremost. This is your dream and your agent is your partner to help you make this dream come true. 

Step 3: Secure financing

Ultimately, the lender will grant you pre-approval for a specific amount, but YOU decide how much you can comfortably pay each month. Remember, the lender only sees your financial situation on paper. The decision of how much you are willing to adjust your budget to have the house of your dreams is yours. 

Step 4: The own house

You have already obtained prior approval and are ready to begin the search. But, how or where to start? There is a large supply of properties and immersing yourself in this without any guidance can be overwhelming and confusing. A good agent will help you more accurately identify the properties that fit your criteria. The right home should meet all your important needs and as many other desires as possible.

Step 5: Make an offer

Once you have found a house that you love, the next step is to make an attractive offer. While it is likely that when you find a house that loves the emotions are going to be on the surface, it is important to remember that a house is an investment. Your agent will look for similar properties in the neighborhood to help you determine the market value, and a fair price, for your property. Use your agent to inform and guide you throughout the bidding process.

Step 6: Closing

Once you have made your offer and completed the inspection process, you will enter the final straight! In order to make sure you do not put your closing date or mortgage at risk, you should be aware of some pre-closing responsibilities. 

Step 7: Protect your investment

Congratulations and welcome home! He completed the process of buying a house, but as with any important process, there is a maintenance plan! Now it is your responsibility, and the most convenient from the economic point of view, to protect your investment in the years to come. Performing routine maintenance on the systems of your home is always cheaper than solving more important problems later. Be sure to look for signs of leaks, such as water or gas, damage and wear.

And remember, your relationship with your agent does not have to end simply because the sale has been completed. After the closing your agent can still help you, for example, with information for your income tax returns, to look for contractors and repair services and even to follow the updated value of your property in the market.

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Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

1. Go local.

Gone are the times when nationwide programs allowed for the zero-down loan, the federal home buyer tax credit, and the use of tax credit funds toward down payment and closing cost requirements.

The best programs of this sort are now largely operated by local governments—primarily cities and counties—and the rules for qualifying vary. Some are exclusively for buyers with low or moderate incomes; others are dedicated to helping first-time home buyers. Many of these programs have a limited pool of funds that may run out over the course of the fiscal or calendar year, and almost all of them require buyers to jump through some hoops, such as completing homeowner education classes or choosing a home that meets specified criteria.

2. Hit up your relatives.

Most mortgage programs will allow for some portion of your down payment to come in the form of “gift money, “which is exactly what it sounds like: money someone gives you to help you buy a home.

While gift money may sound great, be aware that taking gift money from a relative can create relationship issues or come with emotional strings attached. Plus, lenders frequently require that gift money be accompanied by a letter that clearly states the money is a gift, not a loan. The lender may also want to see a bank account statement from the giver, proving that the money was theirs to give.

3. Ask your employer.

Universities and municipal departments that employ first responders such as police and firefighters frequently make down payment and other home-buying assistance programs available to staffers. Large employers or even smaller companies seeking to lure top-level recruits do something similar: relocation assistance programs.

Check in with human resources to explore whether any such assistance is available—and if you happen to find yourself a hot prospect on the job market, consider trying to negotiate relocation or down payment assistance into your offer package.

 

4. Tighten your budget.

Get gut-level real with yourself about what’s truly important to you. If the answer is buying a home, then it’s time to examine your spending and look for leakage that you can redirect to your down payment savings.

If you spend $20 a workday on a morning coffee and bagel and a takeout lunch, that’s at least $400 per month—almost $5,000 a year you could be saving. And those numbers are not inflated to reflect big-city prices. Nor is the $100-a-month cable bill, the $15 yoga class, or the $2,000 vacation.

5. Borrow from yourself.

There are situations in which it may make sense to borrow a few thousand dollars from your 401(k) or IRA.

Some retirement accounts allow you to borrow against or pull out funds, penalty-free, to apply them toward your down payment on a home. Is it advisable for everyone, in every situation, to deplete their 401(k) or IRA to plug that cash into a house? Absolutely not.

For more information about this article click Here

 

 

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

Adam Pacheco, the El Paso director of Associated General Contractors, isn’t complaining about the El Paso economy these days – not at all.

“As far as construction goes, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said, describing the projects underway half way through 2017. “This is pretty much what contractors look for.”

By far, the majority of work is publicly financed – the city quality of life bond projects, highway construction and a new building under construction at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to name a few projects.

But, Pacheco said, there’s nothing wrong with that because private investment comes right behind it.

“It goes hand in hand,” he said. “You build a new school, and homes go up around it.”

Mayor Dee Margo, addressing contractors, local officials and others at an Associated General Contractors meeting Thursday, touted the addition of about 4,500 jobs this year, including 1,690 professionals and 1,200 leisure and hospitality workers.

The city’s unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.9 percent, just above the state rate.

Margo also noted that El Paso is second in job growth in Texas at 3.3 percent, behind the Dallas metropolitan area, which is at 3.6 percent.

But, he said, 70 percent of the city’s tax base is based on single-family homes, which contributed to an anemic 1.4 percent increase in the city’s property tax base this year – the smallest increase among the state’s major cities.

“And, that is the problem,” he said, because a growing city with growing demands needs a growing housing market along with stronger industrial and commercial sectors to help with the burden.

Looking at the city’s continuing work on quality of life projects, the start of construction on the El Paso Independent School District’s $669 million in bond projects next year along with the Ysleta school district’s projects, Pacheco said the construction boom goes over the horizon.

“The future for the next 10 years looks pretty good,” Pacheco said.

The work is attracting out-of-town companies, he said. But as yet, he hasn’t seen signs that El Paso contractors are having a hard time keeping up.

“No one’s complaining,” Pacheco said. “I guess that’s a good problem to have. Everybody is pretty happy and excited about all the opportunities that are coming around here in El Paso.”


To read more click on This Link

 

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

1. The sun shines in El Paso about 82 percent of the time.

Think about what 300-plus days of sunshine each year really means. Feel the warmth on your skin. Got it? In El Paso, you can play year round, whether it’s golf, hiking, biking, swimming, birding, climbing mountains or just relaxing in a deck chair as you enjoy the rays.

2. Education in El Paso gets excellent grades.

Outstanding public schools in three school districts make El Paso families happy and well educated. El Paso Community College serves 35,000 students. The University of Texas at El Paso is observing its 100th anniversary in 2014.

3. El Pasoans eat well.

From classic Italian to authentic Tex-Mex, barbecue to fine dining, El Paso’s dinner table is varied and inviting. 

4. You’ll never run out of things to do in El Paso.

Dodgeball, volleyball, kickball, soccer and basketball – you can play it all here in a modern, multipurpose gyms. 

5. El Paso’s cultural scene embraces all types of art.

Culture vulture? You’ll be delighted by El Paso’s many arts offerings. The city’s museums are first-rate, from the El Paso Museum of Art to the El Paso Museum of History, which celebrates the city’s vibrant multicultural heritage.


A very interesting article, view the original post: here

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

 

First, it is necessary to start by defining what is an asset and liability. An asset is anything that generates money flow into our pockets On the other hand, a liability is the opposite. True goods or services require money, maintenance, payments, etc. That is, he takes silver from his own pocket.

Do we get cash when we buy a house?

No, on the contrary, money comes out of our pockets.

When we are 100% real estate owners, do we earn money?

No, it does not matter if you do not have mortgages, debts or credits. All property requires maintenance expenses, payment of taxes and payment of services like electricity, water, among others.

An owned property would be considered an asset as long as it generates revenue after all debts have been paid. If all of the expenses are paid and there is money left in your pocket, there if a house is considered an asset.

For more information read this article

Is My Home an Asset or a Liability?

 

 

 

 

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

A higher salary and the ability to save are the two most important characteristics missing for young people who want to buy a home.

The millennials have no savings, but are interested in purchasing a home in the next 5 years, so they are willing to make sacrifices for the down payment and buy their first home.

80% of millennials say they want to buy a home—but most have less than $1,000 saved.

New data from Apartment List shows that, although 80 percent of millennials would like to purchase real estate, very few are in a good position to buy, largely because they have nothing saved. According to the report, “68 percent of millennials said they have saved less than $1,000 for a down payment. Almost half, or 44 percent, of millennials said they have not saved anything for a down payment.”

Depending on where they are looking to buy, given their current savings rate, millennials are 10 years or more away from home ownership. Young residents will have to be exceptionally patient: Odds are they won’t be in a good position to buy an apartment for “almost 24 years,” or “until the year 2041.

In order to make buying a realistic part of a five-year plan, most millennials will have to start saving more. Luckily, research has shown that millennials are actually good savers, though their priorities are different and distinct from those of other generations: They’re generally eyeing short-term goals rather than long-term ones. But, if becoming property owner’s matters enough to them, they may well be able to make their home-buying dreams come true.

The full report can be retrieved from here:

 https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/26/most-millennials-want-to-buy-a-home-but-about-half-have-nothing-saved.html

 

 

 

 

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

Here are the latest statistics for El Paso, Texas (courtesy of point2homes):

Population Demographics
-Total population: 832,283
-Male population: 404,085
-Female population: 428,201
-Median age: 30.7 years

Household
-Total households: 271,728
-Family households: 207,647
-Non-family households: 64,079
-Households with children: 126,792
-Households without children: 144,932
-Average People Per Household: 3.09

Education
-No High School: 89,448
-Some High School: 54,299
-Some College: 105,389
-Associate Degree: 30,599
-Bachelors Degree: 62,889
-Graduate Degree: 31,054

Marital Status
-Never Married: 180,220
-Married: 239,402
-Separated: 30,954
-Widowed: 11,383
-Divorced: 41,933

Average Income
-Median Income Under 25: $25,484
-Median Income 25-44: $35,488
-Median Income 45-64: $46,571
-Media Income Over 65: $39,362
-Average Household Income: $49,593
-Median Household Income: $38,358
-Average Household Net Worth: $300,648
-Median Home Sale Price: $101,936

Claudia Hargrove Thoughts

Whether you’re looking to move to a new neighborhood, or you want to know if your current neighborhood is a good fit for you, these questions can help you gauge for quality. These are the questions that the American Planning Association (APA) use to determine a neighborhood’s eligibility for “great neighborhood”.

Neighborhood Form and Composition

How does the neighborhood …

1. Capitalize on building design, scale, architecture, and proportionality to create interesting visual experiences, vistas, or other qualities? Accommodate multiple users and provide access (via walking, bicycling, or public transit) to multiple destinations that serve its residents? Foster social interaction and create a sense of community and neighborliness?

2. Promote security from crime is made safe for children and other users (i.e. traffic calming, other measures)?

3. Use, protect, and enhance the environment and natural features?

Neighborhood Character and Personality

How does the neighborhood …

1. Reflect the community’s local character and set itself apart from other neighborhoods?

2. Retain, interpret, and use local history to help create a sense of place?

Neighborhood Environment and Sustainable Practices

How does the neighborhood …

1. Promote or protect air and water quality, protect groundwater resources, and respond to the growing threat of climate change? What forms of “green infrastructure” are used (e.g., local tree cover mitigating heat gain)?

2. Utilize measures or practices to protect or enhance local biodiversity or the local environment?

For a full list of guidelines, or to view the original article, click here.