Bryan/College Station Real Estate

Market Statistics

2009 was quite a year!   We started off 2009 with January about 24% behind the previous year. We were all concerned that Bryan/College Station might follow the rest of the nation into the recession. Then February came and we were even further behind. We didn’t know what to expect the rest of the year but it sure didn’t look good.

The first quarter was really poor and then April and May turned into months 20% & 27% behind 2008.

Then we started seeing the turn. June was only 2% behind. We were SO happy that we were seeing less of a loss. Compared to the rest of the world a little loss was a good thing. When October and November rolled around we were SOOOOO excited! We actually saw increases over the prior year.

Yes, 2009 ended 12% below 2008, but compared to the rest of the nation, we did just fine. We sold fewer homes, but we did not see a significant decline in sales prices – just fewer people moving. I’m still SO glad we live in Bryan/College Station!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Are you thinking about selling in 2010? It may take a little longer to sell depending on the market segment you are in, but we need to look at it earlier than normal. Call me and we can review a Market Timing Analysis so you know when you need to start the selling process and what you might want to do to make your home more saleable.

I have been very surprised that so few people know about the $6,500 tax credit. In the past the tax credits have been for First Time Home Buyers only, but now the Federal Government has expanded the tax credits to Repeat Home Buyers, too. Last month I sent out this recent article entitled If You Don’t Buy a House Now, You’re Stupid or Broke from Business Week but it was too good not to send it again. Yes, this title is a bit harsh, but hopefully it will cause us to stop and think. Mortgage rates are holding around 5%, which is one of the lowest rates in the last 40 years!  Not only do we have great low 30 year fixed interest rates, we have a possible $6,500 – $8,000 tax credit. What more do we need?

Have you ever been driving around a neighborhood and wanted to know how much a house is selling for but you didn’t want to “bother” the agent or they weren’t there when you called? WE HAVE THE ANSWER!!!   Call 979-764-2121 and enter the street number and you can HEAR information about that house.

Be sure to forward this email on to others you know and care about.

Share the knowledge that Bryan/College Station is NOT participating in a real estate recession!

And, we need your help – we need your referrals. CALL ME!

Susan Hilton

CENTURY 21 Beal, Inc.

http://susanhilton.com

404 H University Drive East w College Station, Tx 77840
Phone: 979-764-2100 w Fax:815-328-0575

For any Bryan College Station Real Estate Needs please contact Jeffrey Leatherwood at 979.255.2788 Leatherwood@century21.com or visit www.BuyAggieland.com

Today was the Brazos Valley Quilt Guild’s Annual Show.

WOW what a show! 

There were LOTS of vendors with quilting supplies, knitting, embroidery and weaving with a few other fun things thrown in.  There was a large display of award winning quilts too! I enjoyed voting on my favorite too.  While I am not a quilter (YET!) I did enjoy seeing all the quilts from our Brazos Valley Quilters. I also hope I win the raffle and win the quilt shown on the left! It will look GREAT in my house. 

Want to learn to quilt? The Brazos Valley Quilt Guild has several groups that meet in both Bryan and College Station – day or evening.  I think I might just get involved and learn something new that will last for generations.

Susan Hilton

979-764-2100

 Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

979-764-2100

 Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market.

When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!

Today I brought a motorcycle helmet to one of our agents. Why is that a big deal? Because her birthday celebration next weekend is for her 74th birthday!  Barbara Salisbury and Rhonda Fry are celebrating their birthdays together.  One is turning 74 and the other is turning 47!  

I asked Barbara about this adventure and she said it was exciting like her birthday 2 years ago when she went white water rafting.  I hope I am doing exciting things like this on my 74th birthday!

The two will depart from Century 21 Beal on University in College Station at 1pm on Rhonda’s Harley Sportster and then we will all meet up at Bryan Ice House Restaurant at Lake Bryan.

Watch for more pictures of the event coming up very very soon!

Susan Hilton
CENTURY 21 Beal, Inc.

979-764-2100

With all those new student and all that growth College Station is really going to need some student housing!

Coincidentally , I just listed a Cute little 3 bedroom 2 bath home that is literally right across the street from The main entrance to Texas A&M University!

Details on this 1996 Built all brick home can be found here!

Or cut and Paste: http://avenuea.willsellquick.com/

Attention Investors: It’s already rented thru the entire 2009/2010 School Year!!!

For more nformation and/or financial data on this or any other Aggieland investment opportunity please visit www.BuyAggieland.com or email me at Leatherwood@Century21.com

 Robert Rose, owner of Cycles Etc. for the past 11 years,  takes pride in his shop and makes certain all clients and customers are well informed and properly equipped in the biking world.  He makes certain  that when you walk in his door you are greeted instantly with a bicycle specialist who is ready to help you find your next bicycle, or assist you in fixing what you’ve got.

 The store offers special fittings, bicycle repairs, bicycle gear, and every accessory imaginable. They have bikes to accommodate all age ranges from infant riders to kids first bicycles and up. Their bicycles range from Trek, Gary Fisher, Raleigh and more! You can find Road, Hybrid, Mountain and Tricycles and choose from their many styles including Texas A&M University, The Discovery Channel and even the University of Texas.  

 If you purchase a bicycle from Cycles Etc. you will have free tune-up’s for life and receive half off of labor. From the smallest repair like airing up a tire, to the largest repair–if you bike gets a case of the crunchies– the staff at Cycles Etc. will take great care of you.   They also have a guarantee that you will have your bicycle back within 24 hours, but this does exclude bicycles that require special orders.

Many customers will agree that Cycles Etc. is one of the best bicycle shops in the Brazos Valley and is conveniently located in College Station, Texas walking distance to Texas A&M University!  It is another locally owned and operated business every Aggie should know about!

Questions about Buying or Selling a home? Give me a Call 979-218-2235 or send me an email!

Raylene Lewis

www.buyincollegestation.com

Buying a Home in Bryan-College Station

Selling a Home in Bryan-College Station

Raylene’s Active Rain Blog

• As a driver, you will make more decisions in one mile than a 747 captain does flying across country.
• Automobile crashes are responsible for more teen fatalities than alcohol, drugs and violence COMBINED.

August 16th I am sending my daughter to the Texas World Speedway Teen Survival Driving Academy in College Station.

No- she is not a bad driver. She is just a teen driver.  The TWS TSDA (Texas World Speedway Teen Survival Driving Academy) is NOT a racing school! It is designed “to place students in real world scenarios and show them how to take control and avoid dangerous situations.  They will work on collision avoidance and car control skills.    Now that I think about it, I know a few adults (myself included) that should probably attend…

The Academy recreates dangerous situations and teaches (in a controlled environment) how to take control of the situations and make life saving decisions.

This is a 4 hour couse which includes classroom and hands on driving activities. With the instructor, the student is given tools to avoid an accident. Students are encouraged to bring their own vehicle that they will be driving on a regular basis. The activities are done at a low speed and should not hurt the car. If you don’t want to use your own car, one can be provided.

Parents are encouraged to attend the 4 hour course too!!!

So, get your teenager registered and join us. And come back to this blog again to see the photos and videos of the event. I bet we can all learn something together.

Susan Hilton

Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

979-764-2100

Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market.

When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!

GARAGE SALE

The annual Pebble Creek Garage Sale is being held Saturday, August 8th, and we would love to have you participate! There is a $15.00 participation fee that covers the rental of the parking lot at Pebble Creek Elementary School, the garage sale maps, and the ad that will be ran for one week in the Eagle newspaper. You can hold your sale at your home, or you can reserve a space in the parking lot at the school. If you would like to participate in the garage sale, please contact me at 690-0992 ext. 109, or email me at Erica_R@pebblecreek.org on or before Wednesday, July 29th.  

 
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

National Night out is being held on Tuesday, October 6th. National Night Out is a crime prevention event designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, while generating support for local anti-crime programs and strengthening neighborhood spirit. Many blocks in the Pebble Creek community hold cook-outs, or similar gatherings, for National Night Out, and we encourage all blocks to hold their own NNO party. College Station Police are available to come to your block party to discuss safety tips with you, and to answer any questions you have about crime prevention in our area.

4TH AT THE CREEK T-SHIRTS ON SALE

The HOA office has 4th at the Creek t-shirts available for the reduced price of $5.00 per shirt. These shirts are a great way to commemorate the 4th of July, and support your HOA! All sizes are available (Youth Small-Extra Large and Adult Small-Extra Large), but some sizes are about to sell out, so be sure to get your shirt today! The shirts are still available on the PCOA website, www.pcoa.info, on the Activities Committee page, or here in the office. For more information, please contact me at 690-0992 ext. 109 or at Erica_R@pebblecreek.org.
 

Pebble Creek Lawns and Landscaping

The heat of the Texas summer is upon us, and as many of us have noticed, some yards are suffering. I know we have all been effected by the increase in College Station water rates, and I am sure the new water rates have had an impact on the lawns and landscaping within Pebble Creek. I have attached the 2009 watering schedule for the City of College Station, along with some watering tips for Texas homeowners, and I hope these guidelines will help Pebble Creek homeowners to decrease the amount of water that is misused due to run-off and evaporation, while helping to improve the health of lawns by using the proper amount of water.

Erica Roberts

Pebble Creek Homeowners Association

979-690-0992 ext. 109

January – June 2009

How is the real estate market changing in Bryan College Station? June was great again this year!  Considering what has been going on in the rest of the country we had a remarkable number of sales in June!  Hope you were one of the MANY to take advantage of the slower real estate market and the $8,000 tax rebate this month.

Click here to view the embedded video.
 

Have you tried the new 979-764-2121 Instant Info Line?  Remember to store the number in your phone so anytime you are out driving you can hear information about ANY home for sale ANY TIME.

Is it time for YOU to take advantage of the real estate market? Is it time to move your retirement money from the uncertainty of stocks to the more stable real estate market in Bryan/College Station? Call me and I’ll tell you how you CAN use retirement money to purchase rental real estate NOW!

VOTE NOW!!!

We need your help!  The Century Tree Reader has been nominated as the favorite Texas real estate blog. We need you to vote and tell them why it is the BEST

Cast your vote with and send your comments to Brian Pope’s email at   

B-pope@tamu.edu

Thanks!

Original Article below –

From: RECON-owner@recmail.recenter.tamu.edu [mailto:RECON-owner@recmail.recenter.tamu.edu] On Behalf Of Real Estate Center
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 1:35 PM
To: recon@recenter.tamu.edu
Subject: RECON July 10, 2009

RECON

Real Estate Center Online News

July 10, 2009

Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

Material herein is published according to the fair-use doctrine of U.S. copyright laws related to non-profit, educational institutions. Items attributed to sources other than the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University should not be reprinted without permission of the original source.

VOTE FOR BEST BLOG

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – Thanks to all of you who submitted your favorite Texas real estate blogs to us last month. Now for round two.

We’ve compiled 19 blogs and will publish them in five groups beginning today and over the next four issues. Your job: Check out each issue’s group of blogs and vote on the one you think is the most informative or useful, or the one that is simply the most entertaining. Be sure to let us know what swayed your decision.

The blogs that receive the most votes in their groups will face off against each other in the final round.

Here we go. First up:

• Dallas Dirt
• Crossland Team at Keller-Williams Realty in Austin
• Beal Century 21 Real Estate in Bryan–College Station
• Swamplot, a Houston-area blog

Cast your vote with and send your comments to Associate Editor Bryan Pope.