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College Station, TX Real Estate News

By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,After the tragedy at Virginia Tech last school year, university administrators across the country have reevaluated the methods used to notify students, faculty and staff of emergency situations. Texas A&M has adopted Code Maroon.Any Texas A&M student, faculty or staff member can sign up for the service at www.codemaroon.tamu.edu. As the spouse of a staff member my cell phone is included in the network. Notification came come to you via text message or e-mail.The ability to contact people in an emergency is only half of the equation. Those with the responsibility of activating the system bear the burden of deciding when to implement it. I know that interim president Ed Davis doesn't take that position lightly.Hoping your day is without incident,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.co...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Looking for something unusual to do this fall? Try taking some lawn chairs and a cooler out to Coulter Field, in Bryan, and watch the skydiving and whatever other silliness is afoot.Many moons ago, I spent my days at Coulter jumping out of airplanes. For an entire decade my friends and I jumped like crazy...any excuse to find ourselves in freefall. I logged my first 1,500 hours flying N4803D, the DZ Cessna-182, also known as Duct tape. It was quite an airplane. Fly and jump and jump and fly. EFS. Well, I'm older and a bit more brittle now, but that doesn't mean I can't watch.Coulter is an excellent recreational airport. You don't find many of them these days. On an active weekend (meaning good weather) you can see all kinds of things. Sometimes its very exciting.Our local d...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear Readers,I love Sundays in Colleg Station, Texas. I always try to take some time on Sunday to read. I turn off the TV, radio and cell phone and try to spend at least 1 1/2 hours at it. Most of the time I read fiction, but yesterday I spent some time with the Keller Williams training manual called "Your Business is Your Database."The hard selling season is over for us, and in the fall I tend to work on building the foundation for next season. College Station real estate, as well As Bryan real estate takes a break. Aggie football season gives us a chance to work on out "not mets" and slowly educate them on the advantages of buying their son or daughter an investment property while attending Texas A&M.When dealing with my "met" database, the mantra of the day is "educate, ask and rewar...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,This week I've spent quite a bit of time writing about life in a university town. Today, I'm writing about the morning after.Yesterday the Aggies played their first home game of the season. Montana came to visit, and they were outscored. Better them than us.Last season we lost a key home game to a rival from up the road. When that happens, there  is a "subdued" feeling that comes over the Brazos Valley. Festivities are scaled back, but not cancelled. There aren't as many smiles on Sunday, and I suspect that church attendance is up.So we say farewell to our  friends from Montana State. We wish you a safe trip home. Come back to see us next year.Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.samwhiterealty.comwww.brazosvalleypremierhomes.com 
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
For those of you visiting College Station the first time this weekend please realize that traffic isn't nearly this bad typically!  This is our first football weekend and our 9th annual First Yell.  First Yell is a Aggie tradtion welcoming the students back and infusing them with Aggie spirit!!!  This tends to be one of the heaviest attended games of the year, with the exception of the rival football game between UT and A&M.  If you're out there in traffic please realize that football weekends can be very hectic and that our beautiful city isn't typically this crazy!  Drive safely and cheer for the AGGIES!!!!!
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
Pending sales in College Station were a slightly less robust rate of 98 total currently.  The pending sales are offer pending signature, option contract, under contract and under contract with backup.  I am not including contingency contracts in this analysis.  The most expensive was a home listed at $959,900 in Pebblecreek subdivision.  This home was a 4,156 square foot home on a little more than a half acre of land. There are currently 410 active listings in College Station.Two of the pending sales are over 500K.  Four were over 300K.  Twenty of the pending sales were in the 200 to 300K category and sixty one were between 100K and 200K.  Only 10 were under 100K due to the increasing difficulty in finding homes under 100K in College Station.For all the up to the date listings in Colleg...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
Let me ask you some questions: When was the last time you stepped back from your business and looked at what your doing? Is it giving you, your family, what you need? If you could change the way you ran your business, what would that be? These are questions that I find most agents do not want to ask. The main reason is they have no one to help them with the answers. I have been in this real estate game for nearly 20 years and I can help you answer the tough questions. Give me a call or e-mail Matt Ratcliffe
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,I'm getting better at verbalizing current market conditions. Spending three days with the brightest minds in Keller Williams last week was helpful, but it takes a lot of reason to counter the panic and misconceptions caused by our national media.Our market is unusual anyway, for a couple of reasons. First is the moderating influence of Texas A&M University. It is our biggest and cleanest industry, and it isn't going away. Second, our community doesn't seem to have as many weak loans as others. I'd like to think that the lenders and borrowers in the Brazos Valley had a bit more common sense than the rest of the country. Only time will tell.I looked back on all of my buyer-side sales in the last year and only one deal (about 3%) involved sub-prime or 100% financing. I've been...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,I hope the weekend finds you well.For us college football begins today, as an extra 40,000 people stream into town for the Aggies first home game. Local businesses are selling everything maroon, and looking forward to the $4 million bump that a home game pumps into the local economy.There was more good news yesterday as the Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved an almost $3 billion (not million) budget for the university system, up almost 9% from last year. That's an extra $243 million.Of that $3 billion, $1.1 billion will be spent at the flagship campus here in College Station. You can probably throw in another $300-$500 million for state agency funding that is included in the system numbers, but will still be spent locally.Its always fun to see new marketing by real ...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Dear readers,Yesterday (Monday), four major institutions began classes in the Brazos Valley, taking traffic in our humble area from the year's minimum to our maximum. Through it all, everyone seemed to get where they needed to go.Bryan and College Station Police were out in force at all of the school zones, and there wasn't much leeway in their speed enforcement. I believe anything over 25 mph received a $300 citation. The primary offenders seemed to be on streets that bisect the high schools.Enforcement aside, I know I'm going to be extra patient and remember that I don't have to be anywhere badly enough to risk life or limb. We're really never far from anything here, and if its an appointment, a cell phone call will safely explain my tardiness. Even at worst, its never more than 20 mi...
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
Happy Monday-Continuing the theme of business in a college town, the City of College Station (TX) released figures last month that indicated that whenever Texas A&M plays a game at home, our local economy gets a $5 million boost.Texas A&M has seven home games scheduled this year, ending with the Thanksgiving classic with the University of Texas on November 23rd. That's a $35 million boost in three months. More digging will discover whether the sale of real estate to old Ags and parents is included in the figure.With Aggies, the money is going to come whether we outscore our opponents or not. Things are more pleasant when we win.Blue skies,Sam Whitewww.SamWhiteRealty.com
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By Sam White, Integrated Marketing - Bryan College Station,
 As real estate's summer season winds down, retailers here in College Station, Texas are smiling as over 40,000 Aggies return to the Brazos Valley with fall semester cash in hand.Grocery stores are packed with bored fathers, doting mothers and young adults that are ready to kiss the family goodbye and send them down the road, knowing of course that everyone will be back shortly for the first Aggie home game of the season.Rental trucks are parked row after row after drop off and the property management companies and make-ready crews work from dawn to dusk. I think I can speak for most professionals who make their living in a college town, when I tell parents who are sending their offspring and money to Texas A&M, "Thank you for putting your trust in our community and our school. We'll do...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
What a great thing the internet is today. I have just spent day at the KWR Internet class. We learned so much forward thinking in regards to the net. What is your conversion rateI? What is your rate of return? If not you, then who will lead the way? What if you worked with someone who could help you get the results you want? I cannot wait to tell my agents when I get back from Austin.
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
Focusing on affordable housing for our students is an important job in our real estate market.  Fortunately, we have some College Station Condos that really fit the bill.  You can invest in one, knowing that the track record shows excellent appreciation and secure in the knowledge that you'll never have to come up and mow your students lawn, or get annoying letters from the city.Deacon Row Condos are 3 miles from Kyle Field, located directly on the shuttle route.  These three bedroom, 2 bath (plus a spare vanity) units are a students dream!  Built well, they are also parent pleasing.The all brick construction means much less maintenance.  This leaves you and your student to enjoy the evenings in comfort.  These were built in 2002, so most items inside are in tip top shape and they come ...
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
College Station has anything from almost extreme luxury in it's condo market, down to sheer simplicity.  Each has it's own beauty.  Afraid of not being able to get an affordable College Station Condo?  Fear not!  We have them in almost all price categories.  Some of the best condominiums for the budget minded are on Dartmouth and Harvey Road.  These awesome condos are on the shuttle route and convenient to a coffee shop (a must have college staple!) as well as laundrymats for those times that your own washer and dryer can't quite cope with the backlog!These College Station condos are 2 bedroom typically with one and one half baths.This complex offers a pool and great landscaping in the manicured yards.  Prices begin in the upper 60's for condos that have escaped updating, but a nicely u...
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By Chris Tesch, College Station, Texas Real Estate
(RE/MAX Bryan-College Station)
There are times when moving to Brazos Valley meant staring lovingly at my bathtub.  I am originally from Michigan with a lake every three feet it seems.  The vast contrast between the two places at times is a source of concern!College Station is very different from Michigan and most other lake abundant places and it is difficult to get land with good lakes.  Most of we call lakes here wouldn't even necessarily be called a pond back in Michigan.  They are ultra small bodies of water that cannot support sailing, boating or even very good fishing.In contrast College Station has a hidden treasure in one of their subdivisions.  Carter Lake is located out Rock Prairie Road and is a a College Station real estate treat.  I'm closing later this month on a four bedroom, two and a half bath home w...
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By Neetu Kainthla
(BHHS Caliber Realty)
Williams Creek, one of the newer subdivision in College Station, has 6 homes active on the market ranging in price from $364,900 to $484,900. Three of these houses were built in 2006 and the other three in 2007, have heated area between 2,725 sq. ft. and 3,440 sq. ft., with lot sizes of 1.0+ acres.12 homes have been sold since January 1st . The homes were listed for price ranging from $349,900 to $469,500 and sold between $349,900 and $465,900. The heated area for these houses varied from 2,909 sq. ft. to 3,476 sq. ft and the lot size varied from 1.0 acre to 1.47 acres. The houses were built from 2005 to 2007.No homes are under contract or option contract. In the past the developer sold the lots directly to the public and the builders. Most of the lots were bought by builders. This year...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
10 Questions to Ask Your Realtor about Selling a House1. Are you a full-time professional real estate agent? How long have you worked full time in real estate? How long have you been representing buyers? What professional designations do you have?Knowing whether or not your agent practices full time can help you determine potential scheduling conflicts and his or her commitment to your transaction. As with any profession, the number of years a person has been in the business does not necessarily reflect the level of service you can expect, but it is a good starting point for your discussion. The same issue can apply to professional designations.2. Do you have a personal assistant, team or staff to handle different parts of the purchase? What are their names and how will each of them hel...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
10 Biggest Selling Myths UncoveredSelling a house can be a bit like having a baby -- everyone gives you advice that may or may not be true for you. Here are ten myths uncovered:1. Myth: You should always price your home high and gradually lower it if it doesn't sell.Truth: Pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.You may think by listing high you can always accept a lower offer, but if you do, you'll miss the buyers looking in the price range where your home should be. Offers may not even come in, because interested buyers are scared off by the price and won't bother to look. By the time the listing price is corrected, you will have lost a large group of potential buyers. Your real estate agent will offer you a comparable market analysis. This is a document that compares your h...
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By Matt Ratcliffe, REALTOR
(Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley)
STEP 7 - SERVICE PROVIDER COORDINATIONAfter your offer is accepted, your agent will help you coordinate the activities of service providers and serve as your advocate when working with them. Your agent will make sure these vendors have access to the property to perform their procedures and will oversee the execution of those procedures on your behalf.One service you may need is a home examination. An inspection of the property, the foundation, and the surrounding environmental may be needed to make sure the property meets the standards set forth in your written agreement. If there are issues or inconsistencies brought to light during this time, it may delay or even nullify the contract.Insurance is another item that will need to be taken care of. Experts recommend you obtain title insur...
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