Is your home worth more this year than it was last year? Chances are that it is. At least in the opinion of the Central Appraisal District.  As we wrap up the year one of the things we property owners have to do is pay our property taxes. And most property owners in El Paso will be moaning about the high taxes we have to pay. (you can admit it, I do it too) Many people blame the Central Appraisal District (CAD) for their high taxes, but the CAD isn't the culprit. CAD just determines how much your property is worth. The taxes are determined by the tax rates set by the various taxing entities. The City of El Paso, El Paso County, University Medical Center, EPCC and your local school districts just to name a few, all set their own tax rates.  The tax is calculated by multiplying the variou... 12/06/2014

Nothing Bundt Cakes was one of the sponsors of our Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS® installation dinner this year. They, naturally, sponsored the desert at the dinner and I have to tell you this was some of the best cake I ever tasted. If you like cake, and who doesn't like cake, then you owe it to yourself to go by their grand opening of their new store in the Fountains at Farah and check it out. 12/05/2014

It's that time of year again El Paso. The annual tree lighting ceremony and the Parade of Lights is tonight in Downtown El Paso. This will be the 79th Annual tree lighting and it will be the 17th year of the Parade of Lights. This will be the second year that San Jacinto Plaza is still under renovation and so the ceremony will be held in Cleveland Square Park. Next year it should return to the Plaza. Tonight's festivities kick off at 4:30 pm with various musical performances followed by the the tree lighting at 5:30 and the parade at 5:55. Finally at 7pm there will be a fireworks show. There are 62 entries in this year's parade. Floats and walkign groups all decorated and lit up for Christmas. If you plan to attend go early and be mindful of many street closures downtown. The city says ... 12/05/2014

  El Paso TX VA Loans is the best oan program in Texas!         Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA MORTGAGE LOANS are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today.                 Here are some of the great features of this fantastic PROGRAM:                 - Up to 100% financing, with no down required.         - No monthly mortgageinsurance.         - Easier credit qualifying compared to other TYPES OF MORTGAGE LOANS.               - VA MORTGAGE RATES are low compared to other types of home loans.                 So how do you qualify for El Paso TX VA Loans?                 First of all, you must verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Texas VA MORTGAGE ... 12/05/2014

As we move toward the end of the year the real estate market in El Paso is on pace to outperform last year's market. At the end of October we are seeing an average time on market overall of 100 days. When you look at the overall numbers you have to keep in mind that real estate is hyper-local. We have areas of town where the time on market is considerably lower than 100 days and areas where it's higher. My research has shown that in most every zip code in the El Paso area 50-65% of the homes put on the market are selling in 90 days or less. These are homes that are, in my opnion, priced correctly from the beginning. I think that correctly pricing a home is the number one factor in getting a timely sale. The homes on the market longer than that are most likely overpriced. You've heard th... 11/25/2014

  Just by adding one of our tradelines this client had in one of the scores over 59 points in less than 40 days.   See for yourself  You would think with results like this, one after the other , after the other, after the other... People who really need help, would take the first step and get one of our tradlines or credit services... But then only the serious people are the ones we are looking for...     So our question is,  how serious are you?  Do you really want that new house, lower interest rates, lower car insurance,  the job promotion or job, do you want that refinance, or something else you want to save and achieve in your life.   You will never get it by sitting around, it takes a step like the thousands of other clients we have helped over the past 10 years have already done.... 10/26/2014

In the past 6 months myself, husband and sons have helped move 2 of my buyers. Most agents in my circle ask, "Why?" I say, "Why not?!" The first buyer we helped move was a 68 year old lady and her disabled husband. She was a very cute and robust lady. They were buying their first home in their late 60s. She was so excited! When it came time to move, I just happened to ask her who would be helping them move all their furniture and belongings. She said she and her husband would move their whole house piece by piece.  I was terrified at the thought of them doing it alone and there was no way I was going to let that happen. Call it my Southern hospitality or just being a compassionate person, but as I often do, I offered for my husband and kids to help.  We moved them in 3 quick trips and n... 10/06/2014

Just had to share. When you have a small bathroom sometimes you have to make modifications right?   Nothing wrong with that, unless.......   You put it on the wrong side of the door. Or maybe the occupant had really long arms.   If you are looking for a home for sale in El Paso with the toilet paper holder on the right side of the door or on the wall like in most homes, then just search here.   Have a great day!     09/11/2014

1.The actual Real Estate course you pay so much for; study endless hours by, does not prepare you for this business. Oh wait, it did, you must, must, give the client the Information About Brokerage Services at first sight, laugh out loud!  2. You are clueless when filling our your first contract and if you care about what you are doing, you are more nervous than going into labor with your first child and once executed, what comes next? What is a Residential service contract and do I put something in that space? So many things (should) happen within the first 48 hours of execution. Ensure you have a check list and know what comes next! 3. You quickly become a baby sitter, counselor, dog sitter, house cleaner, photographer, door mat, and entertainment guide while juggling all those thing... 09/06/2014

The Texas home market is on fire. With the oil and natural gas industry boom, the markets all over Texas are experiencing rapid price increases and record low inventory levels. A colleague of mine from Austin told me they only had about 2 months woth of inventory in his market. Similar stories are being told all over the state. Not so in El paso though. We still have about 8 months worth of inventory in El Paso. You would think that means a very solid buyer's market type situation. Good for buyers and bad for sellers. The reality though is even though sellers need to be realistic and maybe even a bit conservative when it comes to pricing, all my research indicates that the majority of resale homes being put on the market are selling in less than 120 days. Most areas I've looked at are r... 08/29/2014

  Tree lined streets with bungalow style homes nestled in between colonial style homes. Kern Place was one of the earliest "suburbs" in El Paso TX. Established in 1914, Kern Place takes you back to a different time. A time when things were simpler, slower and more relaxed. Walk the neighborhood and stroll around Madeline Park. If it weren't for the cars, you would swear you were back in the 1920s. The homes in Kern Place are old. They have plumbing issues, they have electrical issues. They sell fast! Quite often they sell for full price, or more! A lot of times people who want to buy a home in Kern don't even want to look anywhere else. If what they want isn't available, they will wait. So when something new comes up in Kern Place, you better be ready. Ready to move on a moments notice.... 07/02/2014

Travel back in time with me to El Paso, c. 2007. It was such an exciting time and feeling for my husband and me when we decided we were tired of paying off someone else’s mortgage. It was time to invest in ourselves! I, like most others, went to the mighty Internet to find my Realtor. I mean, if it’s on the Internet it’s absolutely true, right?!? NOT! As first time prospective home owners, our knowledge of picking a Realtor was basic at best. We assumed (yes, I know what they say about people who assume), that we found a competent and trusting agent to have on our side when making this momentous decision and financial investment that was going to span the next 30 years of our lives.  The Realtor we picked was with a well-known company so we hired her to be our agent.  I did not intervie... 06/26/2014

We hear it all the time. I want a home with good schools and in a safe neighborhood. Perfect. Or, wait, maybe not perfect. What do you consider good schools? (That's going to be covered in another post) And what do you mean by safe? Crime happens. It happens everywhere. In small towns and large cities. In gated communities and in the "bad areas" of town. We all wish it didn't happen, but it does. As REALTORS® it is our duty to disclose to you if there has been a violent crime in the home or on the property you are considering buying, but what about the rest of the neighborhood? Your best bet is to contact the local PD or to utilize some of the online tools available to you. In El Paso county we ahve a tool called RAIDS Online that will show you all the reported crimes in El Paso county.... 06/19/2014

East El Paso is growing by leaps and bounds. The 79938 area is expanding daily. But what about 79936? This area used to be the outskirts of town. Now it is established neighborhoods, ranch style homes in more or less the center of the east side. Median prices are reasonable and affordable and the time on market is, in many cases under 90 days. As a matter of fact average is 65 days. The take away for sellers....price it right and it will move.  The take a way for buyers...If you like it, chances are someone else likes it too. Don't miss out. If you want more information about the 79936 community or the schools, or if you would like to compare two different zip codes, click here or the image below. Happy Hunting. 06/17/2014

This Just In! Sunsets in West El Paso can be awesome.  There are hundreds of homes for sale in West El Paso for under $250,000. You may have thought that you couldn't find a deal like that on the west side, but you can. And with interest rates dropping today back down to about 4.2% you better believe that people are writing contracts. Holy cow it's better than renting.  If you have been thinking about buying now is the time. Get yourself over to your mortgage guy (or gal) and get pre-approved then call me. You could be in your new home before the end of summer. If you aren't sure who to talk to about a mortgage let me know and I'll be happy to help you find a reputable lender that will assist you. Let's get you into your own home.     06/12/2014

Yeah baby. We hit 109 this past week and if you had a pool I bet you were in it. If you don't have a pool I bet you wish you did.  Usually pools are love them or hate them kinds of amenities. Some people absolutely have to have one and others wouldn't have a house with one if you gave it to them. There are currently over 400 homes with pools listed in the Greater El Paso Association of REALTORs® MLS. You can look at them here Some of them are homes in gated communities or condos with a community pool. Others are custom designed with landscaping to make you think you are in an oasis somewhere. I guess in a way you are even if you don't have fancy landscaping and a fountain or waterfall. It's cool and wet and beats sitting in the sun and sweating, right? What do you think? Do they make a ... 06/09/2014

Home sales prices in 79912 are trending upward. That's good news for current homeowners and an incentive for those that have been considering a purchase in West El Paso to "get off the fence." There are still good deals available for west El Paso homes, but the time to act is now. For more information about the market, schools and the community of West El Paso and the 79912 zip code, click the image below. If you are looking to sell a home in the 79912 zip then give me a call and we can do a detailed analyis of your home and see where you are. 06/09/2014

North East El Paso continues to see increases in the median sales price of homes in the 79934 zip code. Construction in the Sandstone Ranch area has slowed down somewhat and so demand in the area is driving prices higher. That's good news if you are a homeowner there. If you have been thinking about buying in 79934 then the time to act is now. Don't wait, because the trend upward is likely to continue and the longer you wait the more it will cost you in the long run. For information about market conditions, schools and the community in North East El Paso, 79934 click the image below. 06/09/2014

Things are on the rise in 79938. We have seen a steady increase in sold prices over the past 6 months. If you are a current homeowner in 79938 that's good news for you, because it means your house has probably increased in value. If you are looking to buy in the 79938 zip code then the time is now. If you want more information about the market conditions, schools, community and more click on the image below.    06/09/2014

Are you looking for the New Listings for Sale in the El Paso area under $200,000?  If so than you have come to the right place.  We have all the new listings for sale in the area under $200,000 and believe you will find our website very useful as you continue your home search.    Currently there are approximately 200 new listings ranging in price from $40,000 to $200,000.   With 200 new homes to choose from in the El Paso area and a team of Great agents in the area to help you, now is a great time be looking!!   El Paso is a growing area and continues to be one of the best areas for job growth as well!! Some of the great areas in the El Paso area are Sandstone Ranch, Thunderbird, Sierra Hills and others.  The important thing in finding the right property in El Paso is to work with a kno... 05/26/2014