It doesn’t matter whether you are a first-time buyer, an empty-nester, or somewhere in between, you need the services of an experienced, dedicated real estate professional who will understand your goals and adopt them as their own.

I have been assisting families purchase Real Estate in the Houston area for  years! Selling lots of houses is wonderful, but to me, it's what's behind those sales that really count, and that’s...LOTS OF HAPPY FACES! Reaching me is easy and you can be assured that you will always receive a quick, helpful response.  I have dedicated myself to the highest standard of professionalism and integrity in this competitive Real Estate industry. I give nothing but 110%, because I know that "your" success is ultimately "my" success! Let me help you make the purchase that’s right for you.

Looking for your dream home is challenging at best, I’m happy to simplify the search process for you. Head over to my VIP page and I’ll show you what customer service is really all about!

Avoid problems by knowing the most common Buyer Mistakes

Not Being Pre-Qualified For Financing Before Looking When you start to look, it is important that you know how much you can comfortably spend on a home. Getting pre-qualified for financing will lock down your price range and help prevent you from being turned down after falling in love with a home. It will also save you the strain of having to find a lender within a few days of conditionally buying a home. In times of fluctuating interest rates it would benefit you to lock in a lower rate. This could save you thousands of dollars if the rate increases while you are in the process of buying.

Failing To Seek Out The Services Of An Experienced Real Estate Agent Many Buyers are unaware of the fact that in almost every case they are not responsible for paying the agent’s fees; the agent is being paid a commission from the seller. It is always best to seek out an experienced real estate agent that can use their information regarding recently listed and sold properties to get you the lowest price possible.

Failing To Know Research The Market Before Making Your Offer Have your agent prepare all the area sales and comparable properties in your area and get a copy to look over before you make your offer. This will help ensure that you do not overpay what the home is really worth. In most cases, this is the same type of information that the seller saw when setting the price of their home.

Not Being Informed Of Your Rights & Obligations During Your Offer To Purchase It is of the utmost importance to be aware of your rights and what to expect from a competent real estate agent.  A small mistake in a condition or clause could end up costing you time and money, or in some cases even void your contract.

Not Understanding The Common Negotiating Methods Used At Offer Time Some buyers have been told that the best way to get a good price is to low-ball the seller from the start in hopes that the seller will drop their price down fast in their counter offer. In reality this often does nothing more than upset the seller and will probably end up ruining the chance at an acceptable offer to both of the parties involved. Have good communication with your agent, and they will be able to inform you on the many proper ways to negotiate a deal and still get you the lowest price.

Failing To Use  a Home Inspection Company Buying your home often times the most important investment and financial transaction that you will ever make. A home inspection can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars and unexpected  problems down the road. In addition to the inspection, it is often a good idea to request some type of Home Warranty to cover the electrical appliances that come with the home.

Letting Your Emotions Cloud Your Judgment Buying a home is an important and exhilarating process! It is important not to let your emotions get the best of you and cloud your judgment of whether you can really afford to make the payments comfortably, and so on. Be sure not to get so excited that you get in over your head

Need to know what your monthly payments will be or how much you can afford to pay? Use the mortgage calculators below to check your numbers:

Why you should use a Realtor:

All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR "®" logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR again.

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be foolish to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR.

But if you're still not convinced of the value of a REALTOR, here are a dozen more reasons to use one:

1. Your REALTOR can help you determine your buying power -- that is, your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a REALTOR some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, he or she can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you. Most lenders -- banks and mortgage companies -- offer limited choices.

2. Your REALTOR has many resources to assist you in your home search. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your agent to find all available properties.

3. Your REALTOR can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS have access to a variety of informational resources. REALTORS can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, etc. There are two things you'll want to know. First, will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?

4. Your REALTOR can help you negotiate. There are myriad negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.

5. Your REALTOR provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property. Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. Your REALTOR can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports. You will also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property. Title indicates ownership of property and can be mired in confusing status of past owners or rights of access. The title to most properties will have some limitations; for example, easements (access rights) for utilities. Your REALTOR, title company or attorney can help you resolve issues that might cause problems at a later date.

6. Your REALTOR can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lenders.

7. Your REALTOR can guide you through the closing process and make sure everything flows together smoothly.

8. When selling your home, your REALTOR can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

9. Your REALTOR markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. Often, your REALTOR can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your property. Your REALTOR markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer. Your REALTOR acts as the marketing coordinator, disbursing information about your property to other real estate agents through a Multiple Listing Service or other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc. The REALTOR Code of Ethics requires REALTORS to utilize these cooperative relationships when they benefit their clients.

10. Your REALTOR will know when, where and how to advertise your property. There is a misconception that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts. When a property is marketed with the help of your REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. A REALTOR will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.

11. Your REALTOR can help you objectively evaluate every buyer's proposal without compromising your marketing position. This initial agreement is only the beginning of a process of appraisals, inspections and financing -- a lot of possible pitfalls. Your REALTOR can help you write a legally binding, win-win agreement that will be more likely to make it through the process.

12. Your REALTOR can help close the sale of your home. Between the initial sales agreement and closing (or settlement), questions may arise. For example, unexpected repairs are required to obtain financing or a cloud in the title is discovered. The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. Your REALTOR is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

Courtesy of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Resources

General
Contract Contingencies
What are Home Buying Purchase Contract Contingencies?
 
Home Buying Process - Be informed
The home buying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!
 

Local
Tax and Appraisal Districts
Search property tax information for over 2 million properties in the Greater Houston area.

Neighborhood Information
Houston subdivisions and Houston subdivision price trends and tax rates, statistics and appraised values can be found using Neighborhood Information Finder.

Mortgage Loan
How is your credit-find out free
This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.


Relocation
Pods (portable on Demand storage)
Storage between moves. If you have stuff, PODS has a place for you to store it. PODS' innovative storage service is designed to address a variety of storage needs in a way that is simple, convenient and cost-effective.

Schools
Houston Independent School District
This site links to all schools within the Houston ISD. Board information, Bond information, Attendance Zones, Administration, Education, Statistics, Calendars, etc…everything you need to know about Houston ISD

Conroe Independent School District
This site links to all schools within the Conroe ISD. Board information, Bond information, Attendance Zones, Administration, Education, Statistics, Calendars, etc…everything you need to know about Conroe ISD. Disclaimer: You are requesting a document that is external to this Website. We cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement by this website, or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the site or the products presented on the site.

Klein Independent School District
This site links to all schools within the Klein ISD. Board information, Bond information, Attendance Zones, Administration, Education, Statistics, Calendars, etc…everything you need to know about Klein ISD Disclaimer: You are requesting a document that is external to this Website. We cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement by this website, or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the site or the products presented on the site.

Spring Independent School District
This site links to all schools within the Spring ISD. Board information, Bond information, Attendance Zones, Administration, Education, Statistics, Calendars, etc…everything you need to know about Spring ISD. Disclaimer: You are requesting a document that is external to this Website. We cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement by this website, or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the site or the products presented on the site.


For Local, State and Federal sites including Homebuyer assistance programs, please visit our General Resources page.