Archive June 2010
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FAQs
Q: The last time I moved was a stress-related nightmare. How can I make it easier this time?Tip of the Month
If you've decided to make the Texas spring and summer months cooler by investing in an under-cabinet ice maker for extra cubes in your summer drinks, don't forget to give it a good annual maintenance before the hot months enter full swing.Pre-1978 house? New lead-based paint safety rules on renovations
In April 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that renovations and repairs of pre-1978 housing must now be conducted using safe practices to protect children and pregnant women from exposure to lead-based paint. Almost a million children have elevated blood lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards, which can lead to lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues. Adults exposed to lead hazards can suffer from high blood pressure and headaches. Children under six years old are most at risk.Read all of Pre-1978 house? New lead-based paint safety rules on renovations
Be careful on credit activity before closing
As a buyer is moving toward a closing table, lenders will typically advise the buyer not to make any large purchases or changes to their financial picture that could jeopardize their ability to obtain final approval and funding for the completion of their mortgage and the purchase of their home. Many buyers who rush out to buy furniture or new cars in the days before closing find themselves unable to then close on the home, at all, as a result of the changes to their financial pictures.Read all of Be careful on credit activity before closing
Texas real estate market heats up early
Home sales in Texas saw higher-than-usual activity in March, perhaps signaling that the traditional spring and summer selling season got under way early this year.Read all of Texas real estate market heats up early
Texas housing market gets rare March boost
The latest Texas Quarterly Housing Report shows statewide increases in both sales volume and price, fueled by a rare March boost. Texas sales volume for existing single-family homes was 42,682 for the first quarter of this year, up 4 percent from the first quarter of last year. The median home price in Texas jumped from $137,200 in first quarter 2009 to $141,500 in 2010, a 3.13 percent increase.Read all of Texas housing market gets rare March boost
Tax credit buoyed Houston home sales last month
According to a report released mid-May by the Houston Association of Realtors, sales of single-family homes across the greater Houston area rose for a second straight month in April, apparently buoyed by transactions incentivized by the federal government's homebuyer tax credit that expired on April 30. Prices of single-family homes also maintained their months-long appreciation.Read all of Tax credit buoyed Houston home sales last month
