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Help For Mortgage Holders During The Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is causing uncertainty across the nation, and for many that includes financial uncertainty. Luckily, there are options for homeowners impacted by the coronavirus. In a recent statement, Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (which regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks) called attention to […]
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2020 Census
It’s time to be counted! Many of the benefits provided to our state and local communities are tied to the information provided by the census, performed every 10 years. Submit your census today!
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Happy April Fools Day
Ever wondered about the history of April Fool’s Day? Watch for pranks today! ?
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5 Home Gadgets To Help Ease Your Germ Fears
We’ve all become a lot more sensitive to germs and being cautious about what we touch—even in our own homes. Try as you may, it can often feel impossible to keep your home clean and germ-free for long. If you’re someone who flinches at the very thought of bacteria-laden surfaces inhabiting your abode, you may […]
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Friday Preparedness Fun
Hang in there! We’ll get through this eventually. ? #FridayFun
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Easy (And Affordable!) Staging Tips To Up Your Bedroom’s Appeal
The way you stage your home can go a long way in helping it to sell. Potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves at home in your property—and that’s especially true of the bedroom, where they’ll be spending a large chunk of time relaxing (and, of course, sleeping!). But staging can be expensive. […]
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Realtor Homeschooling Fun
This one is dedicated to all the Realtor parents out there! ??✏️ #FridayFun
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What To Consider Before Buying A Vacation Home
There is even more to consider before buying your first vacation home. I’m a certified Resort and Second Home Property Specialist specializing in the Galveston market. Let’s talk about all the thing you should consider before taking the plunge!
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5 Criteria For Pricing A Home
When you put your home up for sale, one of the best ways to determine the asking price is to look at comparable sales. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several recent sales in the area. Here are five criteria to look for in a sales […]
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Make Your Home a Model Home
With the spring selling season upon us, you may be considering some tweaks before selling. Want to make your home look like a model home? Here are some of the top showroom trends from Builder Magazine.
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It’s Leap Day
Do you know the history behind Leap Year? Here’s a brief explanation of this every-four-year phenomenon.
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Friday Referral Fun
Oh, and you can add Canada, United Kingdom and Australia to the list too!
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Questions To Ask Before A Home Inspection
You know you need to have a home inspection prior to purchase. Do you know the basics of hiring for one? Read on for tips on what you should know before the inspection starts.
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5 Money-Saving Green Upgrades
Going green is great for the environment, but that’s not the only benefit. When you make green upgrades in your home, it can also lead to some major savings. Solar panels: The upfront cost is big, but the long-term savings are huge. Solar panels will cost several thousand dollars to install, but ongoing maintenance costs […]
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2020 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lineup
The performers for the 2020 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have been announced. Giddy up! ?
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The Mortgage Challenges of First Time Buyers
No one enjoys going through the mortgage process, but first time buyers seem to have more challenges with the lending process. Shop around and be sure you are looking at more than just fees when choosing a lender.
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Common Seller Mistakes
There’s more to selling a property than just putting a For Sale sign in the yard. Read on for some common seller mistakes to avoid, and get your property sold!
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Top Flooring Trends For 2020
A new year is officially upon us—and with a new year comes new design trends. If you’re thinking about selling your home, it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s trending in the interior design space and what buyers are looking for—and that includes flooring. In a recent article from realtor.com, design […]
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2020 Year Of The Rat
The Chinese New Year starts today, and it’s the Year of the Rat. In Chinese culture, rats are representative of wealth and surplus. Wishing you a wealth of good fortune this year! ?
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Chrysler Building Seeks New Owners
The Chrysler Building is on the block. Will the Abu Dhabi government fund that owns a 90% stake in the building get back the $800 million they paid in 2008? Stay tuned.
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2020 Galveston Restaurant Week and Museum Day
Not one, but two great events happening this weekend! Galveston Museum Day is Saturday and Sunday and features free or discounted admission at many of Galveston’s museums and historical homes. Restaurant Week starts Saturday and runs through Feb. 9th. You have two weeks to sample special menus at over 30 different restaurants. Bon appetit! ?️
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Visit The Corporation for National and Community Service […]
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Top DIY Advice
So what advice would all these DIY warriors give to the rest of us, according to the Clovered.com report? 1. Work inside your skill set; 2. Buy the proper tools; and 3. Plan, plan, plan. Wishing you much success on your projects this year!
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Friday DIY Fun
Selling your home is definitely one of those DIY projects better left to professionals! (The woman on the right was not harmed during the photo shoot.) #fridayfun
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Top DIY Injuries
It’s easy to see that the biggest mistakes, in our review of common DIY mistakes homeowners make from Clovered.com, are injuries. Cutting oneself, hitting oneself with a hammer and tripping are the top three. It’s dangerous in DIYland! Be careful!
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Cost of DIY Mistakes
So how much did it cost to fix the mistakes DIY homeowners made? This graphic from https://clovered.com/most-costly-home-improvement-mistakes/ indicates the median amount was around $137. And starting the project without the necessary tools or supplies seemed to be the No. 1 money mistake.
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Is It Worth The Work?
We are continuing with our look at DIY projects and the mistakes homeowners sometimes make from Clovered.com. One mistake DIYers seem to make is not considering whether the project is worth tackling alone. In some cases, it would seem to be. Check out the full report here.
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Who Is Tackling DIY Projects And Why
We’re going DIY this week looking at a report from Clovered.com on homeowner’s most costly home improvement mistakes. Up first, who is more apt to tackle the DIY and why.
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2019 Texas Luxury Home Sales Report
The 2019 Luxury Home Sales Report, published by the Texas Association of Realtors is out. View the full report here.
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Friday Fun Fact – Monopoly Edition
It’s the 85th anniversary of the Monopoly game this year. If you’re looking for a local spin on this classic pastime, head over to Walmart and pick up Galvestonopoly.
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What Matters To Home Buyers
With more buyers moving back to the cities, it’s no surprise that urban amenities would top their wish lists.
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File Your 2020 Homestead Exemption
It’s that time of year again. Get the homestead application and other application forms here.
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Friday Fun Fact – Red Doors
Red doors have also been a sign to weary travelers that they had arrived at a place to rest. So whether it’s a mortgage-free home or a home with a big welcome mat, here’s hoping there’s a red door in your future this coming year. #FridayFunFact
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12 Things You Should Know About Real Estate
Starting the New Year off with twelve things you should know about real estate.
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New Year, New Decade
The countdown is on! New year, new decade! ??#NewYearsEve
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Y2K Revisited
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the infamous Y2K. Who else was working to save the world from falling into complete chaos New Year’s Eve 1999 and New Year’s Day 2000? Good times!
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2019 Home Buyer and Seller Survey Highlights
Here are some highlights from the 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and annual survey of home buyers and sellers published by the National Association of Realtors. View the full report here.
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What It Means To Be Prequalified or Preapproved
Do you know the difference between prequalified and preapproved for your mortgage? Read on for more information on these two popular terms. #GalvestonRealEstate
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5 Must Have Tools For Homeowners
When you own your home, things are going to break and, unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you’re going to need to fix them yourself. Luckily, you don’t need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes. These five tools will cover most of your basic […]
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2020 Pantone Color of the Year
The Pantone Color of the Year for 2020 is…Classic Blue.
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How Much Do iBuyers Cost Sellers?
Collateral Analytics has published a study on iBuyers that attempts to show the true costs sellers can expect from an iBuyer. The takeaway? That fast, convenient sale can have a pretty steep price that may not be worth it. #ExpressOffers #ABetterWay
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What Is An iBuyer?
What exactly is an iBuyer? To celebrate our Express Offers launch in Texas, we’re focusing this week on this latest craze with the information you need to know. So let’s dive into what an iBuyer actually is with this article from TheTruthAboutMortgage.com.
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Australia Now Open!
First came the Canadian expansion to Newfoundland and Labrador in September, the United Kingdom opened last month and now Australia is open for business! You can’t stop this virtual revolution! #eXpProud
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Express Offers Is Here!
Express Offers is here Texas!! We are so excited to offer a better iBuyer solution for our seller clients. Stay tuned next week as we highlight features of this exciting new program. Can’t wait for details? Call me. #ExpressOffers #ABetterWay #eXpRealtyProud
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A Victorian Christmas Celebration
Time to don your top hats and corsets. The annual Victorian Christmas celebration, Dickens on the Strand is this weekend. The weather will be fabulous, so come on down! Here is a festival map, schedule of events and all you need to know about this wonderful event.
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Buyer’s Remorse
Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know until you’re in it. Here are some interesting stats on what some buyers wish they had understood better about the purchase process.
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Dealing With Scratched Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are highly desirable for most homeowners, but they come with their share of challenges when it comes to cleaning, maintenance, and repairs. After a few months or years of heavy use from kids playing with toys and chairs being shuffled around, it may be time for some DIY fixes. Hiding scratches: If you’ve […]
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Thaw Those Turkeys!
Unless you’re cooking a smaller bird, you may already be too late. Get your gobblers a thawin’! ?
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Friday Thanksgiving Fun
A little turkey fun for your Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday. ?
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2019 Winter Wonder Island
Have you seen all the wonderful holiday attractions and events Galveston has to offer? It really is a winter wonder island! View the calendar of events and a holiday scavenger hunt on the 2019 Holiday Guide.
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Friday Fun
Gives a whole new meaning to “visualizing yourself in the space”!
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Managing Rental Properties Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful
If you own rental property and manage them yourself, you’ve probably experienced at least one headache during your tenure as a landlord. A property manager might be the solution. Below are some of the ways a property manager can help you get your life and peace of mind back.
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Happy Veterans Day
Thank you Veterans for all you’ve done for our country.
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Benefits For Our Nations Heroes
In honor of the upcoming Veteran’s Day holiday, here is a graphic illustrating the eligibility requirements for acquiring a VA home loan. This is a wonderful benefit that all of our nation’s heroes should use. Thank you to all Veterans for your service to our country.
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Post Halloween Fun
Post Halloween fun! Have good weekend. Be safe out there. #fridayfun
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Happy Halloween
Here’s hoping your house isn’t haunted this Halloween! ?
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2019 Lone Star Rally
The Lone Star Rally starts rolling into town tomorrow! Let’s be safe out there and watch for our 2-wheeled visitors. Have fun! ?️
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How To Check Your Home For Air Leaks
We’re well into the fall season and winter is right around the corner. This is the time of year when it’s especially important to make sure your home is properly sealed. Air leaks can make it difficult to keep your home properly heated and can lead to high utility bills. Here’s quick guide to checking […]
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More Friday Halloween Fun
Yep, that’s pretty scary! Happy Halloween! Cartoon/photo credit: Stewart Title
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Tips to Boost Your Credit Score
Now that you know who is using your score, here are some tips to boost your score.
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Supreme Court Fun
In honor of the US Supreme Court term that started Monday. #FridayFun
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eXpCON 2019 Highlights
It was a great conference last week in Las Vegas, celebrating eXp Realty’s 10th anniversary. Here is a quick look at some of the activities of the week. #eXpCON19 #eXpRealtyProud
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Who’s Checking Your Score
Do you fully understand the consequences of your credit score? Here are just a few of the service providers who may be checking out your score.
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Express Offers Coming Soon!
Super excited about this new program! Stay tuned for more details! #ABetterWayToSell #GameChanger #eXpcon19 #eXpProud
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Which Down Payment Strategy Is Right For You?
You’ve most likely heard the rule: Save for a 20-percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long-term goal. It also helps you get favorable rates from lenders. But there can actually […]
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6 Benefits of Home Ownership
There are more benefits to home ownership than you may realize. With interest rates remaining near historic lows, now is a great time to join the roughly 64% of Americans who own their homes.
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eXp Realty Expands in Canada, Opens Newfoundland and Labrador
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Sept. 19, 2019 — eXp Realty, The Real Estate Cloud Brokerage, and a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI) today announced further expansion in Canada and is now open for business in Newfoundland and Labrador. eXp Realty now operates in six Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, […]
Cynthia Wander
409.789.7613