Buyers

• Give you access to all properties in the area that meet your specific criteria.
• Hold your hand throughout the entire home purchase process, and get you pre-qualified by the best lender with the best rate if you want me to.
• Negotiate the best price and terms for your home purchase transaction.
• Provide you with free tips and help you avoid costly mistakes.
• Get you in touch with my network of Recommended Professionals to help you save money on everything from house cleaning services and moving companies to home decorating and repairs.

Bryan/College Station is growing by leaps and bounds. Texaplex Video: See what is in store for the Brazos Valley.

The best resource for HOW TO GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST!  A realtor can tell you how to get it done, but unless you implement these crucial suggestions, your home may languish on the market.  Myke can get your property sold without question, but you MUST do your part.

DO 

1. Anonymously investigate a selection of pre-screened REALTORS®.
2. Ask your lender for a GFE (Good Faith Estimate).
3. Buy based on needs, not wants.
4. Create a budget.
5. Get inspections.
6. Go online and visit web sites about the town/city/neighborhood.
7. Have a good file system for your records.
8. Investigate other homes for sale in that neighborhood.
9. Investigate what homes have sold for in that neighborhood.
10. Make all your payments on time to ensure a good credit score.
11. Order Home Owner’s Insurance to be effective on the day of closing.
12.  Read Information About Brokerage Services.
13. Retain previous years’ tax documents, pay stubs, bank statements, etc., for lender required documentation.
14. Save money for a down payment and closing you are considering.
15. Spend a day in the neighborhood you are considering.
16. Talk to a lender first!
17. Utilize free online tools to arm you with as much knowledge as possible.
18. Work with an experienced buyer’s agent only.

DON’T

1. After the offer is accepted, notify your lender of acceptance and provide all financial information needed in a timely manner.  Don’t delay!
2. Apply for credit cards in department stores right now.
3. Assume all houses are comparable – during drive-through make sure you can find out which ones you should be looking at for price advice.
4. Assume that your dream neighborhood is the same at night as it is during the day.
5. Buy a house for its décor. Location, size, and amenities are far more important.
6. Buy more than you can afford.
7. Buy the most expensive house on the block.
8. Change jobs if you are looking for a house to purchase.
9. Do anything to materially change your financial situation before purchasing a home.
10. Don’t wait before placing an offer.  Time is of the essence!
11. Forget to ask your REALTOR® about it–they are often experts.
12. Move money around in your accounts before making an offer.
13. Start looking for homes until you have been pre-approved by a lender 
14. Think that sellers or residents will tell you every hidden secret about a neighborhood.
15. Underestimate the value of a trustworthy & EXPERIENCED real estate agent’s expertise!
16. When driving around, DON’T call the seller’s agent on the sign. CALL YOUR BUYER’S AGENT! The person who posted the sign represents the seller…not you!

MORE TIPS!

PARENTS OF STUDENTS: Save money on Student housing while at Texas A&M! Your child could board for free. Do the math.

GREAT ADVICE FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS

1. 14 Questions to Ask A Realtor
2. Five Powerful Buying Strategies
3. Making the Move Easy on Your Kids
4. Money 101:  Top 10 things you need to know
5. Six Ways To Beat The Stress of Buying A Home
6. Some Different Reasons to Own Your Home
7. Things You Should Know About Moving
8. First Time Homebuyer Loans and Programs

US POSTAL CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORMS
Complete an electronic Change of Address Form by entering your address info; then print and submit the completed form. Additionally, you can use the entered information to print Address Change Notification Letters and mail them to family, friends, and business associates to let them know of your move.

PACKING TIPS
It is strongly recommended that you PLAN your move as far in advance as you can. Download this 6-week Planning Checklist from Mayflower.

MOVING SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS
Great Tips for the Move These moving tips are great for anyone moving in, out, or across town. Church groups may find it useful to alter this list to meet their needs and then distribute it to families who are about to move.  For recommendations regarding professional moving companies, visit the ‘Resources’ tab at the top of the page, then ‘Movers and Haulers’.

LEVERAGING YOUR MONEY:
One of the greatest financial aspects of buying a home is the ability to leverage your money. Simply put, leverage allows you to use a small down payment and financing to purchase a larger investment. For example, if you bought a $125,000 home with 10 percent down, you leveraged the $12,500 down payment to purchase an asset worth 10 times that amount!

The benefits of leverage really become apparent with an appreciation or the rise in the value of a property. Using the above example, say you were to live in the house for 5 years, and during that time property values in your area were to rise an average of 2.5 percent a year. Your home would then be worth over $141,000. By putting only 10 percent down, you get to enjoy the appreciation for the full amount!

In addition to the 10 percent down, you’ll also have to make mortgage payments. But with each payment, a certain amount of money is being used to pay down the principal balance that you owe. This is called building equity. So in the event, you sell your house, not only can you realize a profit from your leveraged money, but you also have a chance to pay yourself back for the money you’ve put in over the years. No wonder so many people consider a home an excellent investment!

SUGGESTIONS AND ADVICE
Great suggestions and advice for both, buying, and selling your home!

Come and enjoy the good life, Texas-style, in Brazos County. Home to more than 190,000 people, this multicultural county is chock-full of charm and culture with a sports and entertainment scene that is impossible to ignore. Texas A&M University has fueled this county’s economic growth. The university has given the city of College Station the title of the most educated in the state of Texas, and the 11th most educated city in the country, and ranked as the second-best city to do business in by Forbes Magazine, making it an excellent home for would-be entrepreneurs.  Here’s a great list of Bryan/College Station resources.

Brazos County is an economic hotspot.

Major roads and highways crisscross through, making every corner easy to find and accessible. The Easterwood Airport connects to Houston and Dallas. Growing at record paces with new schools, housing developments, restaurants, and shopping, with easy commerce to all major surrounding cities.  The Bryan/College Station area would appear to be ‘Boom Town Central’.  But not without its growing pains.  New home construction, new roads, shopping, and new development on all sides with room to grow.  Ongoing Road construction slows things down temporarily.

Things to do in Bryan and College Station

With scenic views and majestic natural treasures, its beauty cannot be underrated. It’s vibrant and entertaining as it is stunning. Sports fans fill Kyle Field and Reed Arena. Miramont & Traditions Country Clubs are the place to be for golf, while those who enjoy fishing can relax at Lake Bryan. Young ones have fun at the Children’s Museum, where they can make an appointment to hold birthday parties. The Brazos County Arboretum and the MSC Forsyth Center Galleries are other points of interest that are fun for the whole family.  Enjoy theatre productions through Opas.  Community sports through parks and recreation throughout the year for every age.

Who to call

The quality of life in this lovely community is above par where the climate is very desirable and has two growing seasons. If you need a College Station realtor or are considering a move to the College Station/Bryan area in the  future, ‘Let Myke help you with your HOMEwork!’ If you would like more community or housing information don’t hesitate to call Myke Leatham, Broker/Owner of Brazos County Realty   Here’s access to the entire local Bryan/College Station TX MLS Search and your very own portal.

Some things you’ll find at the Aggie Real Estate site:

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