Christy Bacon

It's a new year and we are constantly hearing about how things are going to be different in 2010 as well as what went wrong in 2009. The media generalizes the real estate market by saturating us with stats from who knows where.

Recently I read an article about Zillow. Zillow has slowly become a one-stop shop for real estate information. This is understandable, it is user-friendly and very interactive, however the site's main drawback is its sales data. Consumers should beware when accessing this information. Nationwide, one third of the price "zestimates" provided by Zillow aren't within 20% of the actual sales price. In Texas alonemore than half of all homes' zestimates fall outside the 20% range. Unfortunately though, it's presented so concise it comes across as fact. Buyers and sellers should beware when reviewing this info. This makes it even more imparative for buyers and sellers to use the knowledge from a qualified real estate expert.

The internet is a great tool for us now and days, but you also have to know how to filter what is fact and what is fiction. According to the National Association of Realtors, 80% of consumers did online research before they bought their last home, with Internet consumers spending an average of 5.8 weeks researching online. This can be dangerous or a great thing. With that being said, consumers must research where their source of information is coming from and recognize whether it is a trustworthy source or not. I think we are going to continue to see more and more stats, reports, opinions, studies, etc. done on the conditions of our real estate market. Always remember the source of your information needs to be local. Your best source of info will be your local real estate information provider, which boils down to a knowledgeable agent or local realtor's association. They can provide you with the most accurate and up to date information about your area.

After the winter blues everyone has a tough time bouncing back. From what I can see as a transaction coordinator is things are looking up. After entering listing after listing, I am finally seeing showings increase as well as contracts on those listings. I was receiving an average of two listings a week, with an average of 4-5 contracts a MONTH. Houston is doing it's best to keep its head above water in this shifting market.

I know it's still early but compared to other areas, we have no right to complain. It's still a great time to buy no matter what the media says and since interest rates are at an all time low, those making out are the first time buyers. Especially thanks to the tax break incentives, first time buyers have quite the advantage, with nothing to unload, they are free and clear to take advantage of the deals that are out there.

Now don't get me wrong, you can't go into every opportunity expecting a "great deal" b/c since things are moving, especially in this area, you still have to be smart about "how low you want to go." That being said take advantage of the great opportunities out there. Visit www.christysellshomes.com and click on featured properties, to see just what I'm talking about

We just moved here from Richmond, VA by way of Cleveland, OH (long story) and we settled to Ashton Village. I really like the diversity in this neighborhood and it's interesting to see the involvement of the community. We attended our first homeowner's association meeting and there were about 20 people there. The neighborhood has around 286 homes and although that number seems big, it really isn't. We pride ourselves on having a great swimteam. It's not too late to join. You can go to our website at http://ashtonvillagehoa.com We discussed the safety of our neighborhood and how the local police are willing to get involved. We discussed vandalism in the neighborhood and how citizen can play an active role in proactively reporting, proactively confronting, and proactively taking a part in keeping our streets safe. I was very impressed to say the least.