James Murr

Everybody needs to save money. The changing Real Estate market has everyone nervous about what will happen next. One way Bryan College Station residents can ease the stress of a changing market, is to save money through energy efficiency. Energy efficiency won't just cut the cost of your electric bill; you can actually get tax credits for making your home more energy efficient. These credits include $2,000 for installing solar panels, $2,000 for installing solar water heaters, and there are more. These additions will not only save you money, they may also increase your property value. In today's real estate market, energy efficiency could give your home an edge on the competition when you get ready to sell.

If you want more information on how to improve the value of your home, or if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Bryan College Station, get in touch with us. You can find us on the web at www.CortiersRealEstate.com or you can call the office at 979-985-5610.

I have talked about how the Bryan College Station real estate market remains strong despite the economic conditions. I stumbled upon an article that verifies the stambility of our market. I think you will be happy to find that we live an area that is not nearly as affected by the market as other areas. This article is from the Real Estate Center;

Amid national reports of tumbling home values and credit woes, local real estate industry experts have a very different story to tell - the Bryan-College Station market is going strong. Bryan-College Station area Realtors sold about 145 units in the month of September - a 10-unit increase from the same period last year, according to statistics collected by the local Multiple Listing Service. Units sold have tracked close to 2007 and 2006 levels for most of the year. Meanwhile, sales also have held steady, with Realtors closing an estimated $25.6 million of sales in September - a $4 million increase over the same period last year. The market even set a three-year record of $61.8 million in sales in July - typically a peak month for the area. Local Realtors took on 284 home listings - slightly fewer than in 2007. Those homes remained on the market for 117 days - 15 days longer than they did in the same period last year and sold for an average of $175,324. The September average represented the third-highest month local Realtors have seen in three years. Ed Berry, vice president of the Bryan-College Station Regional Association of Realtors, attributes sustained sales to a continuing influx of retirees and the area's largest economic engine, Texas A&M University. In fact, the Bryan-College Station market is performing better than many major communities across Texas. Average sales volumes across the state could fall some 15 percent this year, according to Jim Gaines, research economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. Gaines does expect home building to drop off somewhat statewide, and in Bryan-College Station, Gaines expects activity will revert to 2004 levels.

To shop for a home in Bryan College Station visit our website at www.cortiersrealestate.com.

I

I wanted to give the public a market report to ease some people's fears of declining sales. I'm sure everyone has heard that Bryan/College Station is a protected market, but I wanted to let you know just how protected we really are.

The following chart shows the monthly sales figures for the years 2006, 2007, and 2008. You will see that the recent sales numbers are very close to the past 2 years, which have been record setting sales years.

Thanks, we look forward to competing for your real estate business. Please visit http://www.CortiersRealEstate.com or call us at 979-985-5610 to find out how superior our services really are.