Julie Q. Fuelling, Real Estate Consultant,

Zip Code 77450 is a very tough one to analyze. There is an extremely wide-range of home values; houses are appraised below $100,000 all the way to over a million. Unlike other Katy Zip Codes, when looking at 77450 statistics, I must reject “average” pricing. Due to the huge variance, the data is skewed.

However, Days on the Market is relevant if we keep in mind that the highest priced homes are fewer in number and usually slower to sell. Less people can afford to purchase in the highest-end price range.

High-end home sellers find that competition is tough. This buyer has a real choice, due to other extremely prestigious areas of Houston such as the Memorial Villages. While Katy schools are the greatest motivator for home purchases in our area, those who can afford million-dollar-plus homes can also afford private schools. Many chose to live closer to downtown Houston.

Still, if marketed correctly, the highest end listings will sell. Statistics prove this and sales are consistent.

The above graph represents the last six month’s data for Days on the Market. While at first glance, it appears to represent a negative shift, if you look closely you will see that the time from listing-to-contract is stabilizing. The extreme upward spike has leveled out. The great influx of spring and summer homes contribute to a longer sales period.

As far as how long a house takes to sell, an extreme contrast exists between houses that are priced aggressively and over-priced property. Houses priced at market value sell relatively quickly. At this time of year, many sellers try to-push-the-envelope with respect to pricing.

Another factor is how the home shows. A clean, neat and uncluttered home sells far more quickly. To accomplish this important edge in selling, professional staging has grown in importance. In almost all cases, it easily pays for itself.

Six months ago there was a glut of property on the market as represented by the above chart, Inventory for 77450. By mid-March, a significant number of houses were off the market. Some sold and others were taken off. Numbers rose again with the traditional influx of spring and summer houses. Inventory has stabilized in the last 45 days. There are approximately 357 homes on the market.

Need a good laugh? For fun, I am sharing rotten MLS photos I found on line. Wonder why these houses didn't sell? Enjoy!

For more information about Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from my blog FuellingKaty. For questions about Katy real estate or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404. I have financial incentives for my buyers and sellers. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 19 years. Experience does count!.

By Janine Godwin, CPO®, Guest Author

You signed the contract with your Realtor, the ‘For Sale’ sign is in the yard and it’s been weeks since you’ve had any action on selling your home. Could it be due to excessive clutter? If you have taken a look around your home, and the answer is ‘yes’, it’s time to get serious about making an investment in making your home more appealing. This investment could be the time that you put into cleaning it up yourself, or financial by hiring a professional to assist you. In either case, if clutter exists in your home and you want to sell it, that For Sale sign may sit in your yard longer than necessary.

Buyers consider many things when looking for a home – location, neighborhood, amenities, etc, but they are also looking at how a home is presented. Think about it. No one wants to walk in to a home that is messy. People are attracted to cleanliness and order. For example, when buyers walk into a new model home, they are wowed not only by the decorative scheme that the model presents, but they don’t see clutter. It’s attractive. It’s welcoming and they can see all the details the builder wants to showcase. Granted, it may be a bit sterile, but it still looks inviting. Buyers can easily envision how they can make that home theirs.

On the flip side, if a buyer walks in to a home that is full of clutter, it could possibly block their sense of ‘vision’. People by nature are visual, and they need all the help they can get when you are selling your home. Buyers are always looking for good storage in a home, and they will open closets, cabinets and drawers and check out the garage to get an idea of what storage options are available. Storage can be a deciding factor in their decision, and if these areas are filled to the brim with ‘stuff’, they may not be able to figuratively or literally ‘see’ the potential an area possesses.

If your Realtor suggests that you ‘tame the clutter’ in order to list your home for sale – listen to their advice. Your Realtor wants to assist you in every way possible for your home to sell. If clutter is preventing the sale of your home (or low-ball offers are more prevalent than not) invest in fixing the problem so your Realtor can proudly show your home. If you are not sure how to go about solving the problem, ask your Realtor, as they will have resources available to get your home in shape.

Janine Godwin is a Certified Professional Organizer®, providing business and residential organizing services in Katy and surrounding areas since 2003. She is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), NSGCD (National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization) and the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Janine and her Katy professional organizing services, visit Nooks-and-Crannies.

For information about Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from my blog FuellingKaty. For questions or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404. I offer financial incentives to my sellers/buyers. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 19 years. Experience does count!

All Kelliwood subdivisions are named to celebrate Kelli, (see photo), the daughter of award-winning builder and developer Vincent Kickerillo. Kickerillo is the developer of all the Kelliwood sections and the primary builder. In some areas, he is the only builder.

Developed in the 1980's and continuing even today, the large collection of subdivisions that make up Katy's Kelliwood range in price from the $200,000's to over $1 million. Having been under development for such a long time, the older sections have very established and stately landscaping such as the Kelliwood Section of Nottingham Country.

Kelliwood is south of I-10 and predominately feeds off of Fry Rd. It is made up of 13 different subdivisions. There are several very exclusive gated sections, including Lakes of Buckingham-Kelliwood.

Kelliwood neighborhoods are all in the revered Katy Independent School District. This is an important reason that values stay stable. Another critical factor is the standard of upkeep found throughout the different sections. Residents take great pride in their Kelliwood homes which is apparent from a quick drive-through.

The Willow Fork Country Club, a private club with golf course, is located at the south end of Kelliwood. It is a reasonably priced full-service country club. The general public is allowed to hold certain events, like weddings and meetings, at Willow Fork Country Club.

It makes little sense to quote "average" Kelliwood prices as the sales prices throughout Kelliwood reflect a tremendous spread. I will be glad to prepare you a detailed financial analysis of a specific area where you live or want to buy. (No obligation, of course!) Just contact me at 713-818-2404.

For more information about Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from my blog: FuellingKaty.com. For questions about Kelliwood or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404. I have financial incentives for my buyers and sellers. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 19 years. Experience does count!.

Rarely do I report on the overall statistics of Houston real estate—those provided by the Houston Association of Realtors and released monthly to the press as they were this week.

These facts and figures don’t reflect our Katy real estate market. Recently, HAR reports have cast a dark and dire shadow over home sales in general. I don’t doubt that HAR uses accurate averages but Katy real estate is not in an “average” part of town. There is nothing “average” about the place we call home!

Each Katy neighborhood is different and produces its own statistics. This is why I strongly encourage my readers to contact me personally to receive accurate data for their individual residences or other Katy real estate. Whether or not you intend to buy or sell, it's good to have this information.

Yes, business is down. Katy houses stay on the market longer than they did in the past when we were in a strong sellers market. Yes, the same is true for many sale prices; some are down but not all.

Truthfully, the northside of I-10 is struggling terribly. Things are bleak. Foreclosures and "short sales" still abound on the northside. Not so for the southside which, historically, has always sold for more and in less days.

Foreclosures are difficult to find on the southside of I-10 and sell very quickly. Please contact me if you are interested in foreclosures, anywhere in Katy, as I receive the new list daily. It is necessary to work with a Katy Realtor to find a southside foreclosure before it is sold which is rapidly.

Neighborhoods where new construction exists have historically taken longer to sell. Resale homes, regardless of the upgrades, usually must be priced below the new homes. This is not a reflection of the recession but the lure of new construction. Buyers tend to not want to pay for resale upgrades while they will encumber this expense for a new home.

While some of the smaller and not financially strong builders have pulled out of various neighborhoods, the larger and more stable builders continue to flourish. New home sales counselors in the master-planned communities of Katy's report steady sales even if not as brisk as in the past. I visit with quite a few new home sales personnel on a regular basis to keep current on this side of the business.

It's important to realize that Katy real estate is affected by the recession just not like so many other local areas. Far from it!

According to MLS, Houston houses have 5-6 months of inventory. This means that if no more homes came on the market, starting today, it would take 5-6 months to liquidate all the houses already for sale. Now, in Katy, on the southside of I-10, we only have 3-4 months of inventory! According to the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, even the Houston current inventory figures are the lowest nationwide. This was reported on January 12^th of this year.

For information about Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from my blog: FuellingKaty.com. For questions or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404. I offer financial incentives to my sellers/buyers. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 19 years. Experience does count!