Amy Law

Thinking of selling your home in Crosby and wondering what the Real Estate Market is like? Maybe this will help.

The date of this report is 2/24/2011. From 1/1/2011 through today 18 houses have sold in the Crosby zip code of 77532. Houses ARE SELLING! Here are some statistics:

They average 1931 square feet.

The average list price was $153,861 and the average sells price was 144,955.56 which is 94 % of the list price. This is a great number, as it shows that listing REALTORS are pricing houses close to actual sells price. (however, this might possibly be after multiple price reductions, which is not reflected in this number.)

Based on the numbers above, the average price per square footage was $75.07. If you are considering selling your house and it is on an average 1/3 acre lot, you may figure up your potential list price by multiplying the square footage of your home by $75 to see what your home is worth. Of course, if the condition of your house is really poor then it will not sell for that much, but over all, this is a very good method to calculate how much your home might sell for on the market this year. The price per square foot is actually up from 3 months ago, which is very encouraging if you are considering selling in the near future. Another interesting tidbit about Real Estate in Crosby is that in general, the further North your property is on FM 2100, the more it is worth. For example, houses in Newport fairly consistently run about $73/sq. ft, Lake Shadows are usually worth about $80 sq/ft, Indian Shores, $83/sq. ft.

One number that has not improved is the time on the market. The posted days on the market is based on renewed or brand new listing. That number in Crosby is 74.11 days. Combined days on market shows if the house was listed by one broker then switched, or pulled off the market for some reason then posted back up...That day is 109 days. That is a long time on average. We also had one house that really threw off the average because it sold in just 3 days on the market. This is a bit unusual in this market. If you are thinking of selling your house, be prepared for it to take between 4 months to a a year to sell. Of course, the lower you price your home the faster it will sell, so this statistic is relative to the property's situation.

6 of the 18 (yes, 1/3) properties that sold were corperate owned properties, (foreclosures/REO) and 2 other were rehabilated properties. This is very high for a community our size, but lower than many areas of the Greater Houston region. There are still many properties being held in inventory in the Crosby area, and as of today there are 26 properties on the list to go to auction on March 1st. However, it is fairly typical that some of the properties will be pulled off of that list before March 1st for whatever reason. For April 1st there are not currently posted.

As of today there are 174 houses listed active on the market in the 77532 zip code, and 9 that are under an option period on an executed contract, 9 that are under contract, but continue to be shown, and 13 properties that have executed contracts and are pending to close.

If you are considering selling your property, contact me and I'd be happy to send you a FREE Comparative Market Analysis, that compares your house to similar houses that are listed or have sold recently to find out how much you can get for your specific property.

If you are interested in buying a home, and want to make sure you get the best deal for your money, I'd be happy to help you with this. There are some really great, clean and well priced values in Crosby right now and I would love to help you find the right fit for your family! Call, text or email me for more information!

She called me several months ago while my father was in the hospital. She has that house right on that Farm Road in Dayton, (if you know Dayton, you'd know it immediately...) She has had it listed for over a year. See, her husband died...Her story would truely move your heart, but that's a confidetial story, so just use your imagination, then multipy by 12. That's how sweet and giving she is.

She was convinced that her Realtor she had the house listed with was going crazy, or senile...and she's utterly broke. She now lives in Dallas...she had decided to lease out this house since it is not selling. Her current Realtor does not do property management.

I have spoken with her maybe 10 times now. She was getting the siding replaced on the house, and repairing a deck. Then she sort of fell of the planet. I figured she must have found a buyer or something. That's fine. I actually KNOW that her current Realtor IS of sound mind, so I hate to snatch a listing away from her.

Well, the sweet lady just phoned me. She still wants to lease out this house. She has actually LOCATED a nice couple, (that I happen to know), that want to lease the house. She has these friends that are going to help her get the house cleaned out and shaped up so that they can move in.

After all of the time I spent with her on the phone, I just had to be honest with her. It really does not sound like she NEEDS me to help her lease out this house or be a property manager. I know I just sort of threw $900 out the window, but it would be WRONG for me to take her money, (very easy money for me...but still...wrong! Wrong! Wrong!)

I gave her advice about how to do the lease. I told her I would be more than happy to help her with the contract, but really, she doesn't need me. She really sounded very unsure, like "you're sure you don't want my money??" kind of unsure.

So, she promised me if something falls through with this nice couple, she WILL call me and I will lease it out for her. I told her that I welcome referrals. This is just how I am. I guess this is why I am not rich. But at least I am HONEST and I can live with my decisions.

Call me if you need help with REAL ESTATE in the Clear Lake/Pasadena/Baytown/Crosby/Kingwood area.

Enrolling Your Child in a New School in Texas

Before I was a REALTOR, I was a Teacher. I helped many people enroll their kids into schools. Below are some tips to make the situation go smoother.

Texas has uniform enrollment requirements. So, this should be good for ANY school in Texas.If you are moving to a new area and need to enroll your children in school, or, like me, you have a child enrolling in pre-school or Kindergarten, the idea of GOING to the school and waiting in lines to sign your child up, and then NOT having the right paperwork just seems like a NIGHTMARE then hopefully this will help.

FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT TIP: Do NOT wait until the first day of school. That is SUCH a BAD idea! So, find out when early registration is, and go EARLY, like at 7 or 8 am. Don't go up there at lunch time. Those office workers DESERVE a break, just like the rest of us. Be prepared to be there for at least 2 hours.

To enroll a child into school there are a few things you will need to take:

1. Proof that you live in that school district. Usually a utility bill with your name and address on it is good enough. If you are living with someone that has THEIR name on the bill, then you need a LETTER from the person that you are living with that states that you are in fact a permanent resident in the house, and the person's proof of residence. If you JUST moved, then a lease or Title papers are also ok, but they are overkill. Districts usually like something that takes up less paper in a file. So, find some type of bill if you can.
2. Birth Certificate. It can be from ANYWHERE and in ANY LANGUAGE. Many people are NOT born in the US. That is ok, as long as it is a VALID birth certificate. Some except copies. Some don't. They will make a copy. Be sure you get the orginial back. They really do need to know when the child was born.
3. Immunization Record. OR letter stating it is against your specific religion. (I feel you should get your kids the shots. Don't risk my kids friends getting sick because of your religion.)
4. Social Security #--is not REQUIRED in Texas but is desired. If you do not know their SS#, then they will assign you child a STATE ID # that will follow them. (I actually recommend you go with the state ID#. The number will be all over all types of documents, and there is no telling who could end up with those papers...)
5. Records from the last school attended, such as a report card. If your child has a special education situation, PLEASE bring any records you have, such as an IEP, or 504 plan. The new school will quickly find out there was a special program. They send records. Be up front and honest. It will save you trouble later.

Be prepared to fill out some forms. The forms will ask some information you will need to take with you:

• The name of your child's doctor
• Any medications they take
• Any medical conditions they may have, (asthma, etc)
• The name of AT LEAST 3 emergancy contacts with address AND phone numbers. The more the better
• Last school attended, if any
• Income information, especially if your child will be in free/reduced lunch
• Basic stuff like where you work, names of siblings or relitives at also attend the school district and the name of the school.

Things to BE SURE TO FIND OUT

• Be sure you get the list of school supplies, and
• ask LOTS of questions about the dress code. They vary widely from school to school. One school may require standardized dress, and the building next door may have no dress code at all. However, you do not want to go purchase a bunch of clothes that you child cannot wear at school, so ask THEN shop.
• Bus information. Some districts supply 100% bus service, others do not. Find out which bus they will ride, and when to be at the bus stop, and when they will be home. Where is the bus stop?
• What time do they serve breakfast?
• When and how can you drop off or pick up your child? What is the traffic expectations for the school.
• What time does the TARDY and DISMISSAL bell ring?
• How much does lunch cost? Set up an account if possible. You can send money once a week or once a month. If you are not into school lunch, what are the rules about lunch kits?

One last tip: Make sure to ask to be able to TOUR the school, so your child will know where things are and what the building looks like. This will greatly reduce anxiety on the first day. If you can find out which class they will go to first thing on the first day, this will help. Not all schools allow this, however. Some post class assignments on a window the night before the first day. Be sure to find out how that works for that building.

Storage Units and Horse Barns for Newport Residents If you are a resident of Newport in Crosby, TXSt, or you are thinking of moving to the Crosby area, and need a storage unit or horse stall, the community does have them. The facilities are located off of S. Diamondhead. There is a bit of a drive down a gravel road to get to them, but it is not much of a problem. It looks as though this is a great place to park a boat or trailer to keep it out of your yard. To see what they look like, look at this short video clip: To find out if they are available, you will need to call the management company. The contact information is: Rhonda Sundberg rsundberg@houcomm.com Houston Community Management 17049 El Camino Real #100 Houston, TX. 77058 Main: 832-864-1200 Fax: 281-218-6973