About Bell County, TX

It is very important to have a family budget if you have not done this already. I was talking to one of my clients, a young husband and wife with no kids, who were making the average median income but was not saving any of it. Their average income for a family of two was $45,000 yearly, yet they had no savings. They had no credit cards, no car payments and about to have one mortgage note. I know this may seem far fetch but it is the truth. They ignored the importance of writing it all down. Trust me when I say that setting up a family budget would be one of the wisest things you can do to make you alert of your spending habits.

In addition, it is also important to pay yourself first. This principle is a proven strategy of wealth building. Just think of it as a bill you have to pay each month. When you treat your savings with the same integrity as you do your creditors, you begin to create financial wealth. By practicing this principle, it becomes mandatory instead of optional. This means that you should deduct between 5% and 15% of your paycheck as savings. This should be considered your top priority as your financial future is just as important as your creditors. Just imagine if my clients where doing this monthly, they would have save from their salary of $3750 x.15 =$562 monthly x12=$6750 yearly x 5 years, the outcome $33,750. The earlier you start in life the more secure your financial future.

Only after paying yourself first should you pay your monthly bills. This ensures you save every month. Again, by paying yourself first you build your wealth. For example, if you paid yourself only $200.00 per month, through the power of compound interest you could retire in 30 years with $215,000.

With job industry on the decline and more and more people losing their jobs, if you are not practicing this "must do" I suggest you start now.

In any given week, I'll take buyers to see a number of homes for sale, both older homes and and brand new homes, expensive and not so expensive.   You might think the expensive homes are what impress me, but actually, it's the homes that feel like a HOME that I really enjoy the most!   It has nothing to do with how much the house costs;  it's all about the feeling of order, security, and coziness that a homeowner has createad in their space, no matter the price.

It seems that buyers, for the moment, are being a bit more conservative and are buying homes that are very affordable, leaving them more money to put into making their house a real home!    If this sounds like how you and your family are thinking these days, be sure to look into homes by Randy Bruton and QCH Builders.   His homes start in the $120,000s and are beautiful quality, spacious floorplans, nice floorcoverings, garden tubs.  You'll really enjoy having a brand new home and you'll also enjoy having money left over to decorate! Meet Randy Bruton and QCH Builders in the video just below:

 

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QCH Builders, Fort Hood, Texas. Use your VA Loan Benefit to purchase an affordable brand new home in House Creek North Subdivision in Copperas Cove, Texas. Just ten minutes from Fort Hood!

If you are a first time buyer, getting ready to start looking for a home at Fort Hood, here's a quick peek into a real house hunt in the Fort Hood Real Estate Market:

My latest buyer already had a target subdivision and price range in mind when we met for our first consultation. He and his wife are first time buyers and are looking for a home that is close to Fort Hood and close to her work in Killeen. They also want their children to attend Copperas Cove schools, so it's been pretty easy to narrow down their choices.

They've been looking at new construction but just didn't find anything that quite fit their needs and time frame (before the holidays). So we moved on to looking at existing homes, which are a pretty good value in the market right now since sellers are paying most if not all of your closing costs.

The buyers picked five properties off the internet to see this past week, and here's what we found when we got to the homes:

Property #1 - First Impression: Big pile of rocks and dirt in the front yard (lots of work required to remove). Front porch and door were covered in dog paw prints. The interior was, frankly, filthy. Looking into the back yard we saw that the dogs had pretty much destroyed it, and they had chewed chunks out of the back porch posts, too!

Property #2 - First Impression: Nicely maintained yard. Attractive brick with stone accents. Spotless interior, nice floorplan with a fireplace and playscape in the back yard for the buyer's children. Well priced! These sellers are as perfect as possible for an unoccupied home.

Property #3 - First Impression was not good. Yard is full of dead grass and weeds, not a bush, tree or flower to be seen. And this home was occupied! Interior was surprising in that it was clean, neat and nicely decorated, perfect for showing to a buyer. Many buyers would never get past the dead yard to even consider this home. It was very well priced, though, and the buyers took a chance and went in to see the interior. It appears the seller is pricing the home low to offset the condition of the yard.

Property #4 - First Impression: Beautiful yard, neatly trimmed, healthy, green, with nice landscaping touches. Interior was clean, neat, with a big covered patio overlooking the healthy, landscaped back yard. This floorplan was actually the same as property #3. These sellers had painted several walls a variety of "interesting" colors that didn't appeal to the buyers. This was the highest priced home we looked at. This home had been on the market three days.

Property #5 - New construction. The builder had confirmed the home was finished and ready for buyers to move in. When we got to the address, we were greeted with a bare concrete foundation....... I guess he thought we were going to pitch a tent and use the Port-a-John out in the street!

After looking at these five homes, the buyers said they would call in the morning with their decision of which home they wanted. But it didn't take 20 minutes before they called back with their choice! Property #4 was the clear winner. We met the next morning, wrote the offer, and by the end of the day had everything negotiated and signed. They will be spending the holidays in their new home in Copperas Cove!

The village of Salado, between Austin and Waco on Interstate 35, is a very historic community that emphasizes an interest in the arts, education, natural beauty and scenic attractions. The longest continually operating hotel in Texas, the Stagecoach Inn, is in Salado, and the hotel is known for its excellent restaurant and historic setting. Salado is also proud to have eighteen of its oldest buildings included on the National Register of Historical Places and twenty-three Texas Historical Markers.

Salado was not incorporated until the year 2003, and the town boasts a population of just under 5,000 residents. Salado was founded in 1859 on the Old Military Road crossing of Salado Creek, and was originally an agricultural and industrial center. Salado College operated in the community until 1895, and was considered a very prestigious school at the time. However, when the railroad built tracks to the east and north of the town after the decline of the cattle trade, which was a thriving industry in Salado since the Chisholm Trail ran directly through Salado, the population began to decline.

In the mid-1900s, a revitalization of the city began, when Salado Creek was designated the first recorded Texas Natural Landmark in 1966, and the city developed an interest in an arts community based on historic businesses and homes. Two of these businesses were the Central Texas Area Museum, constructed in 1959, and the Stagecoach Inn and its famous dining room, which had always retained a following of loyal customers.

Salado, which is currently known as the Best Art Town in Texas, began the incorporation process around the year 2000, when the residents of the town became concerned about annexation from nearby Belton. Incorporation of the city ended 120 years of local history with no official town government, during which time the town flourished by catering to the tourist trade and affiliated businesses, which included 2 hotels, 2 blacksmiths, 7 churches, and 14 stores, along with a Masonic Lodge, in 1884.

Today, Salado has about 130 small businesses, many of which are art-related, and is also known for its UIL academics in the public schools, which are administered by the Salado Independent School District. Salado is the home of the academic team named the Salado Eagles, which won a five year streak of academic titles, and is also proud of their excellent sports program which includes the Salado Baseball Team, which won the State Championship in 2008, as well as Salado High School's 2008 victory in the Lone Star Cup.

Salado has been home to many notable residents over the years, including authors Liz Carpenter and A.C. Green, and Texas governors James Ferguson and Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, among others, including the infamous outlaw Sam Bass.

Today, Salado offers residents and visitors many choices for lodging, including hotels, bed and breakfast inns, and R.V. campgrounds, including the Stagecoach Inn, a Residence Inn by Marriott, a La Quinta Hotel and a Holiday Inn Express. Some of the amenities of the historic Stagecoach Inn include 82 guest rooms and four town homes at Mill Creek Golf Course, and the award-winning restaurant, which specializes in prime rib and other delicacies. Other choices for diners in Salado include the Ambrosia Tea Room and Browning's Courtyard Café, and the Range at Barton House, among many others.

With its unparallel historic pedigree and natural beauty, as well as its numerous amenities and opportunities for shopping or just strolling down Main Street, Salado is a sure-fire place to visit!

Escapeso Real Estate is a small realty company operating in central Austin. They provide a guide to the Austin real estate market through their site as well as a search of the Austin MLS and graph showing mortgage interest rates

Great news from local Fort Hood lenders this morning! Late yesterday afternoon the VA rate plummeted from 6.75% to 6% and stressed buyers can, for the moment, give a sigh of relief.

If you've been waiting out the rates before committing to a home at Fort Hood, this could be the time to jump in. Rates have been volatile the past month, swinging between 7% and 7.5%, so 6% is looking pretty good today!