“Who am I letting into my home?  Some guy who lives in a basement, has a criminal record, rents a moving truck to cart off everything you own, said Linda Darr, CEO of Virginia-based American Moving & Storage Association.  You don’t want your personal belongings to take a permanent vacation.  60% of complaints received at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) deal with unlicensed movers.  To operate legally, a moving company must display a valid TxDMV or United States Department of Transportation(USDOT) license number on the truck. Can check-out moving companies by going to the TxDMV website and go to Moving Companies to see the ones that are licensed in Texas.  Free internet advertising sites can be helpful, according to John Trevino of the Houston Police Departments’s Special Investigation Command.

(1)  GREEN home improvements lower utility bills as much as 20-30% & install a tankless water heater & weather-strip your doors and windows.  (2)  Green homes sell faster as buyers want to save money.  (3)  Buyers will usually pay more for an energy efficient home.  The Appraisal Journal said each $1 green home improvements decreased the property’s annual energy bills, the home’s value increased by $10-$25.  For a 3000 sf home this translates to an increase of $8,000 to $25,000.  (4)  Look better & live longer with a kitchen garden, walk places, attract wildlife & on & on.  (5)  Live more comfortably.  Go back to #1 and add double paned windows.  THE GREEN LIFE CAN ALSO BE THE GOOD LIFE.

Struggling homeowners continue to be a favorite target for scammers. according to the National Association of Realtors.  Scammers are passing themselves off as Homeownershio Preservation Foundation (HPF) counselors & using federal programs such as HARP & HAMP to trick homeowners.  There are CLUES to watch for:   (1) ask for a fee in advance to work with the homeowner’s lender to modify, refinance or reinstate a mortgage, (2) guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or get the loan modified, (3) advised the homeowner to stop paying the mortgage company & start paying them instead, (4) pressures the homeowner to sign over the title to their home.  Call HPF directly at 888-995- HOPE to verify a trained counselor.

Unemployment continues its decline in Texas for the 6th month in a row, according to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).  Nearly 28,000 jobs were added in February, dropping the state’s umemployment rate to 7.1%.  Unemployment was at 8% February 2011.  Eight of the 11 major industries saw growth in February with local governments adding the most, according to SMU economist Bernard Weinstein.  This is due to an increase in commercial and infrastructure work.  The lowest unemployment numbers are in Midland and Odessa with 3.8 and 4.5, respectively.  The highest in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area for unemployment at 10.9%.

CNBC.  Texas is benefiting from an economy driven by energy production and Economist Jim Gaines at the Real Estate Center at TAMU agrees.   The middle of the country, the spine, has done much better than the 2 coasts.  A common thread is energy, from Texas to the Dakotas – there has been a real boom time due to the exploration & drilling activity.  This boom means more jobs.  Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show Texas ranks in the top ten in job growth for the past 10 years.  Not only has this given Texas the ability to weather the national economic storm, but also the diversity of the Texas economy, which has helped drive job growth and demand for real estate, according to Texas Association of Realtors Chairman Joe Stewart.

Note as in the Friday, March 23 Tyler newspaper that a Carolyn Bain died.  Actually the C. Bain has rental property and I talked to her years ago about buying rental property.  At that time she told me of a 3rd gal of the same name, who was in trouble with the law.  Sure enough, a few months later got a call from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office looking for me and told him NOT me.  Such confusion makes life interesting.  What confusion have you had in your life?

By May 1, 2012, check with your Appraisal District to see if you as a farmer, rancher, wildlife manager and timber grower can adjust your property taxes based upon the productivity value of your land rather than on market value.  This means qualified land is taxed  on its ability to produce crops, livestock or timber – not on its value on the real estate market.  Can mean a substantial property tax savings.   Should not have to be done annually, but your county appraiser can let you know if  they need look at it again.   This is from the Smith County Appraisal District at 903-510-8600 or Texas Comptroller Susan Combs at 1-800-252-9121 and press “2” then “1”.

It is a further real estate education designation that Realtors can earn to further their knowledge of helping SENIOR buyers and seller – it is the  SENIORS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST & recognized by National Association of Realtors and all real estate professionals.  An (1)  SREA understands that the decision to sell can be difficult,   an (2) SRES can patiently support you thru each step, an (3) SRES will stick with you throughout the entire process,  (4) an SREA can draw upon a network of other professionals focused on 50+ clients and (5) an SRES also has ties throughout the 50+ community.  Just call us at Bain Real Estate at 903-561-4346 for information and help.

The average origintion and title fees on a $200,000 mortgage rose 8.8% in 2011 to $4,070, according to Bankrate.com.  For the 2nd year in a row New York had closing costs of $6,183, Texas at $4,944 and Utah at $4,906.  Arkansas, North Carolina and Indiana had the lowest, averaging about $3,400.  Texas’ remain higher due in part to title policies being rather expensive.  The Federal Government now requires the buyer be given closing costs way before closing and must be within a certain range or will not close.  This is to protect the buyer, but uses up extra time and effort to close and particularly with a loan.

through January 30, 2010.  Tyler had 198 sales with a median price of $130,000 which is down from the state average of $150,700, but UP 1% from last year and an inventory of 11.4 months, which is one of 3 highest in Texas.  This information is from the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.  According to the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors there was almost 5% more houses sold in 2011 than 2010 and a 6% increase in sales volume from 2010.