Steve Castaneda's Blog: All Categories

One of the most stable investments anyone can make is in residential real estate. Investing can be your chosen path to that nest egg you've always wanted to have for your family to retire on, or it can be a side hobby for extra income when you need it. Whatever the purpose, real estate investing is one of the best shelters for your capital should you choose to start making strategic moves to increasing your net worth.

Make Your Money Going In

If you've read many of the books currently available on real estate investing, you'll hear that a sound approach when constructing your offer on a piece of offer is to make your money going in. I agree with this approach, and would also like to add that this is the most vital concept for you to grasp as a real…

Read Full Post

Have you ever contemplated purchasing a home without stepping foot through the front door? Your first assumption may be that this is a irresponsible strategy to take with investing in real estate. You may be interested to learn that many investors in the Houston real estate market are taking this very approach; and succeeding.

Investors Only

I would never advise for anyone looking to purchase a home as their homestead to attempt this technique. This strategy should be only for investors that are serious about investing in residential real estate. My definition of a true investor is someone who has 20% down to put down on their next investment property, and fully pre-approved with a mortgage loan.

How It Works

It is first adviseable to have a…

Read Full Post

Selling a piece of real estate can be a very eye-opening experience for most homeowners; you begin to get non-emotional feedback about the pros and cons of your home from prospective buyers. You are putting an asset to your family for the public to see, and in doing so, are exposing visitors to your personal lifestyle. Since most homeowners are not home during home showing tours, prospective buyers are left to speculate and assume details about the maintenance and condition of your home that may or may not be true. In my experience, there are five key items to ensure these initial impressions are as positive as possible. It is important to visit these items during the initial preparation before putting your home on the market.

 

Show 12 Inches of…

Read Full Post

Today, I read an interesting post at the National Association of Realtors Technology Blog.  Chris McKeever was pointing how how he loves the opportunities that emails, being accessible from practically anywhere, provide for him in his business.

As a REALTOR, you are in the service industry. If you were your own client, which of the above two would you appreciate more? A single, delayed, response with the information, or two emails, one acknowledging that you got their request and the other returned in a timely manner with the relevant information? I know which I would rather have.

I find myself to be very tech-savvy compared to others around my office, and find that I attract clients that are the same way.

In no way am I saying that customer service is…

Read Full Post

Katy is located in West Houston, and has become one of the fastest growing upscale suburbs in Houston. Katy's Country charm mixed with its posh master planned communities, acclaimed Katy ISD, current and future shopping centers, and upper class residents has made it one of the most sought after suburbs in the Houston area.

Katy Texas Real Estate

Katy TX Real Estate features a wide variety of communities to create a home and family with a large complex subdivisions with numerous sections and additions with a splash of country living. There are master planned communities located in Katy, with the most popular being Cinco Ranch.

There are many communities for you to tour if you are looking for a home builder or home for sale in Katy, TX. You will surely…

Read Full Post

Spring is located in the North/Northwest area of Houston, and is home to the Klein and Spring Independent School District. Many Houstonians call Spring home, with it's tall majestic pines and complex systems of creeks running through much of this vicinity of Houston. Spring Real Estate is located between Highway 249 and Highway 45; perfectly placed for convenient access to major thoroughfares into central Houston.

Spring is part of a rapidly changing real estate market in Houston. Parts of Spring feature untouched land, growing more expensive as the years pass. Other parts feature a bustling city lifestyle, and a central hub for shopping for anyone visiting the North part of Houston.

Living in Spring, TX will allow you to enjoy being in the center of…

Read Full Post

The Woodlands has become quite a development. This master planned community is also it's very own city, located to North of Houston between Houston and Conroe. Many still consider The Woodlands a part of Houston due to it's close proximity to Houston's complex system of highways, but local residents will tell you that The Woodlands is all-together a new lifestyle all on it's own.

If you are the type of person that enjoys tall, majestic pines and a proactive preservation of natures wonderful scenery, then The Woodlands may be the perfect place for you to live. The Woodlands has preserved more than 5,000 acres in "green" space.

The city of The Woodlands has it's own rules and regulations regarding the removal of natural flora, thus preserving the look and…

Read Full Post

A home will sell for two reasons: price and exposure. In the real estate market for the 21st century, exposure has taken a new turn with the advancement of many Internet technologies for real estate. Be it as it may, the real estate industry's new exposure tools will not help a home sell if the home is not priced correctly. When considering putting your home up for sale, it is very important to first analyze your real estate market on a subdivision level, not a metro-area level, to derive the features and amenities that are driving the value in your neighborhood. You must then establish a pricing strategy in accordance with your financial and timing needs.

Identifying Selling Needs

No two real estate transactions in today's world are identical. As a…

Read Full Post