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Archives for January 2020

Winter Market Update

Is it still a good time to buy or sell?

Do you often find yourself wanting to purchase a home, sell your home, or even lease a home? But you’re not sure if the time is right? After all, it’s January 2020- everyone says the market is slow in Winter. What does it look like?

According to Texas Realtors, Texas A and M Real Estate Center, Walker County is still going strong for the single family housing market.  The median home sales price is $192,250 which is an increase of 7.4% compared to 2018. The average home sat on the market before being sold for 62 days with an average of 32 days from contract to close! Closed sales have increased by 12.5% !

If you’re hesitating with the housing market, contact one of our agents today! The results are in- and Walker County is still going strong. Let one of our agents show you real data and show you how you can get the most reward from your real estate dream.

 

Things To Consider Before Buying A Vacation Home

Is It Time to Buy A Vacation Home?

Spring Break is coming soon already! If you’re tired of paying for a hotel and ready to get some bang for your buck, there are a few thing to consider before buying that vacation home.

Make sure the use of the property and the dream match the reality of the time involved with the investment property. Make sure that if you do purchase, you consider how often you will be using the location- Is it worth it? Can I possibly lease the location when I am not here and capitalize?

Don’t forget the maintenance. Who is going to take care of the home when you’re away? How much will it cost? Should I hire a Property Manager? How much is the fee for a property manager? Make sure those costs are calculated before pulling out your checkbook.

How many times have you visited the location before you’ve decided to buy. If you have not visited often, and perhaps only gone during peak holiday seasons then could be a chance you may not have enough information to capitalize. It’s a great idea to consider off season traffic before jumping in.

Most importantly, talk to a local Real Estate professional making any decisions. Local, being the key word. A local Real Estate Agent will be knowledgeable in the best way to market the home while you’re away, as well as provide a comparative market analysis for the area. If you’re considering Huntsville, Emblem Properties would love to talk with you! Call one of our agents today! https://www.emblempro.com/agents/

 

Granary Health Food Store Is Coming Soon

What’s New in Huntsville? There has been so much discussion about what is going to be in the “Old Payless Shoe Store”. Emblem Properties has the latest information for you!

Granary Health Foods is proud to be opening store #11, right here in our community. We spoke with Wynn Worthen, the Regional Manager for Granary Health Foods who is very proud and excited to establish a presence here.

The store located at 3012 SH Hwy 30, in the old payless shoe store, is expected to open January 20, 2020. Granary Health Foods was established out of a small Texas town called, Gladewater in 1991. The premise came from the owner who was tired of paying such a high price for organic foods. While large chains offer “low prices”, some would say they lack in customer service. Granary Health Food remains competitive in pricing and is an expert at customer service.

What can one find at Granary Health Food? Wynn states, mostly anything offered in the large box grocery market, you will find here. Items such as Milk, Eggs, Supplements, Essential Oils, Non GMO Meats- grown and raised locally, and more.

Close to Huntsville, Granary Health Foods is currently open and established in Conroe, Tx. Approximately 20% of their clientele travel to Conroe and expressed a need for their service in our town. “We saw a need and an opportunity in Huntsville for our service” Wynn states.

Granary Health Foods will open January 20, 2020 and be open for business Monday thru Friday 10:00 am to 6:00pm. As demand increases, the hours are subject to change. Find Granary Health Foods on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GranaryHealthFoodsHuntsville/?ref=br_rs

 

Identity Fraud Scams for Property Managers and Landlords

Welcome to 2020! With a New Year comes new ways for criminals try to engage in Identity Fraud. It is important to be aware of these criminals and stay ahead so you do not find yourself a victim. Specifically, so with property managers and Landlords- you are a greater risk than consumers who do not own rental property or have property management experience.

According to a recent report published in October 2019 by www.Corelogic.com, a real estate data firm ; there is an increase in the number of rental applicants who are using fake identities to secure leases. The report indicates several reasons for the use of fake identities such as tenants trying to live rent free until evicted, hiding poor credit, criminal history, or other characteristics that would make a rental application unfavorable.  There are Four types of Fraud that Landlords and Property Managers should look out for:

  1. Synthetic Identity Fraud: This is where an applicant creates an entirely new fake identity from multiple stolen sources, with made up information, or with a combination of both
  2. First Person Fraud: The person who applies for the lease uses his real identity; however, he is not the person who moves in.
  3. Third Party Fraud: The person who applies for the lease is using a stolen identity.
  4. Identity Manipulation Fraud: The applicant slightly changes some information, such as changing a birthdate to make matching the applicant difficult with his true identity.

Another helpful tip is to check your credit file at least once a year to make sure there are no additional open accounts under your name created unlawfully . Additionally, if you have credit accounts that have not been used and have a large credit limit, ask for a reduction in your credit line or close the account. A high credit line that has been unused for an extended period is a very easy target for a Fraudster. There are many areas available for Free to pull your credit report, such as www.myfreecreditreport.com.

It is always a good idea to check with your property management firm to ensure the firm is using up to date technology to manage applicants so you are protected. And lastly, if you are a landlord, it is always a good idea to consult with an attorney to make sure the application being used is also update to date to help avoid criminals and proper steps are in place to protect your property.