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QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."
 --Will Rogers, American humorist, actor and author 


INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE ... It's nice to see home builders aren't just sitting there. In fact, thanks to their activities, Housing Starts went up 2.1% last month, to a five-month high 1.211 million unit annual rate. Starts are now 5.6% above a year ago, remaining a bright spot in an otherwise moribund U.S. economy. With weather and other considerations, housing starts can be volatile from month to month, so it's good to look at the 12-month moving average, and guess what--that's at its highest level since 2008. This should help alleviate the tight housing supply occurring in many parts of the country as we head to the 1.5 million annual start rate experts say we need to meet demand.

Building Permits dipped 0.1% in July, but single family ones are up 2.4% versus a year ago. Builders certainly are hopeful. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) confidence index moved up to 60 this month from 59 in July, as positive sentiment grows. The NAHB chairman explained, "New construction and new home sales are on the rise in most...

Sometimes Less Is More!

Micro condos coming to Houston
in Surge Homes’ Hadley Building

Urban living is not for everyone. Having everything you own neatly stored within the confines of your one-, two-, or three-bedroom apartment, the sounds of the city, neighbors sleeping one wall away, no yard and commerce happening right outside your window — it’s just not for everyone.

But where some see a hassle, others see an opportunity. Surge Homes, one of Houston’s many developers helping prepare the city for inevitable growth, is thinking small in a big way with micro condos.

micro condos

Front of the Hadley Building, where the micro units are located.

Micro condos and the future of urban living

Micro condos are classified as living spaces confined to less than 500 square feet. This is not a new phenomenon around...

Keller Williams expands to 5 new countries

  • Israel, Nicaragua, France, Monaco and Poland will be where consumers can find the latest KW outposts.

When you hear people in the real estate industry talk about which franchises are “taking over the world,” they usually don’t mean that phrase literally, but in the case of Keller Williams, it might just be appropriate.

Keller Williams, one of the fastest-growing franchise groups in the country, announced its expansion to five new countries at its Mega Camp event today: Israel, Nicaragua, France, Monaco and Poland.

According to a company release, Keller Williams now has 2,921 international agents (outside the U.S. and Canada) across 31 countries and regions.

In 2016, the company has grown its overseas real estate agent base by 810 net agents — that’s an increase of more than 38 percent year-over-year.

“In 2016, we have continued our historic rate of growth internationally, adding 27 new real estate offices,” said Bill...

5 Tips to Reduce Your Monthly Energy Expenses

By Meghan Belnap

Save EnergyEnergy bills are way too high, and unfortunately energy-saving methods, likesolar panels and high-efficiency appliances, cost money, too. However, there are many ways to reduce energy expenses without spending anything. Here are five practical, energy-saving tips.

1. Unplug Devices and Keep Lights Off

The household appliances that tend to use the most energy are television sets, gaming consoles (such as Xbox and PlayStation) and desktop computers. Unplugging these when they are not in use will reduce your energy costs. Shutting lights off when not in use, and using natural light whenever possible, will also help.

2. Keep Your Vents Open and Clean

To make sure your air conditioning or heat does not go to waste, make sure all of your vents are open and clean. Fans do not change the air temperature, but they can maximize the effectiveness of your A/C or heater by moving the air throughout the house.

3. Don't Waste Water

To save on your electricity costs, you will want to make sure you don't have any leaking faucets or running toilets. If you spot any water-wasting problems in your home, an All...

We Sell Vacation Homes- Contact us today!

''Gemini'', a 15.65 +/- acre crown jewel tropical compound, stretching from 1,200+/- feet of the Atlantic Ocean to 1,300+/- feet on the Intracoastal Waterway, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the world's truly great estates, giving rare total privacy on Manalapan's prestigious barrier island, just south of Palm Beach. Cloaked in a breathtaking world-class botanical garden oasis, this unparalleled island-like paradise uniquely and seamlessly joins two sublime old Florida settings-one on the dune-dash fringed ocean beachfront, the other on the bay-like Intracoastal with dock and pier-through to passage ways on the grounds and an irreproducible gallery passageway within the residence.

$195,000,000 

2000 S Ocean Blvd ManalapanFL 33462 

...

Learn from others’ homebuying and selling mistakes

Illustration of house with many elements around it including a

07/22/2016 | Author: Marty Kramer

Sometimes it's better to learn from other people's experiences than your own ... especially when it comes to mistakes. You get the benefits of wisdom without paying the price of failure.

Texas REALTORS® are offering that type of opportunity with a free 14-page download filled with valuable tips for homebuyers and sellers. This guide includes advice from REALTORS® and lists dozens of expensive mistakes they've seen people make. You can learn which remodeling projects have the highest return on investment, what the most important activities are before putting your home on the market, a list of common steps in purchasing a home, and more.

Of course, working in person with a Texas REALTOR® is the best way to proceed with any real estate transaction. In the meantime, check out this free guide titled Now that's a smart move

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