If you are like most of us, home ownership is one of the most important phases of our lives. Purchasing a home is one of the most important purchases we will make in our lives. So, why do you hear so many homeowners complaining about their HOA's? The complaints range from HOA's have too much power; they cost too much per year or month, they are too strict.
First, when we sign the dotted line at closing, we know our neighborhood has an HOA, we know we have to pay and we know what we can and cannot do to our homes. This to me, is a welcome sign. As long as I pay my fees and not do anything crazy to my home, it works out fine. HOA's help to keep property values from going by way of the dump. When the neighborhood is nice, neat and well maintained it will help property values. Conversely, if there is no HOA and the property owners in the neighborhood are allowed to do whatever they want to their homes like put a mechanics shop in the driveway or even rip out their driveway, what do you think will happen to the neighborhood property values? That's right, to the dump we go. Personally, if my biggest investments value is brought down because my neighbors want to dig up their front lawns and plant corn; do not take care of their lawn; have a mechanics shop in the driveway, I am going to be somewhat upset. Some of us need structure.
There are some neighborhoods without HOA's and they manage to stay pretty healthy so far as property values, but these are the exceptions. These generally tend to be the more high end homes, but not always. We know from our deed what we can and cannot do. And yes, if you do not pay your HOA fees, legal action can and will be taken against you and you could possibly loose your home. Go HOA's!
GOD BLESS
Happy Fiesta San Antonio! It's been a while since my last blog post, but have no fear ANITA IS HERE!!. Hope all is well in the land of the free. Anyway, today I am going to provide a little information on how to appeal your property taxes on your. It is really all about being prepared and presenting the facts. First, once you get you property tax bill and you think it is way to high, stop and take a deep breath. Second, think of any additions to your home you may have added, any exterior paint or other improvements, maybe an in-ground pool or an above ground pool with a kickin' deck around it. Something big brother knows about and could be the reason for the increased assessment. Take photos of anything in your home that is in need of repair and get at least three professional estimates on the cost of repair. Do not use your brother-in-law. Get a real estate agent if possible to provide you with at least three sales of homes in your subdivision that have recently sold for less than your property tax assessment or go to your county tax office website and look for homes in your subdivision who's assessment is lower than yours. Take a photo from the street if safely possible. Do not trepass. Sometimes you can just ask permission of the homeowner who's home you want to photograph. Use your good judgement. Keep in mind, these home must be similar to yours in style, age, appearance, amenities and square footage. Just any old home won't do! The website for Bexar County Appraisal District is www.bcad.org. You can look at other property that may compare to yours and you can get an application to file for your tax property tax appeal if you so choose on their website. The deadline for filing is June 1, 2010.
Go armed with your information and present the facts on your property only. Do not go on a tangent about why we as hard working citizens have to pay property taxes! If you are still not sure about all of this and would like a little more guidance or information, give me a call 210-237-8930 or shoot me an email at abquestappraisal@aol.com.
GOD BLESS
Hello again everyone. Today I am going to spew a little about social media networking, the positives and the negatives. I was recently told and have been hearing that social media is the way to go if you are looking to gain a little publicity. In the business realm, who does not want to gain some publicity? I can speak for myself and say "heck yea bring it on"! But what about those that are only looking to "keep in touch" or "hook up" socially. Well, maybe they meet their dream mate or the mate from hell. Maybe they find someone or someone finds them they had no intention of finding & vice versa. All said, I think social media is a good inexpensive way to get your name "out there" if you are in business. Those in the real estate industry and others have reaped the benefits of having access to more contacts or someone who knows someone. If you are in it just to "hook up", beware of the horror stories that may be right behind you, or should I say in front of you.
GOD BLESS
Okay. We know that there are a lot of homebuyers still looking for the "No Money Down" loan. That scenario looked to be out of the question of late. But wait! Remember those "Farmer Loans"?? They are USDA Loans and they offer 100% Financing. That's right 100% Financing, No Money Down.
That catch is that the home has to qualify as a rural property. Homes within major metropolitan areas do not qualify. If you live in the San Antonio Texas area and you are looking for a home with 100% financing, you might want to consider New Braunfels or Cibolo Texas about 5 - 15 minutes outside San Antonio. Credit scores need to be at least 620. Give your realtor a call. If you do not have one yet, call Daniel Gaitan 210-846-5282 or visit his website searchsahomes.net to get more information on USDA Loans. Thanks for viewing.
God Bless
Our economy is still shaky. Some improvement, but still shaky. We still have no healthcare reform, our troops are still fighting at home and abroad, the national real estate market is still bombarded with foreclosures. All that said, we have a president who has only been in office a whopping 1 year and we expect him to have turned this entire country completely around in that whopping year.
We did not get to where we are in one year. All the critics are coming out touting all the things the president has not done. They get upset when he tries to explain that he inherited this mess. They ask," when is he going to stop saying such terrible things and stop pointing fingers at the previous administration?". Well I think there is no one on the planet who wants to get blamed for someone elses screw up.
When President Obama ran his campaign on "change", he explained to this country that he could not do it alone. That's exactly where he is. Alone. It is not his fault things are not going as planned. He asked for our help, from ordinary citizens to our political leaders and he has not gotten one iota of help!
This leads me to the question of why?? Why no help? We elected him to run this country, and we tie his hands. We only give him a year to right the ship and everyone comes out the woodwork saying "he did not keep his promise" and so on. I ask this question. Would we be giving Huckabee or McCain such a hard time?? I do not think so. We would not even have given Secretary Clinton a hard time. They would be given there full term or darn near close to it before the complaints and accusations start to fly. Why? It's as some in this country want him to fail. I do not believe this country set President Obama up to fail, because, if he fails, this country fails and it won't take 10 years to get back on our feet, we may never get back on our feet. Let's stop the hate, give peace a chance and give our President a chance.
God Bless You All
Okay, looks like we have a new "Americas Team"! Who Dat? Dat be the Saints. Congrats to the Saints on a great game, congrats to the city of New Orleans and congrats to the fans around the country. Who knows, maybe this will be the thing to actually help the city get over the hump. As for the Colts, better luck next year after you revamp your defense a bit.
Lets hear your thoughts.
Back again today. On a lighter note. Tell me what your predictions are for the Super Bowl. I got the Vikings taking it. Just kidding. I wanted them to get there, but oh well. Looks to me like a toss up. Both offenses can score, but N.O. defense may be the tie breaker. Either way I am pulling for Peyton and the Colts.
It has been reported that Peyton takes the time to write hand written notes to other players when they are inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Those that receive the hand written note say that it makes them feel so good that someone like Mr. Manning would take the time out of his busy schedule to do something so nice and heartwarming. I am sure there are other NFL players that have put a positive stamp on the lives of others. But still I say GO COLTS.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Recently, I learned that to become a pilot of a commercial airline, all that is needed is approximately 250 hours. My mouth dropped. They potentially hold the lives of many in their hands, but require so little training.
In contrast, as an appraiser, we are required to log more than 2500 hours at the minimum, just to apply to sit for the exam. Not to mention the course work and continuing education requirements. I am all for continuing education, as I believe there is always something we can learn. In the appraisal industry, there is something new just about every month! Even the " good ole 25 plus years in experience" appraisers can barely keep up. As for me, I read everything on the appraisal industry I can get my hands on, in between the courses I take. I take pride in being well informed, because it translates into quality appraisals for my clients.
As for the borrower, what can you do to become more informed. You can start by asking your lender are you actually paying for an appraisal or a Automated Valuation Model (AMV). AMV's have an accuracy issue. If you live in a smaller community, it would be fair to say that an AMV would not be of any help to your situation. You need an actual appraisal in order to have an accurate valuation on the house you are buying, selling or refinancing.
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