Explore, Learn, Buy, Sell Fort Hood, TX Real Estate
View residential, commercial, and raw vacant land for sale in the Fort Hood area (Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Temple, Belton and Nolanville, TX), for everything from building your home, building your business, or escaping to the country.
A mixed report, not unexpected for a “neutral” housing market. There are good signs for each market. The general trends are still set. Harker Heights continues to be one of the top performing communities, and Killeen ain’t nuthin’ to sneeze at, either.
“Haunted Houses” are examples of what are called “stigmatized properties”. There is a stigma, or negative association, attached to a home that has nothing to do with the actual quality of the home itself. There are some States that require disclosure if there is a known “psychological impact” on the property. Is Texas one of them?
The option period is the most critical time for any contract. This is the time for the buyer to figure out everything they need to about a home. There are many fail safes in place for the buyer, but the buyer and their agent still must be diligent about following up on all the items in a timely manner. Once the option period is over, you are in it to win it.
Selling your home unoccupied is a lot easier than occupied. Most of these items either need to be done once, or can be outsourced on a schedule. That’s a lot easier than scrambling to clean for every last minute showing.
Following these rules will ensure A) your home gets sold and B) is as little a hassle to you as possible.
There is a decent selection of golf course communities for home buyers of all budgets in the Fort Hood area, located in Killeen, Copperas Cove, Temple and Salado.
Remember when you bought your home? The seller paid for everything! They paid for your Realtor, probably your closing costs, and everything else. It was great!
Now the shoe is on the other foot, and there are definitely some considerable costs involved with selling. As the expression goes in investing, “you make your money when you buy”. Be a thoughtful buyer, and selling can be a great, even money making experience.
Fort Hood is overwhelmingly renters. According to the US Census, 1/3 of Americans are renters. That ratio is flipped in the Fort Hood area – 2/3 of Killeen residents are renters. The reason is the military. The Fort Hood area is also overwhelmingly military personnel (54% of loans are VA loans, for example). Military are more likely to rent than buy (more on that below). Some would likely be well served by considering buying.
Know what to expect when making an offer in the Fort Hood area so you don’t run into surprises.
Technology has had a massive impact on American real estate trends in the past. The invention of air conditioning is probably the single biggest reason for the American South’s tremendous economic and population growth in the last half century. Suburbs didn’t exist prior to the invention of the automobile, when commuting became available. There is no reason to think the invention of the driverless car won’t have massive impacts on the real estate industry.
Updated 8/12/16; originally published 8/3/15 Takeaways Selling a $120,000 home is different to selling a $240,000 home – there are different quantities of buyers at different price points. Knowing how many buyers to expect will be interested in your home at any given moment can help set expectations Every showing counts! Let’s say you are getting […]
Updated 8/9/16, originally published 8/2/15 Takeaways The VA loan is a fantastic loan option for Fort Hood service members, but it is not a blank check. Plan ahead, budget and have an exit strategy, even if it is your “forever home” (situations change) Talk to a Realtor – especially when buying from a builder – […]
Takeaways Selling to an investor is probably not the best decision for 95% of home sellers Investors can close very quickly, with low closing costs and no repairs needed, but are going to only work with a steep discount Consult a Realtor about your home’s value before selling to an investor Home Valuation I am […]
Buying a home is a major decision, the biggest investment in most people’s lives, and a lot of fun! Where to start? Right here, with the 9 steps to buying a home – in particular, a Fort Hood, TX home!
Takeaways These are some fun rankings of the top producing Fort Hood Area buyer’s agents Always interview multiple agents when selecting a Realtor for your home purchase! Before I listed the top listing (seller) agents in the Fort Hood area. Now it’s buyers agents turn! Most agents work with both buyers and sellers, which is why many names […]
Takeaways These are some fun rankings of the top producing Fort Hood Area listing agents Always interview multiple agents when selecting someone to list your home! I previously wrote a brief article about the top agents in the Killeen area by total production, according to the website Real Trends. But that information was just about how much the agents […]
Foreclosures can be a terrific deal, and often in a reasonably good condition in the newer Killeen and Fort Hood housing market. Not just for investors and flippers, buying foreclosures can be a great way to get equity in your home. VA foreclosures are the most common in the Fort Hood area.
View the oldest homes for sale in the Fort Hood area. Most are located in Temple, Belton, Gatesville, and Lampasas. The Killeen area, though the largest city in the area, is also quite a bit newer, having been a tiny town prior to Camp Hood’s coming in WW2. Always do due diligence when buying an older home!
Takeaways A Realtor’s value is NOT primarily about finding you your home. If it were, buyers’ agents wouldn’t exist – the Internet would have replaced them Your Realtor should be bringing a lot more to the table than just a list of homes to view So, I’m a Realtor. The title of this article is […]
Takeaways You have some important responsibilities as a seller when selling your home while still living in it. Making your home as pleasant and accessible to buyers as humanly possible is critical for getting it sold Selling your home while you’re still living in it is probably not most people’s ideal situation. Scheduling viewings is […]
Takeaways Fort Hood inventory falls under 5 months, creeping toward a Seller’s Market The rebounding fourplex/duplex market has plateaued The Harker Heights housing market continues to be one of the best performing communities Housing Inventory Falls Under 5 Months The Fort Hood area behaves like a weak buyer’s market – sellers often pay closing costs, […]
Updated 7/1/16; originally published 8/15/15 Takeaways Purchasing a home is a major purchase; do your due diligence when choosing an agent. Cross reference several different resources when evaluating an agent and their history Personal references count for a lot, but still evaluate agents referred to you. So, you’ve found some Realtors® and narrowed down your list […]
Updated 6/26/16; originally published 8/21/15 Some people are looking for them. Others are trying to avoid them. Home Owners Associations. Most neighborhoods in the Fort Hood area are not HOA neighborhoods. Unlike HOA fees in the pricey coastal communities exhibited on HGTV shows, Central Texas HOAs tend to be very affordable – as you will […]
Takeaways Be sure to look at homes that did not sell when analyzing your home and a good price Just because your home is listed and on the market doesn’t mean it will sell – you and your agent have to put effort into it You found a Realtor, moved out of your home, fixed […]
(Updated 6/16/16; originally published 7/30/15) Takeaways Steer clear from major purchases or moving money around when trying to buy a home Job changes of any kind (like ETSing from the military) can make buying a home very difficult Budget out the process with your lender and be sure you have enough in your bank account […]
Takeaways There is no way to “rank” builders – different builders and neighborhoods have different advantages depending on your needs. The best way to find a builder who will best suit you is with a local Realtor. The list below gives a basic starting point on narrowing down builders by quality, price and size The […]
Note: The Texas Association of Realtors and TREC update promulgated forms regularly. For the most recent updates, check with TAR, TREC, or contact me at brian@starpointerealty.com. Note: I am a real estate professional, not a lawyer. Nothing herein should be construed as legal advice or instructions. Takeaways Paragraph 6 authorizes the listing agent to put […]
View the most expensive new construction / builder homes for sale in the Fort Hood, TX area (Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Nolanville) and some of the custom builders building them, like Cameo, Symphony, Ben Atkinson, and more.
Takeaways Killeen’s rental market has gotten a little softer Plan on only collecting about 70% of the total rent Homes that rent around $900-$1200 probably make the best rentals in our market 1/3 of Americans are renters. 2/3 of Fort Hood residents are renters. There are a few reasons for this, but the main one […]
Takeaways Interview several agents and do your due diligence before hiring an agent Take the listing or representation agreement seriously – you are committing 100% to that agent Watch out for warning signs, and first try to work out concerns with your agent before sacking anyone Avoid This Problem Hiring the wrong agent can often […]
Updated 2/4/18; Originally published 5/31/16 It’s Central Texas. It’s hot! There must be pools galore! Or not. Approximately 5%, or 1 in 20 homes in the Fort Hood area have pools. Why so few? Firstly, it may not actually be quite that few. My guess is that pool owners tend to live in their homes […]
Updated 5/28/16 Takeaways The longer on the market, the bigger the discount a home sells for. The listing price should be close to the fair market value to maximize your experience and profit “My home sold in two weeks. Does that mean it was underpriced?” No. It probably means you did great. Homes are like […]
Takeaways Don’t just look at rates; Lenders can manipulate rates Get the Loan Estimates from multiple lenders to compare apples to apples Local lenders are often better prepared and resourceful than online lenders Choosing one lender over another can be very confusing, actually. Many shoppers erroneously think it is all about the rate, and they […]
This isn’t an idle caution. I see it every day on the Fort Hood Area MLS. Buyer’s paying too much. Don’t let it be you!
Note: The Texas Association of Realtors and TREC update promulgated forms regularly. For the most recent updates, check with TAR, TREC, or contact me at brian@starpointerealty.com. Note: I am a real estate professional, not a lawyer. Nothing herein should be construed as legal advice or instructions. Takeaways Unless you have written exceptions, your listing agent […]
Updated 2/4/18; Originally published 5/9/16 Killeen barely has a true luxury market, especially if one defines luxury as homes requiring Jumbo Loans. It isn’t so much that great homes don’t exist, but that they are extremely affordable in comparison to homes even just a couple cities away (*cough* Austin *cough*). Killeen has a great cost […]
