Information about housing discrimination policies in Texas and the Fort Hood Area.
Equal Opportunity Housing Law in Texas
The 10 Things Clients Say that Ruin a Real Estate Agent’s Day
10 not-so-cheeky things that real estate agents probably don’t want to hear.
Fort Hood Area Gross Rent Multipliers(GRMs) / Cap Rates
Information for Investors interested in the Fort Hood, Killeen, Harker Heights and Copperas Cove markets, on local GRMs and Cap Rates.
The Purchase Contract (Resale): Para. 8 – Broker’s Fees
The Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) 1-4 Family Purchase Contract Paragraph 8: Broker’s Fees, explained and discussed.
Why Hasn’t My Home Sold Yet?
I’ve talked about the four principles of marketing your home – PACE. If you home hasn’t sold, it is most likely because it hasn’t adhered to some of those principles of home-selling. Reviewing those principles and comparing them to your time on the market are key to adjusted tactics to get results. “What is a […]
What’s in a Mortgage Payment?
Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance (PITI) are the four elements of most mortgage payments. Read more about what you can do about each.
Lennar’s Next Gen Suite – the Ultimate Mother-in-Law
Evergreen Estates in Harker Heights, TX features Lennar homes with the Next Gen Suite, an apartment attached to the home with all the essentials.
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics: Article 4 and 5 – When the Buyer/Seller is an Agent
Welcome back to my series on the Realtor Code of Ethics, Articles 4 and 5! The previous article was about Cooperating with Other Brokers. Articles 4 and 5 concern disclosing an agent’s ownership interest in a property for sale, or relationship with professional services during the transaction. Article 4 – Disclosing Whether the Agent is […]
Conventional Loan
Information on the pros and cons of the Conventional, or conforming, mortgage home loan.
Killeen’s Big Hoss BBQ at the Settlement
Big Hoss BBQ
9502 E Trimmier Rd.
Killeen, TX 76542
(254) 699-HOSS (4677)
(254) 702-8243 (Catering)
Hours: FRI: 4PM – 9PM, SAT: 11AM – 9PM, SUN: 11AM – 7PM
How to Choose a Title Company for your Home
Information about title companies and recommendations on what to look for when choosing one for your closing, as well as a list of Fort Hood area companies.
Killeen Buyers Have it Good – My experience at the Texas Association of Realtors Conference
My experience and takeaways at the 2015 Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) Conference in Fort Worth.
The Purchase Contract (Resale): Para. 7 – Property Condition
The Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) 1-4 Family Purchase Contract Pargraph 7: Property Condition, explained and discussed.
Fort Hood Short Term and Corporate Rentals
What to expect from a short term rental (month-to-month), when you need one, and how to find them in the Killeen/Fort Hood Area.
Killeen Home Value Appreciation Is Beating Inflation
The average annual appreciation (2006 – 2014) for Killeen, TX was 2.2%. Accounting for inflation, the real rate was 0%. Here’s why that’s just fine.
Say What? Killeen has the 6th fastest growing economy in the USA.
According to WalletHub, Killeen’s economy ranks as the 6th fastest growing in 2015, also boasting the 4th highest reduction in poverty.
3 Reasons Your Real Estate Agent Might be a Republican
Real estate agents are pretty evenly divided, Republican and Democrat. But here are three reasons why your agent might just be a Republican.
Chaparral West – Affordable Killeen Homes with Elbow Room
Information about Chaparral West, a Killeen neighborhood with affordable homes under $200,000 on half-acre lots and space between neighbors.
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics: Article 3 – Cooperating with Other Brokers
An explanation of the Realtor®’s ethical obligations to their clients, Article 3: Cooperating with other brokers.
5 Tips on Choosing a Quality Mortgage Lender
Fort Hood / Killeen area recommended lenders, and criteria to use to help choose which lender or mortgage broker is right for you.
Killeen’s Taiwan Dragon Restaurant
Information about the Taiwan Dragon Chinese Restaurant. 308 E Avenue G Killeen, TX 76541 (254) 526-2229 or (254) 526-0392 (Pick-up)
The Purchase Contract (Resale): Para. 6 – Title Policy and Survey
Explanation of Paragraph 6 (Title Policy and Survey) of the Texas Association of Realtors (TAR) Purchase (Resale) Contract.
Fort Hood Area Foreclosures
You may have heard about foreclosure and what a good deal they can be. And they certainly can be exactly that, depending on your circumstances, resources and what you are looking for. In my experience, buying foreclosures can be a great option to consider if you have some extra money for closing costs and any […]
The Fort Hood Area MLS
Updated 2/4/18; Originally published 9/1/15 What is the MLS? The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a marketplace available to professional real estate agents, brokers, and other affiliate members like appraisers. It was born out of a need for cooperation between agents. I may have a home listed, but some other agent has a buyer. The […]
Fort Hood Area Builders
SEARCH THE FORT HOOD AREA MLS FOR HOME BUILDERS The population of Fort Hood has exploded since 2000 due to the War on Terror. Killeen itself was around 90,000 in 2000, and is now estimated at just shy of 140,000, 15 years later. As such, the area has a LOT of new homes, and continues […]
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics: Article 2 – Exaggerating Home Values and Agent Competency
Welcome back to part 2 in my series on the Texas Association of Realtors Code of Ethics. These are rules of conduct that all real estate agent members of the TAR must follow at risk of fines, discipline, or even being thrown out. Previously, of course, we discussed Article 1. Today, surprise surprise, is Article […]
Buying a Home? To Use or Not to Use a Realtor®?
In American real estate, buyers’ agents have been a fairly recent phenomenon dating to the early 1990s. Before then, homes were listed with a listing agent and advertised, and buyers went directly to the listing agent, buyer beware!, to buy homes. They themselves had no representation. In time, it became more and more customary in […]
The U S Government has Nationalized Housing, and Nobody Cares
Imagine the following: You own a family business that has been around since 1938, respected, even loved. You eventually took a product that was inaccessible to millions of Americans and made it affordable. You were even one of the companies highlighted in Jim Collin’s bestselling must-read business book Good to Great as an example of […]
The Income Approach to Home Valuation
How much is a home worth? This is something everyone needs to know, whether it be a buyer, seller, investor, or lender. There are three methods of valuing or appraising a home. Comparable Sales Approach Cost Approach Income Approach I’ve previously discussed the typical method, and often the only method a real estate agent will […]
Harker Heights Purser Family Park
Location: 100 W Mountain Lion Rd. Harker Heights, TX 76548 Hours: 5 AM – 11 PM Dog Park Hours: Sunrise – Sunset Purser Family Park is a much needed addition to the southwest side of Harker Heights, located on the south side of Stagecoach / Mountain Lion. The park is 35 acres with a creek […]
Fort Hood Area Inventory Is Shrinking
Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? Is there a way to tell other than gut feelings and anecdotes about how quickly homes are selling or not? Of course. It’s called months of inventory (or absorption rate). Months of Inventory and Absorption Rates are the same thing. “Absorption Rate” is a term more […]
Killeen’s Long Branch Park
Long Branch Park 1101 Branch Dr. Killeen, TX 76543 Long Branch Park is by far the largest and most diverse Killeen Park, and easily the best park on the north side of town, north of Highway 190 (Lion’s Club Park is the best park south of Highway 190). The park is named after the Long […]
Investing in REITs – the Everyman Method of Owning Real Estate Investments
Have you ever thought about investing in real estate, but it seemed too complicated, too risky, or too expensive? Most people, when they think about real estate investing, think about HGTV and high caffeinated flippers running around town buying up homes at auctions with an interminable supply of cash, getting greasy with the rehab, contractor […]
The Purchase Contract (Resale): Para. 5 – Earnest Money
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. We previously discussed the Sales Price and Financing terms […]
The Brian E Adams PACE Home Selling Strategy
Being former military, if I can make an acronym for something, I sure am going to do it. As I’ve developed my techniques for marketing homes, I’ve distilled the responsibilities and strategies into just such an acronym: PACE. Price, Accessibility, Condition and Exposure. These are the four elements that, if done right, will sell any […]
Harker Heights Community Park
Location: Harker Heights Community Park 1501 East FM 2410 Harker Heights, TX 76548 (254) 953-5657 (HH Recreation Center) Hours: Monday – Sunday, 5 AM to 11 PM Harker Heights Community Park is very well kept 62 acre park located near Harker Heights High School. Even though it is out of the way from where we […]