FOR UP TO DATE LISTINGS AND INFORMATION, VISIT ONE OF THESE WEBSITES.
WWW.ROBERTMBRAGG.REALTOR
WWW.ROBERTMBRAGG.COM
THANKS!
Friday, September 8, 2023
Friday, May 10, 2019
Top 6 Home Organization Upgrades that “Spark Joy” for Buyers
Thanks to Marie Kondo and her hit
Netflix series “Tidying Up,” home organization is a hot topic
With spring in full bloom, now is the
perfect time to do some spring cleaning and add organizational
systems to your own home. Not only will you clear out clutter, your
efforts can actually increase the value of your home.
Ready to give it a try? Here are six
home organization ideas that will “spark joy” for you and
your property value.
Boost Bathroom Storage Capacity
When was the last time you cleaned out
your bathroom cupboards? If it’s been awhile, remove everything and
take a look at each item. Toss any old or expired products—keep
only what you actually use.
If your vanity has drawers, add drawer
organizers, so you have a dedicated space for smaller items, like
makeup and jewelry. For deep cabinets, install roll-out shelves or
baskets to maximize the use of space.
And don’t forget about the walls!
Mount open shelves to store towels. If you’re short on storage
space, a cabinet over the toilet can offer additional room for
supplies. These inexpensive additions can make your morning routine a
little easier while giving your bathroom a more custom feel. And on
average, minor bathroom remodeling projects like these see a 102%
return at resale.1
Upgrade Your Laundry Room
Sort through the items in your laundry
room and throw away or donate anything you no longer need or use. If
you’ve been holding onto a collection of old washcloths and single
socks, it’s time to say goodbye. Then give your laundry room an
upgrade with some customized organizational features.
A mix of open cubbies and cabinets with
doors will give you plenty of options for storing detergents and
supplies. If you have space, a divided hamper or set of laundry
baskets can provide a place to sort your clothes before washing.
Install a hanging rod or drying rack for delicates and a flat work
surface for ironing and folding clothes. With a few simple tweaks,
you can turn this chore into a score!
Fully Utilize Your Basement or Attic
Basements and attics can easily become
a dumping ground for clutter. If that’s the case in your home, you
know what to do!
Once you’ve conducted a thorough
clean out, think about how you can better utilize the space to meet
your family’s needs. Install cabinets and a table so you can use
the area as a craft room. Or you could turn it into a game room with
a media center and ping-pong table. Investing in your basement will
not only add function for your family, but also the average basement
remodel can see up to a 70% return on investment when it’s time to
sell.2
If you have an attic, consider adding a
cedar closet to store your off-season clothing. The cedar lining will
keep your clothes free from moths and smelling fresh year round.3
Turning your attic into a more usable space will pay off down the
road, too. A finished attic sees an estimated 60% return on
investment.2
Customize Your Closets
Cleaning out the closet is a chore most
of us dread, but by now, you’re a pro! Get rid the clothes and
shoes that don’t fit you, are uncomfortable to wear, or that no
longer “spark joy.”
Then it’s organizing time. So where
do you start? You’ll want to create a designated space for each
type of clothing: high hanging rods for dresses and long jackets,
lower rods for skirts and shirts, and shelves for folded items like
jeans. And accessories need a place to go, too. Add racks for your
shoes, drawers for jewelry, hooks for hats, and shelves or racks for
handbags.
A well-equipped closet can be a major
draw for buyers—the average return on a closet remodel is 57%.4
But more importantly, it’ll improve your day-to-day life. Surveyed
homeowners gave their closet remodel a “Joy Score” of 10 out of
10, higher than kitchen or bath upgrades.5
Install Built-in Bookcases and
Cabinets
Built-in furniture adds functionality
and storage to a room while giving your home a high-end look.
Built-in bookcases can turn an empty room into an office. Custom
cabinets can be used in a living room to display media equipment
while providing hidden storage for DVDs, board games, and family
albums.
When designing any built-in feature,
remember not to go too custom. A design that only fits your
tastes or belongings could turn off future buyers. Instead, select
standard sizes and classic finishes to appeal to a broad range of
buyers when it comes time to sell.
Equip Your Garage
If you can no longer fit your car in
your garage, it may be time for a clean out. Similar to an attic or
basement, the garage can quickly become overrun with clutter. A
thorough cleaning will help you assess which items are worth keeping.
When adding organizational systems your
garage, start with a small rack to store yard tools and larger racks
for bikes and sports equipment. Overhead racks are a great place to
put seasonal items and bulky luggage. A workbench against a wall
lined with pegboard and hooks creates a dedicated space to use and
store tools. If you have children or pets, add a cabinet with a lock.
This will give you a place to securely store harsh chemicals and
sharp tools. With a little effort, you’ll be pulling in your car
(and buyers) in no time!
SPRING INTO ACTION
If you’re searching for service
providers to help with your spring cleaning or home organization
efforts, let us know! We can connect you with our trusted network of
local home improvement professionals. We can also help you determine
which organizational upgrades will add the most value to your home.
Call us today, and let us know how we can help!
Sources:
- NAR Remodeling Impact Survey -https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2017-remodeling-impact-09-28-2017.pdf
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
INVENTORY IS DOWN, SALES ARE UP! BEST TIME IN 19 YEARS TO SELL A HOME.
Still thinking about selling your home? Not sure if the timing is right? Well, now is the best time ever! Inventory of homes on the market is at its lowest in the past 19 years, which means that demand is up! Check out this video showing details.
http://www.har.com/mls/dispPressRelease.cfm?MONTH=02&YEAR=13
http://www.har.com/mls/dispPressRelease.cfm?MONTH=02&YEAR=13
Saturday, February 25, 2012
THE GOOD LIFE MAGAZINE - BAYOU REALTORS EXCLUSIVE LISTING MAGAZINE
Bayou Realtors, Inc. has published its 3rd issue of The Good Life!, Bayou Realtors exclusive magazine for advertising its listings! The Good Life! is distributed quarterly to 10,000 readers, both by direct mail and by placing them at specific locations throughout Galveston, Harris, and Brazoria Counties.
At Bayou Realtors, we have found our magazine to be a very powerful tool for not only helping our sellers, but also our buyers. In fact, upon the distribution of our first issue, within 1 week we were able to assist a buyer in placing a contract on one of our advertised listings.
Ann Bragg, Owner and President of Bayou Realtors, Inc., stated "We are very excited about our magazine! It really helps us to assist our sellers in getting the word out about their property. We also found that our direct mail program of the magazine has generated a lot of calls to our office about out listings. It seems that buyers really like both our Luxury section and our Hot Deals section in the magazine. The bottom line is helping our clients, and this is another way we can do that."
Our 3rd issue is now live on the net. Each issue has 2 different covers, helping us to promote two of our luxury listings for our clients. Please feel free to view each below.
www.tinyurl.com/TheGoodLife3
www.tinyurl.com/TheGoodLife3a
At Bayou Realtors, we have found our magazine to be a very powerful tool for not only helping our sellers, but also our buyers. In fact, upon the distribution of our first issue, within 1 week we were able to assist a buyer in placing a contract on one of our advertised listings.
Ann Bragg, Owner and President of Bayou Realtors, Inc., stated "We are very excited about our magazine! It really helps us to assist our sellers in getting the word out about their property. We also found that our direct mail program of the magazine has generated a lot of calls to our office about out listings. It seems that buyers really like both our Luxury section and our Hot Deals section in the magazine. The bottom line is helping our clients, and this is another way we can do that."
Our 3rd issue is now live on the net. Each issue has 2 different covers, helping us to promote two of our luxury listings for our clients. Please feel free to view each below.
www.tinyurl.com/TheGoodLife3
www.tinyurl.com/TheGoodLife3a
Friday, July 29, 2011
Knowing the Cost of Your Move
This is a first for Bayou Realtors, but hopefully not a last. We were contacted by James Kim, and he asked if he could be a guest author and write an article for our Bayou Realtors Blog. We said "sure!" Well, we can definitely say he wrote a good article with some excellent info about Houston, and other areas of Texas. Enjoy...and thanks James!
--------------------
KNOWING THE COST OF YOUR MOVE
Times have been tough. And, honestly, it was hard enough finding a good price on a house before the economy tanked. With everyone tightening their purse strings, it’s important to look closely at the areas you want to live. First, you want to make sure that that wallet of yours can get filled with money from a good job market, indicated by the amount of corporate presence in an area. And, second, you want to make sure that you don’t have to shell out a lot of cash just to get by day-to-day. If all of this makes sense to you, you’ll be happy to know that finding a good area isn’t as hard as you might have thought. Fair warning, though: by the end of this article you might find yourself saying “howdy” and “y’all” while searching for some Austin real estate.
So, first things first: where are you most likely to find a job? Forbes points out several good areas, saying that St. Louis is home to 9 of the strongest companies in the country while Texas goes above and beyond with 38 in Houston and 15 in Dallas. And these are certainly not companies that just earned a Forbes ranking through some fluke of arithmetic or Enron-style accounting. St. Louis holds the famous Energizer Holdings Inc. along with the massive, chemical-dealing Monsanto Company. But again, Texas seems to edge out in front, with Houston hosting ConocoPhillips and Halliburton, Austin hosting Dell and Whole Foods and Dallas hosting AT&T and Texas Instruments (a longer list is here).
“But wait,” you say. “What about those thriving areas of commerce like New York City!?” Simple: those places are incredibly expensive to live in. As you can probably guess, New York City is the most expensive city in the country while the popular destinations of California and Hawaii are tied for the title of most expensive state. You’re going to be paying a lot more for a gallon of milk in New York City than you would in almost any other part of the country. Unless you can safely say that the money doesn’t matter, those are not very good places to move to right now.
With those out of the way, we can have a look at the already solid locations that were previously mentioned. St. Louis, as Forbes points out, follows the trend of most Midwestern states by being incredibly inexpensive – the lowest cost of living in the country, in fact. St. Louis “might not have the reputation for top schools, a low crime rate or good weather,” but you certainly won’t have to pay much to live there. The reason for this is quite simple: the Midwest is landlocked, and that’s not something that attracts the title of “prime real estate.” But Texas? The state that is home to perhaps the best job market in the country right now? It’s also not expensive to live in, and features a cost of living that is low across the board; you can’t make many wrong moves there (and you can always live along the Gulf of Mexico if a beach is a must-have for you).
When you’re looking to move, you have to be realistic about all of your options. Knowing what the job prospects are where you’re going to live along with how much it will cost to live there is incredibly important. For the best of both worlds, Texas is your best bet at the moment, but nothing can beat the Midwest (and St. Louis, in particular) when it comes to just being simply inexpensive. As long as you’re realistic with what you can afford, you should have no problem finding a suitable area to move to, even with things the way they are today.
James Kim writes for Austin Real Estate service Homecity.com. HomeCity combines powerful online Austin MLS search technology and other online tools with personalized real estate services to provide clients with the knowledge they need to make the right buying and selling decisions.
--------------------
KNOWING THE COST OF YOUR MOVE
Times have been tough. And, honestly, it was hard enough finding a good price on a house before the economy tanked. With everyone tightening their purse strings, it’s important to look closely at the areas you want to live. First, you want to make sure that that wallet of yours can get filled with money from a good job market, indicated by the amount of corporate presence in an area. And, second, you want to make sure that you don’t have to shell out a lot of cash just to get by day-to-day. If all of this makes sense to you, you’ll be happy to know that finding a good area isn’t as hard as you might have thought. Fair warning, though: by the end of this article you might find yourself saying “howdy” and “y’all” while searching for some Austin real estate.
So, first things first: where are you most likely to find a job? Forbes points out several good areas, saying that St. Louis is home to 9 of the strongest companies in the country while Texas goes above and beyond with 38 in Houston and 15 in Dallas. And these are certainly not companies that just earned a Forbes ranking through some fluke of arithmetic or Enron-style accounting. St. Louis holds the famous Energizer Holdings Inc. along with the massive, chemical-dealing Monsanto Company. But again, Texas seems to edge out in front, with Houston hosting ConocoPhillips and Halliburton, Austin hosting Dell and Whole Foods and Dallas hosting AT&T and Texas Instruments (a longer list is here).
“But wait,” you say. “What about those thriving areas of commerce like New York City!?” Simple: those places are incredibly expensive to live in. As you can probably guess, New York City is the most expensive city in the country while the popular destinations of California and Hawaii are tied for the title of most expensive state. You’re going to be paying a lot more for a gallon of milk in New York City than you would in almost any other part of the country. Unless you can safely say that the money doesn’t matter, those are not very good places to move to right now.
With those out of the way, we can have a look at the already solid locations that were previously mentioned. St. Louis, as Forbes points out, follows the trend of most Midwestern states by being incredibly inexpensive – the lowest cost of living in the country, in fact. St. Louis “might not have the reputation for top schools, a low crime rate or good weather,” but you certainly won’t have to pay much to live there. The reason for this is quite simple: the Midwest is landlocked, and that’s not something that attracts the title of “prime real estate.” But Texas? The state that is home to perhaps the best job market in the country right now? It’s also not expensive to live in, and features a cost of living that is low across the board; you can’t make many wrong moves there (and you can always live along the Gulf of Mexico if a beach is a must-have for you).
When you’re looking to move, you have to be realistic about all of your options. Knowing what the job prospects are where you’re going to live along with how much it will cost to live there is incredibly important. For the best of both worlds, Texas is your best bet at the moment, but nothing can beat the Midwest (and St. Louis, in particular) when it comes to just being simply inexpensive. As long as you’re realistic with what you can afford, you should have no problem finding a suitable area to move to, even with things the way they are today.
James Kim writes for Austin Real Estate service Homecity.com. HomeCity combines powerful online Austin MLS search technology and other online tools with personalized real estate services to provide clients with the knowledge they need to make the right buying and selling decisions.
Friday, April 15, 2011
LOWER YOUR PROPERTY TAXES! 5 Steps to Evaluate and Protest Your Property Value
In today's market, we all want to reduce our yearly taxes! Here are 5 steps to take to learn how to evaluate and reduce your Property Value, which will allow you to reduce your property taxes.
If you believe the value of your property as determined by a county appraisal district (CAD) is more than what you could sell it for, you have the right to appeal the value each year. To be successful, you must understand the process and be prepared.
Bayou Realtors, Inc. has teamed up with Cheryl E. Johnson, Galveston County Tax Assessor/Collector to bring to our clients and customers her much used and successful seminar entitled EFFECTIVELY PROTESTING YOUR PROPERTY'S APPRAISED VALUE FOR TAXES (the most immediate form of tax relief). Please note, most of the websites and information in this post refer to Galveston County. Other county processes might be similar, however, you will want to research your specific county's process. SEMINAR TIMES AND LOCATIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POSTING.
1. Get started! Learn your rights as a property owner and tax payer. Click Here to view the PROPERTY TAXPAYERS BILL OF RIGHTS.
2. Know the players involved and know how the property appraisal system works. How do you do this? Its simple...attend one of the many classes provided, and request the White Paper as noted below. Classes are offered in April and May, 2011.
3. Understand what your homes "Market Value" is and how it is determined. How do you do this? Its simple...contact your Bayou Realtors Neighborhood Expert noted below, and ask for a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) Summary for your home.
4. Learn the "codes" used by the Appraisal District, and perpare your protest. Preparation is the KEY! Keep in mind that you have the advantage of being able to out-prepare the CAD. CADs use mass appraisal techniques to value properties for taxes and this technique does not adjust for unique features. How do you do this? Its all in the Whtie Paper available below.
5. Know the dates to protest values and file for exemptions. Don’t miss the May 31st deadline to schedule your informal conference or ARB hearing (Appraisal Review Board). Again, be sure to request the Free White Paper as noted below AND attend one of the Free Classes.
For a detailed explanation of the process, request the WHITE PAPER Titled EFFECTIVELY PROTEST YOUR PROPERTY VALUE, The Most Immediate Form of Tax Relief authored by Cheryl E. Johnson, the Tax Assessor/Collector for Galveston County.
To request the PDF, please email one of your Bayou Realtors Neighborhood Experts as noted below, and simply type REQUEST TAX RELIEF WHITE PAPER in the email subject. Your PDF will be on its way to you soon!
NEIGHBORHOOD EXPERTS!!
J. Morris - Sherwood Forest West, Dickinson
Email: wildcat1954@yahoo.com
Direct: 281.455.1720
www.har.com/JHMorris
Murlene Ware - Dove Meadows, Dickinson
Email: murleneware@yahoo.com
Direct: 281.734.1023
www.har.com/MurleneWare
Carolyn Spencer - The Lakes of Bay Area, Dickinson
Email: spencerc3@gmail.com
Direct: 713.898.7386
www.har.com/CarolynSpencer
Grace and Larry Nolen - Coward Creek Crossing, Friendswood
Email: graypaint6@yahoo.com
Direct: 832.605.4496
www.har.com/NolenTeam
Ann Bragg - Colonial Estates/Sherwood Forest, Dickinson
Email: annsbragg@comcast.net
Direct: 832.419.2777
www.har.com/AnnBragg
Ken Hufstetler - Oak Land/Bayou Chateau/Casa Grande, Dickinson
Email: krhuf@msn.com
Direct: 281.536.3265
www.har.com/KenHufstetler
Phyllis Thomspon - Cheyenne, Dickinson
Email: phyllthomps@aol.com
Direct: 281.381.9218
www.har.com/PhyllisThompson
Sandy Ates - Bay Colony, Dickinson
Email: sandyates@yahoo.com
Direct: 409.939.4391
www.har.com/SandraAtes
Mary Ann Hamilton - St. Edmunds Green, Dickinson
Email: mahamilton_bayou@yahoo.com
Direct: 281.948.9528
www.har.com/mahambayoure
Robert M Bragg - Bayou Lakes, Dickinson
Email: robertmbragg@yahoo.com
Direct: 832.256.8589
www.har.com/robertmbragg
2011 SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
All classes begin at 6 PM
4/19/2011
Hitchcock Library
8005 Bary Avenue, Hitchcock
4/21/2011
North County Annex
174 Calder Road, League City
4/26/2011
Village on the Park
400 E. FM 528, Friendswood
4/28/2011
Galveston County Courthouse
722 21st Street, Galveston
5/10/2011
College of the Mainland
Technical Vocational Bldg
Room T-07, 1200 N. Amburn
Texas City
5/19/2011
Dickinson Railroad Museum Center
SPONSORED BY BAYOU REALTORS
218 FM 517 West, Dickinson
Thursday, April 7, 2011
DOWNSIZING TREND IN TODAY'S MARKET? Woman Rents 90-Square-Foot Apartment in New York
I saw this story today about a woman who has downsized to a 90 sf apartment! Now, I know that the trend in today's market for many people has been to downsize, and thus reduce their maintenance costs, insurance, taxes, and of course, monthly mortgage payment.
However, only in New York would you see a downsize reduction this extreme!
Of course, in Texas, with the current buyer's market, its possible now to UPSIZE (Texas Size It), and still save money! For example, I was personally involved with a buyer who was able to buy a 3 year old home that was foreclosed on. It was a 4,000 sf home, with an oversized lot in a nice neighborhood. Per MLS, it originally sold to the initial owner by a home builder for just under $250,000. The final sales price for the new buyer in early 2010 was for just under $175,000! A $75,000 reduction on the original builder sale price.
Now that's a Downsize on Price, but an UP on Size! Let me know if you are looking for similar hot deals! I can find them for you!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)