Today is the deadline to register to vote.  Voting is the most patriotic duty and freedom we have so go out and take advantage of it.  This year the candidates are so diverse that we need every voice to be heard, so remember that you have to register to vote before your voice can be heard.  If you don’t know where or when to register or to vote click here: VOTE TEXAS.

Beside price, the best way to sell your home in a down market is to:

• Hire an aggressive agent who shows you a plan for selling your house - and make sure they follow through.
• Give your house a facelift with new paint and repairs.
• List it online with such sites as eBay and Craigslist.
• Offer to pay the buyer’s closing costs.
• And finally, take any reasonable offer.
  

Lenders have tightened the reigns on buyers so the seller has to be a little more flexible and open to looking at every offer that is presented by buyers. 

“Lenders have really tightened up their lending criteria and this is where sellers have to become more imaginative and creative,” said Delores Conway of University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

So, Sellers in the College Station real estate market remember to listen to the great listing agent you hired to assist you with the sale of your home and be open to any and all recommendations they have to offer.  We have been doing this for many years and we know how to sell. 

Contact me with any questions you might have on selling in the Bryan/College Station area or questions about Real Estate in College Station or Bryan.

The Federal Government announced today that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be taken over by the Federal Government.  The Fed will take charge of $5 Trillion in loans.  The Federal Housing Finance Agency will oversee the day to day workings of the two loan giants until they are better able to run themselves. 

Click Henry Paulson to see the announcement by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson    

Also, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, James Lockhart,  anounces the “conservatorship (click)” between the two companies.  Both companies will be open for business on Monday according to CNN, but be aware that major restructuring will have taken place and rules and regulation have changed.

How will this affect the College Station home sales?  What do buyers have to look forward to with the changes?  Will this affect my current mortgage if I have a loan with Fannie or Freddie?

Contact me with any questions or comments and I will respond to any questions you might have.

If your kids are in Little League this may be a perfect time to show them this also!!

http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/2008/05/31/

 Meadow Creek!!

College Station’s newest community located in Wellborn and is a short commute to the College Station and Bryan area.  The community has a number of school choices; Forest Ridge Elementary, Cypress Grove Intermediate, College Station Middle, and A&M Consolidated High School.  Convenient 10 minute drive from anything you could need in the community.  The community is being built by Main Street Homes and from a Realtor’s point of view, a great builder who caters to the client and their product holds resale value. 

Great recreation for the family to enjoy and value added to any community is the community pool!

 

 

 

 

 

Kids will love the park that is located beside to pool for convenience of parents! 

Homes are starting to resale and new ones are going up daily all over the Bryan and College Station area, Aggieland.  Call me with any questions or comments about any property in the Aggieland area and I will be happy to find your new home in the College Station and Bryan area!

 

The Brazos Valley is begining to bring more and more water features into the communities.  College Station and Bryan both have a number of fountains that bring a great deal of beauty to our community.  Some Aggieland fountains are part of subdivisions and are installed at the entry into the subdivision and also in among the houses to add eye-catching details that potential buyers useto make the decision to purchase and for the residents to enjoy while living in the community.   Some fountains are actually built to control water drainage in a subdivision where the land is flat or if a creek happens to be part of the geography.

Some commercial developments have taken advantage of the beauty of fountains and have added them into their design.  One of the largest fountains in our area is located near Texas A&M on University Drive in College Station. 

Call me for any information you might need about Aggieland and the Bryan, College Station area!!

I was up early one morning and decided to watch TV.  I found a home improvement show called Michael Holligan and saw an interesting video (CLICK THE PICTURE FOR VIDEO).   The video talks about a newer roofing system that consists of 4 foot shingles made of steel and an asphalt covering is placed over it.  It is said to be able to withstand up to 125mph winds with 2 inch hail and not be damaged.  We don’t have much of that here in College Station or Bryan, but it would be great to fortify my house with that type of strength.  Every year there is a severe storm with high winds here in the Brazos Valley.  I think this is a great option for new construction in our area just for the insurance benefit. 

From the video and their web site you can see that there are a number of different styles and colors to choose from so when building think about the roof in a different manner and decide if this is right for you. 

Below is a close up view of the shingle.

Call me with any questions or comments you might have!!

The Brazos Valley has a diverse culture with an unlimited supply of talented men and women who don’t always get recognized.  I have a relative who has a great talent and hobby that I am very impressed with and believe you will be also.   This craftsman started out making knives from lawn mower blades when I was about 12 years old.  He taught me the basics of knife making and I completed a few not so great examples of a 12 year old’s ability.  I spent weekends visiting and saw his talent grow and flourish into works of art that sold in Austin for upwards of $500 per blade.  WOW!  He then started wood turning and after a few tool removals from the ceiling in his workshop he mastered the art of woodworking, at least in my bias opinion.  He is my Brother, Danny Condon Jr., with wife Louise and kids, Alex and Lynn, he turns out some very interesting works of art. 

If you like the work email me and I can put you in touch with the craftsman!!

Every home should have a tankless waterheater and if you are building a new home, it is the perfect time to talk to the builder and tell him/her that you want to be part of saving the environment and saving money $$$!!

What are the benefits?

• When the faucet is not running water is not being heated, no electricity being used.

• Water heaters can be placed close to outlets so water usage goes down because the hot water has less distance to travel.

• No extra room in the house for the tank style water heater has to be built so the extra space can be used for living.

• No huge tank to store the hot water and no reheating the water in the tank when if cools.

What are the slight draw backs?

• Initial cost of installation is slightly more expensive, but savings eat up the extra cost.

• Possible location regulations that require the tankless to be on an exterior wall if using a gas heater.

• Jealousy from the neighbors with the added money in your pocket each month.

These are just a few of the reasons to use a tankless water heater. Some of the builders in the Bryan/College Station area are using these systems for their new construction so check out the builders in our area when interested in building in the Brazos Valley.

For more information about building in Bryan/College Station or if you want info about tankless water heaters please feel free to contact ME Joey Condon @ joeyc@century21bcs.com

I have had this similar situation and wished i had a wife to assist in my predicament!!

I believe this is what most call Aggie Engineering!!

A lot of students that attend A&M are from agriculture backgrounds which is the back bone of the college. I hope that the graduating class of 2009 can learn from this farmer and carry on the tradition of Aggie Engineering where ever they travel and call home.