Confessions of a Realtor®

With the negativity in the media, it can be difficult to focus on the positive. But look where we live! Houston is one of the greatest, strongest, economically healthiest cities in the nation. We are blessed to be working and living in this wonderful place where new commercial and residential developments are breaking ground in our suburbs, where big business promotes a seemingly unending stream of transferees into our city, where extracurriculars like shopping, travel and sports events are thriving. Hearing other Realtors talking how slow business has been or hearing arbitrary people talking about how bad the economy is, I can't help but think that many of them have gotten used to wallowing in what they hear. It perpetuates negativity and should be ignored to break the chain of doom & gloom. The good news that everyone should know is that we can control the success of our business, our lives & our futures via positivity and that what you are about to read (I have paraphrased) is contagious.

I recently re-read the book by Rhonda Byrne, "The Secret." It brought to mind a lot of changes that I could make personally to guarantee a better life all-around. Maybe you have read it; maybe a friend mentioned it a few years ago. Either way, it's a great little book with big print, lots of paragraph spacing and only about 200 pages long, which is nice for someone like me, who doesn't particularly like to read.

Here are the main points I focused on:
*  Law of Attraction - Like attracts likeness so sending out positivity ensures that we will receive it. The more we send out, the more we receive & the stronger it becomes over time. Love is the strongest of all notions.
*  We create our own futures through our thoughts, which we control. We must strike out negative thoughts and generate positive ones. If negative thoughts creep in, it may help to keep a list of things that make us happy, which we can reference to revert from negative thoughts. Thoughts eventually become things.
*  There are 3 things we must do to bring about positivity or good things: Ask (be clear about what you want), Believe (really believe you will get what you are asking for and concentrate on it as often as possible), Receive (you must act, think, feel, go about as if you have already received what you have asked for in order to make room for the gift to arrive). Practice this daily and focus on small signs around you that signal a change is coming.
*  Expect good things to happen, be grateful & thankful for them in advance and after receiving them, visualize yourself with them and make this a daily habit. Do good, feel good, be good to others and yourself. Life is full of abundance and there is plenty for everyone.
*  "The Secret" works for everything: money, relationships, health, world relations, ourselves and life in general.

Try practicing a few of these ideas each morning and see if you can remember to practice them throughout the day. Maybe a few of the ideas are a little too abstract for you to envision. Read the book to gain some perspective. Borrow it from the library or from a friend - I know at least 10 people who have this simple little book. The ideas work for everyone, everywhere for any thing in the world. Children have even reported success after adopting some changes to their lives. It's an easy way to start making a change within you, but I promise you will want to share your knowledge with friends, family and maybe even a few strangers.

You can be part of a bigger change. The next time someone asks about the Houston real estate market, give a positive answer. Spread the good energy for Houston. The more we expect, the more we get back.

Hi Y'all! I am so excited to tell you about something big and new in SUGAR LAND!! After attending a private tour and sneak peek of the new development that is planned for the 715-acre Old Sugar Land Imperial Sugar Factory, I figured everyone would want to know about the exciting plans of this incredible new residential & entertainment district.

Sugar Land has grown by leaps and bounds since I grew up here in the 70s. I still remember when Hwy. 6 and 59 had huge, empty, green grazing fields with cows, and our airport was a single landing strip with a dirt road leading to a small hangar. I miss the slower pace; seeing family friends on major roads and honking to say hello, and I could certainly do without traffic along 6 after work and on weekends, but I can't wait to see the final product that Johnson Development has been planning, negotiating and prepping for since 2009.

Developed in 1843, Imperial Sugar expanded to three other states but kept home base operations for refining, distribution and marketing in Sugar Land until 2003 when it finally closed its doors. Thankfully, the new development named Imperial Sugar Land will resurrect the iconic corporation that has helped our local economy flourish for over 160 years. Part of the agreement to develop this historic land involved retaining three of the original buildings, but Johnson Dev. has actually designed plans to retain 8 historic structures which offer architecturally interesting landmarks to help anchor the new establishment.

Several "districts," all connected through a series of hike/bike trails, have been outlined in the plan drawings, so here is a little info about each one:

Historic District - This is the original Sugar Factory land where the plant is located. It includes the historic buildings such as the Char House, the water tower, the twin smoke stacks, several storage towers and other buildings, including an old storage warehouse that is eagerly anticipated to be used for a Farmer's Market. This area will offer a boutique hotel with conference center, restaurants, entertainment, retail, office space, hospitality & residential use (650 high end apartment/townhomes units). It will be focused around a "town center" type of area that is located along Oyster Creek.

Business District - Office and civic space as well as a few ponds are located here and the area is surrounded by significant greenspace buffers for aesthetic appeal. The buildings will be constructed to LEED specifications.

Ball Park District - As the name implies, this is where the new minor league ball park will be located, as well as residential, mixed use and retail space. There will be high end apartments (max 600 units), townhomes, single family lots as well as a retirement community for active seniors and those who require assistance. Also planned for this area are multiple open spaces, parks and walking trails meandering through the area. This is also located along Oyster Creek.

Open Spaces - This area consists of undeveloped acreage that will be used for beautification, utilities, protected wetlands and possible additional parks.

Hwy. 6 District - Zoned for commercial development along Hwy. 6, located across from the Sugar Land Regional Airport, this district will provide space for retail shops, office, commercial and possibly a hotel.

There has been alot of discussion about the addition of more multi-family housing to the city of Sugar Land, but many critics fail to realize that with high end 1-2 bedroom apartments and townhomes, the majority demographic is expected to be single professionals, many without children. This demographic will utilize the town center and patronize nearby retail and restaurants, benefitting the economy by keeping these places busy.

After all of the negativity in the news about our economy and the low morale of so many Houstonians, I think this is a wonderful step in the right direction. Our economy is beginning to thrive again and development and growth are an enormous sign of positivity. This fantastic news is the start of something really, really, big so spread the word and let's get positive! (Next week's blog will touch more on POSITIVE THINKING so stay tuned!)

I know you may have additional questions, so please don't hesitate to ask. I have plan drawings, layouts, an 80-page .pdf presentation on the development and lots more information. I look forward to hearing from you guys. Have a wonderful week!

www.MaryAndKelly.com

It's that time again. I don't think anyone looks forward to getting their new residential tax value estimates in the mail, but like Benjamin Franklin said, "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, Galveston and other surrounding counties have already begun sending out 2011 estimates, so if you are a home (or townhome/condo/property) -owner, it is your responsibility to fight your taxes and keep them low.

In Houston, you have the option of protesting your taxes online, called iFile (www.hcad.org/ifile). Some other areas offer this option too, but many of you will still have to take the old fashioned route and protest by mail, then wait for an appointment to see a tax representative for an informal meeting. It is here that you will first present your proof or reasons why you feel that your property value should be lower than what the district is appraising it for. There are many reasons why values should be lowered, but the most common reason is actually nearby sales comps. Most informed buyers didn't purchase the biggest and best home in the neighborhood, nor did they purchase the smallest dumpiest home. That being said, there are inevitably going to be sales which are lower than yours, to help support lowering your tax values.

Unfortunately, the general public does not have access to local sales data. This is where we come in! We would be happy to email you comparable sales in your area that you can use to help lower your taxable values. It's free and it only takes a minute, so contact us on our website at www.MaryAndKelly.com or email us at KellyMStewart@Yahoo.com.

It may sound strange to want property value to be low, but there is a huge difference in taxable property value and market value. As homeowners, we want our market values to be high, so resale on our property is good - it brings us as sellers more money at closing. However, we want our taxable values to be low, so we save money in tax payments. Taxable values and market values are rarely associated with each other in this market area, so don't worry about what a potential buyer may thing about low tax appraisals. They will likely be very happy that you were diligent in keeping your home taxes low, so they inherit the tax benefit once they purchase your home.

Watch our new web blog about staging your home. We offer free staging consultations! Check out our website at www.MaryAndKelly.com