Other New Articles!

From the Visitor's Guide of Old Town Spring:

Top Eight Things to Look for Before Buying a Home
By PJ Rice, Rice Family Team, Realm Realtors

1) Can you afford it? The actual payment, usually including PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance), and the down payment are only part of the house costs. Water, electricity, gas, cable or satellite, and yard maintenance are normal monthly costs. But there’s also the homeowner’s association paid yearly, trash that may or may not be included in the HOA fees, and home maintenance like replacing a water heater or a leaky faucet can add up. It doesn’t matter how great the house is if you cannot afford it and would have to go into considerable debt to upkeep it.

2) Where do you want to live? If you find a house you like, visit the neighborhood many times before putting in an offer. See what the traffic is like in the morning, at dinnertime, on the weekend and at night. The perfect house may have more traffic than it seems during the first showing, or be close to a business that routinely has loud trucks loading and unloading right during the baby’s naptime.

3) How sound is the home? The interior may be absolutely beautiful, with many updates, but the air conditioner may be on its last leg or the beams in the attic cracked. A professional inspector can help assess potential issues that need repair or replacement, which the old owner may not be aware of. Getting your own inspector is always advised, even if you are buying a newly built home. Remember, buyer beware! Having someone on your side is not saying you think the seller is unethical, just that you want a second opinion, someone who is unbiased.

4) Does the home sit in the flood plain? If it does, you can usually still get insurance on it, but they most likely will require you to also pay for an additional flood policy that will be much more than if you were not in the flood plain. Check with your Realtor for that information. It doesn’t mean the home will flood or that it has flooded, just that it’s in the flood plain and can cost more for insurance.

5) How extensive is that repair or replacement that has you worried? A water heater may only be $300 at the store, but the location of it in an attic and the removal of the old one can raise the costs considerably. Not replacing it can be even more costly if it leaks and ruins drywall and flooring. An estimate is always great to get, but mentally prepare for about 10-20% higher than that in case additional issues are found that must be addressed.

6) How versatile is the space? Could you potentially outgrow the home in case you need to turn the office into a nursery, or can you add that pool you want? Check out the utility easements on a survey to see if they will prevent you from using the yard the way you wanted, and check with the HOA to see if you can add another floor in the house or garage or a shed in the yard if you outgrow the original space—some won’t.

7) How close are you to the schools? Regardless of whether you have children or not, if you are close to a school, you are going to have to get used to their schedule for extra foot traffic, vehicle traffic in school zones, and additional noise from bells, recess, band practice, and games held at the school.

8) What kinds of pets do you have, or want to have? Some neighborhoods will not allow some breeds of dogs like pit bulls or Rottweilers. Some are close to open areas where there are wild animals that prey on loose cats or dogs. Find out the county and HOA restrictions on pets allowed to reside outside also, or you may be fined for letting your kitty out or Fido getting loose.

You want your home to be a place where you can enrich your life and have the things you want. You don’t want to kick yourself for buying in the wrong neighborhood based on falling in love with a house and not everything that goes with it.

For help, advice and opinions, contact PJ and Michael Rice at 832-265-2224 or http://www.ricefamilyteam.com/ Happy homeowners are our specialty!

And another inspiring article from yours truly:

Set the Stage for a Sale!
By PJ Rice, Rice Family Team, Realtor, Realm Professionals

Staging is the secret to success with real estate. Whether it’s in the wording, the pictures, the showing, or the price, you are setting the stage for someone to purchase what you have for sale. You take the facts at hand and set them in the best possible light, so that the majority of people see the potential and can appreciate what is offered, envisioning themselves in it.

You may think it’s easy as anything to stage a house for pictures. Pick up your stuff, make a bed, and you’re set, right? Professional stagers, and the real state agents who use them or are certified as Accredited Staging Professionals themselves, know that it takes some work to get a home or business ready for others to view it. It’s not just as simple as removing personal items and keeping it clean. It’s about proportion, about focus, and about highlighting the best features while downplaying the negatives. A skilled photographer with superior equipment, a designer touch for the small details to create the ambiance, and taking the time to do it correctly all play important roles.

When we take pictures, we do so with all of the above. It then goes into the wording of how to present the home, along with the pictures. Cozy and charming are thrown around too much in this business, and don’t adequately reflect what potential spaces have within the home or in the yard. Even empty, blank space in a vacant home or a yard that has never seen a landscaper have worth, and we work to bring the focus to what can be created with the new owner’s taste, not what has been done by previous owners, unless it’s an enhancement that cannot be readily seen, like updated HVAC components or extra insulation. Those details matter and we don’t ignore them just because the kitchen is beautiful and photographs well.

For showings, it is more than how well your Realtor can remind you of the home’s features. It’s easy to let opportunity to wow someone slip through your fingers because you didn’t have the right guidance. You don’t have to keep flowers on the counter or cookies baking in the oven (although those are nice touches) to create interest or remind them that your home is the best in the neighborhood. The Rice Family Team has a few tricks up our sleeves to help your home stand out, any time of day. Contact us to find out more, via phone at 832-265-2224 or on our website, www.ricefamilyteam.com. In addition to our expertise in real estate, Michael is an Accredited Staging Professional, and PJ is an accomplished freelance photographer and writer.

Michael and PJ Rice,
Rice Family Team
832-265-2224 www.ricefamilyteam.com
Trusted Name, Trusted Realtors

From Old Town Spring Magazine:

8 Ways to NOT Sell Your House
Written tongue-in-cheek by PJ Rice, Realtor

1) Leave up all your family photographs, so the buyers walking
through focus on Aunt Mildred’s mustache and Uncle Milton’s
obvious rug and not the gorgeous crown molding and recessed
lighting.

2) Don’t power wash the mildew on the siding, walkways and
driveway. People love purchasing houses with smelly, discolored
areas.

3) Leave up the curtains from the early 80’s. It makes buyers feel
like they are going to be living in the decade of shoulder pads,
frosted hair and high interest rates, all very popular things.

4) Don’t clean the pool or put new cushions on the patio chairs.
It’s more inviting to sit in dirty seats looking at a green pond - I
mean pool.

5) Don’t have nice, fragrant candles on the counters and in
bathrooms. Natural odors like the laundry hamper and kitty litter
smell so much better.

6) Leave things in need of repair or replacement. Buyers love
a house that’s a challenge to live in, with the smoke detectors
hanging down without batteries in them, a doorbell that doesn’t
work, and several holes in the wall for fifteen different types of
cable.

7) Don’t worry about clutter. The kitchen countertops covered
in small appliances, mail, jumper cables, kid’s artwork, random
jellybeans and the bras you didn’t want to put into the dryer make
a house sell faster.

8) Don’t mow or edge the grass, and for goodness sake, don’t
pull weeds. Nothing says BUY MY HOUSE like a nature preserve
in the front yard, between the cracks of the driveway, and behind
the garage.

For more tips on how to leave your house on the market with no
offers, call another real estate agent. To help sell it, call us.

Michael and PJ Rice, Realtors
The Rice Family Team 832-265-2224 www.ricefamilyteam.com
Realm Realtors
Trusted Name, Trusted Realtors

New articles!

These articles have been published in recent months, with more on the way!

From Old Town Spring Magazine:

Ten Things You Can Do on the Cheap to Update Your Home
By PJ Rice, Realtor, Realm Professionals


1) Throw on a plastic glove, grab a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with just a tiny bit of water, and scrub down your light switches and plates. You’d be amazed to see the difference removing the dirt, skin oils and dust can do to improve the look of the rooms. If that doesn’t make a better impression, new switches and plates are inexpensive to buy and don’t take a lot of time to replace.

2) Change the plates on the outlets and the outlets if they don’t match, don’t hold the plugs in securely, are damaged, or have paint on them. A uniform look to small details like these makes a room nicer. You may not notice them once they are replaced, but when they don’t match or look shoddy, they bring down the overall look and value of your home.

3) Change the light bulbs everywhere in the house. Dusty light bulbs over mirrors make bathrooms look outdated. Dim bulbs in other areas make rooms look smaller, dingier, and make it harder to focus on the positives of the room. Brightly lit rooms make it easier to clean and can positively affect your moods and energy levels.

4) Stain your wood fencing. Even somewhat damaged fencing is going to look better with a uniform stain on it, which invokes a clean, new appearance.

5) Stain your grout. In most homes, the grout looked great when new and before high traffic turned some areas darker. Adding a slightly darker color to the grout to make it uniform is easier in most cases than trying to lighten the darker areas of grout and brings freshness to the flooring.

6) Paint or change the mailbox. If the mailbox is in great shape, painting the pole a shiny black or red can make it look even better. If it’s enclosed in brick, power wash the brick for a nicer appearance. If the brick is out of date, white paint can update it cheaply enough, and allows you to paint the house number on it more easily.

7) Power washed the front walkway but it’s still boring and stained? A couple coats of grey paint for patios can neutralize the inconsistencies and bright flowers on each side in pots every few feet can change the whole impression to something in 2008, not 1988.

8) Cut down low-lying branches of trees and those within three feet of the roof. Natural sunlight on the siding can help inhibit mold growth and enters the home to brighten rooms without needing extra lighting for longer in the day. The reduced shadows in the yard make it appear larger and cleaner.

9) Fertilize the yard once a month and water well. A bright, green, lush lawn cut and edged well makes the home look well-kept and worth more.

10) Grab that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser again and clean the walls with washable paint on them, particularly in the stairwell and hallways. Doorjambs and the handrail get more than their share of fingerprints and grime, and cleaning that off can brighten the areas within minutes, without needing to repaint to bring a more updated look to the space.

For more tips or helpful suggestions for updating or ensuring the value of your home, whether you plan on selling, leasing, or staying a while, contact PJ and Michael Rice, the Rice Family Team with Realm Professionals at 832-265-2224 or online at http://www.ricefamilyteam.com/. Happy homeowners are our specialty!


From The Visitor's Guide of Old Town Spring:

Keeping Money in Your Pocket Through Your Home, Part I
By PJ Rice, Realtor, The Rice Family Team


It’s great to turn out the lights when you aren’t in the room, turn off the water while the toothbrush isn’t underneath it, but are you missing another way to reduce your expenses when it comes to your home, and something you can do by April 30th to ensure your savings?

There’s a murky side to homeownership. It can be confusing and intimidating when you look at paperwork concerning your home, and most people take the huge legal-sized folder they got at closing and promptly put it away to collect dust. It’s filled with terms you don’t usually use, and forms that you assume benefit you in some way, but you assume if it’s important, the mortgage company will send you letters reminding you of it. Not true.

Mortgage companies do not handle things like your homestead exemption or tax protests, both of which can save you money. They won’t send you the forms, and they don’t care if you have the tax breaks working for you. But we do. We were once very clueless about what the process was, and we see it quite often in other homeowners, especially new ones. It doesn’t need to be so hard.

If you bought your house last year in 2007 in Harris County, you were most likely given a form to apply for Homestead Exemption. If you do not know if you got it, or you have no desire to look through the 1500 pages of stuff in your closing folder, you can go to http://www.hcad.org/ and click on forms, then scroll down to residential forms, then click on Form 11-13. They have a fillable version as well if your handwriting leaves something to be desired. 3 simple steps to get to a money-saving form that works for years once it’s filled and sent in.

The form has descriptions on the second page to help you determine which exemption works best for you. Generally, if you own one home, are under 65, and not legally classified as disabled, you will check the box for General Residential Exemption. What this does is gives you extra protection for this property in case you ever had to face a foreclosure, and gives you a tax break once it’s processed and for as long as you own the home, unless you fill out of form to switch it to another house.

If you have owned your home for a while, you probably filled out the form for Homestead Exemption, but to be sure, you can go to http://www.hacd.org/ and click on records search. We usually search on real property search using owner name, and then click on the account number next to the name to pull up the home’s info. Halfway down the page on the home’s info, there is a spot on the left that says your exemption type. Does this type of exemption still describe you? Or, for example, have you turned 65 and can apply for a new exemption? If your status has changed, you can get a better tax break by filling out a new form and sending it in with the paperwork they need. Deadline for filing the Homestead Exemption form is April 30th, 2008.

This is a great tool to save money, and there’s no need to clip coupons or scour the sales rack. It’s used to reduce the percentage of value of your home they collect taxes on. Depending on the value of your home based on HCAD’s assessment, this can be a substantial savings yearly. Reducing the assessed tax value of your home can also save you money, and we’ll detail how to do that and how we can help next month! Until then, get your form filled out and sent in, check to make sure you are getting the exemption you deserve if your status has changed, and call us with questions. We’d love to help. Happy homeowners are our specialty!!

Michael and PJ Rice, Realtors The Rice Family Team 832-265-2224 http://www.ricefamilyteam.com/

and the wonderfully written follow-up:)

Keeping Money in Your Pocket Through Your Home, Part II
By PJ Rice, Realtor, The Rice Family Team

So you got your Homestead exemption is, or it has been in for a while at the Tax Assessor’s office. Now you just sit back and allow the tax assessor’s office to assess your property at full market value and pay your taxes like a good citizen? Well, kind of. Protesting your taxes is not unpatriotic, pulling one over on the government, or hard to do. It is simply making sure you are paying more than you should in taxes, like checking the receipt at the store to make sure you weren’t overcharged.

When you find out the tax assessed value of your home (in Harris county, the site is http://www.hcad.org/ and in Montgomery county it is www.mcad-tx.org/html/records.html ), you need to decide if you think that is a fair assessment or if it off the mark completely in regards to your comparable neighbors. If you think it is unfair or unequal or there are errors in how your property was assessed, you can protest your tax assessment and try to get the value decreased, which helps save you money without having to change your lifestyle.

Both sites have a Forms page, where you will need to click and then print out a form to protest your taxes. For HCAD click on Forms, then General Forms, and is 41-44 Notice of Protest. For MCAD click on Forms, then Notice of Protest. Fill in as much as possible, checking off the boxes pertaining to why you are protesting your taxes. Both county’s forms have a Section 4, where you can give an opinion of value. I would recommend leaving that blank until you have further research if you are wanting to protest based on unequal or unfair value. The forms are due into the appraisal office by May 31 at midnight. Then they will process your paperwork and schedule a hearing.

You can enlist that tax site in your research, by searching your street and other properties in your section, noting which houses have a similar square footage and grade of condition and lower appraised market values. Those are great comps that you can print out and use in your protest. There are the occasional larger homes assessed for less than or equal to yours. That is a good one to present, as it can show that your assessment is too high.

Sales made in the last calendar year (you’re protesting 2008’s tax value now, based on 2007 info) are what the appraisal boards use to assess your home’s market value, but numbers are not everything. Foreclosures usually are not included, but sometimes, if that’s the majority of the comps in your neighborhood or there are so many listed that you’d have a hard time selling yours for a better price, the assessor will reduce your appraised market value to lower, if you can present your argument with verifiable facts about why your owner-occupied home cannot sell for the tax assessed market value.

Good tools to have on hand when you go for your hearing, which is usually an informal one first and if you are unsatisfied with the result, you can have a formal hearing before ABR (Appraisal Review Board) members and a representative for the appraisal board, and present your data:

1) Comps from the appraisal board’s own site, in your neighborhood and section, for similar square footage and condition

2) Listings from your real estate agent that show why homes sold, or in some cases, could not sell at the asking price similar to your appraised value in a reasonable amount of time. If there are owner-occupied homes that sold for less than your appraised market value, those are great comps.

3) Any estimates in repairs that need to be done, and pictures of areas in need of repair, that can bring down you home’s value from market value.

The assessor’s office sometimes does not take all that into account when they assess your property. You may be overcharged, and it is your right to protest and reduce it to fair market value. They don’t always see it the same way as you, so have your data ready, not just your verbal opinion on what Sally and Stan said they sold their house for.

Any questions on why this is an important piece of homeownership and saving money? Call us. We’d be happy to help. Happy homeowners are our specialty!
Michael and PJ Rice, Realm Realtors, 832-265-2224 www.ricefamilyteam.com

10 Ways to Make Your Home More Marketable Before You List

10) Mulch the landscaping right before you list your home for sale and the pictures are taken for the brochure, advertising, flyers, and internet. The freshness shows you care about the curb appeal.


9) Get your a/c and heater inspected and on a service plan. Companies such as John Burg’s Air Depot (832-358-5050) offer two annual inspections and a cleaning for one low price, is transferrable to your new home, or can be transferred to the new owner as an extra incentive when negotiating. Buyers want to know that the maintenance on key systems has been cared for, rather than guessing.


8) Trim your tree limbs to three feet or more from the roofline. Inspectors note that tree limbs rubbing against shingles can shorten the lifespan of the roof and possibly cause damage and leaks. Trimming them also allows more natural light to enter windows for better pictures and showings.


7) Add solar-powered landscape lighting next to the walkway and/or driveway. Not only does it have a safety feature you can promote and is relatively inexpensive, it is virtually maintenance-free and enhances curb appeal.


6) Paint the garage floor. Garage floor paint is found in many stores including Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depot and not much is needed. A clean garage appeals to many buyers, who may want to use the space as a home gym, build a workbench, or store a classic car.


5) Have a chimney sweep inspect and if needed, clean your chimneys. Again, buyers like knowing that you have maintained key systems and certainly a fireplace, with the inherent risk fire provides, is worrisome to some buyers who have never owned a home with a fireplace. Set their minds at ease by providing an inspection and cleaning receipt with your seller’s disclosure.


4) Stain the fences. It may take a weekend and some elbow grease, but the end results set your home above the competition in pictures and in person. The curb appeal is immediate and immense.


3) Neutralize your home’s odor. Pet odor, smoke, strong foods such as curry or fish, and diaper pails make buyers walk through much faster and not linger to see the beauty within the home. Steam cleaning the carpets and furniture, sprinkling baking soda in garbage cans, kitty litter, and in the sinks, and a well-planned popping of popcorn before a showing can create a more attractive ambiance.


2) Have your home treated for pests, either existing or preventatively. Provide the receipts along with your seller’s disclosure. Buyers love seeing that the current owners have kept up with the little details that affect the comfort and safety of the buyers.


1) Be aware of what price the competition is offered and selling. High expectations for price, no matter how beautiful the listing or incentives offered, can keep your home on the market for longer, becoming a stale listing. Overly ambitious sellers end up paying more in mortgage payments and utilities waiting to sell than pricing well to start and moving into their next home sooner. Do you want to list your home, or do you want to sell your home?

Welcome to the Rice Family Team blog!

PJ and Michael Rice are Realtors with Realm Professionals in Spring, Texas and serve all areas of Houston and outlying areas. We are both members in great standing with the Houston Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

We aren't your average Realtors. We have substantial experience in real estate, from investing and managing rental properties, to renovating homes, to working with homeowners in unique situations and buyers with specialized needs.

Our first experience buying a home was not ideal, and shortly thereafter we sought to educate ourselves about real estate and possibly investing in it. PJ started taking classes through Champions School of Real Estate and quickly finished the courses to get her license in 2003. Michael and PJ built a real estate management company, with PJ handling the contracts for not only ourselves but also other investors and Michael confidently taking the reins of renovating homes. Both worked extensively with all walks of life, from every financial standpoint, and realized that a common theme in those customers and clients was confusion about how the whole thing worked, and how it could work to the best advantage to the client. Quite a bit of our time was and is spent explaining the things that mortgage companies, other real estate agents or companies, and insurance companies only touched on but were extremely important to understand fully so the client could know exactly what they were investing their time and money into, as well as keeping their stress level down. Michael also became a Realtor in 2007 to increase the ability of our team to serve our clients.

The Rice Family Team focuses on 5 star service. Every client is in a unique and different position, and we strive to make sure your time with us is used efficiently. You can choose your level of professional services with us, versus being boxed into something that doesn't fit your needs but makes the Realtor feel like they are important. Education, guidance, a sense of humor, loyalty and a persistant attention to details defines us as real estate professionals. What matters most is that we have happy homeowners. That doesn't happen with empty promises or smooth talking without backing up the claims of excellence. That happens with hard work and us caring enough to make sure your experience exceeds your expectations, both of which we have in abundance.

Check back with us for more information on our 5 star service options, articles and tips written and published to help bring simple but effective ideas to everyone to help them in their quest for the best real estate experience the market can offer, and more on us. We are happy to answer questions via email or phone, so please contact us at http://www.ricefamilyteam.com/ and 832-265-2224!