Ron's Blog Conroe/Woodlands/Lake Conroe

The new interest rates for loans through the Texas Veterans Land Board for this week are as follows:

6.18% Base Rate applies to all loans with a term greater than 15 years.

• Available Discounts to Base Rate*
  Discount for loans with a term of 15 years or less: -.25%
  Qualified Veterans with Disabilities Program Discount: -.35%
  Qualified Service Era Discount (Restricted Pool): -1.72%

Great rates once again by the board.  The rates are however rising as are all mortgage interest rates. Now is a GREAT time to buy that new home. Please email me if you have any questions and please call me so that I may help you look for a home. Have a great day. View the Texas Veterans Land Board website by clikcing the link below.

Ron

Texas Veterans website

Bankrate interest rates

The new interest rates for loans through the Texas Veterans Land Board for this week are as follows:

5.75% Base Rate applies to all loans with a term greater than 15 years.

• Available Discounts to Base Rate*
  Discount for loans with a term of 15 years or less: -.25%
  Qualified Veterans with Disabilities Program Discount: -.35%
  Qualified Service Era Discount (Restricted Pool): -1.29%

Great rates once again by the board. Please email me if you have any questions and please call me so that I may help you look for a home. Have a great day. View the Texas Veterans Land Board website by clikcing the link below.

Ron

Texas Veterans website

Bankrate interest rates

The new interest rates for loans through the Texas Veterans Land Board for this week are as follows:

5.93% Base Rate applies to all loans with a term greater than 15 years.

• Available Discounts to Base Rate*
  Discount for loans with a term of 15 years or less: -.25%
  Qualified Veterans with Disabilities Program Discount: -.35%
  Qualified Service Era Discount (Restricted Pool): -1.47%

Great rates once again by the board. Please email me if you have any questions and please call me so that I may help you look for a home. Have a great day. View the Texas Veterans Land Board website by clikcing the link below.

Ron

TVLB website

As some of you know besides being a full time real estate agent I also represent a national membership organization that assists consumers with credit improvement and restoration. In doing some research on how credit scores are calculated I found and interesting article from the Electronic Privacy information Center on the subject. It makes for some great short reading and as it did for me may open your eyes to what really goes on with your credit scores. It is not as many of us think just about paying your bills on time. According to the article about 100 different things that are actually used in calculating your scores. If you get a moment please read the article. If you have any questions please drop me an email.

Have a good day.

Ron

Credit Scoring

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. A day to celebrate our freedoms and the founding of our country. It seems many of us (myself at times included) are focused on our current problems such as $4,00/gallon gas, a crashing airline industry (not the visual I want of that industry), rising food prices, a slow real estate market and the many other day-today problems we face or are thrown in our face my the "bad news media". But rather than think of these problems over this long weekend, why don't we take a few minutes to remember and focus on our country's great history and documents. The many freedoms we enjoy that are not enjoyed or celebrated by many others throughout the world. Am I passionate about this holiday?My grandfather, father and I all have served and fought for this country. My oldest son is currently serving in the war in Iraq and my other son will leave in October to fight in Afghanistan. So to answer my original question, yes I am a little passionate about the Fourth of July. If you get a chance while you are sipping your morning coffee or other beverage of choice (it's 5:00PM somewhere) why don't you take a moment and review some of the websites below. Maybe you will be reminded of what this country is all about, even with all of our problems.

Declaration of Independence

Constitution of the United States

The Bill of Rights

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Ron

Here are this week's interest rates for Texas veterans eligible for loans from the Texas Veterans Land Board.

• Base rate: 5.95%
• Discount for 15 year loan or less:<.25%>
• Disabilities discount: <.35%>
• Service era discount <1.49%>

If you have any questions please send me an email or visit the website shown below.

www.texasveterans.com

Thanks and have a great day!

Ron

Is it to early to say Bah Humbug?? Yes, sales were down again in Montgomery County. The results for May, 2008 versus 2007 and 2006 are shown below. Our year-to-date sales are down almost 19% (gag). Yet even with the decline in sales the average sales price continues to increase. (All Right!) Needless to say it is a unique situation. We appear to be in the exact opposite situation of California where sales increased and prices declined. As you can see all real estate, like politics, is local. If you have any question about what MLS area you are in please send me an email. I will be more than happy to provide you with all of the information I can.

When will the situation change? I really do not have the foggiest idea. What do I hope? That those buyers sitting on the fence will change their minds and quickly. Interest rates are RISING. Just the other day a well respected news website said now is the best time to buy as interest rates should continue to rise and prices may have well bottomed out. Now would be a good time to call your friendly mortgage banker. If you don't have one please let me now and I will send you some names.

Take a look at the numbers below.....try not to gag....tell your neighbors to buy now...take two advil and email me in the morning. Have a great weekend!!

I'm a bachelor and I was really bored this weekend so I decided it was time to do some things around the house. The type things I really don't like to do but know have to be done. The type things we all tend to put off. So before I started this "I don't have a honey, honey-do-list" I did some research and found out what I really needed to do for spring & summer cleanup. So here is what I came up with and what, for the most part, I did and I believe you should also. I don't like to suffer alone! I hope your wife reads this and hangs it on the refrigerator for you.

Replace your furnace filter - I hope they meant the air filter
Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter - what a mess
Check your electrical system - I survived
Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible - I finally found it
Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage - How do I do that?
Review your fire escape plan with your family - The boys are gone so I am safe as long as I smell the smoke
Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home - not during a thunderstorm
Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning - I did not move the frig
Have a professional air conditioning contractor inspect and maintain your system as recommended by the manufacturer - I did not do this!!!
Check for damage to your roof - I didn't fall off so no damage to the roof or me
Run through a severe-weather drill with your family - I can fit in the bath tub all by myself
Repair all cracked, broken, or uneven driveways and walks - Maybe next week 
Check all the fascia and trim for deterioration - I bought some caulk, the good kind
Check your water heater - It's hot and doesn't make that rock sound and the pressure relief looks good
Check the shutoff valve at each plumbing fixture to make sure they function - Thank you BIG WRENCH
Clean clothes dryer exhaust duct, damper, and space under the dryer - My laundry dries faster now
Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn, or damaged  - I better remember this at Christmas
Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - And while you are at it dust the whole house like I did

Exciting weekend right? I know please don't tell me, my friends already do....I need to get a life!! Of course after doing most of the things on this list I was forced to venture out to the local Mexican restaurant and have a couple of marguerites to clear the dust from my throat.

Please email me some suggestions for an exciting weekend. I can't take too many more of these "I don't have a honey - honey-do-list weekends".

Ron

How about some quick general market information on Montgomery County. Yep sales were down again in May BUT sales prices increased again. It appears that when we get the final numbers that year over year "average price" gains will be about 7.7%. Still crazy isn't it. Sales are down and prices are still increasing. The "median price" will also have increased about 6.2%. And all of this combined with increasing interest rates.
What about foreclosures in Montgomery County? Well we are well behind the rest of the nation which is a good thing. The county foreclosure rate increased only about 14% in the first three months of this year as compared to last year. Not bad at all when you consider that overall nationwide foreclosures increase a whopping 112%. I think we are in pretty good shape. There were 443 this year versus 387 last year. Foreclosure have increased each of the last three months so we may see a couple more months of increases. But we will not see here what is happening in the rest of the nation. Overall Texas had just under 34,000 for the first quarter of this year. Are there foreclosure deals out there for you to buy? Yes. However if you aren't looking every day the good ones are gone before you get there.
That is just a quick update. The final nunbers should be out this week and we will see what they hold. Is anyone's crystal ball working???
Have a great day.
Ron

 Interest rates have risen over the last month. They were starting to come down a little today but not quickly. Yet there are astoundingly great deals available especially if you are a Texas veteran or let me put it another way if you are a veteran living in Texas. You will be amazed at who is eligible. You may not think you are but you might just be surprised.
Every Friday evening I get an update on the interest rates and discounts available through the Texas Veterans Land Board (TVLB). Last Friday's rates were: 6.1% base rate, discount for 15 year or less loan -.25%, disabilities program -.35%, qualified service era discount -1.64%. That means someone like me with a service era discount could get a 30 year loan at a rate of 4.46% and if I wanted a 15 year loan the interest rate would be 4.21%. Those are unbelievable rates.
Now catch this not only does the TVLB have home loans but they also have loans for land (yes that is raw land) and home improvements. AND they also have a direct loan program where they will lend you up to $45,000 direct to purchase your primary residence. Yes I know you are thinking that you can't buy anything for $45,000. But you are wrong. Where I live, around Lake Conroe, there are a lot of great one bedroom condos for that price and less. Can imagine being a single 25 year old vet and getting to buy a condo at your age? What a way to buy rather than rent at that age. What a great way to also start your real estate portfolio. And one more thing...you can participate in all three programs, home, land and home improvement at the same time. Now that is amazing.
Texas is one of only five states to offer veteran benefits. This is one of the greatest programs going!! In Montgomery County there are over 4,000 known veterans. I say known veterans because I checked and I am not on the list. But I do qualify even though I entered the USMC from Chicago. Yep you may not think you are a Texas veteran but you probably are. I almost forgot this if you are a surviving spouse you are also eligible!!
What do you do now? If you are a veteran looking for a home or land in Montgomery or Walker County email today and I will help you find the property and put you in touch with the right loan officer knowledgeable about the TVLB programs. If you are looking in Harris County email be and I will connect you with a realtor who is a veteran and knowledgeable with the TVLB programs.
If you are a veteran don't waste a minute. Email me today please. Thanks and have a great day! Here is the TVLB website:  http://www.glo.state.tx.us/vlb/

Ron