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Showing posts from April, 2025

5 Signs a Home is Overpriced (And How to Spot It Before It’s Too Late)

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If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the real estate world, you’ve probably seen it: A nice-looking house hits the market... sits there... price gets slashed... then slashed again... and eventually sells for less than it probably would have if it had just been priced right in the first place . It happens all the time here in Montgomery County , The Woodlands , Conroe , and everywhere in between. Overpricing a home can cost sellers time, money, and leverage —and trust me, none of those are things you want to lose. So how do you spot an overpriced home before the market does it for you? Here are five big red flags you should watch out for: 1. Long Days on Market (DOM) If a property’s been sitting for 30, 60, 90 days or more , that’s usually a sign buyers have taken a hard pass at the asking price. Pro tip: In a healthy market, homes priced right should go under contract fairly quickly—especially if they're clean and in good locations. If it’s been on the market since y...

💸 Property Tax Season is Here — And So Are Overinflated Home Values

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It’s that time of year again in Texas — the weather’s heating up and so are those property tax statements. If you opened your mail and nearly spit out your coffee after seeing your new assessed value, trust me... you’re not alone. Counties all across Montgomery County — from Conroe to The Woodlands — are bumping up home values like it’s a game of Monopoly. Only problem? You’re not collecting $200. You’re handing it over. Here’s the thing most homeowners don’t realize: you can protest your property taxes. And better yet? You don’t need a lawyer, a tax agent, or a PhD in spreadsheets to do it. So, Can You Really Protest Your Property Taxes Yourself? Yes. And it’s not as complicated as they want you to think. The county hopes you’ll just grumble and pay it. But if you take just a little time to gather your facts and show up with a strong case, you’ve got a real shot at lowering your tax bill — this year and every year after. I’ve seen homeowners in Conroe and Montgomery slash thou...

Appraisals for Divorce: What You Need to Know When Splitting Property in Texas

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Let’s face it—divorce isn’t easy. It’s emotional, it’s messy, and when real estate is involved, it can get downright complicated. One of the most important (and often overlooked) parts of the process is figuring out what the house is actually worth. Because let’s be real— you can’t divide a home down the middle like a pizza , so someone’s either keeping it, buying the other person out, or it’s hitting the market. That’s where an appraisal comes in. Whether you’re in Conroe, The Woodlands, Montgomery, or anywhere in between, a professional home appraisal during a divorce can save you a ton of time, money, and stress. Here’s what you need to know. Why You Need a Divorce Appraisal A divorce appraisal provides an unbiased, third-party opinion of your home’s current fair market value. It's not based on your emotions, what your neighbor's cousin sold their house for, or what Zillow spit out last week. Courts, attorneys, and mediators rely on a professional appraisal to ensure...

Appraisal Myths Busted: What Agents, Buyers, and Sellers Always Get Wrong

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You know what I love? When someone tells me how the appraisal “should” come out before I even step out of my car. Happens all the time — and trust me, I get it. There’s a lot of folklore out there about how appraisals work. So today, we’re busting some of the biggest myths floating around Montgomery County, Conroe, The Woodlands, and beyond. 🏚 Myth #1 — The Appraiser Uses the Tax Value Nope. Not even close. Your tax-assessed value is about as helpful to me as using a weather app from last week to plan today’s picnic. Appraisers use recent market data , comparable sales , and actual market trends , not whatever the county says your house is worth. Taxes are their own thing. Appraisals? Whole different beast. 💵 Myth #2 — The Appraisal Always Comes in at Contract Price I wish it worked like that — it would make my life easier. But nope, I don’t get a little pop-up that says, “Adjust until you hit contract price.” My job is to determine market value , not to “make the deal work....