The El Paso real estate market is not moving very fast right now and I am pretty sure that is what is happening all over the country.
The rental market is very hot as we have close to 100,000 new soldiers and their families moving to Ft Bliss in the next few years. If you have a nice rental property you should be able to rent it quickly if it is in good shape.
The lenders have made it pretty difficult to get a loan for a buyer, and while I do understand that since they went so far the other direction and we are were we are at becasue of it, but I hope they will soften up a bit soon so that buyers feel safe buying again.
I have heard everything from sellers wondering why thier home won't sell-to it is priced too low to the real estate companies are trying to low ball homes to get them to move. I heard the last from my Mom in Albuq saying that she had a letter from a home owner in her neighborhood blaming one company in particular that was lowering the price of all the homes in the area in hopes of getting them sold. I assured her that I could not believe that they would do that. It is so unethical in the first place and no one sale is worth losing your license for.
There are still buyers out there- I sold to a young soldier the other day that was a referral from a past client of mine that was very happy with his home and real estate transaction in El Paso that he referred him to me. I found him a home in El Paso in just a few short hours and we are on the way to closing now.
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You can find great local El Paso, Texas real estate information on Localism.com Patti Olivas is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
I recently returned from Galveston, TX
I was at the Texas Real Estate Convention in Galveston last week and it was a wonderful place to be. Galveston was celebrating its "back to life after Ike" and I was happy that TAR had booked the convention there.
Having lived in El Paso for close to 30 years the ocean was amazing. I grew up on the ocean as my Dad was in the Navy and in subs so we were always near water and I was surprised at how much I miss it. The humidity I don't miss at all but with the ocean breeze it was great.
I think I ate seafood morning, noon , and night and you can never have too much of that. We ate at Gaidos, Fisherman's Wharf and Fish Tales and the food was wonderful. I also want to give a plug for an awesome cab driver John with the Yellow Cab company. He picked us up nearly every day and was always happy and up beat-considering he lost his home in Ike and is still battling with the insurance company and has lived in a hotel for 2 years-it is amazing that he can still be so gracious. We should all learn from him!
There is a sub in Sea Wolfe Park on Pelican Island called the USS Cavella that my Dad was on early in his Navy career. It is dry docked there and is now a museum and a group of us got a private tour of the sub. I still don't know how people can be in something like that and be under the ocean too.
Oh yes, the convention was wonderful too and I learned alot in the MLS sessions and what is going on around the state as I talked to the other Realtor there. There are some good changes coming up soon .
It was confirmed that real estate in El Paso, TX is still strong-still a buyers market but homes are selling in El Paso
Having lived in El Paso for close to 30 years the ocean was amazing. I grew up on the ocean as my Dad was in the Navy and in subs so we were always near water and I was surprised at how much I miss it. The humidity I don't miss at all but with the ocean breeze it was great.
I think I ate seafood morning, noon , and night and you can never have too much of that. We ate at Gaidos, Fisherman's Wharf and Fish Tales and the food was wonderful. I also want to give a plug for an awesome cab driver John with the Yellow Cab company. He picked us up nearly every day and was always happy and up beat-considering he lost his home in Ike and is still battling with the insurance company and has lived in a hotel for 2 years-it is amazing that he can still be so gracious. We should all learn from him!
There is a sub in Sea Wolfe Park on Pelican Island called the USS Cavella that my Dad was on early in his Navy career. It is dry docked there and is now a museum and a group of us got a private tour of the sub. I still don't know how people can be in something like that and be under the ocean too.
Oh yes, the convention was wonderful too and I learned alot in the MLS sessions and what is going on around the state as I talked to the other Realtor there. There are some good changes coming up soon .
It was confirmed that real estate in El Paso, TX is still strong-still a buyers market but homes are selling in El Paso
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Been working with new buyers
I have 3 new families that are buying in El Paso and they have all been wonderful to work with. The idea of living in El Paso is very attractive to them all.
One is a couple that I have worked with for awhile and they made a good offer on an over priced listing (not one of mine) and the seller would not get reasonable so they may build and we will probably meet with a builder this Friday.
The second person is a military doctor that was thinking of renting and then decided that buying a home in El Paso made more since and I found him one the first day and we should close by the end of the week.
The last couple is from Texas and wants to move to El Paso to be closer to family and they have looked a few times but the husband got called back to work so they are on hold till next week.
So far it has been a great week
One is a couple that I have worked with for awhile and they made a good offer on an over priced listing (not one of mine) and the seller would not get reasonable so they may build and we will probably meet with a builder this Friday.
The second person is a military doctor that was thinking of renting and then decided that buying a home in El Paso made more since and I found him one the first day and we should close by the end of the week.
The last couple is from Texas and wants to move to El Paso to be closer to family and they have looked a few times but the husband got called back to work so they are on hold till next week.
So far it has been a great week
Friday, July 23, 2010
this is why I love El Paso
this is an article that really shows why El Paso is such a special place.
A community helps: Soldier's wife victimized by thieves gets $5,000 in furniture
By Maggie Ybarra \ EL PASO TIMES
Posted: 07/23/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Army wife Brittany Adair knows all about reversal of fortune.
Thieves stole her furniture and personal belongings from a moving van as she and her baby relocated from Houston to Fort Bliss. Then strangers saved the day, donating cash, clothes and kitchenware to Adair.
She shopped Wednesday for replacement furniture paid for by an anonymous benefactor. Adair received more than $5,000 to spend at New Deal Furniture, 7130 Gateway East.
She purchased a dining set, a bed frame, a mattress, a recliner, an entertainment center, a sectional coffee table, a rug, a nightstand and a chest of drawers, said John Falvey, manager of New Deal Furniture.
Soldiers transported the furniture to her home Thursday. They were with the Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. This is the battalion of her husband, Spc. William Adair.
He is in Iraq, but is scheduled to return to El Paso in November, Brittany Adair said.
Falvey said he contacted Adair after one of his customers offered to pay for anything she wanted. The customer's only stipulation was that he did not want Adair to know who was buying the furniture for her, Falvey said.
The donor, a retired man in his 60s, said he wanted to replace Adair's furniture because he did not want her and her 18-month-old son, Matthew, to have negative feelings about El Paso, Falvey said.
Maggie Ybarra may be reached at mybarra@elpasotimes.com; 546-6119.
A community helps: Soldier's wife victimized by thieves gets $5,000 in furniture
By Maggie Ybarra \ EL PASO TIMES
Posted: 07/23/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Army wife Brittany Adair knows all about reversal of fortune.
Thieves stole her furniture and personal belongings from a moving van as she and her baby relocated from Houston to Fort Bliss. Then strangers saved the day, donating cash, clothes and kitchenware to Adair.
She shopped Wednesday for replacement furniture paid for by an anonymous benefactor. Adair received more than $5,000 to spend at New Deal Furniture, 7130 Gateway East.
She purchased a dining set, a bed frame, a mattress, a recliner, an entertainment center, a sectional coffee table, a rug, a nightstand and a chest of drawers, said John Falvey, manager of New Deal Furniture.
Soldiers transported the furniture to her home Thursday. They were with the Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. This is the battalion of her husband, Spc. William Adair.
He is in Iraq, but is scheduled to return to El Paso in November, Brittany Adair said.
Falvey said he contacted Adair after one of his customers offered to pay for anything she wanted. The customer's only stipulation was that he did not want Adair to know who was buying the furniture for her, Falvey said.
The donor, a retired man in his 60s, said he wanted to replace Adair's furniture because he did not want her and her 18-month-old son, Matthew, to have negative feelings about El Paso, Falvey said.
Maggie Ybarra may be reached at mybarra@elpasotimes.com; 546-6119.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Why are people waiting-do they want higher interest rates
I do not understand why people are waiting to buy a home in El Paso, Texas.
Interest rates are at a 50 year low and I think they will stay down for awhile so you can afford more of a home than you could even a year ago.
The real estate market in El Paso, Texas is strong and active and El Paso has pretty much been spared the "foreclosures" that we see prominent in most markets. Yes we do have some and they don't help the over all market but we are not like Phoenix, the west coast and Florida (thank Goodness).
Living in El Paso, Texas is great now. With the recent "All American City" award and being the 2nd safest city with populations over 500,000(amazing with all that is happening in our sister city of Juarez, Mexico)El Paso is a great place to be right now. It just goes to show that you can not believe everything that you read in the papers. El Paso is a warm and friendly city where people will speak to you as you pass them on a side walk!!!
Interest rates are at a 50 year low and I think they will stay down for awhile so you can afford more of a home than you could even a year ago.
The real estate market in El Paso, Texas is strong and active and El Paso has pretty much been spared the "foreclosures" that we see prominent in most markets. Yes we do have some and they don't help the over all market but we are not like Phoenix, the west coast and Florida (thank Goodness).
Living in El Paso, Texas is great now. With the recent "All American City" award and being the 2nd safest city with populations over 500,000(amazing with all that is happening in our sister city of Juarez, Mexico)El Paso is a great place to be right now. It just goes to show that you can not believe everything that you read in the papers. El Paso is a warm and friendly city where people will speak to you as you pass them on a side walk!!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
El Paso, TX- All American City 2010
Guess what? El Paso, Texas was awarded the All American City for 2010!
That is just one of the reasons I love living in El Paso, Texas.
It is a safe city-for the past 3-5 years we were # 2-3 for cities over 500,000 people and that is even with the problems in Juarez, Mexico!
The weather is fantastic, warm and not much humidity and the sun shines about 350 days out of the year.
For more information about EL Paso, visit any one of these links.
www.teamolivas.com
www.livinginelpastexas.com
www.realestateinelpaso.com
That is just one of the reasons I love living in El Paso, Texas.
It is a safe city-for the past 3-5 years we were # 2-3 for cities over 500,000 people and that is even with the problems in Juarez, Mexico!
The weather is fantastic, warm and not much humidity and the sun shines about 350 days out of the year.
For more information about EL Paso, visit any one of these links.
www.teamolivas.com
www.livinginelpastexas.com
www.realestateinelpaso.com
Friday, June 18, 2010
Loan officers that lie to you
I am having a very frustrating week with National Lenders that lie to you.
I have a loan that was suppose to close on May 27th and here we are on the 18th of June and it still had not closed. Yikes. The lender keeps telling me it will be ready to close on "Friday" well here it is on Friday and now it is still in underwriting and no one can seem to tell me why or when it will even get out.
On a happier note, my local lenders are not having any problems closing. I am going to only work with local lenders and on my listings ask the sellers to put in writing that they will not accept contracts from 2 lenders in particular.
The real estate market in El Paso is pretty good so go with those local lenders and lets get them closed.
If you need information about living in El Paso, Texas try out my new site.
I have a loan that was suppose to close on May 27th and here we are on the 18th of June and it still had not closed. Yikes. The lender keeps telling me it will be ready to close on "Friday" well here it is on Friday and now it is still in underwriting and no one can seem to tell me why or when it will even get out.
On a happier note, my local lenders are not having any problems closing. I am going to only work with local lenders and on my listings ask the sellers to put in writing that they will not accept contracts from 2 lenders in particular.
The real estate market in El Paso is pretty good so go with those local lenders and lets get them closed.
If you need information about living in El Paso, Texas try out my new site.
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