New Troops Coming to Ft Bliss Soon

37,000 troops to be stationed at Fort Bliss by 2013
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 12/20/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

Nearly 11,000 soldiers will be sent to new brigade combat teams created at Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range by 2013 as part of the Army's plan to grow by more than 65,000 soldiers, lawmakers said Wednesday.

Fort Bliss will receive one infantry brigade combat team in fiscal year 2009 and another in fiscal 2011, bringing in around 7,000 soldiers. White Sands will receive a heavy brigade combat team, with about 3,800 soldiers, in fiscal 2013. A federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1 of the previous calendar year.

The Army's plan will bring the total active-duty force to 547,000 soldiers and will also increase National Guard forces by about 8,200 soldiers and reserve forces by about 1,000. The new plan -- expected to cost $2.63 billion -- speeds up the expansion by two years.

"The Army's decision to add new troops and missions to the El Paso region reflects their confidence in our community's ability to provide the resources needed to support troops and their families," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. "Fort Bliss was already the biggest winner in the 2005 (Base Realignment and Closure) decision in terms of military personnel, and this growth on top of previous troop gains, is unprecedented and demonstrates both the military value of the post and the value of the strong community support for the military mission."
Fort Bliss is already in the middle of a $3.1 billion expansion to support the relocation of the 1st Armored Division from Germany and the arrival of other units that will bring in 21,000 soldiers between 2005 and 2011. The post's population is expected to peak at about 37,000 soldiers by 2013, according to Fort Bliss officials.

The additional soldiers are expected to create about 3,900 spinoff jobs in El Paso and nearly $1 billion in new economic impact, said Bob Cook, president of the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp. That economic activity, he said, includes soldiers spending their paychecks, creation of new jobs, property and sales taxes, and new home building.

"The added troops are more great news for Fort Bliss, which will have a permanent base É with room to grow," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "The community's overwhelming support of the effort to assure adequate future water supply has been an integral part of this great success."

Hutchison was referring to the desalination plant -- a joint project between the city of El Paso and Fort Bliss -- which is now creating drinking water from brackish water held in a vast aquifer under the city.

Reyes, who early on had to convince the Army that there would be enough drinking water to support the unprecedented growth at the post, also stressed that community cooperation made the Army's decision possible.

White Sands will soon begin its own construction project, said spokesman Larry Furrow. It will include motor pools, barracks, a commissary, medical centers and administrative buildings. Roads also will be built.

"In addition to testing new equipment designed for a lighter, more lethal force, (White Sands) will now be the home of a brigade combat team designed to fight as part of a modular force to deploy anywhere in the world," Furrow said.

However, an environmental impact statement will have to be completed before construction can begin, Furrow said.

A supplemental environmental impact statement related to the two new brigades has been completed at Fort Bliss and revealed no concerns, Maj. Gen. Robert Lennox, post commander, said earlier this year when the study was completed.

Furrow said no dollar figures have been attached to the White Sands construction. However, when the El Paso Times first reported the Army's plans in June, an Army contractor hired to analyze the proposal said it would cost between $250 million and $300 million at Fort Bliss for buildings and infrastructure to support the two brigades there. An area east of Loop 375 was one location being considered for the new building complex.

Although the new plan calls for two armored brigades to remain in Germany for two extra years -- adjustments made for "near-term theater security needs," according to Army officials -- the construction schedule at Fort Bliss is not expected to change much.

Although the arrival at Fort Bliss of one of the brigades remaining in Germany will be delayed from 2011 to 2012, the second "grow the force brigade" is scheduled to arrive in 2011.

The second brigade remaining in Germany will relocate to White Sands in 2013.

The plan has been supported by many in Congress because it will take some of the pressure off the Army, which has been on a grueling deployment schedule mainly in support of the nation's military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

"Expanding the size and strength of our Army is critical to America's safety and winning the war on terror," said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "I welcome these troops and will work to provide the support they need."

Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com; 546-6136.

Arrival schedule for new units

The Army's Grow the Force Initiative will bring nearly 11,000 more soldiers to Fort Bliss and White Sands by 2013, Army officials announced Wednesday. As a result of Base Realignment and Closure decisions, Fort Bliss already was slated to grow by about 21,000 soldiers between 2005 and 2011. Under the Army's new plans, the post's population will peak at about 37,000 soldiers by 2013.
This is the tentative schedule for arrival of those units. The years are federal fiscal years, which begin Oct. 1 of the calendar previous year.

2008: About 4,000 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, soldiers return from Iraq. A heavy brigade combat team, with about 3,800 soldiers, is relocated from Germany to Fort Bliss.

2009: A new infantry brigade combat team, with about 3,500 soldiers, is created at Fort Bliss as part of the Grow the Army Initiative.

2010: A heavy brigade combat team, with about 3,800 soldiers is relocated from Germany to Fort Bliss.

2011: A new infantry brigade combat team, with about 3,500 soldiers, is created at Fort Bliss under the Grow the Army Initiative.

2012: A heavy brigade combat team, with about 3,800 soldiers is relocated from Germany to Fort Bliss.

2013: A heavy brigade combat team, with about 3,800 soldiers, is relocated from Germany to White Sands Missile Range.

Speaking for your Destiny

Dan Olivas has started a new business called "Speaking for your Destiny" and he is a professional speech coach.

His first 2 day class was held the first week of December and I attended it along with about 7 other people. It was a great class and if you want to take your speaking ability to the next level and not be afraid to speak in front of others, then you need to attend the next class.

This course is intense training along with video taping of you speaking in front of the class. By the end of the class every student had improved almost 100% from the first speech and their speaking ability and enthusiasm in their voice had improved vastly.

This course is designed for anyone in any job field to improve their speaking ability.

Dan Olivas is President of "Speaking for your Destiny" and is a certified licensed instructor of the Speaker's Training Camp.

Dan is the incoming 2008 President of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors and he is Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Elite in El Paso, TX. He has been with RE/MAX since the early 1980's and last year was awarded the Distinguished Community Service Award for the State of Texas at the state convention in Feb. 2007.

Dan was Vice President and then President of the Multiple Listing Services of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors. He was the Sec/Treasurer and Vice President of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors and has served on the Board of Directors for many years. Dan was also awarded Realtor of the Year in 2004.

Dan is a member of Gateway Toastmasters and has earned the designation of Competent Communicator Silver.

Half-Marathon Update

Here is the latest update on my Half Marathon. You can see the route at the web site for the marathon.

Dan and I are keeping on track for our walking. We are doing 4 miles on off days and this Sunday will do 10 miles. I still can't believe that I am walking that much or that I am even going to do the half marathon! I wonder what my next goal will be? I have no desire to walk a full marathon so I will have to come up with something else.

Meanwhile, back to the El Paso real estate market. As you can read in the blog below this one, our market is going up while others are really floundering. That is great news. It is still a great time to buy in El Paso, TX

Home Prices Rising -El Paso Times 12/6/2007

In brief: EP housing prices rise 7.9% in 3rd quarter
El Paso Times Staff
Article Launched: 12/06/2007 12:00:00 AM MST


El Paso home prices increased 7.9 percent in the third quarter of this year compared to the same quarter a year ago, shows the House Price Index published last week by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.
El Paso's increase ranked as the 18th highest in the nation. Nationally, home prices increased 1.8 percent, the index shows.

The index tracks average house price changes in repeat sales or refinancings of the same single-family homes.

The National Association of Realtors recently reported that El Paso's median home price increased 4.5 percent to $135,800 in the third quarter compared to a year ago.

Vic Kolenc

Getting ready for Realtor Installation

On Nov 30th Dan (My Husband) was installed as the incoming president of our El Paso Association of Realtors at a magnificent dinner at Santa Teresa Country Club. Most of our children came in from out of town. Our oldest son Dan and his wife Susan and baby Molly could not come because Molly had been sick with an ear infection and could not fly.

The kids and I spent the day decorating the club along with Rebeca Padilla my office manager and Hilda Beck from our Association. It was fun but tiring so around 3 that afternoon we all went home to start to get ready.

Dinner was great and there were about 283 people there (the most they have ever had at an installation)and it went off without any flaws. Dan had a super speech and had the crowd wowed!

The El Paso real estate market is starting to pick back up and lots of our listings are starting to get contracts and at about 97-98% list price to sales price ration.

We are all looking forward to the new year and seeing our market get back to normal.

My half marathon walk is still on and I have been training weekly and last Sunday we walked 8 miles. Boy I never thought I would be able to do that but I feel great and am still losing weight(thank goodness) and this Sunday we will walk 9 miles.

Just got back from National Assoc of Realtors Convention

We just got back from the National Association of Realtors Convention in Lost Wages (oops, I meant Las Vegas!)

It was a great convention but to tell you the truth I like the convention in a different city like San Francisco. There were 3 other conventions, the political debate was there, and there were just too many people around all the time. Everywhere you went you bumped into somebody and it was just not fun.

The classes were great and I learned a lot of new ways to use my camera in marketing and sat in on a MLS round table and talked to agents around the country to see how their market was and it made me very thankful that our market is not near as bad as some of those.

Short sales were the name of the game in Florida and some in Nevada and good old El Paso, Tx real estate looked even better .

Sales are definitely picking up-had 2 offers on my listings since I got back on Monday and 2 closing this week so that is wonderful.

The walking for the half marathon is coming along great and we walked almost everyday in Las Vegas. The weather was sunny and warm and it was so good to get outdoors.

We walked almost 3 miles every day and this Sunday it will back to 7 miles and then we will start building up to more miles each Sunday.

Closings are good

I had a closing today that took over a week to get closed because we had to get some utility waivers as the garage sat on top of the utility easement. Selling real estate in EL Paso, Tx can definitely be challenging.

The market is starting to pick back up a little bit but remember El Paso is not like the rest of the country. We have alot of positive things about to happen here that will definitely drive our market right back up and hopefully very soon.

Back to the half marathon, Dan and I will walk 4 miles tomorrow and 7 miles on Sunday.

Walked 7 miles on Nov. 4, 2008

I still can't believe that I am doing this but I am committed now and there is nothing that will change my mind. Dan (my husband) is training with me but says the race is my thing. I wish he would walk with me but he will be there to cheer me on. All of my family are behind me too so that is very helpful.

For any of you that want to be brave and join me please follow the link to The El Paso Marathon and you can get all the information there or at the Up and Running Store.

On off days(I don't know what an off day is ) I am still selling real estate in El Paso, TX and we are seeing the market getting a little stronger especially on homes under $200,000. New homes always sell quickly and I have sold 3 of them recently and in the low $100,000 range.

We are getting ready to go the the National Association of Realtors Convention in Las Vegas in a week so while fun they are very tiring.

I will keep you posted as to my walking progress

Still walking and loving it

Well, Dan and I are walking every other day and longer distances on Sundays. Last week we walked 21 miles and have decided to follow the guide from a walking website that I found that has been very helpful.

Now I keep track of each and every walk and we skip a day in between the days we walk and the only day that is a long day is on Sunday. On Oct 28th we walked 6 miles and it seemed like a lot to me but I am ready to start building up for the March 2, 2008 El Paso Marathon (remember I am only walking a half marathon 13. 1 miles).

I found some great shoes and clothes at Up and Running and the staff there is great, be sure to ask for Chris Rowley-tell him Patti sent you.

Now back to my real job of selling real estate in El Paso, TX. The market is still a little soft now but homes are selling but taking an average of 90 days but still at about 97% of list price to sales price ratio.

El Paso 1/2 Marathon- I am going to walk it!!!!!!!

Wow, what a commitment I am making, mostly to myself, but I have decided that I am going to walk the half marathon on March 2, 2008. I have lots of family and friends supporting me and for that I am very grateful.

Each morning I am walking and today Dan and I walked 4 miles in a little over an hour. I am trying to keep it at 15 min. miles so that it won't take me forever to walk the half marathon.

On Sunday I will walk about 4.6 miles and then soak my feet for hours. I have a training schedule that I am following and I am really excited about this. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Patti

What a great day it is today

As I walked this morning at about 5:30 AM (yes that is pretty early) I realized how grateful I was that it was going to be a beautiful day. The stars are still out and the city is twinkling with the lights that homeowners leave on for the night.

The birds are starting to chirp and the dogs are waking up and barking but the serenity and peacefulness that I find at that hour are phenomenal.

I have decided that I am going to try and train to walk a one half marathon (13 miles yikes). There is one coming up in March 2008 in El Paso so my work is cut out for me for sure.

My walking helps ease the stress that can come when the real estate market in El Paso slows down a little as it has right now. I know that things will change as the market will always have its ups and downs and the ones that have been there before know that and just work a little harder.

Hang in there everyone.

Patti

Fed Cut the Interest Rate Article 9/20/2007

Although this is a nationwide report, the real estate market in El Paso, TX is still in good condition and it is a great time to buy.

Fed cut could buoy housing markets
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com
NEW YORK -- The Federal Reserve's aggressive half-point cut Tuesday could provide support for a slumping housing market.
A quarter-point drop had already been priced into the market for Treasury bills and other instruments tied to mortgage rates, according to Richard DeKaser, chief economist for National City Corp. The deeper cut means mortgage rates may have a little more room to fall, giving support to prices.
Home prices are expected to slump through 2008
The Fed Funds rate affects a range of consumer loans including home equity and mortgages. Lower mortgage rates would add to the number of home buyers able to afford to make purchases, increasing demand for properties and buoying home prices. Buyers generally care less about the actual purchase price than they do about the size of their payments. If rates drop, so will monthly debt obligations
Interest rates for conforming loans -- those of no more than $417,000 -- are already reasonably low, averaging 6.31 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate loan.
But there's an important class of loans that might benefit from the big cut: the high-ticket home mortgages known as non-conforming or jumbo loans. These loans have no guaranteed secondary market because they exceed the $417,000 cap, and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will not buy them.
With investors wary about any loan perceived as carrying the least bit of risk, jumbo rates have risen in recent months. They carry rates about a full point higher than conforming loans. Jumbos are especially important in high-priced housing markets such as New York, California , Washington D.C. and Boston.
Jumbo rates may come down if the cut makes consumers more confident, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com.
However, the real problem in the housing market is not interest rates, according to Keith Gumbinger, vice president for HSH Associates, a mortgage industry publisher. It is that there is not enough money available for making loans.
"The liquidity problem hasn't changed," Gumbinger said. "The primary issue is trust between buyers and holders of debt." Investors holding worthless or heavily discounted paper are not eager to buy more.
As a result, Gumbinger said problems in the housing market problems are too entrenched for a Fed rate drop to have an immediate impact.
Trust can take time to rebuild. Something that might speed the rebuilding process is better-than-expected earnings from the major Wall Street banks. Tuesday, Lehman Brothers' reported higher-than-forecasted profit, which allayed fears about the wallop that the mortgage crisis may inflict on Wall Street. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns are due to report earnings later this week.
Home prices in many parts of the country remain out of reach for average Americans, leading to slow sales and lengthening inventories of houses on the market. Also adding to listings is a flood of new foreclosures hitting the market.
That inventory is weighing heavily on housing markets, according to Zandi, and much of it will have to sell through before prices start to rise again.
It didn't help market confidence that venerated ex-Fed head Alan Greenspan came out and opined on the possibility of double-digit housing price declines, according to Dean Baker, an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy.
"That has to be very worrisome for anyone lending into these markets," said Baker.

Remember 9/11

As we near the date of September 11th, I ask that we all say a prayer for all of our military personnel that are serving our country and making it what it is today.

I am sure that everyone knows someone that is serving so please say a special prayer that they be safe and return home soon.

If you have been reading my blog then remember to Pay it Forward for our soldiers or anyone that gives to us like police, firemen and any others that help protect us.

Thank you.

Patti Olivas

Great things Happening in El Paso, TX

Better and better: Enjoy Labor Day in El Paso
El Paso Times Staff
Article Launched: 09/03/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT

On Labor Day, today, it is not a cliche to put "hard-working taxpayer" and "hard-earned money" into one's conversation. By all means, El Pasoans have earned it.

It's easy to say "hard-working" and "hard-earned." But it's not easy to do that. El Pasoans are doing that better and better as more people are holding down jobs and more people are paying taxes that hopefully move this city forward.

Economically, we have been behind cities in our region for some years and, being a border city, we deal with problems other cities don't have. For instance, our unemployment rate continues high in relation to the state -- but the unemployment rate is still going down.

That's because good things are now happening in El Paso.

It seems there is more and more good news about Fort Bliss expansion, and its mission, every week. Late last month more than $100 million was earmarked for El Paso in the higher-education medical fields. The University of Texas at El Paso was granted $60 million to build a new facility for its College of Health Sciences. El Pasoan Paul L. Foster donated $50 million to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center -- home of the new four-year Texas Tech medical school.

The many millions of dollars going into Fort Bliss expansion and health facilities will ultimately go into jobs and education for El Pasoans and it will help bring more taxpaying citizens to El Paso to not only give El Paso the top military installation in the Pentagon, but help it achieve its goal of becoming the Medical Center of the Americas.

Data show that 8,400 jobs were added to the El Paso market since July 2006. That is a 3.2 percent annual job gain at a time the rest of Texas was at 2.7. El Paso is ninth in job growth among 26 Texas metro areas.

Yes, things are looking better for El Paso -- better even than last year when reports were getting more and more positive.

Jobs are coming. We are learning that to get the best of those jobs, a good education is required. UTEP, with its border location, is a world leader in research pertaining to border issues, such as health care, health research and the overall economic issues of our country's southern border.
The Texas Tech four-year medical school will draw the country's brightest when it comes to the medical fields.

The Fort Bliss mission of Future Combat Systems is a mega-million-dollar endeavor.
To fuel the ongoing endeavors of UTEP, Texas Tech and Fort Bliss, other companies will come to El Paso and stand along side.

Last year, it was getting better in El Paso. This year, on this Labor Day, El Paso continues to be a better and better place to live.

El Paso Home Price rise 7th highest in US

I guess the newspaper has more information than I do on El Paso's real estate market because they reported that El Paso had the nation's 7th highest annual home price increase from the 2nd quarter of 2006 to the 2nd quarter of this year. This information was from federal data that was released Thursday August 30, 2007.

El Paso home prices increased 12.49% since the 2nd quarter of 2006, according to the latest House Price Index calculated by the US Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. In the 1st quarter, El Paso's annual price increase ranked 23rd with an 11.21% annual increase.

El Paso real estate market prices have increased 3.08% from the 1st quarter to the April-June second quarter, the index shows.

The index tracks average house price changes in repeat sales or refinancing of the same single-family residences.
This was printed in the El Paso Times on August 31, 2007

Report Card on Market

The El Paso real estate market right now is probably a B- if you were grading it. Homes are taking longer to sell than they were this time last year and for a little lower in price. There are approx. 3900 homes on the market but the list price to sales price ratio is still about 97%, if you price them correctly in the first place.



Gone are the days, but they will be back, when you can just pick a price above the market range and know that it will sell in a matter of days and that it would still appraise. The buyers are able to have numerous homes to choose from so the one you are selling must be in top condition and not above the market range.



We listed a home the other day on the NE side of the city and it sold in less than a week at full price with out any concessions and I think the reason that it did was that the seller, once given a range that the home could sell in, did not automatically go for the highest range in the market. They agreed to list in the middle of the range and I truly believe that it the reason it sold so fast. The home showed very well and they also agreed to give a home warranty to the buyer at closing. I think in today's El Paso real estate anything that a Seller can do to put their home out in front will be great.

What is my Home Worth

I have a new website at www.whatsmyhomeworth.com and please feel free to check it out. You can put in your information about your home in El Paso, TX and get up to date information about real estate in El Paso, TX.

Are you thinking of selling your home or just want to see how the value in your neighborhood is, just fill out the form and if you are in the 79912 zip code I will be getting back to you. Any other zip codes will be someone else

More News about Giana and Humberto

I found a new home for Giana and Humberto and they are very excited. They are having a home built and it will be ready around the 1st part of January. The El Paso real estate market is hot for new homes and the one they wanted only had one lot available for that plan. The picture is one of them standing on the new lot.

Giana will be shipping out to Iraq right around that time so we are hoping that she will be in the home for awhile before she has to leave.

They are a great couple and I had the privilege of even meeting her Mom who is living with them to help out with Jaden while he is in school and Mom and Dad are serving our country.

The next step is getting them to the loan company and if they go to the preferred one for the builder the builder will pay all of their closing costs.

You never know what a cup of coffee is worth!!!

The other day I was showing some referral clients homes and asked them where they met their agent that had referred them.

The husband told me that he and his wife stopped at a coffee shop every morning on the way to work (they are in the Military) and one morning the owner told them that their coffee was free. They could not believe their luck! Free-nothing is free anymore. So they asked the owner how they got free coffee and he told them that a RE/MAX agent named Steve Cohen had paid for coffee for any soldier in uniform that came into the shop.

The young soldier told me that when he got back from Iraq everyone was thankful and grateful and acknowledged him all the time but now that he had been back awhile everything was the same, he was just another soldier and this free cup of coffee made him feel that someone really cared for him and his wife and that had made his day.

He later wanted to sell his house so he went back to the shop and asked the manager for the agents card. The manager gave him the card and he realized that he had seen him in the shop nearly every day. He called Steve and listed and sold his home and is now working with me on a referral basis at his new home at Ft Bliss in El Paso, Texas

My message here is to Pay it Forward(it was also a movie a few years ago). I am asking that anyone that reads this blog to go to a coffee shop and pay some money for any solider, police officer or fireman to have a free cup of coffee on you. Don't expect anything in return- do it because you really care about the people that take care of you on a daily basis and are not always recognized like the should be. Thank you in advance.

What's My Home Worth

I just added a new link to this site under Helpful Links.


Not only can you find out about the real estate market in El Paso, TX but you can find out what your home is worth in any area of the country. All you have to do is type in your zip code and an agent in that area will give you an updated Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). It is based just on numbers as the agent will not have been out to your home.



You can have the agent in your area come to the home to get a more exact figure, but just over the Internet will be a ball park figure.



I hope you enjoy this service.

Are we in a Buyer's Market?

The real estate market in El Paso, TX is changing! Right now there are right at 2400 resale homes on the market, 2665 homes that have already closed and 1082 that are pending and waiting to close. Those figures do not count brand new homes or any multi family.

Everyone is saying we are in a buyer's market and in some ways that is true. There are alot of homes on the market and they are taking a little longer to sell and we are seeing some price reductions, but the big growth spurt that El Paso is about to see has not even happened yet!!!!

The new Medical School will open and have the 1st classed within the new couple of years, the military build up has not really started yet and the high tech military weaponary buildup is just starting to be in the works.

With all of the above happening within the next few years, I feel that prices will again start to be on the rise and real estate in El Paso will drastically change. I have been in this business since the early 80's and I have never seen a market like the one we will be going into within the next year and more.

If you want to buy a home, now is the time to purchase because if you wait, prices will go up!!!

Showed homes Yesterday

Well yesterday started out cloudy in El Paso and that is pretty unusual but the real estate market in El Paso, TX is far from cloudy. While it is a little slower and we are seeing some price reductions, El Paso is still an under rated market and will start to rise again I know.

I showed 8-10 homes to my buyer. When she first arrived at the office I went over the required paperwork (Information about Brokerage Services) and then went over the Buyer's Representation Agreement and giave her a general over view of the El Paso real estate market. Once those were signed we talked about what her real estate needs were and then I showed her all of the listings that we were going to see.

The first home was really beautiful and we spent about 1/2 hour there. The seller was rather talkative and did all of the showing but he was really proud of his home and it showed. The funny thing was that Dan and I were going to build that exact same plan a few years ago but we decided to stay in our home and remodel instead. It is a beautiful SW Santa Fe style home with an open courtyard in the middle of the home. The only thing this home did not have that the buyer wanted was a view.

The next few homes were all in the same subdivision and none of them had great views so we cancelled the ones with owners and went to a new subdivision that was the Parade of Homes this past spring and found some model homes that were just what she was looking for. The home had great views and the floor plan was superb!!!

After talking awhile she said that she really needed to sell her home in Michigan so I asked if she had a Realtor at home that she was going to use because if she did not then I would refer her to one. She and her husband had moved to New Mexico last fall and have decided to make El Paso their home but do need to sell first in Michigan.

I called a Realtor up there and got the referral all worked out and that agent has already called my buyer and is ready to get that home on the market in August.

Networking is a great way to find agents in another city and I feel that she will do a great job for my client. She was very honest about how slow their market was and was familiar with the area that my client lives in and was going to try and set up an appointment with the buyer's daughter to see the home this afternoon! Talk about moving quickly, I was impressed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at a few more models and she said that she would like to bring her husband when he got back in town this weekend to look at the ones she liked the best.

Speaking of networking, we had a call from another seller that wants to sell her home here and wanted us to refer her to an agent in Reno, Nevada. Well, our daughter is a Realtor in Reno so we gave her the referral and she has already called her and I am going to see her home in El Paso today.

Looking for homes for my newest buyer

I got a call from a woman the other day that wants to start looking at homes in the El Paso, TX area. The first thing I asked her was why she called my office. Her answer is used to track where our clients come from. She found us on the Internet and had used RE/MAX for sales in the past.



I also told her about the real estate market in El Paso and what was driving our market right now. The military build up has had a big impact on our market but the 4 year medical school that will focused on border health and the high tech military weaponry that is being developed right now in El Paso are probably the 2 biggest impacts on El Paso's real estate market.



Once we got through the normal conversation introducing ourselves I started asking the questions that will help me find the right home for their needs. I needed to know what type of home she was looking for, how soon would they be moving, had they already talked to a loan officer to get pre approved (one of the most important ones to me), do they have to sell a home to buy this one or are they in a rental and if so when does the lease expire.



She was very helpful in her information and even offered to email me a list of her wants. That really makes my job easier so once I got that list then I could go into our Multiple Listing service and start sorting through the homes that matched her criteria. She had even sent me a list of homes that she wanted to see and that was great because she is the one picking what suits her needs instead of my trying to guess which ones are the best ones that fit.

Now all I have to do is track down the agents to check for availability. Have you ever tried to call someone and it was hours before they got back to you? Frustrating isn't it? Please answer your phones or make a point to check your messages at least every 30 minutes, in some cases it could make a difference whether you get your home sold or not!!

At my office once we make all the calls to see if they are still available my staff will then put all of the listings that I am going to show on a map so that there is no problems finding the homes as quickly as possible.

I personally call the sellers' to set an appointment (that is the way it is done in El Paso-we do not have a scheduling company in most cases) and I let them know within a 15-20 min. time frame what time I will show their home. I also let them know that if I am running early or late, I will call them( and then I do!).

Now I am ready to meet with the buyer and before we go out to look I sit down with them and explain the Information about Broker Services (letting them know who represents whom) and I go over the Buyer's Representation Agreement and explain all of the things I will do when I represent them.

If there are questions I answer them now or in the car as we are driving around looking at homes. The next step will be handled in the nest post.
Patti Olivas

Brand New Listing

I got a new listing today and I was in competition with a discount broker! The wife and husband were both very impressed with my presentation (their words-not mine) but the husband liked the cheaper commission from the discount broker.

Real Estate in El Paso, TX is a strange but great market. While homes are taking a little longer to sell, this couple had almost doubled their investment since they bought the home about 8 years ago.

Back to the presentation- the wife convinced her husband that you get what you pay for and the true professional would take them from listing to closing on the home with all questions answered and doing all of the necessary tasks to get it sold quickly.

While discount brokers are great in a very strong sellers market, when things are slower you need someone who will put your home in the Multiple Listing Service as soon as the papers are signed and get it on the web immediately. The fact that there are different models available to sellers now makes me buckle down and provide the best service that I can to all of my clients.

Check out my web site at http://www.teamolivas.com/ to view all of our listings.

Happy 4th of July

I think this picture is great for the 4th of July. We were in Washington DC recently at the National Association of Realtor's Convention and every time I see our Nation's Capitol I am so proud to be an American.

We have so many freedoms in this great country and we should all be very proud of each and every one of them.

Today we want to honor our Country and our Military personnel that are serving all over the world.

One of our greatest freedoms is one that allows anyone to own a home in the United States, you do not even have to be a citizen of this country! How great is that?

Have a safe 4th of July.

Patti Olivas

Mistakes Buyers make when Purchasing a home

Here is a short list of some of the mistakes buyers can make when purchasing a home:

1. Making an offer without being already pre approved for a loan: this makes your life easier and helps you determine the amount of money you can spend on a home. When making an offer it also lets the seller know that you are serious about the home. Always make sure that your Buyer's Agent only shows the amount of the offer you are making (you could be pre approved for more and you don't necessarily want the seller to know this if you are making a lower offer).

2. Not having a home inspection: Don't try to save money today, it could cost you a lot more later on.

3. Limiting your search to open houses, ads or on the Internet: Many homes are sold by the time the ad comes out in a magazine or possibly even on the Internet. Your best course of action is to contact a Realtor. They have up to date information that is unavailable to the general public and are the best source to help you find and negotiate a home that you want.

4. Choosing a Real Estate agent that is not committed to forming a strong business relationship with you: choose a professional who is dedicated to serving your needs before and after the sale.

5. Thinking there is only one perfect home out there: Be open to looking at all possibilities. New homes come on the market almost daily and there really is no such thing as the "perfect" home. Ask your Agent to do a market analysis on any home that you are considering purchasing so that you can see what is selling in the neighborhood.

6. Not considering long term needs: will this home suit your needs in 3-4 years? It is important to think ahead.

7. Not examining insurance issues: Make sure you purchase adequate insurance. Get advice from a professional in the business.

8. Not buying a home protection plan (Home Warranty): This is a mini insurance policy that usually lasts for one year and covers basic repairs that may come after closing. Ask your Agent to show you the different plans.

9. Not knowing the total costs involved: Either your Realtor or lender can give you an approximate estimate of your closing costs up front so that there will be no surprises later on. Always examine your closing statement prior to closing.

10. Not following through on due diligence: Always ask questions or find out where to get information such as crime rates, school information, power lines, neighborhood information, shopping etc so that you are an informed buyer. Always get this information before you purchase.

Selling your home in El Paso

The real estate market in El Paso has softened up a bit from this time last year. As a matter of fact there are many more homes on the market and they are taking a little longer to sell. Pricing is one of the most important factors in today's market along with condition of a home.

When you are in the real estate market that we are in currently and there are more buyers than there are sellers (at the moment) then the buyers have numerous choices to make before they may choose yours. Maybe step back and pretend that you are a buyer looking at a new home and see if you would pick yours from the competition in your surrounding area.

Look at the curb appeal and see how yours stacks up-is it clean and fresh looking. Going inside -is the clutter gone and the home looks fresh and clean. Make sure all the blinds are open and even the lights are on when someone is showing your home. Most important let the Realtor do their job-let them show the home and if they have questions, they will let you know.

Our market is still a very under rated real estate market and things are getting ready to change for the better. The new Medical School, the expansion of Ft. Bliss and the high tech military group that is already here will make the El Paso real estate market explode. Just be ready!!!