Just wanted to let you all know that the El Paso real estate market is starting to get a little busier.
This past Saturday I had 4 back to back listing appointments and one showing. On Sunday I showed some homes and wrote an offer.
I think that I will get 3 of the 4 listings and they are all in nice areas and if the seller will let me price them correctly, they should sell if we can get the buyers in there to see them.
With close to 4,000 homes on the market we need to let our sellers know that buyers are now very picky and can get almost anything they want. It is also a time to make sure that all buyers are pre approved for their loan before they start looking for homes.
Our market is starting to see some pretty funky (low low ) offers but the sellers are not giving in and giving the homes away. Most buyers are trying to see how low they can get a home and for some buyers it takes 3 or 4 contracts to fail for them to find out that we are not in a bargain basement real estate market.
Sure prices are coming down some and some sellers are giving help with closing costs but not to a great extent. Each market is regional and we are not like the rest of the country and taking big hits and we don't have alot of foreclosures (thank goodness).
Now is the time to buy in El Paso before our prices start going back up again and the reasons are below in some of my other blogs.
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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.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Are you going to buy in El Paso?
Now is the time to buy a home or income property in El Paso, TX. The market is on an upswing meaning that our prices should start to climb very soon.
I know that you read all the doom and gloom in the newspapers but all of that information is national not regional.
Ask any Realtor in El Paso and they will tell you that there is too much going on in our town for it to be a bad market.
Ft. Bliss will have over 37,000 new soldiers and over 50,000 family members arrive by 2103. What do you think that will do to real estate prices?
A new 4 year medical school and Border Health Research Center will open its doors in August 2009 and will be hiring doctors, professors, researchers, nurses, etc. What do you think that will do to our real estate prices?
Ft. Bliss is developing high tech weaponry already and when the high tech companies start coming in to do business, what do you think will happen to our real estate prices?
Now is the time to buy before we start going up in price. There are alot of homes on the market and some sellers are starting to give some incentives and builders even more, but that will change shortly.
Don't let this opportunity pass you up.
I know that you read all the doom and gloom in the newspapers but all of that information is national not regional.
Ask any Realtor in El Paso and they will tell you that there is too much going on in our town for it to be a bad market.
Ft. Bliss will have over 37,000 new soldiers and over 50,000 family members arrive by 2103. What do you think that will do to real estate prices?
A new 4 year medical school and Border Health Research Center will open its doors in August 2009 and will be hiring doctors, professors, researchers, nurses, etc. What do you think that will do to our real estate prices?
Ft. Bliss is developing high tech weaponry already and when the high tech companies start coming in to do business, what do you think will happen to our real estate prices?
Now is the time to buy before we start going up in price. There are alot of homes on the market and some sellers are starting to give some incentives and builders even more, but that will change shortly.
Don't let this opportunity pass you up.
Now a member of Technorati
I am now a member of Technorati and here is a link to their site.
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Technorati Profile
Monday, March 17, 2008
Spanish Contribution to El Paso area by Leon Metz
It is probably true that on Oct. 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered what we now call America.
But it was an America with no established borders, which means America essentially meant North America.
And North America also included Mexico, just as much as it meant what we now call the United States as well as Canada.
But focusing on Mexico, Columbus Day eventually became Dia de la Raza, the "Day of the Race." The arrival of Spaniards on that day in effect marked the beginning of the mestizos, the beginning of the mixing of blood, the beginning of Mexico.
Today, Spanish is the most common second language in the United States. I've read that there are more Spanish speakers in Los Angeles than in some South American countries.
And language is not the only area where Spanish makes a contribution. We see it particularly in Southwestern U.S. art and drama, and especially in religion.Ê
For 400 years, this area we call the El Paso Southwest, like all of Mexico, celebrated and reveled in the Spanish heritage. Our city -- outside of Spain -- for many years hosted the only Siglo de Oro theater festival in the world. Presenters arrived from Spain, South America, the United States, Mexico and Europe.
The El Paso Southwest was once over 80 percent Catho lic, and to a large extent, still is.
I have not heard the expression "Viva El Paso" in years, but even I recall when it was once a common expression in this community.
On both sides of the Rio Grande, the breeding and raising of horses, in particular, once played a major role in area settlement. The word caballero, generally interpreted in Spanish as "gentleman," actually takes on the connotation in Spanish for "horseman," the "ero"on the end pertaining to the horse.
The presently reviled Don Juan de Oñate, in 1598, held North America's first Thanksgiving in El Paso, the exact site depending on where one places the meandering, twisting Rio Grande at that time. And although some knew Oñate as a cruel man (and perhaps correctly), he brought with him a four-mile-long entourage of cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, etc., these being the real conquerors of the West.
Today, longhorn cattle are synonymous with Texas, but they came from Spain, and obtained their North American citizenship by wading and swimming the river with Oñate into our own back yard.
Those longhorn cattle, so synonymous with Texas, crossed the river "probably" near the present (but now closed) Hacienda Restaurant. And it was these horses, and these cattle, more than any other animal, that we today owe so much.
Descendants of these animals spread not only across Texas, but into New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. And primarily from these sprang some of the greatest horsemen on earth, particularly the Comanches.
All of us older folks recall seeing movies of Indian raids, these riders striking wagon trains, isolated travelers, and sometimes remote settlements. But their main quest was the stealing of livestock, particularly horses. Apaches and Comanches soon learned to ride as if they were born on horseback.
And we owe a lot to the Spanish-Mexican vaquero. He gave us the "horned saddle," ropes being wrapped around the horn, giving the cowboys more leverage in controlling cows.
Leon Metz, an El Paso historian, writes often for the El Paso Times. E-mail: cmetz48888@aol.com
But it was an America with no established borders, which means America essentially meant North America.
And North America also included Mexico, just as much as it meant what we now call the United States as well as Canada.
But focusing on Mexico, Columbus Day eventually became Dia de la Raza, the "Day of the Race." The arrival of Spaniards on that day in effect marked the beginning of the mestizos, the beginning of the mixing of blood, the beginning of Mexico.
Today, Spanish is the most common second language in the United States. I've read that there are more Spanish speakers in Los Angeles than in some South American countries.
And language is not the only area where Spanish makes a contribution. We see it particularly in Southwestern U.S. art and drama, and especially in religion.Ê
For 400 years, this area we call the El Paso Southwest, like all of Mexico, celebrated and reveled in the Spanish heritage. Our city -- outside of Spain -- for many years hosted the only Siglo de Oro theater festival in the world. Presenters arrived from Spain, South America, the United States, Mexico and Europe.
The El Paso Southwest was once over 80 percent Catho lic, and to a large extent, still is.
I have not heard the expression "Viva El Paso" in years, but even I recall when it was once a common expression in this community.
On both sides of the Rio Grande, the breeding and raising of horses, in particular, once played a major role in area settlement. The word caballero, generally interpreted in Spanish as "gentleman," actually takes on the connotation in Spanish for "horseman," the "ero"on the end pertaining to the horse.
The presently reviled Don Juan de Oñate, in 1598, held North America's first Thanksgiving in El Paso, the exact site depending on where one places the meandering, twisting Rio Grande at that time. And although some knew Oñate as a cruel man (and perhaps correctly), he brought with him a four-mile-long entourage of cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, etc., these being the real conquerors of the West.
Today, longhorn cattle are synonymous with Texas, but they came from Spain, and obtained their North American citizenship by wading and swimming the river with Oñate into our own back yard.
Those longhorn cattle, so synonymous with Texas, crossed the river "probably" near the present (but now closed) Hacienda Restaurant. And it was these horses, and these cattle, more than any other animal, that we today owe so much.
Descendants of these animals spread not only across Texas, but into New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. And primarily from these sprang some of the greatest horsemen on earth, particularly the Comanches.
All of us older folks recall seeing movies of Indian raids, these riders striking wagon trains, isolated travelers, and sometimes remote settlements. But their main quest was the stealing of livestock, particularly horses. Apaches and Comanches soon learned to ride as if they were born on horseback.
And we owe a lot to the Spanish-Mexican vaquero. He gave us the "horned saddle," ropes being wrapped around the horn, giving the cowboys more leverage in controlling cows.
Leon Metz, an El Paso historian, writes often for the El Paso Times. E-mail: cmetz48888@aol.com
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Bark Park In El Paso
Bark Park lark: Upgrades to new area will include bleachers
By Michael Hernandez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
Natalie Rodriguez, 10, urged her teacup Chihuahua, Cocoa, through an obstacle at Album Park on Tuesday. The 27,000-square-foot play area for pooches is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. As debuts at the Bark Park go, Cocoa, a tea-cup Chihuahua, was a bit shy exploring the oversized playground at Album Park on Tuesday as he kept his distance from the larger dogs who rambled nearby.
"He likes to run around so I'll bring him back again," Natalie Rodriguez, 10, said before scooping up a trembling Cocoa. "I want him to come play again and maybe jump through some of the things here."
As the city's only recreational spot for dogs, the 27,000-square-foot patch of land on the western end of Album Park, 3110 Parkwood, has attracted many pooches in the six months it has been open, pet owners said.
The Bark Park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Ruby Gavilanes watched Leo, her 9-month-old Boxer, race around the Bark Park and sniff out new friends.
She said the fenced-in square is a popular spot for dogs and their owners to socialize.
"People here have introduced themselves to us and told us what day and time they bring their dogs, so they can have little play dates," said Gavilanes, a resident of Far East El Paso.
Security lighting and bleachers so that dog owners can have a place to sit have been planned as upgrades for the Dog Park, city officials said.
Pet owners have said they like the new location of the Bark Park. A previous version of the recreational spot was closed after city officials determined it was in a flood plain at Album Park and contributing to dangerous bacteria, including E. coli, that was found in park's ponding area after heavy rain.
Gavilanes' husband, David, said El Paso should look to build more Bark Parks.
"I can't believe this is the only one," he said.
Michael D. Hernandez may be reached at mhernandez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6151.
By Michael Hernandez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
Natalie Rodriguez, 10, urged her teacup Chihuahua, Cocoa, through an obstacle at Album Park on Tuesday. The 27,000-square-foot play area for pooches is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. As debuts at the Bark Park go, Cocoa, a tea-cup Chihuahua, was a bit shy exploring the oversized playground at Album Park on Tuesday as he kept his distance from the larger dogs who rambled nearby.
"He likes to run around so I'll bring him back again," Natalie Rodriguez, 10, said before scooping up a trembling Cocoa. "I want him to come play again and maybe jump through some of the things here."
As the city's only recreational spot for dogs, the 27,000-square-foot patch of land on the western end of Album Park, 3110 Parkwood, has attracted many pooches in the six months it has been open, pet owners said.
The Bark Park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Ruby Gavilanes watched Leo, her 9-month-old Boxer, race around the Bark Park and sniff out new friends.
She said the fenced-in square is a popular spot for dogs and their owners to socialize.
"People here have introduced themselves to us and told us what day and time they bring their dogs, so they can have little play dates," said Gavilanes, a resident of Far East El Paso.
Security lighting and bleachers so that dog owners can have a place to sit have been planned as upgrades for the Dog Park, city officials said.
Pet owners have said they like the new location of the Bark Park. A previous version of the recreational spot was closed after city officials determined it was in a flood plain at Album Park and contributing to dangerous bacteria, including E. coli, that was found in park's ponding area after heavy rain.
Gavilanes' husband, David, said El Paso should look to build more Bark Parks.
"I can't believe this is the only one," he said.
Michael D. Hernandez may be reached at mhernandez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6151.
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