House Hunting in The Woodlands - Get the Most Bang for your Buck

Purchasing a home will be one of the most important and best investments you can make.  Therefore, it's extremely important you take the proper steps to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.


Step 1 - Determine How Much You Can Afford

You'll first need to start by figuring out how much you can afford. Check out this calculator to help give you an idea. Also be sure to check your banks mortgage calculator as well. Keep in mind, they will vary, but it's a great starting point.


Step 2 - Shop For A Lender

After you've determined how much house you can afford, it's time to shop for a lender. Talk to several lenders and ask these important questions; What are your current mortgage interest rates? Are the rates being quoted the lowest for the day or week? Is the rate fixed or adjustable?
If the loan is adjustable, when interest rates go up, your monthly payment will generally increase as well.  Don't forget to get a pre-approval or pre-qualification letter before you start looking at homes. This is important because you don't want to find a home that you absolutely love, and later find out you aren't approved for enough to purchase it.


Step 3 - Find The Right Agent

Even though you can find many beautiful homes on the internet yourself, most buyers are better off having a professional agent who can help with strategies during negotiations.

Choose an agent who is familiar with the neighborhoods you'd like to purchase in. Then, make a list of all the factors that are important to you for your future home. Are schools a factor? Is a large yard a must have? Do you prefer older or newer homes? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?



Most importantly, have fun with your house hunting! Purchasing a home can be stressful, but there will be nothing like the feeling you have when you close on your new home! So start brainstorming on how you want to decorate your next home, get to know your new area and enjoy the ride.

5 Things to Know About Relocating to The Woodlands, Texas

 

Time for a move? A fresh start? Found a new job? Or just looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of Houston life? Then there are a few things you should know about The Woodlands, Texas.

#1 - The Woodlands  has made Forbes "Best Place to Move" and "The Best Places for Business and Careers."  Houston just made the "America's 20 Fastest-Growing Cities in 2014" list on Forbes as well.

Let's face it, the Houston area is a great place to live. The statistics show it and the happy residents show it. I've lived all over the country, and The Woodlands is by far, my favorite place to live. Click the hyperlinks in the title if you'd like to read more about why Forbes ranked us so well.



#2 - The Woodlands is not actually a city, but a township.

The Woodlands is a master-planned community with more than 105,000 residents and approximately 2,000 businesses. Located about 30 miles north of downtown Houston, Texas, it is well known for its extensive parks and recreation, golf, corporate headquarters, schools, places of worship, shopping, dining, hospitality, and health care.
The Woodlands officially began in 1974. From 1974 through 2009, three major community associations and a special purpose district provided services for most residents and businesses. 
On January 1, 2010, the three community associations and the district were combined and became The Woodlands Township.
The Woodlands Township is a special purpose district, not a city, that acts as the governmental service provider for the community. It provides supplemental law enforcement, fire protection, environmental services, parks and recreation maintenance and programming, as well as economic and transportation planning, among many other services, programs and amenities.
Source: http://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/



#3 - We have fantastic public and private schools.

The Woodlands is known for many things, and their great schools are just another perk of living here. You can go here and look at school ratings and statistics.



#4 - We have EVERYTHING. Seriously. You never have to leave, unless you want to.

I can just about guarantee that anything you could need or want is right around the corner here in The Woodlands. You would never have to leave here, unless you wanted to (and although I'm partial to The Woodlands, I will admit that Houston has a lot to offer too! So you may want to leave eventually and check it out)... enjoy restaurants, great schools, parks, shopping, concerts, festivals and so much more right here in The Woodlands. Need a great doctor? We have those too, along with two hospitals and Texas Children's Hospital satellite clinics. I meant it when I said you'd never have to leave.



#5 - We are called the Woodlands because we ARE wooded.

One of my favorite things about The Woodlands (and I'm sure nearly every other resident here will agree) is that we have so many woods. I mean, our town name is The Woodlands after all. As your driving down streets here, it may not seem like there is anything around, but just behind the tree line near the road there will be an entire shopping center hidden by the woods.