From our friends at Home By Design magazine  http://article.homebydesign.com/pages/article/HBD_APR_12_06/37814/index.html

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This weekend is the second and last weekend of the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Historic Homes Tour.  this annual event is one of the most popular on the island.  There are ten beautiful historic homes awaiting your visit!

Click on Galveston Historical Foundation for additional information.

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Galveston real estate – Welcome to 3 Southern Cross where you can enjoy sitting on the wide front porch overlooking the lake and talking to neighbors walking by. The elegantly sized rooms downstairs include the living room, dining room and large family room/kitchen/breakfast area.  Moldings, detail, and built-ins are in abundance.

 The kitchen is one of the best you will see. You will find beautiful detail, granite, loads of counter and cabinet space, Dacor appliances, island, and a butler’s pantry.

The second level contains four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an extra large utility room.  The master suite is spacious and includes a large master bathroom with whirlpool tub and separate shower and, of course, very large closets.

Step up to the third level to see the huge game room and the study.

Featured on the 2012 Junior League Beachside Kitchen Tour, 3 Southern Cross is located in Evia, a picturesque Galveston neighborhood located by the Moody Gardens Golf Course.
  
Please click on 3 Southern Cross to see the listing information and photos, and please call us if you have any questions about this premier home.

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Galveston real estate - Welcome to 22821 Gulf Drive where is there is lots of room to play. Located on a rare double lot, this beachfront home provides four bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms in approximately 1,840 square feet.

You enter this home into a very spacious great room encompassing the living area, dining area, and updated kitchen. This room includes a wood-burning fireplace and updated flooring.

Upstairs will you find a large game room, almost unheard of amongst beachfront homes.            

All of this plus the decks upstairs and down have allowed the owners to enjoy fantastic Gulf views and the constant sound of waves not to mention large gatherings of family and friends.

Please click on 22821 Gulf to see the listing information plus the photographs, and please let us know if you have any questions about this premier beachfront home.

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Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE… Happily, it’s becoming easier to believe the housing market is turning around, although in fits and starts. For example, the Q1 Advanced GDP report showed that home building increased for the period at a 19% annual rate, its fourth consecutive quarterly gain. In line with this, several home builders have recently reported higher sales and orders. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) projects new home sales UP 31.6% for 2012.

More evidence: as of March, Realtor.com put the median list price of homes up 5.56% for the year. The NAR’s chief economist offered, “The housing market has clearly turned the corner. Rising sales are bringing down inventory and creating much more balanced conditions around the country, which means home prices will be rising in more areas as the year progresses.” The NAR forecasts existing home sales UP nearly 10% for 2012, to 4.68 million units.

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This Saturday will find us celebrating another Galveston ArtWalk, the free event sponsored by participoating art galleries showcasign their new exhibitions and coordinated by the Galveston Arts Center.

The galleries partipating are:

Affaire d’Art-International Fine Art Gallery

Avis Frank Gallery

Buchanan Gallery

DesignWorks Gallery

Galveston Art League Gallery

Galveston Arts Center

J. Bangle’s Silk Stocking Gallery

PeckArts

Wagner Sousa Modern Art

The Water’s Edge Studio and Gallery

Rene Wiley Studio and Gallery

Click on Galveston ArtWalk for the brochure.

Clear Lake real estate – Welcome to 2648 Sawyer Drive which is tucked away in a quiet section of Seabrook. This lovely home has three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms in approximately 1,975 square feet.

 The backyard is huge and includes a deck just out the back door as well as a gazebo and deck with built-in seating at the back of the lot, all for you to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

 With recent paint and carpet, this home also contains a large master with large bath (shower plus whirlpool tub plus twin sinks) as well as a great den with fireplace open to the breakfast area and kitchen.

 This home is ready for you to move in! 

Please click on 2648 Sawyer Drive to see the listing information and photos, and please let us know if you have any questions about this home.

Galveston real estate – Welcome to 3 Southern Cross in Evia where you can enjoy sitting on the wide front porch overlooking the lake and talking to neighbors walking by.

The elegantly sized rooms downstairs include the living room, dining room and large family room/kitchen/breakfast area.  Moldings, detail, and built-ins are in abundance.  The kitchen is one of the best you will see. You will find beautiful detail, granite, loads of counter and cabinet space, Dacor appliances, island, and a butler’s pantry.

The second level contains four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an extra large utility room.  The master suite is spacious and includes a large master bathroom with whirlpool tub and separate shower and, of course, very large closets.

Step up to the third level to see the huge game room and the study.

Featured on the 2012 Junior League Beachside Kitchen Tour, 3 Southern Cross is located in Evia, a picturesque Galveston neighborhood located by the Moody Gardens Golf Course and near Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn.
  
Please click on 3 Southern Cross to see the listing information and photos.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this premier home.

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Mortage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE… When people tell you the housing market isn’t showing many positive signs, here are some facts that may change their minds. As of January, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported the housing inventory of for-sale homes has fallen to its lowest level since March 2005 — 2.3 million homes, about a six-month supply. Meanwhile, total home sales rose 13% in the last six months, according to another industry survey.

The NAR also reports that sales of second homes in 2011 shot up to their highest market share since the height of the housing boom. This includes both vacation and investment homes. A survey of real estate economists and analysts reported home prices should stabilize this year, rebound in 2013 and accelerate in 2014. Finally, Freddie Mac’s weekly survey revealed that national average mortgage rates hit new all-time lows for 15-year fixed-rate loans and were just above the record low for 30-year mortgages.
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Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE… Hopefully, more people will be taking a shot at buying a home, with home ownership regaining its appeal as rents head higher. A real estate research firm reported average apartment rents UP 2.7% last year, while the national vacancy rate went below 5% for the first time since 2001. Increasing rents, plus very affordable home prices and near record low mortgage rates, have made home buying cheaper than renting in most areas, spurring on first-time buyers. 

A major bank housing analyst said apartment rental costs have historically been about 10% lower than after-tax home ownership costs. That difference began shrinking in 2010 and now apartment rents are about 15% higher than home ownership costs. A new survey found that twice as many real estate professionals, compared to three months ago, expect home values to rise. The housing market appears to be stabilizing as home sales trend upward and homebuilders are more optimistic than they’ve been in years.

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