Galveston real estate – Welcome to 4810 Crockett Blvd., a charming Dutch Colonial in Denver Court, a neighborhood of charming homes. This home has three bedrooms and one and one-half bathrooms in approximately 2,160 square feet. 

The entrance hall leads you into either the very spacious living room, the charming dining room with French doors, or back toward the downstairs bath, den, and the kitchen. The den could be used as a study or downstairs bedroom, and the kitchen’s breakfast area has wonderful knotty pine paneling. 

There are gleaming newly refinished hardwood floors throughout most of the home, and the abundance of windows fills the home with natural light.

 Denver Court’s location makes access to the Seawall, downtown Galveston/Strand, and UTMB easy.

 Please click on 4810 Crockett Blvd. to the above left to see the listing information and photos, and please let me know if you have any questions about this great home.

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Galveston real estate - Welcome to 4910 Fannin, the ultimate bungalow with character. Beginning with the stone and petrified wood exterior and continuing inside with the unique barrel-vaulted ceilings, concrete finished walls in the living/dining room, wood floors, gorgeous kitchen with stainless appliances, and the beautiful bathroom, this special home will make you proud to be the owner.  

Other features include LED lighting, a cedar closet in the attic, a location in a charming bungalow neighborhood. 

4910 Fannin has three bedrooms and one large bathroom with twin sinks in approximately 1,388 square feet.

 Please click on 4910 Fannin to see the photos and listing information, and please contact us is you have any questions about this special home.

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Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:
INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE…Getting ready for a recovery could be the theme of last week’s housing reports. Pending Home Sales, after hitting a 19-month high in November, dipped a bit for December, yet came in 5.6% above where they were a year ago. The National Association of Realtors chief economist observed, “Even with a modest decline, the preceding two months of contract activity are the highest in the past four years outside of the homebuyer tax credit period.”

Thursday saw December New Home Sales drop 2.2%, to a lower-than-expected 307,000 annual rate. Yet sales remain in the narrow range they’ve occupied since May 2010. And the best news was that new home inventories dropped to 157,000, the lowest level on record, since 1963. Unsold new homes under construction and unsold completed new homes are at or near record lows. Experts say this is what’s needed to get ready for a sustained housing recovery. Finally, the FHFA price index for homes bought with conforming mortgages was UP 1% in November.

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It’s time again for Galveston Artwalk, that wonderful free event that takes place roughly every six weeks when galleries coordinate their opening exhibitions. So Saturday, January 28, starting about 6 or so, go see some art, get some food and drink, and have a great time mingling with Galvestonians and visitors alike.

 Shows will be at the following galleries: 

Affairs D’Art – International Fine Art Gallery

Buchanan Gallery 

DesignWorks Gallery

 E  Street Gallery

 Galveston Art League Gallery

 Galveston Arts Center

 J. Bangle’s Silk Stocking Gallery

 Wagner Sousa Modern Art

 The Water’s Edge Studio and Gallery

 Rene Wiley Studio and Gallery

 I hope to see you there!

Friendswood real estate – Welcome to 16206 Teal Manor Ct., a terrific cul-de-sac home in Friendswood’s Heritage Park and the Clear Creek Independent School District. This home features three bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms in approximately 2,347 square feet.

 Perfect for relaxing and entertaining, the downstairs is airy and open with a spacious living/kitchen/dining area overlooking the very large back yard. The kitchen area comes with an abundance of counter and storage space and is topped by beautiful silestone counters. The tiled downstairs also features a formal dining area, utility room, and half bath.

Upstairs features a large game room and a spacious master with separate tub and shower.

Please click on 16206 Teal Manor Ct. to see the listing information and photos, and please contact me if you have any questions about this pretty well-maintained home.

Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney and Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE…Well, we can all make our way with a bit of a smile on our faces, courtesy of the latest Housing Starts numbers. At first blush, the December report seemed disappointing, down 4% for the month. But starts overall are UP 24.9% from a year ago and December’s drop was all from multi-family starts, very volatile month-to-month. Single-family starts were UP 4.4% for the month and UP 11.6% for the year. No wonder the National Association of Home Builders confidence index went to 25, its highest reading since 2007.

For those who still couldn’t put on a happy face, Friday’s data should have done the trick. Existing Home Sales were UP 5% in December, their third consecutive gain, to their highest level since January 2011. The inventory of existing homes is down 21% from last year and the months’ supply dropped to 6.2, the lowest level since April 2006. For all of 2011, sales of single-family homes, townhomes, condos and co-ops rose 1.7%, to 4.26 million units.

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Galveston real estate  - Welcome to 8 Cedar Lawn Circle. This home in prestigious Cedar Lawn has massive curb appeal outside along with massive warmth and charm inside.

 Situated on a double lot with a large pool, large two car garage with beautiful 2 bedroom carriage house above plus a large yard, this home has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and approximately 3,752 square feet (not including the carriage house). 

From the entrance hall you enter into a spacious living room with fireplace and moldings on the ceiling. From there you can enter the elegantly sized dining room with its abundance of built-in storage or into the family room/kitchen which has been updated but still retains its old-time charm. The kitchen has granite counters, stainless appliances, and a lot of storage and counter space.

 Also located downstairs is the sunroom, a full bath, and the screened porch which overlooks the pool.

 Upstairs you will find another sunroom which could be used as a study or a bedroom along with the four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bathroom and closets have been remodeled and expanded within the past three years. The master bedroom is a grand sized room with windows on two sides overlooking the trees.

 As if this were not enough, 8 Cedar Lawn Circle has hardwood floors throughout as well as art deco accents. This home is a wonderful place to live, relax, and entertain.

 Please click on 8 Cedar Lawn Circle to see the listing information and virtual tour slide show, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this premier home.

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Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE…The latest opportunity in real estate came December 28, when the Federal Housing Administration extended the waiver of its “anti-flipping” rule through the end of 2012. This lets homebuyers, who need FHA-insured financing, purchase homes that were bought by the seller in the last 90 days. And it gives investors looking to rehab and flip properties an expanded market, including first-time homebuyers and others without large down payments, who need FHA-backed loans.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported that during 2011, near-record-low mortgage rates drove more homeowners to seek refinancing, moving that MBA index up more than 60%. But demand for purchase loans fell versus 2010, although that year’s activity was boosted by the homebuyer tax credit incentives.

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Galveston real estate  - Welcome to 4810 Crockett Blvd., a charming Dutch Colonial in Denver Court, a neighborhood of charming homes. This home has three bedrooms and one and one-half bathrooms in approximately 2,160 square feet. 

The entrance hall leads you into either the very spacious living room, the charming dining room with French doors, or back toward the downstairs bath, den, and the kitchen. The den could be used as a study or downstairs bedroom, and the kitchen’s breakfast area has wonderful knotty pine paneling. 

There are gleaming newly refinished hardwood floors throughout most of the home, and the abundance of windows fills the home with natural light.

 Denver Court’s location makes access to the Seawall, downtown Galveston, the Strand, and UTMB easy.

 Please see 4810 Crockett Blvd.  to see the listing information and photos, and please let me know if you have any questions about this great home.

See Galveston real estate listings.

See Galveston condos.

Mortgage market update from Chris Nooney at Prime Lending:

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE…It’s good to show your best face to the world as the new year begins (see Business Tip of the Week, below) and that just got easier to do. Last week’s Pending Home Sales index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) went UP 7.3% in November, hitting its highest level since April 2010! And that earlier reading was artificially boosted, as buyers rushed to beat the deadline for last year’s home buyer tax credit.

The NAR’s chief economist commented, “Housing affordability conditions are at a record high and there is pent-up demand from buyers who’ve been on the sidelines…. The sustained rise in contract activity suggests that closed existing-home sales…should continue to improve in the months ahead.” The S&P Case-Shiller index for October showed minor price drops in 19 of the 20 surveyed metro areas, but the index was UP 1.9% from its post-crisis low in March 2011.

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