by Ashley Hammons | Apr 7, 2023 | Buying & Selling, Buying a Home, Home buying & selling, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent
While at the Hunt County foreclosure auction on Tuesday, I saw a couple frantically looking for “The Trustee.” They asked everyone who passed by on the 2nd-floor lobby, “Are you the trustee?” It seemed they had not been to a Trustee’s Sale before and didn’t understand how it worked. I was there waiting on my trustee, along with another bidder. We all started to chat and found out the story of this couple and why they were looking for The Trustee. I realized I could help them. I explained to them how the auction worked and that there wasn’t one single trustee; it depended on the property. I asked them if they had a copy of the Notice of Trustee Sale, and they proceeded to pull out a screenshot of the notice on the woman’s cell phone. These notices usually have a phone number or a trustee company name listed, but this one did not, so the digging began.
This couple’s story was that their son’s home was getting foreclosed on even though his grandmother left the home to him. The family was refinancing it when they found out it was getting foreclosed on sooner than they thought. After speaking with the mortgage company, the couple came to the sale to see if the house received any bids. In response to the situation, I started digging and got several phone numbers for possible trustees based on all of the names on the notice they provided me. After about an hour of phone calls, we were able to locate the right person. The woman was speaking to the trustee company and walked away down a hall. I stayed sitting on the cold marble floor waiting for my trustee. Minutes later, she came back covered in goosebumps and was almost in tears. My heart leaped. I wondered, “Are these sad or happy tears?” She then told us she talked to the right person and got the sale postponed! Her son wouldn’t be homeless. The other bidder started clapping and congratulating them. It was an exciting time at the foreclosure auction! After the couple left, the other bidder said he planned on bidding on that property but said to me, “What you just did was amazing! You are a hero!” Foreclosure auctions are not usually very exciting. It’s very uncommon for there to be praise or joy at these events. The other buyer said, “I am happier that they got to keep the home than I would have been if I had won the bid to own it!” I don’t think of the trustee sale as a happy place for the homeowners, but this experience has changed my perspective.
by Tracy Hammons | Mar 18, 2023 | Real Estate, Real Estate Agent
Tracy and Ashley promote attending TREC and Texas REALTOR events throughout the year for agents to understand the market, tools available and to network with industry partners across the state. In February, they attended the Texas REALTOR Winter Meeting. At this meeting, REALTORS discuss business affecting the association, address local trends, and network with other Texas REALTORS.
Before this event, Ashley was stressed about the first day because she was to present a 20-minute mock Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) class. Many people in the industry consider the GRI designation “Masters Degree of Real Estate”. During the presentation, Tracy watched her impress the room full of professionals and instructors with her teaching. The evaluators told Ashley, “They loved you so much! You are approved.” She was the only candidate at the Winter Meeting authorized to teach GRI, becoming one of only 28 approved GRI instructors in the State of Texas! This opened up opportunities to teach for their local association and several others. In conclusion, Ashley explained, “It wasn’t as scary as I made myself think for weeks. It was enjoyable. I was just myself and that worked. If you consider doing something you feel is out of reach or out of your comfort zone, Do it and don’t hesitate. If it is not meant to be, it will not work, but you will not know until you try!”
Looking back over the event, Tracy & Ashley were disappointed they could not participate in more activities. The event offered so many valuable classes and meetings scheduled so closely together that they were leaving events early or entering classes late. Another surprising thing, according to Ashley, was that one percent of the agent body attended this event. She explained that there are 170,000 agents in Texa, but only 1,700 agents attended. However, that is a record attendance for the Winter Meeting, about 500 more agents than they have ever had. Ashley said that our association is the second largest in the state with 27,000 agents in MetroTex, and only 30 of those agents attended this event.
There were many great takeaways from this meeting, Tracy and Ashley were pleasantly surprised with their interactions with the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), a government agency that is a safeguard for consumers in matters of real estate transactions and valuations. They realized that some of the TREC commissioners are brokers and genuinely want feedback for proposed rules. The process is there are rule ideas and deliberation at this meeting. Next, the rules are proposed and put out for public comment. Then there is a waiting period for several months before changes are made. Tracy and Ashley saw some of the rules changed and adopted as revised based on comments made at the Winter Meeting. The biggest takeaway is that TREC wants feedback and cares about opinions. In addition to asking for opinions, TREC is improving its customer service from a five-week response for new applications to a four-day turnaround.
In the end, there was a lot of information to bring back to the agents here in Hunt County. Tracy and Ashley will continue attending these events, learning, networking, and letting others in the industry know where Greenville,Texas is on the map!
by Ashley Hammons | Oct 10, 2022 | Buying & Selling, Buying a Home, Home buying & selling, Preparing your home, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Selling your home
Real Estate in Hunt County Texas, and Greenville Texas
The housing market is being directly impacted by the Fed’s strong monetary policy, which is relieving the pandemic-caused housing frenzy. Let us see what is happening in Hunt County and Greenville Texas!
The housing market is still being dragged down by aggressive monetary policy, which has stopped the previously torrid streak of home sales. As home inventories increase and home prices decline, the housing market continues to exhibit symptoms of relaxation. The increased demand for buildings shows that many potential homebuyers may be delaying their major purchases despite a decline in construction permits across the state.
In the previous year, mortgage interest rates increased by 2.84 up 5.22 percent. Texas’ home market immediately reduced sales amid these significant rate increases, and supply has been steadily building up. Despite the decline, prices still are high and stock levels are well below historical levels. Even while costs have decreased recently, they are still extremely high when compared to before the outbreak. Texas’ median price is still 11.4% more than it was a year ago as of August.
Regarding Hunt County & Greenville, Texas, the market for real estate has had various difficulties. Let us find out what the latest market reports and updates are:
Situation till October 2022:
Hunt County sellers are still witnessing a good increase in price even though other indicators indicate toward a cooling market, even though the local property market is characterized as “a shifting market.”
According to a Redfin analysis, house sales in Hunt County in August had a median value of $305,000, a 22.9% increase over the same month last year. Homes in HuntCounty typically sell within 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) on the market as opposed to 22 days (about 3 weeks) the year before. In August of this year, 155 properties were sold, compared to 172 in August of last year. Hunt County’s short average time on the market for homes suggests that the sellers’ market will continue to be robust.
A group of economists from the Dallas Federal Reserve published a paper in March that claimed the local housing market was in the initial stages of a bubble. Due to sellers’ concern that they would miss the hot market, there are 41% more houses listed for sale now than there were two weeks earlier in the DFW area, where home sales have increased. M&D realtors only recently reported observing more indications of a cooling market, including open houses that had little to no attendees, a slowdown in the flow of offers, and an increase in the number of vacant homes. In Rockwall County, there were 100% more houses listed for sale in the last month than there were at the same time last year.
It should be noted that, according to M&D research, mortgage demand has decreased to its lowest level since 2018, with 14% fewer persons applying than at the same period last year. Additionally, rates of interest have been climbing, with the 30-year bond presently hovering at 5.5% since December 2021, up from 3.29%. Naturally, buyers may still encounter soaring prices, but you might be up against fewer bidders and proposals than they were for just a home even a few months ago. Inventory sales will increase over the following few months, providing more possibilities for purchases.
The market remains favorable for sellers despite recent indications of a slowdown, in part because of ongoing population increase and other considerations.
by Ashley Hammons | Sep 5, 2022 | Buying & Selling, Buying a Home, Home buying & selling, Homeowner Financial Prep, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent
Don’t sleep on listing your Hunt County home for sale while the market is still in your favor.
If you’re looking to list your home for sale in Hunt County, it has never been a better time. However, it won’t be a seller’s market forever. Here are a few reasons why now is the perfect time to sell your Hunt County and Greenville, Texas real estate.
Supply is low and buyer demand is high
At the height of the pandemic, there was a surge in demand for homes, and that demand has yet to wane. Following a 2020 and 2021 buying frenzy, the supply of available homes is dwindling, but the demand for those homes is still as high as it was in early 2020. If you are looking to sell Greenville, Texas real estate, strike while the iron is still hot!
Real estate prices are high
Home prices in the United States hit a record high in May of this year when the median home price tipped just above $400,000. Prices are projected to remain high throughout the fall season and into the holiday season of 2022. Even though interest rates have risen and home sales have slowed somewhat, overall home prices remain high, but they may not stay there forever.
Rents continue to rise and buying is an attractive option
With rents increasing across the United States, buying has never been a favorable option meaning you’ll have an endless pool of interested buyers. Overall, the US saw an average median rent increase of 13.4%–higher than the rate of inflation. Though home prices have also surged, rental prices have increased beyond the median mortgage payment rate making the buying versus renting debate a no-brainer. The swelling of rental prices has buyers looking for homes for sale in Hunt County and opting for smaller markets like Greenville, Texas real estate.
If you’re thinking about selling your Greenville, Texas real estate, now might be just the right time. The team at AT Home Texas Real Estate has years of experience helping sellers navigate the entire selling process from listing and vetting buyers to negotiating and closing. Let the AT Home Texas Real Estate team take care of the fine details while you relax and let the offers roll in.
by Ashley Hammons | Aug 22, 2022 | Buying & Selling, Buying a Home, Home buying & selling
There are many architectural styles that dominate the Greenville, Texas real estate scene. Though charming historical homes may be few and far between, downtown Greenville real estate still plays host to its share of charming Victorian and Early American homes. If you prefer a newer build, you’ll be delighted to find a number of ranches and single-family homes in Greenville, too.
Siding, Brick, and Stone Single Family Homes
There are an array of siding, brick, and stone single-family homes for sale in Hunt County, Texas and the surrounding counties. These types of homes run the gamut from multi-story mansions with multiple bedrooms and ample land area to small properties nestled inside neighborhoods. If you’re looking for a newer build in your search for homes for sale in Greenville, Texas, single-family homes with brick or siding are typically your best bet.
Ranch Homes
Nothing says Texas quite like a ranch-style home boasting large, open living spaces with wooden beams and accents. If you’re looking for homes for sale in Greenville, Texas, you’ll be pleased to find many suitable ranch-style homes.
Early American
Homes built in the early to mid-twentieth century are often referred to as Early American style homes. Homes of this style have a range of accents and architectural details depending on the time period in which they were built. They’re also chock full of charm. If you prefer a home with old-world charm, start your search for an Early American home in Greenville, Texas with help from the AT Home Texas team.
