Houston Real Estate Blogosphere
Houston Real Estate Blogosphere brings together all the blog posts of REALTORS from the Houston area in one place
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Moving & Storage
The most recently published posts in the Moving & Storage category
More Americans are heading to the South and West, according to the U.S. Census. The census data shows the largest population growth in the last decade occurred in areas of the South and West, as Northeast and Midwest residents continued to head toward warmer and less expensive Sun Belt hot-spots. Populations in the South and West grew 14.3 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively, from 2000 to ...
Read Post [Posted on 03/29/2013 By John Askins]
As if moving wasn't already stressful enough, now consumers are being warned to
watch out for illegal moving companies that may be out to take a person's
personal belongings on a permanent vacation.As the spring break moving season gears up, state and moving industry officials
cautioned Texans to do their homework before hiring a moving company and
encouraged the law enforcement commu...
Read Post [Posted on 02/26/2013 By John Askins]
Real Estate Advisor: February 2013
Making the Most of Storage
Whether buying
or selling a home, storage becomes an issue. Buyers want ample storage areas
-...
Read Post [Posted on 02/15/2013 By Jennifer Wilbur]
For those who moved in 2012, you may find tax deductions to write-off some of those hefty moving expenses.You can write off relocation costs on your taxes, as long as the move is work-related, according to the IRS. Some IRS-approved deductions for moving include the costs to move household goods and personal property, limited storage and insurance fees, and utility connection or disconnection char...
Read Post [Posted on 02/12/2013 By John Askins]
The place with the highest number of people moving in rather than leaving: Washington, D.C., according to a new report by the moving company United Van Lines. “Corporations have been steadily expanding in Washington, as more companies -- especially defense contractors, banks, pharmaceuticals and health care providers -- open branch offices to be closer to the federal government, which is the sourc...
Read Post [Posted on 02/10/2013 By John Askins]
More people aren’t happy to be moving. In fact, the number of people unhappy about moving is nearly four times higher than the historical average, according to results of a new moving sentiment survey by Moving Day Boxes.When survey respondents were asked whether their circumstances surrounding their last move was happier than their current move, more than 70 percent of those surveyed answered “ye...
Read Post [Posted on 02/03/2013 By John Askins]
Americans are on the move again—at the highest level since before the recession. About 3.9 percent—or 11.8 million—of Americans moved to a different county in 2011, according to newly released Census data. While the number is improving, the percentage is still low by historical standards, but it is inching off record lows seen in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 and 2009, moves to different counties were ab...
Read Post [Posted on 01/31/2013 By John Askins]
The latest Penske Truck Rental’s list of top moving destinations has plenty of sunny locales. Here is the list for the top cities last year:1. Atlanta2. Phoenix3. Orlando, Fla.4. Dallas/Fort Worth5. Chicago6. Houston7. Denver8. Seattle9. Sarasota, Fla.10. Charlotte, N.C.In comparison to last year’s listing, the Atlanta market is again the destination of choice. There are no new market entries...
Read Post [Posted on 01/29/2013 By John Askins]
Mortgage interest rates are expected to rise this year, and the increase will likely curb refinancings and affect move-up home buyers.The Mortgage Bankers Association projects the 30-year fixed rate to increase to an average of 4.1 percent in 2013 and 4.5 percent in 2014, up from 3.7 percent last quarter. The group's forelast month has the dollar value of refis dropping to $818 billion this year a...
Read Post [Posted on 01/10/2013 By John Askins]
The number of homes in “shadow inventory” dropped from 2.6 million in October 2011 to 2.3 million in October 2012, according to a new report from CoreLogic. Shadow inventory refers to the supply of homes that are in foreclosure or have seriously delinquent mortgages but are not yet on the market. Many housing experts once predicted that the shadow inventory would cause overall inventories to skyro...
Read Post [Posted on 01/07/2013 By John Askins]
Traditionally when Americans retired, they would make big cross-country moves or head south to Sunbelt states. But times have changed and now more seniors are opting to stay put or make a short-distance move.
Indeed, only 1.6 percent of retirees between the age of 55 and 65 moved across state lines in 2010, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data.
Florida once was the retiree ...
Read Post [Posted on 01/06/2013 By John Askins]
The University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service and compared the American Community Survey to the data released by the Census Bureau; it found that domestic migration has hit its lowest level since the 1940s as a result of the economic downturn.
People are staying put, worried that they will be unable to find work elsewhere and unable to sell th...
Read Post [Posted on 01/02/2013 By John Askins]
You’ve asked friends to recommend great contractors, picked
your favorite, checked references — and maybe even conducted an online background check on
his business. So you know you’ve found a top-notch guy for your home
improvement project.
But remember that his bottom line is getting you to sign
a contract, and he’s not going to mention anything that might ge...
Read Post [Posted on 12/27/2012 By Diana Walton]
Moving when everybody else is celebrating the holidays is no fun. Here are some suggestions that could help those who buy in December cope with moving at a time that is incredibly busy:
Get your utilities turned on or switched to in your name names before you start. Moving in the cold isn’t festive.
Keep the holiday decorations readily available. Having a few item...
Read Post [Posted on 12/12/2012 By John Askins]
10. Move from denial to acceptance. Before you strap on your serious boots and start hauling your boxes away, Patrick says the best thing to do is “sit back, relax and accept the fact that, in the move, stuff will get broken, lost, or packed in a box that you never open.” Once you realize there will be potholes along the road, it’s a lot easier to handle hiccups as they arise.9. Donate unwant...
Read Post [Posted on 12/10/2012 By Sandra Hughes]
