The Westbury Civic Club is fighting to create a Railroad quiet zone throughout the subdivision. Bellaire and West U are already enjoying the “no horn-blowing” quietness along the railroad tracks that separate the two cities. The tracks are on the south border of Westbury and some residences back up to it. Achieving this quiet zone should make the south side of the subdivision more desirable to live in. Something to keep in mind if you are looking to buy or sell a home.
Ok, here it is. After enjoying several years of decreasing municipal tax rates, City Council voted for an increase of our residential taxes. Granted, home values have decreased. About 4% in the last year, and 11% for the commercial properties in Bellaire. To compensate for the lost revenues to fund the budget, the city had to increase the tax rate. It would apparently affect the average household $78 for the year.
I hope you protested your property values this year because you would have received a significant decrease. I protested mine (or actually, hired BTA to do it) and saved enough to compensate for this new rate hike.
Should you be curious about the market value of your home, don’t hesitate to sign up for the automated Market Snapshot on my website at www.LucieOgdee.com or give me a call at 713-539-1006.
Here are a few negotiationtips to be kept in mind if you are buying or selling a home. Always stay focused on completing the sale: That is your main goal!
1) Don’t go back and forth too many times. On the third round of negotiations, buyers and sellers stop focusing on the goal of buying or selling a home at the right price. The parties make it a personal issue, that has much to do with personalities and character, far removed from the deal at hand
2) When you concede to something during the negotiations, always ask for a concession in return. In doing this you are keeping the plane even with the other party.
3) Never take the first offer too quickly
4) Get the other party to negotiate with himself. Here is a true story: Instead of coming back with a counter-offer, a seller responded that he likes everything about the offer except the price, forcing the interested buyer to raise his price without any indication from the other party of where the ceiling may be. I would caution however that in a buyer’s market like the one we are facing today, this strategy can backfire for the seller. Buyers may very well walk away to a similar property where the seller is more motivated to make a deal happen.
