McCourt Real Estate Blog

Yesterday at 5:24 p.m. I was pulling out of the Kohl's parking lot (or attempting to) onto the feeder road to the loop and I had to just stop.  The line on the feeder road backed up far back along the feeder road itself and there was a line on the exit ramp of the loop that continued onto the loop itself. 

I just had to stop for a moment to think - there's a lot of people in Midland.

In fact, if you would like to see the plan of development that the City of Midland has mapped out.  You can find it here.

So, as we grow and grow - how do you as a current resident navigate our community's growth spurt and most specifically our traffic growth?

1-  Give yourself enough time to get where you're going.

The truth is with our growth in Midland we can't make it across town in seven minutes flat.  It takes longer now.  And, even we are no traffic metropolis like Houston or Austin, it's often too long for native Midlanders!  Give yourself time.  If you will, you'll find that your mind becomes open to trying new routes and your patience grows.

2 - Bring something in the car to listen to.

Anything to listen to and to keep your mind focused will help you in the long run.  I've always been a long time proponent of "auto university".  In our busy word, those books on tapes can do wonders for you in town driving.  Even if they put you to sleep for long trips, for in town driving you'll find them soothing.

3 - Take a moment to wind down before headed home.

I know that most of us travel at the speed of light and that's still not fast enough!  But, think about slowing down your mind before you drive off at the end of the day.  Many times we take our work home with us and carry it in our minds forever.  If you take the time to slow your mind down before driving, you'll be safer for your self and be a nicer person when you arrive at your final destination.

I know I'm wanting you to stick around and be here enjoying Midland's great growth with us!

Welcome to Liz Plaisted! She's the newest member of the McCourt Real Estate Team!

There are seven simple reasons why customers choose Liz Plaisted – she’s friendly, outgoing, dependable, dedicated, trusted, other experienced realtors support her, and she has a large network of contacts. But when it comes to real estate, Liz knows that she has a lot more to offer......click here for more info about Liz!

Or visit her website SOLD ON THE BASIN!

Here are McCourt Real Estate we are a bunch of dreamers and more.  We go past the point of being all about just daydreaming and put action behind our dreams.  We are visionaries and we support positive focused, active dreamers who come and join our team.

We were the first to bring you the 360 Virtual Tour.  Now, watch as we dream a little more, looking to the Netherlands on the possibilities of Real Estate.

Amazing, right? If you're involved in real estate and don't feel you're at a place where dreaming's encouraged...then stop in for a glass of tea and see McCourt Real Estate!

Everyone's talking about "going green".  And, I'm excited to say that Midland College will soon offer a class about "How to Go Green for Your Business".  So, I thought I would give some helpful hints on how to "Go Green for Your Home" without having to do a redesign.

The Not So Cheap:

5) Install new energy efficient appliances. A typical home's electricity bill is $100 per month. The EPA estimates that approximately 18% of a home's energy usage comes from appliances. Installing new energy efficient appliances use 25% less energy then a 10 year old appliance. In more real terms that means a home can save at least $5 a month from installing new energy efficient appliances. For Realtors, you won't be able to sell your clients on replacing appliances based solely on monthly energy savings, but it can certainly be part of your sales strategy.....in addition to adding to the aesthetic value of the home.

4) If installing new hardwood floors, opt for Bamboo. Why do you ask.....simply put Bamboo grows to its full size in about 4 years while other woods used for flooring take approximately 75 years.

3) Insulate your home again(especially good for homes built before 1960)....although an initial cost outlay it can save you 20% on your monthly gas/electric bills. Check to see if your home has attic insulation as most do not-this is a great place to start!

2) Save water by installing tank-less hot water heaters, aerators on sinks and low flow toilets.

1) Install solar panels on the roof. Yes it is by far the most expensive option-but how would $5 electric bills for life sound? Additionally if federal law begins to require power companies to pay for excess electricity your clients could be receiving a monthly check from the power company. I would also advise you to look into both state and local resources for financing. For example San Diego now offers 0% loans for solar installations in addition to the generous tax breaks from both the state of California and the federal government.

The Cheap Ways:

5) Replace all regular light bulbs with incandescent bulbs. The average incandescent bulb saves about $30 in energy over it's lifetime.

4) Plant a tree, or two and a herb garden if the backyard allows.

3) Lower your hot water temp to 120 degrees from the standard 140.

2) Install efficient shower heads. The average efficient shower heads saves a family $21 a year on average in water bills.

1) Use surge protectors(attached to outlets that turn on/off as you enter rooms) to turn off all appliances when they are not being used. Approximately 15% of all power consumed in the United States is used by appliances when they are not being used. Does that big screen TV really need to be generating a bigger electricity bill all day while you're at work?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Aselstine

Recently, Kathy Jones spoke to group of Chamber Leaders about what you, as a seller, would need to look at when a Realtor provides a comperative analysis.

• What have properties around your property sold for?
• Where do they list their properties that they are representing "for sale at"? (McCourt Real Estate lists with the Midland Texas MLS [multiple listing service], the Odessa Texas MLS and Realtor.com)
• What ways are they selling or announcing the properties' availability or amenities to the "online" community? (The way over 93% of Americans predominantly communicate.  At McCourt Real Estate, we have our website, the web blog site, a wordpress blog, Twitter and Facebook)
• Is an information center providing details of your property created and made available - both offline (physically) and online?
• Is a sign in sheet set up at your property to document who has been on your property and who has shown your property?
• Do you have access to a mortgage quote to have an idea of whether a buyer can easily know...what the montly payment will be for this property and know that it will truly fit into their budget?
• Does your Realtor provide a home warranty service so that your buyers feel even more comfortable doing business and that certain areas of the house (appliances, airconditioner) are covered by a warranty? (McCourt Real Estate provides that service to all sellers).
• Does your Realtor meet the inspector and arrange for that to be done for you along with also ensuring that a proper inspection is done and nothing is forgotten and/or overlooked?

Hope these helpful bullet-points will be of assistance to you if you are thinking/considering selling your home.