Looking to Buy a New Home? Here’s an interesting extract from one of Cathy’s emails………

I just wanted to touch base on the home purchase thing and put in my two cents. 😊  I know one of the homes you had sent me information on was in Montgomery.  That’s a great area and I think in the future values are going to do nothing but go up.  Between being a very desirable area as far as second homes, it’s hugely popular for most of the population who can’t or doesn’t want to fly anywhere to get away.  Combined with the fact that so many people can now work for the most part from home, it’s no longer as big a deal to figure in the daily commute as we’ve done in the past.  And I don’t see that part changing, even when this evil pandemic is a thing of the past, because too many companies are realizing how much money they can save by not spending tens of thousands of dollars per month on office rent they don’t need.

I also do quite a bit of business in and around Magnolia, another great area.  One thing that can vary a LOT from neighborhood to neighborhood, as you have seen, are the property taxes.  Generally speaking, the newer the home, the higher the taxes and HOA fees.  So you definitely want to consider that part when looking at options.  Having said that, there’s not really an area where you want to live where the property taxes aren’t somewhat high, but some are really out there, so do watch that part when looking at options.  The homestead exemption will discount them something in the neighborhood of 15%, and you are eligible for the homestead exemption the first year that you own the home on January 1^st.  Also, when looking at different properties online, if the taxes look too low, check the tax record for the property on the appraisal district records, and make sure the value on there is comparable to the asking price for the property.  It by NO MEANS is an indication of what the property is worth (the value on the tax records) BUT what you don’t want to do is think the taxes are $2,000 lower than they really are because someone is good at protesting. 😊  Make sense?

Lastly, if you can find a home that’s a few years old (say less than 10), that’s absolutely the best investment you can make.  Because of the fact that the person who built it originally paid for all the “foo foo” 😊 going in, when you buy a resale, you’ll usually end up with a lot of upgrades that you’re paying a discounted amount for, rather than full retail.  It’s like the difference in buying a brand new car, versus one that is slightly used.  You can get a lot nicer car if you buy a slightly used one than what you will pay for a new one.  That’s why I drive a “slightly” used Lexus. 😊