Welcome to Real Estate

Buying and selling real Buying and selling real estate signifies a time of change. Whether making a local or long distance move, the process can be challenging for any consumer. You can benefit from the assistance of a trustworthy and knowledgeable resource. CENTURY 21 real estate brokers and sales associates are equipped with the training and expertise to guide you through the process of buying and selling real estate. Whether you are searching for a house, condo, commercial property or vacant lot, explore Century21.com and get connected to thousands of property listings. Century21.com is your online resource for buying, selling, financing and home maintenance information. From calculating monthly payments using the home mortgage calculators, to designing that perfect home using the interactive room planner, CENTURY 21 home buying and selling tools can bring you closer to making your real estate dreams a reality. So, come inside our house and let Century21.com be your ultimate guide to buying and selling real estate. CENTURY 21 in 45 countries, 8,000 offices, 147,000 agents of change. estate signifies a time of change. Whether making a local or long distance move, the process can be challenging for any consumer. You can benefit from the assistance of a trustworthy and knowledgeable resource. CENTURY 21 real estate brokers and sales associates are equipped with the training and expertise to guide you through the process of buying and selling real estate. Whether you are searching for a house, condo, commercial property or vacant lot, explore Century21.com and get connected to thousands of property listings. Century21.com is your online resource for buying, selling, financing and home maintenance information. From calculating monthly payments using the home mortgage calculators, to designing that perfect home using the interactive room planner, CENTURY 21 home buying and selling tools can bring you closer to making your real estate dreams a reality. So, come inside our house and let Century21.com be your ultimate guide to buying and selling real estate. CENTURY 21 in 45 countries, 8,000 offices, 147,000 agents of change.

Inheriting a house can complicate title issues

Inheriting a house can complicate title issues

Our parents, both now deceased, own our family home as joint tenants. In 1975, my father did a quit claim, granting his interest to my sister and me. The form used is entitled "Quit Claim Deed -- Joint Tenancy" and states a couple of times "not in tenancy-in-common but in joint tenancy." I always thought a quit claim converts a joint tenancy to a tenancy-in-common, but I hope that's not true. I hope my sister and I held the property in joint tenancy with my mother, and now, since my mother's recent death, hold the property together in joint tenancy. We also hope we do not have to go through probate on this matter. See Realty Q&A.

Home prices rise at slowest pace in 10 years

U.S. home prices increased 0.5% in the first quarter, the slowest quarter-to-quarter price gain in 10 years, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight reported Thursday. The OFHEO price index shows home prices are up 4.3% compared with a year earlier, the smallest gains in 10 years. Price appreciation has slowed sharply from a 13.7% year-over-year gain in 2005. See Economic Report.

Falling home prices will likely dent subprime-mortgage credit this year

Falling house prices will keep pressure on the subprime-mortgage business in the second half of this year, stalling any chance of a quick recovery, according to a note by Rochdale Securities analyst Mark Morgan on Thursday. See full story.

Second home can boost taxes

A long vacation in a summer home can be a beautiful thing. Too long, though, and tax collectors may share the joy. People who spend a lot of time relaxing in one state while calling another home can trigger state income tax in both. A common way to go wrong is to hold on to a condo and social connections after moving away to a tax haven such as Florida or Nevada. Another potential problem: a pied-a-terre in Manhattan. See full story.

Tax strategy for real estate hits a rocky patch

A popular tax-deferral trick for real-estate investors is facing scrutiny as key middlemen in the strategy run into financial trouble. The problems are starting to leave investors with significant losses, and raising the possibility of increased oversight of a lightly regulated corner of the real-estate investment world. In at least one instance, a firm that helps investors defer taxes this way is facing allegations of fraud. The strategy, known as a 1031 exchange, lets investors who sell investment properties defer capital-gains taxes if they invest the proceeds in "like kind" property within 180 days. To qualify for the benefit, the seller can't touch the money from the sale. Instead, the funds must go into an account until they are used for the purchase of a new property. That's where the money can be vulnerable. See story from RealEstateJournal.

This week's Real Estate stories

Home-improvement plans don't come to a complete halt in a cooling housing market. But some homeowners might be changing the type of projects they take on, adjusting the scope of their plans to make them more affordable.

That's what Pat Wilkinson, senior director of marketing at Home Depot (HD :

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HD39.21, +0.34, +0.9% ) , told an audience of journalists at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Philadelphia this week.

"What we're seeing at the high end of the market is that home improvement is going strong," she said. Toward the lower end of the market, however, "it's the scope of the project that is changing," she said, adding that many homeowners are shifting their attention to outdoor projects, for example, that can be done affordably while adding curb appeal.

Another home-improvement trend she noted during a panel session on the topic included a demographic shift in homeownership that has many women buying homes and subsequently heading to Home Depot stores for "do-it-herself clinics" -- some of them filling up with as many as 200 women in a session.

"Frankly, they spend a lot of money on the way out the door," she said.

High energy prices and greater attention to environmental issues are fueling improvements to a home's windows and appliances, she added. A palette of paint colors at the store cater specifically to the Hispanic market -- and have proved successful, she said.

There's also a plethora of home-improvement television shows and Internet sites that are helping make consumers more comfortable in taking on projects, panel members noted.

Angelo Surmelis, another panelist and host of "24 Hour Design" on HGTV, thinks the popularity of the cable channel is an important reason why homeowners continue to remodel, getting more creative in the kinds of projects they're attempting. Watching people go through the process of completing a project on TV -- including watching them problem-solve when obstacles arise -- "encourage people to keep going," he said.

Read more of our real-estate coverage in this week's pages, which include statistics on falling home prices and a Realty Q&A on an issue faced by a reader inheriting a home.

Despite the do-it-yourself options out there for homeowners, Surmelis (owner of his own California-based design firm) did have a few words of caution. When people ask him at what point they should call a contractor or designer for advice he tells them: "at the beginning."

"At the very least consult with them," he said. The step that will often save time and money in the long run, he added.

Amy Hoak, real estate writer

U.S. home prices fall for first time since 1991

U.S. home prices fell 1.4% in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, the first year-over-year decline in national home prices since 1991, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday. A year ago, home prices were rising at an 11.5% pace. See Economic Report.

Buying a retirement home long before you retire

Retirement-home sales are growing -- among buyers still decades away from retiring. From New York's Catskill Mountains to Oregon's rocky coast, younger couples who might otherwise be focused on building a nest egg instead are buying a lakefront house or country cabin that they hope to one day use in retirement. See story from WSJ.com.

Professional Real Estate Services to BUYERS and SELLERS.

San Antonio Area Home Listing Service!
Search MLS to locate homes in the San Antonio area. Sterling Group Realty is located in Schertz, Texas just North in the outskirts of San Antonio and close to Cibolo, Converse, Universal City, Selma, Garden Ridge, Live Oak, New Braunfels, and Randolph Air Force Base. Centrally located close to The Forum Outlet Stores, Retama Race Track, and Rolling Oaks Mall.

SELLERS / FSBO!
If you're planning to sell your home in the next few months, an updated FREE Market Analysis will help establish your home's current market value at today's competitive market. Simply choose Market Analysis and fill out the requested information. I will use comparable sold listings to help you calculate the fair market value of your home.

BUYERS!
Automatically receive personalized MLS listings by e-mail. Early each morning I will search the local MLS and find the homes that match your criteria and notify you immediately with the latest listing information!! Simply choose Dream Home Finder and fill in the requested information. Or, search for yourself at Search For Homes.

SERVICE!
My focus and committment is to help people understand the essentials of buying and selling their properties. Providing housing markets, trends and analysis, marketing techniques, and financial pre-qualification are just a few of the services I provide customers. I am a member of the San Antonio Board of Realtors, the Texas Real Estate Commission, and fluent in Spanish.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the San Antonio real estate market. Look forward to working with you as your Real Estate agent. To the service men and women, we appreciate your dedicated service to the nation and look forward to helping you with your real estate needs. Customer service is still a Texas business tradition lgarza36@satx.rr.com.