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Straight answers on Houston real estate.
Plain answers to the questions buyers, sellers and investors ask me.
Communities · October 11, 2026
Charles Barkley's Rockets-era home in Sugar Land: what the last listing showed
Charles Barkley bought a home in a gated Sugar Land neighborhood in 1996, while he played for the Houston Rockets, and sold it in 2002. The most recent public news about it is from December 2018, when the family who bought it from him listed it for $700,000.
Read the articleNew construction · October 11, 2026
Buying new construction in North Houston: questions to ask before signing
The model home is the easy part. These are the questions that decide whether a new build is a good purchase.
Read the articleSelling · October 11, 2026
How to prepare your Houston home for photography and showings
Buyers meet your home online first. What you do in the two weeks before the photographer arrives sets your price.
Read the articleCommunities · October 11, 2026
Living in Kingwood, TX: what home buyers should know
Kingwood is a wooded master-planned community inside the City of Houston, organized into villages linked by greenbelt trails. Most homes are resale, so condition and location within the community matter more than the builder.
Read the articleCommunities · October 11, 2026
Kingwood vs. Atascocita: how to choose
Kingwood is one master-planned community inside Houston with wooded villages and mostly resale homes. Atascocita is an unincorporated area on Lake Houston with golf-course neighborhoods and more recent construction. The right choice depends on home age, taxes and your daily drive.
Read the articleCommunities · October 11, 2026
The Woodlands and nearby Spring communities: comparing housing options
The Woodlands is one master-planned community with villages, a town center and limited new construction. Spring is a broad area of separate neighborhoods, several still building, often with more house for the money. Compare total cost, district and commute.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
What are MUD and PID taxes in Houston?
A MUD is a municipal utility district that pays for water, sewer and drainage in a new neighborhood and repays that debt through a property tax. A PID is a public improvement district that charges an assessment for neighborhood improvements. Both raise your monthly payment, so ask for the total rate before you buy.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
What is the option period in a Texas home contract?
The option period is a negotiated number of days after a Texas home contract is signed during which the buyer can terminate for any reason. The buyer pays the seller an option fee for that right. It is the buyer's window for inspections and repair negotiations.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
How to check flood risk before buying a Houston home
Check the FEMA flood map and your county flood mapping tool for the address, read the seller disclosure for flood history and insurance claims, ask neighbors, and get a flood insurance quote before your option period ends. A home outside the mapped floodplain can still flood.
Read the articleSelling · October 11, 2026
Should I sell my house for cash or list it?
Listing on the open market usually brings the highest price. A cash offer usually brings less money but more speed and certainty, with no repairs or showings. Compare the net amount you would keep from each, not just the price.
Read the articleSelling · October 11, 2026
How is the right listing price for my home determined?
A listing price comes from a comparative market analysis: recent sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for size, condition, updates and lot, then checked against the homes currently for sale. Online estimates cannot see inside your home.
Read the articleSelling · October 11, 2026
Selling a home in Spring, TX: how to prepare for the market
To sell in Spring, price against your own neighborhood and school district, handle repairs before listing, and be ready to compete with new construction nearby. Have your MUD, HOA and flood information ready for buyers.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
Relocating to Houston: how to choose an area before you choose a house
Start with where you will work and how you want to live, then narrow to two or three areas. In Houston, commute direction, school district, flood history and tax rate vary more between areas than house prices do.
Read the articleInvesting · October 11, 2026
What to evaluate when buying an investment property in Greater Houston
Evaluate the purchase price against realistic rent, then subtract taxes, insurance, HOA dues, maintenance, vacancy and financing. Check flood risk, deed restrictions and the condition of the major systems. Decide your exit before you buy.
Read the articleInvesting · October 11, 2026
What is a DSCR loan for rental property?
A DSCR loan is an investor mortgage that qualifies mainly on the property's income instead of your personal income. DSCR means debt service coverage ratio: the rent divided by the monthly payment including taxes, insurance and dues.
Read the articleInvesting · October 11, 2026
Fix and flip in Houston: how to estimate after-repair value
After-repair value is what a home should sell for once renovated. Estimate it from recent sales of renovated homes of similar size in the same neighborhood, not from the highest sale nearby. Then work backward to your maximum offer.
Read the articleLuxury · October 11, 2026
Pricing a luxury home: what the comps do and do not tell you
Luxury homes have fewer comparable sales and more unique features, so pricing takes judgment. Recent sales set the range. Land, views, water, quality of construction and current competition decide where in that range your home belongs.
Read the articleCommercial · October 11, 2026
Leasing versus selling a commercial property you own
Lease if you want ongoing income and believe the property will be worth more later. Sell if you want your capital out, the property no longer fits your plans, or a vacant building is costing you money. Sometimes the answer is to market it both ways.
Read the articleCommercial · October 11, 2026
What does NNN mean in a commercial lease?
NNN means triple net. The tenant pays base rent plus its share of the property's taxes, insurance and maintenance. A rate quoted as dollars per square foot NNN is the base rent only, before those expenses.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
Texas homestead exemption: what new homeowners should do
If you own and live in your Texas home as your primary residence, file a homestead exemption with your county appraisal district. It lowers your taxable value and limits how fast that value can rise. Filing is free.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
How long does it take to buy a house in Texas? A step-by-step timeline
From an accepted offer, a financed purchase in Texas commonly closes in about 30 to 45 days. Cash can close faster. Before that, allow time for loan pre-approval and the home search itself.
Read the articleBuying · October 11, 2026
What closing costs should a Texas home buyer expect?
A Texas buyer typically pays lender fees, an appraisal, a lender title policy, escrow and recording fees, a survey if a new one is needed, and prepaid taxes and insurance. Your lender's loan estimate lists them, and many are negotiable in the contract.
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