18 03, 2013

CENTURY 21 advertising, now even FASTER.

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00March 18th, 2013|CENTURY 21|1 Comment

Whether you’ve seen it when working with a CENTURY 21 Agent firsthand, or heard it at the Super Bowl for the last two years, it is no secret that CENTURY 21® Agents are the SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER. real estate experts. Well now we are once again showcasing how we are FASTER by going to one of the fastest spectacles in the world, the Indianapolis 500. Here is the official blurb about the race:

At the 2013 CENTURY 21 Global Conference in Las Vegas, Chief Marketing Officer Bev Thorne announced that the we will be the primary sponsor of the #21 car at the 2013 Indy 500. This race will take place on May 26th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and air on ABC television in front of millions of avid fans!  The #21 car, part of the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Team with driver Josef Newgarden, has a sleek design with CENTURY 21 black and gold graphics that will be highly visible on this famous oval track.  This sponsorship is a key element in the 2013 marketing plan and is designed to increase CENTURY 21 brand preference and drive more leads to CENTURY 21 Agents. We started the year by highlighting CENTURY 21 Agents with an ad in the biggest television event of the year, the 2013 Super Bowl – and now we’ll join the Super Bowl of auto racing, the Indy 500.

I'm sure the question we are all dying to know is, will branded car magnets [...]
</p>
</body></html>

4 03, 2013

Why Choosing The Right Agent is Important

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00March 4th, 2013|Advice|Comments Off on Why Choosing The Right Agent is Important

Choosing an agent is crucial. Here are some things to consider when selecting a real estate professional. Choosing an agent is crucial. Here are some things to consider when selecting a real estate professional.

Are you planning to buy or sell a home in the near future?  Choosing your agent is critical. Whether you’re a first time buyer or seller or a seasoned veteran, you want to make sure your agent is a professional.   When considering your agent selection, ask yourself if he or she is:

  1. Available. When you reach out to a potential agent, is he or she available to answer the phone or call you back within a reasonable time?  If you’re selling you want to know that potential buyers can reach your agent.

  2. Visible. What marketing plan does your agent provide?  Does your agent have the ability to properly promote your property and attract potential buyers?   If you are buying, does your agent have insight into homes that are available and meet your criteria?

  3. Knowledgeable. If you’re buying, how much knowledge does your agent have about the area?  Is he or she willing to do the homework to provide you with any answers for your concerns?  Will your agent advise and guide you throughout the process?  Will he or she provide you with a list of helpful references such as inspectors and handymen?

  4. Experienced. Working with an agent who understands negotiating and performs on […]

26 02, 2013

Live in Montgomery County? Expect More Orange Construction Barrels.

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00February 26th, 2013|News|Comments Off on Live in Montgomery County? Expect More Orange Construction Barrels.

FM 1097 is about to get a little bit bigger. FM 1097 is about to get a little bit bigger.

According to the Montgomery County Courier, FM 1097 in Willis has been approved to be widened by TxDOT. The estimated $3.2 million dollar project will widen the road between I-45 and Texas Highway 75, significantly improving access and safety. Engineers expect the project to be completed in 18 months after construction starts and will add a much needed turning lane to ease traffic. With rapid growth within the Houston Metro Area, and Montgomery County in particular, many roads and intersections are already operating at or over capacity. One of Montgomery County's most congested intersections may soon be much better. One of Montgomery County’s most congested intersections may soon be much better.

Further south on I-45 at State Highway 242 near The Woodlands and Shenandoah, plans have been approved for a $33.9 million dollar project to build flyovers allowing traffic to bypass the traffic lights at the feeder street. This in addition to the dozens of road construction projects throughout Montgomery County in the last decade including the widening of I-45 to at least 3 lanes all the way through the county.

Why all this construction? More residents and businesses are relocating to the area. The Houston Area led the nation in Gross Metropolitan Product growth (the total value of all goods and services […]

4 02, 2013

C21 Super Bowl Ads

By |2013-10-18T12:17:01-05:00February 4th, 2013|News|4 Comments

In case you missed it during last night’s “Blackout Bowl” here are the CENTURY 21® ads from Super Bowl XLVII . Prices for 30 second ad spots on CBS started at $4,000,000 a pop, which makes more sense when you consider that Super Bowl XLVII was the highest rated Television event since ratings were first tracked. For the second year in a row, we are proud to see our brand represented in the biggest TV media event of the year.

Is there a CENTURY 21 Agent in the house?

I’m a CENTURY 21 Agent.

29 01, 2013

Are moving expenses tax deductible?

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00January 29th, 2013|Advice|Comments Off on Are moving expenses tax deductible?

It’s okay to curse at heavy furniture, probably when doing your taxes too. Photo is Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tara Hunt.

Moving can be a stressful and chaotic time, but when it is all over not only will you be comfortable in a new home, but you could also qualify for a nice tax deduction for your efforts. While you should of course talk to a Tax professional, if you are qualified, you may deduct the expenses of:

  • Packing and transporting household goods
  • Mileage for use of your own car (or gas and oil expenses)
  • Tolls and parking fees on the trip
  • Up to 30 days’ storage of household goods
  • Disconnecting and connecting utilities
  • Transportation and lodging for yourself and members of your household while traveling to the new home

Of course, not all moves are deductible. In order to deduct your moving expenses you have to meet two tests:

TIME – You must being working as a full-time employee within 13 weeks of your move, and you must work at least 39 weeks during the 12 months after your move. And it doesn’t matter wheter you were transferred by your employer or you took a brand new job.

DISTANCE – To meet this test, your new job has to be at least 50 miles further from your old home than your old job was. If you didn’t have a job before the move, your new job has to […]

17 01, 2013

Want a raise? Move to Houston.

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00January 17th, 2013|News|Comments Off on Want a raise? Move to Houston.

Where did wages increase the most in 2012? Since this is the official C21 Realty Partners blog, you may not be surprised to learn that it was none other than our fabulous metropolis, Houston (although we did tie with Seattle who also registered 4.8% year-over-year wage growth). Why did H-town lead the nation in wage growth? Just ask the folks at PayScale who track wage rates across the United States: “The largest city in Texas hosts a variety of strong industries, including aeronautics and healthcare, but the boom in the oil and gas industry has had the biggest positive impact on wages in Houston, historically.” With the Houston’s white-hot energy sector and a robust yet diverse economy that features everything from taco trucks to NASA, Houston will be welcoming many more newcomers in the near future. Given the massive new ExxonMobil campus being built just south of The Woodlands, the Houston job market will keep getting stronger. What does this mean for Real Estate? Higher wages equals more prosperity which means more demand for homes and businesses. The perfect time for natives and transplants alike to contact a CENTURY 21 Realty Partners agent.

The PayScale Index: Houston Metro Area by Quarter

Quarterly Compensation Trends for Houston Metro Area
© 2013 PayScale, Inc.
The PayScale Index uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline.

Houston Metro Area

9 01, 2013

Still the Most Recognized Brand in Real Estate†

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00January 9th, 2013|News, Realty Partners|Comments Off on Still the Most Recognized Brand in Real Estate†

Real estate professionals want to work with a real estate brand that is experienced, recognized in the marketplace as an industry leader, and enjoys a reputation as the real estate organization consumers gravitate to when they think real estate. Consumers want to work with a real estate organization that is well known and respected. They want the reassurance an experienced real estate sales organization offers, one that has offices that are dedicated to meeting their needs. Well, once again, that brand is CENTURY 21®. How do we know? Well, the results are in for the 2012 Brand Preference and Ad Tracking Study. In 2012, the CENTURY 21 brand continued to maintain the highest brand awareness level among consumers presented with a list of several other real estate organizations; continuing a trend stretching back to 1999. In addition, the CENTURY 21 brand has kept its perennial status as “the most recognized name in real estate.” What’s new is that this year we were recognized as “the most respected in the industry” a new survey question introduced in 2012. As we are gearing up CENTURY 21’s advertising blitz at Super Bowl XLVII, combined with the consistently excellent service we offer all our clients, we at Realty Partners are positive these trends will continue long into the future.

 
Source: 2012 Ad Tracking Study.
The study was conducted in two waves by Millward Brown, a […]

8 01, 2013

CENTURY 21® Agents: Navigators of the Future of Homes

By |2017-03-13T15:54:53-05:00January 8th, 2013|News, Realty Partners|1 Comment

No matter how homes change in the future, buyers and sellers will still rely on real estate agents for expert advice and guidance. Although many of us remember the TV show The Jetsons and their now retro vision of tomorrow, our homes look as though they will be earthbound for the foreseeable future. What does appear to be changing however is how the technology inside of homes is becoming smarter and more interconnected. Although we may not have our own Rosie the Robot, in a few years many of us may have internet controlled HVAC systems and appliances. Our living rooms have evolved from little more than a black and white TV and couch of the 1950s to a room filled with dozens of blinking little plastic boxes and High Definition Television bringing us world of information and entertainment. USA Today has an article welcoming us to the future of homes and how the future is becoming the present. Much like our cell phones, we may not be far from the day where clients are asked if they are interested in a Google house or an Apple house. The convenience, efficiency, and intense personalization that an interconnected “smart” house offers to consumers presents an enormous opportunity for the companies and individuals who offer the best products in the marketplace. Who will help the homeowner navigate the digital maze? Real estate agents, particularly smart agents, such as the SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER. agents at CENTURY 21 Realty Partners.

13 12, 2012

Lake Conroe Christmas Boat Parade

By |2012-12-13T11:23:16-06:00December 13th, 2012|Events|1 Comment

As we are sure many of y’all know, this Saturday is the Lake Conroe Christmas Boat Parade of light starting at 6 PM. We are asking for agents along with their friends and families to come out to our Conroe office and watch the parade. The office will be giving out hot chocolate and the parade will be taking place right in front of our office at the Waterpoint Marina. Don’t forget to bring a blanket, dress warm, and spread the holiday cheer.

Go to Top