With the tightening of credit standards, more home buyers are finding themselves rejected when they go to apply for a loan. But after just one rejection, lending experts say buyers shouldn’t give up — they may still be able to qualify for a mortgage if they keep trying.  But buyers shouldn’t give it another try until they take a close evaluation of why the original mortgage application was turned down in the first place, and find ways to address those issues in their second or even third attempt, Marisol Torruella, a loan originator with the New York Municipal Credit Union, told The New York Times. Applicants can, by law, find out why they were rejected in a mortgage application. The Equal Credit Opportunities Act requires lenders within 30 days to give applicants, in writing, the spec... 10/17/2011

The annexation of 120.4 acres west of the former Reese Air Force Base was approved on first reading Thursday by the Lubbock City Council. The area to be annexed includes part of the Reese Golf Course and the course clubhouse. It also includes a housing area in development that has one house. The voluntary annexation was requested by the developer, who wanted water and sewer service from the city. The water and sewer lines are in place. The annexation must be approved in a second reading, and a waiting period must follow that. Mayor Tom Martin said the area probably would not be annexed officially before the end of November. In other business, the council awarded a contract to repair an area along 98th Street where improperly packed ground over a sewer line collapsed and resulted in the... 10/14/2011

Las Vegas police and real estate agents are warning renters of a new scam in the area, which has also been stretching nationwide. Scammers are posting housing ads online, such as on Craig’s List, that promote a vacant home available for rent. The unsuspecting renter pays a security deposit and sends monthly rent checks to who they believe is their landlord.  But the landlord doesn’t really own the property and is pocketing the money, police and agents warn. Scammers are targeting vacant homes and foreclosed properties in the rental scam, they say.  Brenda Crosbie-Jaeger, a real estate agent in Las Vegas, says the scammers are posing as real estate professionals and putting together fake lease agreements and forging the seller’s name. They’re also changing the locks on the house so the ... 10/11/2011

Welcome friends - it is Fall and our great Ransom Canyon home will soon be on the market.  We have loved living in Ransom Canyon but decided to move back into Lubbock.  Our 2800 sq ft. home is a 3/3/2, with large basement, inground pool, huge covered patio, 700+ square foot workshop.  You need or want more?  This ranch style home sits on an acre with lovely mature oak trees, crepe myrtle and peach trees.  More?  Navajo Trail is home of the greatest neighbors we have ever had.  More?  The kitchen has been completely updated in the last three years and we had gorgeous tile installed through the foyer, dining room, kithen and family room.  Do you need more bedrooms?  We already have an easy conversion sketched to make the family room into a fourth bedroom with a huge walk in closet.  This... 10/07/2011

Lubbock Homes Source (FOX 34, 2011) Kyra Jenkins, president of the 34th Street Association said times are changing and their street should be no different. "This street is over 50 years old and very much in need of an upgrade," Jenkins said. L. Wood Franklin, an engineer with the City of Lubbock, said with any project comes a plan. "This meeting is basically just to go over and present the final plans to prepare for construction in a couple of weeks," Franklin said. Jenkins is confident that all the construction, and the imminent headache that comes along with it, will be worth it in the end. "It's like living in your house while you're remodeling," Jenkins said. "It's going to be uncomfortable, but so worth all of the construction." View All homes here Lubbock Homes Rodney Roberts, a m... 10/06/2011

What me?  Mary Benton, a premier Lubbock Realtor?  I looked up the word 'premier' before using it as an adjective for myself.  One part of the Wikipedia definition is "leading" and I am comfortable with that and believe it to be entirely appropriate.  I am a REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty in Lubbock and have been in the top 20% of agents in my market center and was ranked 9th out of our approximately 100 KW Realtors in closed volume for 2010.  Out of approximately 800 Lubbock Realtors, I have consistently been in the top 10%.  And aside from numbers, I love my job as a REALTOR! What does any of this mean to you?  If you plan to buy a home in Lubbock, I can save you a great deal of time because I know the market and have a winning track record of finding the right home at the right ... 09/01/2011

Lubbock Houses   When your searching for a home, where do you go for your information? I'm finding out that most people are going online to craigslist and/or other random websites to locate homes for sale in the Lubbock area. Wouldn't one place to search for all homes on the MLS be great? Also, wouldn't that one place be great if it provided you with more than just Lubbock houses for sale, but also a mortgage calculator, school info, community info, compare zip codes, have access to all Lubbock MLS and surrounding areas, updated regularly with market videos and tips? I would think so. Where would you find such a place to view all of Lubbock houses and Lubbock MLS? Easy! houses for sale in Lubbock!! It's designed to offer great value to the people needing real estate help. On top of that... 08/30/2011

Straight from the IRS to the citizens!  Here are their top 10 tax tips for home sellers: (found on the IRS websiet as IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2011-15). 1. In general, you are eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale.
 2. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).
 3. You are not eligible for the exclusion if you excluded the gain from the sale of another home during the two-year period prior to the sale of your home.
 4. If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return.
 5. If you have a gain that cannot be... 08/23/2011

Houses for sale in Lubbock and surrounding areas.     Some people just need a place to view all the Lubbock MLS listings and surrounding areas and/or meet a great real estate agent.  Where do you go, and can it be trusted source of information? Common Questions that are asked, so here it is. houses for sale in lubbock is a website that was put together by Wendell Burris, an agent with Keller Williams Realty, to HELP people in need of a real estate agent. Showing all Lubbock MLS listings and other valuable information....this site is the one place you need to see!  Please go and check it out! Ask questions! And view all the homes for sale in and around Lubbock.    Houses for sale in Lubbock   Be sure to check out this listing in Levelland as well 308 E Ellis St. house for sale 08/18/2011

Hey, if you are getting all your back to school shopping done, it would be nice to know what date to send the kids back to school!  Lubbock ISD has their school calendar's in a couple of different formats.  Just go to Lubbockisd.org.  On the left side of the page you will find 'calendars' on the menu bar. I'll give you a headstart...first day of classes is August 22nd! Most Mom's I know fall into one of two categories.  Those shedding tears that their baby is starting school...and those who are checking out zumba classes and making lunch dates.  These same two types of Mom's will be present when Junior goes off to college.  One Mom will already have plans to remodel Junior's room into a new art studio or sewing room while the other is again shedding tears. My kids went to college but li... 08/14/2011

So far Auctions for Homes in Lubbock have been few and far between.  It is fascinating to follow some of the homes up for auction in other parts of the state.  I did drive out south of town a few months ago and saw an amazing country home that was being auctioned.  This particular Lubbock County home appeared to have been abandoned for some time and needed a lot of work.  But the potential was incredible!   I registered myself and my buyer clients and we were anxious as the bidding began.  During the bidding some of the details of the property changed, as did the minimum the home could go for.  They changed the number of acres included with the home from 10 to 1.  This seemed unethical and shady but perhaps it was just a last minute (more than last minute!) correction.  I try to give fo... 08/13/2011

Need a Lubbock REALTOR?  You have come to the right place! Today there are over 1500 homes for sale in Lubbock.  If you add homes from some small communities nearby, that number of properties for sale rises to 1662.  This is a great time to buy a home or to invest in rental property. The number of homes for sale in Tech Terrace now is down almost 50% from summer 2010.  I wonder why there has been such a drop in homes selling in the neighborhood.  There are multiple factors involved.  I would love to hear your thoughts, particularly if you are a Tech Terrace resident! Today there are 24 homes listed for sale in this popular neighbodhood near Texas Tech University.  The homes range from a modest bungalow priced at $86950.00 that could use some TLC to a historic home, a true vintage gem of... 08/11/2011

  Did you know that there are over 20 homes for sale in the Lubbock area that list "trade" as one of the financing options?  Two or three of them are brand new homes.  I talked to one builder who said while this isn't his preferred way of selling a home he is now considering it to give his homes an advantage in finding the right buyer.  Each buyer's offer would need to be considered on its merits of course, no guarantees that just because "trade" is listed as an option, that he will do that for you.  If you are ready to move and wanting something larger, smaller, grander, easier to maintain, there is a Lubbock home that is right for you.  And it might be that a builder or home seller would take your current home on trade.  The 20 plus Lubbock "trade" homes range in price from just under... 08/11/2011

Greetings all! Of all central Lubbock neighborhoods, Tech Terrace is by far the most popular with homes here in great demand. Earlier this week I took some time to drive through the neighborhood. The tree-lined streets are quiet and I never tire of looking at the great variety of homes. If you are new to Lubbock and have not yet been to the Tech Terrace neighborhood, it is the area located between University and Indiana, and 19th Street and 34th Street. I just took a look at Lubbock's multiple listing service and found that there are currently 26 homes for sale in Tech Terrace. Last year at this time we likely had twice this number of homes for sale in Tech Terrace. This means that individuals and families hoping to buy a home in Tech Terrace have fewer choices this year. The good news ... 06/20/2011

If you are in the market for an Owner Financed Home in Lubbock, TX, you are not alone.  The tighter conventional lending requirements are leaving out a lot of potential home buyers.  Facts To Consider about Buying a Owner Financed Home: Fact 1 - There are few homes to choose from because not many owners are wiling to or can sell their homes and finance it themselves.  Most sellers need that equity now! Fact 2 - Seller Finance home owners are less negotiable on their sales price.  It is the law of supply and demand.  So many buyers wanting owner financed homes so they can stand firm on their asking price. Fact 3 - You will need to have a considerably larger down payment.  Don't even consider trying to buy a Seller Financed home unless you have enough money to pay 10 - 20% down. Fact 4 -... 03/08/2011

If you like to look at homes in Lubbock, please join me for a mini-tour of two or three great homes later this month.  Each month I will preview Lubbock homes in a different subdivision.  Part of my job is being familiar with the inventory of homes for sale and I'd like to have friends, colleagues, home buyers, home seller, and someday clients join me.  Your feedback may also be helpful to the listing agents or sellers of the Lubbock homes we tour. This month I will tour new townhouses in the Castellina Subdivision in the 4500 block of 19th Street!  If you'd like more information, send me an email OR look at my Facebook - Mary Benton, Realtor.  If you friend me or like my Real Estate page I can send you an event invite when all the details are set. Have a great week all.  And Happy Home... 02/07/2011

On a cold winter day, showing vacant listings can be chilly, even here in Texas! Just turning up the thermostat will not take the "echoey" chill from a home. There's nothing like a warm seating arrangement, rugs and towels to help warm up a empty home. But, not just anything can be thrown into a vacant home. Accredited Staging Professionals know the proper Staging techniques, colors and accessories to create a warm and inviting home. So not only warm up a vacant home with Staging, but warm up to a quick sale! 02/01/2011

Tomorrow I will be previewing a few homes in Tech Terrace.  Several friends will be joining me.  If you have an interest in buying a home in the near future...or if you own a Tech Terrace home and may be selling sometime soon, you are welcome to come tour with us.  We will meet at about 12:15 at 3107 19th Street.  NOTE: If it snows a lot and roads are icy we will wait for a better day.  Text me tomorrow at 790-1026 to check status of Preview Tour.  Please take a look at techterracehomes.com for more information!   01/24/2011

Thanks to all of you who have called me with interest in buying an OWNER FINANCED home in Lubbock.  I have shared with you through these posts the challenges and limitations of buying a home with OWNER FINANCING.***  There are hoops we have to jump through but I know there are so many folks who want to own a home who have been shut out of traditional lender financing due to credit requirements.  GREAT NEWS is I successfully put a buyer and seller together on an owner financed transaction and they will close next week! I am still working with several people, looking for an owner financed home that is a fit.  I am actively seeking sellers who would finance the sale themselves.  When I hear from other Realtors about a motivated seller, I always inquire if that seller would owner finance.  ... 01/14/2011

Do you enjoy previewing homes?  Part of my responsibility as a Lubbock Realtor is knowing what is on the market in Lubbock so I regularly make time to preview homes for sale.  Starting this month I will focus on a particular neighborhood and invite friends, colleagues and prospective someday clients (buyers and sellers) to join me.  Whether you are in the market to buy now, planning a move in the near future, love looking at homes, or want to keep an eye on price versus condition of homes in your area, you are welcome to participate.  I will look at homes in established and newer Lubbock neighborhoods.  Each month I will invite you to join me in a particular subdivision.  Some neighborhoods that I will be previewing during 2011 are Rush, Tech Terrace, Whisperwood, Terra North, Melonie P... 01/13/2011