Rosie Crow's Blog

This is an excellent blog by George Souto that explains the difference between the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and the interest rate, and why the APR is higher. When shopping around for the best rates on a mortgage loan, pay close attention to the APR.   The purpose of the APR is to help borrowe...

Did you know that Sugar Land has one of the lowest property tax rates in Texas?  Yet another reason why you should move to Sugar Land. The Texas Municipal League conducted a survey of 657 Texas cities. When comparing cities with populations greater than 25,000, Sugar Land's tax rate of 30.895 cen...

  This is an excellent post worthy of re-blogging.  There are many things to consider when purchasing a home with someone other than a spouse. If your name is on the mortgage but you want to include your significant other's name on the deed, legal ramifications could ensue if a break up occurs. I...

                                  Save $$$ on Your Property Taxes Everyone wants to save money, right? Besides all of the  tax credits associated with the benefits of home ownership - mortgage interest deductions and home improvement write offs - another money-saving goldmine is the homestead exe...

When I represent buyers, I always recommend that they purchase a brand new land survey.  Here's why. A land surveyor is only liable to the person who purchased the survey. If an existing survey is used and errors are detected in the future, the new homeowner has no legal recourse against the surv...

We've all been there before.  What seems to be an endless journey, suddenly comes to an end. Finally, you find it.  The diamond in the ruff.  The home of your dreams. After running through the pros and cons, you reach a conclusion: This home has everything  on the wish list and more. As excitemen...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with my family, being thankful for our many blessings, and of course....who can't forget the turkey feast with all the trimmings? I'm a novice in the kitchen but I sure do love whipping up a delicious Thanksgiving meal for my gue...

Life is like a roller coaster ride. You have your up days. You have your down days. But, every day is a new adventure. Right? Kind of like REAL ESTATE!                              As you inch closer and closer to the finish line, there's always something that temporarily derails the pathway to s...

It is very important to have title insurance.  Title insurance is just like any other type of insurance.  It provides peace of mind and can save you thousands of dollars if issues arise in the future. When a contract is executed between the buyer and the seller, the title company immediately cond...

I learned today that pencils are very versatile.  For all these years, I regarded it solely as a writing utensil and a way to put my hair up when I didn't have a ponytail holder.  But, the pencil offers other benefits too. Have you ever had a stubborn lock that you just couldn't open with a key d...