Wurstfest is a family friendly celebration rich in German culture held in New Braunfels at Landa Park on the Wurstfest Grounds.   This unique event receives worldwide publicity and brings sausage hungry visitors from all over to New Braunfels, Texas to experience the finest in Alpine and Bavarian style entertainment.

All this good fun, but did we mention the great food?  Come hungry and choose among an endless choices of great German Cuisine including: Bratwurst, Potato Pancakes, Belgian Waffles, Sausage-on-a-Stick, Sauerkraut, Sweet Potato Fries, Turkey Legs, Kettle Corn, Bread Pudding, Funnel Cake, and much more!

The best part is Wurstfest is a non-profit corporation with a goal to promote local commerce, encourage New Braunfels tourism, and foster the distinctive traditions that make New Braunfels a unique community.  New Braunfels continues to impress it’s visitors, so it’s no wonder why New Braunfels Real Estate continues to be successful and in constant demand.

So by now your stomach is growling and you are ready to bring the whole family out to New Braunfels for day of good fun, food, special events, and souvenirs.

The shelves have been stocked and finial preparations are being made for the grand opening of the new HEB store located in WestPointe Village at Loop 337 and TX 46.  HEB will be ready for its first shoppers on July 30^th bright and early at 6 a.m.

The prime location of WestPointe Village will conveniently serve West New Braunfels and Canyon Lake.  This upscale shopping center is just one example of how even during hard economic times, real estate developers and investors still have the stamina to invest in areas that are clearly still growing and booming. 

New Braunfels has experienced explosive growth. The Office of State Demographer states that New Braunfels has had a 34% increase in population over the last 5 years. In addition, per the 2000 census, the population of Comal County was 78,000.  Currently, Comal County has 110,000 residents and is still growing!  Likewise the demand for commercial and residential real estate is growing rapidly as well.

A growing community coupled with the further need for building and development is great news for Central Texas Real Estate.  The opening of the new HEB will not only be an added benefit to the community of New Braunfels and surrounding areas, but also a great indicator for continued success for the Real Estate Market.

Link to more information:

http://www.barshop-oles.com/pdf/westpoint_mediakit.pdf

New Braunfels Home Buyers Tax Credit

If you’ve ever sold a home, you know how great it is to receive that first offer. You may also know how disheartening it is if that offer is disappointingly low, or doesn’t come in for a lengthy period. Or maybe you’ve gone through the frustration and work of many showings and putting your life on hold without ever receiving a single offer. It makes you worry and wonder ~ why?

It is at this point that many sellers feel the only way to attract buyers is to lower their asking price. This type of reduction often results in a substantial drop that comes right out of your pocket! What many people don’t realize is that they have a good deal of control over their selling process ~ even the ability to price their house at the highest end of a realistic price range.  It all starts with the preparation of your home – How you present the house will greatly determine the length of your stay on the market.  Read on to see how STAGING can help.

With staging being a fairly new concept to many homeowners in Texas, many are not aware of the different ways SALAZAR STAGING services can be utilized.  In many ways, we stagers can help you sell your homes faster and garner more full price offers.  Not only do we stage vacant homes, but we also work with homeowners in occupied homes.  We work directly with homeowners starting with a….

CONSULTATION

We offer a consultation which results in a great reference tool to guide you through doing what it takes to get your home looking their best.  This consultation takes place ideally right before the house goes on the market (although it’s never too late if you have a home that has been sitting idly on the market for a while). We do a curb-to-curb analysis of the property and offer many recommendations on what can be done to help the presentation of the home.  We are direct and honest, sharing what buyers may think.  We take you through the entire house, explaining every suggestion and the WHY behind that particular suggestion, often times pointing out things that most homeowners don’t think are important. After the meeting, we put the recommendations into a 6 page, detailed report that we send to you within 48 hours.  We also offer references for sub-contractors needed to complete repairs. This written report is an excellent reference guide for homeowners to follow. The walk thru/meeting with homeowners/written report is all included in the consultation fee; $100 for the first hour, $50 hourly thereafter. Most homes take about an hour to an hour and a half.

RETURN TO STAGE

If you want more help, we can come back and help you further.  We offer a wide selection of inventory rental, and can design rental packages tailored to work with your own furnishings. We can rearrange homes to present the best possible layout and create a look that appeals to the broadest base of clientele.  You really can become very proactive in helping sell your home much faster.

If you would like more information on our services, please visit us at www.salazarstaging.com (serving New Braunfels and the surrounding areas).

For more info contact: Melody Salazar 830/626-8967 or 210/488-8750

Link:
Auto Updates of New Braunfels Listings

Click “HQ” to watch the video in a higher quality….

Step 1. Un-Clutter This is the first and most important part of the process. It can also be the most difficult. It is recommended to remove most if not all family photos. Remove excess magazines, movies, remotes, coasters, knick knacks & other items from entertainment centers & tables. You don’t need to leave shelves bare, but you do need to organize what remains. A few picture frames and books, nice artwork, plants would be acceptable to leave for staging purposes. This will open up the buyers imagination to what they can do with the space. You want to create the look of functional space without it looking cluttered or awkwardly bare. Also, it is important to note that the less clutter the camera sees, the higher quality the images will look once they are online. Clutter distracts the eye from the size and beauty of your home.

Step 2. Fix-Up You don’t want buyers thinking about what they will have to fix or replace upon entering your home for the first time. Replace all light bulbs along with broken or missing fixtures such as outlet covers, switch plates, etc. Inspect every room in your home to ensure that it looks great.

Step 3. Vacuum, Sweep, Mop & Clean A little dust usually doesn’t show up in photos. However, having a nice shiny surface makes your photos crisp and sharp. This also helps tremendously when showing in person. If a home buyer sees two identical homes and one is particularly clean….that person is much more likely to keep in mind the home that is obviously more cared for by the current owners.

Step 4. Outside Don’t forget about the outside! A freshly mowed lawn, trimmed hedges & a clean driveway makes your home more inviting and adds great curb appeal. Remove trash cans from view, Sweep the sidewalk, driveway and porch. Consider planting flowers & adding fresh mulch or watering the mulch the day that pictures will be taken.

Written by: Jason Collins Against the Grain Photography 210-725-0596

www.soldtoclose.com

Last fall, the Federal Government introduced a financial incentive to prospective first-time homebuyers — an income tax credit of up to $7,500. The rules were simple: you must have been a first-time homebuyer (as defined by not owning a home in the previous three years) and you met certain income restrictions.

The new $8,000 tax credit is available to those who buy between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009. It’s not a deduction, it’s an actual credit. Unlike the $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit introduced last summer; this does not need to be repaid.

First timers who qualify can make no more than $75,000 in adjusted gross income if they’re single or $150,000 if filing jointly. The maximum tax credit is $8,000 or 10 percent of the sales price of the home, whichever is less. Three years residence in the property are required. As always, check with your accountant for details and be sure to submit IRS form 5405 when you file your taxes (See link below to obtain the form).

www.millionairesystems.com/msys/FD.html#YFH

Click Here to go directly to the PDF form for the First Time Home Buyer $8000 Tax Credit