New Listing at Saida Towers IV Unit #105

Beautiful ground floor condo in one of the nicest complexes on the island! Breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico from your personal patio. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo offers an open concept floor-plan, the kitchen has stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and granite in the baths. Saida complexes are known for their excellent rental history and offer many amenities. 3 pools, tennis courts, palapa bar/restaurant. Located a few short steps to the beach, make this condo your next vacation getaway! More Information

New Listing Las Costas #2 on South Padre Island

Las Costas is an impressive 7 unit beachfront condo complex. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico from the expansive balconies. This condo is spacious and has top of the line appliances in the kitchen. Unit includes a single covered parking place and a single car garage with a mother-in law suite above it. Palapa and grill area include TV, surround sound system & fire pit. Gated beach access, heated pool/spa. Offered furnished, excludes paintings. More Information

5 lessons for the second-time homebuyer

We've only been homeowners for three years, but even that short time has offered my husband and me lots of lessons that we're using as we buy our next home. These are some of the ways our perspectives have changed from being first-time homebuyers to second-timers. Paint colors really don't matter much. I made the mistake of not looking past cosmetic features that are easily changed, like outdated fixtures or unusual paint colors. This caused us to pass up several homes and potentially lengthened our home search. Ask about repair work. We didn't ask many questions about repairs and maintenance that had been completed on properties when shopping for our first home. Finding out when the roof was replaced or whether the HVAC system was still under warranty could have saved us time and money. Now we ask. Priorities may change. ​The criteria that lead you to your first home may not be what you seek in your next one. I initially wanted a large backyard, until I had to mow one. And we were fine buying a home that required us to join the homeowners association, but now we'd prefer a home in a neighborhood with fewer restrictions. Get your financing in order early. During our first home purchase, we made the mistake of starting to look for homes before getting a prequalification or preapproval letter to share with sellers. This time around, we started talking with a mortgage broker first. Always work with a Texas REALTOR®. Just as your financial situation may have changed in the past few years, it's possible that the housing market may have changed, too. A Texas REALTOR® has the experience and knowledge about the current market to help you find the home that fits your needs ... and you may learn a thing or two in the process.

5 safety concerns to address when selling your home

Selling your home means making it available to as many potential buyers as possible. Are you ready to have people you don't know looking through your house? Here are a few safety-related questions you should consider when you're ready to sell: Where will your property information be posted online? If there’s a lockbox for the keys, who will have access to it? Who will be present during showings and open houses? Which of your valuables should be locked up, and which personal items removed? What should you do if someone stops by to see the home without an appointment? If you have concerns about the safety of your property and your family while your home is on the market, talk with a Texas REALTOR®. He or she can recommend ways to protect you and your property.

Perfect Island Hideaway

Sunchase beachfront #225 This second floor condo is located in an exclusive gated, two-story complex located in the center of town, within easy walking distance of dining and shopping areas. Sunchase Beachfront has tropical landscaping with pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, weight room and laundry room. Don't wait, make this condo your own tropical hideaway!

Great Commercial Property in Port Isabel, TX

1504 Highway 100 Port Isabel, TX 78578 3 acres of land with a car wash located in the heart of Port Isabel! This lot has 95 linear feet of frontage on Highway 100. This is a great opportunity to add a restaurant, shopping center and more!

5 tips to hire the right moving company

It’s a great feeling when you've found the property of your dreams. It’s not such a great feeling to start planning how you’ll move your belongings into it. Hiring movers can help you take some of the stress out of your move, but only if you find the right one. In addition to review and ratings websites, word-of-mouth recommendations are a good way to identify your options. Your Texas Realtor is another great resource for learning about reputable movers in your area. Once you have a few companies in mind, narrow down the competition with these tips. Three is the magic number Choosing one company without doing your research could lead to a frustrating experience, but calling a dozen moving companies for estimates can take too much time. Instead, decide on at least three companies you want to learn more about. You’ll get a good sense for average rates and offerings for your area. You may even be able to use their estimates to your advantage later. Get an in-person assessment Most people aren’t a good judge of how much stuff they have, and while some companies have online tools that create an estimate using your best guess, you should ask your picks to visit your home and take inventory for an accurate estimate. During an in-person assessment, you’ll be asked about what you’re planning to take, the moving supplies you need, and about your heavy or fragile items. Your movers will need to know the layout of your new property, too, so don’t forget to tell them about the three flights of stairs or that they’ll have to park on the street. Ask questions There are plenty of questions you can ask depending on your situation, but make sure to get answers to these in particular: Are you licensed for in- or out-of-state moves? The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles licenses moving companies, which must have an active TxDMV certificate on file to operate legally. Find out if a company is licensed at apps.txdmv.gov/apps/mccs/truckstop. What type of insurance do you carry? (They should at least carry workers’ compensation insurance.) What insurance coverage do you offer for my belongings? (valuation or replacement coverage) Can I pack myself? Will my items be covered if so? Is your crew bonded? (protection in case of employee theft, vandalism) Are there items you won’t transport? (light bulbs, batteries, gas) Don’t hold back information Be upfront about what you need your movers to do, whether it’s packing and unloading, assembling or dissembling items, or heavy lifting. You may think you can get a deal by glossing over details, but you’ll ultimately pay more for your hidden extras, and your movers won’t be pleased. Negotiate the deal You’ll receive an estimate from your moving companies based on several factors, such as the distance of the move and the potential gas expense, the weight or square footage that your items will use in the moving van, and labor costs. This is where having more than one estimate will come in handy. Don’t be afraid to tell your top pick if you’ve received a lower estimate that appeals to you, or roughly how much you want to spend. Look for other areas in which you can negotiate, such as free junk-hauling services or reduced rates for extra supplies or a different move date. Your movers can be a huge help, but only if you put in the effort to choose the right one.