Welcome to the get-me-out-of-Houston.com blog; it's my pleasure to invite you to become a part of an interactive community created to explore the fastest growing segment of residential real estate in the United States: The secondary home market. Having been a licensed Texas Realtor since 1989; two years ago, in 2004, I began to redirect my business to specialize in the picturesque and historic areas just west and northwest of Houston including all of Washington County and scenic/idyllic sections of Austin, Colorado, and Fayette Counties.
On the Communities page of my website, www.get-me-out-of-houston.com, you will find a detailed map of the areas I focus on: I-10 West at Sealy across to Columbus; up to La Grange; through Giddings; just north of Lake Somerville; down through Chappell Hill and Belville; back to Sealy. This encompasses all of Washington County with the county seat of Brenham as the middle of my self-assigned territory. This georgraphical area is not hard and fast; for many years, I have raised alpacas in Grimes County, boarding my animals on a gorgeous alpaca ranch, www.bluebonnethillsalpacas.com. I know this area well, too.
In real estate jargon, "the secondary home market" can mean vacation homes; weekend homes; weekend-homes-that-will-become-retirement-homes; income-producing-vacation-homes; or, the world of investment property. This blog is a vital adjunct to my website: www.get-me-out-of-houston.com.
For over two years, I’ve researched this geographical area; decided upon the area where I wanted to raise my children; and, finally, turned my attention to acquiring a vast and varied amount of literature to share with you. Only with a diverse library of information and resources readily available can you make the purchase and maintenance of your second home both an informed and enjoyable experience.
What is causing this radical shift in residential purchases? The aging Baby Boomers, of course! What else? With the first set of Boomers reaching age 60 in 2006, the vast impact of such a huge demographic shift is just beginning to become apparent. This phenomenon will continue for another 20 years. If you are already tired of hearing about the Boomer influence, you are in for years of aggravation; frankly, things will never be the same again! Yes, I'm one of those Boomers, too, just not one born during the earliest wave.
What do I really mean when I advocate getting out of Houston? Am I out to enflame Houston Mayor Bill White and City Council? Of course not! Houston is a dynamic city with a thriving economy; world class arts; incredible cuisine; the most affordable housing in the nation; and, what seems to be almost unstoppable growth. Unfortunately, our suburbs are also the definition of urban sprawl. Yet, for all it's affordable and positive factors, Houston is also hot; humid; crowded; flat; and, frankly, devoid of natural beauty. Despite spending billions of dollars, traffic seems to get worse and crime is escalating. Is this situation unique to Houston? Heavens no! Welcome to “Life in the Big City in 2006! To all but our youngest adults, Houston almost screams,"ESCAPE ME", at least on the weekends!
I've been a proud Houston resident since 1980 and I ask you not to misinterpret my thoughts. Of all the things I hold dear about Houston, her wide-open-frontier-mentality is probably my favorite; it was apparent as soon as I moved here in 1980. If a person wanted to be a success and was willing to work hard, Houston was the Big Enchillada! This was so different from life in my beloved hometown of New Orleans where, way too often, it was “who” you knew rather than “what” you knew that determined your opportunities. The history books of Houston are full of entrepreneurs, from wildcatters to music moguls, who’ve made millions of dollars after relocating to Houston. From space exploration to struggling to satisfy the nation's insatiable energy needs, Houston is a city that reaches towards the future at an incredible pace.
It is this very momentum, this frenetic lifestyle, the commuting nightmares that have given rise to that "little place in the country" dream so many of us carry around inside us. Just a few miles outside Houston one can find small country towns; an abundance of historical charm; and, all sizes of ranches from 10 acres to huge cattle operations. Belville, just west of Katy on I-10, north of Sealy, is being called “The Hamptons of Houston”! Don’t you love it?
As a high-tech marketing specialist and a member of the Real Estate Cyberspace Society, I feel strongly that the Internet is not being adequately used to market rural property. Both buyers and sellers are being sold short by this unacceptable situation. One of my goals is to identify true prospective properties for my clients and allow them to "view thse properties online". While there is a rural listing system that is open to both the public and real estate professionals, it is not the sophisticated vehicle of Housotn's MLS. There is no reason that busy executives should have to approach property searches outside Houston any different than they are accustomed to searching for property inside the city. What they will need is an agent who is willing to do the legwork for them.
For many years, I have held the advanced Graduate Realtors Institute designation awarded by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I am currently working towards the most exclusive of all NAR designations, the Council of Residential Specialists designation. In 2006, NAR announced their brand new spepcialization, the Resort and Second Home Certification. If everything stays on track, I should be one fo the first Realtors to qualify for this specializatoin nationwide.
My website has a FAQ page where I hope to address some of your most often asked questions pertaining to rural property. Please send your questions to info@get-me-out-of-houston.com and I promise to get an answer for you. I will either post the answer on my website, www.get-me-out-houston.com or on the blog FAQ Section.
When in doubt, I will be consulting with the experts; there truly is a world of difference between buying a suburban house and a few acres in the country. Knowledge is power!
I look forward to being of service to you,
Julie Quinn Fuelling,
Your Front Porch Specialist
www.get-me-out-of-houston.com
713-818-2404 mobile
