The City of College Station is ranked by The Business Journals as the brainiest city in Texas among those with populations between 50,000 and 100,000. Some 28 percent of College Station residents hold a bachelor’s degree and another 28.23 percent have a graduate or professional degree. A lot of this has to do with Texas A&M faculty as well as so many Aggies staying here after graduation!

The Business Journals ranked 483 mid-sized U.S. cities using 2009 U.S. Census Data. The rankings were based on the percentage of population with each level of educational attainment.  Not only were we #1 in Texas, but College Station ranked No. 31 nationally.

So, next time someone makes an Aggie joke, make sure and let them know that they are actually making fun of the smartest city in all of Texas!

Unfortunately a lot of times we don’t realize that there are those in our community who don’t know where their next warm meal will come from, where they will sleep, or if their children will be warm enough this winter!  We don’t see it a lot, but it does exist more than you could even imagine!

This year, my kids and I decided that we would like to help those who are less fortunate than the majority of us in Bryan/College Station. We have started a coat/blanket drive in Castlegate with the donations going to the Twin City Mission!  What started as a small project has taken flight.  My daughter and I printed out about 100 fliers and asked a few of her friends to help us pass them out in our subdivision!  The kids have all gotten so into it that it has amazed me!  They just light up when people ask about how to donate!  Now it is on the Castlegate website and on Facebook!

It’s very simple if you want to get involved!  We are taking donations at 2445 Newark Circle today from 4-6 and tomorrow 9-11 am!  All you have to do is drive up to the curb and we’ll grab them from you.  If that time isn’t convenient, you can call me at 979-229-0919 and we can pick them up.  You can also drop them by the Century 21, Beal offices located at 404 H University Drive East at your leisure.

The kids are waiting to take your Coats and Blankets to give to the less fortunate!

We have a lot to be thankful for Aggieland, so let’s get out there and make this winter a little warmer for our Brazos Valley Neighbors!

For more information, give Farrah Spears a call at 979-229-0919

For more information about Castlegate and any home in Bryan/College Station, give me, Farrah Spears, a call at 979-229-0919.

Farrah Spears

979-229-0919

For all your real estate needs, Call Farrah B Spears at 979-229-0919

Their mantra is…”When They Come Back, We Give Back!”  What better way to say thank you to our troops this Veteran’s day than sporting a pair of boots just like theirs? So join in the growing chorus of musicians, entertainers, athletes and other celebrities and get YOUR boots on!  I laced up my boots in support and and next week,  November 14-19th,  you can support the campaign in various ways!

1. If you are a student, stop by my office at 404 H University Drive East(beside Cenare and across University Drive from the FOX and Hound) and show your student id for your FREE “I do it with my boots on” T-shirt to be worn at the game on November 19th. My office is open Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.

2.  Stop by the photo booth in front of the giant Aggie Ring on game day(November 19th) and join the national Boot Campaign facebook movement. *Surprise Aggie celebs will be there!

3. Head to the Shiner sponsored tailgate outside Reed Arena for FREE BEER!  (must have your valid drivers license and your Boot Campaign tee shirt on!)

What better way to say thanks this Veteran’s day than to Walk a Mile in Their Boots and support our troops!   Click on the link to find out more about this year’s Aggieland Boot Campaign! http://www.bootcampaign.com/aggie.html or give me, Farrah Spears, a call at 979-229-0919!  Thanks again Veterans!  God Bless America!

For all your real estate needs, call Farrah B Spears at 979-229-0919

For this and all real estate tips, call me, Farrah Spears at 979-229-0919

My friend and Mary Kay Sales Director, Ashley Virnau, told me about something she and Mary Kay are doing to raise funds to go towards breast cancer research via the Mary Kay Ash Foundation.  It’s simple, all you do is lend your face, receive a complimentary facial, and a donation will be made to the Mary Kay Ash Foundation!  Also, for every Party held within Ashley’s unit, they will donate $20 to the Mary Kay Ash foundation!  This is a win/win as you get to have an amazing facial while supporting something that will one way or another effect us all!

To book your facial, call Ashley Virnau at 979-220-7281

For all your real estate needs, call Farrah Spears at 979-229-0919

Farrah Spears

Realtor, Century 21 Beal

979-229-0919

farrahs@century21bcs.com

Tonight is National Night Out in Bryan/College Station, so get out and meet your neighbors.  We live in one of the safest cities in the country, however crime still does occur, so what can we do to curb the small amount of crime that rears it’s head every once in a while….get to know your neighbors!  Tonight is the night to do just that.  There will be National Night Out parties in different parks and subdivisions around the cities, so look for the signs.  If your subdivision does not have a party tonight, then just get out and meet your neighbors so that you know who belongs and who doesn’t .  There is no better way to stay safe than to get to know the people who live around you, so get out there Aggieland and meet your neighbors!

For all your real estate needs, give me, Farrah Spears, a call at 979-229-0919

Farrah Spears

979-229-0919

farrahs@century21bcs.com

Here’s the list:

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 excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.
6. You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.
7. Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home, to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.
8. If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.
9. If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year’s tax return.
10. When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive refunds or correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS of your address change.

I hope these tips can help make you life a little easier when taxes come due.  For help selling your home and everything that comes along with it, give me a call @ 979.255.1839.

Clay Lee – Realtor

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

Just like a good movie can bring you into that world, a good video walkthrough can bring you right into a home.  Not only does it give potential buyers a fairly true look at the layout of your home, but it allows them to catch details that might not be the center of attention in a photo.  When you give buyers a 180° look (or even a 360° look if space allows) in full video you are able to pique their interest and create a longer lasting impact on them.  Let’s look at it this way, a buyer finds 2 different homes in the same neighborhood, similar square footage, similar amenities, & a similar look.  Which home will they remember if one has a video walkthrough and the other doesn’t?  The one with the video, because it sets it apart from the competition.

Below is a great example of how a video walkthrough can transport you right into the home:

This marketing tool is utilized in ALL of my listings.  I mentioned in my post on photos that in this clogged real estate market, you have to set yourself apart.  I can not repeat this enough.  You have to set yourself apart.  Video is a great technique of doing just that.

Video is only one of the many ways I can help you sell your home faster, to find out more please feel free to give me a call @ 979.255.1839

Clay Lee – Realtor

Century 21 Beal, Inc.