If you are lucky enough to be moving to Houston, one of the approximately 20,000 Houston real estate agents can help you secure a piece of Houston’s surprisingly affordable real estate, whether you are opting to buy or build, and whether you’d prefer a commercial or residential property.

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Houston Real Estate Agents

The city of Houston, with a population of over 2 million, employs around 20,000 real estate professionals. Houston real estate agents have the enviable job of negotiating the sale of properties in a growing city with warm and sunny weather, low housing costs, many job opportunities, and close proximity to beautiful beaches.

Houston’s Attractions:

• Weather: Known as the Bayou City, Houston is situated by the Gulf Coast, and therefore enjoys a climate that is warm and sunny, but more temperate than the farther inland portion of Texas. Average daily high during the summer is almost ninety degrees, while during the winter it is in the mid-sixties.
• Jobs: The average Houston resident faces a commute of less than thirty minutes, due to the wide array of job opportunities in the city. The majority of employment opportunities in the city are found in education, health, and social services, with management, administration, professional, scientific, and waste management services coming in second.
• Beaches: Houston is situated very near the coast. Notable beaches within an hour’s drive of Houston include Palm Beach and Stewart Beach (in Galveston), and Jamaica Beach.

Houston Real Estate:

So by now, you may wish you lived in the sunny city of Houston. Fortunately for you, real estate in the city is surprisingly affordable, and the 20,000-something Houston real estate agents are ready to help you secure a property. The median house value is below $100,000. Building a new house is also a popular option, but you’ll pay slightly more to do so; the average cost to build a new home in the city was about $130,000 during 2003.

Rent is also quite affordable in Houston, and if you prefer to rent (over half of Houston’s residents are renters), a local real estate agent can guide you to a suitable property. Or, you have the option to purchase a rental property as an investment.

What Houston Real Estate Agents Do:

A good real estate agent will be able to help you find a neighborhood to settle in that meets your price requirements and other criteria, and will also connect you to lenders and valuable community resources. Obtaining the aid of an agent is especially important if you are opting to build, since then he or she is also responsible to help you find reputable builders, negotiate building contracts, and select good building materials based on local weather and environment. It’s also imperative that those considering the purchase of a commercial property obtain the aid of a local real estate professional, since the process is more legally complicated, and it can be difficult to find a profitable venture.

Although the affordability of Houston real estate leads many buyers to attempt to “go it alone,” research indicates that those who obtained help from Houston real estate agents were better off, getting better value for their money on average, and less than half as likely to purchase a home listed for above market price. If you are among the many lucky individuals contemplating a move to Houston, play it smart and enlist a real estate professional on your behalf.

A REALTOR® is a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®