For Sale: 22108 CANTINA Drive Galveston, TX

WOW! Very nice canal front home in an active rental program. Pride in ownership, ready to move in, open concept, kitchen with granite, black appliances, dining area, airy and light windows galore! On the canal, just push a button and lower your boat to go out to Galveston Bay to fish or turn on light over the dock and fish from home. While enjoying the great outdoors, serve your guests from a downstairs entertainment area complete with awnings, tv, concrete bar, bathroom and full size refrigerator-bring the family or friends! The Master Bedroom is on the top floor with Gulf of Mexico views or step out onto the balcony and watch the amazing Sea Isle sunsets over the canal. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and enclosed 1 car garage. Park your jet skis at the boat dock in the jet ski lift that is perfectly installed for easy access... This home has it all as a vacation getaway, full time home or investment rental property. Make an appointment to see today! $596,000  #jankecoproperties #waterfront homes #galvestontx #realestate #beachhouse #bayhouse #seaislegalveston #rentalincome #vacationhomesgalveston #mariejankerealtor

Do I Have to Have Flood Insurance?

Is flood insurance necessary for this type home on stilts?

The short answer is no you do not have to have flood insurance if you pay cash or do not have a mortgage. Lenders will require that you carry however if you have a mortgage on the property.

The reason that you SHOULD carry flood insurance is to make certain you are covered in all ways should a hurricane damage your home. Windstorm can sometimes wreak havoc on a claim if flood damage is proven. To ensure that you will have all bases covered, carry both.

The amount you pay for flood insurance is dependent on what flood zone you are located and the height of your home out of the flood plain. Many times insurance can be grandfathered from the existing owner and new owner can acquire the policy at what is currently being paid. Your realtor can assist you with this and even put in the earnest money contract.

These are just my thoughts from experience of selling homes on the Texas Coast. You can reach out to me for other questions and I will connect you with insurance companies that do this for a living.

A Car Hits Your House: What Next If You Are The Landlord?

It is a sickening feeling when a tenant calls you and you can hear the sirens and police chatter coming over the line. Help! In my case, the tenant called to report that a truck took the corner too fast and slammed into the front fence and house of our rental property. The police were very nice and thankfully the person who was driving is well insured and not injured. But what next?

1) Get a copy of the accident report, it will include the name of the driver, license and insurance policy information.
2) Get photos and video of the damage BEFORE it is cleaned up and document everything!
3) Contact the insurance company to set up a day and time for an adjuster to come inspect.
3) Get at least 3 estimates to repair the damage.
4) Don't assume that the person who plowed through your fence will have adequate insurance. Check with your home insurance to see if your policy will cover any shortfall that theirs will not cover.

Since this driver did have insurance we will get the house and fence fixed and move on.
But what happens if there is no insurance?

1) You may sue the driver personally (I am not a lawyer so contact an reputable attorney for advice)
2) Report to your insurance company, pay the deductible so that repairs can begin.

For more information about buying investment homes and all that comes with it, visit Janke & Co Properties on Facebook and our website.

Selling a Home? Fix These 5 Things

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Some things really send up red flags with beach Home Buyers and they are presented here to help you see things that have long been overlooked in your home. They are generally easy to fix or replace but many Sellers simply pass over the obvious. Doing these five things will definitely help a Buyer make a decision to buy your home quickly and potentially for more money!

Chipped and Yellowed Paint

Paint the room with neutral or light and airy beachy colors

If there ever is an item that a Realtor will tell you hurts the most, its chipped up paint and yellowed trim. Take a weekend and wash down doors and paint a room that has seen a lot of traffic. Paint is on the low budget list and if you have time on your hands, the labor is free! Pick a neutral or soft color and get rid of Susie's purple room color. It may be cute to you but it is a turnoff to Buyers. 

Spruce Up The Landscaping

Rock makes a great accent to any yard!

Give a great first impression. We call it "curb appeal"! Freshen up those gardens, rake leaves and trim trees. It would be worth a couple of hundred dollars to hire a service to spruce it up a bit more than the usual mowing and weeding. Flowers in season are always great and it can't be over stated you how much it means to make a great first impression to Buyers when they first drive up to the home!

Pet Damage or Odor

Fix the damage a pet makes before Buyer arrives.

If you want to scare off a Buyer really fast, have a home with cat urine smell or dog dander odor or a door where your pet has made its mark. It kills the moment to say the least! Replace that carpet that is stained and smelly. Replace damaged furniture with something new. The furniture typically does not go with the sale but it leaves a bad feeling of the home not being taken care of, so get over to the furniture store and buy new. You can take it with you to your new home!

Appliances in Disrepair

For not a lot of money, replace old appliances. 

Replace that old dishwasher and stove. You will most likely regain what you spend when you sell the home. It gives an automatic updated feeling to an otherwise older kitchen. Most home buying decision are made by women and the kitchen is their "feel good" place right from the start! Make it feel good to walk in the kitchen, for not a lot of money!

Maintenance on the Small Stuff

Have you been walking by that cracked bedroom windows for years and never even noticing it? Well guess what? The Buyer will pick up on it immediately. Torn screens are another small thing that does not take much money to fix so just do it. The inspector is going to note it anyway so might a swell not have that box checked! Also, get those dingy yellowed electrical plug covers replaced. You can get them for under $2.00 at the hardware store and all you need is a screwdriver to replace.

The best advice  is to ask a Realtor what to do before you go out and spend a lot of money. Fixing just these 5 things will not only sell your home faster but potentially get you more money too! At Janke & Co Properties we work for our clients best interest... always. See us at www.jankeco.com where  you can search for your dream vacation home in Galveston, TX.

Top 5 Luxury Developments in Galveston Beach Homes

New home construction on Galveston Beach.

What’s happening where and what’s hot in Galveston’s residential beach market right now? Where to find that beachfront dream of ocean sounds and breezes?

 Here are 5 newer developments that are worth a look.

The Preserve at Grand Beach

This is a brand new boutique beachfront community.  It is a sleeper at the moment just offering less than 50 home sites on Galveston’s ever expanding East Beach. These beachfront lots are still affordable but watch out, prices may be going up before spring. Doctors and Medical Professionals favor the area as it is located near the University of Texas Medical Branch.  The one (of many) special features about this development is that that the second row lots are offset to provide tons of beachfront views.

Lot prices are from $179K up $320K+

Homes are custom built. No current inventory.

Pointe West

A favorite development because it is like nowhere else on the island! Once you step onto the property, there is a tropical feel created by a disappearing edge pool, lavishly landscaped grounds and properties in all price ranges. It feels like Palm Beach on the Gulf of Mexico!

It does carry a high HOA but you get what you pay for in this development. The townhome rental market is great and the tropical ambiance makes even the pickiest Millennial’s glad they came. Pamper yourself all day at the club down at the beach or hang at the beachside bar. There is something for everyone here!

Lot prices are from $10,000-$210,000+

Home prices are from $200,000 to $750,000+

Beach Side Village

For those who expect more, there is no shortage of beauty, architecture and heavenly walking paths in Beach Side Village. A beautifully maintained area, where homes are highly sought after by even the most discriminating vacation crowd.

There are no townhouses here, a feature that the person in the luxury home buying market truly appreciates. Pastel colored homes are the order of the day and little white picket fences add to the charm and the overall seaside feeling.

Lot prices are from $69,000-$150,000+

Home Prices from $600’s to $1M+

Beach Town

What a different world on East Beach Galveston! The architecturally acclaimed development is stunning with timeless porch style coastal homes and wide open beaches. This distinctive beachy destination is divided up into Beachfront home sites, Lagoon home sites, Grand View home sites, Interior home sites, and Seaside and Park home sites.

Palm tree lined avenues mark the winding streets so that you are never without some tropical Island feelings while you bike, hike or drive. Homes here have been featured is Southern Living magazine and it’s no surprise. No cost was spared building out this beachfront gem. Flanked by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and a nature preserve on the other, it is a reflection of Galveston old world charm meets a day at the beach in 2018!

Lots prices are $75,000 to $500,000+

Home prices are from $700,000 to $3M+

Sunset Cove

This exclusive gated community offers both beach and bay home sites with developers’ closeouts going on right now. Located on the West End of the Island, deluxe amenities include beach views, bay views, tropically manicured lawns and concrete streets on over 50 acres. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the neighborhood swimming pool and pavilion, tennis court and concrete boat ramp.

No short term rentals are allowed here so owners can enjoy the peacefulness of the surroundings year round.

 Lot prices are from $60,000-$450,000+

Home prices are from $450,000 to $1M+

Want to buy a beach house in Galveston? Contact Marie Janke for further information at (281) 686-2088 or visit our website at www.jankeco.com.

Houston Luxury Home Owners Consider Buying in Austin After Harvey

 Luxury home owners are not any different than other home owners when it comes to flooding, natures wrath and what to do after the waters have all gone away. Many Houston homeowners are heading for the hills of Austin! So do you take the plunge and head up Interstate 10?

The key is to work to lessen the stress on both parties.You should consider selling your flooded home if you are physically, emotionally spent and can make it work economically. There are ways to transfer the insurance monies to the new owner for them to renovate or sell as is for a lower price. Knowledge is invaluable and, take it from a Broker who worked with hundreds of families dealing with flooded homes after Ike, get the realtor who knows how to navigate through this troubling time.

 I work with clients from all over the world to find the perfect luxury home in cities like Austin, Texas 12 months out of the year. Disaster times however can be very different. So let me introduce myself. My name is Marie Janke and I am the Owner/Broker of Janke & Co Properties, a Boutique Realty Company with offices in Austin, Houston and Galveston. I have worked with homeowners after Hurricane Ike and now Harvey. We all have learned that no economic group is spared when Mother Nature decides to visit your neighborhood ...what to do?

 Owners of flooded luxury Houston homes from Hurricane Harvey are asking themselves if it is worth the demands of putting a flooded house back together again. Many calls I am getting are from Houston owners of flooded luxury homes looking to sell and move to the tranquil hills of Austin. Sounds good but should you sell? Or more importantly can you sell?And the answer is yes if you can come out whole in the process.

What will your home be worth?
The after flood market will probably look something like this for the top 3 tiers: (Just my thoughts)
(Most sustained value) Tier 1-Homes that did not flood, Waterfront homes even if they did flood
(Second Value) or Tier 2 -Homes that flooded but were not in a flood plain and had never flooded previously
Tier 3 - Homes that flooded but are located in a highly desirable area with good schools, medical and shopping

Is Austin on Your Radar Screen?
After the storm, it seems the demand is getting so high now in Austin that I now spend a lot of time travelling from my home on the Coast of Texas to meet with a client, learn their individual taste and then embark  to find the perfect home . Having the knowledge and experience of the neighborhood pockets of Austin and a keen sense of what my clients needs for a new life are is what I do, no actually... it's what I LOVE to do!  Then, finding solutions in such a competitive market like Austin is essential to get an offer accepted. Doing all this and selling the flood home is a melody of transactions that require diligence, communication skills and a professional relationship based on trust and ethics. It can be a daunting task for those affected by the flood no matter what economic group they are from.

Today, I came across this home that is listed for $4,250,000  and thought I would share with you. It is located on 4 acres and provides the ambiance of a luxury home unmatched by many on the market today.  I was struck by the architecture and craftsmanship, the amenities of a chef's kitchen (to die for), a world class bar and game room, security throughout and a negative edge pool with a seating enclave that is great for entertaining once you are all settled in again!

There are over 800 what are considered "luxury homes for sale in Austin". With so much to choose from be sure to use an Agent or Broker that not only knows the market but knows how to make sense out of a tragic situation like Harvey both economically and what is best for your future!