4th of July in Brazos Valley

Summer is here, and before you know it, 4rth of July will be here as well. That means it’s time for barbecue, hanging out on the lawn with friends and family, and of course, fireworks. Although residential fireworks aren’t legal within Bryan-College Station city limits, you can stop by the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum for the big firework show. And fireworks aren’t the only thing to enjoy on 4th of July in Brazos Valley. Here are a few of the events you can enjoy for the big day next month.

“I Love America” Celebration

Every July 4th at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, you can gather in the lawn for the 4th of July “I Love America.” Celebration Concert and firework show. Starting that morning, the museum opens with free admission. In the evening, concession stands gather and bounce houses and games show up for the kids’ amusement. At 8:35, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra begins the concert, followed by a firework show at 9:30. Of all the firework events in College Station, this is the big one to see.

Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration

For over 30 years, the Brazos Heritage Society has put on a 4th of July celebration that evokes the past. There’s a flag raising, patriotic readings, a children’s parade, live music, and plenty of refreshments. It’s located right in the middle of the Eastside Historical District of Bryan, at 30th and Hutchins. This is a festival for early bird celebrators, and those who like to remember the history of their 4th of July celebrations.

Fireworks On the Brazos

Another fireworks festival occurs at Washington on the Brazos and runs from 10am to 10pm. There’s fireworks at 9:30pm, but it’s so much more than that. Throughout the day, you can enjoy free ice cream from Blue Bell, live music from country music artists, and enjoy plenty of food and craft vendors. There’s even a shuttle running starting in the afternoon to take people to and from the park.

Patriotic Picnic

Maybe for you, 4th of July is less about the fireworks and more about the fireworks and more about the food. If that’s the case, the patriotic picnic at First Baptist in Bryan might be for you. The picnic starts at 5:30pm and includes a concert for the community’s entertainment. Like the other events, this is free and open to the public.

If you’re new to Brazos Valley, attending one of the many 4th of July festivals throughout the area can be a great way to get to know the area. Even if you’re just visiting and looking for a place to possibly live later, celebrating the 4th of July with us will help you to see what this area truly has to offer. Here, you’ll find a friendly, enthusiastic community, great food and music, and a day of fun for the family. If you’re here looking for a new home, or just moving in, around 4th of July, ask your realtor what 4th of July celebrations are going on near you.

House for Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

Kitchen Trends of 2018

One of the first ways to make your new house feel like home is to put your stamp on the kitchen. On the other hand, updating your kitchen before you sell your home can be an excellent way to add value to it. But to do so successfully in either case, you’ll want to look at the trends of the year. You might only find a handful of trends you enjoy, or you might remember trends of the past that you liked better, but it’s always good to have a frame of reference.

Granite is Gone

Once upon a time, this was on the wish list of every new homebuyer. Granite countertops were as trendy as it got, and no one seemed interested in accepting any substitutes. This trend would last for several years, but it seems it’s finally on its way out. Instead, homeowners tend to look towards marble — and even better, quartz. Both are higher end counter surfaces, but quartz is significantly lower maintenance than granite and marble and it lasts longer, so in the end, it’s worth a better value.

Two-Tone Color Schemes

Similarly, until recently all-white kitchens were very much in vogue. All-white kitchens gave the room a cleaner, airier look, and held more of the natural sunlight from the window. However, it can be tricky to make all the whites in the room match, and all-white kitchens require more cleaning. They can also look, well, a little dull. So instead, two-toned kitchens are becoming more popular, usually incorporating a deeper, darker color against white. Black and white, navy and white, or deep green and white kitchens are a massive trend of 2018.

Kitchen Islands That Do More

Kitchen islands have long been the focal point of kitchens. Sometimes, with the help of surrounding stools, they can even serve as your dining table. But homebuyers now are looking for kitchen islands that serve as more than just a place to gather. Because kitchen storage has long been a problem that has plagued home cooks, kitchen islands have started to offer more storage options. Some kitchen islands even have an oven attached. The more function, the better — and the more value for your home, of course.

Flooring

Common sense dictates that a kitchen should have a smooth floor. It’s easier move around and much easier to clean. (Can you imagine the nightmare that might exist with a kitchen over carpet?) Hardwood floors are usually the favorite, but ceramic tile is gaining in popularity. Both are low maintenance options, and these days, ceramic tile can even be made to look like wood. But for those looking for a budget option, linoleum is probably still the way to go, and good linoleum can be made to look like either wood or tile.

A new kitchen can give your entire home a new feel, whether you plan to live in it for years or put it on the market next month. In the latter case, trust a local real estate agent to help you stage your home and get the most out of your sale.

House for Sale in College Station 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

5 Hidden Gems of Bryan-College Station

Some of the best parts of Bryan-College Station are fairly obvious. Downtown Bryan has historic charm and plenty of quirky shops and restaurants. The college, the sports arenas, and city hall are all easy to find. But look a little deeper and you’ll find even more BCS gems, even if they’re not at the top of the “things to do” list. Here are some local favorites:

Amico Nave

Amico Nave is a local restaurant that’s a little hidden away from the center of everything, but locals who know of it swear by it. In fact, lifestyle blogger Payton Sartain says, “You MUST try Amico Nave if you live here.” Amico Nave is a Sicilian restaurant, but it’s not bound to traditional Sicilian recipes. Here you can try their pesto chicken or vodka sauce pizza, lasagna Tony Salvaggio or Norwegian salmon. They also have a delicious plate of shrimp and grits.

Old Bryan Marketplace

Downtown and historic Bryan are famous spots for shopping, but Old Bryan Marketplace is a little more lowkey. However, if you’re looking for something quirky and offbeat, this is the place to go. This marketplace has a little of everything: furniture, baby clothes, stationery, and eclectic fashion. Even the building itself has character, a 22,000 square-foot structure originally built in 1908 with pine hardwood floors, bricked archways and fireplaces.

Tower Point

Most who are new to College Station expect to find all the action around the college, but if you’re looking for a real local experience, it’s Tower Point. Here you can find H-E-B, Chick-Fil-A, office buildings and an abundance of other beloved shops and restaurants. You may be able to find some great homes and apartments in this area, as well.

Rooftop Garden

This hidden gem, on the other hand, is located on the college campus. At the top of the George P. Mitchell Physics Building, you can find the only rooftop garden on campus, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Garden. Not only is this a serene place to get away, study, or hang out with friends, but it showcases a number of native Texas plants. You may even spy some butterflies while you’re up there.

Wednesday Farmers Market at Lake Walk

Looking for some local produce, culture, and maybe live music? Then check out the farmers market at Lake Walk Pavilion and Plaza in Bryan on Wednesday nights. It’s not the only farmers market in Bryan-College Station, but  because it takes place on Wednesday nights, it can be overlooked. If you can make it out, you can find food from Napa Flats and anything from eggs to jams and jellies to candles.

Bryan-College Station is a community with a lot of local flavor. Even if you’ve lived here for a few years, you may still be able to find new gems that surprise you. And if you’re new to the community, there’s that much more to explore. Ask your local realtor about the best hidden gems in the city, and the best homes you can find close by.

House for Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

How to Save Energy And Add Value to Your Home

Boosting your home value is essential if you plan to sell your home at some point in the foreseeable future. Housing markets fluctuate and there’s a possibility that by the time you move, your house will be worth less than it was when you moved in. Even if that’s not the case, you want to make a return on investment, and that means adding value to your home.

You can do this by making improvements on the existing home, improvements that homebuyers will likely be willing to pay for when it comes time to list your home. This could be remodeling or updating the appliances. One sure way to add value to your home is by making energy efficient changes. Energy efficient changes not only add value to your home overall but reduce your energy bills in the meantime, and the eco-friendly appeal is not lost on many modern homebuyers. Here are a few ways to save energy and add value to your home:

Updating Appliances? Look for Energy Star

If you plan to remodel, make sure all your new appliances, windows, doors, etc. are Energy Star approved. Energy Star is a program started by the EPA that rates the energy performance of various home appliances. They have energy efficiency standards that have to be met in order to certify a product, and are generally held as the standard when it comes to energy efficiency. You can even use their website’s product finder in order to find the right products for whatever updating you plan to do. Want a new HVAC system? Energy Star can help with that. Redoing the kitchen? Find your new refrigerator from a list of Energy Star products. Even roof products and pool pumps are covered here.

Tighter Insulation

If your home’s insulation isn’t strong enough, excess cool air could be leaking into your home, or could be escaping out depending on the time of year. This quickly becomes a drain on your HVAC costs and your home’s energy performance. So if your HVAC bills have been particularly high, or you’re looking for a way to lower them before you move, new insulation might be the answer. Fiberglass insulation can have an R-value up to 25, making it a big hit with energy conscious homeowners...and homebuyers.

Have an Audit

If you’re unsure where to start with your energy efficient updates, have a home energy audit. A home energy audit, or home energy assessment, is a check-up by energy efficiency experts who measure how much energy your home is currently using and where and how you can save energy. If your windows need to be replaced, your insulation needs to be stronger, or your light fixtures need more efficient bulbs, a home energy audit can tell you all that and more, giving you the perfect roadmap for adding value to your home.

If you’ve recently made energy efficient updates to your home, make sure you let your realtor know. She can market your home as energy efficient, thus giving you an edge in the market and catching the eye of savvy homebuyers.

Home For Sale In College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

4 Sports in College Station that Aren’t Football

If Aggieland is well known for any sport, it’s football. We’re very proud of our football team, the Aggies. And in fact, people come from all over the country to watch a game at Kyle Field. But what about when it’s not football season? How do sports enthusiasts get their fix?

Football might be our most talked about sport in College Station, but it’s certainly not the only thing we have to offer sports lovers. From other excellent Texas A&M teams to local sports organizations, here are a few sports you can enjoy in Bryan-College Station.

Baseball & Softball

Football might be the highlight of autumn, but there’s plenty of baseball and softball to go around in the heat of summer. The Aggies baseball team plays at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.  Texas A&M is currently 12-12 in the Southeastern Conference, and recently won a victory over the number one team in the conference, Florida.

For more amateur baseball players, there’s College Station Little League, Twelve Baseball Academy, and even softball for adults. Try-outs usually occur in the spring, with games played throughout the summer.

Soccer

There are several operational soccer clubs in Bryan-College Station, including: College Station Soccer Club, Brazos Valley Futbol Club, B/CS Soccer League, and Texas Aggieland Soccer Club. So it comes as no surprise that there are plenty of opportunities to catch a soccer game throughout the year.  The annual Aggieland classic can be found every year in February at Veteran’s Park and boasts one of the nicest complexes in South Texas.

Basketball

Starting in the fall at Reed’s Arena, you can watch both men and women’s Aggies basketball teams play their hearts out. And for aspiring basketball players who hope to join those ranks one day, there’s basketball with Youth Athletics, which teaches not only the sport but strong teamwork skills that players will take on and off the court. High school basketball seasons are also enthusiastically followed, by family of the students as well as local basketball fans in general.

Golf

Whether at a country club or a public golf course, there are many opportunities to break out the golf clubs in Bryan-College Station. The Golf Club at Texas A&M was recently renovated to include an 18-hole championship course, as well as a game practice area. Pebble Creek Golf Course not only includes the golf course itself, but a full sports bar. Its beautiful landscape also makes for the perfect wedding venue. And with Bryan-College Station’s friendly atmosphere, you’re sure to find a golf buddy in no time.

And that’s not including tennis, track and field, swimming, and so much more! We love sports in College Station, and that doesn’t mean just football — though our football program is also pretty great. Here you can find a wide variety of sports to enjoy whether as a spectator, a player, or a proud parent. There are many reasons to call College Station home, but for a sports lover, it’s really no question.

Home for Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

4 Tips to Boost Your Curb Appeal

If you’re selling your home, you probably already know how important curb appeal is. It’s a buzz term repeated over and over through the selling process. What is curb appeal? It’s just what it sounds like: the appeal that the outward appearance of your home holds to potential buyers.

Your home can be expertly staged on the inside, but if the curb appeal is disheveled or dull, no one will ever know it. To sell your house successfully and for a reasonable price, you have to grab the attention of homebuyers from the first impression.

Bring Your Curb Appeal Online

Forty years ago, curb appeal referred to what the buyer sees when they drive past your home or pull into the driveway. Today, without a good online listing, the buyer may never drive past your curb to begin with. Online listings on real estate sites like Zillow and Trulia are crucial to the housing market today, and buyers are much more likely to click on listings with pictures. So make sure to not only shape up your curb appeal, but take pictures that show off its best features and add those to your listing.

Don’t Just Focus on the Front

It’s true, the front of your house is a big part of your curb appeal. It is the first sight, but that’s not all there is to curb appeal. Remember, buyers who tour your home will look at the backyard, too, and a good backyard can be make or break. Don’t cut corners when inspecting what needs to be improved. Walk around to the sides of the house and finally the back to get the full picture. Buyers will be able to tell, and appreciate, a thorough facelift.

Refresh the Paint

Boosting your curb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive and extravagant. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint can help your house look like new. Start with the front door. A brightly colored front door is eye-catching and inviting. It should match the house, but also make a statement all its own. Red doors are classic, but bold blue or green doors can be just as charming. If the siding needs to be painted, put in the time to do that, as well.

Your Mailbox Counts

Your mailbox may seem like a small detail, but remember that buyers will watch out for those small details when looking at a house they’re considering for their next home. If your mailbox is dingy and rusted, or riddled with chipped paint and dents, you should probably look into buying a new mailbox. Sure it’s possible a potential buyer wouldn’t notice your old mailbox, but they’ll certainly notice a fresh, new one.

Finally, work with an experienced realtor to get the most out of your curb appeal. A real estate agent who is an expert in the area and the housing market will know what buyers want to see when they look at houses, and will help you make your house the home of their dreams.

Home For Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

How to Get a Competitive Edge in A Buyer’s Market

When you decide to sell your home, you first need to find out whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. A seller’s market is a real estate market in which the demand is higher than the homes available in an area. The seller has their pick of buyers in a seller’s market. On the other hand, a buyer’s market occurs when there are more homes on the market than buyer’s searching for homes in the area, thus giving buyers their pick.

It’s easy to sell your home in a seller’s market, but how do you make your home stand out in a buyer’s market? It’s important, especially if you have a limited time in which to sell, to grab the buyer’s attention and really hook them on your home.

See What The Competition is Doing

Before you list your home, look at what current listings are doing right. Look at the pictures they post on their listings, and the way they stage their home. Did you notice that their appliances seem new? Did they take down personal touches to their home before taking pictures of the interior, and what effect did that have on the home? Look at the competitive prices so you have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Then think about what your house has that those listings don’t. Do you have a larger yard? Is your home three stories instead of two? Are you within walking distance of a grocery store or popular restaurant? Take out a notebook and write down what stands out to you.

Staging is Everything

We’ve talked before about the importance of staging your home. If you want a competitive edge in the housing market, staging is the best way to do it. Take pictures that show the best aspects of your home for the home listing, but work on the house itself, too, for home tours. Remove personal effects — family photos, pet beds or children’s toys — so that buyers can see themselves in your home. Make sure everything is clean and well-lit and that any updates have been made.

You also need to stage the curb appeal of your home as many buyers have already formed their opinion of the home before they go inside. You may need to get the lawn in shape and throw a fresh coat of paint on the house.

Work With a Real Estate Professional

Expertise is essential when you want to sell your home quickly and effectively. A real estate agent can help to optimize your online listings as well as offer advice for staging your home. They can show you your home’s best assets and have your back to ensure that the best price for your home is negotiated. Real estate agents have a knowledge of the market that the rest of the world doesn’t, as well as with the way it can change. While you might be tempted to do your home sale all on your own, the way to get the best results is definitely with a real estate agent.

In a buyer’s market, you want to play to your home’s strengths as much as possible. Accepting the help of an expert to enhance those qualities is never a bad decision. When looking for a real estate agent, don’t just choose anyone. Find a realtor with years of experience in your community, someone who loves the community and knows it inside out.