by Sheila Cox, Five Star Realtor ¦ Updated December 2025
This fantastic First-Time Home Buyer’s Guide, by Sheila Cox, is a 50+ page guide with multiple checklists and lots of tips and advice about buying a home, including:
- The benefits of home ownership
- Are you ready for home ownership?
- Planning Your Timing
- Understanding Down Payments and PMI
- Do you know what it costs to buy a home?
- How to budget and plan to buy a house
- Need help with the down payment cash?
- Analyze your net worth
- How much can you afford to borrow?
- How to find a reputable lender
- How to improve your credit score
- Texas Home Buying Process
- Planning the Move
- Real Estate Glossary
When You Are Ready to Tour Homes
When you are ready to tour some homes, then call/text me so we can get you on the calendar and discuss exactly what will be the perfect home for you. As a Katy real estate agent (an expert!) I can narrow your focus and help you find the perfect neighborhood.
Or you can send me your perfect home criteria here: Premium Custom Search
Once I set up your custom search, then you will start getting home listings via email and you can mark them with Hearts to mark your favorites. A couple of days before our scheduled tour, I make appointments for your Favorite homes and print out the maps, home data, etc. for our tour. On the day of our tour we will meet at my office and then drive the area together so I can tell you about the area and point out various features while also touring homes. This is a great way to find your perfect home!
Helpful Articles About Home Buying
VIP Buyer Program
Let's Get Started! I am happy you have decided to let me be your "Buyer's Agent" and help you get a GREAT home in the Katy area! If you haven't already, you may want to see my List of My Value-Added Services for VIP Home Buyers so you know what ... [Read More]
Home Buying Timeline in Katy
by Sheila Cox, Five Star Realtor | Updated October 2025 One thing I've found as a real estate agent: most people need help with their home buying timeline. So my recommendations are listed below. Home Buying Timeline for a Resale Home Start with a Deadline. That’s the date you absolutely ... [Read More]
How To Make Your Offer More Competitive
In a hot real estate market, where homes are getting multiple offers within a few days of being listed, you need to know how to make your offer to purchase a home more competitive. The more you want the home, the more competitive you will want to make the offer ... [Read More]
About Appraisals and What To Do When One Comes in Low
The Problem Regarding Real Estate Appraisals One troublesome aspect of home buying and selling is how to handle low real estate appraisals. A real estate appraisal is an estimate of the market value of a piece of real estate based upon a variety of factors. In the definition above, notice the word ESTIMATE. If ... [Read More]
Pricing a Katy Home Correctly
by Sheila Cox, Five Star Realtor | Updated October 2025 Pricing a Katy home correctly is more complicated than simply comparing the list price to the sales price. Clients often ask me how much they should pay for a home, and I tell them, “It depends on how much it’s ... [Read More]
Homestead Tax Exemption in Texas
As a homeowner in Texas, your Homestead Tax Exemption is a large exemption to reduce the amount of property taxes you pay. Applying for a Homestead Tax Exemption (more info) is a one-time activity in Texas that homeowners need to do the first year they buy a home…not something you do every year. The deadline is not until the ... [Read More]
Home Warranties
When you purchase a resale home, you can purchase a home warranty (a.k.a., Residential Service Contract or RSV) that will protect you against most ordinary flaws and breakdowns for at least the first year of occupancy. The warranty may be offered by either the Seller, as part of the overall ... [Read More]
Prior Foundation Repairs
Will Prior Foundation Repairs Effect a Home's Resale Value? In Texas, there is a saying that all houses here either have foundation repairs or will need them in the future. That's because the soil in most parts of Texas is an "expansive soil" that significantly expands and contracts based on ... [Read More]
Brick Repairs in Katy Area
Before a home owner puts a brick home on the market to sell in the Katy TX area, a thorough inspection on the exterior of the home should be performed. All the walls should be checked for cracks along mortar lines and brick. The lintels above windows and doors should ... [Read More]
Katy Home Security
Katy Home Security: Tips for Securing Your Home That Are Not Well Known If you are interested in Katy home security, then let me tell you my story... A while back I had the unfortunate experience of having my home burglarized. I thought my home was pretty safe: It’s in ... [Read More]
Katy TX Property Taxes
by Sheila Cox, Five Star Realtor | Updated October 2025 Katy TX Property Taxes--Unfortunately, property taxes in Texas are among the highest in the country. But before you panic, just remember that we don't have a state income tax in Texas...so one sort of offsets the other. I tell my ... [Read More]
Katy Master Planned Communities
Katy TX is a unique area that consists mostly of "master planned communities." We typically refer to these Katy master planned communities as "neighborhoods." Most neighborhoods are further divided into subdivisions. There are over 200 subdivisions in Katy! Some neighborhoods like Cinco Ranch and Kelliwood are divided into many subdivisions. Here's how this happens... When a developer decides ... [Read More]
Negotiating Advice for Home Buyers
Here are some helpful tips for Buyers when negotiating a sales offer on a home: Find out the number of days the house has been “on the market” (also referred to as DOM: Days on Market) as well as the pricing history of the home. In Texas, only members of ... [Read More]
What Is a Real Estate “Closing”?
A real estate “Closing” is where you and I meet with some or all of the following individuals: the Seller, the Seller’s agent, a representative from the lending institution and a representative from the title company, in order to transfer the property title to you. The purchase agreement or contract you ... [Read More]
Home Inspections for Buyers
Please know that a home inspection is one of the most important parts of buying a home. But it can be overwhelming trying to find a reputable inspector who you can trust. I provide all my buyer clients with a list of licensed home inspectors in the area to make ... [Read More]
Why Rent When You Can Buy?
Are you unsure about becoming a HOMEOWNER? Thinking that you can't afford to BUY a home? Are you worried about whether home buying is a good INVESTMENT? Buying a first home can be an intimidating process. But the first step is making those first decisions: I want to own ... [Read More]
Buying New vs Resale Home in Katy
by Sheila Cox, Five Star Realtor | Updated October 2025 One question that I get a lot is, "What's recommended: buying new vs resale home in Katy?" A new home is one that has never been lived in while an existing home has been lived in by a previous owner ... [Read More]
Checklist of Steps for Buying a Home
This list is not comprehensive. There are a lot of steps that your REALTOR® takes care of behind-the-scenes. Call Sheila Cox for help at 832-779-2890 Buying a home is a serious legal commitment with important deadlines and possibly large financial losses if you do not meet your contractual deadlines (as established ... [Read More]
What to Expect When You Buy a New Construction Home
So you have put a contract to buy a new construction home with a builder and you can't wait to move in. Buying a home is exciting, especially if you are a first-time home buyer, but buying a brand new home that has never been lived in doesn't mean the ... [Read More]
Beware of Internet Real Estate Statistics
The bottom line: No one knows an area better than a local, experienced real estate agent. Don't gamble your biggest investment on automated Internet data. It's Not All About the ZIP Code...Or Shouldn't Be I love the Internet and I'm an information junkie, but I am constantly amazed at how ... [Read More]
Option Period and Fees in Texas Real Estate
In Texas, you can buy an "option period" (usually 10 days) from the seller for $200-$300 that gives you the irrevocable privilege to back out of the sales contract for any reason, and still receive your 1 percent earnest money back. (During this time, the Seller cannot back out of ... [Read More]
Costs To Buy a Home in Texas
Do You Know What It Costs To Buy a Home in Texas? It’s one thing to want to own your own home…it’s another to be able to afford one. Here is a run-down of estimated costs to buy a home in Texas you must consider... Understanding Down Payments and ... [Read More]
Why You Need a PreApproval Letter & How to Apply for a Home Loan
You need a PreApproval letter to start the home search phase in the home buying process in this area because: You need to know exactly how much house you can afford and a lender is the best source for that information. You won't be able to make an offer on ... [Read More]
Who Pays Real Estate Commissions in Texas?
Who Pays the Real Estate Commission in Texas? One of the questions that I'm frequently asked is, "Who pays the real estate commission in Texas for a real estate transaction?" That's a good question! Here's the answer... Things Are Different in 2024! There are BIG changes hitting the entire real ... [Read More]
What To Look for In a Katy Real Estate Agent
What To Look for In a Katy Real Estate Agent Want to know how to hire the best Katy real estate agent? See below! NOTE: Many of these items are specific to Texas agents. ___ Did your agent give you the "Information About Brokerage Services" notice that is legally required by the ... [Read More]
Texas Home Buying Process
If you are buying a home in Texas, then you need to learn about the home buying process, which may be different than other states. One thing to consider is that before you even begin the process of searching for a home, you must: Determine how much house you can ... [Read More]
Buyer Representation in Texas
This information about buyer representation in Texas is so important that the Texas Real Estate Commission REQUIRES that we discuss this before seeing houses. Click image above to see entire document Things Are Different in 2024! There are BIG changes hitting the entire real estate industry as of August 2024, ... [Read More]
Texas Laws on Brokerage Services & Dual Agency
Does My Real Estate Agent Represent Me or the Seller? When I bought my first house in the mid 1990s, Texas was kind of a "Buyer Beware" state. In fact, a home Buyer could spend weeks looking for a home with a real estate agent, telling her secret information (like ... [Read More]
Do I Need a Real Estate Agent? Maybe I Can Do This Myself
"That's what I used to think! In fact, before I became a licensed real estate agent, I did several FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sales and THOUGHT I knew what I was doing. But if I had known then what I know now...I never would have risked it. Here's what ... [Read More]
Benefits of Home Ownership
It’s the American dream…to own your own home. But have you considered the specific benefits of home ownership? Studies show the following benefits for home owners: Improved tax advantages…thereby lowering your overall tax burden. Forced savings program (in the amount of principal paid each month on the mortgage)…especially if the ... [Read More]
Are you ready for home ownership?
Home readiness survey YES NO Do you have enough cash to make the down payment and cover the other costs of buying a home? Does your monthly budget have room to afford the mortgage payment? Do you have a burning desire to own your own home? Is your job/business/income ... [Read More]
Buying & Selling Real Estate Is a Huge Investment
Don’t You Deserve a Five Star Real Estate Agent?
Sheila is the author of KatyHomesForSaleTX.com – so you know that she knows the area! Winner of Five Star award every year since 2010.
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REALTORS DON’T “JUST” SELL HOUSES Real estate agents don’t “just” sell houses; we sell a SERVICE to effectively guide home buyers and sellers through the entire real estate transaction, which usually takes several months. We are more like real estate consultants than we are salespeople. That’s probably why 88 percent of all home buyers and sellers choose to hire a real estate agent when buying or selling a home! Buying or selling a home is not like buying or selling a TV, a computer, or a car. You can’t buy/sell a home on the Internet with a couple of clicks. There are MANY legal aspects, deadlines, and requirements that most people are not trained to handle. What’s more…mistakes along the way can cost you thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. The financial risk is much greater than just about anything else you may buy.
Please read the list of my value-added services for home buyers |
Free Guides & Reports – What to Know Before You Buy
Client Reviews of Sheila
