Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
Straight answers about buying, selling, pricing, and relocating in Houston. Most are backed by a real client review, so you can see the proof, not just the promise.
Working with Katie
Trust, responsiveness, and what it's actually like to work together.
How quickly does Katie respond?
Fast, and consistently. If you call, she answers. Text her at night about whether to counter an offer and you get a real, complete reply, not a one-liner the next morning. Clients describe being walked through an inspection report line by line on the spot. If you ever cannot reach her, something is genuinely wrong.
“We were on the freeway when the inspection report dropped and I lost it. Katie picked up on the second ring and walked me through every line item. That's not normal.”
Will Katie pressure me into a house I don't want?
No, the opposite. She will slow you down, point out problems in a home you are excited about, and talk you out of the wrong house. Clients routinely take many months and tour dozens of homes without ever feeling rushed. Patient is the word that shows up in review after review.
“We took NINE months and toured probably 30 houses. Katie never once made me feel like I was wasting her time. Other agents had given up on us.”
Can I actually trust Katie, or is this just sales?
She is honest about flaws, honest about prices, and honest about what she can and cannot promise. She will tell you a home won't appraise at the number you want, or that a deal is not worth doing, even when staying quiet would be the easier close. That honesty is the single most common theme in her reviews.
“She told us our house wouldn't appraise at the price we wanted. We were upset. She was right, and she got us a buyer at the real number two weeks later.”
Does Katie really know Houston's neighborhoods?
Fourteen years, Houston only. She knows which streets flood and which don't, where the noisy bar is two blocks over, builder reputations, lot setbacks, and which side of which freeway you actually want. It is street-by-street knowledge, not a zip-code overview.
“Katie knew the Heights inside out. Told us about a noisy bar two blocks away before we toured, and which streets flood and which don't. Nobody else gave us that.”
Will Katie negotiate hard for me?
Yes, on both sides of a deal. She has pulled buyers tens of thousands under list in multi-offer situations and pushed sellers' prices higher than they expected. She has also walked clients away from homes when the foundation or inspection report was a red flag, which is its own kind of negotiation.
“She talked us OUT of a house we loved because the foundation report was a red flag. We were furious. Six months later we found something better for forty grand less. She was right.”
Does Katie work with first-time buyers as well as luxury and relocation?
All of it, with the same care. Nervous first-time buyers, off-market luxury sellers, and clients moving in from out of state. The reviews come from every corner of the market.
“We were first-time buyers, scared out of our minds. Katie explained every step like we mattered. Closed at $312k and felt like a million bucks.”
Buying a home
How the search works and what to expect as a buyer.
How does Katie's home search actually work?
You get the full Houston MLS plus off-market and coming-soon listings, filtered by what actually matters to you: school zone, flood risk, commute, not just price. Every offer is backed by real closed comps, so you are never guessing on what to pay.
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement, and for how long?
Yes, a buyer agreement is standard in 2026. Katie's standard term is 90 days, and you can cancel without obligation. If it is not working, you walk. There is no long lock-in.
Do I pay anything out of pocket as a buyer?
It depends on the home and the buyer agreement we sign together. Each property is a little different, and you will see exactly how it works in writing before you tour anything, never after.
Can Katie help if I'm a nervous first-time buyer?
That is a lot of her work. She explains every step like it matters, never makes you feel rushed, and stays with buyers other agents have given up on. First-timers regularly say they felt taken seriously the entire way.
“Three other agents ghosted us within a week. Katie was different from the first call.”
What if I'm not even sure I'm ready to buy?
Then you don't buy yet. Katie has told clients in plain words, 'let's not buy until you are.' She would rather you make the right call than a fast one.
“I told her I wasn't sure about buying at all. She said 'then let's not buy until you are.' That was the moment I knew.”
Selling a home
Listing strategy, timelines, and costs.
How long will my Houston home take to sell?
The Houston median runs about 35 to 45 days, and Katie's listings tend to come in under the city median. You also get a pre-list comp report in writing before you sign, so the price is set on real data instead of a guess.
What does Katie do to market my home?
Professional photography, drone, and a 3D tour are included, not upsells. Your home gets a broker-network preview before it hits the public MLS, then daily showing reports and a weekly performance summary once it is live. Katie handles all offer review and negotiation personally.
Do I need to renovate before I sell?
Usually not. Paint, a deep clean, decluttering, fresh landscaping, and a few hardware swaps do most of the work. Katie will tell you honestly where a dollar comes back and where it does not, so you don't over-improve.
What happens if my home doesn't sell?
The listing agreement runs 90 days, and you can cancel without obligation. There is no pressure to relist on terms you are not happy with.
Will Katie tell me the truth about my asking price?
Yes, even when it is not what you want to hear. She has told sellers a home would not appraise at their target, then found a buyer at the real number within weeks. You get the honest read, not the flattering one.
“She told us our house wouldn't appraise at the price we wanted. We were upset. She was right, and she got us a buyer at the real number two weeks later.”
Pricing and money
Valuations and what things cost.
How accurate is Katie's home valuation?
It lands within about 3 to 5%, because it is built from real closed sales in the last 90 days, not an algorithm. Online estimators are routinely 7 to 15% off. You get the comps too, so you can check the math yourself.
Is the home valuation really free?
Yes, free with no obligation to list. You can even ask for an updated one each quarter if you just want to track your home's value over time.
How fast do I get my home value back?
Texted or emailed back within an hour, Monday to Friday. It is a real number from a real person, not an instant online guess.
Neighborhoods
Local knowledge, street by street.
Which Houston neighborhoods does Katie cover?
Across the city: the Heights, Montrose, River Oaks, West University, Bellaire, Memorial, Garden Oaks, Cypress, Katy, Spring Branch, EaDo, Midtown, and more. When you are relocating, she will map several neighborhoods to your actual lifestyle in a single call.
“We were relocating from Chicago. Katie mapped Memorial vs Bunker Hill vs Hedwig in a 20-minute call. Within a week we were touring exactly the streets we should've been on.”
Will Katie warn me about flooding and other neighborhood issues?
Before you tour, not after you close. Which streets flood and which don't, the noisy bar two blocks over, drainage, traffic. The things that never show up in listing photos are exactly what she flags first.
“Katie knew the Heights inside out. Told us about a noisy bar two blocks away before we toured, and which streets flood and which don't. Nobody else gave us that.”
Can Katie help me find the right school zone?
Yes. If a specific school district or zone is part of your search, that's where we start. We map district boundaries to the homes inside them so the places you tour actually fit your criteria.
Relocating to Houston
Moving from out of town or out of state.
I'm moving to Houston and don't know it at all. Where do I start?
A discovery call. Katie maps your lifestyle, budget, and must-haves to 3 to 5 candidate neighborhoods, then sets up virtual tours so you don't waste a trip on the wrong part of town. People relocating from across the country say it felt like she had done their exact move ten times before.
“We were relocating from Chicago. Katie mapped Memorial vs Bunker Hill vs Hedwig in a 20-minute call. Within a week we were touring exactly the streets we should've been on.”
How fast can I close on a Houston home from out of state?
About 30 days with cash, 35 to 45 financed. A fully remote close is possible, with inspection, title, and a final walk-through all coordinated for you.
Can Katie organize a house-hunting trip for me?
Yes. A coordinated trip is built around 8 to 12 homes in 2 to 3 days, so you see the right places in one focused visit instead of a scattered weekend.