https://linktr.ee/elizabethcencini

Elizabeth Cencini, Compass- Houston, 4200 Westheimer Road Suite 1000, Houston, TX (2026)

09/07/2026

🏡 If your parents own a home, there’s one estate-planning tool I think every family should at least know exists.

I recently learned about it because of something happening in my own family.

My grandfather has been very ill, and as his health has changed, we've started having conversations about what happens next.

What if he eventually needs home health care or long-term care?

What happens to his house?

And how do we make sure that when he's no longer here, the home he worked for goes where he wants it to go? ❤️

Then a very good friend of mine asked me:

“Elizabeth, have you looked into a Lady Bird Deed?”

I hadn't.

And here's what surprised me.

I've worked in real estate for years, and this wasn't something I had ever really been taught about.

So I started thinking...

If I didn't fully understand what a Lady Bird Deed could potentially do, how many homeowners have never even heard of one? 😳

So I started researching.

A Lady Bird Deed, sometimes called an enhanced life estate deed, is an estate-planning tool used in Texas that can allow you to keep control of your home during your lifetime while naming who will receive it when you're no longer here.

And keeping control is an important part of this.

You generally aren't simply giving your house away today.

You can retain significant rights over the property during your lifetime, while the deed provides for the property to pass to the person you've named later.

One of the biggest potential benefits?

👇👇👇👇

The home can pass to the beneficiary without going through probate. 🏡

And there's another reason this caught my attention with my grandfather.

For families dealing with Medicaid and long-term care, the way a home is titled and transferred can potentially affect Medicaid estate recovery.

That's where I want to be VERY careful.

✋I'm a REALTOR®, not an estate-planning or elder-law attorney, and everyone's circumstances are different.

A Lady Bird Deed isn't automatically the right answer for every homeowner, and Medicaid, tax, mortgage and estate-planning rules can get complicated.

But learning about this changed the way I think about real estate.

We spend so much time talking about:

“Ho

09/04/2026

If Mom or Dad suddenly couldn't live alone anymore… where would they go? 👵🏡❤️

Would you move them into a nursing facility?

Would you hire someone to provide care in their home?

Or would you bring Mom or Dad closer to YOU?

Because here's something families may not realize until they're suddenly faced with this decision:

Medicare generally does not pay for ongoing, long-term custodial nursing-home care.

Medicare Part A may cover qualifying skilled nursing or rehabilitation for a limited period, but that's very different from paying indefinitely for Mom or Dad to live in a nursing facility.

And this is exactly why I think our homes are going to become part of the healthcare conversation.

☎️ In fact, my phone rang one day and a woman I'll call Angela was on the other end.

A house had JUST hit the market in her neighborhood.

But Angela wasn't calling me because she wanted to move.

The house was right next to hers.

And she started thinking…

"What if I bought this house for my parent?" ❤️

Think about what that could mean.

Mom or Dad could have their own home, their own kitchen, their own bedroom and their independence.

But Angela would be right next door.

She could check on them.

Help with groceries.

Be there if something happened.

And potentially have caregivers come in when additional help was needed.

Angela ultimately decided NOT to purchase that particular house.

But that phone call stayed with me.

Because Angela isn't the only person calling me with this question.

I'm hearing from families looking for homes next door, across the street or just a few minutes away because they're trying to figure out how to keep an aging parent close.

And then comes the second question:

💰 “Okay Elizabeth… but how am I going to pay MY mortgage AND another mortgage?”

And THAT'S where I think families need to know they have options.

🏡 Could you buy Mom or Dad a smaller home nearby?

There are conventional financing guidelines that, in certain circumstances, may allow an adult child purchasing housing for a parent who cannot qualify independently to be treated as an owner-occupant. A lender would need to determine whether you and the situation qualify.

🏡 Could ONE multigenerational home make more financial sense than TWO houses?

Instead of paying for two separate properties, maybe you look for one home with a true mother-in-law suite, private bathroom, separate entrance or separate living area.

🌳 Could you buy a property with a guest house or enough land for another home?

Possibly, but we'd need to investigate deed restrictions, HOA rules, permitting, utilities and whether another dwelling can actually be built there.

🔨 Could the home you already own be modified?

Maybe the solution isn't moving at all.

Perhaps there's space to create a private suite for Mom or Dad while allowing them to maintain some independence.

And THIS is where I would pull out the calculator. 🧮

Don't just ask:

“Can I afford another house?”

Compare the TOTAL cost.

👉 Your existing mortgage + another mortgage + taxes + insurance + maintenance on TWO properties.

VERSUS

👉 Moving into ONE larger multigenerational home.

VERSUS

👉 Keeping your current home and creating separate living quarters.

VERSUS

👉 Keeping Mom or Dad in their own home and bringing care to them.

There isn't going to be one right answer for every family.

But I think this is a conversation families should have before there's an emergency.

Because your next home may need to do something you never thought about when you bought your last one.

It may need to help you take care of Mom and Dad. ❤️

So here's my question:

If your parents couldn't safely live alone five years from now, would the home you're living in TODAY work for them?

If the answer is no, maybe it's time to at least understand what your other options could look like.

And that's a conversation I'm already helping Houston-area families have. 🏡❤️

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®
Compass RE Texas, LLC
Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

09/03/2026

🏦 Your mortgage was sold…now what can THEY change, and what can YOU change? 😳

This is something a lot of homeowners don't really think about until it happens.

You buy your home, sign all those documents at closing ✍️, get your keys 🔑 and start making your mortgage payments.

Then one day you get a letter saying:

“Your mortgage has been sold” or “Your loan will now be serviced by another company.”

And naturally you might wonder…

Wait. Can they change the deal I signed?

Generally, selling your mortgage does NOT rewrite the loan terms you agreed to at closing. 🏡

If you signed a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a certain interest rate, selling the loan doesn't suddenly give the new owner permission to turn it into a different loan.

So why do lenders sell mortgages?

When a lender loans someone hundreds of thousands of dollars, they may sell that mortgage into the secondary mortgage market rather than keeping that money tied up for decades.

That helps free up capital so lenders can continue making loans to other homebuyers. 💰🏠

Here's another important distinction:

The owner of your mortgage and the company servicing your mortgage aren't necessarily the same company.

Your servicer is typically the company handling your payments, escrow account and customer service.

And servicing can be transferred too.

But here's where it gets interesting… 👀

What if YOU want to change the terms?

Maybe you bought when interest rates were higher.

Maybe your financial situation has changed.

Maybe you want a different loan term or monthly payment structure.

Your mortgage being sold doesn't automatically give you the ability to renegotiate your original contract.

However, depending on your situation, you may have options.
🏡 Refinancing can replace your existing mortgage with a new loan and new terms if you qualify.

🏡 Loan modification may change certain terms of an existing mortgage when available and approved, often in connection with financial hardship.

And here's one more homeowner tip I think is extremely important:
🚨 If you receive a notice saying your mortgage payment needs to go to a different company, verify the transfer before sending money.

Mortgage transfers are normal.

Scams pretending to be mortgage transfers are something homeowners should watch for.

So don't panic just because your mortgage gets sold.

The company behind your mortgage may change, but that doesn't mean someone gets to simply rewrite the agreement you signed.

And if you want different terms, that's a separate conversation worth having with a qualified mortgage professional. ❤️🏡

Did your mortgage get sold shortly after you bought your house?

I would love to know how quickly it happened to you. 👇

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®
Compass RE Texas, LLC
Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

09/02/2026

What are you carrying into your next chapter that belongs in the last one? 📖✨

For me, I think one of those things is fear.

⛓️ Fear is a chain.

And sometimes fear and doubt create so much uncertainty that we start looking for a different path forward.

But what if that new path is exactly where you discover how strong, creative, and capable you really are? ❤️✨

I’ve been thinking differently about the things that normally cause us to worry.

💵 When the bills come, instead of immediately thinking, “How am I going to do this?” maybe the reminder is:

I am a provider. 🙏

I have provided before, and God will give me the wisdom and tools to keep moving forward.

🏡 When the mortgage is due, instead of only seeing a payment, I can look around and say:

“Thank you, God, for this beautiful home. Help me continue to provide for what You've entrusted to me.” 🙏❤️

💼 When business slows down or your job goes through a difficult season, maybe it isn't the end of your story.

Maybe it's time to change something. 🌱

Maybe the old way isn't working anymore.

Maybe you're being pushed to learn something new, create another stream of income, try another strategy, make the phone call you've been afraid to make, or walk through a door you never would have noticed if everything had stayed comfortable. 🚪✨

Sometimes the season that makes you question yourself is the same season that introduces you to a stronger version of yourself. 💪❤️

Your breakthrough moment may be closer than you think. 🙏✨

So keep the lessons.

Keep your faith. 🙏

Keep your work ethic.

Keep your gratitude. ❤️

And keep moving forward. ➡️✨

But maybe we don't need to carry all that fear with us.

❤️ So I'll ask you the same question I'm asking myself:

What are YOU carrying into your next chapter that belongs in the last one?

Maybe it's fear.

Maybe it's doubt.

Maybe it's disappointment.

Maybe it's an old way of thinking that simply doesn't fit where you're going anymore.

✨ What are you ready to leave behind? 🙏❤️

Elizabeth Cencini ❤️

08/30/2026

Open house until 3 in Pearland's Canterbury Park.

- 3502 Pentland Downs, Pearland TX 77584

08/30/2026

🏡 YOUR HOME APPRAISAL IS CHANGING AND THAT LITTLE LIST OF UPDATES MAY MATTER MORE THAN YOU THINK.🤯

We’re moving into a new appraisal system called UAD 3.6, and homeowners need to understand why this matters.

When you're selling a home and the buyer is financing it, the appraisal can become one of the most important parts of the transaction.

Why?

Because the appraiser is developing an independent opinion of the home's market value, and the lender uses that appraisal as part of deciding how much they're willing to lend on the property.

So imagine you've spent years improving your home.

You replaced the roof.

You installed new windows.

You remodeled the kitchen.

You replaced the HVAC.

You upgraded plumbing or electrical.

But when the appraiser walks through the house, how would they automatically know the history behind all of those improvements?

They may not.

And that's exactly why documentation matters.

With UAD 3.6 bringing even more structured property information into the appraisal process, I think sellers need to get much better at telling the improvement story of their home.

Not to tell the appraiser what the home should be worth.

Not to tell them which adjustments to make.

But to make sure they have accurate information about the property they're evaluating.

And this is where I believe a well-prepared listing agent matters.

My job isn't to influence the appraisal. My job is to make sure the appraiser isn't left guessing about the property.

📋 MY SELLER APPRAISAL CHECKLIST

✅ Roof replacement, include the year

✅ HVAC replacement or major upgrades

✅ New windows

✅ Electrical upgrades

✅ Plumbing improvements

✅ Kitchen renovation, including cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring and lighting

✅ Bathroom renovations

✅ New flooring

✅ Foundation repairs or improvements

✅ Added square footage or room additions

✅ Patio, outdoor kitchen, pool or major exterior improvements

✅ Energy-efficient improvements

✅ Permits, when applicable

✅ Receipts, warranties and documentation you still have

And here's where the details become important. 👇

Don't just write:

❌ 🏠“Kitchen updated.”😤

Write:

✅ “Kitchen remodeled in 2024 with quartz countertops, new cabinetry, appliances, tile backsplash and updated lighting.”

Now the appraiser has much more specific information about what they're actually looking at.

If my seller replaced the roof three years ago, upgraded the electrical system, installed energy-efficient windows and remodeled two bathrooms, I don't want to assume those improvements are obvious.

I want them documented accurately and available to the appraiser.

Will spending $30,000 on improvements automatically add $30,000 to your appraisal?

No.

The appraiser still has to independently analyze comparable sales and determine how the market reacts to those improvements.

But when an appraiser compares your home with other properties, I want to make sure they have accurate, organized information about what makes your home different.

That's not about trying to influence an appraisal.

That's about being prepared.

And to me, that's part of good representation.

Good representation isn't about promising a seller a certain appraisal number. It's about being prepared before the appraiser ever walks through the door.

Document the house.

Document the improvements.

Document when they were completed.

And have that information organized and available for the appraisal.

Because sometimes the little details aren't so little when you're talking about one of your biggest financial assets. 🏡🔑

Thinking about selling in the Houston area?

Let's start documenting your home's story before the appraisal ever happens.

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®
Compass RE Texas, LLC
Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

08/29/2026

🏡 WHAT IF 3 FINANCING STRATEGIES COULD WORK TOGETHER TO HELP YOU BUY A HOUSE? 😳

Let's pretend Juan finds a brand-new $245,000 house.

Juan has a good job, steady income and he's finally ready to buy.

He plans to use FHA financing with 3.5% down, which would be about $8,575.

But here's what Juan didn't realize…

The down payment isn't the ONLY money he may need.

There can also be homeowners insurance, tax escrows, closing costs, prepaid interest and other expenses.

For our hypothetical example, let's say Juan's total estimated cash to close is around $18,000–$19,000.

And that's where Juan has a problem.

He can afford the house payment.

He just doesn't have $18,000–$19,000 sitting in the bank.

So what happens if we put THREE financing strategies to work?

💰 First, down payment assistance.

Let's say Juan qualifies for assistance equal to 5% of his loan amount.

On his approximate $236,425 FHA loan, that's about $11,821 in assistance.

Depending on the program, that money could potentially help with eligible expenses like:

🏡 Down payment

🛡️ Insurance/prepaids

💵 Tax escrows/prepaids

📑 Closing costs

Then we add another strategy.

🤝 What if the seller contributes $5,000 toward Juan's eligible closing costs?

Now Juan potentially has:

$11,821 in DPA + $5,000 seller contribution = $16,821

working toward eligible costs.

So let's go back to Juan's original problem.

How much money might he actually need to close?

Without these strategies, our hypothetical estimate was around $18,000–$19,000.

With the DPA and hypothetical $5,000 seller contribution working together, that estimated amount could potentially fall to around $2,000–$3,000. 🏡

That's the difference.

Same Juan.

Same job.

Same $245,000 house.

Different financing strategy.

Now, before anybody says, “Elizabeth said I can buy a house for $2,000!” 😂

Juan is fictional and these numbers are hypothetical for teaching purposes.

Actual down payment assistance, income and credit qualifications, interest rate, insurance, taxes, closing costs, seller concessions and cash-to-close depend on the buyer, lender, property and program.

But here's why I'm telling you Juan's story.

Juan may be fictional…

but the brand-new $245,000 house isn't. 👀🏡

I actually have one for sale right now.

And while I can't promise that Juan's hypothetical numbers will be YOUR numbers, we can certainly find out what financing and down-payment-assistance options you may qualify for.

Maybe you don't need nearly as much money as you thought you did.

Want to learn more about down-payment assistance and how to qualify?

Comment 👇 ASSISTANCE

And let's find out what YOUR numbers could look like. 🔑🏡

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®
Compass RE Texas, LLC
Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

08/28/2026

Well… I made the news! 📰😳

And we’re talking about something most Texas property owners probably haven’t thought about: WATER RIGHTS. 💧🏡

A huge thank you to The Facts for giving me the opportunity to be part of this important article about the new seller disclosure and what Brazoria County buyers and property owners need to understand about water rights.

Water rights may not be something most people think about when buying property.

But questions involving groundwater, surface water, wells, and access to water can become incredibly important, especially when purchasing land.

As a REALTOR®, I believe part of our job is helping people know what questions they should be asking before they buy or sell.

I’m grateful to The Facts for bringing attention to this topic and allowing me to share a local real estate perspective. ❤️

And yes… seeing myself pop up in my Facebook feed like this was pretty exciting! 😂🙌

👇 I’ll put the link to the full article in the comments.

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®

Compass RE Texas, LLC

Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

08/28/2026

🔥 Your AC goes out in your Houston apartment during a Texas summer. Can you just break your lease and MOVE?

This conversation actually started over Vietnamese food. 🍜😂

I was having lunch with my girlfriend Nancy, and naturally we started talking about how unbelievably HOT Texas has been.

Nancy has been looking for a rental, and she told me one of her biggest concerns is simple:

Does the place have a GOOD, WORKING AC? 🥵

Because let's be serious.

In Houston, that's pretty important.

Then Nancy told me about Houston's new AC ordinance, and I had to go look into it myself.

🏠 Here's what's changing.

Houston recently approved an ordinance requiring landlords to provide and maintain refrigerated air in rental units.

The cooling equipment must be capable of keeping the inside temperature at least 20°F cooler than outside, or at 80°F, whichever is warmer.

And it doesn't necessarily have to be central AC.

Window or portable AC units may also qualify.

The new requirement takes effect December 17, 2026.

But here's the question I think most renters really want answered. 👇

🔥 What if my AC breaks? Can I just move?

Not necessarily.

Texas law may give a tenant certain remedies, including potentially terminating a lease, when a landlord fails to repair a condition that materially affects health or safety.

But there are steps and notice requirements that have to be followed.

My advice? Don't start by packing your bags. Start by documenting. 📱

Report the problem in writing, keep your communication, and give your landlord the opportunity required by law to address it.

And landlords, communication matters too.

Respond quickly, document what's being done, and keep your tenant informed while you're working on the repair.

Sometimes a bad situation becomes much worse simply because nobody is communicating.

AC broke today does NOT automatically mean you can move tomorrow.

Know your rights, document what's happening, and understand your options before making a big decision.

⚠️ I'm a REALTOR®, not an attorney, and this is general educational information, not legal advice. Every lease and situation can be different, so speak with a qualified Texas attorney or appropriate housing authority regarding your specific situation.

Elizabeth Cencini | REALTOR®

Compass RE Texas, LLC

Houston • Pearland • Manvel • Rosharon & surrounding areas

Elizabeth Cencini, Compass- Houston

09/07/2026

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