The cost of living in Waco, Texas sits well below both the Texas and national averages, driven largely by housing costs that index at roughly half the U.S. benchmark. Groceries, utilities, and
Testimonials
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Willow is fantastic! She works SO hard to find just the right home for you, and she CARES! She's bubbly, enthusiastic, moves quickly, communicates well, and is motivated. We decided she is family. We wholeheartedly recommend using Willow!
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- Suzanne Risinger
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What a great experience we had working with Julia and the NextHome team! We are moving half way across the country so our relationship started through text and emails, with plans of where or what we wanted changing about 20 times. Julia was there every time to listen and then went to work looking for properties that fit our criteria. Once we made it to Texas, she was there for every twist and turn, digging for answers to every question or concern and once we found what we wanted, working diligently to get the properties closed. She was even able to get major repairs done on one of the properties that was being sold as is! And since we were out of state for the inspections, repairs and closing, she scheduled and attended all of the needed appointments and made sure everything was running smoothly. She is honest and trustworthy! Julia will definitely be our go to realtor for all future buying and selling needs!
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- Emily Langley
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Kara Goble was my realtor and she is a real estate professional extraordinaire! Not only were her communication skills exceptional, but her talent at staging the home were such that I wished I'd had her decorate when I first moved in. Kara was determined in her drive to get my house sold as was evident by her masterful marketing, follow up with other agents, and her ability to listen. Kara went above and beyond in that she was willing to meet repairmen when I had a conflict, assisted me in making repairs after the inspection, and compassionately guided me through what I expected to be a stressful process, but ultimately was not because of Kara. 5 stars!
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- Jeffrey Manske
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A true professional. This is my second home sale handled by Kara and I have nothing but high praise for her expertise. The virtual tour was excellent; her communication with me was always quick and honest; she kept me informed throughout the whole process; and even solved a plumbing problem after we had closed. Obviously, if I ever need to buy or sell a home again in the Waco area, there is only one professional I will call - Kara.
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- Charles Frey
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Cristi McGowan was our Realtor. She made her self very available during our process of looking for a home. Though out the buying process she was extremely helpful and kept us up to date on everything that needed done. Definitely would recommend to anybody looking to buy a house.
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- Brandon McDonald
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We loved our agent Julia Swank. Through our home buying process we went toured many and even put offers on several and Julia stuck by our side until we found the perfect one. Throughout the whole experience she was patient, very knowledgeable and always was able to answer any questions we had.
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- Stephanie Brown
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My wife and I had a great experience with Julia. We never felt pressured to buy a house we weren’t sure about, and she always made sure we saw every angle of the home, even the bad ones. We were much more comfortable with going with Julia because of her honesty and patience she showed throughout our time with her from beginning to even after the closing of the home. We would definitely go with her again.
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- Justin Kettell
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We just worked with Cristi to purchase a house and she was amazing. She really knows her stuff and the area and could answer any questions that we threw her way. Feeling like my realtor is my advocate is important to me and Cristi was perfect. I always felt like she had our best interests in mind. I would definitely recommend Cristi!
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- Carol Hurst
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Totally recommend Julia Swank and NextHome our Town reality in Waco Texas. Great service and professionalism!
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- Darlene Watson
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Meredith did a great job selling my home!
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- Jack Hodge (President)
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I absolutely cannot thank Kara enough! Being new to the area, Kara was very patient and thorough during the whole process. I originally was looking for a new home and finally settled on a beautiful piece of property to build my dream home. She was always very quick to respond, drafted the offer immediately and negotiated on my behalf. She was also very present and guided me through closing. Kara truly enjoys what she does! She is not only knowledgeable, but very easy to work with.
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- Carol Paull
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My experience with Julia Swank is all positive. She was helpful in deciding offers and advocates for her clients. Even at closing she found a discrepancy in my favor. I would rate Julia more than 5 stars.
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- Preston Abbe
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Cristi and her team recently helped us sell our family home, and I can't recommend them highly enough.
From our very first conversation, Cristi’s deep market knowledge and experience were evident. After interviewing several agents, it was clear that she stood out. She quickly assessed the strengths and challenges of our property and outlined a clear, data-driven marketing strategy. Her approach combined online listings, social media outreach, and professional photography, ensuring our home was presented in the best possible light. She also came prepared with detailed market comparables and insights into our target buyers—insights that proved to be spot on.
Cristi’s strong industry connections gave us a significant advantage, from tapping into buyer networks to coordinating with inspectors and surveyors. Thanks to her guidance, we listed our home on a Monday and were under contract before the week was out—while similar homes in the area had lingered on the market for months. Her negotiation expertise was instrumental in keeping the deal on track.
One of the most refreshing aspects of working with Cristi was her clear commitment to professionalism and ethics. She prioritized transparency and honesty throughout the process, ensuring that every decision was in our best interest. I never felt pressured, only well-informed and supported.
Toward the end of the transaction, things became a bit complicated when our buyers faced delays in selling their own home. Cristi handled every challenge with professionalism, providing frequent updates and expertly navigating contract extensions and disclosures. Thanks to her diligence, what could have been a stressful situation remained manageable and straightforward for us.
If you're looking for a knowledgeable, ethical, and results-driven real estate broker, Cristi is an outstanding choice.
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- Michael Coulon
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Cristi is amazing! If you're looking to buy she's your lady! She made the home buying experience as smooth as possible. She kept us informed and answered any questions we had. I can't say enough good about Cristi! I can say you won't be disappointed!
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- Michelle Slovak
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It would be difficult to overstate how great a job Cristi did in selling our house. Professional, personable and offering constructive straight talk, Cristi’s expertise allowed us to avoid missteps and strategically maximize our selling potential. The end result? We sold our house within two days of listing it, at a price that was more than what we asked for. If you are wondering which of a plethora of real estate agents should be the one to represent you, let me give you some helpful advice: This. Is. The. One.
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- Gordon Muir
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Cristi was with us every step of the way as we sold our current home and bought a new home. She took time to know our family and what works best for us. She made the stressful process of buying a new home and moving as seamless as possible! We are forever grateful for her expertise and guidance!
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- Michelle Cohenour
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Love this place so much
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- Silver Farrar
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We called Cristi early on in our house hunt as she was highly recommended by dear friends of ours. Cristi did not disappoint. She quickly prepared a list of homes and wanted to make sure that she was on the right track with the homes she provided. If we were interested, she was ready to book a showing and worked with our schedules. From preparing the offer to the point an offer was accepted, she was ready to "go to bat" for us. She was ready for action at a moments notice and showed great pride in her job. She was easy to work with, cared about finding our family a home that was right for us, and she made it a great experience overall (especially with the changes taking place during the pandemic). It's easy to see why she was so highly recommended!
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- Sarah Mueller
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If you're in the Waco Texas area, these are the folks to talk to for homes. Cristi McGowan runs a great brokerage. I wouldn't trust anyone else.
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- Bob McCranie
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Cristi is the kind of realtor everyone who is selling their home deserves. She is fair and unbiased. She priced our home above the market value and got more for it then what we were asking. Her communication skills are excellent. Between Cristi and her assistant Beth we were never left to wonder where we were in the selling process. Cristi gave us good advice along the way and we were extremely pleased with the results. We highly recommend Cristi and the Waco Home Team to anyone buying or selling a home.
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- John Peitsmeyer
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Cristi was absolutely wonderful! She was a huge advocate for us in buying our first home and helping us to find the perfect place to call home! She is extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond for us. I would strongly recommend her!
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- Brooke Baker
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Julia was a crucial piece in me buying my house, she went above and beyond with negotiating with the builder and lender and kept the deal on the tracks, I would highly recommend her for your next home purchase!
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- Dariusz Wawryk
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The BEST realtor! We knew Meredith was the right realtor for us after our very first conversation. She was eager to help us find our new home and always made herself available to us which meant a lot with our busy schedules. We looked at many homes searching for the right one. Meredith was always prepared with information on each property and if we had additional questions, she immediately contacted the listing agent and gave us the answers we needed. We highly recommend Meredith Kelley if you want an agent who is knowledgeable, responsive and a joy to work with!
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- Rachel Summa
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We found Cristi McGowan to be at the top of her game, very professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. We were very fortunate to have been introduced to her by our friend, who still interacts with her for more than 10 years, which says a lot. She even adjusted her personal/family time to be available for our closing. We would recommend Cristi to everyone with confidence and enthusiasm.
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- Paul Ro
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We sold our house and Christi was always there to answer any questions we had. She even picked up moving boxes for me and brought them to our house. She is very friendly and caring and doesn't mind pitching right along with you. So glad we choose to use her to sell our house.
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- Deborah Burdwood
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Meredith went above and beyond to find and help us get into our new home. She searched across many areas looking for properties that met our criteria and never became discouraged when we decided they did not meet our needs. After we found the right place, she was constantly on call for offers, comps, and everything else. She routinely represented us to the listing agent about specific questions, and she was at the closing to ensure all went smoothly. She gets 5 stars, but she is the best, loyal RE agent with which I have ever worked! GREAT JOB, Meredith!!
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- Grady Dougless (New Owner)
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We had a great experience using NextHome. Julia Swank was our realtor. She was always available to answer questions and really made the process easy.
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- Diane Ritter
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We are extremely pleased with the purchase of our home with Cristi McGowen. Cristi goes above and beyond for your needs. This is the second time we have used her services. We will definitely use her again and send her referrals. She is amazing!
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- Karen Hughes
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We had the best experience with every staff member we came in contact with. They were always very helpful. Kara Neely-Goble was our agent she really went above and beyond for us. We were from out of town, she really listened to what we needed and found the perfect home for us. It was in great location and the price range we were looking for. Kara has great knowledge of the Waco area and we feel blessed to have her as our realtor.
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- Sylvia Foster
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Cristi did a great job selling our house and helping us with the purchase of a new house in Waco. She got us more than we expected on our old home and helped us negotiate the price on our new purchase. It was an easy and smooth experience. I would fully recommend Waco Home Team.
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- Ryan Cohenour
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CRISTI McGOWAN is the one! Second time we have had the privilege of working with her (buying and selling). She truly goes above and beyond in every detail. In a tough market she got it done for us. HIGHLY recommend.
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- Gina Davis
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The process of selling our first home was so smooth! Cristi and her team were amazing. She truly is the “whole package”! She was able to connect us with people to get the home ready to sell and boy were we impressed! She took care of everything, even helping us pick out colors and beautifully staged the home. She truly went above and beyond to make this process as worry free as possible. She was efficient and prompt with all communications. Cristi never seem to tire of our questions and always made us feel at ease. We are so glad we choose her to help us with this process. She truly went above and beyond!
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- Alison Davis (Client )
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After contacting a few Realtors from Burleson, Alvarado and fortworth we decided to search in Waco for our new home location. So after talking with Meredith we decided to have her represent us. Mrs Kelly did a wonderful and professional job representing us. Because of her hard work the wife and I were able to move into our New home before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Thank you Meredith for your hard work and perserverence. Tina and have reached out to our family and friends regarding your Professional services. We look forward to seeing again. God bless you and your family. Meredith thank you so much for the nice picture, it looks nice on the wall of our new house. You Rock.
Enrique and Ernestine Cantu
Former Austinites and current Waco Texas home owner.
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- Enrique Cantu (Homebuyer)
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Kara treated us with value right from the get. We were able to successfully navigate purchasing a house from out of state, thanks to her knowledge and professionalism. I can’t thank her enough for the time and dedication she awarded us.
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- Andrew
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In settling my mom’s estate, choosing Christi was one of the best moves we made. She laid out the process clearly for us and even gave us great sources for removing furniture and trash. She made it possible for us to handle the sale and closing from our home (over 100 miles away). She presented us with offers for my mom’s home within 2 weeks and closed a month after listing. We would not hesitate to recommend Cristi to anyone needing a realtor.
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- Sherry Wyatt
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I have no hesitation recommending Cristi McGowan for your home buying needs. She is great to work with and gets the job done! Thank you Cristi for all your help in the purchase of my new place!
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- Jayne Tooker
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Cristi was the best agent my wife and I ever had the in 35 years of moving. She sold a home for us in early 2024 and helped us find a new home in late 2024. She was always professional and easy to work with. She is like having your best friend sell or help you buy a home. We were 1300 miles away while buying our new home and she did everything we could not be there for. Would recommend her anytime to anyone wanting the best in a agent.
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- Richard Mouck
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It is always a great experience working with Xavier Arroyo on selling and buying my homes. Xavier has been my agent for over 10 years and he does an awesome job representing me on my transactions. I highly recommend Xavier Arroyo for you next purchase or sale.
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- Jenaro Medina (Owner)
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Cristi is amazing! She is determined, helpful and patient, and truly awesome at what she does!
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- Alyssa Killin
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My wife and I loved our experience with Julia Swank. She made the home buying process really easy for us and was willing to go above and beyond, even during her vacation time, to make sure everything went smoothly as well as getting everything we asked for. We would definitely recommend having Julia as your realtor and wouldn't hesitate going with her again in the future!
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- Greyson Mendeke
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Willow was amazing! She was personable, patient, and flexible throughout the entire home buying process. She communicated clearly, and consistently provided us with timely updates. Willow and the entire Next Home Our Town team were extremely knowledgeable and up-to-date with the latest realty trends and practices. which helped us win a bidding war in this competitive market! 10 out of 10 recommend! Thanks again for all of your hard work, Willow!
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- Dalton Glass
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Cristi was a fantastic agent for us. We knew very little about the home-buying process but she taught us everything we needed to know and gave us confidence in our decision. We love our new house and are so grateful for Cristi's help!
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- Eric Martin
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It was a true joy being able to work with Cristi. She was professional, knowledgeable, and helpful through every step of the home buying process. As first time home buyers, we had a lot to learn. Cristi was patient and answered all of our questions. She ended up helping us get into a great home and connected us with excellent contractors to help us make it our own. We plan on recommending Cristi to friends, family, and anyone who asks!
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- Kristina McGinnis
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We had the best experience with every staff member we came in contact with. They were always very helpful. Kara Neely-Goble was our agent she really went above and beyond for us. We were from out of town, she really listened to what we needed and found the perfect home for us. It was in great location and the price range we were looking for. Kara has great knowledge of the Waco area and we feel blessed to have her as our realtor.
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- Sylvia Foster
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We want to thank Kara for her professional approach in selling our Mom’s home. Kara provided everything necessary to complete the process, including regular updates and closing was a breeze! Thanks for all your efforts Kara!
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- Bobby Lechler
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Kara goes above and beyond to make sure that your home is in the best condition possible. She listens to what you say about your likes and dislikes and doesn't waist your time showing you houses that don't meet them. Kara is always supportive and encouraging. I enjoyed working with her to sell my home and then purchase a new home.
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- Kerrie Knapp
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Willow was an amazing realtor to work with! We were first time home buyers with not a ton of experience and she made us feel completely at ease during the entire process. She was great with follow up and answering all the questions we had. I would highly recommend using her if you are looking to buy or sell a home!
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- Katie Andrie
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Kara did an absolutely incredible job!!! We moved here from Minnesota so we had to do everything remotely, not to mention we were first time home buyers, and she made everything go so smoothly! The market was crazy so whenever we saw a house come on the market and wanted to virtually tour it, she would be over at the house right away ready to show us. She also stepped in when the previous owners were skeptical about us not being able to see the house in person. She has been so willing to help in every situation, I wish I could give her 10 stars!
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- Kelsey Erickson
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Cristi took great care of us! My company transferred me with a short notice and we needed to sell quick. Cristi and her team did a fantastic job getting the house ready for market. She got it sold quickly and at a good price. I would absolutely recommend Cristi to anyone who is in the market.
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- Chris
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THE BEST REALTOR!!!! Cristi is so client oriented and goes above and beyond to make sure you are happy and have the home of your dreams! I would've been absolutely lost and IN TEARS if I didn't have her!! The team really walks you through every step and makes sure you understand what's happening. She also helped us sell our home for top dollar!! She's just absolutely awesome! I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend you use Cristi and the Waco Home Team!!! You won't regret it!
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- Ashley Perkins
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MLS® Disclaimer
© 2026 North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor NextHome Our Town shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. The database information herein is provided from and copyrighted by the North Texas Real Estate
Information Systems, Inc. NTREIS data may not be reproduced or redistributed and is only for people viewing this site. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. The advertisements herein are merely indications to bid and are not offers to sell which may be accepted. All properties are subject to prior sale or withdrawal. All rights are reserved by copyright.
Data last updated: September 28, 2026 4:50 PM UTC
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Central Texas MLS | Four Rivers Association of REALTORS® All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties
consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than NextHome Our Town may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright ©2026 All rights reserved.
Last Updated: September 28, 2026 6:19 PM UTC
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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than NextHome Our Town may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright ©2026 All rights reserved.
Last Updated: September 28, 2026 4:14 PM UTC
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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than NextHome Our Town may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright ©2026 All rights reserved.
Last Updated: January 1, 1970 12:00 AM UTC
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