collin county: I Voted Today, Have You? - 10/30/08 02:04 PM
I voted today, have you voted yet? My husband and I had a little time to spare this morning, so we decided to go ahead and head up to the Collin County Community College and vote.
It was a little awkward since we don't really talk politics in our house. We're two very strong-headed … (26 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Metroplex has 10 Cities in Top 100 Best Places - 07/22/08 09:50 AM
Many suburbs of Dallas, TX made CNN Money's top 100 places to live list for 2008. What I find interesting is that 10 cities in the Dallas area made the list, but only 1 city from the Austin area made the list, Round Rock. Of those 10 cities, I have to admit, I'm shocked … (6 comments)
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collin county: Richardson TX Woods of SpringCreek TurnAbout - 07/21/08 02:21 PM
My community, Woods of SpringCreek in Richardson, TX finally received the turnabout they've been talking about for years. Telecom was a dead-end street, but it was never finished off because the plans were to make it a through street.
With enough support from the homeowners, we convinced the City of Richardson … (2 comments)
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collin county: Richardson Regional Medical Center Almost Complete - 07/21/08 01:40 PM
Last June, I blogged about Richardson TX becoming the new Cancer Hub for the area. Well, it's a year later, and they're almost done with the buildings. Each time I went in for my pregnancy follow ups last year, I would watch out the window as they were working. At that time, … (2 comments)
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collin county: Richardson TX Opens New Gated Community - 07/21/08 01:26 PM
Brand New Gated Community just starting building it's first spec home, Cantera. Cantera is in North East Richardson TX where I refer to it as the "Red-Headed Step Child of Richardson." I call this area that because it's the city of Richardson, but it's Collin County and Plano Schools, so we sometimes get … (2 comments)
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collin county: Percentages verse Dollar Amounts- Are they Equal? - 06/12/08 02:05 PM
I sell a lot of new homes. Each builder offers different "incentives" to build with them. Even the same builder, in different communities, offers different incentives. How the builder words their incentives can make or break a deal.
I'm currently working with some buyers to build a brand new home, from … (0 comments)
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collin county: 6627 Highgate Ln, Dallas TX 75214 ONLY $249,500 - 06/09/08 02:51 PM
This is a Great House that was brought back to life & priced below comparables and ready for new owners!
3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 3 Living Areas, & 2 Dining Areas. Many updates include, refinished hardwood floors through the formal living, dining, hall & bedrooms.
Travertine in the Kitchen, Baths, … (0 comments)
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collin county: 1429 Coffeyville Trl, Plano, TX 75023 - 04/22/08 01:22 PM
Great house in great condition. This interior corner has a lot of space for family, pets, & entertaining.
There are 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths with a 2 car garage in the Fabulous Plano school district. All this for ONLY $125,000!!
Vaulted Ceilings in the Family Room show off the Brick, … (8 comments)
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collin county: Texas Ranks 1st for Most Fortune 500 Companies - 04/22/08 01:04 PM
It's no wonder that Texas is getting so much relocation from across the country these days. We're the place to work, which means we're the place to live. Texas has finally beat out New York for the most Fortune 500 Companies across the state. Texas has 58, New York fell to … (4 comments)
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collin county: Foreclosure Rates are Dropping - 04/16/08 08:13 AM
Foreclosures are going down! It's true! It was on the news last night, and I had to pause the TiVo to make sure I wrote down the numbers correctly.
The Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex area had a 16% DROP in foreclosures compared to last year. WOW! They compared this to the National … (5 comments)
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collin county: 2413 Princess Ct, Carrollton TX 75006 - 04/08/08 11:25 AM
Great Carrollton 3 Bedroom home with a POOL, Study, 2 full baths, Large Living Area, and 2 Dining Areas all for ONLY $219,500.
Ask about your FREE Travel Vouchers to the Bahamas, Mexico, Dominican, or Hawaii given at Closing!
Fabulous house with thou$and$ of dollar$ in updates & upgrades. New Water Heater, Appliances, Granite … (3 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Area Property Valuations Going out - 04/07/08 02:02 PM
Please keep an eye out for your new Property Tax valuations in the mail. They'll be going out the week of May 5. It's very important to look at this document and make sure there are no problems. I am currently working with some home owners who just found out that … (0 comments)
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collin county: Showing your House, not your Home - 04/01/08 10:00 AM
Look around your house. Now, take another look and count how many times your eyes move to all the photos of your family sitting on the shelves and hanging on the walls. Did you notice your college degree? I've had buyers not buy houses because they were Longhorns and they saw … (21 comments)
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collin county: Why Are you Junking up Your Signs? - 03/13/08 11:46 AM
Why are you junking up your signs if you're not going to make sure they're portraying the image of you that puts you in the best light? If you're going to put sign riders on your signs, you should make sure they're attached securely.
This sign is two doors down from … (21 comments)
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collin county: Does the Look of a Neighboring House Effect Value? - 02/26/08 06:11 PM
Does the look of neighboring houses effect the value of your house? Do you have a neighbor who doesn't mow their lawn as often as you would like? Or even if they mow it, is the yard all weeds instead of grass? Do you have a neighbor who loves huge rose … (12 comments)
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collin county: Dallas REALTOR® Membership on the Rise - 02/25/08 09:46 AM
I've read many people's blogs about the membership of their Realtor Associations going down and people getting out of the business. National news makes real estate sound so bad these days. Once again, the Dallas area is outside the National trends. I contacted the MetroTex Association of Realtors on Friday to … (5 comments)
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collin county: Filing Texas Homestead Exemptions- First Reminder - 02/21/08 10:33 AM
Here is your first reminder to file your Texas Homestead Exemption form if you closed on your home by December 31, 2007. I like to remind people towards the end of February because hopefully you're done with your Holiday bills, and worrying about your W2s (1099's) from your employer, and you're … (3 comments)
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collin county: 2717 Bissell Way; Wylie TX 75098 - 02/16/08 04:15 PM
Ask about your FREE trip to The Bahamas, Mexico, Dominican or Hawaii when you buy this house! Great 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home with Gameroom upstairs. Looks barely lived in & Move-in Ready. Some updates are 2" blinds, new fixtures, new oven & stove, new disposal, & extended patio in pool-sized backyard which is … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Fort Worth Area Foreclosures Ranked 11th Nationwide - 02/16/08 03:49 PM
The latest report is out and it shows DFW has a surge of 27% in foreclosures going up for auction in March. However, the number 27 doesn't mean too much in an average. I say that because it takes into consideration Denton County that had a 42% increase. But, at 42%, … (0 comments)
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collin county: Elderly Texas Drivers Must Pass Vision Test - 09/05/07 02:17 PM
Yes, that's right, Texas drivers over the age of 79 must actually go in person to the DMV and renew their license. With renewing it, they must take and PASS the vision test.
This is all because of Katie's Law. Katie was hit and killed by an elderly driver who ran a … (2 comments)
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collin county: 952 Lockhart Dr, Plano TX 75023 - 08/17/07 01:09 PM
3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 2 Car Garage, 2 Living Areas, 2 Dining Areas, and POOL all for under $150k!!CLICK HERE for the Visual Tour.
Great House in Great Area of Plano. POOL with perimeter fence & privacy with 8' Board on Board Fence. Oversized Cov Patio for Entertaining. Many updates: fresh … (1 comments)
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collin county: Tollways Not Accepting Cash- Electronic Payment Only - 08/15/07 03:57 PM
The NTTA, North Texas Tollway Authority, has agreed to move forward with their plan to get rid of all the cash booths by 2010. Instead of the people without TollTags to pay cash, the booth will take a picture of the license plate and mail the owner a bill for driving … (17 comments)
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collin county: 3121 Scott Dr, Sachse TX 75048 - 07/06/07 04:44 PM
What a Great house with Heated POOL & SPA! 4 Beds, Master Split, with 2 full baths and 2 car garage. There are 3 Living areas and 2 Dining Areas. Plenty of room to spread out for everyone! Updates include fresh paint, newer laminate wood flooring, new blinds, some new fixtures, new hardware, … (7 comments)
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collin county: Plano TX Market Breakdown - 06/26/07 06:43 PM
I just posted the results of the Market Breakdown for Richardson, TX. I thought it would be interesting to compare Richardson to Plano, TX. Plano is the next city North, and many people compare the two cities all the time for school districts and neighborhoods. Growing up in Richardson, I'm a … (0 comments)
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collin county: Richardson TX Market Breakdown - 06/26/07 06:31 PM
Richardson, TX is having a very interesting year thus far. I was comparing numbers year to date to 2006 year to date, and the numbers astonish me.
People keep trying to say that it's a buyers' market because houses are staying on the market for months and months, even years, and sellers will … (5 comments)
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collin county: Another Staging Success - 06/26/07 11:52 AM
Here are some wonderful before and after pictures for a new listing in Garland, TX.
In the Dining area, there is a sitting window, however, you cannot even see it. Many people love sitting windows because you can put a padded top on it and use it for reading or as … (9 comments)
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collin county: 225 W Amberway Ln, Garland TX 75040 - 06/25/07 05:03 PM
What a FABULOUS house! 4 Beds, 2 Full Baths, 2 Car Garage, and a Diving POOL!! All for ONLY $143,000!!
Ready to Dive into your new POOL!? The Pool was just resurfaced and new tile installed. Being an Interior Corner lot, it still leaves room for a HUGE yard for entertainment (kids and/or pets) … (5 comments)
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collin county: House Didn't Appraise - 06/13/07 03:16 PM
I've been laughing for a few days about this, so I thought I would blog about it... Granted, the Dallas market does not follow the norm of the "Nationwide" market that the news is always talking about. We never had a bubble and prices have been fairly steady for the past … (31 comments)
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collin county: Mesquite Home Now Staged and Ready! - 05/21/07 04:22 PM
Here are some before and after pictures of my new listing in Mesquite, TX. With Five kids, it took a couple of extra days to get everything ready, but I'm so glad we waited until today to list it so that extra time was used.
Look what a … (8 comments)
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collin county: 807 Via Sonoma Mesquite, TX 75150 - 05/21/07 04:05 PM
Great house and versatile floorplan. 4 bedrooms plus a study and two and a half baths. 2 Dining areas. 1 or 2 Living areas, depending on how you do the floorplan. The Current Formal Dining can be 2nd Living area & the Study can be the Formal Dining, right off the Kitchen. The … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas and Collin County Tax Appraisals are Out - 05/07/07 04:45 PM
Ok, I hope you've checked your mail! Tax Assessments for 2007 have gone out. You have until May 31, 2007 to dispute your values. I have already received several emails from people asking about their values.
Also, if you do go to the Appraisal Review Board and you don't like their answer, … (0 comments)
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collin county: Smart Yearly Home Maintenance - 04/23/07 02:05 PM
Once a year, it's a good idea to give your home a checkup. Finding problems or potential problems in their early stages usually gives you the best chance to make repairs more easily and less expensively than if problems are allowed to worsen over time.
The kinds of things you'll want … (2 comments)
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collin county: Preparing your House for Sale - 04/23/07 02:03 PM
To prepare your home for sale, you may need to perform some maintenance to get it into top shape. Here is a list of things you can do before your home goes on the market that will really make a difference:
* Replace cracked windows and torn screens.* Fix or replace broken … (2 comments)
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collin county: Another Staging Success- Twice in one week! - 04/05/07 03:03 PM
I love it when sellers cooperate and do just about everything I ask them to do so we can present the house in a way to get top dollar!
Look at the before and after pictures below:
The office not only had this built-in desk, but there was also another complete desk … (16 comments)
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collin county: 4117 Polstar Dr., Plano TX 75093 - 04/05/07 02:08 PM
What a great house with 8.5' Diving, Heated Pool & Spa! This is a 3 bedrooms home with 2.5 baths, a Study, 2 Living areas, 2 Dining Areas, 2 car Garage, and almost 2500 sqft. Updates include: Pool resurfaced, Pool filter, AC & Furnace, stove, dishwasher, & faucet. Features include: oak … (6 comments)
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collin county: My Brand New Website LAUNCH! - 03/24/07 02:14 PM
OK, for years, I've always maintained my own website. I've blogged about it before, but in case you've missed it, I'm a control freak. I liked designing it and updating it and being in control of how things were presented. That site still exists at www.donnahomes.net.
However, I did not think … (26 comments)
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collin county: Various Listings in and Around Dallas - 03/21/07 08:12 PM
This is a great new feature that I have and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the marketing of your home in further detail. Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my … (4 comments)
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collin county: Dallas- April Foreclosures up 18% - 03/16/07 04:20 PM
The list for April's foreclosures has just been tallied and the DFW market is up 18% for April compared to April last year. For the year, foreclosures are up 15%. The main counties break down as follows:
Dallas- 11%- up 1597
Collin- 40%- up 456
Denton- 20%- up 333
Tarrant- 20%- up 1066
Rockwall- 29%- up 63
The … (2 comments)
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collin county: Remodeling Investment - 03/01/07 02:16 PM
Are you thinking of remodeling your home? Consider the return on your investment before remodeling. Not all remodeling projects yield the same return in increasing your home's value.Updating your kitchen and baths is your best remodeling investment, returning a nearly dollar-for-dollar increase in home resale value. An updated kitchen and bathrooms … (1 comments)
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collin county: Minimize Your Stresses when Moving - 02/28/07 03:35 PM
For most people, moving to a new residence is a stressful event. Here are some things you can do to minimize tension and worry when you sell your home:* Choose a real estate agent (REALTOR®) who communicates clearly and frequently, keeping you up to speed on every step of the process.* … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Moving Day - 02/27/07 09:58 AM
Most buyers and sellers consider moving day a real hassle. Here are some things you can do to make it more manageable:* Cut back on your possessions as you pack. Make separate areas for items to be discarded, sold, or donated to charity.* Label all boxes and color-code them by room, … (0 comments)
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collin county: Internet Marketing - 02/23/07 03:03 PM
Have you wondered what it would take to sell your home for the highest price, in the shortest amount of time, and with a minimum of inconvenience?Besides accurate pricing and an effective marketing campaign, posting your home on the Internet can make a huge difference. The Internet has largely replaced newspapers … (4 comments)
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collin county: Why Choose Tech Savvy Realtor - 02/22/07 09:35 AM
When you choose a real estate agent, you're selecting someone to represent you in one of the largest financial transactions you may ever undertake. As the Internet continues to simplify the way people research buying and selling homes, there are many good reasons to choose a REALTOR® who can harness the … (4 comments)
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collin county: Texas- Home Sales Set Record in 2006 - 02/06/07 02:40 PM
According to the Associated Press and NAR, Texas had a record year in 2006 whereas the rest of the nation didn't, for the most part.
NAR reported only 6.5 million units were sold in 2006 which was down 8.4% compared to 2005 sales. They also stated that 40% of sales in 2005 were … (0 comments)
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collin county: 2801 Bissell Way- Wylie TX Home for Sale $135,000 - 02/05/07 06:32 PM
This floorplan is very open and in move-in ready condition! 3 Beds, 2 Baths, 2 Car Garage, Built in 2002. The Kitchen and Nook have laminate wood floors, decorative lighting, upgraded counters, & walk-in pantry. The Master Bath has new tile floors, double sinks, linen closet, and large walk-in closet.
The … (4 comments)
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collin county: Collin County, TX- Warrants are Due! - 10/16/06 06:28 PM
Collin County law enforecment is out in full force this week. They plan on rounding up all the people with outstanding warrants against them. This takes a lot of man-power and man-hours to go door knocking and showing up at people's homes or offices.
Their goal for the week is 300! That … (0 comments)
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collin county: Reward up to $50K for Builder Saleswoman - 08/25/06 08:24 AM
Back in July, a Builder's rep was murders in a model home, stabbed 27 times. There is a reward being offered and it keeps going up and up as people are eliminated as suspects and more information turns into nothing.
The theory goes back and forth as to whether or not she … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Take Care of Your Foundation - 08/23/06 07:05 PM
In North Texas, we're built on red, clay soil. The soil expands and contracts as it dries up or gets wet. As the soils move, it moves the slab. Small, hairline cracks in the brick and mortar are not much cause to be alarmed. When the cracks become larger is when … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Archive Search - 08/23/06 06:20 PM
Whenever I go on a listing appointment, I pull up an Archive search to see the listing history of the property. Whenever a buyer wants to write an offer on a property, I again pull up an archive search on the property. Many times, agents think that if they just relist … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Home Appreciation up 3.2% - 08/15/06 07:20 PM
Dalllas appreciation was up 3.2%. But, appreciation across the country was 3.7%. Very close! I can't believe appreciation has come that much to a halt across the country. WOW!! Can you believe that the Dallas home appreciation is actually in line with the rest of the Nation? When I first started … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Name Change is Hard to Recognize - 08/13/06 09:50 PM
I got married this past October and ended up hyphenating my name in the MLS so other agents would know who I was when they saw a listing. I slowly changed the name on my signs to only Harris. Before I got married, I sold my house so my husband and … (5 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Appraiser on the Watch List - 08/12/06 08:48 PM
It seems as though I'm not "allowed" to have a smooth transaction. I posted a few days ago about a situation where the buyer wants to meet the seller for a final walk through before closing. Boy did this almost blow up this week.
So, the lender had 4 appraisers take a … (3 comments)
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collin county: Buyers and Sellers go Full Circle - 08/12/06 08:42 PM
I represented these Sellers. We get to closing 6 days late because the buyer's loan all of a sudden was not in a clear to close mode like we were all told. That was actually ok, because my sellers were buying a new home and we hadn't received the CO yet, … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Rain Finally Arrived! - 08/12/06 08:31 PM
The Country had the second hottest July on record, behind 1936. I think Dallas having one of it's hottest summers ever, but definitely doesn't beat 1980 or 1998. We've had about 20 days over 100 degrees, and even though people think Dallas is hot, that's actually unusual.
But then, this morning, I … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Change your Locks after Closing - 08/10/06 05:37 PM
After you close on a house, you need to change your locks. You don't actually have to change the actual lock as rekeying a lock is much cheaper, but you never know who has copies of the keys. If the previous owners didn't change their locks, you could have people from … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- High Rises Missing a Floor - 08/10/06 04:45 PM
This is hilarious... did you know that some developers omit the 13th floor of a high rise building?? I had never heard of this before. There's a new condo conversation going on in Dallas and instead of having a 13th floor for residences, they are putting the pool and workout equipment … (7 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Mixed-Use Community - 08/10/06 04:35 PM
It seems as though mixed-use communities are sprouting up all over the place. The developers have this plan to make suburban areas more like urban areas so people who move to the suburbs reluctantly can still have the city feel. It's happening all over Dallas and now they're sprouting one in … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- July had 10% Drop - 08/09/06 10:53 AM
My seller's are constantly wondering why the showings have slowed down or why there aren't any showings period. In July, there was a 10% drop in home sales which followed a 5% drop in June.
We currently have 47,391 listings on the market which is about 8% higher than last year!! … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Staging - 08/09/06 10:09 AM
I had my first attempt at really helping a seller stage their home this week. Below are some of the before and after pictures. I was unable to utilize the garage for storage, so there is still more furniture in the rooms that I would like, but at least the spaces … (9 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Specific Performance - 08/08/06 07:54 AM
Within an executed contract, the seller has agreed to sell their home, with no way out of the contract. That's called Specific Performance, as they must perform their end. However, the buyer has a way out almost every time as you can just claim something about financing. Or if they default, … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Work Picks up as I leave town - 08/06/06 03:27 PM
The big joke is to schedule plans to be out of town at least once a quarter because you'll notice your business will pick up right before you leave. As I was driving out of town on Friday, I had about 15 minutes before I would lose cell reception, and the listing … (5 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Commuting to work - 08/04/06 08:24 AM
I just read about a contest going on in the North Texas area about trying to get people to car pool. They estimated about 3 million people driving to and from work everyday and 9 out of 10 are driving alone. The contest is at http://www.tryparkingit.com/. "Only" 235,512 miles have been … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Seller's Closing Costs - 08/03/06 06:37 PM
It amazes me how many sellers think they can just get a contract on their house, show up to closing, and get the amount of the sales price at closing. Many sellers don't understand that they have their own closing costs, just like a buyer.
Sellers don't just pay a commission to sell … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- ASP- Accredited Staging Professional - 08/02/06 07:05 PM
I got my ASP today! I am now a certified ASP REALTOR®. The ASP is an Accredited Staging Professional.
Staging is NOT decorating! Staging is de-personalizing. Staging is getting a house ready to sell faster and for higher dollar. A staged home makes all the difference in the world.
For our final exam, … (1 comments)
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collin county: Yesterday's National Night Out - 08/02/06 07:10 AM
National Night Out was fun in my neighborhood. There was a live band, a jump house, and some other air blown slide thing for the kids. I definitely think we had enough people to keep you Crime Watch signs up for another year. You have to have something like 40% of … (0 comments)
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collin county: Big Dallas Business Cutting Jobs- EDS - 08/01/06 07:03 PM
Plano based EDS announced that they will be cutting anywhere from 3000-4000 jobs, globally, in the second half of the year. IKES!! Collin County is already seeing high foreclosure rates and this does not look good. I imagine many of those people will have problems finding comparable jobs and then I get … (1 comments)
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collin county: Texas Schools Unacceptable - 08/01/06 06:56 PM
This is ridiculous!! Last year, there were 264 schools that were ranked as unacceptable and this year, that number jumped up to 321! How does this happen? What's funny (not really) is all the schools that cheated on their TAKS Tests (standardized tests) didn't help much as most of those are … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas County in Heat Emergency? - 08/01/06 08:15 AM
The Dallas County officaials are thinking about declaring a heat emergency. There are now 8 heat related deaths across the county as even the night time temperatures are staying above 80 degrees.
The news keeps reflecting back to the summer of 1980 as the hottest summer with 69 days over 100 degrees, … (2 comments)
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collin county: FBI Investigates Dallas Independent School District - 07/31/06 06:26 PM
Like it's not enough that Texas is getting a bad rap about all the cheating on the standardized tests, but now the FBI has come to town to investigate DISD and their credit card use. About a month ago, DISD found out that some of their employees were using the district … (3 comments)
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collin county: Texas Registration Tags Change - 07/31/06 06:17 PM
This past year, many people griped and moaned about the new registration tags for our cars. They're were much bigger than the previous years and they had this awful, cloudy, almost clear boarder with the Texas Flag in the middle... It was huge and it obstructs some view out the front … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- CSS bought eHomeshowings.com - 07/28/06 01:37 PM
It was announced yesterday that eHomeshowings.com has been bought by CSS, Centralized Showing Services. It was inevitable. EHS was never as big as CSS. I used CSS when I was with a previous broker, so when I had to sign up with EHS, a much smaller company, I was disappointed. I … (5 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- A Reason for Everything - 07/28/06 01:33 PM
I truly believe there is a reason for everything... the latest event that happened to fuel this theory more is that I met my grandmother for the first time in almost 18 years and I have to thank real estate for that.
If I wasn't in real estate, I would have had … (0 comments)
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collin county: National Night Out - 07/28/06 01:28 PM
I just wanted to remind everyone about National Night Out on August 1. It's coming up pretty quick. This is a great way to meet your neighbors and create new friendships. I've only been in my neighborhood for about 10 months, so I'm definitely looking forward to meeting new people.
I really … (0 comments)
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collin county: First A/C'd Mall in the South Demolished - 07/26/06 09:17 AM
Big Town Mall in Mesquite started demolision, but it was just a procedure as the mall has been dead for years. Me? I say, "Where the heck is Big Town? I've never heard of it!" I've been here for 22 years and never heard of Big Town Mall.
It was the first … (1 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Best Places to Live in Dallas - 07/25/06 11:15 AM
Money Magazine did their usual rankings for this year and four Dallas areas made the top 100 list for the best places to live: Carrollton, Denton, Plano, and Richardson. Not to be biased, but i moved to Richardson 22 years ago and currently still reside here, so I could have told you … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - Writing an Offer - 07/25/06 09:48 AM
Verbal contracts are not held up in a Real Estate transaction. Everything must be in writing. All terms of everything must be discussed. I love it when an out of town buyer tells me to just call up the listing agent and ask if such and such price is ok. I'm … (1 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- DFW Area Ranked 9th Largest Across Country - 07/23/06 04:48 PM
I always thought DFW was in the top 10 of largest metropolotan areas, but I guess I was wrong. People always think Ft Worth is larger than it really is, but it's actually a small fraction of the metroplex, whereas Dallas holds well over the majority of the population. Granted, Ft … (0 comments)
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collin county: Gas Price hit an All Time High - 07/23/06 04:35 PM
Can you believe the price of gas these days?? We just hit an all-time high of $3.015 across the country. The high we beat was set in September of 2005 and it was at $3.0117.
I've been asked many times if the price of gas is going to change my business and … (1 comments)
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collin county: Cold Front this Weekend - 07/21/06 01:39 PM
I can't wait for this weekend! We have had 10 days in a row of triple digit temperatures. We even hit 107 earlier this week, which was the highest recorded temperature in over 3 years! This weekend, we will be dropping to 95 degrees!! Can you believe it?? 95 degrees, possibly … (6 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - New Frisco Development - 07/21/06 01:29 PM
A new development is slated to start next month in Frisco, Crosswinds. This will be 1000 acres of Residential and parks off Lebanon and west of the Tollway. It looks as though the lot sizes might be a bit larger than what we're used to seeing these days. The original plot … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate - 5% Appreciation - 07/21/06 11:13 AM
With the latest statistics coming out, it looks as though the North Texas area has actually seen some apprciation instead of just being "flat" as most people would say it's been. Compared to the same period of 2005, the first half of 2006 showed 5% appreciation! Granted, we still have around … (2 comments)
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collin county: Texas Longhorns #2?? - 07/20/06 06:57 PM
What?? Can this be right?? The latest poll that was conducted shows Texas rated as #2 with Oklahoma as #1... no way! I mean, sure Texas lost some big players this year, but they're on a 20 game winning streak! OK was 8-4 overall last year. How could a team with … (2 comments)
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collin county: A New Kind of Tooth Fairy - 07/20/06 06:52 PM
There was an article published on www.dallasnews.com today about a new company in Austin that will store a child's baby teeth for future use to potentially cure diseases. This is supposed to replace embryonic stem cell research. They aren't sure whether this will work or not, but it's $595 for the … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Increase in Foreclosure - 07/14/06 02:48 PM
This is the latest information posted on Dallasnews.com about foreclosures in the Dallas area.
Residential properties scheduled for foreclosure auction in August and the change from last year.
Dallas County 1,412 +30% Collin County 342 +34% Tarrant County 897 +17% Denton County 310 +30% Rockwall County 43 +23% D-FW area 2,961 +26% SOURCE: … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- How Many Homes to View - 07/14/06 02:29 PM
How many homes is too many to view at a time?I've asked several Realtors this question and most like to show only 3 or 4 houses at a time. 3 or 4?? I can understand viewing that few homes when you're in a market that doesn't have many listings, but there is … (7 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate- Another Reason for Loan Approval - 07/13/06 12:54 PM
There are still no good leads for the killing of the builder's rep in McKinney. I just wanted to take this time to point out, again, why I get my buyers pre-approved for their loans.
Many people think this is just so I don't waste my time showing buyers who don't qualify … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate -What Makes you a Negotiations Specialist? - 07/12/06 04:41 PM
Recently, I've noticed some agents putting an alphabet of real estate classes after their name, CNS. This CNS stands for Certified Negotiations Specialist. They are receiving this designation after taking a class on negotiations. Does that make you a specialist? I would have to scream out the answer as NO!
I would … (2 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate -How Do You de-Personalize Your Home? - 07/10/06 01:53 PM
Look around your house. Now, take another look and count how many times your eyes move to all the photos of your family sitting on the shelves and hanging on the walls. Did you notice your college degree? I've had buyers not buy houses because they were Longhorns and they saw … (0 comments)
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collin county: Builder Rep Murdered in Model Home - 07/10/06 01:52 PM
This is crazy!! I'm sitting home on a Saturday evening and I refresh my homepage of www.dallasnews.com and there's a story that catches my eye: "Sales Agent Found Dead in McKinney Model Home."It draws my attention immediately as I'm a Realtor and I go to model homes all the time. I … (1 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate -Making a First Impression - 07/08/06 04:12 PM
The most important thing you need to keep in mind when putting your house on the market is that you only have one chance to make a first impression. Many people think the first impression is the drive- up appeal in order to get the people from the car into the … (3 comments)
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collin county: Another Non-Qualified Buyer won't Learn... - 07/07/06 01:25 PM
As I've said many times within and outside this blog, a buyer must be, at minimum, pre-approved for a loan before looking at houses. I got a call from one of my online ads to look at a house. I asked the questions I ask all prospects that call. The difference … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate -Do I need a Realtor when I buy a Brand NEW home? - 07/06/06 02:25 PM
Of Course You Do!!!Think of it this way... when you walk into a Builder's model home and you're greeted by the nice lady or man, he or she works for the Builder and works for the Builder's best interests, not yours! You are the buyer wanting to buy one of their … (0 comments)
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collin county: Dallas Real Estate -What is Earnest Money and How much is acceptable? - 07/05/06 10:37 AM
I get asked two questions a lot:1. What is Earnest Money?2. How much Earnest Money is acceptable for an offer?The easiest answer to what earnest money is, is that it's "good faith" money. When you put up earnest money with your offer, you're offering good faith to the seller that you … (0 comments)
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collin county: Happy 4th of July!! - 07/03/06 08:58 PM
For me, Real Estate is a 24/7 career, and I don't mind. But, around this time of year, I'll tend to take at least one personal day off to enjoy with my Husband and friends. This year, with the actual Holiday on a Tuesday, it seems as though the weekend is … (1 comments)
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collin county: Experienced Agent verse Newer Agent - 06/29/06 06:32 PM
When I first got into real estate, I had just turned 24 and I looked about 18. It was no wonder people always asked my age and how long I was in the business. I always had to prove myself as to why they should use me as a newer agent...Now … (0 comments)
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collin county: Full Service Listing Verse Limited Service - 06/29/06 06:14 PM
One of the things I have to explain to sellers when I'm on a listing appointment is why I can't take a reduced commission to sell their home. My first response is, weren't you paying attention to all the marketing I do for your house to get it sold and do … (1 comments)
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collin county: Pre- Qualified verse Pre-Approved - 06/26/06 08:16 PM
Are you Pre-Qualified or are you Pre-Approved? Do you know the difference?
There are many ways to differentiate the difference between being pre-qualified and being pre-approved. The easiest thing to ask yourself is, "Did I just make a phone call and talk with someone? or Did I turn in any paperwork like … (4 comments)
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