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dallas real estate: 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 make your home that much more attractive to potential buyers when you do decide to sell.By contrast, converting a basement into a family room (if you're are has basements) or adding outdoor recreation facilities, such as a swimming pool or sport court, yield the lowest return on your investment.Sometimes the … (1 comments)
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dallas real estate: 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.* Price your home accurately for market conditions. Homes that sell quickly leave their sellers wondering if they set the price too low, while sellers whose homes sit on the market unsold wonder if they'll ever find a buyer.* Decide whether you want to move yourself or have professional movers handle … (2 comments)
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dallas real estate: 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, whether you pack yourself or have help. Otherwise, you'll never remember what's in each box.* Have the outside door locks on your new home changed and the garage door opener reprogrammed.* Get referrals from your doctors, dentists, and veterinarians for new providers near your new home. Take your files with … (0 comments)
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dallas real estate: 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 as the advertising medium of choice for real estate listings. Why? Posting listings online costs almost nothing, information can be changed or updated almost instantly, listings can be screened by price or area, and the information is available to prospective buyers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.According to … (4 comments)
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dallas real estate: 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 power of technology to provide you with exceptional service, including:· Sending up-to-date information by email for you to review at your convenience.· Providing you with an online home evaluation to stay on top of current market value. · Emailing new home listings to you as soon as desirable properties hit … (4 comments)
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dallas real estate: Dallas Real Estate- Showing Your House - 02/16/07 11:09 AM
I have found from experience that the activity during the first two weeks a home is on the market tends to predict how long it will take to sell. Potential buyers eagerly jump on new homes on the market.I am an ASP, Accredited Staging Professional. This means that I've taken the classes to become certified in better helping my sellers STAGE® their homes in order to help them sell faster and for higher dollar.Here are some "STAGING®" tips you might find helpful:* Keep your home in "show shape." Make sure that beds are made, dishes are in the dishwasher or put … (2 comments)
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dallas real estate: Dallas Real Estate- First Impressions - 02/14/07 02:47 PM
As you prepare your home for the market, one thing to keep in mind is that you have only one chance to make a first impression. It is absolutely vital that prospective buyers form a good impression of your home--beginning the moment they drive up. You can help create that good first impression by presenting potential buyers with a well-cared-for yard including a mowed lawn. Your front door and porch should be clean and neat, preferably freshly painted.These first, important encounters create a positive impression that carries through to the rest of your home. An inviting atmosphere implies that your house … (2 comments)
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dallas real estate: 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 to investors or second-home buyers. Once the market switched in several areas, those investors backed out and have, therefore, decreased sales overall.
Texas sold almost 290,000 homes in 2006 which was the higher amount sold to date.
Even with sales declines across the country in many high-dollar areas, the median sales price … (0 comments)
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dallas real estate: Thanks, Active Rain, 8% Listing!! - 01/23/07 02:43 PM
I received a call a couple of weeks ago from a home owner asking for a listing appointment. Her home is currently listed on the market, and she's in a city further north than what I usually take listings in, so I asked her how she found me... THANK YOU ACTIVE RAIN!
I also asked her if she thought the house hadn't sold because of the agent, or because of the house. She asked what I meant about it being the house's fault. I asked some leading questions, and it looks like it is partially the house's fault for it not selling, … (22 comments)
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dallas real estate: Sachse TX Great House Built in 1999, Hardwoods, GameRoom, and More! - 01/09/07 06:16 PM
PRICE REDUCED!! Great House built in 1999 in move-in ready condition! Hardwoods in the formal dining and on the stairs. Laminate wood in the kitchen. Loft upstairs has closet and could be walled-up into 4th bedroom. Master has double sinks, garden tub, separate shower, & walk-in closet. HUGE backyard with plenty of running around room for entertaining. Floored Attic, under stairs storage,Dry Bar, Garage Door Opener & much more...Roof 04, HWH 06.City of Sachse but in Collin County and Wylie ISD which means lower taxes & higher rated schools!Click here for the visual tour: http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=738822
This area is very close to main … (2 comments)
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dallas real estate: House Hunters Hidden Potential- What House do you Choose? - 01/08/07 09:49 AM
There are a couple of new shows on HGTV that I've watched a few times, House Hunters and Hidden Potential. These shows really tell me how much my buyers choose houses that THEY love and not choose houses for themselves that I love.
House Hunters is where they take people out and show them house after house. I remember when I first saw it, the people were given the choice of three houses and they had to make a decision. The last time I saw it, they made a comment to the effect of, "three weeks and several houses later, choice #4 … (5 comments)
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dallas real estate: The Sense of Accomplishment - 01/07/07 06:25 PM
I have the sense of a HUGE accomplishment today!
Whenever I would show 2-story houses that had a "dust collector" above the front door, I would tell myself that if I ever had a house like that, I was going to decorate it, and it would involve one of those treasure chests. When we bought out current house about a year and a half ago, it actually has the "dust collector"! I was so excited. For those of you who don't know what a dust collector is, it's a plant ledge that just collects dust, mainly because it's too high for you … (18 comments)
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dallas real estate: Texas Real Estate License Plates - 01/02/07 07:59 AM
These brand new license plates are now being offered in Texas for $30 (in addition to regular registration fees). I'm definitely getting one. However, for another $40, you can customize the 5 letters.
I need help trying to figure out something catchy that wouldn't already be taken. I assume REL8R is already taken, though I'll still try for it. Does anyone have any other ideas for 5 letters relating to real estate??
… (31 comments)
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dallas real estate: In Search of a Better Deal- Limited verse Full Service - 11/27/06 04:30 PM
There have been many debates over the years about the differences of Limited Service agents compared to Full Service agents. Many Limited Fee agents like to consider themselves Full Service, but potato, tomato (I don't know how to type the different pronounciation)
There is an article that I have included in my listing presentations since it came out last January. It's called In Search of a Better Deal: Effects of Limited Representation and Agent Experience. This is a great article and I thought I would quote some fabulous statistics it found. The main reason I present this report to my sellers is because … (39 comments)
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dallas real estate: Accidentally Rolled into a Builder - 11/24/06 01:44 PM
I have had a great day today! So, I took advantage of Black Friday and went and bought some roller blades. As soon as I got home, I decided I had to try them out. Yes, I'm crazy, as the last time I had roller bladed was about 17 years ago and that was only for about 5 minutes! I got all strapped in, 10 minutes, and rolled out the door. Boy, are my streets hilly!! (yes, this is a real estate story so keep reading)
I'm going the last stretch to head home, and I'm trying to figure out the brakes, since it's a … (13 comments)
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dallas real estate: Taking a Couple of Hours Off - 11/06/06 11:28 AM
I took a couple of hours off the past couple of weeks to relax and get my Fall beds planted. It took me 5 days to complete everything as I didn't try to do it all in one day this year. I'm one of those A personalities that like to get things done and get them done now. Last year, I didn't feel mch accomplishment once they were all planted and then the next day, all I could do was look at them.
This year, my strategy was to plant sections at a time. I have my main front tree that is … (8 comments)
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dallas real estate: Desoto, TX Trying to Ban the Pitt Bull - 11/03/06 12:39 PM
Desoto, TX is just south west of the center of Dallas. They are trying to ban Bit Bulls in their city. Richardson, where I live, passed an ordinance to ban Pit Bulls back in 1987, but it was struck down by an appeal just a couple of years later. The ban would include several breeds including the popular American Pitt Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
Instead of just banning the animals, the mayor has asked for a meeting with the residence to voice their opinions of what types of dogs they do and don’t like. I can see this opening … (4 comments)
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dallas real estate: A Service to Write up Your Offers - 11/01/06 08:28 PM
Are agents really getting this lazy? I just received an email from a lady who started a new service where you can call in and register your buyer and when you're ready to write up an offer, you call them and they write it for you and send it to your buyer to sign. They do offer you the opportunity to fill out a blank contract first so they'll have all your stock information and typical wording in the Special Provisions section, but besides that, you just go blank by blank in the contract and they fill it out for you.Gimme … (7 comments)
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dallas real estate: Dallas Area Foreclosures Reach Highs of the 1980s - 10/20/06 10:14 AM
This is scary. I was only in elementary school in the 80's, so I don't remember what real estate was like, but I can imagine it was pretty bad since I've heard many times about the interest rates of the 80s being upwards in the high teens. We moved to Texas in 1984, and when I sold that house about 5 years ago, I noticed my parents had assumed the loan in order to buy the house. I guess assumptions were the main way to keep your rates low, though I can't believe they paid what they paid back then just … (4 comments)
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dallas real estate: Frisco Rejects Extended Drinking Hours - 10/18/06 12:22 PM
Frisco, TX, a fast growing suburb of Dallas, has been trying to extend their drinking hours for years. Currently, restaurants and hotels and other type establishments can only serve alcohol until midnight. The time is extended to 1am on Saturdays.
There are arguments on both sides, but I think the best argument is to keep people local. If you extend the drinking hours, you're going to have more people in the restaurants and out entertaining which brings in more tax revenue. As it stands, people from Frisco must go to a neighboring city where they serve until 2am. During the week, and … (1 comments)
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Donna Harris, REALTOR®, CDPE & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes
Austin,
TX
More about me…
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
Address: 4611 Bee Caves Rd #200, Austin, TX, 78746
Office Phone: (512) 592-7127
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