dallas: Icy Roads Keep the Car Washes in Business
- 12/17/08 05:56 AM
The Dallas area has had icy roads the past couple of days. Since the average Dallas area person doesn't know how to drive in icy conditions, days like these typically shut down the area.
I mean, hardly any ice and several larger school districts closed their doors yesterday. What's that about? Most were smarter and just did a delayed 10am start to allow for the slower traffic.
I had to drive in it yesterday and didn't think it was bad at all. However, the sand trucks were out in full force. On days like these, those sand trucks have to go out … (17 comments)
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dallas: Relocating- First Hand Experience Part 1
- 08/15/08 05:40 AM
Boy have I been busy... busy turning off my business! Since the move to Austin is definite, I can't keep building new business in Dallas, or I'll be throwing money down the toilet. I like to keep as much money in my pockets as I can as I have plenty of other expenses to spend it on.
This week, I stopped all my lead generation programs. Those were the hardest calls and emails to send. Oh no, I'm still going to be in Dallas for at least the next 6 months! Am I going to be able to continue my current … (9 comments)
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dallas: Dallas verse Austin Update
- 06/25/08 02:36 PM
As of today, it looks like we're probably going to stay in Dallas. We have been running the numbers constantly, nonstop for the past few weeks. Mike and I have talked more in the past few weeks than we've talked in our 5+ relationship... well, not really, but pretty darn close to it.
We've even found a house in Austin we've put an offer on. We had decided on Falconhead West. The house will be complete in October time frame...
After running numbers, even though the cost of living calculators show Austin is less expensive than Dallas, it's really not. To … (22 comments)
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dallas: Buyers Still Settle for SubStandard Service
- 06/17/08 12:45 AM
Why are Buyers still settling for substandard services when they don't have to? I'm all about educating and letting people know how things could and should be done. I got a lead in on my website a couple of days ago. He marked that he already had a realtor, so I sent back a message asking what kind of services his Realtor offers if he's needing to use another Realtor's site for information.
Part of his response was, "Your updates have been more help than any Realtor in the Dallas area. Thanks again!" He went on to tell me exactly what … (9 comments)
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dallas: National verse Local Opinions
- 06/12/08 07:22 AM
I couldn't believe my ears. Barbara Corcoran, The Today Show real estate expert, is talking in general terms again and it is so frustrating. She went on "national" tv and told people they needed to list their homes at 10-15% below their values in order to sell the homes fast. WHAT?!!
If you take the Dallas average of about $185k, that's like listing the house at $157k. Do you really think the person in this price range has that type of equity in their home to be able to sell it for at that price? Probably over 95% of buyers would … (70 comments)
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dallas: Percentages verse Dollar Amounts- Are they Equal?
- 06/12/08 07:05 AM
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 the ground up, not an inventory home. When we originally met with this builder, the incentives were 30% off upgrades and the builder would pay 3% for closing costs. That means, if you put $100k worth of upgrades into the house, you get $30k off the price, plus about $10k … (0 comments)
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dallas: 6627 Highgate Ln, Dallas TX 75214 ONLY $210,000
- 06/09/08 07:51 AM
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, & Fireplace surround. New Frieze carpet in the Gameroom & 2nd living.
New Granite counters, Stainless Steel Appliances, Vanities, Master Shower, 2 Blinds, complete AC unit & more!
The floorplan has been opened & ready for your family. It's almost 2000 sqft, pier and beam foundation, and priced at only $210,000 with … (0 comments)
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dallas: Fight Your Dallas area Property Tax Appraisals
- 05/27/08 07:25 AM
I'm sure you have received your 2008 Property Tax Appraisals by now. If not, you need to call your county appraisal district. Some areas only send out the noticed if your value has changed. If you are planning on fighting your value, you have less than 1 week, as you need to send notice by June 2, 2008.
If your value increased by more than $5000, it would be a pretty smart idea to inquire about the increase. If you would like specific information going on in your neighborhood, I would be more than happy to help you out. In most … (1 comments)
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dallas: Austin vs Dallas- I need Honest Opinions
- 05/18/08 01:36 AM
It looks as though I might "have to" relocate to Austin. It a really bad time for me because my business is BOOMING, but my husband might be told that he has an option of being laid off or move to Austin. He's from Austin (well, lived there from when he was 8 years old), but has been in Dallas for 10 years. He doesn't understand how much Austin has changed and thinks it's the same 'ol small town, though he voices his frustration of the growth each time we go to visit his family.
I am looking for opinions from … (19 comments)
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dallas: Texas has the Lowest Credit Score in the Country
- 04/24/08 07:23 AM
On average, Texas has the lowest credit score in the country. The score is a whopping 651 while the country has an average score of 692. What does this mean for Texas buyers? This means you're a higher risk and loan programs in Texas are different from other states. Look at this pretty chart.
To put things into perspective, Texas ranks 41st out of 50 states in home ownership. This is because with lower scores, it's harder to obtain a mortgage. Before the subprime fiasco that we're currently going through, a buyer with a 550 credit score could probably obtain 100% … (9 comments)
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dallas: Texas Ranks 1st for Most Fortune 500 Companies
- 04/22/08 06:04 AM
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 second with 55, and California has 52.
Some of those companies are Frito Lay, Blockbuster, JC Penney, Exxon Mobil, Brinker International, Michaels Arts & Crafts (my previous employer), AT&T, Dell, DR Horton, Centex, and many many others...
WalMart, in Arkansas is ranked #1 while ExxonMobile, in Irving, TX, is ranked #2.
Here is … (4 comments)
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dallas: Foreclosure Rates are Dropping
- 04/16/08 01:13 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 foreclosure rate that INCREASED 57%. That is a huge difference.
To put the number into perspective, approximately 10,700 houses started the foreclosure procedures last month.
For those of you who follow my blogs, this just reiterates what I keep saying, that it doesn't make sense to compare your local market to the … (5 comments)
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dallas: Real Estate Activity is Regional, not National
- 04/01/08 01:39 PM
WOW! Can you say B-U-S-Y?? I feel so sorry for other parts of the country right now, but in the past 4 weeks, I have contracted 9 properties!! Yes, 9!! Seven of them were in March, and I contracted two today. It's only April 1, and I already have 2 contracts. Granted, I don't count my chickens before they hatch, especially since one buyers' financing already fell through on one of the properties (going through Banco Popular in case anyone is familiar with them), but their agent is going to get one of her investors to buy the house and seller finance … (20 comments)
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dallas: Texas Rangers looking for Ball GIRLS
- 03/10/08 05:59 AM
The Texas Rangers held tryouts for Ball GIRLS this weekend. Yes, I said Ball Girls, not Ball Boys or Bat Boys. This will be the second year they have decided to have Ball Girls represent them.
There were about 20 girls fighting for 6 positions. What's interesting is that these girls aren't there just to run after foul balls and throw them to the crowd. On the contrary. They are there to also help warm-up the players. They will field balls hit and thrown. They will also have to be able to throw that ball back, long and accurately.
In addition to their … (3 comments)
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dallas: Why are you Still Over Pricing Your House?
- 02/27/08 02:37 AM
Why are you still over pricing your house even after all the education I try to give and explain? Over pricing will get you no where. It might get people in the door since people are looking in all types of price ranges, but as soon as they walk in, they'll say, "This house is not anywhere near a $350k house in this neighborhood, how could they price it at $369,900?"
The answer, the owners are investors and they're in the RED. Do I care they're in the red? Does a prospective buyer care they're in the red? Isn't the best way … (58 comments)
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dallas: JJ Pearce Richardson TX to be on TV Land's High School Reunion March 5!!
- 02/21/08 01:46 AM
This is so crazy!! Nothing ever really happens around here! I went to JJ Pearce High School in Richardson, TX. I was part of the graduating class of... hmmm, I know you guys think I'm young, but do you know how young? Age doesn't really matter when you've been in this industry for 8 years, so I can proudly say, I was part of the class of 1994- graduated with Advanced Honors which isn't too shabby if I do say so myself....
Anyway, premiering on March 5, 2008, they are putting a lot of alumni from JJ Pearce on a "sun- … (0 comments)
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dallas: Jason Kidd is Officially a Dallas Maverick Again
- 02/19/08 05:45 AM
Jason Kidd was previously with the Dallas Mavericks in 1994 where he played a couple of years before being traded to Phoenix. It seems like we trade everyone to Phoenix as that's also where Nash went.
There are many things involved with this trade, and I could possibly explain it all, but the main thing is that we get Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright. We also gave up a couple of first round draft picks for next year.
Jason will be ready for today's 3pm practice and ready to start.
Read more details of this trade on Dallasnews.com.
… (4 comments)
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dallas: Just Announced- Obama Coming to Dallas Wednesday February 20
- 02/16/08 07:59 AM
It has just been announced that Barack Obama will be making a stop in Dallas on Wednesday before his debate with Hillary Clinton on Thursday in Austin. The place has not been announced. I guess that's too small of a detail to have that when you make such an announcement, but I'll update this post when I hear.
From The Dallas Morning News, " "Sen. Obama is committed to campaigning in communities across Texas and will ask the people of Texas to stand for change with him," Adrian Saenz, the Obama campaign's Texas state director, said in a prepared statement Saturday. "
The … (8 comments)
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dallas: Newmark Homes files Chapter 11- Holding their head above water
- 01/30/08 08:57 AM
Another builder is in over their heads!! Newmark's parent company in Houston, Tousa, filed Chapter 11 with "plans to fix its balance sheet."
Newmark isn't a large builder in Dallas, but they're definitely one of the larger medium builders and have 27 communities throughout Dallas and Ft Worth. When Newmark combines with one of their sister companies, they are ranked number 10 among closings in the last Chronicle 100 survey.
They had already reduced their staff down from 3200 to less than 1400... I wonder how many communities are not manned with onsite sales reps anymore. It's such a pain to have to … (5 comments)
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dallas: Dallas/Ft Worth 2007 Final Numbers
- 01/18/08 01:06 AM
Here are the final numbers for the Dallas and Ft Worth areas for 2007:
Number of Sales: 80,740% Change Year Ago: -7%
Average Price: $202,338% Change Year Ago: +5%
Median Price: $149,900% Change Year Ago: +1%
Active Listings: 47,668% Change Year Ago: +7%
As you can see, the number of sales might be down, but prices are NOT down. Stop watching National News statistics because we aren't following the National trends. Buyers aren't getting 70 cents on the dollar. Prices are still very competetive as an average.
Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, … (4 comments)
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The Dallas area has had icy roads the past couple of days. Since the average Dallas area person doesn't know how to drive in icy conditions, days like these typically shut down the area.
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