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Comparing Plano Homes Prices to 75093,75024,75025
2008-01-24 17:25:00
Overview of Home Prices in Plano 75093,75024,75025 Here's a couple cool charts to show median price in zip codes 75093, 75024, 75025 compared to Plano overall.  This gives you a birds eye view of the market and the value of certain zip codes since last May and how prices have fluctuated. 75093 is the most expensive real estate in Plano, price has actually increased compared to Plano in general due to it's location and all the corporate campuses that employ executives.  Nice bump (orange line) since the first of the year. 75024 is just north of 75093, not all schools are in the Plano ISD, you can see the price has varied 25K or so, but is heading in an upward direction of late. 75025 is east of 75093 and 75024, it is below the median price for Plano as a whole.  There is true value to be found here, excellent schools, location and newer homes.  The lines are trending upward for both the city and 75025.  Overall inventory has been declining in Pla...
More About: Homes

The Unknown Factors of Finding a Foreclosure
2008-01-23 23:49:00
Have you been thinking about buying a foreclosure? Maybe for investment or to live in yourself? So you hit the web to see what's out there.... Right? What's the best way to find a foreclosure? There are tons of site for finding properties and that's an under statement. What you need to know is how to use the information that you find. Today, we have received several calls regarding properties on Realty Trac. Realty Track is a great site and has a lot of information. The foreclosure process can take many different forms: short sale pre-foreclosure auction bank owned (REO) govt owned Not all foreclosures are on the MLS, so it depends what status the property is in.  And that's where your research begins. For example, REO (Real Estate Owned) properties could be listed by a broker on the MLS.  Auction properties (not on MLS) is where you go to the court house steps the first Tuesday of every month and buy sight unseen, have cash or financ...
More About: Foreclosure , Unknown

Market Update for 75093
2008-01-22 22:49:00
75093 West Plano Update - 1.18.08 West Plano is made up of 3 zip codes, 75093,75024 and 75025. This real estate update is for 75093 week ending 1.18.08. Besides the MLS stats we look at national data from Altos Research to see where the market is trending on a weekly basis. Below is part of a detailed report: The chart shows bullish signs for our market!  Inventory has been coming down and days on market are less.  Of course, you have to account for the time of year. Median price is trending up nicely too from last April. Another positive sign is the market action index. it's been cold for the last 2 months and now has an up arrow for activity.  It's the start of the spring market. And still very much a buyers market. Shoot me an email if you'd like this full report. The December and year end monthly indicator reports should be out soon.  Watch for them on the right side bar of this site, they are easy PDF downloads by area and city. Stay warm.
More About: Market

Like Collecting Baseball Cards but with another 9/11 Tale from Business Wee
2008-01-22 08:00:00
  Why Option ARMs Are Scary Posted by: Peter Coy 8.04.05 How Toxic Is Your Mortgage? Posted by: Peter Coy 9.06.06 Nightmare Mortgages - They promise the American Dream: A home of your own -- with ultra low rates and payments anyone can afford. Now, the trap has sprung - Business Week-9.11.2006   You might ask what does collecting baseball cards have to do with the September 11th 2006 edition of Business Week magazine?  Well, I collect baseball cards and ever once in a while I keep copies of certain business magazines and was rummaging through my desk this weekend and ran across this issue and it was like reading history in the making and happening all at the same time.  There's an adage I use in my business when dealing with people that sometimes don't understand exactly what we're discussing or trying to accomplish in a business transaction and that paraphrase is " I might have been born at night, but it wasn't last night".  ...
More About: Baseball , Cards , Tale

Frozen in Plano
2008-01-21 18:30:00
Frozen Fountain - The Shops at Legacy photo by SK Womack Believe or not this is a rare site in Plano , TX - past few days it's been in the 30's and yes we can freeze in Plano, but nothing like the Green Bay and NY game last night!  Usually the cold doesn't stay around too long, but we can get some wicked ice storms this time of year.  If you are relocating to North Texas and not familiar with the weather, it's cold in January and February and by mid March we are into Spring. Thank goodness!
More About: Frozen

Who Visits Here
2008-01-18 18:28:00
Who Visits Plano Homes and Land - World Visits This is a world map of  the last 100 visitors to Plano Homes and Land. Around 120 or so unique visitors a day land here.  As you can see we get visits by Japan, Korea and Belgium on this map as well. How do they find Plano Homes and Land? It might surprise you that most browsers search by neighborhood, the Internet has made information so accessible that people all over the world are aware of West Plano and it's neighborhoods.  They land on property search pages to look at homes.  Below is a short list of cities that visit from from this country. Online Marketing of real estate is changing dramatically by Web 2.0 standards.  What's Web 2.0? - it's what you do online to find information, communicate and socialize on anything that interests you.  75% of our business comes from having a online presence and being targeted on the web. It's a great way to show and sell your home to the world. Have a g...

Frontdoor.com from HGTV
2008-01-16 13:25:00
Just when you thought you needed another home search site and info to browse, here comes another. You're probably familiar with this one, it's by HGTV. Frontdoor.com - it's in beta, so they're experimenting. What's it about? Finding a Home.  It's just not a technology company looking to design a national home search system and sell ads so you can be a lead...(so what else is new?) Designed to Sell and House Hunters are popular shows and they plan to educate in their HGTV way.  It'll will be interesting to see how they evolve.  Take a look - they are looking for feedback.  See About Frontdoor .  I'm adding this one to the Real Estate Tools page.

Plano Real Estate - Year to Date Review
2008-01-14 19:19:00
2007 Quick Review for Dallas Real Estate Big Picture Dallas Metro: No surprise that the market has softened in Dallas too. But keep in mind - It's also the time of year that real estate typically slows because of the holidays - no surprise there. Dallas sales for December were down 25% from a year ago and pending sales down 21%. Year to date: Sales were down 8% as well as pending sales. OKAY, overall not so bad. Plano Results Year to Date for 2007 Sales:       ;      &nbs p;    4028    down 11% Price per Sq. Ft.    $99.   up 2% Sold to List Price:   97%  down  1% Days on Market:     55 -   up 8% Pending Sales:     4262   down 11% Months Inventory:    4.9   up 26% What Now? The market will keep plugging along, the one thing that needs to happen is the acceptance that ho...
More About: Real Estate

The Savoy-New Construction in Oak Lawn
2008-01-12 16:33:00
The Savoy - Unique Custom Townhomes in Oak Lawn Are you looking for a truly unique home in Oak Lawn? Right by Highland Park...this could be it.... "The Savoy" what a great name, sounds rather New York, doesn't it? The Savoy is located on Bowser street, very close to Oak Lawn and Lucky's. Quality construction by Sterling Designs. There are only 4 units and each home has a different finish out, no cookie cutter here.  They are around 3000 sq ft with 4 levels. The 4th level has a game room plus a large balcony with fireplace for entertaining family and friends.  They'll be finished in February. You can't beat this intown location with the true quality and luxury of a custom home you deserve.  Pricing to be announced soon.
More About: Construction

Fire in the Sky - Storms at Sunset
2008-01-10 08:00:00
Stormy Weather Photo by: SK Womack Actual storm system moving in at sunset in North Texas - this was taken a while back, but reminds you of the turbulent weather we see in the spring.  Texas is big sky country and it's not always blue. Real Estate stats for 2007 will be posted next couple of days and thought this photo was appropriate for the Real Estate Recap and advice for 2008.  Stay tuned...
More About: Sunset , Fire

New Homebuilder Form Checklist
2008-01-09 20:54:00
The new year brings new promises and in real estate there are always New Homes.  Especially in Texas where the land goes on forever. With all the new home construction it seems like some tech genius could put together a site for all new construction and homes. Anyone out there?...That's a good project. Many requests on this site are for new homes. So, you might ask... How do you deal with builders on your own?. Many homebuilders use their own contracts and systems to build your home.  But as a consumer, you need your own checklist to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. A few years back, the TRCC was formed (Texas Residential Construction Commission) to protect consumers from builders.  It's a very informative site.  Here's the PDF file for Homebuilders Checklist if you are purchasing a new home or remodeling. This is a good place to start if you're thinking about purchasing new construction, building or remodeling.
More About: Form

Forms for Filing Your Homestead Exemption
2008-01-07 06:32:00
Forms to File your Homestead Exemption Well, It's that time again, every year we get to start over and if you purchased a home last year and are living in it this Jan 1st, then you'll need to file a homestead exemption.  You still can't do this online but you can download the form and mail in.  Other exemption forms are available on the county appraisal web sites, like over 65 and disabilities to name a couple, if you need them. Here's the Basic Homestead Exemption PDF file for safe and easy download: Collin County Denton County Dallas County - this is the link to the forms page on Dallas CAD because you have to enter your address to get the form.... Remember, if you are in two counties, one for schools and other for property, you'll need to fill out both. You have until April 30th to file with the county, so your property taxes will be less. How much less? Figure 5-10% maybe, it depends. Anyway it's a nice cut. This is a good time to do it before income tax...
More About: Forms

A Great Buy or An Investor's Special?
2008-01-05 06:53:00
Sign of the Times Starting to see these signs all over town, not the same one, but many variations. Sometimes you can make a great deal, but it would be wise to investigate thoroughly and make sure the property title is clear and there are no mechanics liens against it, so you don't waste your time and money.  A title company can easily find out if the property is free and clear.  Also, make sure the apprasial isn't inflated.  This sign was on Lemmon close to Inwood in Dallas. Looks desperate to me...
More About: Great , Special

4 Tips for Selling Your Home in Today's Market
2008-01-03 19:43:00
4 Tips to Get Your Home Sold? Is your Home on the Market ? Not Selling ? No One Looking? Feeling Rejected? (you and your home) How do you make your home stand out? Here are 4 tips to review and think about.... By Adjusting the Price - if your house is not being shown then a significant price adjustment is recommended. By Improving the Condition Dramatically - try replacing carpet, painting, removing wallpaper - low cost big WOW! By Offering Good Terms - reasonable time lines and negotiations, seller financing if doable. By Improving the Way the Home Shows - Organize, unclutter, stage if needed, make home easy to show. You can do all of the above to get activity or you can take a price adjustment to compensate for 2, 3. and 4. It's your choice on how much or how little you want to do. Price will always find a buyer, no matter what the market is.

How to Sell Your Home Quickly by Intelligent Pricing
2008-01-01 18:18:00
The real estate market has yet to jump start, could it be because of all the negative press?  Yes and also pricing is still not right on some homes. You hear all day long to price your home right - yet, you just can't give up those dollars, ya know,  those pretend dollars you think your going to get if you stick with your price. But...what price is right? Pricing a home is even harder now because the market has changed the past few months - what do you do if no homes have sold in your neighborhood the past 3 months? The answer is probably one that makes your stomach turn, the price needs to come down. Above is a graph that shows why you should price your home to sell rather than price too high and lower the price later. After all real estate is always a numbers game.  Look at the asking price vs percentage of buyers that will visit your home.   The more inline you are with your price the more showing traffic you will have.  At market value you will get 6...
More About: Home , Intelligent , Sell

Happy New Year!
2008-01-01 05:23:00
This just started, New York New Year s - eve in Plano? Yes, it's getting that sophisticated...or Big D NYE at Victory Park - take your pick.  It's getting better all the time. Happy New Year!
More About: Happy New Year

Why Initial Searches are Key to Successful Real Estate Online Marketing
2007-12-28 22:35:00
How Real Estate Searches Sell Homes Not too many talk about this because I don't think many Real Estate Professionals really take too much time to learn how online marketing works for selling or buying a home. The Internet has changed so dramatically in the last two years that it's left your typical real estate web site in the dust. Static pages and templates sites don't sell homes.  Many broker sites are not much better. The new web 2.0 (going on web 3.0) now, is interactive and the dynamic social media that can sell or find your home is amazing. Real Estate web sites must change content frequently to attract traffic and visitors. Since most real estate sites are boring or the same; new technology has taken a turn and real estate agents or Realtors doing this are benefiting by it, such as blogging about real estate, giving listings their own special page, posts, videos and new technologies that syndicate everywhere on the web. Here's an example of how it works and it s...
More About: Marketing , Online Marketing , Online

Dallas Historical Average Home Prices
2007-12-27 23:24:00
Dallas Home Prices since 2002 It's a good idea to take a look at historical figures for real estate when the market is changing, especially when real estate is the hot topic of the media.  When average prices are quoted it gives you an idea of value in a specific location. Nothing more - it's an average. Going back to January of 2002 you can see the average price was $190,000 vs. $250,000 today, that's about a 4% appreciation a year, nothing earth shattering but steady. It has climbed back up since the dip in 4th quarter 2006.  Will it cave to 2002 level?  My guess is no, it will start back up again in February because the value and cost of living in Dallas far outweighs other cities in the country.
More About: Dallas , Historical , Average

Watch Out for Mortgage Fraud
2007-12-26 15:35:00
Short Fraud Video from Freddie Mac As the year comes to a close this video could help if you think you might be part of a scam or need some help. This link goes to Freddie Mac's web site on how to avoid fraud. Pass it along if you know someone, it could help.
More About: Watch , Mortgage Fraud , Mortgage , Mort

Bing and Frank Wishing You a White Christmas
2007-12-25 02:14:00
It's doesn't snow in Plano, but we can wish - Here's Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra singing "White Christmas " Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Thanking all of you who we have met through this site and had the pleasure to work with. Generously Yours Terry & Jerold

Northpark - a shopping mecca
2007-12-23 19:43:00
Going to Northpark is really a treat - besides the best shopping in Dallas, you get beautiful modern floral displays and some of the best contemporary art viewing while you finish your shopping - a total package to enjoy.
More About: Shopping , Mecca

How to Sell Your Home Video
2007-12-21 12:00:00
A Simple Presentation on Sell ing Home s The future of real estate marketing is a blog on Web 2.0 technology and how it's effecting the real world of real estate.  We follow it for the latest news in RE technology. So, I thought I'd pass along this viral video that was posted last night.  After a rather hectic week this simple video is strictly black and white, from the Real Estate Zebra. A fellow Realtor in VA,  who tells it like it is... enjoy the holidays - then think about a price adjustment...
More About: Video

Lash Lounge - What is it?
2007-12-20 19:44:00
Need an unusual gift idea? With the holidays almost here and assuming you have not bought all your presents yet.  Here's a unique gift idea for that go-girl, kind of girl. The Lash Lounge just opened in the Shops at Legacy.  It's a semi permanent eye lash boutique, with the additional services of permanent makeup plus unique clothing and accessories to boot.  Texas's first eyelash boutique and proud of it! Check out their site and services, they do group parties too and it's right next to Vin Classic Wines.  One of those gifts for the girl that has everything!  Address and phone number below.

Plano Poop - Why the shop tree lighting ceremony didn't happen this year
2007-12-19 21:19:00
It doesn't get much more childish than this.  You can read the Dallas Morning News article Plano tree lighting demise linked to developer's incentive Every year for the last 5 years the Shop s at Legacy has had an annual tree lighting ceremony. Last year 20,000 people participated in the event.  Families, kids, vendors and all the shops participated, had a great time and generated revenue for the city of Plano. Take a look at last years post and photos. Basically, a developer and city council member don't like each other and the annual event was canceled by the developer. Bah! Hum Bug! Scrooge, please not this year... So, business was hurt, families disappointed and charities deprived because of sour grapes. Get over it!  Do the right thing! Grow Up!  Everyone is counting on a huge event next year!
More About: Lighting , Poop , Tree , Ceremony

Seasoned Money
2007-12-18 02:09:00
Seasoned Money photo by huberific on flickr Tis the season, but did you know when buying a home that your down payment must be seasoned too. OK, Whats' that? Salt and Peppered.... no, it's a lenders term for knowing you personally have money sitting in an account patiently waiting to be used in your home transaction. You know that 10% to 20% down. The money must be in an account in your name for around 60 days, it used to be 30, but with lenders tightening the reigns, its 60 days now. So, if you plan on borrowing money for your down payment - like from family or friends - remember to get it early and let it sit in a account. Don't be surprised if you can't buy your home because your money isn't seasoned.  Doing 100% financing is an option but you'll probably have PMI (principal mortgage insurance) - and you know any insurance is expensive... which means you'll probably have to refinance again after your money has been slow cooked to p...

Year to date Real Estate Data for Plano
2007-12-15 15:13:00
Year to Date Real Estate Stats for Plano It's been a busy week so I'm a little late on posting stats. It's no surprise that sales have been down across Dallas for 4 months.  November sales were down 16%. So I thought we'd look at year to date just for Plano so you can get a handle on the overall picture. Year to Date for Plano - Area 20 from MLS (Criteria is compared to last year) Sales:       ;      &nbs p;      &nb sp; down 10% - 3806 units Average Price:       ; up 5% - $277,327 Price Per Sq. Ft.:    up 2% - $99. Sold to List Price:   flat at 97% Days on Market:      up 8% -  54 days Pending Days:         down 10% - 4075 New Listings:     &n bsp;    flat at 6728 Active Listings:       up 13% - 1688 Month...
More About: Real Estate , Data

Do You Really Want to Buy a Foreclosure? What to do when things don't go r
2007-12-13 15:00:00
is for FORECLOSURE or is it. How many foreclosures have you bought? If the answer is none, one or two read on... Everyone thinks they are going to get a great buy on a foreclosure and you can - maybe 20-25% discount -but it depends on who owns it. Banks or mortgage companies are the sellers in most foreclosure transactions and some set there own rules to play by. This is not for the faint of heart, you must be willing to walk away and go play with someone who really wants to sell their home. Here's a lender tactic that we're currently working on This is not for the faint of heart. Here's the story... Home has been on the market for over 200 days, we write a contract, we negotiated the contract with the listing agent, took 5 days, that's reasonable. We docusigned the contract and sent electronically to the listing agent immediately to get signed.  It has to be in writing. Well, 10 days later we are still waiting for the contract to...
More About: Foreclosure , Things

Fall Foliage in VA
2007-12-12 13:51:00
Nice to see such pretty color photo by: Tom Warren Davis (a good relative) Thought I'd post a pretty picture on such a cold day in Dallas. This photo was taken by Tom Warren Davis a very talented photographer and Harley Davidson rider when he recently visited VA.  Thanks, Tom.
More About: Fall

Traffic Flow in Plano - Dallas and the Quickest Way to Route Yourself to Yo
2007-12-11 11:40:00
Traffic Flow Through my networking base I've been fortunate to connect with some very interesting folks in the U.S. and internationally. I belong to a group out of the U.K. under the banner SHAPING TOMORROW  who publishes a newsletter that I receive weekly. One of the recent articles in their 5 December Insight Newsletter was entitled Going Local and addresses the various information tools now available to us regarding traffic conditions, locations of restaurants, gas stations, driving directions, driving times, etc. This article also spoke of TeleAtlas which is helping people find the quickest route to somewhere by analyzing traffic flows based on 2 years of traffic data showing the most/least congested roads for every hour of the week.  For those out there who have the need to know about such things as TeleAtlas is starting to bring to the marketplace and make our life's a little saner (if that's possible) check these folks out and enjoy.
More About: Dallas , Traffic , Route , Plano

Shops at Legacy Tree Lighting
2007-12-10 17:06:00
Saturday Night - The Shops at Legacy As you know, they didn't have the annual tree lighting ceremony this year at "The Shops" ( it would've been the 6th) but the tree is lit and beautiful, if you're in the neighborhood check it out. It's amazing!  Go North on Dallas Tollway, exit Legacy and go right, then right on Bishop.
More About: Lighting , Tree