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Plano BlogPlano BlogBeing Resident and Realtor of West Plano, TX for 15 years, this is a bird's eye view of current Real Estate market conditions and analysis of a close in location of Dallas that has yet to explode. Articles
Unique, Affordable, Handmade Christmas Gifts
2007-12-09 21:33:00 Christmas Decorating Wonderful custom collages from one of our talented clients! I received this email and thought to pass it along on the Plano Blog. Here is Aimee's story: It all started when I couldn't find art that I liked for my son's dinosaur room, so I used various papers to make my own dinosaur collage. I was really happy with how it turned out and was told by many people that I should sell them. I have done some other custom orders to match kids' rooms and for those of you at TBJ, there is one hanging in the window of the office. So, I am kicking off the start of my Custom Collage Business with 3 Christmas prints for $25.00 each. They are color prints on acid free cardstock, backed with foam board and matted in red. They fit a standard 11" X 14" frame. I have attached pictures in this order: #1 Jolly Happy Soul #2 Joy #3 Be Merry They make a great gift for a gift exchange or for someone who loves to decorate &n... More About: Christmas , Gifts , Unique
Balmy Christmas in Plano
2007-12-08 16:45:00 Balmy and Bright in Plano What's the weather like in North Texas this December? Last night was a balmy 70 degrees and pleasant, light breeze, today is suppose to be 80 degrees then tomorrow it's going to drop to 40. ( if the weather man is right ) That's North Texas weather. We do have some palm trees in Plano but not as many as Houston because it can freeze, but not often. This photo could be a Corona beer ad sans beach, but still balmy. More About: Christmas
Property Tax Rates for Dallas, Plano and Frisco
2007-12-07 20:21:00 Property Tax Rates for 2007 Many of you search for property tax rates in the metro area so I've posted them on the right side bar of this site and below. Of course these change yearly. Rates are for 2007. Plano 2.06% Dallas 2.50% Frisco 2.36% Since Texas does not have a state or city income tax property taxes are higher than other cities in the nation. Another interesting note is any homeowner after living in a property for 1 year can claim a homestead exemption which varies by city to get a further reduction in taxes. That's a good thing! Also note that many cities cross county and school lines and sometimes you will be billed by two counties. For example, if you live in the city of Frisco you could be in Denton county schools and be billed by each. It can get complicated but you can find out all tax info before you purchase your home. In Dallas the tax rate is the same for Dallas or Highland Park Schools. That surpris... More About: Property
Homes For Sale are ON SALE!
2007-12-07 00:08:00 Dallas Real Estate Update The Real Real Estate market has really picked up in Dallas the last month or so. Buyers are out looking for a sweet deal - and there are many opportunities. Everyday mass emails come in of price reductions on properties and I'm not talking just a measly 5K or 10K. Major reductions on everything - 25K to 100K plus - relocation properties, foreclosures, builders and resales. Just like all the retail stores are discounting so is the housing market for the year end specials. A new house would make a nice Christmas gift! Yeah..I'll take two. Two things a buyer should watch for in this market that has changed a little: The Asking Price - just because a property has a certain price doesn't mean that it is priced right for the location or condition or situation of the seller, it pays to investigate to see if a deal can be made. Comps from 6 months ago are not correct - the market has adjusted and you should really look at cur... More About: For Sale , Sale , Homes
Santa's Already in Town
2007-12-04 17:38:00 Santa's on Abbott These pics were taken a couple of days ago on Abbott Street in Highland Park right before you get to Knox.(Henderson Area) Every holiday is celebrated by this home - glorious gardens all year round and Santa's already arrived with his sleigh of Texas appropriate cows. Everyone will love this one. More About: Town
New Home - 4136-38 Prescott Ave. Dallas - 75219
2007-12-03 17:00:00 Spectacular New Construction 4136 & 4138 Prescott Ave. - Dallas , TX 75219 3 Bedrooms | 3.2 Baths | Formals| Game - Media Room & Study| 2 Car Wine Galley and much more...$775,000 If you are looking for new construction in Dallas very close to Uptown and Highland Park, then this could be for you. Designed by Boerder-Snyder Architects and built by Epic Home s - these homes are one of a kind Mediterranean masterpieces. Superior finishes and amenities that you'll love and the kitchen you won't believe. Take a look at the MLS & Virtual Tour below. Located in Oak Lawn - Neighborhood of University Place. 4136 Prescott Ave. 4138 Prescott Ave. AWESOME VIRTUAL TOUR More About: Alla
House Hunting Cartoon
2007-12-01 20:23:00 House Hunting Mice Old cartoon from 1948 - house of the future - gotta love it! More About: Cartoon , House
Bad Inspection? What Do You Do?
2007-12-01 18:22:00 Bad Inspection? What do you do? Part of the process of buying a home is having a thorough inspection done by a licensed professional. If you don't, be prepared for extra expenses. You should even have one done prior to buying a new home, just because everything is new, doesn't mean you won't have problems. &n bsp; & nbsp; ; &nbs p; &nb sp; &n bsp; & nbsp; So what happens is you get your inspection report back and it's so overwhelming that you don't know what to do? First of all there is always something and many things that look horrible on the report but are simply some handyman issues - like a lot of tightening and caulking. The&nb...
Have a Berry Good Weekend
2007-11-30 18:45:00 It's a winterly day here just overcast and chilly. In Dallas, after the leaves fall you will find many fat berries like these on Yaupon Holly trees all over the city. They're colorful and bright and get you in the spirit for the holidays. Happy Friday! More About: Berry , Weekend , Good
The Nightlife with Mr. Dallas - Top 5 Stops in Dallas
2007-11-29 17:17:00 If you are new to Dallas or a long time resident, Mr. Dallas will keep you in the know of what's going on in the metro area. Even though he looks fictitious, he is a real person who chronicles Dallas nightlife for the over 30 set in the Dallas Morning News. He reviews restaurants, clubs and the nightlife in Dallas - old and new venues in an entertaining way. Here's his bio. And he is not a positive influence or role model! You can get SMS alerts or email newsletters of his ventures. You don't even have to go out, you can live vicariously through him. Check his top 5 stops in Dallas More About: Nightlife , Stops , Alla
Golf Course Living
2007-11-28 22:25:00 Golf Course views in West Plano West Plano has its fair share of golf courses. Views of the golf course are always at a premium. This shot is from the Greens of Gleneagles which is an exclusive gated community. It's located in the heart of West Plano, right by the schools of Brinker, Renner, Plano West and the new recreation center. Prices run around $750,000 and up for to die for views. More About: Living , Golf
Housing Activity for Plano - The Pulse
2007-11-27 23:23:00 Plano Activity Oct 2006 compared to Oct 2007 The Collin County County Association of Realtors, (CCAR) has just started publishing these reports for its members called The Pulse . It's extensive MLS statistics that provides you, as a buyer or seller, with valuable information about what is really happening in our market place. (perfect for sharing with you). There's a report for each area in the Dallas MLS and the above graph is for Plano . Listings are down 7.8% from a year ago and sales are down 16.8% for October. Average days on market are running around 68 days up 5 days from a year ago. Not too bad considering market conditions and the time of year. Click here If you want to see the total Plano update for October. source: North Texas Information Systems More About: Housing , Plano
Paperless in Plano
2007-11-26 16:05:00 Black Monday Solution for Buying Real Estate This past week we've had the opportunity to work 15 contracts, thank you to our seller's and buyer's for contacting us through this site. Everything has been done electronically through docusign. Electronic signatures done securely through email with no paper, no fuss, no scanning and absolutely no faxing, that's so 1990's. It's very green and easy to do, also very cost effective and best of all you can live anywhere in the world and buy a house here in little' old Dallas, Texas. Here's how it works, once you decide what the terms of your contract are, we simply fill in the blanks and upload it to docusign, a Seattle based company and you are invited to participate. You pick a user password (yes, another one) and pick a signature font. Then you click on the yellow stickies and sign with a click. Of course, if something is not right or you just change your mind, you can decline the document for revision. I... More About: Plano
Plano Real Estate Market Update
2007-11-24 16:47:00 Plano Real Estate Market Update The Market Action Index indicator for PLANO also sits on 18 this week this same as Dallas' did which means it's definitely continues to be a BUYERS market in both cities. Plano's Zip Code 75093 shows an increase to an Average of 104 DOM against a Total Inventory of 1478 units and those Seller's who are being cognizance of the market and somewhat realistic 49% of them have taken some type of a price reduction. Note: Those Buyers working with a REALTOR or agent should ask that their representative check the Property History of a given property to make sure how serious a Seller is regarding a property that you might be considering. Of course you always want your agent to run comps for you also. More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Market
What's the Dallas Real Estate Market Doing?
2007-11-23 18:35:00 Now that turkey's done....here's a real estate update for the Dallas buyers market. Every week we monitor the cities of Dallas and Plano Real Estate through these reports. They give you a weekly insight into what has happened in this market for the last 3 months or more and charts the future of the market. Dallas Real Estate Market Update As you can see the 5647 homes on the market have been listed for an average of 118 days, which has steadily been going up. But at the same time sellers are realizing realistically they must price their properties correctly to sell in this market and you see 42% of the properties have taken a price decrease. Buyers working with REALTORS or agents should ask them to look at the property history to see the overall list price history of that property to make a realistic offer. Why you might ask? Because we are seeing multiple offers on properties that are priced correctly. Plano figures will be posted tomorrow. More About: Real Estate Market
Happy Thanksgiving - Another Place and Time
2007-11-22 13:30:00 Happy Thanksgiving from Plano Homes and Land This is a little shop at the Shops at Legacy, even though this girl is just a mannequin she's always welcoming guests into her home. The rooms change sometimes - she is to the left of door, right of door - same or similar furniture - but she's always there just like good family and friends. Enjoy your family and friends today and if you can't be there call, it's always appreciated. Remember - we would not be here if it weren't for the pilgrims. Happy Thanksgiving! The shop is Another Time and Place - for home, gift and body, located directly across from Cru on Bishop. Much more fun than a big box store. More About: Happy , Hank
Where to Find the Most Foreclosures in Texas
2007-11-19 17:00:00 Trends in Texas Foreclosures There was search done on this site "was there another point in history where the amount of foreclosed homes rate was similar to it was now in Dallas, Texas" So here is a google trend chart since 2005. Texas has always been a very good foreclosure market, usually in the top 10. What we are seeing now is more homes at all price levels (yes, even in neighborhoods you would not expect). Here's a national trend chart to compare - Richardson comes in # 2 and Dallas # 7. Almost every buyer will ask about foreclosures and there are some that don't need too much work. There is not one site that has all foreclosure listings - a title company is the best source to target local information. However, don't think these are easy deals to make, just as the market has changed the lenders and banks want their money too - The process is much slower, you should really have several choices and don't be disappointed if they won't... More About: Find
FHA Mortgagecenter.com - Helpful Information
2007-11-19 00:39:00 The Loan You've been looking for... With all the sub prime mess going around, there really are some people that are trying to help. If you don't know what an FHA Home loan is the FHA Mort gagecenter.com is a good place to start. Basically, it's for first time home buyers and buyer's with not so perfect credit. This website will tell you all about FHA home loans and FHA re-financing. They also have an FHA blog. In case you haven't heard the government is trying to re-establish and update this program and you can stay current by this site. FHA home loan program is a really good way to finance your dream home in these challenging times. Check FHA guidelines here. More About: Information
What's the Percent of Original List Price Received at Sale?
2007-11-17 14:15:00 Dallas Real Estate Here's another chart that shows the average list price percent received on a property. If a home is price correctly for the market (condition and location are key factors) it should sell around 96.0% of it's current list price. Percentages have stayed steady last 4 years, this year you might see it tick down a little. Many sellers are getting serious about selling, prices are coming down. Watch for price reductions to move homes before years end. Any bargain hunters out there? Now is the time! This is one of many factors a listing and selling agent look at when considering an offer for buyers and sellers. Info from North Texas Information Systems for all North Texas Real Estate More About: Original , Sale , List , Price , Origin
24 Hour Market Watch - Dallas Real Estate
2007-11-15 16:18:00 Sign of the Times Agents and Realtors have two different online applications to get MLS data from the North Texas Information Systems. One of the programs has a 24 hour market watch - you can see the pulse of the market. This is a snap shot from 9:00 A.M. this morning for the previous 24 hours. Price reductions are way ahead of new listings, back 3 years ago new listings would average around 1200-1400 a day. What does this mean? Prices are coming down, inventories are up and you can make a very good buy in this market, especially for properties that have been on the market for awhile. More About: Watch , Estate , Dallas , Real Estate , Market
Open House Schedule for Nov. 18 in Plano 75093
2007-11-14 19:08:00 Open House s in Plano 75093 If you like to go to open houses on Sunday here's a partial list from the MLS for Nov. 18th. These are not all open houses but a few in West Plano. Times are after the price and location is shown on map below. Check back Friday for a complete list from our MLS. 5921 Lodestone Drive - $479.9K - 12-2 5920 Willowross Way - $597.9K - 1-3 2708 Shoal Creek - $598K - 1-3 2601 Regatta Drive -$649K - 3-5 5037 St Charles - $685K - 1-5 5004 Stonewick - $759K - 1-3 2801 Ryder Court - $840K - 3-5 5205 Corinthian Bay Drive - $899K - 1-5 3109 Harvard Court - $1.675 - 1-5 More About: Open , Schedule , Open House
How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market
2007-11-13 16:50:00 Home Not Sell ing? Has your home been on the market for 30 days... or 90 days or 120 days or 180 days Or over a year? If you answered yes to any of these questions than a price reduction is in order. As we go into the fourth quarter and the holidays grow near traffic will slow down a bit, but companies do relocate this time of year. Comps are critical in pricing your home, but did you know...in 75093 your home will be on the market almost 7 months before it sells! That's just from looking at inventory and sales past two months. The selling time has increased two fold. It's called the absorption rate. The problem with this market is there's an abundance of inventory to show, so making your home easy to see is crucial. The other thing are Realtor bonuses, are you offering one? You don't need to in my opinion, seems like some listing agents suggest the seller pay an extra point to the selling agent. If there is money to give - you are better taking it off... More About: Market , Home , Slow
Dallas Real Estate - Average Sales Price
2007-11-12 15:58:00 Progression of Average Sales Price 2002-2006 This is a nifty chart, you can see how the average sales price has increased in the Dallas Market since 2002. That's a 16.8% increase the last 4 years. Appreciation in Dallas is slow and steady compared to other cities in the country. Of course, some neighborhoods like Park Cities and North Dallas have seen 25% increases over the past few years. Dallas Real Estate still represents a great value for homeowners looking to improve their quality of life. Chart is for single family resale homes. You get a lot of home for your money! Source is North Texas Information System, deemed reliable but not guaranteed More About: Real Estate
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve Sat. A.M Walk
2007-11-10 17:45:00 Arbor Hills Nature Preserve-Sat Morning Walk More About: Reserve , Serve
Plano People Just Keep Getting Better - The Tom Muehlenbeck Center
2007-11-08 19:34:00 New State of the Art Recreation Center in West Plano Plano has its fair share of parks, golf courses, country clubs, fitness centers and YMCA's. Last Friday marked the debut of a new recreation center in the heart of West Plano. The new recreation center is named after city manager, Tom Muehlenbeck. It's a generous gift for the community of West Plano and anyone else who would like to join. The center is built for all ages and includes: double gymnasium an indoor track 25-yard, 8 lane indoor swimming pool with on deck seating an indoor warm water leisure pool with slide an outdoor leisure pool adult and youth fitness center exercise and dance studio multipurpose room - meetings, classes, parties aquatic classes arts and crafts room outdoor playground fully enclosed two regulation basketball courts weight training featuring Cybex equipment & free weight wireless access and food services Annual membership f... More About: People
Dallas Real Estate Update - Sales Down 13% for Oct.
2007-11-07 21:40:00 Dallas Real Estate Market is still Chugging Right Along Here's the broad scoop for the month of October for Single Family Homes in the Dallas Real Estate Market: Sales down 13% Dollar Volume down 10% Average Price up 3% ($194,441) Median Price up 2% ($146,000) Price Per Sq Ft up 3% ($90.00) Days on Market up 7% (75 Days) Pending Sales down 13% New Listings down 5% Active Listings up 4% Although this this an accurate picture of the current market - each sub area needs to be looked at separately. October will be the first month where HOT Areas south of LBJ have felt substantial decreases, take a look at N. Dallas and Park Cities. North Dallas Sales down 13% Average Price up 30% ($1,039,006) Median Price down 7% ($589,000) Price Per Sq Ft up 15% ($257.00) Days on Market up 3% (74) Pending Sales down 8% Active Listings up 12% Months Supply up 24% (8.2) Park Cities Sales down 26% Aver... More About: Dallas , Update
4409 Arcady - Highland Park, TX 75204 - For Sale
2007-11-07 11:18:00 4409 Arca dy - Highland Park - 75205 This home has a certain "Je ne sais quoi?" I went in this beautiful French Country Estate last week, here's a few details: 8244 sq ft 5 bedroom, 8 bath built 2006 by Sharif and Munir price - $4,500,000 More MLS info Here Builders sometimes don't put any photos - so thought I'd help out. High quality finish out and light filled space. Prime Highland Park location. Ready for new owners. Interested? More About: For Sale , Sale
Housing Supply Outlook - Dallas Real Estate
2007-11-06 11:43:00 Active Listings and Months Supply Dallas Real Estate The stats for Oct. 2007 will be out tomorrow, let's just say it'll probably be another double digit decrease - around 18-20% on sales. Every market presents opportunity and Dallas - Plano area is no different. Above is a chart (from Sept. 2007) of all the active listings in Dallas by type and price point. (top graph) Total single family detached - 19,589 Condos-Townhome attached - 3307 Bottom graph shows months supply by price point and below is total. Single family attached - 5.7 Condo-Townhome &nb sp; - 8.1 Total Months Supply - 5.9 A rule of thumb is that's it's a balanced market at 6 months supply, meaning equal for sellers and buyers, but the rules change and guess what? It's a buyers market! There are many opportunities with the inventory at all price points, the condo/townhome market is ripe for picking at any price e... More About: Real Estate , Outlook , Housing
Will Dallas and Plano Real Estate Be a Party to the Potential Forecasted Bi
More articles from this author:2007-11-05 10:31:00 Real Estate Recession Are we headed for a RECESSION?...That was the lead question posed in the 10.25.07 article of the Wall Street Journal article Three-Ingredient Recipe for Recession by DAVID WESSEL. You’re welcome to read the article for yourself, but I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version here: Mr. Wessel avidly points out...it was a triple whammy 1) housing prices kept falling, 2) oil prices kept rising, and 3) lenders and borrowers grew more cautious after five years of in caution. There are three rules to keep in mind when reading a recession prediction... Rule No. 1: Forecasters rarely call the turn in the economy accurately. Rule No. 2: Once forecasters start shaving their growth forecasts, they tend to keep shaving them. Rule No. 3: There are always good reasons to argue. May I suggest that you click on the link to: Three-Ingredient Recipe for Recession and read all of it and also the With Buyers Sidelined, Home Prices Slide that... More About: Party , Dallas , Real Estate , Real 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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