Great Home in Keller!

This doll house is as cute as can be and has one of the largest yards in McPhearson Ranch! Lovingly maintained and tastefully decorated, the search for the perfect house has ended! This home features about 1500 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, huge kitchen, oversized breakfast nook, breakfast bar and a spacious living room. The floor plan is ideal with the secondary bedrooms split from the master. The master bathroom has a soothing garden tub, separate shower, dual sinks and a big walk in closet. The best part of this awesome house is the family-friendly backyard and landscaping. Beautifully manicured lawn, colorful flower beds and a covered back patio make this ideal for cookouts or just days playing outside with the pets or kids.

Click the link below to see a Virtual Tour!

http://www.nreds.com/rl/20171801522/index.cfm?cfid=1

Back to School

For the past two days, I have been sitting in class back in school! I was taking continuing education to receive a designation to better serve my clients. I received my ABR, which stands for Accredited Buyer Representative.
One of the main reasons for taking additional courses is to become more educated in this great profession. There's nothing more rewarding than knowing I did, and continue to do, the best job possible for my clients. That means staying up-to-date on the latest trends and getting to know other agents in the industry.
There are so many facets to a real estate transaction. Earning my ABR designation has opened my eyes to the true advantages of a buyer-client relationship. The most important thing to remember is that in one of the biggest and most expensive investments you make, you need full representation from a real estate agent.
If you have any questions about the real estate process, don't hesitate to drop me a line!

Shopping, Roads and Crime-Oh My!

The more and more I drive down 2499 to my home, I can't believe that in three years, this sleepy little town has developed into a place you really don't have to leave! When we first moved to Highland Village in 2004, the only building was the Super Target shopping center. Since then, we have everything from Best Buy to Hobby Lobby to Victoria's Secret. There's not much else to desire, except for maybe less traffic. But, with growth, comes the growing pains. Here are some interesting points to know regarding our little town of Highland Village:

• The past six years, Highland Village has been voted the Safest City in North Texas.
• The new Wal-Mart Super Center will open November 7.
• The developer of The Shops at Highland Village is helping to fund the expansion of the 2499/407 intersection 600 feet in each direction so that it will ease the congestion immediately.
• Phase 4 of the 2499 expansion (407 to Swisher Rd.) is in the bidding phase right now. Construction should start Jan/Feb with 2.5 to 3 yrs of construction. There is one mile of bridgework involved.
• 407 West from 2499 to 1830 is funded, but construction won't begin for another two years due to an environmental impact study and condemnation of six properties
• There is one large retail spot left at The Shops of Highland Village and Williams-Sonoma is being courted to take it.

If you have any questions about real estate issues in Highland Village or your own community, please contact me! Thanks to my team member, Becky, for all this great information!

Dallas Area's Home Sales Are a Mixed Bag

Most Dallas-area neighborhoods continued to see modest home price growth during the first nine months of 2007.
On average, median home sales prices in North Texas are up a scant 1 percent so far this year, according to statistics from the North Texas Real Estate Information System.
Other close-in residential districts in East Dallas and the Park Cities have also had significant home price growth this year.
But citywide home sales have trended downward in 2007.
More than 30 of the 45 residential areas The Dallas Morning News tracks have had declines in home sales this year.
The biggest declines have been in Coppell – where listings are low – and Westlake, which has almost an eight-month supply of houses on the market.
Citywide, there's about a 6.5-month supply of pre-owned homes for sale.
Real estate agents say that sales of moderate and low-priced houses have declined because of turmoil in the mortgage markets.
Many buyers who relied on subprime loans are now out of the market.
"It has lowered our sales some, and some of the people can't get in," said Al Herron of Century 21 Galloway-Herron Realtors.
"But it's going to be good for the housing market in the long run."
Mr. Herron said many of the former subprime borrowers are now getting loans from the Federal Housing Administration.
Even with the decline in sales this year, economists give Dallas area housing markets high marks.
Dr. James Gaines of Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center said that while the local housing market "may be somewhat slower, the market is still, relatively speaking, strong."
"The economy is still doing well, employment is still growing, there are people moving to the D-FW area in fairly large numbers," Dr. Gaines said.
"And there is plenty of mortgage money available, but not under the ridiculously easy standards of the past several years."

Article courtesy of the Dallas Morning News

Fall Cleanup Tips

Now that Halloween is almost here, it's time to start making the transition from picnics and baseball to hot cocoa and football! Before you pack up the summer goodies, here are some tips for you.

• Clean Garden Pots: Wash grime & rings away with a 50/50 water and vinegar solution. Works well on both plastic and clay containers.
• Clean out the gutters, but wait until all the leaves have dropped. Check for leaks and any wear and tear and fix now before it snows or freezes over. This will help ensure your gutters are up to the task when Spring rains hit.
• Check tree branches and lightly trim any that are close to the house. Too much trimming at this time of year can damage a tree, so just do enough to keep the branches out of reach over winter (keeping in mind heavy winds and snow).
• Before storing the patio umbrella away for the winter, take a pair of pantyhose and use one leg to cover the closed umbrella and the other leg to wrap around the bottom (to keep it closed). This will help protect the umbrella yet still give it air to breathe.
• Spray down all patio furniture and if not brought inside (garage) to winter, tarp them. This will help the furniture last a lot longer, especially wood furniture.
• Remove or cover all open containers and pots. Helps protect them when it freezes plus you don’t want to provide pools of water for a mosquito breeding ground in the spring.
  If you have bags of birdseed to feed the birds in the fall and over winter, make sure the bags are in covered containers. The mice *will* find them otherwise and camp out in your storage area.
• Fill a pail with sand and used motor oil. Dig your garden tools in the mixture to sharpen them up and clean them.

Information courtesy of TipNut.com

Best Time To Buy and Sell?

Many of my clients and friends ask "When is the best time to sell?" or "What's your busy time of year?"
The best time to sell is now! The fact is there are people looking to purchase a new home 365 days of the year. Sometimes, families are just waiting for the perfect home to come on the market before they leap. So, if your house has what someone is looking for that they haven't seen yet, you might find yourself with a quick sale!
Don't get caught up in timing. Focus on the following:

• Curb appeal means a lot! Spruce up those flower beds and trim back shrubs
• Calling All Packrats! Clean out that clutter! If you forgot you had it, you won't miss it!
• Spring clean even if it's December. Dust and cobwebs are present year round!

There's so much to be said for a clean, comfortable home that's inviting for all types of homebuyers. A plate of cookies and some fresh flowers go a long way for some people. The one that is universal is your junk is not appealing and will result in longer days on market and more frustration for you.

If you need more tips or advice, drop me a line at Tricia@TeamNelson.com. I'm always here to answer your questions!

State of the Lending Market

The stock market this week reached a new all-time high and then promptly gave it all back later that same afternoon. What is significant about this you might ask? The bond market reacted the way it traditionally does! When the risky stock market is doing favorably the safe bond market -the typical dictator of mortgage interest rates- tends to not fare so well, and vice versa. The volatility of the mortgage market over the past few months had caused a detour from the traditional action/reaction of events. This return to traditional market movement over the past week is possibly another sign that things are beginning to settle a bit. It will certainly take time for things to get back to normal, but we might be heading that way!
How does this affect me if I am buying a house or if I want to refinance? With a market that appears to be getting back to normal, you may begin to take action with some comfort that the major volatility is behind us and smoother sailing can be expected. Rates are great and the buyer's market means that there are plenty of homes from which to choose.

*Information courtesy of Lewis Brooks with PrimeLending

Take A Look At This Home!

Every week, I will be featuring one of my beautiful listings! Take a look at all my blog has to offer like real estate news and school ratings. Visit every day if you'd like!
This gorgeous custom home is located in Southlake, Texas and has everything you want an more! Over 4200 square feet on a half acre private lot with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, combined formals, gorgeous study, amazing kitchen and a wonderful pool! Conveniently located near the Southlake Town Center, schools, highways and athletic facilities. Want to see this home? Take a Virtual Tour! Contact me today at Tricia@TeamNelson.com or 972-740-4108