New Listing in Highland Village!

Wow! This is a gorgeous new listing of mine in Highland Village. This one is what you've been looking for! This home has been completely renovated! Handscraped hardwood and travertine flooring, brand new carpet, paint, light fixtures, faucets and fixtures, toilets, electrical, plumbing...whew, I can go on and on!
If cooking and entertaining are important, this is an ideal home for you. The kitchen has been updated with 3 cm granite, stainless appliances including double ovens, unique stone backsplash and newly painted cabinets. The breakfast bar and nook are nice sizes for family gatherings. The Coronado dry-stacked stone fireplace is a beautiful focal point.
Downstairs, there is a study, formal dining room, large family room with a half bath and a guest suite with full bath and access to the private backyard.
The master bedroom is a sanctuary all of its own. It's spacious and features a stacked stone fireplace and private balcony to enjoy the gorgeous backyard. The bathroom is right out of a catalog! Glass tiles surround the relaxing bathtub and the delicate glass chandelier makes for a perfect getaway! Two bowl sinks, picture frame mirrors and modern faucets complete the look. The closet is enormous and the secondary bedrooms upstairs are spacious. The gameroom also has a wet bar and overlooks the backyard.
Located in the safest city in North Texas, 2706 Queens Court is a heavily treed lot on a quiet cul-de-sac. You don't want to miss this one!
For more pictures, visit http://www.nreds.com/rl/20121991983

The Trump Card

Imagine just for a second that you are a billionaire and you were house hunting. You're looking for something in the $100 million range and in the "Sunshine State". I guess you are automatically drawn to Donald Trump's 33,000-square-foot French Regency-style mansion, built in 1990, that sits on 6.5 acres with 475 feet on the ocean.
Trump bought the home a few years ago for $41.4 million in a bankruptcy court deal. That is one heck of a flip! The estate is rumored to be purchased by a Russian fertilizer billionaire.
I can't help but wonder what life would be like if I had $100 million to waste on a house. I am too much of a giver to want to buy that much house. It must be some residence!

I'd Like to Hold an Open House but...

I recently received an email from my broker reminding all agents that the City of Frisco has a sign ordinance on many types of signs, including open house signs on weekends. You may no longer put Open House signs on easements, medians, right-of-ways, or entrances to subdivisions and neighborhoods.
As a dues-paying HOA member in my own neighborhood, I think it's a bit over-the-top to limit signs that are present for a few hours on a weekend. Is it really doing that much harm and causing home values to plumet because of a REALTOR trying to do their job?
I know I appreciate many of the signs I see at the entrance to my neighborhood. Ads for festivals, voting, board meetings and services are helpful and keep us better informed. I don't like it when the sign is there for two extra weeks after the event has already taken place and think they should be taken off within a day or two of the completion.
Maybe I am just crazy!

Here a Deal, There a Deal

This is a first for me. It's June and since February, I now have four clients purchasing foreclosure homes. While great deals are definitely out there, quite a few issues can arise.
Most of these properties are sold As-Is so there isn't any room for the seller (usually a bank or mortgage company) to make repairs. They just want the thing sold without much hassle. It's a lot of work for me because the contracts need to be pristine and the buyers have a lot to consider as well. Repairs, time of possession, lender approval and the always adventurous, multiple offer situation. You are sometimes bidding against three or more other offers. It's a game, that's for sure!

You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

So, we recently had a great trip to Napa Valley and the gorgeous wine country. We now have a bit more wine than we have room for but it's always nice to have a bit of a selection handy.
We have a built-in wine rack in our kitchen island and a wine cabinet in our dining room. I was recently given an article about the popularity of wine and creative storage areas by my husband.
It turns out we are doing a TERRIBLE job at storing our precious wine collection. We house some inexpensive bottles in the $5 range and up to $35 with many in between. According to this article that was in the Dallas Morning News, you should NEVER store your wine in the kitchen because of the inconsistent tempuratures. Wines should be kept at a tempurature of 50-55 degrees and in relatively dark rooms. Failure #2. Much like beer can become "skunky", the same can happen to wine.
Many builders are using the storage space underneath the closet as a wine closet. Deck it out and slap a rustic iron gate and *boom*, you've got a great storage space for your vino.
Now if I can only convince my hubby that we really, really need a wine refrigerator!