Dallas Real Estate

DFW Foreclosures Ranked 11th

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:05:00 +0000

The latest report is out and it shows DFW has a surge of 27% in foreclosures going up for auction in March. However, the number 27 doesn't mean too much in an average. I say that because it takes into consideration Denton County that had a 42% increase. But, at 42%, there were "only" 464 foreclosures for the entire county. When you look at the number 464, you think, that's a lot of homes. It's not really that many homes when you look at the population (2006 estimated population of 584,238) and how 464 is a very small percentage of properties in the area.

Then, you have a 20% increase in Collin County (2006 estimated population 698,851). To get to that 20% increase, it's "only" 495 foreclosures.

The Dallas Fort Worth area had over 43,000 foreclosure for 2007. DFW is ranked 11th across the country. We were in the top 10 for so long, so it's good to see we're out of that grouping.

D-FW AREA FORECLOSURE POSTINGS Residential properties scheduled for foreclosure auction in March for each of the counties.
Dallas County 1,884 25%
TarrantCounty 1,318 28%
Collin County 495 20%
Denton County 464 42%
D-FW area 4,161 27%
SOURCE: Foreclosure Listing Service Inc.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Jason Kidd becomes a Dallas Maverick again

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:03:00 +0000

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.

Richardson TX's JJ Pearce on TV Land's High School Reunion

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:59:00 +0000

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- drenched multi-million dollar Hawaiian estate" to see how they have changed, or not changed over a 20 year period. By saying 20 years, I assume it's the alum from 1988. But they could be leaving it broad like being around 20 years.

The site lists the cast of 14 people, but no last names. It's hard to tell if I know any of them. My year books only go back to 1991, and my brother's only go one year further into 1990. I have emailed the information to my high school friends as some of them have older siblings and they might be able to figure out who everyone is.

This is just so exciting. I'm surprised I haven't seen it on the local news... maybe the cast behaves immaturely and Richardson doesn't want to lay claim to them... who knows. Either way, I'm going to try to watch or Tivo it. Sounds like it could be interesting!

HERE is the link for further information.

It's funny how I found this. Tom Burris wrote a blog yesterday about Google Alerts, so I set one up for Richardson TX and perfect timing for today's announcement of the show. Thanks, Tom!

Texas Homestead Exemptions- First Reminder to File

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Here is your first reminder to file your Texas Homestead Exemption form if you closed on your home by December 31, 2007. I like to remind people towards the end of February because hopefully you're done with your Holiday bills, and worrying about your W2s (1099's) from your employer, and you're starting to get your tax information ready.

You have until the end of April to actually file, but why wait until the last minute. Also, if you closed in 2008, you CANNOT file for this year. You must wait until next year before the end of April to file your exemptions.

It's good to do it as soon as possible so when you get your new Tax Assessment that first week of May, all your information will be correct. There are many companies that will charge you a pretty penny to file the exemption for you. DO NOT PAY ANYONE TO FILE ANYTHING!! IT'S FREE!!

All you need to do is go to your county appraisal's website and print off the form there. Some counties require a notary, while others do not. It takes less than 2 minutes to fill it out, so there is no excuse about not having time.

Here are some of the county links in my immediate area:

Dallas- www.dcad.org
Tarrant- www.tad.org
Collin- www.collincad.org
Denton- www.dentoncad.com

Jason Garrett stays with the Cowboys

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Jason Garrett helped the Cowboys break several records and after interviewing and being offered Head Coaching job elsewhere, decided to remain with the Cowboys as the Assistant Head Coach.

This position comes at a price of about $3.5 million! Almost as much as the Head Coach.

Personally, I really like Jason Garrett. I loved him when he played for the Cowboys. I hated it when Jason got the Cowboys through the Playoffs and then they allowed Aikman to play the final game. Yes, Aikman was the starter and he was coming back from an injury, but he was out for a lot of games, and Jason deserved to play. I was very disappointed when he left the Cowboys.

I was very excited when he returned. However, to go after a Head Coaching job after just 3 years in a coaching position is a little premature. I think he needs a little more experience before taking on that job.

He did say that he definitely wants to be a Head Coach at some time, but that his home is in Dallas for now. Good choice, Jason!

Here's more on the story.

NAR's Changes to Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:34:00 +0000

I am on the Texas (TAR) Professional Standards Committee and I was just emailed the changes that were adopted for 2008 from NAR, and I kinda chuckled. I'm not sure if others have read the changes, but this really caught my eye.

Article 12 used to say, "REALTORS® shall be careful at all times to present a true picture in their advertising and representations to the public..."

The revised Article says, "REALTORS® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advetising, marketing, and other representations..."

What caught your eye? What caught my eye is what should have caught your eye too since I bolded the words, that we went from having to be "careful" to having to be "honest and truthful". When I see that, it shows that there were so many REALTORS® not being "careful" and they had to actually be told to be "honest and truthful." How sad is that.

I would think the two went hand in hand. If you're not being honest and truthful, you're definitely not being careful. And if you're being careful about not being caught being honest and truthful, then you're not very ethical which blows the entire Code of Ethics out of the water.

What do others think about this change, and have you witnessed reasons for this change? I would love to hear about your experiences with other agents who violated the original article making a need to change the verbiage (no names are needed in case they are members of this forum).

North Texas HOV Lanes- How Do I Get On?

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Did you read my previous blog about how unhappy I was about the new HOV lanes that have opened on 75 Central Expressway through Richardson TX?

Even though I'm very unhappy with the way they did the lanes, others will need to know how to access the lanes. You would think that you could just drive and be in the left lane and wait for the openings, as this is how it is on all of our other highways and freeways. However, you would be wrong!!

For the main entrances into the HOV lane, you must actually exit off 75 Central Expressway and follow the signs. Huh? Does this even make sense? Sounds silly to me. Oh, and don't forget that there's even a different route during rush hour traffic in the mornings and evenings. RIDICULOUS!!

Anyway, here's a link to the graphics that will better explain what I'm talking about. Anyone from the area think these HOV lanes make sense?

North Texas HOV Lanes Now Open

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:17:00 +0000

The main North and South Highway through North Dallas, Central Expressway (Highway 75), finally opened the well anticipated HOV lanes (High Occupancy Vehicles). The lanes go for 14 miles from Highway 635 north through Allen and into McKinney.

You would think the HOV lanes would be a good thing. On the surface, they're fabulous. However, Donna not happy!! When Donna not happy, everyone will hear about it!! Plus, no one in Richardson should be happy because we got the short end of the HOV stick!

Here is part of what I wrote to my HOA president:

"I was wondering if you knew who we would contact at the city of Richardson about the new HOV lanes on 75. This is ridiculous that there is no place in Richardson where it allows us, their own residents, to get in and/or out of the HOV lanes. Since there is no way on while going south, we can't even take advantage of the new HOV lanes going up the high-five to 635. Going up north, we can't get in the HOV lane because there is no way out of it until Parker in Plano. I thinks it's very ridiculous as we all sat through the pains of the construction for all those months and we can't even utilize the improvement, and that's a bad word because it doesn't improve anything for me or anyone else in Richardson."

I actually did get a response back from my HOA president in which he forwarded me the response from the city manager:

"We have had a few other inquiries on this, so we will be posting an explanation on the City's website. It is not there yet, so I am trying to get the timing. I'll get back to you soon with a date. Directing Donna and your residents to the website explanation is probably the best first step.

As you may recall from our Council briefings on this, we did not like the lack of an opening in Richardson, but TXDOT insisted that they start the HOV in the current configuration. They have agreed to revisit our request for access after the current configuration has been open for a few months. What it should do, even in the current configuration, is reduce the congestion on the main lanes. This is not ideal, but it is in place and will hopefully have a positive impact for Richardson travelers as well as regional travelers. We will certainly keep working the issue."

Donna NOT happy!! We sat through all this contruction. We waited for the highly anticipated opening for months!! And now they tell us that we can't use the lanes. If you also disagree with this, please let the City Manager for Richardson TX know so we can make some changes. You can send all your concerns to Pamela Schmidt at pamela.schmidt@cor.gov.

I'm Back- Sorry for Being Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:44:00 +0000

Sorry for not posting in a long time. I didn't realize I completely missed November and December, I was posting updates on Alyssa Nicole on my other blog that is devoted only to her.

Anyway, she has arrived. She will be 7 weeks on Friday (born November 16) and she's wonderful!

I never had a maternity leave, since I've been working a lot, but I have also taken some much needed time to be with her.

In the future, I'll be posting updates about her on the other blog, but I'll also post milestones on this one for my loyal readers.

Richardson TX Police Force Gets a 4-Legged Addition

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:42:00 +0000

The Richardson TX Police Station has added a 4-legged addition of an 80 pound, 3 year old, German Shepherd, named Macho. The name Macho actually came from his native home in Germany.

Macho has traveled more than I have! He started his training in Germany, like I did (not training, but I was born there), and then he journeyed to Indiana. From Indiana, he trained in Allen TX for a while and now is on the Richardson TX Police Force.

Macho is even bilingual. He is spoken to in English, but his commands are given in German.

Let's here it for our newest Police Officer!

Richardson TX gets a New Fire Station #2

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:41:00 +0000

As part of the 2006 Bond money that was voted on May 13, 2006, Firestation #2 is getting a face lift. Actually, an actual facelift cost more than tearing down the old building and rebuilding something new, so that's what is going to happen.

The demolition is going to start this month and the rebuilding will being in March. It is supposed to be complete by January 2009. Many changes are taking place. It will become a co-ed facility as it currently does not have seperate sections for men and women.

It will also become a Green facility which is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The landscaping will be not take much water to maintain and they'll also store up rain water.

The old facility was a 1 story building with only 5000 sqft. The new facility will be 2 stories and 9000 sqft.

This is a much needed update to the area!

Dallas TX Housing Shows Strong Numbers Despite National News

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:35:00 +0000

The latest numbers have come out from the largest Association of REALTORS® in the DFW area, MetroTex. The numbers show some very interesting information that should be very useful, especially to people who are relocating to the area thinking they're going to get a "deal" and even the investors who think they can come to our area and scoop up tons of properties at dirt cheap prices...

Here's what the numbers tell us:

2007 DFW Single Family Home Sales (so this excludes condos, but DOES include townhouses):
Year to Date compared to same period last year

Number of Sales: 61,746
Percent Change: -6%

Average Price: $204,813
Percent Change: +5%

Median Price: $150,500
Percent Change: +1%

Active Listings: 47,750
Percent Change: +8%

With these numbers, you can see that the Dallas/Ft Worth area is still going strong. We do not follow the average trends of the rest of the Country. We have a very strong economical base right now with many companies still relocating people to the area. Many areas across the country are seeing double digit depreciation, and we've had appreciation. Is the appreciation high? No, but it shows we're in a fairly steady market.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Buy My House, and You Get Full Refund When I Die!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:30:00 +0000

Yes, you read the title right. I just saw this story and I thought it was very unusual and unique. This couple in Pittsburgh have been trying to sell their home for a year, and the market is not that great in that area, so they had to come up with something that no one else was offering...

They are asking $399,900 for the house and since they have no heirs to leave anything to, the people who agree to buy the house can have the entire purchase price refunded back to them upon their death.

WAIT, it gets better!!! If the new owners agree to take care of the couple in their old age, they could also get the vacation home in Arizona AND an estate worth over $2.5M!!! Is that a deal or what?!

The problem is, how old are these people? The article doesn't say. What if they live another 20+ years. Will the people who buy the house now still own it when they die?

Here's the story I read.

North Texas Tollway Association Price Increases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:06:00 +0000

The Tollways in North Texas have instated an increase effective today, October 1. This includes the North Dallas Tollway and the George Bush Turnpike. I was astonished yesterday when I went into Frisco on the new stretch that opened on Friday and it was $1.30 for the Eldorado exit... WHAT??!! $1.30!! That's crazy!

To go see my client in Frisco yesterday, it cots me $0.50 to get onto the Bush. $1.00 is charged at the Coit overpass. When I get onto the Dallas North Tollway, it's $1.00 at Parker. Then it was $1.30 to exit at Eldorado. That's $3.80. That's $7.20 round trip. This is getting ridiculous!!!

However, I do have the Tolltag on my car, so the rates are slightly less, so let's look at it with the tolltag. $.40 to get on at Renner. $.70 at the Coit overpass. $.70 at Parker and then $1.05 at the Eldorado exit. That's $2.85, which is $5.70 round trip.

I saved a whopping $0.95 to have a tolltag. You can't even by something off the $1 Value Menu at any fast food restaurant!!! However, going round trip saves me $1.90 so that gets me almost a $1.99 Happy Meal!!

Personally, I think the discount should be much more substantial to have the Tolltag rather than cash. It's the cash people who are making people do extra work and it's more inconvenient for those drivers. The Tolltag saves people a lot of time and energy, especially the North Texas Tollway Association (www.NTTA.org) and they should charge Tolltag users less!

Here's the site that shows you the fees at each and every exit up and down all North Texas Tollways.

Baby Shower Pictures from Sept 8

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Here are some pictures from the September 8 baby shower.

This onesie says "Houses for Sale: Donna@donnahomes.com. She's going to be a walking advertisment.

Mr and Mrs Seller, Open Houses do NOT Sell Houses!!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:33:00 +0000

I will state right up front that I understand that this is different in the different markets across the Country and Canada. I'm writing this blog focusing mainly on my market, here in the Dallas area.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, here is my marketing plan for your house. Will I do Open Houses? Did you see Open Houses as part of my marketing plan? Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I do NOT do OPEN HOUSES!!
In today's market, qualified and approved buyers are not the ones walking into Open Houses. If a buyer is serious about buying a house, 94% of them start their search Online looking at pictures and price ranges. They will then do a couple of different things.

One of those things is they will contact a Realtor and ask to view some of the houses they saw online. Pretending that they contacted me, my first question to them is if they are approved for a loan. They then get flipped to one of my mortgage guys for full loan approval, not just pulling the credit and giving a thumbs up.

Another scenario is that the buyers then turn around and call a mortgage person and tell him/her that they have seen some houses online and were wanting to make sure they were approved and for what price range. This mortgage person will then flip them to a Realtor who will direct them in the right direction.

When one of the above steps doesn't happen, you have people aimlessly driving the streets on a Sunday afternoon, seeing a sign and thinking, "I wonder if that house is in our price range..." They walk in, hear the price, and they grit their teeth while smiling and nodding trying to leave but the agent in the house tries to keep them there as long as possible.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want unqualified and unapproved buyers walking through your house? If the house is shown by appointment through a buyer's agent, 9 times out of 10, that buyer has already been approved for a loan as most Realtors don't like to spend gas money these days by putting a buyer in their car to show them houses unless they're able to buy.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want all your neighbors walking through your house? For the most part, you won't really even see any buyers in your Open House. What you'll see are your neighbors wondering how you decorated and wondering what price you're asking and things like that.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want me to spend my time generating leads for your property? or do you really want me to spend 3 hours on a Sunday sitting in your house while you have to leave and entertain yourself?

That's a rhetoric question, because no matter how you answer it, I will NOT be doing Open Houses as part of my marketing plan for your house. I rather have approved buyers walking through your house, not unapproved. I rather people walking through your house that have already been pre-screened with a credit check at minimum, rather than someone just off the street who might be looking for the good stuff and come back later to rob you.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I understand Open Houses used to be the way to go, but with the technology of multiple photos and virtual tours for your listing, buyers rather sit in the comfort of their own home in their underwear looking at houses than drive around aimlessly as they usually don't want to waste gas either.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Richardson TX National Night Out Results

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:58:00 +0000

Each year, the second Tuesday of August, the country celebrates National Nite Out. NNO helps neighbors get together and get to know each other, and in turn, this is supposed to help promote safer neighborhoods as people start looking out for their neighbors and new friends.

I was on the Social Committee in my neighborhood this year, and it was a blast! We had 51% of our neighborhood present, which is huge! We have Crime Watch signs up throughout the neighborhood and one of the criteria to keep those signs is that we must show at least a 40% attendence at the NNO each year. As people arrive, they must sign in for their address in order for us to get credit for the attendence, even if that family can't stay and have fun.

The other part of NNO is a canned food drive. The City of Richardson collected over 10,000 pounds of canned food. Each family who attends is encouraged to bring 2 canned goods. There were over 200 parties across the city, and for a population of just under 100,000 people, that's A LOT!

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Newspaper Ads Do Not Sell Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:52:00 +0000

Will you post my house in the Dallas Morning News?

NO!

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, people don't read the newspaper like they used to. Many people have switched from the actual news paper to the online version of the paper. Yes, with the online version of the paper, your ad will appear in the online portion of the classifieds section, however, that's not where you want to be, as there is a new and separate online section for listings that are automatically fed from the MLS.

First, when an ad is placed in the paper, you're getting about 3-4 short lines to grab someone's attention. If I get absolutely no calls, does that mean that no one saw the ad? So, problem number one is that I can't track how many people the ad was put in front of like I can with my internet ads.

Second, do you really think serious buyers are looking in the paper with today's technology? The people who are looking in the paper are typically lower income and they're looking for rentals. They might call on your ad just to see if you would consider renting it, but they are not a qualified buyer inquiring on your house.

I say serious buyers aren't looking in the paper because there is a National statistic that shows about 80% of buyers are looking online when searching for a house. However, Texas has done their own research, and they show that over 94% of buyers are looking online for houses... that means only 6% of buyers are looking in the paper and at open houses and other "old school" methods of house hunting.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, would you rather me spend my marketing money and efforts on capturing 94% of the Buying population, or would you like me to spend my time marketing your house to only 6% of buyers?

Third, people want information and they want it now. A short 3-4 line in a paper does not offer pictures or tours, or any details about the house. The typical interactive buyer is not interested in any information where they can't see a little more details before inquiring further about it.

Did newspaper ads work a few years ago, yes, of course they did. Do they work in today's market? No, they do not. Will I post an ad in the paper just to appease you? No, I will not. I can use that $100 on something more productive.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Allstate Insurance to Raise Rates Again

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:01:00 +0000

After everything that happened about 6 years ago with the Black Mold stuff and Allstate having to refund all their policy holders for unfair increases, Allstate is trying to raise rates again.

Last month, Allstate submitted a plan to increase rates by an average of 6.9%. They claimed it was the "cost of doing business." Haven't we all heard that? Well, that plan got rejected because of the large increase and not enough justification for it.

Here we are a month later, and they have submitted a new plan for a 5.9% increase. That still seems fairly high to me. This increase will take place immediately for policy renewals, though it could still be blocked by the Texas Department of Insurance officials.

Allstate is the second largest property insurer in Texas with about 917,000 Homes. That doesn't sound like very many, but that just shows you how many Ma 'n Pa shops there are offering coverage, though those smaller companies are still backed by the larger ones.

They are pointing out that this, more than likely won't effect the North Texas area, and it's mostly for the golf coast area.

Farmers also submitted a plan for an increase, but withdrew it. They are working on submitting a new plan that has a better chance of getting passed.

Good thing I'm no longer with Allstate!!

OakPoint TX Upholds English as Official Language

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:59:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, the small city of OakPoint, TX voted to have English as the Official language of their city. With much uproar, the appeal process started. Yesterday, the law was upheld with a 2-3 vote.

Oak Point is a tiny little city in Denton County off Lewisville Lake, just NorthWest of Little Elm, TX. The population is under 3500 residents. With such a small population, it's hard to imagine that they've hit the news as much as they have with what's going on there. Maybe it's a publicity stunt to increase their population.

This new law does not apply to Businesses or Residences. Also, the city must still comply with state and federal laws that would require the use of multilingual communication.

Here is a link to the story.

Here is a link to OakPoint, TX's Website.

Mortgage Misinformation in Today's Market

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:47:00 +0000

I am so sick of all the articles that are being published and posted and talked about on the National News stations when they are not true. The final straw for this blog is an article I just read on http://www.dallasnews.com/ real estate section. You can read the full article here.

It says in this article that a buyer must have a minimum of 680 credit score, and that a 720 will help lower the interest rate offered. WHAT??!!

Buyers, please be aware that there are MANY lenders out there that are offering loan programs with much lower credit scores. Can you get a decent rate if you have a 500 FICO score? No, not really, though you might qualify for an FHA loan who doesn't care what the score is. Can you get a decent rate at a 600 score? Yes, probably. As long as your recent past history is in good condition and you're able to document your employment and assets, you're fine. You do NOT need a perfect credit score to get a loan.

Don't get me wrong. Some people who have decent scores aren't getting loans because they have collections out the wazooo, and they're behind on car payments and things like that. Do those people deserve loans? My opinion, NO! However, if you're current on all payments, and you have a decent (not perfect) track record, you are still VERY able to obtain a mortgage in today's market.

Please don't let news articles scare you. Call someone and ask specific questions about your specific situation for clarification before you make your own decision on whether or not you'll get approved.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

952 Lockhart Dr, Plano TX 75023 ONLY $143,000 with POOL

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:04:00 +0000

3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 2 Car Garage, 2 Living Areas, 2 Dining Areas, and POOL all for under $150k!!
CLICK HERE for the Visual Tour!!

Great House in Great Area of Plano TX. POOL with perimeter fence & privacy with 8' Board on Board Fence. Oversized Cov Patio for Entertaining. Many updates thoughout the home: fresh paint, newer carpet, newer tile floors in wet areas, newer dishwasher, new lighting fixtures & fans, new hardware, & much more. Low maintanence pool with a cartridge filter & newer motor. Versatile floorplan with second living area and formal dining. Floor to ceiling brick fireplace. This is a Must See!!

There is also an extended covered patio which is great for entertaining with all those POOL parties!

Look how open the floorplan is. As you walk in straight ahead from the foyer, you'll see the Kitchen open to both the Breakfast Nook and Family Room. A conversation will never be missed with this type of layout!

The Living Area has vaulted ceilings and a floor to ceiling Brick, WoodBurning Fireplace.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

BabyHarris Update

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:41:00 +0000

BabyHarris is doing very well. She is 26 weeks and kicking A LOT! At my appointment last week, I had gained 19 pounds (YIKES!), and my blood pressure was 98/42. Yes, I said 42. I asked if that was too low. The Doc said that as long as I'm walking, talking, eating, and breathing, that I'm good to go!

I was sent home with juice to take next week for my glucose test which is done between 24-28 weeks.

Things are coming along. She has a room, but no furniture yet...

No more mustard yellow, and now we've got lavendar! Isn't it pretty with all the white trim around the doors and plantation shutters?

The bathroom is a work in progress and I'll post when that is complete, which should be any day now.

Dallas Sales Prices Up... But Are They??

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:24:00 +0000

According to the latest information from NAR, the DFW area has had a 1.7% increase in sales prices over last year with the rest of the nation having a 1.5% DECLINE... Does the 1.7% increase give a true an honest look of what's going on in the area? Maybe not...

Since the subprime market made their changes, it knocked a lot of lower-end home buyers out of the market. With that, the under $150k price range has been harder to sell. However, sales of the higher priced homes are holding steady and are fairly strong.

Then, you take the higher priced homes and add those to the lesser sales in the lower prices, which used to be the bread and butter, and it creates an increase in sales prices (up to $156,500), though it's not a complete and true story.
Overall, in Texas, not just DFW, sales were down 1.3% in the second quarter. When you compare that to the rest of the country, they were down on average of 10.8%. What a huge difference! No wonder we're still getting so many people relocating here.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Commissions Based on Asking Price... Good Idea??

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Harris, REALTOR®) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:48:00 +0000

I had a listing appointment on Saturday, and I got asked a question that I had never been asked before. I thought it was an odd question, but the seller was very serious as he has bought his last two houses without a Realtor's help, and has never had to sell a house, so this is his first experience with using a Realtor and with selling.

He asked if the commissions were based on asking price. I looked at him, probably with a startled look on my face, and said no. I then said, you may be on to something there. I think commissions should be based on asking price and then I could list each house for $1M, and have the sellers also sign price reductions the same day. Talk about motivation to sell that house and not let it expire!!

On another side of it, I was thinking this was a good idea because if the sellers had to pay commissions based on their original asking price, they would be less willing to over price their houses. Doesn't that sound grand?? Less people over pricing, more people being realistic, and we'll get this inventory down much quicker than the houses sitting on the market.

What do you think?