The Real Estate Psychic Hotline

Phoenix Realtor Paul Pastore is a funny guy. You gotta love his concept:

"Imagine sellers being able to call a 1/900# and receive the value of their property by a real live psychic! The technology is here and it is being beta tested this month. A seller will be able to give a psychic their astrological sign, date of birth, height, weight, eye color, and sexual preference. In return the psychic will, for a nominal fee, tell the seller the value of their property.

No longer will sellers have to calculate on their own what they wish their property would sell for if the market were stronger .... The mantra "There's no place like home" and "My home is my castle" will be factored into every Psychic Realty Hotline estimate!

In order to assure the estimates are favorable, the hotline will be manned by local friends, relatives, and ex-real estate agents who will never forget the good old days or peak prices from yester-year. Short sales, foreclosures, new home specs, and excess inventory levels will not be considered to insure favorable valuations.

All values from the Realty Psychic Hotline will have a disclaimer saying they will become immediately invalid if reviewed by a real estate professional. 'Everyone is entitled to their feeling' is the slogan for the hotline. And, 'It's more important to be righteous than right' is the hotline motto.

If you know of anyone who is having difficulty selling their property, call the Real Estate Psychic Hotline today. Operators are standing by. And, for a limited time the first 100 callers will receive a $1,000 pricing bonus to be added to their property pricing profile."

The Best Intern in Dallas

I've been extremely luckly this summer to have the best college intern in Dallas. Actually, shes from North Carolina and is a Junior majoring in Communications. She takes fantastic photos of homes, measures rooms, makes every homes sound like a gem, designs graphics and flyers, creates eye-catching mailers, and is a computer whiz. Pictured here is Robin the Intern on the 17th floor of an Uptown high rise under construction. When this gal graduates, look out North Carolina! [where: 75230]

Let the Texas Sun Shine with Solar Power

The folks a D Magazine point out this report from McKinsey research that predicts when it will be financially feasible enough to replace traditional fossil electricity in different parts of the world with solar power. We should see it here in Texas by 2020. Wouldn't it be nice if some tax credits made it viable sooner?

With rising energy prices and concerns about the environment, it’s no surprise that more people are already looking to harness the sun’s energy for use in their homes. Solar energy is no longer considered more expensive or solely for granola-loving environmentalists.

Thankfully, Solar is going mainstream and can increase your home's value. The most common home options are:

• Photovoltaic (PV) solar roofs. PV roof panels can be installed instead of traditional roofing and they look different. They are sold in kilowatt increments at a cost of about $8 to $10 per watt. Eight to ten kilowatts should cover an average home’s energy requirements.
• Solar shingles. Like PV systems, solar shingles collect light. They are designed to blend in better with the other roofs in your neighborhood.

You can decide to rely on solar power alone or go “off the grid” or a combination of both. If you go all-solar, you may need to supplement it with wind, hydro, or geothermal power for consistent energy. Or if we hit a rainy spell, you could just rely on normal electric power.

Another solar option for the home are solar water heaters. Learn more about the benefits of solar water heaters from the U.S. Department of Energy. Hawaii now requires all new homes to have solar water heaters (and they give solar rebates and tax credits).

According to Ideal Bite, just one hour of sunlight that hits the earth can provide more energy than everyone on the earth uses in an entire year.

To see if the sun's energy will work for you, visit Findsolar.com. They have formulas to help you find out what you can do with solar energy, what size of system you might need, and costs. Another great source is the Solar Living Institute.

Why not use the sun's power today? Recharge your cell phone, ipod, or camera with the Solio solar-powered charger. Soak up the sun this summer!

[where: 75230]

Lame Photos of the Week

Here are this week's lame real estate photos from our North Texas listings of homes for sale.

This one must have been taken during one of our rare Texas earthquakes.

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No. This is not a black and white photograph. But someone sure is dull.

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Cool chair. Too bad it doesn't come with the house.

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Mr. Agent, you're blinding us with that flash. Take a step to the right next time.

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Look, honey!. Two houses for the price of one.

[where: 75230]

Independence Day Fireworks

If you're looking for some excitement on the 4th of July, here is a list of Dallas area celebrations. Click on the box below to see this enlarged list. Enjoy!

[where: 75230]

Busy ... in a bad way.

Actually, I just finished protesting my tax appraisal. I'd rather have a root canal than do that every year!

This Week's Bad Photos

A sampling of local homes for sale, highlighted with bad photos.

This must be the largest playpen I've ever seen.

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Taken by the agent who only works the night shift. Is that their assistant in the distance?

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When was the last time it snowed in Dallas? Update the photo, Mr. Agent. .

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Table for one please.

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What are we featuring here? Curb side trash pick up? [where: 75230]

Real Estate Timing

I buy when other people are selling.

J. Paul Getty

[where: 75230]

Rich Realtors?

Some interesting statistics recently disclosed:

The 2007 national medium gross income before taxes and expenses for Realtors was $42,600. Since agents are independent contractors, they typically pay for their own marketing expenses, advertising, printing, postage, insurance, auto expenses, ... and all taxes. So their net income would be considerably less. The median number of hours worked was 40.

Realtors who work 60 hours or more a week (that would be me) grossed an average of $80,800. In 2007, the median years of experience was 8 years and the number of transactions completed by the average Realtor was 8. In this case, I'm happy to admit that I'm an overachiever.

[where: 75230]

Frosty Weekend in June

A Good Treat for a Good Cause!

This weekend, you can help support Foster Care Adoption just by buying a Frosty! Participating Wendy's restaurants will donate 50 cents from every Frosty purchased on June 14 and 15 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Proceeds will support the Foundation and Wendy's Wonderful Kids, which funds full-time adoption recruiters to match parents with waiting children. So pick up a delicious treat and help children in the foster care system find their own families.

[where: 75230]

Police still searching for fake Realtor

Police in Round Rock, Texas are searching for a man who scammed people while posing as a Realtor on the Craigslist web site. He targeted people searching for rental properties online. I've heard about this type of con before and it has scammed people thinking they are buying or renting a property. Sometimes it is played out by the person currently living in the property that they have no right to sell or lease.

Basically, over a week's time this guy swindled at least five victims by posing as a Realtor who posted classified ads for rental homes. One woman told police that she responded to an ad for a rental home and was met by a man posing as a Realtor who was leasing a home in Round Rock. He never aroused suspicion as he convincingly played the role of a Realtor in every detail. Each victim, on separate occasions, signed a lease for the same home, each paying a $25 contract fee and $499 for the "discounted" first month's rent. After completing the leasing process, each person later discovered that the home was actually listed for sale. By the time anyone gets wind of the rip-off, he's gone with their money.

Lesson here: Use an agent who represents you (not the other side) and know your agent.

[where: 75230]

Bad Photos of Expensive Homes for Sale

Featured here are a few more dime store photos of high dollar homes. All of these properties are priced over a million dollars. Every home can showcase 10 photos, so these are the best features of these homes?

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. We can only guess that something used to be hanging on this wall.

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Nice closet or pantry. I would expect this in a multi-millon dollar property so you shouldn't need to highlight it.

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The multi-million dollar back yard?

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Lemon tree in the living room.

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The only photo of this home listed for over $3 million

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If you can afford a home over $1.5 million, you should be able to afford a maid. And your agent should pop for a professional photographer.

[where: 75230]

Preston Royal Faire this Saturday

Join the fun at the Preston Royal Village Faire this Saturday, June 14th from 1 to 3. The afternoon will include live music, caricature artist, pet photos, face painting, balloon artists, coloring and more!

Refreshments served from Jamba Juice and Purple Cow Diner and the new mural on the side on Doughtery's Pharmacy will be debuted.

[where: 75230]

All The World Is Staging

... and for good reason. A 'staged' home usually sells quicker. Home staging is preparing a house for sale in the real estate market. The goal is to sell a house quickly, and for the most money possible by attracting the highest number of potential buyers. Staging concentrates on making a property appeal to the most buyers by transforming it into a welcoming, appealing, and attractive space.

While staging is no substitute for a great agent, good marketing and correct pricing - it can make a world of difference. Staging can raise the value of a property by reducing a home's apparent flaws, and depersonalizing it. Properly executed it can guide the eye to the home's most attractive features while minimizing it's weaknesses.

Buyers need to imagine themselves living in the home. If the property is vacant, staging can help buyers 'see' themselves living in the home.

So, if you're selling a house, I always recommend:

• Thinking of your house as a house - not a home. It is a product that you are selling and you are competing with other products for sale. How can you best present your product to the most buyers?
• Removing all family photos. No one wants to buy your memories. They want to imagine themselves in the house. Help them do that by removing your personalized items.
• Neutralize your home. You may love the floral decor in the bedroom but the guy buying your property may not. Make it appeal to the general public. You want buyers to remember your home, not your bedspread or your coffee table.
• Less is more. Remove all unnecessary furniture, all knick knacks, most of your clothes, etc. You're moving anyway, so box it up. I sparsely decorated room will show much better than a cluttered one.

There are many excellent professional stagers out there eager to help you make your home more appealing. Consult one or watch one of the many HGTV shows for tips on how to do it yourself.

[where: 75230]

Housing Market - Outside Factors currently affecting us

I like to have fun with this blog, but I also like to bring you information vital to our local housing market. While there are many factors that sellers and their agents can control when selling a property - price, condition, marketing, staging, advertising - there are some factors that we have no control over. Primarily the economy and the 'competition' (how many other sellers there are and what they are doing).

Recent housing data provided some signs of hope that the housing market may be stabilizing. We've seen positive changes in the new construction homes market like declining inventory levels and improved pricing levels. Existing home affordability declined slightly in March due to the median increase in existing home prices.

Equities were volatile during the past week as the market tried to absorb soaring crude prices and inflation concerns, but relatively positive economic data. The revised GDP indicated that the economy grew at a slightly faster pace than forecasts had indicated. Continued weak growth is widely expected going into the second quarter. Continued high fuel prices will continue to hurt consumer discretionary spending and could trigger concerns of inflation going forward. Consumer confidence continues to decline in both the present situation and monthly expectations index.

At the current sales pace, there are 7.6 months of existing homes supply on the market in North Dallas (south of LBJ and north of NW Hwy). That means it would take 7.6 months to sell all of the homes currently on the market, based on the rate of sales over the past year. Supply levels between 5 and 10 months are considered healthy in this area. The number of new construction homes for sale has continued to decline as builders are still holding off on new starts.

Nationally, average mortgage rates increased to 6.08% in the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. This is the highest rates have been since mid-March. This shows a 0.06 % increase from the previous week but a 17.40 % drop from the same period last year. If fuel price concerns continue to increase, it is possible the Fed may raise rates before the end of the year.

The timing is very good in North Dallas for housing. [where: 75230]

Racy Condo for Sale in the Pits

File this one under unusual homes. This listing at 3575 Lone Star Circle #1010 is located in the Texas Motor Speedway. It is listed as a 1632 sq ft condo with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Located in the Northwest Independent School District, it includes a 3 car garage. For $1,300,000 it comes completely furnished (with 5 TVs, too). The HOA dues include use of the pool, tennis court, yard maintenance (that's what it says) and trash collection. The view of the RVs in the infield is certainly interesting. But my favorite description of this unique property ... "This is the guest bedroom. The master is identical with the exception of a floor to ceiling mirror behind the headboard."

Gives 'racy' a whole new meaning.

[where: 75230]

Great House Deal in North Dallas

This 3,207 sq ft home goes on the market tomorrow and is a fantastic opportunity of someone looking for a solid home in a great location to update. It is an original owner home set on a generous lot (120 x 153) shaded by mature trees.

Located at 4148 Deep Valley Drive (3 streets north of Forest Lane), it offers 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 3 living areas, a pool and spacious fenced yard. This inviting family home was built in 1968, has a fabulous floor plan and has been well maintained. Priced at $390,200, it just needs someone with an eye for decorating to do the cosmetic updates.

[where: 75230]

Get the Neighborhood Walk Score

If you like to walk - or bike - this great place will rate your neighborhood (or potential neighborhood) for “walkability”.They calculate the walkability for your address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. and presenting them on a map around your house. Then they score the walkability of your house’s location on a scale of 0-100 with 90-100 being a “Walkers' Paradise” where errands and entertainment can be accomplished on foot and you could get by without owning a car. 0-25 is a “Driving Only” location where virtually no neighborhood destinations are within walking range. Perhaps if you really like to walk very loooong distances you could go for a “0” – or you could get your exercise walking to your car! Click Here for This Great Web Site [where: 75230]