Camping for a School Spot

I can relate to the parents camped out in front of Dealey Montessori School tonight. There must be at least 20 tents in the line of parents awaiting the first day to register their children for this DISD vanguard school.

Some of them have been in line since Saturday and are spending two nights in sub-freezing temperatures. Now, that is what I called dedicated parents. This weekend-long sacrifice may land their child in one of Dallas' top rated public schools. Registration opens tomorrow morning for the academy on Royal Lane.

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Appraisals at the center of a real estate storm

There is no Blue Book for a house like there is for a car. And no two houses are the same. They have different locations, different square footages. Even similar condos in the same building differ slightly in their location, views, finishes, decor, etc.

As a Realtor, I tread lightly when it comes to being involved in the appraisal process. But the appraisal is often so critical to the sale, that I often need to be able to help the appraiser thoroughly evaluate a home's true value.

Appraisals at the center of a real estate storm News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Posted using ShareThis

Register to vote this week

If you've moved in the past year, don't forget to register to vote by Monday, February 1st.

Your vote is your voice, and the polls on March 2 may hold some big money items. The Texas Legislature faces a monumental budget deficit next session. Legislators will be looking at options to generate revenue, which may include real estate transfer taxes and a sales tax on property.

I'll be casting my vote for state officials who are committed to solutions that don't further burden property owners or hurt the Texas economy. You can only participate in the March 2 primary elections if you're registered to vote by Feb. 1.

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Buying New Appliances?

Then hold off another couple of months if you can.

Texas will offer a mail-in rebate program between April 16 and April 25 for consumers who purchase certain energy efficient household appliances to replace the same type of old appliance that’s functional. This is sort of the appliance version of the 'cash for clunkers' program.

You'll be able to reserve an appliance rebate around April 2, 2010. After the reserved mail-in rebates are awarded, any remaining funds will be rebated to consumers on a first-come, first-served basis. Shoppers will be limited to two rebates per household.

Rebates will range from $185 for a dishwasher to $1,675 for a heat pump. I'd look for appliance retailers to offer some nice sales during this time period as well.

For more details, go to: http://www.window.state.tx.us/news2009/091211-rebate.html

Of course, if your dishwasher breaks down (like mine did) ... you may not be able to wait for the rebate program. Sometimes timing is more important.

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2009 Dallas-area home market

From the Dallas Morning News:

How you look at the Dallas-area housing market has a lot to do with what neighborhood you're in ...

2009 was a long, strange trip in the Dallas-area home market Dallas Real Estate News Dallas Morning News

Obviously I agree completely with Real Estate Editor Steve Brown's story.

posted using ShareThis

North Dallas Statistics Update

Residential home sales stats are in for 2009. It was a good year for buyers. Not so much for sellers. Keep in mind that the new homebuyers tax incentive added to the number of sales in lower price ranges, and this shows in the average sales prices. Higher priced home sales were sluggish.

Here is why so many of us are looking forward to 2010:

2009 Statistics

(single family homes)

North Dallas (south of LBJ, between Midway & Central):

Number of Sales: 456 (down 11% from 2008)

Average Sales Price: $836,495 (down 15% )

Park Cities:

Number of Sales: 518 (down 22% from 2008)

Average Sales Price: $1,026,627 (down 16% )

Northeast Dallas (east of Central, south of LBJ):

Number of Sales: 514 (down 10% from 2008)

Average Sales Price: $252,387 (same as 2008)

Northwest Dallas (west of Midway):

Number of Sales: 472 (down 1% from 2008)

Average Sales Price: $229,985 (down 4% )

Far North Dallas (LBJ to Plano from Central to Marsh):

Number of Sales: 859 (down 9% from 2008)

Average Sales Price: $325,628 (down 6% )

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Success doesn't come to you,

you go to it.

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Range of Prices available in North Dallas

We've started off 2010 with buyers showing renewed interest in North Dallas area real estate. With a large variety of homes available for sale, here is are the two ends of the price spectrum currently being offered.

The Least Expensive Home for sale right now is a fire sale (literally). Located in Northwest Dallas at 3146 Satsuma near Webbs Chapel and Royal Lane the 2,061 square foot property is offered 'as is' at $34,900.

The Most Expensive Home for sale right now is still 6812 Hunters Glen Road near Lovers Lane and Preston. This stunning 10,094 square foot home sits on 1.5 prime acres and is available for $18,000,000.

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Best House Plants to help sell your Home

Every home should have a small element of nature to help the home feel 'alive' and make potential buyers feel welcome. House plants are ideal for this - as long as you keep only a few. Certain house plants can work as natural air purifiers to remove organic chemicals and toxins from the air. I'm told plants are also supposed to reduce your stress and enhance your mental well-being too. When you're selling your home, you need all the stress reduction you can get.

Here are some of the best plants for sellers :

Bamboo — Said to be lucky, this plant is hardy. It doesn't take up much valuable floor space and can be found in a huge variety of sizes to suit your needs for a table top or floor.

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Rubber Plant — This plant has a nice general appeal. Its good for removing indoor chemical odors and also acts as a natural humidifier. Put it anywhere you’d like a little more moisture in the air and a little more life to a corner. Works well in any decor.

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Snake Plant — Also called Mother-in-law's Tongue. Despite the name, this plant has some great benefits. Extremely hardy, it helps clean the air in dark rooms. Good for a bathroom and tight spaces.

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Do you need 2 dishwashers?

In Dallas, we are seeing a continuation of the trend in new homes with 2 dishwashers in the kitchen. I've sold a few homes with multiple dishwashers and have a couple for sale right now. At first I thought it was a novelty reserved for kosher kitchens or multimillion dollar mansions. However, it's becoming more common in upper priced homes because of the wonderful convenience.

Ideally the dishwashers can flank either side of the sink for ease of loading and for close proximity to cabinets for putting clean items away. Or you can place the additional dishwasher near a second island sink or in the butler's pantry, bar area or other serving area.

Dishwasher drawers make having 2 dishwashers even easier. And they are easy to open/close and load. I only wonder that if I had 2 dishwashers, would it mean the end to stacking dirty dishes in the sink? We could just stick those clean/dirty magnets on the front of them and skip the sink completely. I may try it in my next house. Maybe by that time, they could come with a motion sensor to open the drawer when a teenager approaches the sink.

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Smart Uses for Your Freezer (besides freezing food)

While freezers are for freezing ice cream and frozen dinners, there are actually some other handy uses for this home appliance.

Here’s a list of 5 smart uses for your freezer:

1. Remove odors — If you’ve got a plastic container that smells like fish, a musty-smelling book, or other small item with a bad odor, just stick it in the freezer overnight. By morning, it’ll be smelling fresh again.
2. Unstick photos — If you’ve got a bundle of old photos that were stored someplace damp, they might be stuck together. Pulling them apart will ruin them, but if you stick them in the freezer for 20 minutes first, you’ll be able to salvage them. After they’re frozen, use a butter knife to carefully separate the photos (if they don’t come free, put them back in the freezer and try again when they’re colder).
3. Extend candle life — Extend a candle’s life by putting it in the freezer for a couple hours before burning it. This will make it burn more slowly.
4. Clean the impossible pot — If you’ve got a pot that has all sorts of burned-on food that’s a pain to remove, even by scrubbing, just stick that pot in the freezer for a couple hours. Once the burned food is frozen, it’s much easier to remove.
5. Eliminate unpopped popcorn — Are there always a lot of unpopped kernels in the bottom of your popcorn maker after you pop a batch? You can eliminate duds by storing your unpopped popcorn supply in the freezer.

Source: Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things: 2,317 Ways to Save Money and Time [where: 75230]

North Dallas Baby Model Search

Don't we all love adorable babies?

Here is your chance to share your little angel with the rest of us in photos. Advocate Magazine is looking for a neighborhood baby model to be featured in a Quigley Heating & AC advertisement. They’re looking for babies 6-18 months, and though it’s an unpaid gig, the family selected for this ad will get a year of free service with Quigley.

I've used Quigley for my own home and think very highly of this reputable company.

If interested, email a photo of your baby to Advocate's advertising director Kristy Gaconnier at kgaconnier@advocatemag.com. Let Kristy know which edition of the magazine you receive (Preston Hollow, Far North Dallas, Lake Highlands, or East Dallas).

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Don't buy the house;

buy the neighborhood.

Russian Proverb

Mortgage Rates climb as Economy Improves

Its a general fact that good economic news is bad for mortgage rates. Bad economic news is good for rates.

The lower the interest rate, the more home you get for your money. The higher the rates, the higher the ultimate cost of the home.

This is why economic news that affects interest rates impacts the real estate market. This week looks like a bad one for the bond and mortgage markets. Treasury notes and mortgage rates have increased in the past month as the economic recovery is thought to be on track for a solid 2010.

Major inflation is on its way with the increasing realization of the Treasury borrowing to fund what is expected to be a budget deficit of $1.8T. Thought mortgage rates are very likely head higher in 2010, one of the best investments against inflation is traditionally real estate. So the good news is the economic recovery and the appeal of real estate to hedge inflation. The bad news is, the days of the 5% mortgage are disappearing.

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Timing is everything ...

... in life, real estate and in other marketing endeavors.

My son took this photo yesterday in a terminal of New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Looking ahead to 2010

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if,

instead of cowering before them,

we should make up our minds

to walk boldly through them."

Orison Swett Marden, American Author [where: 75230]