JJChapa.com

Omega Delta Phi DFW Alumni Golf Tournament benefiting the Dallas Can Academy

2008-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Every year, The Omega Delta Phi DFW Alumni assocation hosts a golf tournament that benefits the kids of the Dallas Can Academy.

To participate, simply email me at JJ@JJChapa.com.

The cost to play is ONLY $65 and includes lunch. The tournament play is June 20, 2008 at 7:30 a.m.

Choosing the right lender

2008-05-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Choosing the correct lender to help you through your home purchase is as important as choosing the right real estate agent.

I just closed a deal where I represented the seller. The buyers had a lender that left $900 of closing costs "on the table". The sellers had agreed to give a certain amount back to the buyers. However, these closing costs are closely regulated and strictly spelled out in the real estate contract. The buyers lender had over a month to get his job done. They, like many lenders, left everything to the last minute.

Long story short, there was a $900 mistake that the buyers had to eat. The sellers came out with $900 more. This is just one small example of how a lenders inability to get their job done can cost a buyer.

Realtors say lending practices holding back housing recovery

2008-05-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

stevebrown@dallasnews.com
A rebound in the housing market is being held back by stingy lending standards, the president-elect of the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Irving real estate agent Charles McMillan – who takes over as head of the 1.3 million-member Realtors association later this year – faults mortgage companies for keeping some potential homebuyers out of the market.
"All of the relief that's been given to the banks in the marketplace has not trickled down to the consumer," Mr. McMillan said at the annual meeting of the National Association of Real Estate Editors in Dallas.
"What they have done is raise fees and make qualifications almost impossible for people to get loans," he said.
In particular, Mr. McMillan criticized the high costs of so-called jumbo loans – mortgages of $417,000 and more – that are chilling buyer demand in many markets. Interest rates on such mortgages now are much higher than those on smaller loans.
And Mr. McMillan said that in some depressed housing markets lenders are raising costs even higher to homebuyers and making it tougher for them to qualify for loans. "That stigmatizes properties unfairly," he said.
The National Association of Realtors is forecasting a slight improvement in nationwide home sales in the second half of 2008.
"In 2009, we anticipate a 6 percent increase going up to 5.7 million homes sold," he said. "In many markets, we are already on track for that and moving beyond.
"In the housing market we have a pent-up demand throughout this nation," Mr. McMillan said. "Interest rates are lower than they have been for many, many years."
But he acknowledged that across large parts of the country, housing markets are still in turmoil.
"We have consumers angry that they can't sell their homes," Mr. McMillan said. "America is hurting now."
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a broad housing relief bill that includes tax credits of up to $7,500 for first-time home buyers. However, the White House has threatened to veto this legislation, which awaits action in the Senate.
"A tax credit would quickly lift home demand and lessen foreclosure pressures," Mr. McMillan said.
For their part, big lenders say they are trying to respond to the housing crisis.
Federal Housing Administration commissioner Brian Montgomery said his agency has already provided help to more than 200,000 Americans with troubled home loans.
And he said that a recent increase in the price of home loans that the FHA can insure would make it easier to buy and sell more expensive homes around the country. The bill passed by the House would make this increase permanent.
"We believe that the new temporary loan limits will help more than 100,000 homeowners," Mr. Montgomery said.
The House bill also would let the FHA take on up to $300 billion in additional mortgages. Mr. Montgomery said he's against some of what the House just agreed to. Proposed legislation would send $15 billion to states to buy and fix up foreclosed property.
"That would primarily benefit lenders," Mr. Montgomery said.
He said some of the costly housing relief plans being debated in Washington, are not "fair to American taxpayers who had no part in the subprime loan market."
Mortgage Bankers Association senior vice president Steve O'Connor said lenders have been "ramping up their capacity" to help homeowners with problem loans, he said, while admitting "it's a challenge."
Mr. O'Connor said that recent sharp cuts in interest rates have helped homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages who were facing big increases in payments.
"The payment shock that would have been in place a year ago is much less severe," he said.
The big concern now is that many homeowners have little or no equity in their houses.
"They owe more than their home is worth – that's the problem," Mr. O'Connor said.
Debbie Dunn, executive vice president with Dallas-based CTX Mortgage, said "The housing market could still be 18 to 24 months away from a total recovery.
"Declining home values are at the core of the confidence crisis," she said. "They make potential purchasers decide to sit on the sideline."
Buyers are also facing new obstacles.
"In certain markets, mortgage insurance has become practically unobtainable," she said.
That means that homebuyers are forced to come up with a much larger – and for some unaffordable – down payments.
Ms. Dunn said despite all the headlines, most neighborhoods in America are stable.
"Over 90 percent of all homeowners either don't have a mortgage or are making their payments on time," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fun night

2008-05-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

Ok...I'm not a horse race person, but, I have to say Lone Star Park is very nice. I just wanted to thank North American Title for inviting me to their suite last night. Great food, and a great dessert bar made a great ending to an otherwise long real estate workday.

I was able to catch up with some old real estate friends. Their consensus about the market is basically what mine has been so it's good to get some validation. While the market isn't as dreadful as the media would have you believe, it is definatley requiring more work to get deals put together and closed.

Sellers have to be more patient in our current market. Buyers have to be more realistic. Are there good deal out there? Sure! But those that buy real estate for a living already know where they are and are typically one step ahead. Do sellers really have $40k in equity that they are just going to give buyers? No. Would you? They'll hold out for a better market or just sell to a buyer who understands that there may be some wiggle room on price but not $40k worth of wiggle room.

Tomorrow, I would like to discuss the importance of choosing a lender that has a good reputation.

Foreclosures up 112%

2008-05-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Foreclosures being up, doesn't necessarily constitute a poor real estate market. Dallas is still enjoying a steady market. Not as good as it has been as there are fewer buyers to go around. Buyers also get to choose homes from this foreclosure market, however, most foreclosure homes are a big turnoff to todays picky buyer.

From CNN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Foreclosure filings in the first three months of 2008 rose more than 112% over last year, according to a study released Tuesday.
Real estate information firm RealtyTrac reported that nearly 650,000 foreclosure filings - which include notices of default, auction sales and bank repossessions - were issued in the first quarter. That represents 1 of every 194 households and marks a 23% increase from the last quarter of 2007.
Housing bust: Tell us your story
So far this year 156,463 families have lost their homes to repossessions.
"Foreclosure activity hasn't slowed down yet," said Rick Sharga, spokesman for RealtyTrac. "But I was a little surprised that foreclosure filings more than doubled since last year."
Foreclosures increased in 46 states and in 90 of the nation's 100 largest metro areas. Some regions that had been only marginally hurt by the mortgage meltdown recorded large increases in filings. In Connecticut, for instance, filings tripled compared with the first three months of 2007. Massachusetts recorded a 260% increase.
Nevada: Hardest hit
The worst hit states are still clustered in the Southwest; Nevada, California and Arizona lead the nation in foreclosure filings. Prices ran up rapidly in these areas during the bubble years as speculators snapped up single-family homes and condos as investments.
In the first quarter, 1 of every 54 homes in Nevada received some type of foreclosure filing - more than any other state. Its largest city, Las Vegas, had 1 out of every 44 homes go into foreclosure.
Stockton, Calif., had the highest foreclosure rate out of any U.S. metro area, with 1 out of every 30 homes receiving a notice - nearly seven times higher than the national average. The Riverside/San Bernardino region had the second highest rate in the quarter, with one of every 38 homes in default.
Only two metro areas in the ranks of the 20 hardest hit were outside the Sunbelt - Detroit, which ranked sixth in the nation with 1 in every 68 households in default, and Cleveland which saw 1 in every 105 homes go into foreclosure.
The news comes despite increased foreclosure prevention efforts by lenders and community organizations. Hope Now, the coalition of mortgage lenders, servicers investors and community groups, announced Monday that it helped over a half a million home owners avoid foreclosure during the first three months of the year.
And some local governments have stepped up their programs to help borrowers, according to RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio.
"For example, in late March Philadelphia issued a temporary moratorium on all foreclosure auctions for April," he said. "The city has since adopted a program that will delay foreclosure proceedings on owner-occupied properties until the owners have met face-to-face with lenders to attempt to create a loan workout plan that would prevent foreclosure."
More trouble ahead
Additionally, lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are at work on several plans that would deliver foreclosure relief to distressed borrowers.
All of these foreclosure prevention efforts may not be able to stand up to the tsunami of foreclosures on the way. Sharga says that a record number of hybrid adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) - worth $362 billion - will reset in 2008.
These so-called "exploding ARMs" usually have low introductory interest rates that reset much higher after two or three years, and then re-adjust as often as every six months after that. Unless these loans can be reworked, many will fail.
"We expect to see another foreclosure peak in the late third or fourth quarter of the year," said Sharga, "because of the record number of resets coming."

March housing activity report

2008-05-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

NTREIS MLS Area Housing Activity ReportCompiled for North Texas Real Estate Information System
Current Month Summary for: March 2008

Click above link to see this last months reports regarding area housing activity. Home sales are down 25% from this time one year ago. However, the median price of homes has risen 2%.

To get you home sold successfully, you will need to have your home priced correctly and marketed effectively. Call me if you have any questions. J.J. Chapa 972-254-2011, www.JJChapa.com .

Process for buying a HUD foreclosure

2008-04-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t love a bargain? For the thrifty capitalist, investing in HUD foreclosures—residential properties owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development—appears to be exactly that. Furthermore, the possibility that HUD foreclosure homes might become increasingly available in the coming years should pique renewed interest among investors; however, investors should be aware of limitations in the process of purchasing HUD foreclosures that may or may not fit their personal aims for the investment.

A HUD foreclosure, or HUD home, is a single family or multi-family residential property acquired by HUD as a result of a foreclosure action on an FHA-insured mortgage, according to hud.gov. In the wake of the subprime lending crisis, FHA-insured mortgage loans are becoming more popular among homebuyers who experience difficulty in qualifying for traditional bank loans. An increase in the number of FHA-insured loans distributed to homebuyers is likely to be accompanied by an eventual increase in HUD foreclosures. As a result, investors could stand to reap high profit margins resulting from the affordability and availability of HUD homes on the market.

Most HUD properties are hardly dream homes, however, and are almost never found in high-cost urban areas. FHA-insured mortgages for properties in high-cost areas such as New York and Los Angeles must not exceed a maximum loan limit of $362,790, according the FHA.com—a prohibitively low amount when compared to the actual selling prices of most homes in those areas. Furthermore, all HUD homes are sold as is, and selling prices are discounted based on the extent of repairs and renovations that need to be done.

The process of buying a HUD foreclosure is significantly different than that of purchasing a traditional home. HUD homes are sold through a bidding process that puts investors in line behind intended owner-occupants. During the first 10 days that a HUD home is listed for sale, only owner-occupants are permitted to place bids; if a successful bid is not accepted by the time the initial priority period has elapsed, bidding is opened to investors as well.

HUD homes for sale are posted on Internet listing sites by special HUD-contracted management companies. Bids for HUD homes must be placed through a HUD-registered broker or agent and are usually submitted electronically.

In addition, HUD will pay for some closing and sales commission costs. According to Harrington, Moran and Barksdale, Inc. (HBMI), a company that markets and manages HUD single family homes for several states, HUD will pay up to 5 percent for broker commission costs and up to 3 percent for standard closing items, excluding the closing agent fee. HUD will pay the entire closing agent fee if buyers use HUD closing agents; conversely, buyers who choose to use a non-HUD agent must pay the fees and work with a HUD agent on some legal items.

Although HUD will pay broker commissions and other closing costs, the amount that HUD has to pay is subtracted from the net worth of the bid. Therefore, a bid offer that includes a broker commission of 2 percent would be viewed as more favorable than the same bid amount that includes a 5 percent commission.

Consumers must provide an earnest money deposit to their real estate broker by the time of electronic bidding; deposits can be as low as $500 for properties selling for less than $50,000, according to ForeclosuresToGo.com. Earnest money deposits for winning bids are immediately submitted to the HUD closing agent.

Once a bid is won, the purchaser must close within a time period specified by the closing agent and the correct sales contract must be submitted quickly—within 48 hours for most states. A strict settlement deadline is set, usually 30 to 60 days from the date of the accepted contract.
Investing in HUD foreclosures offers affordability and potential for good returns, but investors, as always, should do their research and exercise patience when dealing with a bidding process that generally caters to owner-occupant buyers. For more information on purchasing HUD homes and internet listing sites, email J.J. at JJ@JJChapa.com .

The Value of Successful Home Staging

2008-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Value of Successful Home Staging
by Debra Allen
Have you ever walked into a beautifully decorated model home and been captivated by it? Did you find yourself dreaming of bathing in that spa-like bathroom, cooking meals in the gourmet kitchen or curling up with a book in that luxurious reading nook? If so, then you have been the successful target of the secret weapon called staging.

As a real estate agent, you know that staging your real estate listings will result in a faster and more profitable sale, but who can you trust to manage this important process for you.
You want the best possible price for your home, but do not want to pay more than your return to achieve this. You need expert and objective home staging guidance that comes from experience and a highly trained eye in order to compete in a buyers market. What you seek is the experience of an Accredited Staging ProfessionalTM (ASPTM).
Staging can entail simple tasks like removing clutter. Clutter eats equity. Stagers aren't maids or house-cleaners; they don't do repairs or paint. Rather they create a neutral, harmonious, spacious, and beautiful environment. They often set tables for dinner so that a prospective buyer can envision themselves in the property having a family dinner.
Think of staging like detailing a car. A smart auto seller would detail a car before selling it to add value. That's precisely what staging can do for a house. As a REALTOR®, I think that staging helps; it makes the property stand out. In turn, good staging can determine which properties sell fast and which do not. It is no longer a market where staging helps the property sell for more. In today's market, it enables the property to have more potential of selling at all. It's a buyer's market, so make your home stand out by creating a sophisticated ambiance.
While some sellers may be hesitant to spend more money on staging in a down market, this is the winning way to get a property sold; and often for a higher asking price.
Professional stagers can see your house as buyers will, and they'll set the scene so that buyers can imagine living there. They're likely to simplify or streamline the furniture in a room for better traffic flow and to enhance its spaciousness. They may neutralize a too-personal color scheme or add touches of color or accessories where needed. In vacant homes that feel cold and lack visual landmarks, stagers often bring in rental furniture to create warmth. This helps Buyers mentally move in and feel that when it's time for them to move in, thy will be able to kick back and relax.
REALTORS® and sellers can hire stagers by the hour or the room. Homeowners typically pay from $200 to $3,000 depending on the level of service required. But the pay-off in time saved and higher sales price can be nice. If all your listings looked like model homes, do you think you'd have an easier time selling them? And do you think they might command a higher selling price? Statistics show this to be true.
Buying a house is largely an emotional decision because people are not just purchasing a home; they are buying a dream ... a lifestyle. If you can help them with their vision so they don't have to rely completely on their imagination, you positively impact how they feel in the home, which will be reflected in the sales price and number of offers you receive. All human beings want comfort, excitement, prestige and love, and all these are at work in the psychology of the home purchase. Effective staging maximizes those feelings, creating an atmosphere that makes people want to linger and imagine themselves living in the space. Ultimately, staging creates a home the prospective buyer will not be able to live without.
People today have busy lives, they want to walk in and look at a home and say, "This is mine. I can move into this home without doing anything."
Published: February 27, 2008

Born in Bremen, Germany, Debra Allen brings a unique international perspective to the Arizona real estate market.
In just three years with Prudential Arizona Properties, one of the fastest growing real estate firms in the U.S., Debra has distinguished herself from the pack. An outstanding professional, Debra is committed to attaining the highest levels of education and real estate specific training. Her industry designations include the following: ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), GRI (Graduate, Real Estate Institute), ASP (Accredited Staging Professional), Relocation Specialist, and the e-Pro (Internet Real Estate Professional) designation awarded by the National Association of Realtors®.
Her access to professionals around the world has led Debra to be a Multi Million Dollar Producer since 2004, averaging $3.8 million in sales annually and anticipating lucrative business opportunities in a shifting market. Prudential Arizona Properties recognizes that it has a "winner" in Debra. As such, the company recently awarded Debra for her sales performance and client service in 2006.

Average Joe Still Can't Afford a House

2008-04-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Article attributed to Bankrate.com

Between 2000 and mid-2007, the median home price soared 64.9% to $229,200. The median income, meantime, rose just 16.6%. For would-be buyers, the math doesn't work.
One of the worst things about today's real estate market is that there doesn't seem to be any silver lining in that big black cloud.
Normally, you'd think dramatically falling prices would make homeownership possible for more moderate-income families.
But even with homes more affordable, the median price in many markets is still out of reach for a median-income family, according to "Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America," a study by the Center for Housing Policy, or CHP, in Washington, D.C.
Comparing housing costs in 210 metropolitan areas with the wages earned by workers in 60 occupations, the study found that homeownership is often unaffordable for workers in each of the five-fastest growing occupations -- registered nurses, retail salespeople, customer-service representatives, food-preparation workers and office clerks. Registered nurses, who typically have high salaries, were unable to purchase a median-priced home in 108 of the markets.
"Even with the housing downturn, the drop in prices still just isn't enough for many workers in traditional backbone occupations to afford houses," says Rebecca Cohen, a CHP research associate.
In many parts of the country, housing increases have outpaced wage growth for almost a decade. Census data released in 2006 revealed that between 2000 and 2005, the burden of housing costs grew sharply.
The Housing Affordability Index measures the cost of housing against median family income. The National Association of Realtors, or NAR, which calculates the index, considers that the typical family makes enough money to buy the typical used home, assuming a 20% down payment and a traditional 30-year mortgage.
In 2000, the NAR pegged the index at 129.2, meaning the typical family had 129% of the income necessary to pay for the typical used house. That figure dropped to 104.9 in June 2007, even though the 2000 median family income of $50,732 rose to $59,157 during the period.
That's because the median price of a home in 2000 was $139,000, but by June 2007 prices peaked at a whopping $229,200. In those seven years, the median price of homes increased 64.9%, while median incomes rose just 16.6%.

Todays Dallas Morning news

2008-04-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

According to NTREIS, the downtown continues to spread with home sale prices continuing to slump.

Additionally, the foreclosure outbreak is beginning to affect higher end homes.

Links to article click here

9 Tips on Buying a Home

2008-04-10T03:07:00.001-07:00

Please view this helpful home buyer video.

9 Tips on Buying a Home

2008-04-10T03:01:00.001-07:00

Please view this helpful home buyer video.

Dallas Morning News Reports; DFW area home sales slide by 25%

2008-04-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

Dallas-Fort Worth sales of pre-owned homes drop 25%
11:29 PM CDT on Monday, April 7, 2008
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning Newsstevebrown@dallasnews.com
North Texas pre-owned home sales slid 25 percent in March from a year ago.
Last month's decline in home sales – one of the steepest so far – was enough to put the entire first quarter into a double-digit downturn, according to preliminary statistics released Monday by the North Texas Real Estate Information System.
During the first three months of 2008, pre-owned home sales in North Texas dropped by 18 percent from the same period last year, according to sales through the Realtors' multiple listing services.
Even so, median prices remained relatively unchanged – down only 1 percent during the quarter.
And the number of single-family houses on the market dropped 5 percent in March.
Real estate agents say business has increased in recent weeks, and they hope that the spring home sales season won't be a bust this year.
"Traffic has definitely picked up, and showings have picked up," said Jim Fite, president of Dallas-based Century 21 Judge Fite Co. "A lot of inventory is being bought up from the foreclosures, and that's a good thing."
At the end of March, about a 6.4-month supply of homes was listed for sale in the Dallas area.
Six months is widely considered a balanced market.
Much of the decline in home sales is being attributed to tougher lending standards that have locked some potential buyers out of the market.
Investors who had purchased thousands of houses are also on the sidelines.
The first-quarter drop in pre-owned single-family home sales – while significant – was less than the 30 percent-plus decline in new home sales in Dallas-Fort Worth during the same period.
Sales of condominiums and townhouses have fallen even further – down 40 percent in March from a year earlier, according to the latest Realtor numbers.
The outlook for the period ahead is clouded.
Pending house sales were down 30 percent last month from a year earlier.
The number of pending condo and townhouse sales was down 37 percent.
Economists don't expect a quick rebound in the local housing market.
"My best guess is no real market improvement until latter 2009," said Dr. James Gaines with Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center. "This year and next will be trying for everybody.
"2009 probably may show some slight improvement, but nothing to get real excited about," he said. "It'll take that long to work through the excess new home inventory plus sell off all the foreclosures, which won't slow down until later next year."

sign of market pickup

2008-04-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

When builders begin to give fewer concessions to sell their homes, this can also be a sign of an accelerating real estate market.

A sign of a housing market pickup

2008-04-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Job creation is a good sign that the housing market is on the upswing. Typically, for every two new jobs created, one new home-owner is created.

This is the best week.....

2008-03-31T05:23:00.000-07:00

This week is the best week to get your home on the market. It is going to be a very competitive selling environment this selling season. It is important to be one of the first in your neighborhood to get your house on the market.

Call my office today, to get a free copy of my real estate report, "Home Buyers; How To Sell Your Home For the Highest Price Possible".

Energy star features

2008-03-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

As the cost of energy and the continued concern over the environment, it is becoming more and more important to make sure that we purchase appliances that save us money. The energy star program is a good resource to use to determine which appliances are going to save you money and that could also help the impact on our environment.

Click on this line of text to be taken to the energy star website.

Celebration of freedom in planning stages

2008-03-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Melissa Area Chamber of Commerce is taking on a huge and new undertaking for the 4th of July. Celebration of Freedom is the Chambers grand community plan that will bring neighbor, business and city together to celebrate our nations freedom.

Melissa's Celebration of Freedom will include a parade, community fair and a firework show that will top off the day. For more information about this even, including sponsorship opportunities, please call J.J. Chapa.

Open house announcement

2008-03-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

Please visit my open house at 3301 Heritage in Melissa.

Saturday March 29, 2008 from 12 to 3 p.m.

Price you houses for success

2008-03-27T05:27:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in selling, this video is very informative.

Truly inspirational! Please view!

2008-03-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Professor Randy Pausch is dying from pancreatic cancer. Please see his "farewell lecture". It is truly inspirational.

Last Lecture click here

Happy birthday Liberty, Happy Anniversary Danielle

2008-03-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

While not as busy as a month as September (we have 4 birthdays to celebrate); March is a busy month for my family.

My wife, Danielle and I, celebrated our 12 years of being married to each other. Not quite as impressive as a client that I recently picked up who is celebrating their 40th anniversary. In our years we have seen many happy moments but we've faced the challenges that most families suffer. Probably more. We have faced challenges from our sons autism, our two businesses, going through the terrible twos four times and the list can go on and on. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to march with me through the trials of life. Danielle gives me the courage and strength to continue every day. Thanks to you!

Liberty is our NOW four year old. She is one day into her new age but she is still as sweet and sour as she was the day before. We had an awesome family meal together last night to celebrate. Nothing really planned. It was just one of those last minute things that was thrown together that turns out really spectacular. We took her to a little mexican food resturant and then treated all the kids to an ice cream sunday at a little whole in wall. Liberty (also called LuLu) will have her big birthday tomorrow at her school when the pettying zoo will come out to celebrate with her.

To discount or not to discount

2008-03-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

One Realtor offers to list your house (that’s “market your house in an attempt to get it sold” in the real world) for 6% commission; the next person you interview will do it for 5%. No brainer decision, right?

Give it some careful thought.

As I explained in some excruciating detail in a former post, the listing agent collects all of the commission for both the Buyer’s and Seller’s sides of a transaction. In Albuquerque right now, you offer 3% to the Buyer’s representative or you can pretty much forget about your house ever being shown. That means the agent willing to take 5% will collect 2% for herself and give 3% away. That same agent didn’t HAVE to take 5%. In fact, she may have other listings at 5.5%, 6%, 7%, etc.

On a typical morning, after getting the kids off to school, going to the gym, showering, starting a load of laundry, taking something out to defrost for dinner, eating some bon bon’s she finds in the freezer next to the peas (ah, the leisurely life of the Realtor), she gets going on some "real" work.

Looking at her listing inventory, she (perhaps subconsciously) sees her work in this way:

House 1 (YOUR house) – 5% commission, 2% to her
House 2 – 5% commission, 2% to her
House 3 – 6% commission, 3% to her
House 4 – 6% commission, 3% to her
House 5 – 7% commission, 4% to her

As Homeowner #1, where do you think you rank in your Realtor’s list of priorities for the day?

Dallas real estate is holding value

2008-03-20T09:06:00.001-07:00

Nationwide home prices are likely to keep falling into 2009, predicts economist Mark Zandi with Moody's Economy.com. But Dallas-Fort Worth home prices are forecast to remain relatively flat in Moody's latest estimate.

Rain....

2008-03-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

Showing houses in the rain is not a whole lot of fun. However, for my clients, I'm like the US Postal Service. I work through anything. In fact, I'm better than the US Postal Service because I work Sundays if need be. The only time I schedule off, however, is Sunday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you need the best in real estate customer service, give me a call today.

Also, my insurance business in taking off. Why? Because I can give you competitive rates from several of the best insurance companies in the business. I just saved a client over $300 every 6 weeks on their auto insurance AND they got better insurance coverage.