Creating your home wish list Before the home search begins, your real estate agent will want to know as much as possible about the features and amenities you desire. To help your agent better serve you, analyze what you want and what you need in a home's features and amenities. Features: Age: Do you prefer historic properties, or newer ones? Style: Do you have a special preference for ranches, bungalows, or another style of construction? Bedrooms: How many? Bathrooms: How many? Are they updated? Living and Dining Areas: A traditional, formal layout, or a more open, contemporary plan? Stories: How many? Square feet: How much space? Ceilings: How high? Kitchen: How big? Recently updated? Open to other living areas? Storage: Big closets, a shed, an extra-large garage? Parking: A garage or ... 07/10/2009

I have utilized many lead services and sources but I must say that none has come close the results I get from www.ClientConneXion.com.  This is a proactive customer engagement tool that has allowed me to not only greet each unique visitor that comes to my website, but also engage with them and track their behavior during their visit, send text invites, and allow them to request a call back immediately.  It has allowed me to get face time with my clients much faster than waiting around for them to contact me.  By initiating contact with clients while they surf my site I have been able to take applications earlier in their home buying process and more importantly stopped them from shopping around by being ready and able to answer any and all questions while on my site.  I would be remiss ... 07/07/2009

  We would like to wish everyone a Happy and safe 4th of July!  I personally will be flying into the Cozumel airport for a much needed week vacation!   The GOOD Home Team with Keller Williams Realty www.theGOODhometeam.com 972-468-5499 Direct Specializing in residential real estate in Dallas, Richardson, Murphy, Allen, Plano, Sachse, Wylie, Mckinney, Fairview, Frisco, and more!           07/04/2009

Local Market Monitor, a premier real estate forecasting company, has released its latest Home Price Forecast. Dallas-Plano-Irving and Fort Worth-Arlington areas are both in the top 10 housing markets for best expected performance.  The forecast surveys 300 U.S. housing markets and predicts market behavior over the next 12 months. It identifies markets where home prices will continue to drop as well as stable markets with opportunities for growth.  According to the forecast, among the largest US markets-identified as those with populations greater than 600,000-the 10 markets with the best expected performance in home price are: Baton Rouge, LABuffalo-Niagara Falls, NYDallas-Plano-Irving, TXFort Worth-Arlington, TXHouston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TXLittle Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, ARMcAll... 07/03/2009

While the Dallas News is reporting Dallas-Fort Worth home prices have fallen to 1990 levels, the latest report from the Brookings Institution reports the Dallas-Fort Worth area is one of the top three housing markets in the country. Dallas-Fort Worth ranked third among metro areas that have been least affected by falling home prices. The Brookings report is based on the Federal Housing Finance Agency's quarterly House Price Index, which tracks values of homes mortgaged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and is part of a comprehensive nationwide study on the economic health of metropolitan areas nationwide. According to the price index, Dallas-Fort Worth home prices increased slightly in the first quarter of 2009 compared with those in the first quarter of 2008. According to Brookings, 38 of ... 07/01/2009

A million questions arise when you consider buying a Dallas home. Many buyers don't want to have to talk with a Realtor in the beginning stages and look for answers online. You've got questions and we've got answers. TexasHomeCentral.com is the most comprehensive website for Dallas home buyers!! Learn about our Dallas communities and why you would want to live there...Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Plano, Flower Mound, Rockwall and Grapevine. Get a Free relocation package and comprehensive school reports. Our Dallas home Buyer Tips and Articles provide valuable information on everything from agency to home inspections, saving your down payment, organizing your move, credit scores, The $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and more. Get a free foreclosure list, search all Dallas home... 06/29/2009

  In a year when many municipalities are being forced to cancel their fireworks celebrations for budgetary reasons, it's wonderful that Dallas' celebration will be better than ever!  Join us on Saturday, July 4, in Dallas, as Dr Pepper Snapple Group once again sponsors Fair Park Fourth, Dallas' Independence Day celebration.  Beginning at 4:30 P.M. everyone can enjoy family style fun at the park including riding the Skyway Ride ($5/person) or the Swan Boats ($10/boat) and Free admission to many of Fair Park’s museums from 4:30 to 7:30 P.M.  At 7:00 P.M., start making your way to the recently renovated Cotton Bowl to enjoy a patriotic performance by the Dallas Wind Symphony Orchestra at 8:30 P.M., followed by one of the top fireworks shows in Texas!  This year’s fireworks show is produced... 06/28/2009

As they do every summer, the Dallas Fine Arts Chamber Players will perform every Sunday in July in the beautiful setting of the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park, 3601 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. Enter at Gate 6.  The small auditorium where the concerts are held is, of course, in doors, air conditioned and has restrooms.  But the entire wall -- floor to ceiling -- behind the stage is glass and offers a full view of the park's gardens.  I can't tell you how spectacular this is. The concerts are FREE.  Doors open at 2, and the program begins at 3:30.  No reservations or tickets necessary.  This year, the series is titled the Basically Beethoven Festival.  Click here for more information.  Patty and I will see you there! BILL CHERRY, REALTORS DALLAS - HIGHLAND PARK 214 503-8563 On th... 06/26/2009

OK, while even though not of sterling silver, I was raised with a silver plate spoon in my mouth.  I admit it. <<==Luke the Schwan Man 469 441-3744 A driver picked-up our laundry every Monday and brought it back on Friday.  His name was Richard.  The sheets were washed, starched and ironed.  My daddy's dress shirts were each folded and individually packaged. And the laundry man was different than the uniformed man who picked-up and delivered the dry cleaning.  His name was Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Covini brought fresh eggs and butter every week, Mr. Crawford sent his driver with the prescription drugs, and Bovio's Grocery's barely English speaking delivery man, Beyanke brought our groceries in a big basket on his three-wheel bicycle. Mrs. Levin at Nathan's would send the store's driver out to t... 06/26/2009

Many of you have probably never heard of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) but if you are buying or selling a home you may encounter appraisal problems due to this change in appraisal standards. On Thursday The National Association of Realtors chief Economist Lawrence Yun released the following statement: "In the past month, we have suddenly been bombarded with many stories of, at the last moment, transactions falling apart because appraisals are coming in unrealistically low. As a result it opens up a new round of negotiations between a buyer and a seller or in many cases the buyer just steps away." The HVCC went into effect at the beginning of May as a result of a lawsuit by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo against Washington Mutual, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac agre... 06/25/2009

Dallas has done it again!! We've made another ‘BEST' list. this time we are on Forbes, ‘Best Cities For Recession Recovery'.  Forbes looked at such things as a diverse economy and heavy growth coming from education and health care in recent years. they also used data on gross domestic product from Moody's Economy.com, unemployment and employment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home prices and affordability from the National Association of Homebuilders, and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data are for Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Cities topping the list are not in states that experienced the massive real estate bubble such as California, Nevada and Florida.  Austin and San Antonio also made the top ten. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas Current GDP: $274.6 billionEn... 06/25/2009

Dallas - Fort Worth Home Resales Report Comparisons of May 2009 Dallas-Fort Worth home (preowned) sales and prices in North Texas compared to May 2008: Single-family home resales 5,971 -24% Median price $150,000 -1% Average days on market 79 NC Pending sales 5,789 -16% Listed for sale 40,244 -10% Condo-townhome resales 367 -23% Median price $155,000 9% Average days on market 99 6% Pending sales 289 -21% Listed for sale 4,122 3% SOURCES: Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University; North Texas Real Estate Information Systems Inc. What's your Dallas-Fort Worth home worth? 06/23/2009

I've been saying the Real Estate market is HOT here in Dallas for weeks now... and I am not talking about the temperature in the high 90's here today!  Indications like the return of multiple offers and decreasing property inventories have led me to make such a bold statement with very little hesitation.  In fact, my only hesitation would be fear of jinxing it by mentioning the noticeable improvement.  Well today I got another sign of just how nicely things are improving.  I took a new listing this weekend (Immaculate Highland Park West Townhouse: 3809 S. Versailles, Dallas 75209 ) and as I stood outside the front of the home today to put the lockbox on the door and put the "For Sale" sign in the yard a car pulled up and the driver rolled down the window to ask if I was putting up an Op... 06/21/2009

Lynn911.com   Happy Father's Day From Lynn911 Dallas Real Estate Team May you enjoy the day spent with your family And lifetime of memories     06/20/2009

Rental Listings in the Dallas area have shown having the most activity, up from last year's numbers.  Single Family, Condos and Townhomes, Farms and Ranches, Multi-Family, Lots and Vacant Land, Commercial and Rentals are all analyzied based on catergories such as "sales," "average price" and "average days on market."  While sales are down for each area surveyed, as has been noted across the United States in most markets, rental listings are continuing to take a lead in activity as the uncertainty of our economy takes place.  I personally have noticed an increase in rental activity as well as in property management in the DFW Metroplex.  Many homeowners are concerned their homes will not sell as job relocations are becoming more frequent.  Several properties I have listed have been plac... 06/20/2009

Greetings North Texas Home Stagers. The Dallas RESA Chapter formation is well under way and we invite you to attend the next meeting. Please join us for this 2nd start up meeting as we elect the board members for the Dallas RESA Chapter on July 30th, 2009.  We will open the floor to additional nominations should there be any however you must be a current member of RESA in order to be considered for a board position as well as vote.  There is still time to join prior to the meeting too. Please visit the www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com website for your membership application and more information. This is the 2nd of 3 meetings with the 3rd meeting being the "first official Dallas Chapter meeting" once we've laid the ground work, gotten the commitment from members who are willing to ta... 06/18/2009

Due to the size of the north Dallas Area, I break the report into 2 sections. North Dallas north of Northwest Hwy. and south of LBJ: This area continues to struggle. Sales were of by 18% and the average sales price declined by 15%. this does not mean that all of the homes declined by this much. there are a great many homes in this area above $800,000 and this end of the market is having a very hard time. Interest rates are high on non-conforming loans and demand is low. The fact that the upper end is not selling is pulling the average sales price down. The number of active listings increased in May by 18% and this increase coupled with slow sales have combines to create a 19.3 months supply. SALES: 50 AVERAGE SALES PRICE: $785,802 MEDIAN SALES PRICE: $567,500 PENDING SALES: 43 NEW LISTI... 06/18/2009

The other afternoon about 2, Patty and I were in a Dallas area where we seldom go.  Bad enough to be hungry, but worse to be hungry where you are unfamiliar with the restaurants that are nearby. On a whim, we picked GREAT CHINA RESTAURANT in a nice strip center on the corner of Preston and Frankfort.  The food was extraordinary. Let me add that this isn't one of those goofy Chinese buffet affairs that I personal abhor, and even better, the smell of stuff frying in grease isn't in a smoke cloud hovering at the dining room's ceiling. Great China Restaurant is a well-decorated and appointed fine-dining restaurant where everything is prepared to order and from fresh ingredients.  You'll be pleased. The cost?  Pretty darned reasonable. BILL CHERRY, REALTORS DALLAS - HIGHLAND PARK 214 503-856... 06/18/2009

  This past week was my friend Lynne Gorman’s birthday.  As a birthday treat, several of us in my office decided to take Lynne out for lunch and she chose one of my long-time favorite places, Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill. Ali Baba has been a Dallas institution for years, most of them spent at its original location on lower Greenville Avenue, just a block from my office.  About a year ago they moved to slightly larger and more upscale digs in the Lakewood shopping district at 1901 Abrams Road (and also opened additional locations in both Richardson and Irving). The biggest changes from the more cramped Greenville Avenue location are that there is now significantly more seating, so the previously long waits for tables seems much more reasonable and they have shifted from a menu based oper... 06/14/2009

Fun Things to Do In and Around Dallas - Weekend of June 13-14 2009  In Dallas:  All My SonsWorld War II drama depicting the lives of two American families that are torn apart by the repercussions of the war.  VariationsThe Work of Cecilia Thurman in the Main Gallery.  Senior Softball USACalling all softball lovers. Come out and see the Texas State Championships and root for your favorite team.  Lee & GrantExplore the lives of the two most famous Civil War generals. This nationally traveling exhibit includes Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant's photographs, clothing, documents and more.  Winged Jewels: Dragonfly WorkshopDiscover the amazing lifecycle of this highly beneficial insect. See many of them during our annual workshop, which includes a tour of Texas Discovery Gardens and Fair Pa... 06/12/2009