5 Reasons You Need To Hire a Professional

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3:42 PM (20 hours ago) Buying or Selling a Home? 5 Reasons You Need To Hire a Professional 1. What do you do with all this paperwork? Each state has different regulations regarding the contracts required for a successful sale, and these regulations are constantly changing. A true Real Estate Professional is an expert in their market and can guide you through the stacks of paperwork necessary to make your dream a reality. 2. Ok, so you found your dream house, now what? According to the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, there are over 230 possible actions that need to take place during every successful real estate transaction. Don’t you want someone who has been there before, who knows what these actions are to make sure that you acquire your dream. 3. Are you a good negotiator? So maybe you’re not convinced that you need an agent to sell your home. However, after looking at the list of parties that you need to be prepared to negotiate with, you’ll realize the value in selecting a Real Estate Professional. From the buyer (who wants the best deal possible), to the home inspection companies, to the appraiser, there are at least 11 different people that you will have to be knowledgeable with and answer to, during the process. 4. What is the home you’re buying/selling really worth? It is important for your home to be priced correctly from the start to attract the right buyers and shorten the time that it’s on the market. You need someone who is not emotionally connected to your home to give you the truth as to your home’s value. According to the National Association of REALTORS, “the typical FSBO home sold for $210,000 compared to $245,000 among agent-assisted home sales.” 5. Do you know what’s really going on in the market? There is so much information out there on the news and the internet about home sales, prices, mortgage rates; how do you know what’s going on specifically in your area? Who do you turn to in order to competitively price your home correctly at the beginning of the selling process? How do you know what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller with a low-ball offer? Dave Ramsey, the financial guru advises: “When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.” Hiring an agent who has their finger on the pulse of the market will make your buying/selling experience an educated one. You need someone who is going to tell you the truth, not just what they think you want to hear.

NEW YEAR CHILE

2 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb hot spicy ground pork
2 onions, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups water
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tbl spn cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tbl spn basil
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbl spn black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
16 oz beans cleaned and soaked over night or according to directions.
I used black eyed peas for New Years chile.  Also pinto or black beans.


Saute the pork and beef in nonstick skillet until brown.  Transfer to a large stockpot.

Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno to skillet and saute until the onions are slightly translucent.  Add to stock pot.

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, bouillon cubes and 2 cups of water to the stock pot.

Mix together the spices in a bowl then add water to create a thin paste. Add to stock pot.

Drain and rinse the beans.  Add to the chili.

Simmer for 3-4 hours.

Serve with Fritos, scallions, cheddar cheese and sour cream

10 Grammar Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes on the Web

10 Grammar Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes on the Web With more of your communications going over the web, you, like other business people, may worry about grammar. You don't want to get nailed by the grammar police or, worse, make a goofy grammatical mistake that goes viral. Here are 10 grammar errors to watch out for as you post and comment.  1. "Fewer" or "less?" Use "fewer" when referring to a lower number, as in: "They have fewer than 100 workers." Use "less" when referring to a smaller amount, as in: "We need to get there in less time." 2. "More than," not "over." When referencing a greater number, use "more than," as in: "We have more than 15 new clients." "Over" is simply incorrect. It indicates a physical position in space, or can mean "instead of," but not "more than." 3. "Affect" or "effect?" Think what these words mean as verbs and you'll use them correctly as nouns. To "affect" something means to influence it. So if you influence something, you will have an "affect" on it. To "effect" something is to cause it. So if it's the result of something, it's an "effect." 4. "Me" or "I?" Always use "me" following a preposition, as in: "for me," "with me," "to me," etc. But people can get tripped up when something else is added. They'll say: "for my company and I" or "to my partners and I." Check yourself by leaving out the other element. You'd never say "for I." 5. "I could care less." People say this to be dismissive, but it's incorrect. If you could care less about something, that literally means you care more about it now than you ultimately might! People forget to include the "not" in the phrase. The correct statement is: "I couldn't care less." 6. "Nauseous" or "nauseated?" "Nauseous" refers to something that's sickening to contemplate, but it's not how a person can feel. The correct expression is: "I feel nauseated." 7. Irregardless. This isn't a word. The word is "regardless." 8. The Oxford comma. This is the name for the last comma in a series of three or more items. It appears before the word "and" or "or" at the end of the list. For example: "The shirt comes in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large." You can omit the Oxford comma, but there will be times when the sentence won't make sense. Better to always put the Oxford comma in there. 9. Commas for clarity. Always read your copy out loud to see if you need a comma to make the meaning clear. "Let's eat my friend" is not the same invitation as: "Let's eat, my friend." 10. Quotation marks and punctuation. Punctuation belongs inside quotation marks. The best way to make sure your grammar is correct is to check an authoritative source. PR professionals say two of the best are The Elements of Style and the AP Stylebook. Here's to your continued success with grammatically correct online communications, as you keep putting together your best year ever.... Enjoy a great month!

First Look at the Dallas Cowboys New Indoor Training Facility

First Look at the Dallas Cowboys New Indoor Training Facility

The Dallas Cowboys will share the complex with the Frisco Independent School District.    The stadium will seat a minimum of 12,000 fans for games. The practice facility will also be a multi-use facility that can be refigured to accommodate 22,000 seats for other events like concerts.  Current plans are that the Frisco ISD will have use of the facility on Thursday and Friday evenings for football games. As the first school district in the state with an indoor stadium, it will also be an attractive destination for “Blue Star Stadium” to host potential Texas playoff games as well.   Frisco will oversee design and construction of the stadium and parking facilities while the Dallas Cowboys will oversee design and construction of their headquarters.

-                      Dallas Morning News, August 16, 2013

20 City Case/Shiller report

   
       
       
   




   
       
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
               
                   

                        FABULOUS UPDATES WITH SPARKLING POOL
Gorgeous updates with sparkling pool!Everything has been updated so just move in and enjoy your pool and covered patio!Updated kitchen with large pantry open to huge family room. French doors open to covered patio and sparkling pool. Split over sized bedroom have large closets. Updates includes granite in kitchen and baths. Updated tile, windows and paint.
                       
                   
               
               
               
               
               

RE/MAX DFW Associates II

           Kim Raine
         
           Update in the The Colony with a Pool!!
           214 675 9436 (Cellular)
         
           http://www.kimraine.com
         



               
               
           
       
       
       

           
           
           

           
           
           

           
           
           

           
           
           

           
           
              
   





Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed
       

©2012 - 2013 Imprev, Inc.
       
       


   
       
     
   

The Fiscal Cliff Bill and its Impact on the Real Estate and Mortgage Industry

The Fiscal Cliff Bill and its Impact on the Real Estate and Mortgage Industry

With only three hours to spare before the midnight deadline on January 1, the Senate avoided the Fiscal Cliff by agreeing to a deal. Technically, the government went over the cliff, since the Senate's version didn't formally pass until two hours after the deadline, and the House of Representatives didn't approve the deal until close to 24 hours later. However the changes noted in the deal, also known as H.R. 8, will be retroactive as of January 1.

Here are a few of the provisions in the Fiscal Cliff Bill that affect the real estate and mortgage industries:

• Filers making below $110,000 can still deduct mortgage insurance premiums through 2013–and this was made retroactive to cover 2012.
• Mortgage cancellation relief–which is for home owners or sellers who have some amount of their mortgage debt (on their primary residence) forgiven by their lender in a situation such as a short sale, foreclosure or modification–was extended for one year to January 1, 2014.
• The 10% tax credit (limited to $500) for homeowners for energy improvements (energy efficiency tax credit) to existing homes is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012.
• The rate for Capital Gains will remain at 15% for individuals at the top rate of $400,000 and $450,000 for a joint return. Gains over and above these amounts will be subject to a 20% tax. Remaining in place is the $250/500K exclusion for the sale of a principal residence.
• Individual estates will have the first $5 million dollars exempted and family estates will have $10 million exempted.
• Qualified leasehold improvements on commercial properties have been extended through 2013 and retroactive to cover 2012 and are subject to a 15 year straight-line cost recovery.

Northwood Hills, Dallas Texas

Northwood Hills, Dallas, Texas

   
       
           
               
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
               
               
               
                       

                       

                   
                   
                   

                       

Homes for sale in Northwood Hills

                       
                       

                        Northwood Hills is a gorgeous tree lined neighborhood conveniently located near Hwy 635 and Hwy 75 between Hillcrest and Coit south of Beltline Road.
                       

                       
               
           
       
   




           
       
       
               
        RE/MAX Premier Properties
            Kim Raine&nbsp
           
            Homes for Sale in Northwood Hills, Dallas, Texas
            214 675 9436 (Cellular)
           
            http://www.kimraine.com
       
       
       
        RE/MAX Premier Properties
            1800 Market Place Blvd., Ste. 140
Irving, TX 75063
           
       
   

   
        Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed
           
       
       
            ©2012 Imprev, Inc.
           
       
   

10 Low Cost Staging Tips

10 low-cost home staging tips – PLUS 6 ways to boost your smartphone's battery life Research shows that staged homes sell quicker. You don't need to hire a professional stager, though; just get a second opinion of your work from a friend with a good eye for how things look. Here are 10 self-staging tips: 1. Freshen the Paint. Put a fresh coat of paint on walls and trim. Use neutral colors and think about painting the exterior too if you think it needs it. 2. Fill Empty Wall Space. Bare walls make your home feel cold. Put up framed artwork, mirrors or photography. Be creative -- hang plates, driftwood or interesting found objects! 3. Treat the TV like Art. A flat-screen TV on the wall can be a piece of art. Connect it to a DVD player or computer and play a silent slide show of scenes from nature. Remove TVs from bedrooms. 4. Furnish All Rooms. Buyers have trouble seeing themselves living in a space that's empty. Don't use a lot of furniture and avoid bold patterns. Add pillows and throws for pops of color. 5. Install Window Treatments. Blank windows feel sterile. Put up a simple curtain rod and solid color drapes for a cozy feeling and a nicely framed view outside. 6. Tidy Up the Bookshelves. Get rid of clutter on shelves and remove book jackets to create a decorative focal point. 7. Add Flowers. Fresh-cut flowers and plants add life. Avoid using pastic flowers and trees-- they look dated. 8. Make Bedrooms Gender-neutral. Keep colors neutral, with simple white bedding for a fresh look. 9. De-clutter everywhere. Remove personal items from rooms -- family photos, collectibles, mail, magazines, and toys. Tidy up closets. In the kitchen, take small appliances off counter tops; organize food and dishes in cupboards. 10. Keep Up the Yard. Make sure your yard looks neat and well taken care of. Cut the grass before the buyer visits.

Dallas-area home prices head sharply higher in latest Case-Shiller index By STEVE BROWN STEVE BROWN The Dallas Morning News Real Estate Editor stevebrown@dallasnews.com Published: 31 July 2012 08:34 AM Dallas-area home prices jumped by almost 4 percent in the latest national home price measure. It was the greatest rise in local home prices in more than two years in the closely-watched Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index. And Dallas' 3.8 percent gain in May from a year earlier was one of the largest such increases in Case-Shiller's comparison of 20 major U.S. home markets. Nationwide prices were still slightly negative on an annual basis but up 2.2 percent in May from April, according to the report released Tuesday. “With May’s data, we saw a continuing trend of rising home prices for the spring,” S&P's David M. Blitzer said in the report. "However, we need to remember that spring and early summer are seasonally strong buying months so this trend must continue throughout the summer and into the fall. "The housing market seems to be stabilizing, but we are definitely in a wait-and-see mode for the next few months.” May was the third month in a row for year-over-year gains in Dallas-area home prices in the Case-Shiller study. And it was only the second time since the recession and housing crash that the local price increase was so high. The last time was in January 2010 when prices were up 4.1 percent from year earlier levels. Twelve of the 20 major U.S. home markets Case-Shiller tracks for its monthly report showed year-over-year gains in May. The largest annual increases where in Phoenix, 11.5 percent; Minneapolis, 4.7 percent, and Dallas' 3.8 percent. The steepest declines in prices were in Atlanta, 14.5 percent, and Las Vegas, 3.2 percent. Shiller’s index tracks over time the prices of specific single-family homes in each metropolitan area. The index survey does not include condominiums and townhouses. It only covers preowned properties — no new construction. The North Texas home market has seen a significant turnaround in 2012 after more than four years of declines. Preowned home sales in the area were 14 percent higher in the first half of the year compared with 2011 levels. And median home resale prices are so far 7 percent ahead of last year, according to data from real estate agents' multiple listing service. In some neighborhoods, houses are selling for more than asking price with multiple offers, according to agents.

HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT EXPIRING SOON!! TIME TO BUY!!

Homebuyer Tax Credit Expiring Soon
March 4, 2010
Potential home buyers still have time to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time home buyer, or the $6,500 repeat buyer tax credits, as long as they act quickly. The credits expire on April 30, 2010.

“It’s not too late to take advantage of the home buyer tax credit,” said National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chairman Bob Jones, a builder and developer in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “There are plenty of existing homes on the market, and even though the move-in ready newly constructed homes inventory has dwindled, builders may still be able finish a home in time.”

The IRS provides an additional two months beyond the deadline to close the deal. Buyers who sign a sales contract by the April 30 deadline are still eligible if they close the sale of the home by June 30, 2010.

More people than ever before are eligible for a home buyer tax credit, NAHB estimates that close to 70% of all potential buyers should qualify for some form of a credit.

“First-time” buyers don’t have to be buying their first home ever; they are defined by the IRS as those who have not owned a principal residence in the past three years. Repeat buyers may be eligible for a new $6,500 credit, as long as they have owned and lived in their current home at least five consecutive out of the past eight years.

The current credits also increase the income limits, enabling single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples earning up to $225,000 to potentially qualify for a full credit.

“If you’ve been considering buying a home for any reason, the home buyer tax credit, in addition to historically low interest rates and competitive home prices, make it an ideal time to buy,” said Jones.

FABULOUS TOWN HOME IN THE HEART OF ADDISON, TEXAS- Dallas Homes for sale, Housing - Kijiji Dallas

FABULOUS TOWN HOME IN THE HEART OF ADDISON - Dallas Homes for sale, Housing - Kijiji Dallas

Dallas-Fort Worth home prices edge higher

Dallas-Fort Worth home prices edge higher
07:13 AM CST on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
stevebrown@dallasnews.com
North Texas home prices inched higher in January.

Also Online
Real estate tips for 2010
How to fight foreclosure
Map: Dallas-area pre-owned home sales and prices
Link: Making Home Affordable
Blog: Economy
Median pre-owned home prices were up 1 percent last month from a year earlier.

But the number of pre-owned homes sold in the area fell by 6 percent, the second consecutive decline in the monthly sales figures.

Real estate agents sold 3,360 homes through the Multiple Listing Service, according to statistics from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems Inc. And 172 condominium sales were recorded – 2 percent more than in January 2009.

About 33,500 homes were listed for sale in North Texas last month.

That's 10 percent fewer than a year ago.

There's just less than a six-month supply of homes listed for sale in North Texas. Six months is considered a balanced market.

D-FW AREA HOME RESALES UPDATE
Comparisons of January pre-owned home sales and prices in North Texas with year-earlier statistics:
Single-family home resales 3,330 -6 percent
Median price $130,000 1 percent
Average days on market 84 -2 percent
Pending sales 4,369 No change
Listed for sale 33,569 -10 percent
Condo-townhome resales 172 2 percent
Median price $127,520 6 percent
Average days on market 96 -16 percent
Pending sales 235 3 percent
Listed for sale 3,556 -6 percent

Recession Divorce. What are our options?

A recession divorce: No one wants the house
With the housing market still struggling, one of a couple's biggest assets can be a liability if they're breaking up. Should they stay together for the sake of the house?
MSN
By SmartMoney
A recession is a bad time to get divorced -- especially if your home has sunk in value along with the rest of the housing market.
Last year, the divorce rate in the U.S. fell 4% after rising 7% in 2007, according to a report released recently by the National Marriage Project. Although the news might cheer family advocates, it suggests something else to project director W. Bradford Wilcox: that couples with depreciated home values might be waiting to split until the market rebounds.
Compare refinancing offers
For most people, a house and their 401k accounts are their biggest assets. Right now, home values are down substantially from 18 months ago. In fact, according to Moody's Economy.com, 31.8% of owners with a first mortgage are "underwater" -- that is, their homes are valued at less than what's owed on the mortgages. That means couples who decide to get divorced -- and not live separate but together under one roof, an approach many have resorted to -- are splitting liabilities instead of assets.
"It used to be that couples fought over the house because of continuity and stability for the children," says Fadi Baradihi, the president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. "That's not happening anymore. Now everybody wants to run from it."
But when a property has lost significant value, running isn't so easy.
When it comes to the dilemma of selling or keeping the family home, one issue is whether either spouse could actually qualify and refinance the home as a single, one-income household. With negative equity so prevalent today, it's virtually impossible to get refinancing, says Leslie Thompson, a certified financial planner and partner at Spectrum Management Group in Indianapolis.
More from MSN Money and SmartMoney

How to leave your husband
Consider an energy-efficient mortgage
Calculator: How much equity do you have?
New rules help borrowers at closing
Are you the reason your home won't sell?
Energy-saving tips for renters
If the couple isn't selling the house, the spouse who is staying has to refinance the mortgage -- that's the only way the bank will let the other go, says Richard Iglar, an attorney with Skoloff & Wolfe, a Livingston, N.J., law firm that focuses on matrimonial and real-estate law.
Otherwise, the departing spouse is equally liable for the entire mortgage, and, if the spouse who is in the house misses a mortgage payment, the other is liable to pay but has no claim to any equity in the house. But when there's negative equity, it's pretty much impossible to refinance.
"It doesn't make sense for the bank to make the loan," Iglar says.
That doesn't leave a divorcing couple with many good options. Here are a few to consider:
Wait it out
In this scenario, the couple continue joint ownership with an agreement to defer the sale of the house. They can agree to sell the house in, say, four years or when their children finish high school in the hope that home values will rise, Iglar says. Under this arrangement, one spouse usually moves out.
Who should get the house?
One thing to watch out for: If both spouses are on the mortgage, the one who moves out probably won't be able to get another mortgage should he or she want to buy another home. "The bank doesn't want to loan him money because he owes money on the first mortgage. His assets are tied up," Iglar says.
The spouse who left could go into a rental, and when the couple ultimately sold the house, that spouse would get half the proceeds at the time of sale. If the other spouse had been making the mortgage payments, he or she should get credit for the amount of the principal paid down over the four years, Iglar says.
Rent out the house
"We see more people renting the house to buy themselves some time" until the market recovers, Baradihi says. In this arrangement, both spouses move out of the home and rent the house to someone else.
They're more likely to pay less for a rental than what they had been paying on the monthly mortgage.

Experts answer money questions

Go to TODAY

A big caveat here: This setup makes it difficult for either spouse to buy another house and move on.
It forces them to be in transition for a long time, "and they're still in a financial relationship with the ex-spouse," says Thompson, of Spectrum Management.
Consider a short sale
Often, it's just best to sell the house, accept the loss and move on, Thompson says. The couple could negotiate with their lender to pay the difference between the sale price and the amount they owed or a lesser amount -- in which case they would have to determine how the debt would be paid.

US Senate Passed to extend First Time Buyer Tax Credit and A New MOVE UP BUYER CREDIT!!

Senators Agree to Extend Homebuyer Tax Credit
Legislation Pending Approval From Congress

Senators have agreed to extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit originally set to expire on November 30. Once the Senate officially votes on the bill it will move to the House of Representatives, which strongly supports the extension. The Obama administration has also signaled its strong support for an extension of the tax credit.

Aside from the first-time homebuyer credit, the new plan would offer a $6,500 credit for repeat or move-up homebuyers who have lived in their primary residence for five years or more. The tax credits would be available to buyers who sign purchase agreements on a new or existing primary residence between December 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Buyers would have until June 30 to close on their new homes.

There is an $800,000 price limit on all homes eligible for the credit. The income limits for all buyers would rise to $125,000 per year for individuals and $225,000 for married couples. Under the current program, the limits are $75,000 and $150,000 respectively. The first-time homebuyer credit is also available to those who have not owned a home in the previous three years. The credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be the primary residence within three years.

According to the Treasury Department, more than 1.2 million borrowers have claimed $8.5 billion of the $13.6 billion set aside for the first-time homebuyer tax credit.

Short Sale Professional Kim Raine avoid Foreclosure save your livelyhood

Stop foreclosure. Did you know you can lose your security clearance, your job or cannot find new employment if you have a foreclosure on your record. Unfortunately they do not go away.

DFW
North Texas

Kim Raine, CDPE
214 675 9436
Remax Premier Properties
kimraine@gmail.com