5 Reasons You Need To Hire a Professional

10 of 8,123

 

 

 

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.

DFW-Area Homes Gain $55 billion in Value in 2015

With the big price gains, Dallas-Fort Worth area homes have increased about $55 billion in value this year, according to a new report by Zillow.com.  A just-released study by the Internet home marketing firm estimates that DFW homes are worth $411 billion – up from $356 billion a year ago. That’s a gain of more than 15 percent. Nationwide, Zillow estimates that the U.S. housing stock is worth $28.5 trillion, up from $27.5 trillion at the end of 2014.  “This reminds us of the large role housing plays in the overall economy,” said Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell. “Total home value growth slowed this year, but there was still a significant increase in overall value, and many markets are more valuable than they’ve ever been.  “Americans are spending a lot of money on housing, and that will make affordability an important issue next year.”

-          Dallas Morning News, December 30, 2015

Dallas Home Prices Jump 14% in May

Dallas Home Prices Jump 14% in May

North Texas home prices jumped by 14 percent in May – one of the largest year-over-year gains ever for the area.  Median home sales prices hit a record $215,000 last month for preowned single-family homes sold by real estate agents.  Home sales were up 6 percent from May 2014 with 9,484 properties sold.  It was the largest one-month sales total ever for North Texas, according to data from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems.  With the strong sales, the number of homes listed with real estate agents in the area dropped 15 percent from this same time in 2014. There was a 2.4-month supply of homes in real estate agents’ multiple listing service, less than half of what is considered a normal inventory.  May’s strong home sales and price spike will put more pressure on the local housing market which is stretched with more buyers than sellers.  National surveys show that the Dallas-Fort Worth area is seeing the largest annual home price gains in the country. Prices here are rising at about three times the long-term average rate of residential appreciation for the area.

-         Dallas Morning News, June 9, 2015

A New 39-story Condo High Rise in the Arts District

      

The new 39-story condo next to Museum Tower    David Weekley InTown at 3 Locations

A New 39-story Condo High Rise in the Arts District

A 39-story tower planned for downtown Dallas’ Arts District will contain luxury apartments, artist lofts and retail space at Flora and Olive streets.   Developers will build a 39-story residential tower on one of the last vacant sites in the downtown Dallas Arts District.  The project at Flora and Olive streets is right next door to the Museum Tower and a block south of Klyde Warren Park.    The development will have 370 luxury apartments, 39 artists’ lofts and about 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space on the one-acre site between the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Meyerson Symphony Center.  “It’s a dense, urban project,” said Dallas architect Graham Greene, one of the partners in the project. “We took our inspiration from what has been done in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco in their downtowns.   “It helps complete the Arts District — we have storefront retail all along Flora,” Greene said. “It adds a population of 400 to 500 residents, which is huge.”   Construction begins fourth quarter 2015.

-          Dallas Morning News, February 25, 2015

DALLAS UPTOWN: High Property Prices

High Uptown Property Prices Pushing Dallas Development

to New Urban Neighborhoods

Is there life after Uptown for real estate developers?  For the last decade, the district north of downtown has been the hottest development market in Dallas.  But with prime land prices soaring past $200 per square foot and fewer empty lots to build on, commercial property companies are looking at nearby neighborhoods.

West Dallas, the Design District, the Farmers Market, South Side and near East Dallas are now at the top of apartment builders’ shopping lists.  “It is getting very difficult to justify dirt cost in Uptown, if you can even find a site,” said Ryan Miller of apartment builder Wood Partners. “With higher dirt prices, escalating construction costs and concern for rents capping out, it makes Uptown more and more risky.  ”We have been targeting alternative submarkets that are just as close to jobs and nightlife with dirt at a lower basis, which means we can keep our rents in check,” Miller said.

Wood Partners has rental communities under construction at the Farmers Market, in West Dallas and in the Medical District on Maple Avenue.  Most of these are neighborhoods that developers wouldn’t have crossed the street to look at a decade ago.  “We’ve done an incredible job in Dallas of pushing successful development into unproven areas,” said Greg Willett, vice president of Carrollton-based apartment consultant MPF Research. “We’ve done it with the Knox-Henderson area and the Design District.  “And I’m optimistic about the development that’s going to these other areas,” including West Dallas and the Farmers Market area, Willett said.   With average apartment rents for new units now running $1,800 a month in Uptown and downtown, Willett said it’s important for developers to offer locations with slightly lower prices. “If there is any concern about how much we are building, it’s how expensive it is and if we are going to run out of people who can afford the rents,” he said.

In the suburbs, retail and restaurants usually follow new rooftops.  But in booming West Dallas and north Oak Cliff neighborhoods, new housing is following successful restaurants and shops that have made residents comfortable with the areas.  “Sometimes the customer doesn’t know they want to be there because the product hasn’t been there before — you have to give them the product,” said Dallas developer Michael Ablon, who’s played an important role in turning the Design District into a popular restaurant and apartment address.

Ablon said many potential renters are being priced out of Uptown.  “They only product you can build in Uptown is the upper echelon — you can only do apartments at the premium price point,” he said.  But low land costs alone can’t be the basis for new urban neighborhoods, Ablon said. “In some of these other areas, I have a hard time knowing who really wants to be there,” he said.  Longtime Dallas real estate broker Newt Walker said Uptown is still ground zero for urban development in Dallas.  “If you build it in Uptown, they will come,” said Walker. “A lot of developers are crossing the Trinity River, but it’s still somewhat uncharted waters.  “The question is, what’s the depth of the market there?”

Apartment builders are betting that proximity to the central business district and postcard skyline views will bring young, professional apartment renters to nearby neighborhoods.  “People are excited again by the inner city and want a more urban lifestyle,” said Doug Chesnut, one of the founders of Dallas-based development firm StreetLights Residential. “We are running out of land — affordable or unaffordable — in Uptown, so we must continue to expand our geographic footprint.” 

StreetLights, which has built an Uptown apartment tower and has a second under construction, has contracted to purchase a former industrial site on Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas where it plans hundreds of new apartments and homes.  “The Calatrava bridge and Trinity Groves opened a new gateway to the west, just as other gateways are opening to new areas east and south of the central business district,” Chesnut said. “People are moving to North Texas, whether we like it or not, and we need to provide housing and amenities for those people.”

-          Dallas Morning News, September 19, 2014

Dallas Skyline Voted Best in the World

We’re No. 1

Dallas Skyline Voted Best in the World

Eat that, Bid Apple.  Sorry, Chicago.  Dallas is No. 1.    Our fair city just took first place in USA Today’s Best International Skyline reader’s choice poll, coming out ahead of No. 2 Chicago for ultimate bragging rights.  USA Today cited our skyline’s colorful lighting, and pointed out that people flying in to DFW and Love Field airports get a great view at night.  The top 10 finishers: 1) Dallas, 2) Chicago, 3) Rio de Janeiro, 4) Toronto, 5)New York, 6) Washington, D.C., 7) St. Louis, 8) Hong Kong, 9) San Francisco, and 10) Seattle.

-          Dallas Morning News, September 9, 2014

Dallas No Longer in Top 10 for Traffic Congestion

Dallas No Longer in Top 10 for Traffic Congestion

The nation's worst rush-hour traffic can be found, not surprisingly, in Los Angeles. But the No. 2 city is a surprise.   Each year, three organizations produce traffic congestion reports.   The reports estimate the “excess travel time” lost in traffic congestion during morning and evening weekday rush hours.     This excess time is relative to the travel time that would be expected if traffic were free-flowing and there was no congestion.   The Los Angeles metropolitan area notches the worst traffic congestion in all three reports — 44.4 percent excess travel time. The second worst congestion is in Austin, Texas, with 34.5 percent excess travel time.   San Francisco (34.4 percent) is No. 3 and New York (33.4 percent) is No. 4. Both cities have a high population density.   Seattle is No. 5 at 32.4 percent, due in part to the cancellation of some planned freeways.   Rounding out the worst 10 are San Jose, Calif. (32.2 percent); Washington, D.C. (31.3); Boston (29.7); Houston (28.3); and Portland, Ore. (28.2).

-          Newsmax, July 6, 2014

DALLAS FARMER'S MARKET

Farmers Market

“This is one of the best ideas this city has ever done.”  And with those strong words, Mayor Mike Rawlings picked up a red-tipped shovel and helped break ground on the new-and-improved Dallas Farmers Market, which officially began its $65-million makeover just nine months after a private group took the keys from Dallas City Hall.  Mayor Mike Rawlings introduced the new market with some very high expecations.   The redevelopment will consist of four new restaurants, a grocery store that will serve the southeast portion of downtown Dallas, approximately 300 more apartments and lofts, and a dazzling new Farmer’s Market.  It will be a showplace for Dallas.

-          Dallas Morning News (excerpts), March 28, 2014

Highest Household Income Neighborhoods in the DFW Metroplex

According to the 2010 U.S. Census

Highest Household Income Neighborhoods in the Metroplex

1: Westlake (Westlake)
Mean Household Income: $526,590, Higley 1000 #12

2: Greenway Parks (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $511,549, Higley 1000 #15

3: Westover Hills (Westover Hills)
Mean Household Income: $385,047, Higley 1000 #69

4: Old Preston Hollow (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $338,351, Higley 1000 #158

5: Bluffview West (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $335,935, Higley 1000 #168

6: Highland Park (Highland Park)
Mean Household Income: $330,032, Higley 1000 #188

7: Oak Tree (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $327,123, Higley 1000 #204

8: Volk Estates-Windsor Place (University Park)
Mean Household Income: $323,486, Higley 1000 #218

9: Stratford Manor-Armstrong Fairway (University Park)
Mean Household Income: $322,282, Higley 1000 #224

10: Northaven Park (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $313,955, Higley 1000 #251

11: Preston Hollow (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $310,471, Higley 1000 #269

12: LakeSide on Preston (Plano)
Mean Household Income: $306,168, Higley 1000 #286

13: Willow Bend (Plano)
Mean Household Income: $304,801, Higley 1000 #296

14: Preston Royal (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $304,679, Higley 1000 #299

15: Lakewood (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $301,825, Higley 1000 #320

16: Bent Tree-Oakdale (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $298,930, Higley 1000 #333

17: Timarron (Southlake)
Mean Household Income: $298,068, Higley 1000 #336

18: Timberlake-Princeton Park (Southlake)
Mean Household Income: $286,828, Higley 1000 #418

19: Bella Lago-River Hills (Flower Mound)
Mean Household Income: $281,696, Higley 1000 #456

20: Brook Meadows-Brighton Oaks (Colleyville)
Mean Household Income: $278,204, Higley 1000 #488

21: Cheyenne Village-Starwood West (Frisco)
Mean Household Income: $277,646, Higley 1000 #495

22: Russwood Acres (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $275,175, Higley 1000 #523

23: Versailles-Cambridge Place (Southlake)
Mean Household Income: $271,015, Higley 1000 #566

24: University Heights-University Hills (University Park)
Mean Household Income: $266,284, Higley 1000 #620

25: Rivercrest Country Club (Fort Worth)
Mean Household Income: $265,238, Higley 1000 #632

26: Starwood East-Sterling Ranch (Frisco)
Mean Household Income: $265,076, Higley 1000 #635

27: Kings Ridge-Schoal Creek West (Plano)
Mean Household Income: $262,018, Higley 1000 #667

28: Stonebriar North (Frisco)
Mean Household Income: $261,486, Higley 1000 #676

29: Preston Trail Golf Club-Bent Tree Country Club (Dallas)
Mean Household Income: $260,066, Higley 1000 #700

30: Gentle Creek Country Club-Whitley Place (Prosper)
Mean Household Income: $255,529, Higley 1000 #766

31: The Dominion-Highland Oaks (Southlake)
Mean Household Income: $247,070, Higley 1000 #878

32: Denham Village-Whiffletree (Plano)
Mean Household Income: $245,842, Higley 1000 #896

33: Mansfield South (Mansfield)
Mean Household Income: $242,732, Higley 1000 #960

34: Bedford (Bedford)
Mean Household Income: $241,303, Higley 1000 #987

35: Loma Linda-Preston Place (University Park)
Mean Household Income: $240,133, Higley 1000 #998

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Dallas Texas

“The Bridge to Nowhere”

The naysayers proclaimed at one time that the proposed Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge at a cost of $93 million was simply a bridge to nowhere.  West Dallas was some of the worst slums in the city.   But the city of Dallas had vision, and today the area that once had some of the worst crime is being transformed into the newest hot spot.  Entire city blocks have been purchased for development.  Great restaurants have opened with more on the way.  There will be stunning views of the city from hundreds of new apartments now under construction.  Retail, shops, grocery stores – all now under construction.   A city once again transformed!

Gone to Texas

"Gone to Texas"

“Gone to Texas” was a common statement in the 1800s as people went west.  It is now a common statement again today.   In January, Texas gained 33,900 jobs while California lost 31,500 jobs.  The number one move across the nation is Californians moving to Texas.  It is jobs, it is cost of living, it is no income sales tax.  New home construction is booming across Texas, hence 6,200 of the new 33,900 jobs in December were construction related.   Politically, California is a liberal Democratic state.  Texas is the exact opposite, a conservative Republican state.   The typical Californian moving to Texas is a conservative, making California more liberal and Texas more conservative – day by day.  Two great states, and yet so very different.

-          Dallas Morning News (excerpts), January 15, 2014, January 18, 2014

Dallas/Fort Worth in Top Three US Cities for Small Business

• 

Everything may be bigger in Texas, but the state also does well by the little guy. A new study from personal-finance website NerdWallet.com finds four of the five best cities for small businesses are located in the Lone Star State, with Austin topping the list.

Looking specifically at the 20 largest cities in the United States, NerdWallet.com examined data from the Milken Institute and Thumbtack to figure out which cities make it easiest for businesses to launch, grow and thrive. In particular, NerdWallet.com’s Dana Lime says the study focused on taxes at the state and local level, as well as the licensing environment.

Lime says she also took into consideration each city’s growth rate, based on five-year statistics on job creation, salary increases and the expansion of technology firms.

Ray Keating, the director of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, agrees on the importance of the factors examined by NerdWallet.com.

He says it’s no surprise that Texas cities rank highly, given the state’s tax structure; there is no individual income tax or corporate income tax in the state.

Lime says Texas cities are also great for SMBs due to a more relaxed regulatory environment.
“It’s the degree to which it’s easy for businesses to get up and running. It’s a huge roadblock potentially if they can’t get approvals [for licenses],” says Lime.

Interestingly, three of the country’s largest cities didn’t make the cut when it came to finding the best cities for SMBs. New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles all fell toward the bottom of the list.

For businesses earning $100,000, Lime says New York City is the worst city from a tax standpoint, and the Big Apple ranks 12th in terms of licensing.

San Francisco and Los Angeles also placed at the bottom due to high taxes and stringent licensing requirements. Additionally, Lime says that California’s environmental regulations put a high burden on small businesses.

Here’s the full list of the top ten cities for small businesses, according to NerdWallet.com:

1. Austin, TX
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
4. Baltimore, MD
5. Houston, TX
6. San Jose, CA
7. Charlotte, NC
8. Indianapolis, IN
9. Jacksonville, FL
10. Phoenix, AZ
11. 
    

Fox Business News

Read more: http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2013/08/28/study-ranks-best-and-worst-cities-for-small-business/#ixzz2dMd2SY00

The Texas Boom is Here to Stay!

Just the Facts

The Texas Boom is Here to Stay!

Texas Net Job Gain:  1,068,900

The Other 49 States Net Job Gain:   1,244,700

The Texas boon has only begun.  Virtually all economists agree that Texas has so many things going for it that the extraordinary growth of Texas will continue for many years.  Our governor touts the Texas story all over the nation, much to the chagrine of numerous other governors.  But the facts are clear.  Low taxes, low regulation and a balance budget brings jobs, not to mention the pro-business, can-do attitude in Texas.   And jobs bring people.

-          Facebook, June 15, 2013

The Texas Housing Rebound to Continue

The Texas housing rebound shows no sign of letting up, but the rapid rise in home prices could taper off, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.  “Stronger-than-average employment growth and consistent in-migration should continue boosting demand for homes,” business economist D’Ann Peterson said in the Dallas Fed’s Southwest Economy quarterly report.

-          Dallas Morning News, June 15, 2013

DFW Area Gains One Million Every 7 Years

The U.S. Census reports that the DFW Metro, now the 4^th largest in the nation, is set to have a net gain of over one million people every seven years.   This is expected to continue for the next 25 years.

-          U.S. Census

Average Home Price Increase Now +13% From Last Year

Just the Facts

Average Home Price Increase Now +13% From Last Year

First quarter 2013 home prices in the DFW Metroplex have shown significant increase over the same time period last year.   Below is the analysis by the Dallas Morning News based on the median price increase change from 2012.     The inventory of available preowned homes is now only 1.1 months (The Colony), 1.2 months (Coppell) and 1.3 months (Grapevine and Richardson.   Far North Dallas has shown the most significant price increase at 18% in only one year, followed by Irving (17%), Coppell and Southlake (16%) and Allen (15%).

-          Dallas Morning News, April 19, 2013

	YEAR-OVER-YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN HOME SALES - 1ST QUARTER 2013
	CITY		PRICE INCREASE		DAYS ON MARKET		MONTHS' INVENTORY
	Far North Dallas		18%		70		2.4
	Irving		17%		69		2.7
	Coppell		16%		54		1.2
	Southlake		16%		78		3.7
	Allen		15%		51		1.7
	Carrollton		12%		49		1.6
	Denton Area		12%		63		2.7
	McKinney		12%		50		1.7
	Frisco		8%		54		2.1
	Grapevine		8%		47		1.3
	Flower Mound/Lewisvl		7%		56		2
	Plano		7%		57		1.7
	Keller		4%		74		2.9
	Richardson		4%		49		1.3
	The Colony		3%		38		1.1

Land Rush Causing Prices to Go Sky High

Five years ago there were 92,750 available lots in the DFW Metroplex, either on the ground or approved for development.  Today, builders are begging for lots and paying significant premiums.  “If there is going to be a housing shortage anywhere in the country, it’s going to happen right here in Dallas-Ft Worth because we are the fastest growing region in the country,” said Phil Crone, Dallas Builders Association Executive Officer.  “Our inventories are so low that it could manifest itself as a shortage in the next year to 18 months.”  The rapid growth of the region (130,000 annually), and the lack of ready-to-build lots is causing land prices to spike, a cost often passed on the homebuyers.

-          Dallas Business Journal, April 19, 2013