Dallas Real Estate and Short Sale Blog

We had the opportunity to have our picture taken holding RE/MAX's 2011 J.D. Power & Associates awards at the RE/MAX of Texas Convention held in Galveston, Texas. For more information on these awards visit the J.D. Power and Associate Awards page at remax.com. Originally posted at http://www.theb...

There is an alarming trend among many buyers of real estate these days. We're seeing more and more people who want to "place bids" rather than to "make offers" on a home. Real estate is not eBay. While some real estate is sold in an auction format, the vast majority of sales are not. I realize t...

Wow! It's hard to believe but it's raining in North Texas. With Stage Four Water Restrictions looming, this is a welcome sight. Last year's drought left our lakes and reservoirs dangerously low. People living on Cedar Creek Lake and many of the local lakes could not get their boats in the water....

Finally! Ashton Woods has broken ground in The Preserve in Allen. I was out visiting the site over the weekend and found the two model homes are well on their way to being completed. I also noted the lake is filled and the fountain is operating. There are two model homes under construction near ...

In Part 1 we discussed how rental price impacts occupancy rate and the impact that can have on annual cash flow. In Part 2, we’re going to explore how rental price impacts the quality of applicants. Let’s say you have a rental property where the fair market rent is $1500 a month. If you list the...

Gina was out showing homes this morning. When she returned she told me about a house where the owner had filled the holes in the bottom of the brick. While this might seem like a good idea...it's not for a number of reasons. Most building codes require builders to leave weep holes along the bott...

Over the past couple of months we've seen lots of first-time homebuyers entering the market. They are enthusiastic, pre-approved, and ready to buy a home. The problem is a general lack of good homes under $150k. Gina and I are currently working with four first-time home buyers looking in the All...

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a 255-page guide in the Federal Register. The new rules, which went into effect on January 1, change the way investors can deduct repair and improvement expenses. In the past, most investors took the one-time deduction of the repair or improvement expense ...

I received an email from a past client today. He had received an email on the subject. The email read, "Did you know that if you sell your house after 2012, you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on it?" The email goes on to blame the new Healthcare Law and all the damage it will do to the housing market...

The U.S. Congress recently passed a two-month payroll tax cut extension. The $33 billion package is funded by a 10-year increase in the Guaranty Fees that Fannie Mae (Fannie) and Freddie Mac (Freddie) charge lenders to guarantee home loans. This change is effective for all loans delivered to Fan...