Real EstateCities Where Your Nest Egg Goes FarthestMaurna Desmond, 10.20.08, 4:00 PM ET  A significant number of Americans will soon retire, but the economic downturn may be causing some to rethink how they'll spend their golden years. Topping the list of second-act must haves? A place with affordable housing, low cost of living and decent job prospects. That's what they'll find in Columbus, Ohio. This river city tops our list of cities where your nest egg goes farthest, thanks to reasonably priced housing relative to income and a 4.5% inflation rate that allows a buck to stretch a little further than other quickly growing areas. With tens of thousands of Ohio State Buckeyes, folks will enjoy the verve and energy that comes with a bustling college town. Texas also welcomes retirees. Dal... 11/13/2008

I'm on a tear this week.  I really am.  I am so sick of the deception and dishonesty that has grown exponentially throughout business in our country that I wonder why Americans have come to accept it rather than show it acute disdain. Banks get bail-out money from the government to save their companies and the economy from their recent active greed and irresponsible use of public trust.  Within moments, they are using that money to buy other banks, to give themselves raises, and to take trips.  The very things that caused their cash insolvency.  And a total slap in the face of public sympathy. Lehman Brothers opines about the economy, calling it dire and suggesting that it can't be resolved for years.  Who cares what they think?  This is one of the very companies that was the backbones ... 11/12/2008

I've known Gerry Hunter from almost the moment we arrived in Dallas.  Her birth certificate would reveal that she is deep into the senior citizen category.  Her appearance and spunk would deny both of those entirely. Gerry has such a talent for making cookies that she was all but forced into doing it full-time a few years back.  She has all of the fancy bakery equipment and ovens at her swanky home in Richardson, and she makes dozens and dozens every day to satisfy her call-in customers. And buying direct from Gerry is the only way you can get these round and plump morsels. With the holidays just what seems to be moments away, I thought I'd introduce you to Gerry Hunter.  Great place to get what will be much-appreciated tins of cookies for family, neighbors, clients and those who made y... 11/11/2008

The Christmas Discount Store, aka Nowlin Trading, has announced this year's location.  And the interesting news is that there will be more than one location. Nowlin Trading sells anything and everything Christmas at deep deep discounts.  Each year, they open up in a new location. The only way to find out the location if you're not on their mailing list, is through word of mouth. There is one in Dallas County as well as Tarrant County for the first time. Nowlin Trading locations:Fort Worth: 3440 Williams Roadphone: 817.244.2252Farmers Branch: 3117 Gardenbrookphone: 214.914.1331 Here is more about the store from NBC 5. 11/10/2008

The Holiday Inn Select off 75 Central Expressway in Dallas TX saw it's last moment at 7:59am Sunday morning.  At 8am on the dot, the building imploded. Up until 7am, people were allowed at the site in order to get a good view of the implotion.  Hundreds of people showed up to watch this building come down.  The highway was closed for a while in order to allow the dust to clear. What will go in its place?  An 83 acre development of luxury condos, townhomes, senior living and medical offices.  All this is expected to be completed fairly quickly, by December 2009. **Video courtesy of nbcdfw.com. 11/10/2008

North Dallas TX Collin County Homes for Sale - October 2008 Real Estate (Residential) Housing Report. 77 closed (Sold) transactions. Currently 643 homes available on the market. Lowest $56,000 Average 3 bedrooms. 2,700 square feet at $330,000. DOM 94. Highest 6 bedrooms. 7,200 square feet for $1.5 million dollars. It took 858 days to sell. Total real estate value of  $25,634,570 not including real estate sales not listed on the MLS systems such as for sale by owners and home builders. Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time: Information provided is deemed reliable and taken from the North Texas Real Estate Information MLS Systems.   It is important to note that PRICING is key when reading this report. The highest success of selling your house a... 11/08/2008

LIFE GOES ON.  As expected, the trifecta hit the market this month. A Wall Street disaster, the State Fair in town and an election looming have all factored into a really slow October. The inventory remained about the same, but the number of sold properties this month was about half of that in September.  The Good News: lots of homes are under contract right now and November should be a good month, back on track. Original Homes: No real changes this month to inventory or Days on Market. Only 11 homes sold out of 136 listed, reflecting the general October slowness. But baby, the Craftsman bungalow is HOT! Several sales recently topping $200/sqft. This barrier was breached by the M-Street Tudor a couple years ago, but the smaller, wood-framed Craftmans have not caught up. Recently, we've ... 11/04/2008

View Full Article By Clicking HERE Northwood Hills offers diversity in a parklike setting 03:39 PM CDT on Thursday, October 30, 2008 By HARRIET P. GROSS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News Rebel Webster calls her neighborhood "a study in contrasts that don't contradict. It's old, but it's new," she says. "It's nature, but it's people." Almost 1,200 homes make up Northwood Hills. Its construction was a risky project when it began 50 years ago: situating luxury residences (then priced at $40,000 to $200,000) in a just-developing northern area of Dallas. Also Online More neighborhood profiles   Lots were one-quarter to one-half acre; the houses, in varied styles including Cape Cod, Santa Fe and 1950s modern, were positioned ... 11/03/2008

Texas is expected to have about 68% turnout for voting in this election.  Since 1970, only once has the state of Texas exceeded 68% and that was when 2 Texas natives (GH Bush and Perot) were running and Clinton still won. With the early voting over, Texas has already had 42% of registered voters vote in the top 15 counties in the state, which equates to 3.5 million people.  In the 2004 election, only 2.4 million voted early. To put things into further perspective, Dallas County had 508,000 people vote which is 158,000 more than 2004.  People are definitely eager to get their voices heard.  With Texas beinng a traditionally Red state, I wonder who all these people are voting for... Collin County, where I live, had over half of their registered voters out early, as well as Fort Bend which... 11/03/2008

If you are looking for the feel of a small town in the middle of Dallas, you will find it in Sparkman Estates, located in Northwest Dallas, in an area south of Royal Lane and east of Marsh Lane. This neighborhood offers easy access to the Dallas North Tollway, Interstate 35E, and LBJ Freeway. The heart of the neighborhood is the Sparkman Club, home to a community pool, clubhouse and a host of community activities.  Neighborhood homes built from the 1950s to 2008 are framed by mature trees and situated on generous lots.  In December of 2010, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is scheduled to open Green Line Stations at Walnut Hill Lane at Denton Drive, and Royal Lane at Denton Drive. http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/greenlinestations.asp#walnuthilldenton Currently, there are 10 home... 10/31/2008

Patty and I have been on an information gathering journey with an experience at the end of each chapter.  We decided that I would share those experiences with readers because they had to do with home repairs and remodeling. The age old question that faces everyone is this one.  It has three parts:  Who knows what they are doing, will they do a good job, and will they charge me a fair price? As a result of our experiences, we were able to provide some good information for you to use.  (Those articles are in previous blogs) The single most costly expense we had was replacing our central air-heat system.  Out of some seven contractors that gave us bids, we chose Quigley, and it was definitely a fine choice. Now it's several electric service bills later, and I want you to know that it is ob... 10/29/2008

Good credit is not just important for getting approved for your new home but also ensuring a lower interest rate which can mean thousands in savings and a lower monthly mortgage payments. Here are eight steps to good credit: Step 1: Pay Your Bills on TimeMake it your personal goal to pay your credit and other obligations on time and for the required amount each month. Debt obligations will include: Credit card charges Loan payments Rent or mortgage payments Utility bills Service or product bills Taxes Support payments Other Take advantage of automatic payments and other online bill payment strategies offered by lenders and credit card issuers. This will ensure timely payments. If you forget to make a payment, act promptly on any notices of non- or late payments. Call the bill servicer t... 10/27/2008

I build real estate investment portfolios based on the client's long and short term equity goals. Looking for cash flow? Looking for real equity? Our focus on buying direct from banks, foreclosures, probate properties and either distressed sellers and builders have positioned us as one of the leading property managers for single family houses in the state of Texas.  I turn key the whole process for you.. in bulk or a few at a time. 10/26/2008

Forbes Named Dallas one of the most affordable places to retire.   The Dallas area is a great place to live before you retire as well.  We have great shopping and great restaurants to enjoy.  The weather is nice, we usually only experience 3 seasons.  Dallas real estate has been very reliable.  Check out the article http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/27/retirees-cities-affordable-forbeslife-cx_md_0827realestate.html   If you are thinking of retiring in Dallas and buying a home give us a call.  214-563-4584 10/25/2008

Earlier this week I was reading a post by my friend Trey Thurmond in which he compared news headlines in urban areas with one from small towns.  They compared as you might suspect... the big city headlines were about crime and social issues while the small town ones were about things like church socials.  It made me a bit sad for some reason that we miss simple good news a lot of the time in cities. So imagine my delight when on Thursday this week I picked up the Dallas Morning News and on the front page was a story under the header: "Oak Cliff | Home Invasion" with the headline: "Intruder wasn't a cat burglar, but culprit did wear a mask".  The article told the story of 85 year-old Bill Hyde and his wife calling 911 to report a suspected home invasion in progress only to have the polic... 10/25/2008

WHY REMARKABLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Property management is more than just finding a tenant for your property. We at Remarkable Property Management manage your property just as if it were our own. We save you time, energy, and money. We will be happy to answer any questions you have. Copies of forms we use are available for you to look over. To arrange a time to discuss your management needs, call Suzanne Athey at 469-916-1222. Remarkable Property Management takes care of the property you entrust to us. We make every effort to keep you informed of all activity on your property. We treat your property as if we owned it. For more information please visit our website at www.teamathey.com or email us at suzanne@teamathey.com   PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 10/24/2008

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10/24/2008

Don't miss this fabulous event at THE East Dallas art gallery!   Friday, October 24, ‘08  -  Shadow & Light        Noir paintings by Kenney Mencher & metal sculptures by Etty Horowitz Opening reception: 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Show continues thru November 29 If you love art and have not visited the Dahlia Woods Gallery, this is a wonderful event to make a point to visit for!   My two cents on Dahlia Woods: Dahlia has a passion for charities, Texas landscapes and for COLOR!  I have always been a fan of her annual calender and beautiful ornament that comes out each year.  The way she paints the world is the way I dream in my dreams of seeing the world!  Her work is blasting with color and passion and will brighten anyone's day.  10/21/2008

8 GREEN PARK DR DALLAS, TX 75248   view all photos (20) FABULOUS MEDITERRANEAN VILLA IN GATED GREEN PARK ENCLAVE.STRIKING GRAND FOYER OPENS TO HANDSOME STUDY,FORMAL DINING W-WINE VAULT & FEATURES WALL OF WINDOWS W-BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF SPARKLING POOL & SPA.GOURMET KITCHEN LOADED W-VIKING APPLIANCES & SUBZERO.HUGE FAMILY ROOM W-WALL OF WINDOWS & DOORS OPENING TO POOL AREA & COVERED PATIO W-FIREPLACE.MASTER SUITE W-SEE THROUGH F-PLACE TO SITTING AREA.UPGRADES GALORE IN MASTER BATH.GAMEROOM UP & MUCH MORE! 5 Bedrooms 5 Full | 2 Partial Bathrooms 7,464 Est. Sq. Ft. Listing # 11039835 $2,500,000 Dallas Real Estate 10/21/2008