Dallas, TX

The level of home sales is expected to show little movement in the months ahead, according to the latest projections by the National Association of Realtors.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in July, fell 3.2 percent to 86.5 from an upwardly revised reading of 89.4 in June, which had risen 5.8 percent from May. The July index remains 6.8 percent below July 2007 when it stood at 92.8.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home sales continue to edge up and down. "Pending home sales are oscillating month-to-month, with the long-term trend essentially flat," he said. "Overly stringent lending criteria imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the past month no doubt held back contract signings."

Let's take a look at Dallas real estate sales statistics to understand what is happening locally.

Dallas Real Estate Sales Statistics:

Active listings this August dropped 14% compared to August 2007 with the number of homes sold down 19%. Available inventory increased 3%. The median and averages sales prices decreased 19% and 2%, respectively.

Acitve listings August 2008: 28,367
Active listings August 2007: 32,915

Sold listings August 2008: 4,702
Sold listings August 2007: 5,840

Months of August Inventory 2008: 6.7
Months of August Inventory 2007: 6.5

Median Sales Price August 2008: $162,100
Median Sales Price August 2007: $167,700

Average Sales Price August 2008: $221,800
Average Sales Price August 2007: $226,900

The decrease in inventory is a good sign that the Dallas real estate market is starting to stabilize. Interested in learning more about Dallas real estate, visit TexasHomeCentral.com.

Search all Dallas real estate and homes for sale.

I swear, there is a conspiracy with Dell. I bought a computer back in April 2005. I actually spent the over $300 fee in order to have an in-house warranty where they'll come to me to fix any issues I have. Did I ever need the warranty? Of course not... not until my warranty expired! My warranty expired a couple of months ago, and my computer (hard drive) crashed this weekend.

When was the last time I backed anything up, you say?? Hmmm, that would be about a year ago. Things were going so well and I had made the comment a few times to my husband about how well this computer was working and I hadn't had any problems with it like I had the others...

It must be because I actually paid for a long warranty. However, I really and truly believe they put some kind of code into the hard drives that make them crash after the warranty period. I know this is possible. I know it's probably not ethical or legal, but I know it's possible to write some type of crash code.

I went to bed Saturday evening and my computer was acting funny, but I was tied, so I went to bed. Sunday morning, black screen. Not unusaly as my computer goes to sleep after non-use... touch the mouse pad, nothing. Press the enter button, nothing. Move the mouse around, nothing... I noticed the green lights were on which means it's "thinking".

I couldn't get the screen on, so I did a reboot, just turning it off. I turned it back on to a grinding noise and a screen that tells me to control alt delete, so I do, and it rewards me with more grinding noises...

Did you know that if your Dell computer crashes, but it's the hard drive that is ruined, you cannot recreate your computer until after you contact Dell and they send you a reinstall disk? See, if something else on the computer goes wrong, the reinstall is already on the hard drive. However, if you need a completely new hard drive, no reinstall disk with the computer. So, I get a call from Dell making sure I was the original owner. They are mailing the reinstall disk, but that will take up to 3 business days...

I'm without a computer for most of the week! The only good thing is that I'll be out of town for most of the week, and won't "need" the computer that much, so I'll just be borrowing my husband's desktop while he's on his laptop until then...

If I once had your email address, I now don't, so you might want to go ahead and send me an email so I can get your email address into Outlook once I get set back up...

Makes you wanna scream! Lesson learned is that no matter how silly you feel backing up every night or once a week, DO IT!! We will be setting me up to where I can just copy my important things to our Shared drive and my husband will do the backing up for me, which is the way it should have been done in the first place when I kept asking for easier and more efficient ways to back things up... but I won't blame him... wanna know how many pictures of Alyssa weren't backed up?? *ARG*

There are many types of glues and adhesives for a multitude of repairs, including wood glues, one-part and two-part epoxies, hot melt adhesives, contact cements and more. The wide variety of glues and adhesives serve the purpose of joining different types of material. Some projects require a quick, strong set where, with others, a slower setting time is optimal for repositioning and adjustments. Here, I will share tips on using other products as an adhesive.

Auto Body Filler

Believe it or not, auto body filler is a great for a variety of wood gluing and other repairs. It's an excellent wood filler and adhesive; it is waterproof, weatherproof, it sets up quickly, bonds well and can be routed or sanded cleanly. It's a great time saver because it can be applied, sanded and painted within an hour of application.

As auto body filler sets, it gradually gets firmer and much harder than the materials you are bonding, so be sure to check it often and sand it smooth before it becomes too hard, or you will never get it smooth and flush. It is easy to cut or use a planer during earlier stages of setting, but becomes unworkable once it is completely set. Of course it's no problem to use power tools like a drill or saw when it reaches full hardness.

Auto body filler sticks well to itself, so you can add more to your patch if you need another coat to fill imperfections from the first coat. You can also use other wood or wall patching materials to create a smooth surface. There are also thinner auto body products for the final coat.

Use wood chips when filling large holes to reduce the amount of filler needed. Use screws to strengthen the repair and keep the filler in place, making sure screw heads are at least 1/8" beneath the surface filler.

Minwax is a high performance wood filler that is almost identical to auto body filler, but it is a light brown wood tone. It comes in smaller quantities and cost more, but it is convenient for smaller projects. For larger jobs, you can save money by using auto body filler.

Household Caulk

In some cases household caulk, including silicone, latex and polyurethane can be used as a waterproof adhesive. They are flexible, allowing movement for adjusting clamps and repositioning materials to be fastened, yet still maintaining an excellent waterproof seal for tubs, showers, or windows.

Be sure to use enough for a waterproof seal; do not spread too thin. Unlike wood glue, caulk is not designed to be applied thin. Most caulk does not set hard and bond firm, so it is not appropriate for all projects. Some caulks are only intended to be used as caulks. Check the label; if it doesn't say "adhesive caulk" it is most likely not to be used as an adhesive.

There is nothing wrong with being creative and innovative to save a trip to the store when you're already in the middle of a project, but use common sense and be careful. Many products are for single uses only and should not be substituted. Be sure to read labels and use caution when using any type of adhesive product. Some adhesives can be caustic when used with the wrong materials; others may emit harmful fumes and require proper ventilation or wearing a protective mask.

This article was written by Aaron Abbott of HandyPro Handyman Services. HandyPro specializes in home repairs and seasonal home maintenance projects. They can handle small repairs or do large remodeling jobs. Their pre-screened contractors are licensed and bonded, experienced and customer friendly. Always striving for 100% customer satisfaction, they do quality work and clean up when the job is complete. http://www.handypro.com services Dallas Texas, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Rowlett, Mesquite, Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Duncanville, Desoto, Lancaster, Seagoville and neighboring cities and communities.

Selling a home is very challenging today. The supply of homes for sale is way up and values are down, leaving a wide variety of homes for buyers to choose from. Homes that need little to no work are now selling for low enough prices that people don't need to bother with a fixer-upper to get a great deal. People looking to buy a home will look at many houses before they consider making an offer. If yours is very clean and in move-in condition, a buyer will be likely to remember that when they are ready to make an offer.

Even if you are not selling your home, life is so much better when there are no loose-ends, unfinished projects and things that need fixing. Here are some tips for sprucing up your home to make it more comfortable to live in and much easier to show and sell.

There are things that are very expensive to fix in relation to the return you get upon resale. For example, plumbing, heating and electrical items are things that most people take for granted, therefore, a buyer is not likely to pay an extra $20,000 for your home because you have repaired or replaced these items. If you are living in the home, chances are likely it is functional and these things are in good working order.

Cosmetic repairs are what offer the greatest return for your investment. Paint, carpet, light fixtures and cabinets are what the buyer sees. Updating these items gives your home a clean, well-cared for look. Caring for your home shows how you loved living there and you're confident that your buyer will love it as well.

You can do this yourself, but it would probably take months. Hire a handyman service to complete this in 10 days or less. Yes, it will cost a little more, but your home will be ready to list, show and sell more quickly. The way real estate values are dropping, you won't be saving anything by taking the extra time to do this work yourself. A handyman service will be less costly than a general contractor. There is no need for a general contractor if your home is functional and there are no structural defects. Like the general contractor, the handyman is qualified, licensed and bonded. He is also more likely to be customer friendly. He will listen to your concerns and clean up after himself, leaving you more satisfied with the job once is it completed. General contractors are better suited for new construction, or working in homes that are not occupied.

Start with paint, choosing a high quality paint that is durable and washable. The price difference is minimal compared to the quality of the finished job. Most of what you spend for the paint job is labor; you won't be saving anything by using cheap paint.

The same thing applies to carpet. Cheap carpet will wear quickly, especially in the traffic areas. If it takes 6 months to sell your home, cheap carpet will already start to show some wear. Using a good quality padding will help maintain the quality of the carpet.

Lighting is another great investment. Updated light fixtures add a nice touch to a home. Many new fixtures are also energy efficient, another plus in today's economy. Dimmer switches add a very nice touch. Rocker switches are much nicer than the old fashioned switches too. Older fixtures are heavy and cumbersome. Newer fixtures give a nice clean look and many are designed so that it is much easier to change light bulbs.

Kitchen cabinets can be refaced if they are not in too bad of shape. Sometimes just cleaning them up and replacing the handles will make a huge difference. The same applies to the bathroom vanity. Or, if your bathroom is very small, consider a nice pedestal type of sink, with no cabinet for a nice look. A large canvas shoe holder comes in handy for all the items that are usually kept under the sink. Simply hang it on the door for a unique, space saving place to keep your powders, lotions, hair dryer and all the other items that clutter up the cabinet.

Don't forget about the outside! Clean up the yard and flower beds, cut the grass, seal coat the deck and driveway and power wash the siding. Get rid of hornet nests, wash the windows, repair or replace the mailbox. First impressions say a lot. A well-maintained yard will make a person more interested in seeing the inside of your home than one that is overgrown and littered.

Cosmetic work and repairs are what the buyer sees first. If your home is cleaned up on the outside, and has fresh paint and carpet and a few updates inside, it will give the appearance that you have loved living in your home and the new buyers will love it as well. Otherwise, you give the impression that you are tired and overwhelmed with a home that is difficult to maintain. In today's market, you may not be able to ask a whole lot more for your home by doing this work, but you will give a buyer less room for negotiating your price down.

This article was written by Aaron Abbott of HandyPro Handyman Services. HandyPro offers a home seller program, where they do the cosmetic repairs and you don't pay until you sell your home. Their pre-screened contractors are licensed and bonded, and customer friendly. They guarantee customer satisfaction with quality work and they clean up when the job is complete. http://www.handypro.com services Dallas Texas, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Rowlett, Mesquite, Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Duncanville, Desoto, Lancaster, Seagoville and neighboring cities and communities.

I was reading an article this week about the most popular cars in the U.S. and how they are shifting from vehicles like large pick-ups and SUV's to smaller vehicles. Even the perennial sales champions like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are being outsold by small cars like the Honda Civic.

So my thought and question for the day is with people realizing the need to downsize their vehicles to save on gasoline costs, when will that same sort of logic filter down on a large scale to their housing choices?

Large houses take considerably more energy to light, heat, air condition and maintain than their smaller counterparts. Moving from my larger house to a condo half the size has more than halved my electricity and natural gas costs... a savings much greater than getting a car with better gas mileage would ever do.

I know that we are seeing more "Green" building, but one of the fastest and least expensive ways to reduce the costs of utilities and construction is to live in smaller spaces that those we have become spoiled with. Just as people are giving up their large SUV's and gas guzzlers, when will homebuyers start looking to "trade down" from McMansions to reasonably sized homes with lower ceiling heights, better insulation energy efficient systems?

Is it time for people to start looking at this option in the same way they are considering buying Smart Cars, Mini Coopers and Toyota Priuses?