Plano, TX

My son, Ethan, stretches a single into a double in the late innings to 'get something started'.

We got the call last night.... Ethan was selected to the All-Star Team for his Little League Baseball team. He spent the next two hours calling family with the good news.

He earned it... He was the one who had me out in the yard every evening practicing grounders and pop flies!!

After two years being involved with Plano Baseball Association, we could not be more pleased with the head coach that we were assigned to and could not be any happier with the facilities they provide.

Daddy's chest could not be more puffed out!

Tom Burris
DallasLoanGuy.com
Dallas, TX

"Your Dallas Mortgage Consultant"

http://www.dallasloanguy.com/


Texas Home Loans Dallas Mortgage Loans

I write about Texas Home Loans , live in the Dallas, TX area and lend across the entire Great State of Texas!! Subscribe to My Blog and stay informed about current lending changes!!

While I personally focus on Texas Home Loans and First Time Home Buyers.... I do lend in other areas.

The City of Plano Parks and Recreation dues increased SUBSTANTIALLY this year. They tell us the city budgets are tight because property tax revenues are down. In order to access the parks and city facilities that help make Plano such a wonderful place to live, they want double the "dues". Technically speaking, it's not really a new tax on the working class, but it is about to be.

This is the first year in many that we will not be "members" to the City of Plano community facilities. Because it was so affordable in the past, we have always renewed our membership, even when we weren't using the facilities very much. At these fees, I may as well toss in a few more bucks and join a nice private club like LifeTime Fitness. We won't do that either, but some will. The point is, by raising the "fee" high enough to catch our attention, we realized we're just not that interested in the privilege. Therefore, the City of Plano just has lost all 4 memberships from our family.

Let's see. We are raising membership dues to our publicly owned community facilities $2x and as a result the number of paying members drops 4x... I am so confused. How does that Obamanomics math work again? Who owns the facilities when all the members quit? That's right, every Plano, working class, tax paying citizen.

Like anyone in business, I am never thrilled to tell a client to hold off a purchase. However, that is exactly what I did a few days ago. The couple may be able to make the move, but only by the skin of their chin, if at all. They don’t have much of anything saved and they would have to roll in closing costs. I assume the move would require calling on friends because I don’t believe they have the money to hire a crew either.

Lately I've been encouraging folks to save first and move second, when they have an option. I think moving is great and recommend that everyone in N. Dallas metro call us when they get ready to buy or sell a home. I just want to encourage people to consider stabilizing their finances first. For me, that means:

• 3.5 - 5% min. cash saved and seasoned for down payment.
• 3.5% min. cash saved for reasonable closing costs and basic move.
• 4-6 months cash reserve in EMERGENCY ONLY savings.
• Less than 10% of available funds "carried" on any credit card. (build credit)
• 1 auto loan under 50% of value, per couple.

America has a Billion dollar weight loss industry because of our unwillingness to delay gratification or endure discomfort. There is only one way to lose weight and everyone in America past 15 years old already knows exactly what it is. Consume less energy than you burn. (or spend less than you earn) Can I have a small piece of that Billion for my 6 word sentence?

The pain of the nation’s financial situation has opened my eyes. We were told that with the stimulus package we’d be able to keep unemployment under 8% but without it, it was possible to see it raise as high as 9%! Well I got news… The point is, if we are unwilling to save anything today, we'll be forced into delayed gratification and being extremely uncomfortable later when life eventually throws us a curve ball, or two. We may be introduced to a new life experience called poverty if we are already over extended when the unexpected happens. Just thinking about poverty makes me want to save. I heard about this one guy in Plano, TX who had to give up the unlimited data package on his iPhone after losing his job and blowing the 401k.. NO THANKS!

Don't let your American dream become a nightmare. Save first and win!

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) basically sums up the appraisal issues this real estate market is working through. In my opinion, external influences seem to be muddying the waters right now. When we eventually return to (or swing past) a true, fair "pure" market, I expect it to work itself out reasonably quickly. In the meantime, hold on for the ride...

Please spread the word on this issue. We are warning every client we work with that this is a very serious problem for everyone right now.

reblog..

To: All REALTORS®
From: Charles McMillan, 2009 NAR President
Re: Appraisals

Dear Fellow REALTOR®,

During the past two months, we have heard from many of you regarding problems with appraisals that are causing deals to be delayed or canceled altogether. I assure you that we on the NAR Leadership Team are experiencing the same problems in our businesses. In fact, VP & Liaison to Committees Steve Brown recently shared his experiences in Ohio on the Voices of Real Estate blog.
http://narblog1.realtors.org/mvtype/president/2009/06/all_is_not_quiet_on_the_midwes.html

Let me update you on what NAR is doing to resolve these problems quickly.

On Monday, June 29th, I will be in New York to meet with the Deputy Attorney General and his staff who worked directly on the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. I plan to share our concerns, as well as your stories, and ask for their assistance in resolving any problems related to the HVCC.

On Tuesday, June 30th, I will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to discuss ways we can work with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and lenders to ensure that appraisals are accurate.

We will keep you posted on the outcome of these meetings. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out the following resources on Realtor.org for more information on the HVCC and how appraisal problems are impacting the real estate market:

Economists Podcast
http://www.realtor.org/research/research/research_podcast062309?LID=RONav0021

HVCC
http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/gses_hvcc_announced

Appraisal Blog
http://narblog1.realtors.org/mvtype/appraisalinsight/

On behalf of the entire Leadership Team and staff, I thank all of you who have shared your experiences and concerns with us. With your continued participation, I believe we will overcome this challenge in much the same way as we have conquered others – "United Toward Tomorrow."

Sincerely,
Charles McMillan
CIPS, GRI
2009 NAR President

Importance of Home Staging in Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano and Other North Texas Cities

Home staging is one of the most important things that you can do to ensure that your home sells for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

The following are some easy and effective home staging tips:

Paint the front door. If your front door is looking dingy and dirty, then a fresh coat of paint on the front door will surely make your home more inviting.

Clean up landscaping. If your landscaping is overgrown, then it is time for some pruning and clipping.

Plant some seasonal flowers in the front flower beds. This is a cheap but effective way to increase the curb appeal of your house.

Install a plug-in air freshener in one of the rooms by the front door to give your home a fresh scent.

Steam clean carpeting. Clean carpet makes the entire house smell and show better.

Remove clutter from countertops and dressers. Remove excessive items that are sitting on top of the countertops and dressers

Remove some furniture. If you have some rooms that are so full of furniture that it is hard to walk around, then remove some of the excessive furniture. Removing some of the excessive furniture will make the rooms appear larger

Remove excessive amounts of artwork and photography from the walls. If you have some rooms where it is hard to see the walls, then remove some of the artwork and photography. Too much artwork and photography makes the rooms appear small. In addition, too much artwork and photography makes it difficult for buyers to visualize living there with their decorations.

Spot paint any interior walls where the paint has worn off or is dirty. If you do not have any matching paint, then simply scrape off a small piece of paint from a hidden corner of the wall. The paint stores and home improvement stores can use your small paint sample to computer match the paint color.

If the tile and grout lines in the shower are looking dirty, then clean the shower tiles and grout lines. If there are any voids in the grout lines, then be sure to fill those in.

Remove excessive clothing from closets. If you have some closets that are overstuffed with clothes, then remove some of the excessive clothing. Closets will appear larger with fewer pieces of clothing hanging on the racks.

Before showings, turn on interior lights, open blinds and turn on some soothing music. This creates a great ambiance. It also shows prospective buyers that you are making a real effort to showcase your house.

To view all of my other Blog posts about Allen, Frisco, McKinney and Plano, please click www.AllAboutNorthTexas.com

Also, be sure to visit my Website www.RobertLerner.com for more information about North Texas.

To search the MLS inventory of Allen homes for sale, Frisco homes for sale, McKinney homes for sale and Plano homes for sale, please click Search MLS

If you have any questions about Allen, Frisco, McKinney or Plano homes and real estate, then please contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Robert Lerner, CRS

RE/MAX Hall of Fame

Full-time Realtor since 1993

RE/MAX Premier Properties I

Email: Robert@RobertLerner.com

Blog: www.AllAboutNorthTexas.com

Website: www.RobertLerner.com

Phone: 972-979-0662

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