Greg Brady, Realtor® Arlington & DFW, TX

Buying a HUD home in Arlington, TX. There are many good home buying opportunities in Arlington through HUD listings. Currently there are 11 HUD homes total in Arlington with 6 of those listed for under $100,000. The homes vary in quality and condition but even those that are lacking the appeal one would hope for could quite possibly be picked such a fair price that you could afford to put some money in for improvements. Some are ready or very close to ready for move in.

Something to know when looking at the possibility of buying a HUD home is that some are only open for offers from people who intend on living in the home(Owner Occupants), along with non-profit agencies and government agencies. In the case of the current listings in Arlington, there are only 2 at this time that are open to all bidders, including investors. But when there are HUD homes open to investors to bid on, they usually end up being a really great deal. Each home would have to be looked at on a case by case basis to see who can bid.

Another point to consider is the bid submission deadline. Some of these homes have a set date where they will accept bids through before they actually accept, or possibly accept, one of those bids. So if the bid deadline is 2 weeks from now, they may receive 10 bids and then after the deadline accept the best one or maybe not accept any. If they do not accept any, they typically open the bidding back up on a day by day basis. If they do not accept a particular bid, they do not usually contact you to let you know, much less make a counter offer, unless you are the one that is very close to something they like.

For more information on buying a HUD home in and around Arlington, TX, please contact Real Estate Agent Greg Brady.

Buying a home in Arlington, Texas. So you’ve taken that first important step and made the decision to purchase a home in Arlington, TX. What next? Whether this is your first home purchase or your 5^th, here are a few tips that can help anyone shopping for a home.

• Determine what you need and want in your new house. Overall square footage, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, 1 story or 2 story, how many garage spaces, do you need a fenced in backyard? And of course, price.
• What part of town is best for you? Is the quality of the schools important to you? Look at the location compared to your commute to work. Notice the location of shopping options, parks, libraries, etc.
• Begin searching for homes online at BradyRealtyDFW.com.See what is available in the areas of Arlington that suit your needs. Mark your favorites or keep a list.
• Contact Realtor® Greg Brady with Fathom Realty. Any buyer should have their own agent who is looking out for them. The agent that is on the sign in front of the house represents the seller. Your agent can get you access to the homes you want to see and give you the advice you need to get a great deal on a great home. Your Realtor® can also help you search for the home that is just right for you.
• Need a lender? Unless you are fortunate enough to have the cash to pay for your house, you will need a good lender. Greg can recommend a lender who fits your needs. You will also need recommendations on other vendors such as inspectors.
• Close the deal and move into your new home! Your agent will explain the entire process before it starts, then walk you through it when it’s time to close the deal.

When buying a home in Arlington, TX, don’t leave anything to chance. Call or email Realtor® Greg Brady today!

This is a follow up to my blog post from 12/5/11, “Who has the best burger in Arlington, TX?”. I ended that post in a kind of tongue-in-cheek way by saying Whataburger was the winner of In-N-Out Burger and Five Guys. Honestly I would be just as likely to go get a Whataburger when I want a good burger as I would either of the others so it wasn’t completely a joke.

But now…there are 2 new contenders that I have sampled in the last week. When Dick Greenberg commented on my last post and mentioned SmashBurger, I knew it sounded familiar. It wasn’t well publicized as when we got In-N-Out Burger, but we did in fact just get a SmashBurger. So yes, I went and tried it out. And shocker…it’s a good burger! As I mentioned in the earlier blog, I think, I like burgers. It would be difficult for me to imagine having a bad burger. But my honest overall review would probably be that I thought it was pretty average. I liked the sauce they put on it, whatever it is, but I don’t really like it when I need a napkin the size of a beach towel after every bite I take. I mean I had junk all over my hands and face after every single bite…more so than with any other burger. The fries were good but I would say good in an average way.

Next, I went to another new joint called The Grease Monkey. The Grease Monkey is in our new revamped downtown Arlington area. Being downtown next to Babe’s Chicken House is worth cool points by itself. And when it comes to the burgers…A+++! This was the best burger I have had in my Burger Tour De Arlington up to this point! It started with the bun which was no average bun. I don’t know what it was that made it different and better but they must have put some kind of secret chemical in there to make me crave it nightly! The burger part, the meat, was noticeably tastier than the other burgers I have had. However they spice it up, it works. And I am a fan of any place that just puts the toppings out where you can make it as you wish. Their fries were really, really good. They were the skinny type fried which I always like better anyway, but they just tasted better than most.

For all you burger lovers in and near Arlington, TX, go to The Grease Monkey and treat yourself to the Best Burger in Arlington, TX! You won’t be disappointed.

Who has the best burger in Arlington, TX? Part Trois…possibly coming soon.

It was a great season for the Martin Warriors of Arlington, TX! The Warriors went all the way to the State Quarterfinals of the Texas High School Football Playoffs this year. After defeating Midland, San Angelo Central, and the nationally ranked Euless Trinity Trojans, the Warriors fell just short against the always strong Southlake Carroll Dragons. Martin finished the season with an overall record of 12-2 with their only regular season loss coming at the hands of cross town rival, Arlington High School.

One thing is for sure…these players really gave the Southwest Arlington area something to be very proud of. With those 12 team wins there were some very impressive individual efforts including senior quarterback Brodie Lambert. Brodie completed 100 passes for a total of 1370 yards with 12 of those completions being for touchdowns. Lambert was also mobile enough to rush for 234 yards with 4 touchdowns on the ground. Maybe one of the most intriguing stats of Lambert’s is that he also had 3 catches for 20 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now that’s versatility!

Junior runningback, Kyle Hicks, had a tremendous season. Hicks ran the ball 217 times for 1667 yards and a phenomenal 26 touchdowns! Kyle also caught 19 passes for 236 yards and 2 of those resulting in 6 points. And speaking of versatility, Hicks also threw 8 completions for 50 yards and 1 touchdown! It should be really fun to see what Kyle does in 2012 as a senior.

The Warrior receiving numbers were truly a result of a team effort. Eric Hughes, Chris Turner, and Regan Luce all caught 20+ passes for 300+ yards a piece. Luce made it into the endzone 5 times while Hughes and Turner each scored 3 times. With Luce and Hughes returning as seniors in 2012, the Warriors have plenty to look forward to.

While the Warriors may have fallen short of their goal of a State Championship, they went deep into the playoffs and overall played some really great football! The students, parents, faculty, and residents of the area could not be anymore proud of this team. So thank you for a great season and good luck in 2012!

Take care of your home this winter. If I hadn’t already figured out that winter was here before I stepped out in the bitter cold this morning, well I definitely know now. Even here in Texas, where we see ridiculously high temperatures in the summer, it’s gets down right cold in the winter and there are things you have to do to prepare your home. Here are a few home winterizing tips to make this winter go by with a little fuss and unexpected expense as possible.

1. This is easy. Cover your outside faucets to prevent the pipes from freezing. The cheap covers are usually only a dollar or two at your local hardware store.

2. Some say to have your home heating system checked by a pro every year. For some that’s not practical but if it’s been a while, call a professional to give it a once over if possible.

3. Go ahead and change the air filters in the A/C-Heating system in your home. People generally do not do this often enough as it is, so just do it now.

4. Service your fireplace. If you have a wood burning fireplace then have the chimney sweep come out…better safe then sorry. I have a clean burning gas fireplace that is a vented self contained unit. It doesn’t take much maintenance but I do open it up every year and get the dead bugs out that came down through the vent and then realized they were trapped!

5. Check to see if you feel a draft around doors and windows. Weather stripping is cheap and easy to apply. In some cases you may need some caulking on the outside joints around the windows. In the long run this will save you on the utility bills.

6. You really want to go ahead and get the leaves and gunk out of the gutters before the ice and snow hit. Yeah, I know, I also usually wait until the spring too. But you don’t want the weight of the ice and snow also adding to the weight of the leaves and other debris already in the gutters and then have to replace or repair a gutter that ripped off the house.

7. Check around the foundation of your home for possible varmint entry points. In the winter they will be looking for a warm place to stay. It may just be up under your foundation or if they have a dime size entry point into the actual house, you can bet they will take advantage.

8. Make sure your smoke detectors work but also be sure to have a carbon monoxide detector. It’s also a great idea to have a fire extinguisher or two handy in your home.

9. On those sub-freezing temperature days, make sure to keep all areas of your home supplied with heat. In my house, our master bath stays cooler than any other part of the house. Last year when it was in single digits, the pipes in our bathroom froze! It’s not like the temp in the bathroom was below 32 but it wasn’t warm enough to keep the pipes in the exterior wall from freezing. On those super cold days, we now put a small space heater in there to keep the temperature similar to the rest of the house.

10. Know where your main water shut off is located and how to use it. If a pipe bursts, you need to know how to quickly get to that shut off and then turn it off. This is important.

11. And don’t forget to take are of that outdoor landscaping that is sensitive to the cold temperatures and/or ice and snow. Use tarps or plastic to cover them up with needed.