BRIAN and MARIE SPRAY - Frisco TX Realtors

Well, word is out that Frisco Texas will get a dog park! For at least a year there have been dog owners

getting together and getting petitions out urging the city to reserve space for a dog park in an upcoming

park. Last month the City Council approved revisions to the master plan for B.F. Phillips Community Park

allowing space for the dog park! The park is located at 3335 4th Army Memorial Road and will also

include sporting fields, a 'sprayground', nature trails and of course a playground. The only catch? The

City hasn't yet identified funding for the project so there isn't actually a timeline for completion yet. With

all the interest in the park I'm sure funding can't be too far away!

If you're thinking of moving to the Dallas area, this is just one more of many reasons why Frisco is where you should live!

A simple delicious dish that's a winner at our home!

Yield: 4 servings.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon minced chives

1 Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

2 Add butter and lime juice to the skillet: cook and stir until butter is melted. Stir in dill and chives. Drizzle over chicken. Serve with steamed vegetables.

The radio spots sure sound good - "I got this great 3 bedroom 2 bath home for less than I paid for my car!" All you need to do is call their 800 number and they'll send you a list of foreclosures in your area! You think, hey I'd like to get one of these great deals! People are getting foreclosed on all over the place! So you call their number and voila you have a list of homes to be sold at the next auction on the courthouse steps!

Allright! Um, now what do I do?

Well, heres a few things you may not have known about these foreclosure lists:

1. You are completely on your own buying at the courthouse auction. There is no one to advise you or help with bidding strategy.

2. Bidding starts at the level of the lienholder that is foreclosing on the property, usually the mortgage company. If so, the bidding will start at the amount due to them. If the home had been recently purchased or re financed the opening bid may very well be higher than the current value of the home!

3. What you won't know is if there are additional liens on the home that you may become responsible for.

4. In Texas there is a "Right of Redemption" whereby the foreclosed upon person has up to 2 years where he can basically 'buy back' his own home.

5. All foreclosure sales are public and seasoned investors know where to look for the public posting of properties to be auctioned. They will have done their homework and if there is a good deal to be had, they will have a huge leg up in getting it.

6. All sales are treated as cash sales. If you win you'll have to be prepared to pay the full price right then and there!

7. In 99% of the cases you will not be able to examine the inside of a home before bidding on it. What if it has holes in the wall, or all the appliances have been taken away, or its full of decomposing trash?

My suggestion is to leave the auction bidding for the professionals, if you want a good deal get with your Realtor and ask about short sales or REO properties. REOs are properties that have been foreclosed on, didn't sell at auction and now are owned by the mortgage company. This is the time when you really have an advantage over them! They do not want to hold these homes and only now will they let it go for less than what they were owed. Short sales are properties that are about to be foreclosed on and the seller is hoping that if they present their lender with a decent offer they'll take it and avoid foreclosure. Both are more complicated and frustrating than buying a home from an owner/occupant so be prepared for encountering time delays, documentation challenges and sometimes poor communication from the selling party.

The bottom line in all this is get with your Realtor!!! We are experienced in these things, and work for your best interests AND you don't pay us! We earn our hard earned commission at closing and are paid by the selling party!

Would you go to court without a free lawyer? Do not go into any Real Estate transaction without an experienced Realtor!!!

Trout fishing in Frisco Texas? Yep! You betcha! They may not be trophy size, but the city of Frisco is

stocking the pond at Frisco Commons Park with them and you can bring your kids there on the morning

of Feb 14 to try your luck at catching them! This event is free and is open to the kids from 8:00 am until

11:00 am. After that fishing is open to the public. You will need to bring your own fishing gear including

bait, tackle, stringer and such. I recommend getting there as early as you can. Last year we brought our

3 boys there and arrived around 8:30. It was very crowded all the way around the pond! Fortunately we

were able to find a sliver of shore front and casted out! Bait wise I would recommend worms with a

bobber or maybe smaller spinner baits. We had the best luck last year with shiny spinners with fluffy

tails. The trout are not native to this area, they can't handle warm water well, so come on down to catch

what you can!

For more information check out www.FriscoFun.org

If you like free stuff and have ever purchased cosmetics from Dillards, Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus,

Saks Fifth Ave between May 1994 and July 2003 then you are in luck! As part of a class action lawsuit

settlement deparment stores are giving away $175 million in cosmetics!!! "I don't have a receipt!" you

say? No problem - the deal is on the honor system! Just sign a form saying you have purchased from

them and then you will be able to choose an item from a designated section! In Neiman Marcus they will

have a special area in its cosmetics department to deal with this situation. You better hurry, there are no

rain checks and some of the best stuff may be gone already - also the giveaway lasts until Tuesday Jan

27th so don't wait!!

For more info go to www.cosmeticsettlement.com