John Jones

The Rockwall County Property Tax Rates have been released by the Rockwall County Appraisal District for 2009. These tax rates apply to taxes that will be due by the end of the year (2009) for tax year 2009.

Below is a list of cities in Rockwall County and their respective tax rates. Two cities, Rowlett and Garland, both lie primarily in Dallas County. The tax rate shown below only applies to the parts of those cities that lie within the borders of Rockwall County. The tax rates for all homes should be verified through the proper central appraisal district. I have obtained this information from third parties and can make no claim as to its accuracy.

The Kaufman County property tax rates for 2009 have been released by the Kaufman County Central Aprpaisal District. These tax rates will apply to property taxes due by the end of 2009.

Below is a list of cities in Kaufman County with their respective property tax rates. Tax rates on this list only apply to cities within the borders of Kaufman County. Some cities may lie in different counties and possibly even school districts, so please verify tax rates for individual properties through the Kaufman County Central Appraisal District.

Please note that I obtained this information from third parties and cannot guarantee or make any warranties as to its accuracy. Please verify tax rates with the appraisal district.

Here's a list of the Collin County Property Tax Rates for 2009 listed in order of lowest to highest by city. These 2009 tax rates for Collin County were just recently released by the Collin County Central Appraisal District.

Property tax rates are a sum total of the county, city and school taxes for each taxing entity. It's important to note that some of these cities may lie in multiple counties and school districts, so the tax rates shown here may be different in cities that either lie outside of Collin county or that lie in multiple school zones.

While the property tax rate is certainly an important factor to consider when purchasing a home, I do not recommend that home buyers choose a city based solely on the tax rate. There are plenty of other factors to consider besides just the tax rate. This is simply meant to be a guide for home owners and perspective buyers who are curious about the cost of home ownership in various cities in Collin County.

This information was also provided by third parties, so i can make no warranty as to the accuracy. Please verify the tax rates with the Collin County Central Appraisal District.

Beginning January 1, 2010, residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) manufacturers will have to cease production of equipment that runs on R22 freon refrigerant as part of an international agreement signed by the United States.

In 1986, a group of nations signed the Montreal Protocol to gradually phase out CFCs (Chloroflorocarbons) because of their damage to the environment and the ozone layer in the atmosphere. Initially, R12 freon, the refrigerant that was previously used in automobile air conditioning systems, was phased out. The continued phase out will now begin to affect residential HVAC units starting in a few weeks.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT HOMEOWNERS?

Homeowners who have HVAC units that run on R22 freon may not be able to find replacement units after January 1, 2010. However, repair and replacement parts for the units may continue to be available for a long time. The person I refer my clients to for HVAC repair, Tim Bob (yes, that's his last name) recently mentioned that many of these units are becoming harder to find even at this point. Tim recommends that all homeowners who may be having issues with their HVAC units attempt to have them serviced and/or repaired as soon as possible. Tim Bob's number is 214-762-2598 and he provides air conditioning and heating sales and service to the majority of the D/FW area.

HVAC units consist of several components. The two main components are the evaporator coil (inside unit) and the compressor (outside unit). In situations where either the inside or outside unit has failed completely and must be totally replaced, the other unit may be retrofitted to run in compliance with the new requirements in many cases.

What about homeowners who have units that run on R22? Will they have to upgrade them if they need to have freon added?

NO because the current phase out only requires companies to cease manufacture of R22 equipment. The law does not eliminate the manufacture of R22 freon until the year 2020, so current equipment that runs on R22 can still be serviced with new freon. However, if the unit fails completely and must be entirely replaced, the new unit will have to be one that does not run on R22.

Call Tim Bob today for your heating and air conditioning (HVAC) needs in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. His number is 214-762-2598.

I have a past client who lives and works in the Arlington - Tarrant County area that is looking to meet some homeowners and/or real estate agents with clients in need of general home repair work and maintenance. He is also interested in building up a business of people that may need regular yard and lawn maintenance.

Here's a list of the type of work he has experience with and prefers to do:

• General lawn care and maintenance
• Building and repairing fences
• Sprinkler system repairs.
• General handyman work.

If you or any of your clients need some work done, please call Brandon Jeffries at 832-477-4019.