Jeff Stokes

Fall is upon on us so if you are anything like me you are excited about the cooler weather and getting outside to enjoy those cooler days and evenings with family and friends. I want to dedicate this edition of our newsletter to what has been on my heart the most lately- family and friends. When I think of Real Estate I truly think of dreams, goals and most of all family and friends. Here at S&W Home Team we are very fortunate that we spend the majority of our time working with friends and family. We find it an honor to help that young married couple fulfill their dream of buying their first home together. It is our privilege when we assist a family selling their home so they can buy another home that is going to better fit their needs. Sometimes this means the family is growing and is expecting a new baby so they need a larger home, while at other times it is a family that the kids are going off to college and it is time for them to downsize. No matter the case, what Real Estate means to us is the opportunity for us to help friends and family meet their goals and fulfill their dream of home ownership. We believe that "Home is where the Heart is" so we do everything within our power to make the buying and selling process as stress free and smooth as possible so our clients walk away feeling served and taken care of.

As we draw closer to the holiday season we have many opportunities to give thanks to those people in our lives who have touched us. I know personally that I find it very encouraging and energizing when I slow down to give thanks and to encourage the people in my life. Slowing down might simply be putting aside our own work and worries for a few minutes and calling that person that you have not spoken to in a long time, writing them a letter or going for a walk with someone that you care about. As a nation we have experienced a tough couple of years so I know it can be hard at times to feel thankful, but it is so important for our personal growth to have reflection of the positive things in our life when it is not always easy to do. We all have unexpected life changes that can lead us to question ourselves and the choices we have made. At these times, we can choose to take a deep look into our own lives and become stronger and healthier or choose to become weaker; either way it is our choice. I read a recent quote that says it perfectly, "There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." I believe that moving forward means to take complete ownership of our life without blaming others or situations and then becoming aware of our own fears that are holding us back from becoming what we desire most. Much of this strength to change has to come internally, but surrounding ourselves with friends and family who can encourage us can not be underestimated.

We are quickly approaching 2010 and with that our team would like to thank you for making our 2009 a successful year. It is because of your referrals and trust in us that allows us to serve and assist so many of your family and friends. We cherish and value this responsibility and will continue to treat you and your loved ones with the same care that we always have.

Please visit the S&W Home Team website for more related information on buying and selling a home: www.swhometeam.com or call today at (972) 393-9602

In today's competitive environment we have all witnessed first hand the lack of customer service that exists. Whether we are calling a company to desperately talk to a human as we follow the prompts of which number to push to only get another recorded voice or sitting at a restaurant wondering whether we will ever get served; we all just desire to do business with those organizations that truly understand and appreciate the value of true customer service. In the Real Estate market consumers have many options and with this in mind we are proud to announce the formation of S&W Home Team.

Founded on the principles of customer service and professionalism S&W Home Team consists of Jeff A. Stokes, Aundrea Whalen and Lisa Baker. Combined S&W Home Team brings over 40 years of Real Estate experience!

In order to provide excellent service in a Real Estate transaction it is vital that attention is placed to each step of the process and for this reason S&W Home Team have clear and defined responsibilities for each team member. Whether you are buying, selling or building you can rest assured we have all areas covered. Jeff's primary responsibility is to work with our sellers, Aundrea is a buyer specialist and Lisa is responsible for all the back-end logistics that is required to get your home closed on time and seamlessly. Although there is always some overlap in responsibility as there is with any team, we know our roles and you can trust that as a client you will always have someone giving you the attention and information that you need and deserve.

Aundrea Whalen- Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)

In today's global world, developing and implementing a strategy to obtain financial freedom is a necessity. A comfortable retirement just does not happen by chance for the majority of us. We all have witnessed this year the deterioration of our equity accounts- 401k's, SEP IRA's etc as well as our home values in many areas of the country. We constantly hear that we need to diversify our assets, to stay the course and invest long-term. I believe these to be worthy principles as we do not need to have knee jerk reactions to the ever changing stock market. Warren Buffet who epitomizes how to invest for the long-term states it very clearly- "Invest the way I do....Long term."

So how do you define Financial Freedom? How much money do you need? At what age do you want to retire, how much money will you need to retire? These are just a few of many questions that we need to ask ourselves. The questions are easy, but the hard part is then taking the answers and formulating a plan. Hopefully many of you have already worked with a financial planner or CPA to assist you in this planning. As part of this planning, I would like to encourage you to include Real Estate investing as part of your strategy.

Investing in Real Estate is a prudent way to create long term wealth and financial freedom. Buy smart (I can help with this) and reduce debt quickly and begin to reap the rewards of long term passive income. Is this possible? YES! I don't have enough money? You would be surprised of how little it can cost! There is no better time than the present to at least entertain the option of diversifying your retirement assets and to start accumulating wealth through Real Estate. Interest rates are still at historical lows, less people can get approved for loans (i.e. more renters) and we still have many tax benefits in owning Real Estate to avoid paying at our marginal tax rates.

I realize that owning Real Estate requires more on going work than buying/selling stock, but I believe the long term value outweighs any inconvenience that the extra effort might present.

If you have an interest in entertaining some Real Estate investments please feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss Real Estate investment strategies to create wealth. There are many opportunities for the small investor to invest successfully in Real Estate.

Jeff A. Stokes- Jeff@JeffAStokes.com

It is starting to feel a lot like summer here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Temperatures already continue to surpass the 90˚ mark and nearly hit the 100˚ mark with a high of 99˚. Yes it gets very hot in the Metroplex and we enjoy complaining about the scorching heat, but despite all the hot weather we endure every summer great reasons exist as to why we stay. I would like to spend some time here to remind/refresh you of why we should continue to love the DFW area. Perhaps this information will help you endure the dog days of summer a bit easier!

Despite common notions, there is more to Dallas than football. Big D- as well its sister to the west -Fort Worth, have much to offer- from sports, shopping, dining, arts to employment and urban housing. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is booming! Since 1995, the population increased 30% to today's figure of 5.9 million. This influx is not expected to slow down! By 2020, the number may reach 7.5 million. At 385 square miles, there's plenty of room to grow Dallas outward.

DFW is a mecca for sports entertainment with professional sports teams in football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer. Additionally, we have the Texas Motor Speedway and Lone Star Park. If you are not a sports enthusiast, you can enjoy the over 30 museums that are in the DFW area. Maybe you're like me and love food. According to Texas Restaurant Association, the Dallas area boasts more than 6,000 restaurants!! Also according to Zagat the #1 restaurant in the U.S., The French Room is right here in Dallas at the Adolphus Hotel. Don't forget Texas is known for our Tex-Mex. Time after time when I speak with people that have spent any length of time out of Texas, they say they could not wait to return home to eat their Tex-Mex! According to Pace Foods, Dallas residents consume the most picante sauce in the nation! So if food is not your passion but you love shopping then Dallas certainly will not let you down. Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any other major U.S. city! Perhaps you are a fan of hospitality and enjoy a quick weekend getaway from the homestead....well Metropolitan Dallas has more hotels than New York City! The Dallas/Fort Worth Area has two of the top 10 ranked hotels in America and the only U.S. hotel ranked in the top 10 of the world. Additionally, it might surprise you that Texas ranks second behind California as a pleasure travel destination for U.S. residents.

Finally, if sports, dining, shopping etc. do not convince you of how great the Dallas/Fort Worth area is to live then let me speak to your financial side with a few housing facts. Despite the national slow down in real estate sales of new and pre-owned properties and a high foreclosure rate; the North Texas market remains one of the country's strongest. The Dallas/Fort Worth Area is ranked as the #1 growth market in the U.S. The DFW area (and Houston) rank as the "most affordable" housing markets of the 20 largest U.S. cities. Texas leads the U.S. in job growth and as you know job growth is the most important market driver in creating housing demand. DFW ranks as the #2 job growth market in the U.S.

Still not convinced that Dallas is a great city to live? Well, then head to the pool this summer and pour yourself a frozen margarita from your frozen margarita machine (which by the way was invented in Dallas) and simply relax and know that in the end we still have our Cowboys. Sorry, who said Dallas is not known for its football??

"Don't believe the Hype" is a commonly heard phrase in the sensationalized world we live in. Whether it is the presidential political campaigns, international commerce or Real Estate we can always count on the media and news syndicates to tell us the sky is falling. The media feels personally responsible to find the negative in most situations. I for one grow tired of watching the news and reading the paper and constantly being bombarded with negative news. I firmly believe that our thoughts become our actions. In other words, if you think negatively then that is what will play out in your life. I am not saying we should close our eyes to the tragedies in our world, but open our eyes and recognize the potential negative and quickly find the positives- they are always there... To that point, yes the Real Estate market has taken a hit. The DFW area has had its share of foreclosures and the sub prime lender debacle has played its course in hurting our market as well. When you read the paper or watch the news though you would be led to believe that the DFW area market has collapsed. This is just not the case. Go to the west or east coast and there you will see the collapse. The DFW area in fact was recently reported as the least likely of any area in the country to see a price decrease in homes. Why? We never saw the bubble....so no bust! Texas and the DFW area never experienced the double digit home price gains in the past decade. People continue to move to Texas because our state economy is doing relatively well and is above the national average. There will be pockets of the Metroplex that will have a rough time in 2008 despite the overall positive forecasts for the Metroplex as a whole. Why is this? Real Estate is very local in nature. Real Estate is like the weather, it can be cloudy and rainy in East Dallas, but warm and sunny in West Dallas. Finally, let's not forget that interest rates are still at all time lows. Yes the mortgage industry is getting hit hard due to all the mortgage defaults, which has forced them to raise the standards for mortgage approval, but you can still find many great options out there.

I wish all of you a wonderful spring season and invite you to join me in finding out the facts, finding the positives in all situations and most importantly "Don't believe the Hype"...