Joshua Harley

In Dallas:

Mesquite Championship Rodeo
Come out on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30pm. Enjoy America's original sport at the Resistol Arena in a modern, air-conditioned building. Two hours of edge-of-your-seat action! Come watch the high-flying bronco riders, brawny steer wrestlers, beautiful cowgirl barrel racers, bull riders, daredevil rodeo clowns and some of the orneriest bulls in the business! Doors open at 6pm!

Crue Fest 2
Come out to the Superpages.com Center to see this well known Grammy Award-nominated American hard rock band. They will be here live to perform some of their great hard rocking sounds of their era starting at 5pm.

Summer Saturday Family Day: Downtown Detectives
Summer Saturday includes; discounted Museum admission, themes from Dallas County's history, guided building tours of the Old Red Courthouse, gallery scavenger hunt, crafts, and hands-on activities for kids ages 4-16.

Caribbean Music Festival
It's Caribbean Music Time at Traders Village! Get ready to party hearty as the Annual Caribbean Music Fest drums up some tropical fun! Live music, dancing, festival foods, and barrels of bargains guaranteed there'll be great fun at the market all weekend long. Admission is free and parking is $3.

Dallas Health & Fitness Expo
The Expo is free to the public and will feature fun family activities like dancing, aerobics, Healthy Cooking demonstrations, soccer, golf, SCUBA and much more, as well as health tests and screenings and other important health and medical information to help the community get healthy and fit!

In Frisco:

Roughriders Baseball
Come out on Saturday at 7pm to see our Riders take on San Antonio at Dr Pepper Ballpark.

In Grapevine:

USTA Pro Women's Tennis Event
A Women's $50,000 Challenger - part of the USTA Pro Circuit. This tournament attracts the top 50 - 200 ranked players in the world competing for spots in the upcoming U.S. Open. Plan to be there!

In McKinley:

2nd Saturday Art Walk at Garret Gallery
The Garret Art Gallery will be featuring Oil Painter Vicky Saylor at the 2nd Saturday Art Walk. Meet the artist and opening reception 7-10pm. Aug. 8th.

Beatlegras in Concert
Senior Select Presents BEATLEGRAS IN CONCERT Benefitting Meals on Wheels www.beatlegras.com McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) AUGUST 8, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. Tickets available through the Emerson Ticket Office at MPAC 111 N Tennessee St, McKinney Please call 214.544.4630 (Tues-Fri, noon to 6pm) Tickets: $31 VIP Tickets: $51

Laura Moore Art Exhibit
SHADOWS Call to Artists Group Art Exhibit at Laura Moore Fine Art Studios Opening Night - Saturday, August 8th 7-10pm Come out and enjoy a night of art with over 40 works of art from more than 20 local artists.

McKinney Historical Run
Benefitting The Samaritan Inn (Collin County's only homeless shelter). The McKinney Historical Run 2008 was held last year with 216 finishers (pictures); this year's goal is 400. This is a 5K and 1mile Fun Run on the Historic Downtown McKinney Square.

Buyer’s often find themselves watching a property for a price reduction. Although getting the best deal possible when purchasing Dallas real estate is important, it is not the only factor that determines monthly payments on a home. Rising interest rates nearly diminish the positive aspects of waiting for prices to drop.

Most people are familiar with the basic trends in real estate that have been affected by the United States economic crisis. The listing prices of homes have been steadily declining over the past couple years. This has put people looking to purchase Dallas real estate at an advantage over those trying to sell. People have best described this as a buyer’s market due to the low property prices and reasonable interest rates. However, the decline in prices is stabilizing while interest rates are beginning to inch up. It is becoming more and more popular for investors to make offers on properties, sometimes sweeping the property away from home buyers. Could buyers begin loosing their advantage? Today, properties that are correctly listed at a reasonable asking price are not being reevaluated and reduced as often. These are some of the factors that prove lower Dallas real estate prices are not always worth the wait.

Buyer’s should not be waiting for interest rates to continue declining, especially since real estate and economy experts are predicting that the lowest rates have come and gone. This is not necessarily a horrible thing. Rates are still lower than historical highs, which exceed 6.00%. With the new administration trying to bring back the economy, many analysts see a period of severe inflation in our future. Meaning interest rates are likely to jump even higher. The Federal Reserve introduced a program to help control interest rates on home loans. For example, the rates for a thirty year fixed-rate loan have been consistently ranging from 4.50% to 5.00%. Now, rates for this type of loan and the rates of other types of real estate loans are beginning to exceed their more reasonable range. Therefore, increasing interest rates may start rushing your desired closing date.

At the end of May buyers, who have been procrastinating by waiting for lower interest rates or price reductions, learned their lesson the hard way. At the end of the month interest rates went up about .50%-1.00%. Increasing interest rates defeats the purpose of waiting for Dallas real estate prices to drop. Higher interest rates decrease the overall affordability and increase the monthly payments, especially when the price of the desired home does not budge.

Bottom line, it is not a time to be waiting around. Time is running out to take advantage of the current real estate market and loan programs being offered by the government. For instance, first time home buyers have until December 1^st, 2009 to close on their home if they want to be eligible for a maximum tax rebate of $8,000 dollars. Since interest rates are expected to increase, waiting for real estate prices to drop is not worth the wait. Don’t procrastinate. You might unintentionally pass up a piece of gold trying to find a diamond.

Search all Dallas real estate and homes for sale by visiting TexasHomeCentral.com.

Existing-home sales rose for the third consecutive month with inventory easing and home prices declining less sharply in June, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, is hopeful about the gain. "The increase in existing-home sales occurred in all major regions of the country," he said. "We expect a gradual uptrend in sales to continue due to tax credit incentives and historically high affordability conditions. Despite the rise in closed transactions, many Realtors® are reporting lost sales as a result of new appraisal standards that went into effect May 1 of this year."

But what is happening in our local market? Take a look at Dallas real estate sales for June 2009...

Dallas Real Estate Sales Statistics

Dallas real estate sales were down 12 percent in June with 618 fewer homes sold. The averages sales price dropped $4,800 or 2 percent while the median price increased $1,80 or 1 percent. The number of homes for sale decreased 19 percent and the months of inventory remained unchanged.

June 2009
Homes Sold: 4,562
Average Sales Price: $214,200
Median Sales Price: $166,200
Total Number of Listings: 24,677
Months Inventory: 6.6

June 2008
Homes Sold: 5,180
Average Sales Price: $219,000
Median Sales Price: $164,400
Total Number of Listings: 30,340
Months Inventory: 6.6

Search all Dallas real estate and homes for sale.

Everyone enjoys spending time relaxing poolside or splashing around in the refreshing cold water. For many kids it is a favorite summer pastime that seems harmless. Drowning is actually the second leading cause of death for children who are 14 years old or younger. Approximately 3,000 children in this age group make trips to the emergency room in need of treatment for near drowning incidents. People ages 60 and older are also at a higher risk for experiencing danger in the water. Death and other water related accidents can be completely prevented and avoided if the proper precautions are observed and enforced. Whether hanging out around your Dallas home’s backyard pool or enjoying the day at the community pool these tips will keep family and friends safe and smiling.

• Supervise all children at all times, especially children ages 14 or younger.
• All pools should be completely surrounded by a barrier fence that is at least 5 feet tall with gates that automatically close and latch. Children drowning after wandering in to an unenclosed pool account for over half of the children who die from downing every year.
• Drain entrapment is another evil danger that haunts swimming pools. Pools must have anti-entrapment drain covers on all of the drains. There also needs to be a safety vacuum release system. This system prevents children from being trapped under water when they are captured by the drain’s powerful suction.
• It is a good idea to install pool alarms around you Dallas home’s pool area. Pool alarms can be installed on gates to detect when someone is in the area. Specialized pool alarms can also be installed to detect when someone gets in the water.
• Get training and become certified to perform water rescue skills, like CPR and first aid.
• To take extra precautions complete a lifeguard certification course.
• Always keep rescue and first aid equipment readily available and easily accessible in the actual pool area.
• It is important to keep a phone handy in the pool area to make quick emergency calls.
• Keep toys and other pool accessories in secure storage while the pool area is unoccupied. These things can attract unsupervised children and block the view of potential emergencies.
• Encourage children to learn proper swimming techniques and develop strong swimming skills. Parents should enroll children in swimming lessons when they reach age 4. Many local Dallas organizations offer free or affordable swimming lessons.

Inflatable swimming devices, such as rafts, water wings, noodles, and lounge chairs are not flotation devices or rescue equipment and they do not prevent drowning.

In Dallas:

Dallas Summer Boat Show
Whether the boating enthusiast is looking for sporty lakeside fun, something utilitarian for fishing adventures, luxury liner yachts or a relaxing family entertainment outlet, the Dallas Summer Boat Show features something for everyone under one roof for all ages.

Campfire Sagas
Come and enjoy stories from costumed characters about days long gone but not forgotten. Campfire guests will sit around a roaring campfire ringed with old-time lanterns and listen to costumed actors as they portray some of Farmers Branch most colorful citizens. Reservations are required for each performance, payment due at reservation; tickets are non-refundable. Approximately 1-1/2 hours; dessert, cowboy coffee, lemonade and water are included. The cost is $5 per person. - Find Dallas Real Estate

In Frisco:

The Big Chill Video Disco & Frisco Family Services Food Pantry Drive
Stomp out hunger while you bust a move with music from the 60’s and 70’s! Watch the original artists’ performances on our Giant Video Screens. Bring canned food goods for the Frisco Family Services food pantry, and get a raffle ticket for every food item. There will be great prizes. We will also have a costume contest. Admission is $10 pre-sale online or $15 at the door. - Find Frisco Real Estate

In Grapevine:

Fifth annual Mayborn Conference
2009 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest - an annual literary conference hosted by the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. The conference brings in renowned nonfiction storytellers from across the country for lectures and workshops. Also includes a literary competition. - Find Grapevine Real Estate

In McKinley:

The Quinten Hope Trio Live at Cadillac Pizza Pub
The Quinten Hope Trio will be live at Cadillac Pizza Pub in Downtown McKinney call for more information 972-547-3833. - Find McKinney Real Estate