About Kaufman County, TX

by the internet.

In case you didn't know sellers, many of today's buyers view your home at least five times online before they even consider calling a real estate professional.

What does this mean to you? It means you need to bring your A-Game by making sure your home is in great condition, "Showtime" ready and most importantly, priced to market conditions. It has been said that a first impression of your home is similar to a first impression on a first date. You only have one chance to appeal to buyers to make them want to see and learn more about your home.

As a Realtor, when buyers call me to inquire about one of my listings, normally the first thing out of their mouth is that "I saw this home online and would like to see it in person." They only need me to gain access to the property so that they can "see, touch and feel" the real thing. In some ways, that could be a little unnerving, especially if you don't have your best foot forward.

So what can you do to ensure that your home makes the list?

First of all, again, make sure that your home is in good/great condition. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes...would you buy your house again? Make sure that the exterior is power washed or painted. You need to also make sure that the landscaping is up to par even during the cold seasons. Some buyer's drive by a home first to check out the outside, that usually determines if they want to check out the inside.

Secondly, once you have the buyers inside your home, you need to make sure that they want to stay in your home. Real Estate professionals will usually give you brochures, booklets, handouts or advice as to what you need to do in order make your home "Showtime" ready. You can always buy magazines and check out home improvement shows on tv to get ideas and tips to help your home sale.

Finally and this is the biggest one, make sure that your home is PRICED RIGHT!! I know you've heard it before and it is true, if your home is not priced to market, then be prepared to have it sit on the market for the duration of your listing. Just because you've upgraded, or paid a certain amount for the property, does not necessarily mean that you will be getting that money back. If the market is demanding a lower price, then that's probably the case.

For us real estate professionals, this all goes without saying, but for sellers who are not familiar with the selling process, this is information you should take heed to.

If your home is listed in most MLS's, then it's probably online and what that means is that millions of people are viewing your home everyday. So you'd better make sure that your ready!!

Call me for a professional outlook about your home and ideas and techniques that you can use in order to make sure that your home is ready for the market.

MeLisa Minter, Realtor, 469-766-7379.

www.homesmint2be.com

Information contained herein is the advice and opinion of MeLisa Minter. Copyright 2008.

Sunnyvale Real Estate

SPOIL YOURSELF. ONE ACRE LOT! Amazing 3 bed, 2 bath, open & bright 1 story on quiet cul-de-sac. Spacious kit, gas cooktop, huge walk in pantry, large utility, sep. shower and tub, split bedrooms, fireplace, 2 in. blinds. Enjoy feeding the ducks on your pond. Fresh paint (07), water heater (06), garage door (07). Am. Home Shield warranty provided for buyers. One look and you'll agree it's the best buy in the area.

For additional information, contact Becky Bochniak
Phone: 972-672-6138
Mobile Phone: 972-672-6138
Fax: 800-664-4780
Inquire about this Listing

Well the Market Numbers are in for the 2nd quarter for Kaufman County and they are actually OK.

According to NTREIS, there were over 400 jobs added to the Kaufman County area which caused a decrease in unemployment from 4.7% in the first quarter to 4.4% this quarter. This is great information because we are experiencing Urban Sprawl in our growing County and when people find jobs, they definitely need a place to stay.

We were slightly down in the number of homes SOLD compared to last quarter of 253, there was actually 244 sold in this quarter. But with a margin that small, we can see that our County's Housing Market is much better than some other nearby counties.

We had a pretty good increase in the number of new homes built and permits requested. This quarter there were 46 new homes built as opposed to last quarter of 38. This I'm sure is due in part to The Devonshire in Community in Forney. The average days on market did not change much at all, this quarter it was 94, compared to last quarter of 95. Most areas are experiencing at least 100 days on the market.

What does this mean for buyers?? This means that like the rest of the Metroplex, you still have a good selection of inventory in the Kaufman County area. The average sale price this quarter was $135,700, down from last quarter of $141,000. This proves that Seller's are adjusting their prices to compete with what the Market is doing.

Sellers you still have it much better than the nearby counties of Rockwall and Collin Counties. While there is some new construction to compete with, there is not a huge amount, especially in the southern parts of the county where acreage is KING.

However, Forney Sellers, you do have a bit of a challenge with the new construction, but this means that you are going to need to be realistic about your selling price. Listen to your Realtors, they are the professionals. If you need a Scientific CMA performed, contact me and I will be glad to help you out. If you are deciding to go FSBO, contact me for my FSBO Seller's Package. If you are thinking about doing a Short Sale, Contact Me and I will be glad to help you compile a Short Sale Package.

Data By Zip Codes for Quarter 2

75142(Kaufman) - avg. price $99,300, # of homes sold 37, avg. days on Market 82

75160(Terrell) - avg. price $124,900, # of homes sold 49, avg. days on Market 82

75161(Terrell) - avg. price $158,200, # of homes sold 14, avg, days on Market 97

75126(Forney) - avg. price $155,600, # of homes sold 106, avg. days on Market 106

Copyright Kaufman County Realtor MeLisa Minter 2008. Info. provided by NTREIS.

I just read an article from SOUTHWEST ECONOMY called "Texas Growth Slows But Remains Healthy". Some key points the article shared:

-The single family housing sector remains weak. Builders continue to pull back on new-home construction.

-Sales of existing homes remain on a downward track. Inventories of existing homes for sale have risen to just over the equilibrium mark of the six months.

-Delinquent subprime mortgages continue to inch up in Texas. The state's delinquency rate is higher than the national average, but its foreclosure rate remains below the nation's.

-The Texas economic outlook is positive moving in to 2008. Housing woes are beleaguring the national economy, but Texas markets, while weak, have held up better than many other areas of the country.

As a realtor, I think this is very important information to share with my buyers and sellers. There are many homes on the market, so it is vital to differentiate your home from others. There are several ways to do this, but the most important is having exceptional drive-up appeal, a non-cluttered home, and CLEAN!!!! I am still amazed at how many homes I visit where beds are unmade, dishes are left in the sink, garbage cans are overflowing, and dirty laundry is in piles where potential buyers can see. Pet smells are another turn-off, especially dirty kitty litter boxes - YUCK!!! Remember that in order to sell your home in this weak economy, you need to set your home apart from the others. Take a little more time each morning to straighten your home. Visit model homes in the neighborhood and try to mimick what you see. Wal-mart and Target have nice home decor departments, as do Ross, Marshall's and T.J. Maxx. Another store that has great home decor and storage solutions for less is Tuesday Morning. And remember that a little extra yardwork, some fresh flowers in containers by the door, a nice welcome mat and sparkling windows can make all the difference and not cost a lot of money.

Also, as realtors, we get calls frequently wondering why a listing hasn't shown. First of all, realtors spend a lot of money marketing a property, but if the home is the same as ten others for sale in the neighborhood, you need to consider your price and how you can make your home stand out. Offering home warranties or incentives to buyers is another great way to increase traffic to your home. Declining showings is also something else that amazes me. It isn't always convenient to show, but do your best to allow an agent to show your home when you are asked. The person she is bringing may only have one day to make a decision - this happens often with relocations.

Sellers need to understand that they play a vital role in the sale of their home. Realtors spend a lot of time and money marketing a property, but it is the seller's responsibility to have the home show ready and available to show at anytime. We have to work as a team to get the best results - SOLD!!!

Make it a great day!!!

As a local real estate agent, I was thrilled to learn the following news through another community blog:

Forney Regional Medical Center & Forney Medical Plaza Update

Filed under: Life in Forney, Commercial Development - Josh at 2:03 pm on Monday, January 21, 2008

This past Friday, Cirrus Health announced that the land on which Forney Regional Medical Center will be located has been officially purchased. Forney Regional Medical Center will be located along FM 548, at the intersection of FM 548 and the yet-to-be-built Rogers Parkway, south of Highway 80. The 102,000 square foot hospital will include an emergency room, an obstetric unit with four birthing rooms, two procedure rooms, four operating rooms, a heart cath lab and an initial capacity of 40 beds. The hospital could create up to 150 jobs in Forney.

The FRMC has aligned itself with the Medical City of Dallas and will have a heliport to quickly transport patients needing more advanced care to Medical City. Groundbreaking on the new hospital has yet to be scheduled, but is expected to occur in late February. Cirrus Health has created a website with more information about the hospital.

Click read on for an update about Forney Medical Plaza, the other hospital being built in Forney...
(Read on ...)

You can read more about this at www.twentypeacefulminutes.com. This is a great blog about Forney, TX. Congratulations to Forney and to the CIRRUS Medical Group - How EXCITING!!!