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Murphy, TX

Greatest Gift of All

Teral McDowell GRI Plano REALTOR®.: Real Estate Agent in Murphy, TX

Snow falling on the church

Christmas Eve, 2009 proved to be a special time of celebration indeed. Within the city of Murphy, Texas excitement abounded as the members of First Baptist Church of Murphy returned to their newly reconstructed 109 year old building for its traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Although the wait was long the real blessing was seeing new and old members alike as well as neighbors and family fill the sanctuary. It warmed our hearts with hope and joy for the evening as well as the coming of the new year.

The evening held another first for most of the members as the heavens opened and filled the skies with snowflakes. It began snowing late afternoon on Christmas eve and stayed around into the morning hours of Christmas day. It was reported as the first White Christmas in the Dallas-Ft Worth area in some 80 years.

If you live in or nearby Murphy, Texas the members of First Baptist Church of Murphy would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you to come on by and see what God is doing in Murphy.

Murphy homes for sale

12-23-09
austin ellis
austin ellis: Real Estate Agent in Dallas, TX

Murphy homes for sale are a great buy right now, especially because you can get so much bang for your buck in this area. The atmosphere is great, as it is right outside of Dallas, and yet you can get alot of land or get your nice sized custom house for a great price and it will still be on a good sized lot.

Murphy real estate has evolved drastically over the last 10 years, and it will evolve even more so in the next 10 years, as our Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex continues to grow, so will Murphy, and it will only continue to be a hot spot for more home builders.

For more info on Murphy, give us a call today!

Friday Foto ~ Stumped?

Teral McDowell GRI Plano REALTOR®.: Real Estate Agent in Murphy, TX

foundation sitting on tree stumps

Update on Church

Show Me the Property!

Teral McDowell GRI Plano REALTOR®.: Real Estate Agent in Murphy, TX
I can't help but wonder if other agents feel the same as I do. You have a customer. You are working hard obtaining the information they have requested from you. You go to your multiple listing site. You define your search with all the criteria the customer has given. Hit input to start the search. You are delighted! The search reveals several homes in the right price range within the right location. The list of homes displays. You make your choice, click on the listing and up pops up all the relevant information for that home except...the picture!

OMG! Sure I might know the general area maybe even that particular area but do I really know the inside of the home. The customer has questions. What if he's already drove by the house, the neighborhood and the general area? What if he is calling you on the phone for the specific bits of information he doesn't have?

I did recently receive one such call that the information was critical to the caller as he had a disabled person living in the home with him. Here I am verbally trying to explain to the caller that the listing agent failed to input pictures It sounds much like excuses and not much like a got-it-together agent; would you agree? So I find myself researching at the speed of my fingers any other possibilities to offer as an alternative should the caller not want to schedule an appointment or even a follow-up call. Three of the five listings failed to produce a home with photos ~ three!

With today's technology let's suppose how difficult is it to take a picture. We have all kinds of options from the disposal cameras, yes they do still exist to the highly paid professionals. As agents, we are told the importance of photographs from our brokers, our associations, our instructors and sometimes our clients. If pictures are rated so high on the chart of necessities in marketing, I can't help but wonder why so many listings are on the servers without images.

Do the agents or brokers that allow these listings to be submitted without photos for days or months on end realize the reduced revenue they are realizing for themselves or their agents? It would make every one's role a little smoother, a little kinder, a little nicer if more of our listings represented all of the client's interest with pictures. All I am asking is that you show me the property.

A Valentine's to Remember

Teral McDowell GRI Plano REALTOR®.: Real Estate Agent in Murphy, TX

front view of house

Valentine 1999. An all important date in my life. It holds a sweet memory, no pun intended. I had in my hand for the first time keys to a house that I could call home. I don't recall the drive from the closing to the house but oh, how well I remember standing in the middle of the living room with those keys in my hand. I was elated, surprised, overcome with joy and any other expression of happiness one can imagine. And it was Valentine's Day!

The journey began for me when I decided to take action and fulfill my dream of home ownership. It was January and all about new ~ year, home, leap of faith. So I leaped and contacted a mortgage person. They were able to help me determine how much home I could afford to buy. Whew, was I glad that process went quickly and smoothly. Pre-qualifying was relatively painless. I was motivated. I was ready and able. I needed to find a location I was willing to live in.

Out came the map book, highlighters and all the other tools needed to study. I identified several areas I was willing to consider. It was time for the great adventure; exploring the new and unknown areas in hopes that I would consider one home.

Exploring involved driving to each area and scouting out the neighborhoods. First, I drove through the streets on a regular work day. Next, I went back out on a Saturday to those I had not ruled out on the previous drive-by. Doing this really gave me a good feel for the neighborhood.

Having achieved my goals within a week I was ready to meet with a real estate agent. I handed over to the agent my maps and list of requirements in a home. Not being an agent myself at the time I was unaware of what the term meant to be a ready, willing and able buyer. But the agent knew and gladly explained that I had properly prepared beforehand.

My agent advised me that in light of all the information I had shared they would be able to prepare a tour of homes for the following day. The next day was a Saturday and we started out on our tour with seven homes. I knew when we entered the last home I had walked into what would be my new home. It was a good home for me and a fabulous Valentine's day in 1999.

View of back yard


If you are considering making your dream of home ownership a reality please give me a call. Together we can work through the process of owning a home. If you qualify, you may be entitled to the first time homebuyers tax credit of 2009. The credit could help you in achieving your dream of homeowner.