Your Frisco Realtor: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Tips for a First-time Home Buyer Part 1

Tips for a First-time Home Buyer Part 1

So you've made one of the biggest decisions of you life, you want to purchase you first home, but are you finances in order? Even if you are not planning to make your first home purchase for 3-6 monyhs there are still a number of improvements that you can make now before taking on a mortgage.

What can you realistically afford?

One simple was to do this is to use one of the many online calculators, this will give you a basic idea of what you can expect your monthly house payment, Property taxes and insurance payment to be. Also on your first meeting with your Real Estate Agent they will most likely ask you if you have been pre-approved for a mortgage and if not will be able to recommend a few mortgage professionals that they have worked with in the past.

Getting your financial house in order.

One thing a mortgage professional may suggest is months before you buy a home, begin putting the amount of money that you will have to use for a house payment into a separate bank account. Save that money rather than spending it for those months, and see how you do at managing your other bills with only the money that is left."

Don't forget to take taxes into account also. Also hold the down payment (3.5% minimum) plus closing costs in a savings account for more than two months and provide bank statements to demonstrate that it was earned and not gifted.

If you have any old negative information that should have rolled off contact the credit agency to get it removed, also pay off any lingering old bills that you've forgotten about. If you're behind on any payments, get caught up.

Next, check your credit score, which you'll want to nudge up to as high a number as possible. This is where paying down your debt comes in, aiming for an amount that doesn't equal more than 30% of your line of credit.

One tried method to having a good credit score is to make sure that you have at least three open and active lines of credit. You need this for the credit score to have enough data to crunch. The model also likes for you to have a good mix of credit. For instance, an open-ended account (general purpose card), a closed-end account (car payment) and a personal loan. This demonstrates that you can handle multiple types of credit responsibly.

Defining Search Parameters for a First-Time Home Buyer

Almost 80% of all home searches today begin on the Internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, home buyers can search through hundreds of online listings, view virtual tours, and sort through dozens of photographs and aerial shots of neighborhoods and homes. You've probably defined your goals and have a pretty good idea of the type of home and neighborhood you want. By the time you reach your real estate agent's.

This blog post is provided to you by Your Frisco Realtor® of NickWaltonRealtor.com
Providing Real Estate services for the cites of Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Little Elm, Prospre, Celina & North Dallas.

Nick Walton, REALTOR®, GRI, e-PRO
Mi Casa Es Su Casa International Properties
Global Reach - Local Knowledge
Cell / TXT 469-556-2393
Broker: JP & Associates REALTORS®
6136 Frisco Square Blvd suite 400,
Frisco, TX 75034
www.NickWaltonRealtor.com

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I enjoy building new business relationships across the country and would love to find a way to work together on a transaction or a referral.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run At Frisco Square

Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run At Frisco Square

The Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run is a 5K run/walk and 1 mile walk through Frisco Square. Proceeds from the Frisco Fun Run go to the Frisco Education Foundation to build scholarship opportunities for our Frisco ISD students, including the Gary Burns Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Route Map

Subject to Change

5K Fun Run

1 mile walk

Due to volume of participants and serious runners the Frisco Education Foundation is asking all Walkers, Strollers, and non-serious runners start the race at the back of race line for both the 5K and the Fun Run. For the safety of all of our runners, please do not stop in the middle of the race. If you need to stop, please move to the right. Thank you!

Race Day

Volunteer and Student Drop-Off Map
Road Closures 2011

Race Day Registration: 7:00am-8:00am

1-mile Fun Run/Walk: 8:00am

5K Run/Walk: 8:30am

Early Registration by October 16th

Adult: $20

Child/Student: $10

Late Registration (October 17th - 28th)

Adult: $25

Child/Student: $10

Race Day Registration

Adult: $30

Child/Student: $15

Please make checks payable to FEF (sorry no refunds). Mail entries and checks to:

Frisco Education Foundation

PO Box 567

Frisco, TX 75034

Directions

Frisco Square is located in Frisco, Texas in far north Dallas. Road closures will begin promptly at 7:00am the day of the race.

Packet Pick-Up

October 26th from 3pm-8pm and October 27th 1pm-8pm

6235 Frisco Square Blvd.

In the Residents of Frisco Square Apartment Building, East of City Hall. Follow the yellow signs

and

October 25-26-27• 10am-7pm

5180 Eldorado Parkway • McKinney

Awards

CHIP TIMED EVENT
5K will be timed using Chronotrack D-Tags. To be included in the results and eligible for an award, you must wear the D-Tag properly on your shoe. Your D-Tag will be attached to your bib when you pick it up with your packet. Remove it and follow the instructions printed on the tag itself. It's important that you only bend the D-Tag in the proper place. Bending it across the chip will disable it, and it won't be read when you start or finish.

Here are additional instructions with pictures.

5K AWARDS
Runners are required to wear a chip, included
in this year’s bib (see above), to be eligible for awards in
the following 5K categories:

TROPHIES:
• Top Male and Female: (3 categories)
Overall, Masters (40-59) and Seniors (60+)
• Top 3 Civic, Corporate and ISD Teams
• 1st Place Participation Award
Civic, Corporate and ISD Team Categories
• Spirit Awards

MEDALS:
• Top 3 finishers in the following age categories:
5-7 • 8-10 • 11-13 • 14-18 • 19-24
25-29 • 30-34 • 35-39 • 40-44 • 45-49
50-54 • 55-59 • 60-64 • 65-69 • 70+

Parking

Subject to Change

Friday, October 28, 2011

Christie Ranch, Frisco, Texas Halloween Block Party

Christie Ranch, Frisco, Texas Halloween Block Party

Christie Ranch Entrance

Halloween Block Party, Friday, October 28th, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
The 2nd annual Halloween Block Party located in the parking lot of the Christie Ranch Amenity Center. Bring a pumpkin to decorate (not carve) and come dressed up in your Halloween best. They will have a face painting/tattoo station set up, a fun & simple necklace craft and goody bags for all the kids. The firefighters from station #6 will be stopping by to talk with the kids and allow them to climb in the fire truck - this was a big hit last year. Pizza and drinks will be served so bring the whole family out and enjoy a spooktacular night with friends and neighbors.
Friday, October 28th from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Christie Ranch is less than two miles from the Dallas North Tollway & about 15 miles North of Dallas. This family friendly neighborhood features a swimming pool along with hike & bike trails.
Christie Ranch is located in the highly acclaimed Frisco Independent School District and within walking distance to the elementary school.
Christie Ranch - Frisco, TX 75033
Homes between $175,000-$600,000
Custom Home Builders, Grand Homes
Neighborhood with Community Pool

Schools: Frisco ISD
Elementary: Boals
Middle: Stafford
High: Lone Star

Thursday, October 27, 2011

How To Select Your Perfect Neighborhood In Frisco Texas

How To Select Your Perfect Neighborhood In Frisco Texas

So you have decided on the city you want to live in and the features of the home you want to buy, so now all you have left is to decide which subdivision / neighborhood you want to live in.

Frisco Neighborhood

Selecting the right neighborhood that matches your family’s lifestyle is an important part of the home-buying process and there are a number of considerations to think about when it comes to selecting the right neighborhood for you and your family.

Below are a few important factors for you to consider when selecting your neighborhood.

School ratings - You want to be looking for homes that have nearby schools with Exemplary school ratings. Even if you yourself do not have children, good schools increase property prices as these neighborhood are in higher demand.

Crime statistics - Safety of our families and property is always a concern. There is a wealth of information on the internet concerning Crime stats and it is also good to check with area residents, as well as a your real estate professional.

Commute times - How far is your work, entertainment, local stores etc from you neighborhood.

Amenities - Does your neighborhood have a local park, jogging trails and swimming pools. Also is it part of a mandatory homeowners association. If you do have these amenities in your neighborhood and H.O.A is most likely.

Choosing a neighborhood is a personal thing however I just wanted to highlight some of the common considerations so that you have a basic list from which to build upon as you look for the neighborhood that has the perfect fit for you and your family.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

What Is The Best Day Of The Week To List My Home For Sale?

What Is The Best Day Of The Week To List My Home For Sale?

Lets assume that you have done everything that your realtor has advised you to do firstly so you home is ready to be listed. Since you only get one change to make a first impression we decided to find out whether it makes a big difference on which day you decide to put your home on the market.

Homes listed on Sunday get marginally more online views.
Homes listed on Friday are toured 19% more.
Homes listed on Friday or Thursday sell for slightly closer to original list price.
Homes listed on Friday are 12% more likely to sell in 90 days.

Our guess as too why Friday should be a good day to put your home on the market is that home buyers tend to tour homes on the weekends so if your home is listed on a Friday it would be one of the newest listings when they are making their list of homes to view over the weekend.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

10 Reason To Buy Your Home Now

10 Reason To Buy Your Home Now

Renting is not a good deal right now.
Demand for rentals has increased over the last few years due to foreclosures and less existing renters making the decision to buy. Also their has been less new construction so supply has not kept up. Rents are also projected to increase 5% over the next 12 months, with certain markets such as Fort Lauderdale, Fl., Fort Worth, TX, Washington, D.C., and Seattle expected to see higher increases.

Mortgages are inexpensive.
You can currently get a 30-year loan for around 3.99%. These are the lowest rates on record. Even If inflation picks up, you won't see these mortgage rates again in your lifetime. And if we get deflation, and rates fall further, you can refi.

You'll save on taxes.
You can deduct the mortgage interest & Property taxes from your income taxes. You'll only get the income tax break if you itemize your deductions, and many people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead. The breaks are more valuable the more you earn, and the bigger your mortgage. But many people will find that these tax breaks mean owning costs them less, often a lot less, than renting.

You can make the house your home as you own it.
You can change the kitchen or master bedroom to exactly how u want it. This makes the difference between a house and making a house your home.

You'll get a better home in most cases.
if you want the best home in the best neighborhood, you're better off buying.

It offers some inflation protection.
Studies, suggest that over the long-term housing has tended to beat inflation by a couple of percentage points a year. That's valuable inflation insurance, especially if you're young and raising a family and thinking about the next 30 or 40 years. In the recent past, inflation-protected government bonds, or TIPS, offered an easier form of inflation insurance. But yields there have plummeted of late. That also makes homeownership look a little better by contrast.

Less competition.
Right now there are less qualified buyers which makes it less likely you will find yourself in a bidding war. It also means you can negotiate more effectively with eager sellers. Wait to dive in and you could find yourself in a more crowded pool of buyers.

It's forced savings.
If you can rent an apartment for $1,000 month instead of buying one for $1,200 a month, renting may make sense. But will you save that $200 for your future? Part of your mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn't a cost. You're just paying yourself by building equity. As a forced monthly saving, it's a good discipline.

There is a lot to choose from.
The National Association of Realtors puts the current inventory at around 4 million homes. That's below last year's peak, but well above typical levels, and enough for about a year's worth of sales. More keeping coming onto the market, too, as the banks slowly unload their inventory of unsold properties. That means great choice, as well as great prices.

Sooner or later, the market will clear.
Demand and supply will meet. The housing excess will work itself out. Many of the homes will be bought, and the excess won't have any long-term impact on housing supply in your town.

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Monday, October 31, 2011

Tips for a First-time Home Buyer Part 1

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run At Frisco Square

Friday, October 28, 2011

Christie Ranch, Frisco, Texas Halloween Block Party

Thursday, October 27, 2011

How To Select Your Perfect Neighborhood In Frisco Texas

Sunday, October 23, 2011

What Is The Best Day Of The Week To List My Home For Sale?

Thursday, October 20, 2011

10 Reason To Buy Your Home Now

How Your Frisco Realtor® Can Help You!

Home Value Estimate

Frisco Subdivisions

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