By Tom Branch, on July 17th, 2011 
4 Bedrooms | 3.1 Baths | Study | 2-Car Garage | 3321 SF/Tax
Coppell TX Home For Sale – This waterfront view cannot be beat! Enjoy the sunset from your private balcony just down from the lakes lighted fountain. Relax on the extensive deck under the arbor amid the mature trees and lush landscaping. Guests are greeted by the grand two story foyer with marble entry. Bright kitchen has new granite counters, stainless dishwasher, oven and microwave as of July, 2011. New roof put on at same time. Lake views from many rooms. Must see!
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See all Homes For Sale in Lakewood Estates, Coppell, TX.
Source: NTREIS
By Gina Branch, on July 11th, 2011 
3 Bedrooms | 2.1 Baths | 2-Car Garage | 1985 SF/Tax
Plano TX Home For Sale – Former model in the heart of Plano is ready for move in. Main living area has stained concrete floor and wet bar. Kitchen is updated with stainless steel appliances and modern sink, and looks out to the backyard with large covered porch. The private study has bamboo flooring and wall of bookshelves. The master bath has been updated with a large frameless shower and the walk in closet has built ins. Second living area is perfect for a game room.
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See all Homes For Sale in Hunters Ridge, Plano, TX.
Source: NTREIS
By Tom Branch, on July 10th, 2011 
Even with housing prices rising in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, many homeowners are still unable to sell their houses. Many of those impacted have refinanced or did 100 percent financing, others are simply in pockets of homes that have seen a correction over the past few years.
Either way, they are unable to sell at a price high enough to cover the mortgage and the closing costs. That leaves the homeowner with a couple of choices. Take to house off the market and wait a couple of years for some more appreciation or consider leasing the house.
Leasing and property management is not right for all homeowners.
If you are considering leasing your home, the first step is to do the research. You really have to know the numbers to make sure that leasing makes good financial sense. You need to know the following:
How much rent you can reasonably charge? A local real estate professional should be able to give you details on comparable leases in the area. I usually advise clients to work on an 85 percent occupancy rate meaning the property is only leased and generating rent 85 percent of the year. On a monthly basis, simply use 85 percent of the projected rent as your base rental income.
How much are your monthly costs (including the mortgage, maintenance, taxes, insurance, HOA dues)? It is critical that you accurately project these costs. Not only are there expected monthly costs, but you have to factor in maintenance and repairs as well. I usually recommend a Residential Service Contract for houses I manage.
How much will it cost to lease? You can advertise and lease it on your own or you can hire a real estate professional to market the property for you. Real estate professionals usually include tenant screening and lease preparation in addition to marketing the property. If you decide to go it alone, you need to figure in the costs of advertising, tenant screening, and document preparation. Proper and legal leases become critial if you have to evict or take other legal action against a tenant.
How much is ongoing property management if you decide not to manage it yourself? Like everything else, the cost to have professional property management varies. Cost is not the primary factor in my opinion. What you’re looking for is a company that will find good tenants and take care of your property.
Once you know the potential income and expenses, you can do the math. Most of our owners are generating positive cash flow from renting their houses while they wait for housing prices to climb some more. Others are losing money each month, but they have decided that losing a few hundred dollars each month is better than selling at a loss or facing foreclosure.
As mortgage approval criteria tightened, the demand for lease and rental homes have risen along with it. Not only is demand up, but rental and occupancy rates are climbing as well. If you’re having problems selling your house, you might want to look into leasing it.
By Gina Branch, on July 9th, 2011 
Over the course of a three-day span, I witnessed three separate random acts of kindness. I was pleasantly surprised at what a positive impact they had on my day.
It was a Friday afternoon during rush hour when I was leaving Lowe’s. As I looked out onto the highway access road from the parking lot, I noticed a truck stopped with its hazard lights on and an older gentleman picking up debris in the road. He had loaded a new grill into the back of his truck that somehow came loose and fell out onto the road. There were knobs and small pieces rolling everywhere. All this was happening over a hill where oncoming traffic would be quickly approaching at 60 miles per hour. In an instant, two drivers stopped to help. One man was able to roll what was left of the grill up onto a sidewalk. A lady stopped to help with the remainder of the pieces in the road. Luckily, the driver got himself and his truck into a parking lot before oncoming traffic would cause a certain tragedy. Those good Samaritans didn’t have to stop, but they did.
The next evening, our daughter had her Sweet 16 birthday and we celebrated at The Cheesecake Factory. When we arrived, we noticed a business colleague having dinner at a nearby booth. We went over to say hello before we were shown to our table. We enjoyed dinner very much and finally had to call it a night. When we asked for the bill, the server told us that our colleague had taken care of it. She paid for a birthday dinner for someone she just met. That was totally unexpected and unnecessary, but very much appreciated. I couldn’t believe it. What a nice gesture.
The morning after, I hit the drive through at Starbuck’s. The line was long and my patience was short. When I finally reached the window, the guy said, “The customer in line ahead of you paid for your coffee.” He must have seen the puzzled look on my face. Apparently customers do this from time to time, but it was the first time someone had done it for me. What a nice thing to do! This was truly a random act of kindness. I’ll never be able to thank the person. I sure felt great when I left Starbuck’s and promised myself I would do the same thing for somebody else next time I’m back.
All of these random acts of kindness were very uplifting and renewed my faith in people. There really are nice people out there who do nice things without expecting anything in return. Furthermore, this experience motivated me to become more like those nice people. Think about how one small random act of kindness can positively impact someone’s day and act on it. If there were more of this going on, the world would be a much nicer place.
By Tom Branch, on July 5th, 2011 
While Texas already has some of the highest standards for a Real Estate Broker License, it’s about to become a bit more difficult. Senate Bill 747, also known as the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) Housekeeping Bill, passed and was signed into law. One of the major changes affects those people seeking a Real Estate Broker License.
Currently a person seeking a broker license must complete 900 hours of education, have two years of experience as a real estate salesperson, and achieve a passing score on the broker examination.
Effective January 1 2012, Texas will raise the experience requirement to 4 years. It goes one step further. “The commission by rule shall establish what constitutes active experience for the purposes of this section…” Basically, TREC can establish rules that outline what can be counted towards “active” experience.
TREC has formed a working group of brokers, lawyers, and members of the public to create those rules and related forms.
If you’ve been thinking about getting your Texas Broker License, now may be the best time as the old rules remain in-place until the end of 2011.
By Tom Branch, on July 4th, 2011 
3 Bedrooms | 2.1 Baths | Study |2-Car Garage | 2474 SF/Building Plan
Plano TX Home For Sale – New floor plan in Frisco ISD. Large island kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances, and custom cabinets. Master bath with separate vanities has garden tub and huge walk in closet. Nice covered back patio. Designer touches include crown molding, bull nose corners, and art niches. Many energy features. Ready in July or August.
Click here for Current Pricing, Details, Photos, and Virtual Tour.
See all Homes For Sale in the Estates of Willow Crest.
Source: NTREIS
By Tom Branch, on July 4th, 2011 
Gina is an Ambassador with the Plano Chamber of Commerce and we get to attend a lot of neat events. A couple of weeks ago, we went to the grand opening for Doorstep Chef in Frisco, Texas.
Located at 4681 Ohio, the Doorstep Chef is the brainchild of Doug and Judy Furney. Their goal was simple—to get families, like theirs, back to the dinner table. Their motto is, “Great Food. When and Where You Need It.”
The Doorstep Chef is your one-stop for ready-to-cook meal delivery, ready-to-eat lunch deliveries, catering for small or large events on-sire concessions, Care Accounts for others, and so much more.
Click Map for Larger Version
You can visit the website at www.doorstepchef.com or call them at 214-299-8106.
Photo: Used with Permission | Base Map ©OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA
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