Dallas Area Residential Real Estate Report: October 2015

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Worries about the housing market are overblown

It is not surprising that, given the depths of the last housing bubble, some are looking for an opportunity to predict the next one.

Friday, October 30, 2015

10 Ways To Make Sure You Don't Go Insane When You're Moving

Going through the escrow process can be stressful when you're buying a home. Once you do, you get the privilege of living in the home you've worked so hard for. But first, you have to move.

Home Ownership Rate Finally Increases

The nation's home ownership rate posted its first increase – albeit a slight one – after seven quarterly declines. But the real news is demographic:

It’s scary how well Dallas ranks among best U.S. cities for Halloween

Prepare your candy buckets, boys and ghouls: Dallas is now one of the sweetest places to be on All Hallows’ Eve.

UNIQUE WAYS TO BRING NATURE RIGHT INTO YOUR HOME

Using natural materials at home is not a new idea. But new ways of using them can turn ordinary into extraordinary and give your home some unique flavor

Dallas selected for new retail program to help people advance into higher-paying jobs

Dallas has been selected as the site for a pilot program designed to help entry-level retail workers move into higher-paying jobs in their industry.

What’s Behind the Drop in Sales Contracts?

Pending home sales lost more ground in September, reaching the second lowest level of the year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Six things to do in your yard before frost hits

Time to take advantage of the milder days and do some serious gardening. Let’s get started!

Downtown Dallas ramps up roster of festivities for 2015 holiday season

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dallas Inc.

Neiman Marcus no longer has to hold up the holiday fort on its own. Downtown Dallas Inc. to the rescue, ramping up for the holidays with an all-encompassing celebration called Downtown Wanderland, which includes pop-ups and special offerings from restaurants, bars, and cafes starting November 19.

Pending home sales continue to cool off in September

Pending sales were not off in the Dallas area for September. Our market remains strong!
See my report on September sales in the Dallas area.

Dallas Area Residential Sales Report for September

Pending home sales continue to cool off in September

Hit second lowest reading in 2015

5 Fall Staging Ideas for Your Listing

Spruce up your listing with some easy and quick touches that will make buyers feel more welcome this fall. Here are a few ideas:

12 Family-Friendly Things To Do In Dallas For Halloween

Here are enough events to keep the family spooked through Halloween weekend.

D-FW one of top U.S. office and warehouse markets for 2015

D-FW ranks second for office leasing and third for warehouse demand. (Cushman & Wakefield)

Dallas-area home prices growing at one of the highest rates in the country

Dallas bumped up its home price gains in the latest nationwide comparison.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Local writers, artists plan Halloween reading, signing in Farmers Branch

Local authors will wear costumes of their characters at a book reading and signing event from noon to 2 p.m. on Halloween at the Farmers Branch Manske Library.

Downtown Carrollton on ballot for improvement award

Voting is open for the Texas Downtown Association People’s Choice Awards, and downtown Carrollton is in the running in the Best Public Improvement category.

Carrollton/Farmers Branch Residential Sales Report for September

Sales were up slightly in September while leasing activity declined.

Single Family:

Sales were up by 2% in the Carrollton/Farmers Branch area. The average sales price rose 12% as compared to a year ago while the median sales price increased by 10%. Pending sales were up a solid 9%. New listings saw a 2% increase but the number of active listings declined 17%. The months of inventory now stands at 1.1 months making it very difficult for buyers to find a home in this area.

Sales: 183
Average Sales Price: $253,176
Median Sales Price: $219,980
Pending Sales: 179
New Listings: 175
Active Listings: 185
Months of Inventory: 1.1

Leases:

Leasing activity declined by 16% in September. The average rent rose 5% and the median rent by 3%. Pending Leases fell 6%. The number of new listings dropped 6% and the active listings climbed by 17%. The months of inventory is now at 1.4 months. This is nowhere near a normal supply.

Leases: 43
Average Rent: $1,731
Median Rent: $1,650
Pending Leases: 32
New Listings: 67
Active Listings: 69
Months of Inventory: 1.4

Information provided by The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M

2015 Cool Thursdays Series: Emerald City at the Arboretum

2015 Cool Thursdays Series: Emerald City

As a corporate and special event band, Emerald City burst onto the Dallas music scene in 1983 and never looked back.

Watch time lapse of AT&T creating Jordan Spieth mosaic in downtown Dallas with 24,152 golf balls

Jordan Spieth mosaic in downtown Dallas with 24,152 golf balls

AT&T has been all over promoting Dallas’ own Jordan Spieth during his rise through the golfing ranks in recent years.

But they may have outdone themselves with this one.

Bank of Mom, Dad Growing More Important

Younger home buyers looking for a down payment on a home are turning to their parents for help.

Cool weather brings classic fall produce to the Farmers Markets

Classic Fall Produce

Markets are transitioning to cooler-weather crops, such as acorn squash, beets, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, chard, eggplant, kale, mustard greens, oyster mushrooms (Fun Guys Gourmet Mushrooms at selected markets), parsnips, greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, spaghetti squash, turnips, a few pears and apples plus persimmons — and of course, pumpkins galore for the next two weekends.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Get A Jump On 2016 With New Color Trends From The Paint Experts

I don't know about you, but we get a little antsy this time of the year, looking at ways to bring warmth into our home

6 Easy Steps to Efficiently Declutter Your Home

Does your home look like a storage locker or a pack rat’s dream?

Dallas home prices rise 8.9 percent in new Case-Shiller report

Dallas bumped up its home price gains in the latest nationwide comparison.

Dallas-Fort Worth takes top honors among best U.S. holiday travel destinations

With temperatures around the country finally starting to cool, many people are planning winter vacations for someplace warm. And perhaps we should expect an influx of visitors in Texas, because four Lone Star locales rank among the country's top warm-weather destinations, according to WalletHub.

Skip the Pain: 7 Things That Will Fill You With Buyer’s Remorse

Home shopping makes you a little (OK, a lot) house-obsessed. Between stalking online listings, flipping through all the design magazines, and gorging on HGTV marathons, you know exactly what you want in painstaking detail.

Home prices rise 5.1% in Aug vs. 5.1% gain expected: S&P/Case-Shiller

Home prices continued to rise in August on pace with gains throughout 2015 as housing market indicators remained mostly positive, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite index.

Will Taking a New Job Hurt My Home-Buying Chances?

A reader asked us recently how much impact an unanticipated job change could have on his ability to get a mortgage.

"I found a better job," he wrote. "How does this affect the loan?"

Monday, October 26, 2015

Frisco Hopes To Bridge Neighborhoods With Public Market

Frisco is growing so fast city planners are looking at ways to make sure it doesn’t grow out of control. That’s why one new project hopes a giant open market will build a bridge between properties.

FC Dallas unveils plans for $39-million upgrade of Toyota Stadium with museum

FC Dallas revealed Wednesday its plans for a $39-million project at the decade-old stadium, which involve 100,000 square feet of renovated space, new locker rooms, premium seats, a private club, and, most notably, the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum.

Frisco, TX Residential Sales Report for September

Single-family and leasings activity remained strong in the Frisco area for September.

Single-Family:
Sales were up by 12% as compared to a year ago. The average sales price increased 11% while the median sales price rose 5%. Pending sales showed a good increase of 16%. New listings jumped 19% and active listings rose by 15%. While it's good to see more inventory coming on the market, the months of inventory only climber to 1.8 months. Still very short supply.

About 30% of the listings in MLS are builders new homes. The average list price of the new homes is $560,849 and the average sales price in September was $496,407.

Sales: 360
Average Sales Price: $388,233
Median Sales Price: $325,000
Pending Sales: 303
New Listings: 337
Active Listings: 589
Months of Inventory: 1.8

Leases:

Leasing activity increased by 17%. The average rent rose 5% and the median rent by 3%. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pending leases jumped 33%. New Listings declined by 2% but the active listings jumped 32%. Months of inventory climbed 10 1.8 months.

Leases: 164
Average Rent: $2,025
Median Rent: $1,860
Pending Leases: 97
New Listings: 188
Active Listings: 270
Months of Inventory: 1.8

Information provided by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M

September Existing-Home Sales in Charts

If you were anywhere near the Internet yesterday, you know very well that it was “Back to the Future Day.” We even jumped in on the action, sharing on Twitter just how much real estate sales, prices and buyers have evolved since October 1985.

US new home sales drop to near one-year low

In the D-FW area builders can not meet demand! The simply do not have enough subs to build the houses. Last month buyers camped out overnight at a subdivision to be the first in line to purchase lots in a new phase.

US new home sales drop to near one-year low

New U.S. single-family home sales fell to near a one-year low in September after two straight months of gains, suggesting a temporary cooling in the market for new houses.

Labor shortages trip up big home builders

Construction-labor shortages are starting to dent the results of large home builders.

Fall Home Sales Rebound: 5 Stats to Know

Existing-home sales were on the rise last month, posting a strong gain after a decline in August, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest housing report released Thursday. All four major regions of the U.S. saw sales gains in September.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Home Amenities Likely to Grow in Demand

Some amenities that homebuyers now consider “nice-to-have” may soon move into the “must-have” category. Below are three that experts say are likely to grow in demand among home shoppers:

State-of-the-Art Center Opening at Plano Park

A new center in Plano is combining technology and nature, and people who helped design it also had a hand in a visitor center at One World Trade Center in New York.

JUST SOLD IN RICHARDSON

MY SPECIALTY: EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE!

I represented the Sellers of this home in Richardson

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, give me a call and put my experience and knowledge to work for you.

Marie Walton, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

972-816-5197

email: mariewalton@ebby.com

web: marie-sells-homes.com

Blog: mariesellsdallas.com

Beware home-selling myth

Beware home-selling myths

Like many folks, you sell a home only a few times in your life and so likely don't know the potentially tricky rules and laws concerning real estate sales. Here are some half-truths, both new and established.

Mortgage Rates Sink Lower This Week

Averages on fixed-rate mortgages dropped lower this week, continuing to provide a benefit to home buyers and refinancers, Freddie Mac reports.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Real estate today: Older buyers, more bathrooms

Good news abounds: In August, new home sales are at their highest level since 2008. Homebuilder confidence is back to its best level in a decade and even mortgage applications are climbing again.

DART your way to Dallas-Fort Worth’s best cultural attractions

The Plaza Theatre at Granville Arts Center in downtown Garland. Photo courtesy of Flickr user Binomialphoto

The Dallas-Fort Worth cultural scene rivals most other big cities across the country, thanks to a world-class arts district downtown and plentiful options in the surrounding suburbs. The only trick is figuring out where to go — and how to get there.

Avoid First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes with This Checklist

Existing home sales rise more than expected

U.S. home resales rose more than expected in September to the second highest monthly sales pace since February 2007, suggesting the housing market continues to show strength compared to the rest of the economy.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Boo-vie Bash at City Hall Plaza

Scene from Strange Magic. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm

The Dallas Park and Recreation Department presents Boo-Vie Bash at City Hall Plaza. Enjoy food, music, arts & crafts, a pumpkin patch, bubble soccer, laser tag, and a family-friendly screening of Strange Magiconce the sun goes down. Don't forget your chairs and blankets.