Dallas Area Residential Real Estate Report: March 2016

Thursday, March 31, 2016

7th Annual DFW Family Expo sat

Photo courtesy of DFW Family Expo

The DFW Family Expo is a day of fun for the entire family, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dallas and Fort Worth.

Investors! Check out this new listings

2541 Brandywine Farmers Branch

Tour and Info

Pop-up art show returns to Dallas sat

Pop-up art show returns to Dallas

It is Dallas’s largest pop-up, underground art show with over 100 local emerging artists.

2016 Big Texas Beer Fest

Big Texas Beer Fest/Facebook

BTBF is well-known as the festival to go to for exclusive/rare beers, one-offs, and special firkins.

2016 Deep Ellum Arts Festival

Photo courtesy of Deep Ellum Arts Festival

The festival opens for lunch, offering downtown office workers a special opportunity to preview the festival during their lunch break.

The 9th Annual Heights Car Show

The 9th Annual Heights Car Show, featuring live music by Ken Savage and the Best Kept Secret Band, along with food vendors to create a festival atmosphere.

Proceeds benefit The Network Food Pantry of Richardson.

Garland TX Residential Sales Report for February

It's a Seller's Market!

Single-Family:

Sales climber 25% in Garland as compared to last year. The average sales price rose 10% and the median sales price jumped 17%. As in other areas there is a shortage of homes in the lower price ranges and prices are being increased across the board. Pending Sales rose 25%% so next month's sales will be up. The number of new listings fell 8% and the active listings declined 22%. The months of inventory shrank to 0.8 months. Garland now joins Richardson and Carrollton/Farmers Branch as areas with the lowest inventory levels.

Sales: 124

Average Sales Price: $169,110

Median Sales Price: $155,000

Pending Sales: 168

New Listings: 154

Active Listings: 132

Months of Inventory: 0.8

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

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

How to Brighten Your Home for Spring

Photo Credit: via Decorist

Integrating a few simple additions into your overall design scheme can result in a lighter, brighter living space.

Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society presents Inaugural Classic & Antique Car Show sat

Classic & Antique Car Show

A celebration of historic preservation

Farmers Markets Report

Early season local produce is going strong

Mid-60s make for breezy al fresco shopping, so get out now to markets such as Good Local at Lakeside Baptist Church, the Dallas Farmers Market and the McKinney Farmers Market for the best early season local produce selection.

SMU's Meadows School of the Arts and Meadows Museum presents New Visions, New Voices

Photo courtesy of SMU's Meadows School of the Arts and Meadows Museum

One performance each of six full-length plays written by graduating theatre students.

Don't Let Mortgage Pre-Approvals Sink Your Credit Score

There's a fine line between savvy shopping and over shopping.

Dallas-area home prices have shot up almost 40 percent in five years

Home prices in Dallas increased at one of the fastest rates in the country in January.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Real Life Tips for Keeping Cool (and On Budget) During Your Home Renovation

Small or large, one room or ten, a home renovation is a big undertaking that often involves a few unavoidable hiccups along the way.

New Listing 421 Sheffield Richardson,TX 75081

Check out this property!

YouTube Video

Traditional 4-BR home with split formals, 2 living areas & pool. Split 4th BR has bathroom. Spacious Den (2nd LR) with fireplace, wet bar, built-ins & access to patio & pool. Convenient to LBJ, Richland College, Richland Elem & park. This property if eligible under the Freddie Mac First Look Initiative through Apr 17. House is sold as is. Note: Managed Choice between Apollo & Liberty Jr. High. **BUYER TO VERIFY ALL INFORMATION**

MLS Information Sheet

4 Credit Tips for Buying a Home

This may come as a surprise, but you don't need a perfect credit score to buy a home or get a mortgage.

9 Neighborhood Features That Hamper Values

Certain neighborhood features near a home – like cemeteries and power plants -- could drag down a home’s price. Realtor.com® recently identified which of those features could have the biggest impact.

Explosive growth results in almost 400 new DFW residents per day

As we lead the country in population growth and gain, it seems everyone wants to be a Texan.

Carrollton/Farmers Branch Residential Sales Report for February

Sales were off slightly but pending sales took a big jump up.

Single-Family:

Sales were off by 4% as compared to this time last year. The average Sales Price increased by 6% while the median sales price rose 5%. Pending sales took a huge jump up 43% so March sales should be up substantially. There was a 9% increase in the number of new listings but this only increased the active listings number by 1% and left the months of inventory the extremely low number of 0.8 months. Until we start to see substantial increases in the active listings the market will remains in favor of the sellers.

Sales: 93
Average Sales Price: $237,820
Median Sales Price: $216,000
Pending Sales: 159
New Listings: 155
Active Listings: 125
Months of Inventory: 0.8

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

Monday, March 28, 2016

Curtains and Area Rugs: Turning Misfits into Perfect Fits

CURTAINS AND AREA RUGS. YOU’LL BE SHOCKED AT WHAT THESE SIMPLE TRICKS WILL DO FOR YOUR HOME!

Dallas-area apartment rents set new record

Apartment renters are entering new territory in the Dallas area, paying higher rents than ever before.

6 Absolute Must-Haves for a Spring Home

A change in season is the perfect time to update your home

8 Stages We All Go Through When Buying a Home

If you're about to buy a home -- especially if it's your first -- it's perfectly reasonable to feel elated one moment, terrified the next, angry, indecisive, and a whole lot more.

Blame owners, not builders, for housing crunch

Gridlock in the mid to low end of the housing market is one of the main reasons for the low inventory,

U.S. pending home sales hit seven-month high in February

Volatility of the data continues to make it difficult to parse the strength of the housing market.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

I'll be off for the rest of the weekend

Check back Monday morning for the latest in real estate news and advice, events happening in the Dallas area, decorating ideas, and just fun things to.

This next week will feature monthly residential sales reports covering Carrollton/Farmers Branch, Garland, and Wylie

Beware These 9 Real Estate Code Words

Knowing the deeper meanings of these real estate terms could help you avoid wasting your time on a home that isn’t right for you.

17 THINGS FIRST-TIME BUYERS NEED TO KNOW

First-Time Buyers

Few things in life are more exciting than buying your first home. The feeling of turning the key for the first time (or clicking the garage door opener) is thrilling. You'll likely feel a sense of pride like never before. But getting to that point may be a challenge. And the challenges won't end once you move in.

A Warning to Buyers: Closing Scam

The Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of REALTORS® issued a warning to consumers to be mindful of a growing mortgage closing phishing scam that could leave buyers with no down payment.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Downtown Plano named one of America’s best downtowns

Today, Historic Plano pulsates with a renewed energy that has brought in new offices, retail, restaurants and residents

Buying a home soon? You may want to pay close attention to how smart it is.

Some investments are better than others.

6 Ways to Explain Low Inventory

Everywhere you turn, there's a new story about how the lack of homes on the market is driving up prices and driving buyers crazy. But what's the reason behind this trend?

This Weekend's Art Events and Openings

It’s something of a quiet weekend in Art World Dallas with only a handful of shows opening.

Frisco TX Residential Sales Report for February

Sales and pending sales increase!

Single-Family:

Sales were up a strong 34% as compared to last year. The average sales price was flat while the median sales price dropped 2%. Just some gyrations in the makeup of the sales. P endings sales jumped 35% so March will come in with a good sales number. There was a good increase of 29% in the number of new listings but the active listings only rose by 11%. This did cause a slight increase in the months of inventory bringing it up to 1.4 months. Still a very short supply and leaving no doubt that it's still very much a Seller's Market.

Sales: 219

Average Sales Price: $371,344

Median Sales Price: $330,00

Pending Sales: 269

New Listings: 359

Active Listings: 468

Months of Inventory: 1.4

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

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Your spring home maintenance checklist

With the days lengthening and weather warming, spring is a good time to get outdoors and tackle some larger home projects.

16 of the most unusual homes on the market

Who needs a traditional white picket fence when you could have your own castle … or train car?

If There Were Truly Growth, Home Builders Would Be Very Busy

There is one part missing

2016 Easter in Lee Park

Easter in Lee Park

Photo courtesy of Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Easter in Lee Park.

NorthPark Center's Easter Celebration

Photo courtesy of NorthPark Center

Leap into spring among beautiful tulips, daffodils, and pansies in CenterPark Garden for NorthPark’s Easter Celebration.

Heritage Farmstead Museum presents Victorian Eggstravaganza and Spring Festival

Victorian Eggstravaganza and Spring Festival

Photo courtesy of Heritage Farmstead Museum

The Heritage Farmstead Museum will be hosting an egg hunt for children 8 and younger.

McKinney TX Residential Sales Report for February

Small increase in sales. Pending sales took a jump!

Single-Family:

Single-Family sales increased by 4% in February. The average sales price rose 4% while the median sales price climber 9%. As in other areas McKinney's sales are skewed to the upper price ranges. Pending sales jumped 31%. The number of new listings had a nice increase of 30% and this caused the active listings to rise 27%. This is good news for buyers because they have more properties to chose from. Unfortunately, these increases only increased the months of inventory to 1.3 month so it's still very much a seller's market.

Sales: 157

Average Sales Price: $296,613

Median Sales Price: $279,900

Pending Sales: 180

New Listings: 236

Active Listings: 300

Months of Inventory: 1.3

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

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

So You Wanna Buy a House? Part 12: Master Your Move

Moving can be a pain in the you-know-what. That's why, in this final installment ofrealtor.com's Home-Buying Guide, we'll share some expert tips and tricks to make the process as easy and pain-free possible.

5 Family-Friendly Things To Do For Easter Weekend in Dallas

Here are a few ways to celebrate the holiday in Dallas with your family.

New home sales rebound in February

Well this is sort of a misleading headline!

Mortgage applications fall 3.3%

Rates Hold Steady

After weeks of volatile interest rates, markets settled slightly last week, but that didn't help the mortgage business.

Allex TX Residential Sales Report for February

Every category up except inventory

Single-Family:

Sales climbed 16% in February. The average sales price increased 2% while the median sales price rose 5%. Needless to say, the sales remain concentrated in the upper price rages because there is just no inventory in the lower ranges. Pending sales jumped 20% so we can anticipate a good sales number in March. The number of new listings increased by 16% but this new supply was quickly absorbed by buyers leaving us with a decline in the active listings of 20%. This dropped the months of inventory to 1.1 months.

Sales : 78

Average Sales Price: $327,429

Median Sales Price: $272,600

Pending Sales: 96

New Listings: 108

Active Listings: 134

Months of Inventory: 1.1

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