U.S. existing home sales rise 6.5% in December
WASHINGTON – A real estate group says sales of existing homes rose 6.5 percent from November to December, closing out the worst year for the U.S. real estate market in more than a decade.
The National Association of Realtors said Monday that sales of existing homes rose to an annual rate of 4.74 million in December, from a downwardly revised pace of 4.45 million in November.
December’s sales had been expected to fall to a pace of 4.4 million units. according to Thomson Reuters.
The median sales price plunged to $175,400, down 15.3 percent from $207,000 a year ago. That was the lowest price since May 2003 and the biggest year-over-year drop on records going back to 1968.
29 Fort Worth schools could see attendance zone changes
By EVA-MARIE AYALA
FORT WORTH — Trustees are considering boundary changes that would affect 29 schools, and a vote on new attendance zones could occur as early as Feb. 10.
Officials said the district must redraw boundaries to relieve overcrowding at some schools and fill up others that are underutilized.
Should the changes be adopted for next school year, students would be required to attend their new home schools unless they were entering the last grade offered at the campus. Transfers into and out of affected schools would not be allowed for the first two years or so, officials said at a Saturday school board work session.
Texas showing mixed signals on economic health
By SCHUYLER DIXON Associated Press
The state has managed to maintain job growth over the past year while 2.6 million jobs have been lost nationally. With foreclosures skyrocketing and home prices plunging in parts of the country, analysts say Texas homes are hanging on to their value.”We are a much more diverse economy,” said Ray Perryman, a longtime Texas economist. “We’re a net importer of energy now. While the oil industry still helps the state, it’s no longer the driving force in the entire state this time around.”
Still, there are signs that Texas is getting caught up in the churn of the sputtering national engine.
Dallas-Fort Worth apartment rents are 2nd highest in Texas
Filed under: Dallas News, North Dallas Cities, Texas News
Dallas-Fort Worth has the second-highest apartment rents in Texas, according to a survey released Wednesday, but rents here are below the national average.
With an average monthly rent of $790, D-FW is behind only Austin in Texas apartment costs, according to the report by RealFacts. Apartments in Austin average $867 a month.
Houston is third on the list at $788.
Relocation Services
If you’re relocating to Dallas / Fort Worth, contact the Keith Dobbs Team today. We can help you find the right place to call home ANYWHERE IN THE DALLAS / FORT WORTH METROPLEX. We offer unsurpassed real estate relocation services to relocatees to the area. Our services are geared for any size relocation from large corporate moves to individual families.
We help you with every aspect of your move. From helping you get acclimated with Dallas, Collin, Tarrant and Denton Counties, to touring different areas and neighborhoods, to helping you find employment resources for your spouse. When it comes to helping you get situated in your new home, we will go above-and-beyond to take care of you.
Dallas Orientation
Each transferee is given a complimentary tour of the DFW area. We assist our relocation clients in determining commute times to their new office and show areas of interest including the Dallas Fort Worth shopping, schools and nearby cultural centers.
Advance Consultation
In addition to helping you get comfortable with your new living environment, we also spend time getting to know the needs of you and your family prior to your first visit to the Metroplex.
Relocation Guide
We have created a relocation packet especially for you that we readily forward to those people relocating to the area. To request a packet, simply contact us.
Temporary Living Coordination
We are able to assist and coordinate each relocation transferee in securing a temporary living arrangement until the relocation process is complete.
Family Assistance
We also assist your family in getting acquainted with Dallas/Fort Worth by offering resources for the trailing spouse employment search, elderly care for a transferring parent, and even helping you to find a school for your children.
Keith Dobbs Team is ready to handle any size company relocation to the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area. If there is something that you require in your relocation that is not listed above, we would like to know. We are here to do most anything we can to take care of you and your family.
Please contact us today for your advance relocation consultation.
Dallas Golf Course Homes
Filed under: Dallas Golf Course Homes, Dallas/Ft Worth Neighborhoods
Dallas Golf Communities offer residents an extensive list of amenities in a private, elegant setting. Residents enjoy a secluded private community that has been planned and engineered from the start around award winning golf courses. Homes in these golf communities come can range in price from the low $200s to over $2million. Floor-plans usually run from around 1,600 square feet to over 6,000. There are a number of golf communities in the Dallas area that stand out.
Lake Ridge - Dallas Neighborhood on Golf Course
The Lake Ridge Golf Community is located slightly south of Dallas. These beautiful homes have been built on the area’s highest elevation and have wonderful Hill Country and Dallas skyline views. Home sites come in either one or two acres arranged around the 7,500 acre Joe Pool Lake and the Tangle Ridge Golf Course.
Lake Ridge Golf Community Facts
- Valley Ridge Park – 150 acre park with biking and hiking trails, fishing, children areas and sports fields.
- Tangle Ridge Golf Club: One of the top 10 18 hole public courses in Texas.
- Joe Pool Lake: A 7,500 acre lake with abundant fishing and a full service community marina.
- Cedar Hill State Park: 1,826 acre nature park.
Preston Crossing - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Preston Crossing is a golf community located north of Dallas. This 1600 acre community is built around a Fred Couples signature 18 hole golf course. Located close to Lake Texoma and Lake Ray Roberts, Preston Crossing residents have ready access to a wide range of fishing, hiking, camping and water-sport activities. When finished, Preston Crossing will have many neighborhood parks spaced throughout the community. One very important feature of Preston Crossing is that it is located within the Gunter Independent School District, which is regarded as the best school district in Texas. Homes start in the mid $300s.
Preston Crossing Golf Neighborhood Facts
- 18 hole Fred Couples signature golf course – opened in 2008
- Community swimming pool, tennis courts and neighborhood parks
- The Gunter Independent School District -ranked “exemplaryâ€
- 40 minutes from downtown Dallas
- Residents have the option to choose their own builder.
Sugar Tree - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Sugar Tree is a private golf community located on the banks of the Brazos River, less than an hour from Dallas. The Sugar Tree Community is planned around a four star 18 hold golf course which winds along the river. Currently, lots are being offered from ½ acre to 2 acres and come with heavy woods, fairway lots or cul de sac lots off the fairways. Lot prices start at $35,900.
Sugar Tree Community Facts
- Private clubhouse with outdoor pool
- Located in Brock Independent School District – rated “exemplaryâ€.
- Gated entrance
- Exempt from city taxes
Castle Hills - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Castle Hills is a 2,500 acre master planned golf community located in North Dallas, west of Plano. The Castle Hills Golf Club has an 18 hole Jay Morrish designed course. The clubhouse has gourmet dining, pro shop and banquet rooms.
Castle Hills Community Facts
- Numerous parks and lakes
- Community centers
- Swimming pools
- Golf teaching academy
- Full children water playgrounds
- Community fitness centers
Lantana - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
The Lantana is a Hill Country Golf Community located just north of Flower Mound. This 1,718 acre community was named Master-planned Community of the Year in 2004. The Lantana’s 18 hole Jay Morrish designed golf course was named “Best New Course†in 2002. This community has a wide range of home styles, sizes and prices. Prices start in the $140s and go up to over 1 million. Square footage ranges from 2,100 square feet to over 6,000 square feet. Buyers are able to choose from a number of reputable builders.
Lantana Community Facts
- Full service community fitness center.
- Five pools.
- Two elementary schools and one middle school.
- Tennis courts, hiking & bike trails.
- 15 furnished builder models giving examples of the designs of Lantana’s 10 builders.
Mountain Valley Lake - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Mountain Valley Lake is a private golf home community located in Burleson, just minutes south of Fort Worth. Homes range in price from $139,000 to $230,000 and floor-plans run from 1,564 square feet to 4,150 square feet.
Mountain Valley Lake Community Facts
- 20 acre lake in center of community.
- Clubhouse/rec center with Jr. Olympic pool.
Stonebridge Ranch - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Stonebridge Ranch is a master planned private golf home community on 5,000 acres located in the middle of North Dallas.
Stonebridge Ranch Community Facts
- Private country club with two courses – 18 hole Pete Dye Signature Golf Course and 27-hole Arthur Hills Championship Golf Course.
- Beach Club & Swim Lagoon with white sand beach unique in North Texas.
- Aquatic center
- Scenic biking and hiking trails.
- 14 lakes offering fishing and sailing.
- Outstanding school districts—McKinney and Frisco ISDs.
Trails of West Frisco - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Trails of West Frisco is a master planned golf home community located on the northern end of the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco, Texas. Home prices start in the $250’s and range up to over $650,000.
Trails of West Frisco Community Facts
- Extensive scenic hiking and biking trails
- Trails Golf Club 18-hole championship golf course
- Community center with tennis courts, a playground and a pool
- Minutes away from the new Stonebriar Center shopping mall
Twin Creeks - North Dallas Golf Course Neighborhood
Twin Creeks is a Texas Hill Country golf home community located close to Austin. This 760 acre community is designed around a Fred Couples signature golf course. Home prices start in the mid $200s and go up to $1 million.
Twin Creeks Community Facts
- Superior school system – Leander Independent School District.
- Private clubhouses.
- Junior Olympic pool.
- Scenic biking and hiking trails.
- 8000 square foot family activities center.
- 10 acre driving range.
- New water park with themed slides.
DFW Homebuilders - Taylor Morrison Homes
Filed under: DFW Home Builders, Dallas/Ft Worth Neighborhoods
Morrison Homes builds nationwide and ranks as one of the nation’s top 20 builders in sales–over 4000 sold annually–and among the top 5% in the nation for customer satisfaction. Morrison Homes builds only single family and town homes in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Reno, Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Denver, Sacramento, and Phoenix.
Morrison Homes is known for honesty and integrity, ability to deliver quality new homes on schedule, and for making home warranty repairs quickly and efficiently. Morrison Homes has developed a customer commitment called the Signature Pledge. This pledge promises an attentive personal relationship with your builder, a customized design, a strong warranty, and an outstanding neighborhood.
Morrison Homes - Seven Steps to Satisfaction
Step 1: Signature Selection Center Meeting
Signature Selection Centers are located in every city where Morrison Homes builds. Here you’ll consult with Designers to select all the finishes and upgrades to cusotomize your home to your individual tastes and requirements.
Step 2: Owner’s Orientation Meeting
You, your Builder and your Sales Associate will meet to review and confirm the plans and upgrades you’ve selected and visit your lot to review its specifications.
Step 3: Mid-Construction (Pre-Drywall) Meeting
After the home has been framed, wired, plumbed, your builder will walk through your home with you. You’ll have the chance to verify your details and upgrades as well as confirm placement of windows, doors, lighting fixtures, and switches, as well as electrical, phone and cable outlets.
Step 4: New Home Demonstration Meeting
Before closing, your Builder will give you a final walk-through and show you how all the appliances and mechanical systems work. You and your Builder will also review your Home Warranty as well as regular homeowner maintenance needs. You’ll also have the opportunity to note any items that may need adjusting or require touch up before closing.
Step 5: Two-Month Home Review
Two months after your closing your Builder will note any items covered by your Home Warranty that need repair.
Step 6: 11-Month Home Review
After you’ve been in your home for 11 months, your Builder will note any items covered by your Home Warranty that need to be repaired.
Step 7: 22-Month Home Review
Your Home Warranty expires after 24 months. This review is to ensure that there are no issues that arise after expiration.
DFW Homebuilders - Meritage Homes
Filed under: DFW Home Builders, Dallas/Ft Worth Neighborhoods
Meritage Homes is the 12th lagest national builder in the U.S., operating primarily in the South and West. Meritage operates in six of the top ten single-family housing markets in the country. In Texas, Meritage builds homes in the Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston areas. The company has been named in the Forbes Platinum 400 list for the fourth consecutive year. Meritage sets it’s own standards by using it’s national buying power to deliver superior craftsmanship in up-scale communities for a surprising value.
Some features that Meritage builds into all of their homes are:
* Superior sealants
* Improved insulation
* High-efficiency windows with advanced Low E or double-paned design
* High-efficiency mechanical systems
* Rapid recovery water heaters
* Energy Efficient HVAC units
DFW Homebuilder - Lennar Homes
Filed under: DFW Home Builders, Dallas/Ft Worth Neighborhoods
Lennar Homes was founded in 1954, and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Lennar has been one of the nation’s leading builders for the past 53 years. Lennar builds in 18 states in some of the most up-scale markets in the country.
Lennar has developed a customer care system called Total Lennar Care (TLC), which focuses on total involvement and attention to every step of the home building and buying process and beyond. After you have moved in, Lennar has a series of scheduled visits from the customer care team to make sure you are 100% satisfied and have no issues.
DFW Homebuilders - KB Homes
Filed under: DFW Home Builders, Dallas/Ft Worth Neighborhoods
KB Homes has been a nationwide builder of quality homes for fifty years. KB builds in all major housing markets across the country. KB Homes strives to offer superior quality construction, unique architecture and dedicated customer service. KB has developed a number of architectural designs that reduce energy use and have earned Comfort Wise and Energy Star ratings. KB also works with the Natural Resources Defense Council to help assure that lumber used in KB Homes does not come from endangered or old-growth forests. KB Home has created a unique,step-by-step plan, Built To Orderâ„¢, that guides customers through the entire construction process. Each phase of construction has a specific quality checkpoint that must be passed in order to move on to the next phase.
Preconstruction
You are meet with your sales person and superintendent for a final review of your home plans.
Quality Checkpoint - Pre-pour checkpoint includes a review of the lot prior to pouring the slab.
Foundation
KB Homes checks soil conditions,government requirements, and home size to ensure structural integrity. Post-tension engineering is used to stabilize each foundation.
Quality Checkpoint - Before framing starts, the foundation and post-tension engineering are checked.
Lumber Drop and Framing
The framing stage usually takes one to four weeks, and consists of the following:
Walls start going up, work starts on the second-floor system (if applicable), using engineered floor joists.
Roof trusses arrive at the home site.
Quality Checkpoint - During the framing stage, there are three separate checkpoints: the frame of the house is checked for correct sizing, squareness and workmanship.
Plumbing and Electrical
Air conditioning, heating, ventilation, plumbing and electrical wiring are installed.
Once the roof is installed, the exterior detail work begins, including trim, windows and doors.
HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and plumbing systems are “roughed-in†as exterior trim is completed. The electrical system is “roughed-in†during two days. Exterior trim is painted
Quality Checkpoint - Mechanical systems are inspected.
Drywall
It takes about two days to hang interior drywall. Then, drywall taping and finishing are completed and insulation is is blown in.
Quality Checkpoint - There are two checkpoints before drywall begins and after its completion: Upon cleaning up any drywall debris, FCMs check all walls and ceilings for finish and consistency.
Trim and Finish Details
Two-week phase during which all customized trim and finish details are completed
Quality Checkpoint - Three quality checkpoints, trim, pre-carpeting, and pre-final are conducted during this phase:
Interior trim is examined for fit and quality of installation. HVAC systems are finished as a pre-final quality check focuses on all completed areas of the home. Pre-final quality review of entire home. Appliances are installed. Door and window screens are installed. Carpeting is installed. Various final inspections (bank, city, etc.), garage cleaning and paint touch-ups take place.
Quality Checkpoint - Upon completion of the finals, one last quality check is conducted prior to scheduling the homeowner orientation.
-
Dallas Suburbs
Addison Real Estate
Allen Real Estate
Arlington Homes
Bedford Homes
Carrollton Real Estate
Cedar Hill Homes
Colleyville Homes
Coppell Homes
Dallas Real Estate
Denton Homes
Desoto Homes
Duncanville Homes
Euless Homes
Fairview Homes
Farmers Branch Homes
Flower Mound Homes
Fort Worth Homes
Frisco Homes
Frisco Neighborhoods
Garland Homes
Grand Prairie Homes
Grapevine Homes
Highland Park Homes
Highland Village Homes
Irving Real Estate
Keller Real Estate
Lancaster Real Estate
Lewisville Homes
Mansfield Homes
McKinney Homes
Mesquite Homes
North Richland Hills
Plano Homes
Richardson Homes
Rockwall Real Estate
Rowlett Real Estate
Sachse Real Estate
Southlake Homes
The Colony Homes
Wylie Homes
-
Rodney Anderson
#1 LENDER IN
DALLAS METROPLEX