Best Places to Work: Did your Dallas-area company make the cut?

Find out here.

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

OWNERS BECOME RENTERS

NEW YORK (Bloomberg News) – Another program has been set in motion to keep homeowners out of foreclosure. Homeowners who can’t get a loan modification may be eligible to transfer ownership to Fannie Mae and rent their home at market rates.

Homeowners must sign their deed over to the lender and be released from any second mortgages. The rental rate can be no more than 31 percent of their gross income.

Leases can be up to 12 months long, and borrowers can extend them month-to-month after that.

The program is designed to keep families in their homes and cut criminal defacement of vacant homes.

Read additional info here.

 

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

More information on the homebuyer tax credit and what it means to you

The Senate voted 98-0 on Wednesday and yesterday the House voted 403-12 on legislation that includes the extension and expansion of the credit. The President is expected to sign the legislation, perhaps as early as today. More information on the tax credit and what it means to you:

 Changes to the Homebuyer Tax Credit Law
 Frequently Asked Questions About the New Bill
 Listen to NAR President Charles McMillan’s Podcast About the Bill Passing
 See How the House Voted
 In Depth: 2009 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit 

 

 
 
For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

 

Latest news on the Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension…not just for First-Timers anymore!

Senate Clears Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension; May Pass as Early as This Week

Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-11-04/senate-clears-homebuyer-tax-credit-extension-may-pass-as-early-as-this-week/#ixzz0W0CBcWoF

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

Senators Agree to Extend Homebuyer Tax Credit. Legislation Pending Approval From Congress.

Senators have agreed to extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit originally set to expire on November 30. Once the Senate officially votes on the bill it will move to the House of Representatives, which strongly supports the extension. The Obama administration has also signaled its strong support for an extension of the tax credit.

Aside from the first-time homebuyer credit, the new plan would offer a $6,500 credit for repeat or move-up homebuyers who have lived in their primary residence for five years or more. The tax credits would be available to buyers who sign purchase agreements on a new or existing primary residence between December 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Buyers would have until June 30 to close on their new homes.

There is an $800,000 price limit on all homes eligible for the credit. The income limits for all buyers would rise to $125,000 per year for individuals and $225,000 for married couples. Under the current program, the limits are $75,000 and $150,000 respectively. The first-time homebuyer credit is also available to those who have not owned a home in the previous three years. The credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be the primary residence within three years.

According to the Treasury Department, more than 1.2 million borrowers have claimed $8.5 billion of the $13.6 billion set aside for the first-time homebuyer tax credit.

Please be advised that this legislation has not yet passed, but I will be sure to keep you informed as it moves through Congress toward approval. I’m committed to meeting your home purchasing needs!

 

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

Updated Monthly Statistics – The REAL Market Info

These are the REAL numbers from MLS!

Updated on the 1st of every month.

View at www.NicoleRE.com under Area Stats.

 

 

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.

Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

 

(Next) SUMMER WARMS DALLAS HOME PRICES

DALLAS (Dallas Morning News) – Residents of Dallas-Plano-Irving should expect home prices to increase by August 2010, according to First American CoreLogic.

The housing and finance information firm predicts that 12-month appreciation of area home prices will be 0.21 percent next August. The same month this year posted a 0.12 percent price decline.

Houston and Dallas were the best-performing markets surveyed by CoreLogic in August. First-ranked Houston home prices rose just over 2 percent between August 2008 and August 2009.

Overall, Texas prices are off 0.26 percent from a year ago.

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

Senators agree to extend homebuyer tax credit

“Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years.”

Read the full storyhere

 

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

Home safety tips, keep your family safe

For most people, home is a special place. It represents our sanctuary from the world and the place where we spend quality time to rest and renew our lives. It also represents the single largest investment that we will ever make.

Since your home represents such a huge part of your life, you know that it makes good sense to do what you can to enhance and improve your home.  I have compiled a list detailing different ways to protect your “Home Sweet Home”.

Check Your Smoke Detectors- Never remove the battery from a smoke detector without replacing it immediately. Some fail-safe smoke detectors are available for home use, in that you’re not able to close the battery door of the unit until you place a battery inside. If you own your home, consider hiring an electrician to hardwire smoke detectors to your main electricity flow, with battery backups in place for added safety.

Creating an Energy-Efficient Home- If you stop to think about it, there are plenty of ways to improve your home to make it more energy-efficient. While some remedies may cost a little time and money, other things-like turning off lights when you leave a room-merely require investing in a good habit.

Fireplace Safety- Fireplace safety is simply a mixture of common sense and forethought. Here are some simple guidelines to ensure that you have a safe and beautiful fireplace.

Getting Rid of Mold- Mold is a nasty and dirty natural growth that can be found almost anywhere. If you would like to make sure that your home is free of any infestations of mold, then follow these simple steps.

Installing a Smoke Detector- It is fairly easy to install a smoke detector, and most local fire codes mandate that you have smoke detectors working inside your home. Determine how many you need for your home, purchase quality smoke detectors from your hardware store, and follow these tips to install them.

Reducing the Chance of Chimney Fires- The threat of a fire scares any homeowner. Reduce your risk of a fire by taking proper care of your chimney.

Repairing Drafty Doors- While dealing with a drafty door can be annoying, causing you to be too hot or too cold inside, it can also mean that you’re paying a heftier energy bill each month. Since doors are used frequently, it can be difficult to keep them weather-proofed. If you find that you have gaps and you can see daylight through them, it might be time to replace the door.

Replacing a Light Switch with a Dimmer- If you are looking to increase the warmth and attractiveness of a room, why not try replacing an existing light switch with a dimmer switch?

Utility Rebates for Energy-Efficient Homes- The main idea behind energy rebates and incentive programs offered by utility companies is to encourage people to use more energy-efficient appliances. The rebates and programs pick up some of the incremental cost between the standard and the high efficiency piece of equipment. Contact your utility company and ask what type of assistance is available in your area.

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!

Last Week in the News – Economic Update

Existing home sales rose 9.4% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units from 5.1 million units in August. The increase was largely due to the tax incentive for first-time homebuyers.

According to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs index, retail sales rose 0.2% in the week ending October 17. On a year-over-year basis, retailers saw sales increase by 2.8%, the best showing in a year.

The producer price index, which tracks wholesale prices, rose 0.6% in September, following a 1.7% increase in August. For the year, wholesale prices are down 4.8%.

The Commerce Department reported that the combined construction of new single-family homes and apartments in September increased 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000 units. That was less than the 610,000 economists had expected.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose by 11,000 to 531,000 in the week ending October 17. The figure was higher than the 515,000 that economists had forecast. The number of people continuing to claim jobless benefits in the week ending October 10 fell by 98,000 to 5.92 million.

The index of leading economic indicators — designed to forecast economic activity in the next three to six months — rose 1% in September after a revised 0.4% gain in August. It was the sixth straight monthly increase and marks the largest six-month gain in 26 years.

The National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo housing market index fell one point in October to 18. The decrease reflects the soon-to-expire tax credit for first-time homebuyers that boosted home sales earlier this year. An index reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market.

 

For more information on building, buying, selling or leasing commercial or residential property anywhere in the world, contact Nicole Tucker, licensed agent with Keller Williams, Dallas Preston Road office at 972-992-8204 or visit my website at http://www.NicoleRE.com.
Nicole Tucker ~ Making Real Estate Real Easy!