Visit The Richardson/Dallas TX Assist 2 Sell page for wide open access to Richardson and Dallas area homes for sale!

Our Dallas/Richardson, TX Assist 2 Sell office is now offering the use of a 22 foot long moving truck to all past and current clients and supporters.  Not only will the truck be offered for free moves, but clients are welcome to reserve the truck to pick up furniture purchases or any large item.  If you need a large vehicle to move something locally.  Feel free to call our office at 214.269.1734 and schedule a time to use our truck free of charge.  The truck is also being made available to local non profit organizations for events such as food and toy drives.  

This is just one more way the Dallas/Richardson Assist 2 Sell office is serving our great community of supporters and friends.  

Dallas area home buyers, It is time to take action.  With record low interest rates, stabilizing inventory and market confidence at a three year high... It Is Time To BUY!  Uncle sam will give you $8,000 as a free credit on your 2009 taxes if you buy a home and close by the end of November.  This means you should be actively looking for a home RIGH NOW!  Standard closing times are 30-45 days currently with 45-60 not being unusual.  Don't miss this huge opportunity.

Dallas A2S

Just Released!! Simple, Clean and easy to use site for Dallas area home buyers and sellers.  Get a free market value evaluation for your home.  Get information about the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit expiring 12/1/09. Search the entire North Texas Multiple Listing System.  Contact a Dallas area real estate expert and get answers to your questions within minutes.

Okay, it was never out of business.  As a matter of fact, relative to the rest of the country, the local market here in the Dallas, TX area was never in a "major" down turn.  We are however experiencing growth again in many areas and seeing average sales times shorten back up as well as prices start to gain a little bit.  The Dallas Assist 2 Sell (www.ForDallasHomes.com) has sold it's last 7 home listings in an average of 7.8 days.  Several homes have had multiple offers.  Rumors of an extension to the Home Buyer Tax Credit seem legitimate and buyers are hurrying back to the market.  

The recent buyers of homes for sale in Dallas, TX and surrounding areas like Richardson are having secret parties to swap stories of deeply disocunted homes and celebrating the immediate equity that many of them are realizing.  In a way, everyone is invited to the parties, but so many area residents and families relocating to the area don't seem to understand how much fun they are.  Recently, Chris a North Dallas resident purchased a house for $300,000 that in 2005 would have easily sold for $415,000.  Shawn is about to close on a home near White Rock Lake that he's getting for nearly $80,000 under value and once he's completed his planned renovatoins, will likely net him over $100,000 in equity. 

 Again, you are welcome to join the party.  Some of the home buyers and party attendees are even taking advantage of attractive party favors like an $8,000 tax credit towards the purchase price of these great homes.  What a deal huh?  While many home sellers are obviously offering deep discounts to get out of homes that they poorly financed or that need work, sellers of homes that are in good condition and priced well are selling with ease.  Our team has sold our last seven home listings in an average of 9 days, with not one taking more than 14 days to get a contract.  I hate to cut this short, but I have to get to a party...

If you are not careful in real estate, you can find yourself saying "I knew that was a great investment, or I should have bought that place when I had the chance.  Well, here is a FREE heads up.  Richardson, Texas both east and west of Central Expressway is poised for major value growth.  Appreciation is such a voodoo word, that BigD won't use it today.  Value growth is what we look for in properties.  You can grow it yourself like many investors and smart home owners are doing in East Richardson right no by renovating kitchens and bathrooms as well as flooring and installing energy efficient new appliances.  You can also take advantage of trends, market movements and great timing like many home buyers and investors are doing in Wes Richardson right now by purchasing homes on the low end of the area price range and waiting for the inevitable demand for great schools and affordable - near town - homes to return.  Whether you are a re-modeler in the East, or a speculator in the West, Richardson, Texas is on its way.  You can quote me on that.

Good Luck,

BigDBlog

Know what you don't Know.

At first glance, that might sound impossible.  I don't know advanced calculus, so how could I know it? 

Don't worry, you won't need advanced calculus to sell your home by yourself.  You will however need to understand that you are not an expert in contract, negotiations, title work, insurance, inspections, building codes, mortgage lending, legal surveys, property appraisal, marketing and advertising.  You might be an expert in one or two, but you need a team of professionals to get a home sold legally and safely where all parties can sleep at night. 

Remember that when you spend money on the services of a true professional, you usually get more value than you pay out.  For instance, if you are a fairly savvy advertiser and negotiator, you could probably find a buyer and settle on a fair price in a good real estate market if your home is in a good location.  Then what?  What do you do about the rest of the hundreds of details necessary to complete a residential transaction. 

Option 1:  Assume someone else will do it.

                  Someone usually will, but they rarely will have your best interest in mind and look out for your bottom line.

Option 2:  Ask someone to do it for free.

                  Someone might, but they certainly won't have the motivation to work hard for you that they would if they were being paid.

Option 3:  Hire a PRO.  A professional will give you confidence that the job will be done right and that you will be protected from losing the thousands of dollars that are at risk in any given transaction. There are companies out there that provide this "contract to close" type of service for under $2,000.  Compared to the full commission of a traditional listing agent, this would save you over $10,000 on the average US house.  You would do what you are comfortable doing, and you would get a PRO to do the tough stuff.

BigDBlog wants you to save money where you can, and be smart where you must.  Option three makes sense for almost all FSBOs (For Sale By Owners.)

Most cities have Full Service Real Estate offices that will offer a paperwork or file service for a decent price, and most cities have Fee for Service offices that do this all day long.

Feel free to send questions as usual,

BigDBlog

Visit http://www.dallashomerealty.com/bin/web/real_estate/AR186789/TESTIMONALS/Dallas/1205872417.html for more info about getting affordable professional help when you have found a buyer.

Many Dallas home owners consider the pros and cons of listing and selling homes with traditional real estate agents and cringe at the prospect of paying a 6% or 7% commission.  This usually leads to the the book store or the Internet where home owners can find decent resources on how to sell a home on your own.  Decent means that among the blast of advertising from websites and so called marketing services you should be able to find a handful of good tips on selling a home yourself. 

Here is a cheat sheet with most of what you should know.  As this is just Part I of a multi-part series on For Sale By Owner issues in Dallas Texas, there will be more to come.  Feel free to comment and ask questions anyway.

• Plan Your Attack First
• Prepare your home for sale (clean, de-clutter, landscape, remove negatives)
• Find help to handle the "details of the transaction" once you have a buyer 
• Research advertising options (too many options to try it all, but you must advertise the home for sale)
• Commit to consistently advertising in a minimum of 4 places for a period of at least 60 days
• Make your home available for prospective buyers to view as often as possible (keep it clean)
• Smell can Sell - (keep your home smelling good)
• Remember, Price is important, but it is not the only term to negotiate (closing date, title insurance, inspections, repairs, attachments etc.)
• TAKE EXCELLENT PICTURES - LOTS OF THEM
• Use the Internet as much as possible - 84%+ of all home buyers start their search on-line.
• Research SELLING prices in your area.  Your neighbor may have asked $299,900 and he may have told you that he got it, but he most likely took less.  As a For Sale By Owner, you must price competitively.
• Be prepared for lower offers.  Buyers assume FSBO means that it will be a better deal.
• Know your Square Footage, Year Built, Age of major systems like Heating and Air conditioning, Hot Water Heaters, Roof etc.
• Have your own inspection done before you put your house up for sale.  You'll know what to expect when the buyer has his inspection.

More to come in Part II,

BigDBlog

Post your FSBO for free at www.4DallasHomes.com

Dallas, TX has been one of the fastest growing major metropolitan areas in the United States over the last few years.  The United States Census reported that between 2006 and 2007 more than 160,000 people moved to DFW where job growth and the local real estate market have both been relatively strong. 

WASHINGTON (U.S. Census Bureau) - Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the largest numeric gain of any metro area in the United States between 2006 and 2007, according to estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Three other Texas cities also made the top ten.

The population in the DFW metro area increased by 162,250. Number two was Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. (151,063), followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (132,513).

This is great news to home buyers and home owners in the Dallas, Texas area.  As jobs and population rise, the demand for existing homes increases directly.  With all of the delayed demand expected to surge back in to the local Dallas real estate market soon, the local economy in Dallas should see big benefits. 

Buy Now says BigDBlog.   www.4DallasHomes.com