McKinney, Allen, Frisco, Plano TX real estate
Refinancing homeowners are granted a 3-day "cooling off" period post-closing during which they retain the right to rescind, or "cancel", their recent refinance without penalty or cost, as part of the federal Truth-in-Lending Act, The Right To Cancel is protection against surprises at closing and/or a change of heart. It's also a safety valve for … [Read more...]
There's nothing shy about Big Tex, the official greeter of the biggest family entertainment event of the year, the State Fair of Texas. The Texas State Fair has been a major source of entertainment for millions of visitors, and has been a contributor to economic growth in north Texas for over 125 year. So, here we go again! Gear up for … [Read more...]
Collin County has 2 of the top ranked Best Places to Live in the Nation, by Money CNN. McKinney ranks #2 McKinney TX - in Collin County Population 136,100 McKinney is the county seat of Collin County, just north of Dallas. Established in 1849, McKinney is one of northern Texas' oldest towns. Downtown McKinney, complete with the old … [Read more...]
There is no right answer to the question "how big is the closet?" A broker friend of mine got this question from another agent via email, who identified herself only by name and yahoo email address -- no company, no phone number, no nothing. She said her buyers would be in town in 10 days. His answer to her was "the closet is good size; the … [Read more...]
Home builder confidence rises again. For August 2012, the National Association of Homebuilders reports the monthly Housing Market Index at 37 -- an increase of more than 100% from one year ago and the highest HMI value since February 2007. The Housing Market Index is an indicator of homebuilder confidence and when it reads 50 or better, the HMI … [Read more...]
Once again, it's time for back to school shopping. And once again, Texas gives shoppers a tax break on many purchases, with the annual Sales Tax Holiday. Texas tax-free weekend is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 17-19, 2012. There's something about the Texas Tax-Free weekend, besides the obvious savings of about $8 per … [Read more...]
Should you lease a new car, or should you buy one? Like most financial questions, the answer depends on your situation. For some people, leasing a car presents distinct economic advantages. For others, buying a car is the way to go. There's plenty of online material to help you choose your optimal path, but this 3-minute piece from NBC's The … [Read more...]
Do you keep "past due" foods in your refrigerator? You wouldn't be alone. A study from the Home Food Safety website shows that more than 40 percent of people either have never cleaned their refrigerators, or can't remember the last they did. Past due foods can lose their taste, give off bad odors, and/or make you ill -- just a few of the … [Read more...]
Foreclosure pipelines are re-filling nationwide. And Texas is one of them! We account for 5.2% of the total filings nationally. But it's not all bad news. There was actually a decrease from prior months. The number of foreclosure filings dipped below 192,000 in July 2012, a 3 percent decrease from the month prior, according to data … [Read more...]
As another signal of an improving U.S. economy, the nation's biggest banks have started to loosen mortgage lending guidelines. Last quarter, no "big banks" reported stricter mortgage standards as compared to the quarter prior and "modest fractions" of banks reported easier mortgage standards, reported the Federal Reserve. The data comes from … [Read more...]
Planning to make a late-August purchase closing? Keep an eye on your calendar. This year the last Friday of August coincides with Labor Day Weekend, which may complicate an end-of-month closing. Here in Collin County Texas, we take this holiday seriously! For many, it's the last chance for summer family fun, lake outings and mini-vacations … [Read more...]
How well do you conserve water? With most of north Texas in some stage of drought and water use regulations, it's more important than ever for us to seek out ways to conserve this precious resource. The government's EPA estimates that the average family of four uses 146,000 gallons of water per year, at a cost of $700. With just a few small … [Read more...]
Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
