Don Lawyer's Blog

Houses are about to get at least $6500 cheaper!

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

The U.S. Senate & the House of Representatives have extended the existing $8000 tax credit for 1st time homebuyers until May 1,2010. A new $6500 tax credit will be available for repeat buyers who purchase between Dec. 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. To qualify, buyers must have used their home as their principal residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.

Income limits are $125,000 on a single return and $225,000 on a joint return.

More info on the Tax Credit extension-interesting change proposed

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:01:00 +0000

The $8000 tax credit looks like it will be extended for a while, but possibly buyers who have owned their current home for 5 years would be able to get a $6500 tax credit. Will keep you posted...

New virus puts thousands of Realtors across the country at risk

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Check out the symptoms later in this post and see if you have potential to be infected....

http://blog.kw.com/2009/10/26/local-real-estate-board-overrun-by-lg1z1-virus/

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit to be Phased Out

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:54:00 +0000

The Reid/Baucus proposal is to extend the tax credit and phase it out over 2010. The credit would be $8,000 through the end of the 1st quarter of 2010, and decline $2,000 per quarter after that ... ($6,000 in Quarter 2, $4,000 in Quarter 3, $2,000 in Quarter 4 2010)

What part of the Arlington/Mansfield area has the most sales this year?

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:07:00 +0000

S. E. Arlington (south of I-20) is #1 with 797 sales this year

Mansfield is #2 with 659

S.W. Arlington (south of I-20) is #3 with 435

S.W. Arlington (north of I-20) is #4 with 360

South Grand Prairie is #5 with 322

North Central Arlington is #6 with 254

Noth Arlington (n. of Randol Mill) is #7 with 169

click on the image to see in full size

What is going on with the Dallas-Fort Worth real estate market?

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:09:00 +0000

click on the image to see full size

Just discovered RunPee.com

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Next time you are at the movies, use this service to tell you the best time to go to the restroom!

http://runpee.com/#app=5c9d&e1bd-RunPeeID=0.0.0&d22f-selectedIndex=0

Info on a common illness that affects real estate agents

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:15:00 +0000

The great part is that the side effects are much better than Viagra-not that I would know :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gFam4_8gA

Just had to re-post this video about the housing crisis

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:59:00 +0000

it cracks me up every time I watch it. Comedy Central video...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-29-2009/home-crisis-investigation

Great video that demonstrates what I do each day

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:18:00 +0000

to sell lots of houses...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XksdkTf2HJ8

I love this video about the Social Media Revolution

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:36:00 +0000

Things are changing exponentially.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Hilarious video about the truth of the housing crisis

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:30:00 +0000

This was presented at Keller Williams Mega Camp and I just had to share!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-29-2009/home-crisis-investigation

New video just posted of our team in "action"

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Zillow estimates are off by 34% for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington homes

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:41:00 +0000

They are within 5% of the actual sales price 15% of the time, within 10% of the actual sales price 27% of the time, and within 20% of the actual sales price 39% of the time. Good to know you still need a competent Realtor to find out what your home is really worth...

Here is a link to the page on Zillow...

http://www.zillow.com/howto/DataCoverageZestimateAccuracy.htm

Absolutely hilarious real estate video!

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgFVppU7_Mc

Dallas-Fort Worth real estate sales statistics have just been released

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:37:00 +0000

How is your city doing? Click on the image to see full size.

If you have an extra hour to kill...

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Learn how to have a profitable RE/MAX office http://zannee.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/become-a-profitable-remax-notes/

New research explains recent appraisal problems

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Recent upheavals in the appraisals arena and the new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) are contributing to too many sales falling through the cracks.

According to National Association of REALTOR’s® (NAR) Appraisal Survey in June 2009, 37 percent of home buyers and sellers have experienced at least one lost sale as a result of the new HVCC. The report also pointed to:

•Higher Fees
•Lower Quality
•Longer Wait

See the full report at http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/b83165804ef0b3338f18af2db4a1e62f/government_affairs_hvcc_research_results.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=b83165804ef0b3338f18af2db4a1e62f

$90 pizzas at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium!

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:49:00 +0000

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-new-Dallas-Cowboys-Stadium-will-offer-90-pi?urn=nfl,180810

Sign up to see the most recent sales in your neighborhood

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:28:00 +0000

at http://tarrantcountyhomevalues.com/

Active listings, homes under contract & recent sales will be emailed to you within 10 minutes. You will also receive a monthly update on your area!

With MLS listings available everywhere on the internet, why do you need a buyer's agent?

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Borrowed with permission from http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com....

Here’s an intriguing question: Given that it’s so easy to search for homes on the internet, why do you need a buyer’s agent?

Face it, if you use the MLS search tool on my web site, (http://www.tarrantcountylistings.com) you’re seeing exactly the same listings I see. And you know better than I ever could what you like and what you don’t like.

By now, the home search process is at best a partnership between the agent and the buyer. In some cases the buyer and I will work together to perfect our search criteria. But many buyers simply search the available inventory on their own, emailing me the MLS numbers of the homes they want to see.

So why do those buyers need a buyer’s agent?

Realtors hoarded the MLS data for so long that even they came to believe it was the source of their value to buyers. But this is very far from the truth.

You don’t need me to search for listings, although I’m happy to do that. And you don’t need me to open lock-boxes. You need a buyer’s agent to guide you through what is in fact an arcane and perilous process — potentially a financial disaster. You might not need me to find your next home, but you need me to make sure that you get it — or that you pass on it, if that is what is truly in your best interests.

A skilled buyer’s agent will write the kind of purchase contract that will prove surprising to you at every turn, with every term and condition tailored to achieve your best advantage. Your agent will supervise the inspection process and negotiate the optimal solution to the repair issues. Your agent will be prepared for every pitfall in the escrow process.

If you bought and sold houses every day, you could do all these things yourself. It’s because you don’t — and because the seller and the listing agent are looking to take advantage of your naivete at every turn — that you need a skilled buyer’s agent as your steadfast champion in the home-buying process.

Dallas-Fort Worth Sales Statistics just released for the first half of 2009

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:27:00 +0000

How did your area do? Click on image to enlarge.

Something non-real estate for a change :)

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:32:00 +0000

MLS activity sees a spike in the last 24 hours

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:11:00 +0000

In the last 24 hours in our local MLS, there have been 51 new listings and 75 went under contract or sold. That is the best ratio I have seen all year. Generally there have been more new listings than homes sold each day. A good sign!

Real Estate sales activity numbers have just been released-how did your area do?

don@donlawyer.com (Don Lawyer) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Click on image to see full size