Greetings!
Thank goodness Fall is here! The weather impacts so much, for example, I feel confident that our spate of 100 plus temperature negatively affected our open houses, and probably our showings. The absolutely gorgeous weather of late makes us want to escape to the out of doors. It was great State Fair weather, great for football, baseball, school sports events, and I hope you and yours had a wonderful night of Halloween trick and treating.
Please note that my niece Sophia and I escaped to enjoy the real estate at Disney World in early October. I also was lucky enough to attend one of the World Series' games. WOW! In between all those events I have been trapsing all over the area showing an ATT family moving to the area from New Jersey. We ventured to Fairview, Lucas, Flower Mound, Southlake, Heath, Rockwall, Coppell, just to name a few of the communities we visited.
I have also spent some time learning about new aspects about our real estate world. Short sales, foreclosures, HUD foreclosures, and leasing are all items which become significant aspects of our industries. So many of us are leasing who had never before considered it.
Thanks Giving!
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches I am so thankful. I hear of others' misery, frustration, and hardship and realize what a wonderful country I have, that there are opportunities galore, that I have my health (a new knee has made a great change), and that I have great friends and family and absolutely wonderful clients whom I treasure. May this holiday be full of joy for you and yours.
Home prices fall again, but rate of decline is smallest since February
By BRENDAN CASE, Dallas Morning News
Home prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area fell 1.9 percent in August from a year earlier, the smallest yearly decline since February, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index data released Tuesday. Home prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have been falling year-over-year for 14 months, since federal housing tax credits expired in mid-2010. Local home prices have ... To read more, click here.
Tracy Fletcher's New "M" Street Home
Tracy Fletcher moved to the area to be near her parents who live on a ranch in Lindale, TX. Besides the ranch, her parents operate a dog rescue. Tracy relates to the concern that her parents have for these discarded animals.
Tracy, however, chose to live in the heart of Dallas in the "M" streets. She purchased a home built in 1920 and in which previous owners had retained many of the elements which add charm to this house, in addition to the updating which enhanced the beauty of the home...stained glass windows with plantation shutters, kitchen with the latest appliances, granite countertops, etc. She did have to do some electrical work because the electrical system still had knobs and tubes; however, the inspection validated that overall it was a good home.
Tracy Fletcher, seen in the photo above enjoying her neighborhood, is a trademark attorney for the U. S. government and moved from Washington, D. C.
Treasurer Rios Spoke on How the Government is Handling the Housing Crisis
Rosie Rios, the Treasurer of the United States, spoke at the Dallas Federal Reserve October 19, 2011 in a program hosted by the Reserve and Consumer Credit Counseling. She gave us insight into how the government is handling the housing crisis and the economic dilemma we are experiencing. A panel with local dignitary, Regina Montoya, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Children’s Medical Center, Ilyce Glink, columnist with CBS Moneywatch, and Ms. Rios presented various aspects of the issues and the efforts to resolve our economic issues.
I posed the question about the apparent effort to establish a 20% down payment policy for a mortgage and if it was imminent. Apparently a study illustrated that it would take a teacher with a $65000 annual salary 14 years to save the 20%; therefore, happily it seems highly unlikely that this proposal will fly. Discussion followed on the move to godirect.org, which eliminates check mailing by the government.
On the lighter side Ms. Rios discussed how she has two children and how her daughter considers Tim Geithner, her Secretary, not her Boss. In an encounter with Carlos Slim, the wealthiest man in the world ($72 billion), she commented that she "makes more money than he does!" Ms Rios oversees the US Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, as well as Fort Knox.
Go Rangers!
I am such a Rangers fan! Fortunately, a friend invited me to the game Saturday night, the night the Rangers lost to the Cardinals. In spite of the loss, it was a great experience. It was on my bucket list, to go to the World Series, and to top it off, the Rangers were playing in the World Series!
As it turned out, the Rangers failed. Actually, the Cardinals won. The sixth game was so stressful for us Ranger fans, but I must admit it was exciting. I believe that overall it was one of the most exciting World Series games I have ever watched.
I am hopeful that we will see the Rangers in the next World Series and I will be glued to the TV, or better yet get to go again.
MUSIC/PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS:
Meyerson Symphony Center-214.692.0203
11/4-5 Cirque Musica
11/8 Variations on a Theme
11/10-13 Sir James Galway
11/17-20 Lise de la Salle Plays Rachmaninoff
11/22 Wishes from the Heart
11/27 Symphony of Toys
11/27 Fall into Winter
AT&T Performing Arts-214.880.0202
Wyly Theatre
11/1-20 To Kill a Mockingbird
11/5 Paupers and Patrons
Winspear Opera House
11/3 Judith Jamison
11/19 Pilobolus
11/25-27 The Nutcracker
Majestic Theatre
11/12 Petra: Back to the Rock Tour
11/19 The Screwtape Letters
Verizon Theatre-972.854.5111
11/1 Gavin DeGraw and David Cook
11/5 Max & Ruby
11/16 Sting
11/26 Demi Lovato
Dallas Children's Theater-214.740.0051
11/18-30 Madelines Christmas
Casa Manana-817.332.2272
11/10-20 Tuna Christmas
Theatre Three-214.871.3300
11/1-12 A Catered Affair
11/11-30 It's Only Life
MUSIC/PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS:
Bass Performance Hall-817.212.4280
11/2 An Evening with Joan Rivers
11/4 Mozart & Salieri
11/8-13 Shrek The Musical
11/12 Chris Smither
11/15 Jon Kimura Parker, piano; Cho-Liang Lin, Violin
11/18-20 Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2
11/18 Kyle Bennett
11/25-27 Home for the Holidays
11/29-30 Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Charles W. Eisemann Center-214.692.0203
11/16-20 Cocktails with Larry Miller--Little League
Adultery and other Bad Ideas
11/25-27 The Nutcracker
VISUAL ARTS EVENTS:
Crow Collection of Asian Art-214.979.6430
11/1-30 Qualities of Jade
Kimbell Art Museum-817.332.8451
11/1-30 Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome
OTHER EVENTS:
Dallas Arboretum-214.515.6500
11/1-23 Cinderella's Pumpkin Village
11/1-23 Hay Bale Maze
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, was more to me than just an interesting book. It made me realize how the women’s movement paralleled the civil rights movement. Last year I read Gail Collins' book, When Everything Changed, and it collaborates that very concept. My book club which read and reviewed The Help decided to travel to Jackson, Mississippi for a weekend trip and get first hand reactions to the story illustrated in the book about the life of African American maids and how their employers treated them during the 60’s. We also visited Medgar Evers' home and a docent explained how Jackson, MS, was in the 50’s and 60’s and how Evers fought for African Americans and was ultimately murdered by racists.
We took the community "The Help" driving tour which took us to the building where the Junior League met, the house where Miss Hilly woke up and found numerous toilets in her front yard, the school which the author attended, and many other locations related to events in the book and locations related to where the author grew up. It was definitely worth the time. It was an opportunity to relive the book and various events. Overall, we found Jackson a charming Southern city with lots of history.
Kathryn Stockett is a delightful and charming Southern author. I attended the presentation she made through the Dallas Museum of Arts' program, Arts and Letters Live. She grew up in Jackson, but was too young to have lived the "book", but her research reflected events and characters which were true to the era. There is a lot of humor with several memorable characters. It has been translated in over 30 languages (how the dialect is replicated is remarkable to me), but the book was rejected over 60 times before it was picked up. I can't imagine that any book fan has not read it, but I definitely would recommend it and definitely recommend the movie. However, I don't think I will ever eat chocolate pie again, how about you?
Sophia, Marty and Friends at Disney World!
Last year I won a travel voucher from a builder which I just used to take my 9 year old niece Sophia to Disney World. She is absolutely delightful, and, in spite of the fact that 4 of the 5 days we were there it rained, we had a fabulous time.
As far as how it relates to real estate, there are some absolutely beautiful properties in Orlando. Too bad real estate in Florida is suffering, but it makes me so glad I live in Dallas where our market has not suffered anywhere as much as it has in other cities.
Houzz.com
Houzz.com is a great website if you are thinking about decorating or redoing your home!
"As a launching platform for your decorating project, or just as idle inspiration while daydreaming about your next one, Houzz is practically a bottomless well of inspiration at the tip of your swiping fingers."
- Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2011
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