I was inspecting a crawlspace of a home in an older neighborhood and while I was crawling around under the bathroom area, I kept feeling something strange under my body......not exactly dirt or a liquid but slippery. To my surprise as I shined my flashlight around me, I realized that I was lying on a thick bed of literally hundreds of double edge razor blades! I carefully rolled off them and took this picture. The ones you can see are the ones that slid down the small hill, there were many more above on the flat area. I have always heard about the slot in the rear of old medicine cabinets that people used to deposit used razor blades, but never ran into this before. There is no telling how many of these blades were in the wall cavity that didn't make their way t... 08/21/2008

I always like to have a response to the national press and their doom and gloom reporting of the national housing situation. First, I don't live nationally. I live locally. So what the national press reports is not germane to local markets. And let's face it; real estate is a local phenomenon. I live in one of the old historic areas close to downtown called Berkeley. Our market has been fairly stable to appreciating. The time it takes and the ultimate sales price realized really depends on two things in our sub-market. The first is condition and level of updating. The more updated the quicker it sells. Pretty obvious. The other issue is curb appeal. This is a fairly subjective issue but in this area Tudor's or impressive two story facades sell much faster than the few Ranch houses in th... 08/13/2008

Mr and Ms Home Seller have decided to sell their home.  They have a fairly good idea of what they think their home is worth.  After doing their own homework online with some of the automated pricing web sites, The Sellers, being very sensible sellers, schedule appointments with three local Listing Agents who've been hanging stuff on their front doorknob for years. Each Agent comes prepared with a "Competitive Market Analysis" (called a CMA). It is on fancy paper, and two of the three even have "professionally done" flip charts as part of their presentations. Each of the three Listing Agents recommends a specific sales price. Amazingly, a couple of the Listing Agents have come up with prices that are lower than the Sellers expected. Although they back up their recommendations with recent... 07/26/2008

Brand New Hulen Area Neighborhood features homes with "rear entry" garages.  If you thought those were only available in Frisco and Plano, and only above $250,000... you need to call Karen Anne Stone. This three bedroom, two and one-half bath Two Story with its Brick and Stone exterior looks like it should be much more expensive than $167,490... a price which includes the optional Brick and Stone exterior.  If the more stately Full Brick Front is more your taste, the price is $159,990.                                      Many Realtors "brag" about something called "Street-Scape" when describing homes like the one above.  Here is why.  Landscaping is a plus when it adds to the beauty seen when viewing your home from the street.  "Street-Scape" boosts the whole idea of "drive-up appeal" ... 07/25/2008

Unusual Commercial Loans has been providing nationwide commercial financing for over 15 yrs Mobile home park financing can be tricky, don't submit your loan to the wrong source. We do nothing but commercial financing, we see more commercial loans than the average residential mortgage brokerhttp://www.unusualcommercialloans.com  Mobile home parks with cash flow issues ok Refi-cash out ok Properties with tax liens Commercial bridge loans Stated and full doc Don't waste time we have the network needed to get the job done. Some loans can close in as little as 10 business days! Are you a residential mortgage broker we can help you. We CO-BROKER and take the client from start to finish saving you time and money. Unusual  Commercial Loans 916-773-3975 http://www.unusualcommercialloans.com   07/25/2008

Thank your for reading this post about Fort Worth Real Estate.  Every other day I get asked how the market is in Fort Worth. The market is strong because of the Barnett Shale economic impact and other factors.  According to Andy Taft, President of Downtown Fort Worth Inc in a luncheon mentioned that Downtown Fort Worth had a 96% commercial occupancy rate.  This is phenomenol and could be one of the more successful occupancy rates in the country.  But how is the rest of the market.  With the infusion of jobs and capital the Metroplex is strong.  New construction sales are behind from previous years but it was getting a little overbuilt.  West Fort Worth is very strong which includes the Cultural District of Fort Worth.   07/24/2008

Looking for a New Home in the Fort Worth/ Dallas market area can reall wear a guy or gal out. So... what is the answer ?  What can a tired out, worn out, pooped out home buyer (or puppy) do to find just the right new home ? All that schlepping around, chasing down blind alleys and trying to figure out all those deceiving ads.  I mean... it's enough to make you "dog tired !"  Surprisingly, the answer is not all that difficult to figure out... IF you know the right person.  And... that person is Karen Anne Stone and her Team at New Home Hunters DFW. Karen Anne makes sure she is on the trail of every new New Home neighborhood that pops up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Sometimes she even knows about these "secret marketing plans and areas" even before the New Home Salespeople know about t... 07/19/2008

I had just finished a Hard Day's Night of Real Estate at my office... RE/MAX Trinity in Fort Worth.  It was a pretty hot day in Fort Worth, Texas.  Lots of things to do... follow-up, customer and client call-backs, taking my cat... Mollie T Cat for a walk... and finally, it was time to pull in the sidewalk, and find a place to relax.  That's when it hit me... right between the taste-buds.  I had seen Boomer Jacks several times during the last few weeks  Several folks had been talking about it in the office.  After all... i was right around the corner from my office in the Newly Gorgeous Montgomery Plaza building on W. 7th Street in Fort Worth. Sooo... I decided to give it a try.  And Yikes... was I glad I did.  Boomer Jack's curb appeal is enormous, thanks to patio seating and giant doo... 07/19/2008

This gorgeous 2,720 sq ft four bedroom (with a possible fifth) two and one-half super two story home is brand new on the market.  With the master bedroom being down, all three secondary bedrooms are upstairs, and all three of them are good-sized.  The largest bedroom of the three is a sixteen-footer, and the smallest up bedroom is 12 x 11... so there should be no fussing about who gets which bedroom. Located in a great family neighborhood in Burleson, Texas... the drive-up appeal this home holds is just fabulous.  The full-width covered front porch is great for relaxing or chatting with the neighbors as they go walking by. Sitting and relaxing reading the evening paper after work, or sharing fun stories with the neighbors makes for a very relaxing front porch evening, too. Once inside, ... 07/19/2008

While the housing market may be slumping in some areas of the country, North Texas and the city of Fort Worth have not seen the market decline as a whole. Some areas are not quite as productive as others, but over all, if you have a house to sell, it will sell in Fort Worth! Below are the market stats for the month of June 2008 for the west side of  Fort Worth. I don't know...but, to me it seems to contradict what the talking heads of doom say on the news. Even our local news anchors are echoing what the national pundits are saying and from what I see, it's not true here.       *Information is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. Info taken from NTREIS. From what the market in Fort Worth is telling me, now's  a great time to get you home on the market! I love living in this a... 07/12/2008

I don't think it matters how old you are. We all have a little bit of kid in us and what better way to bring the kid out in us than a visit to a zoo! The Fort Worth Zoo is the oldest in Texas. It was founded in 1909 and it has continuously improved to where it is one of the premier zoos in North America. One of the best times we ever had there was going on Thanksgiving Day one year. It wasn't hot..it was perfect sweater weather and, best of all, no crowds! We practically had the animals and the zoo to ourselves. This guy is always one of my favorites! He really acts up when he has an audience! And, he usually does! He was raised from a baby and when he was a "toddler" they kept him in a playpen and had a diaper on him! It was so cute!         If you like meerkats, they have a very large... 07/10/2008

Hello. Brad here again. Thanks to everyone who commented on my recent blog entry about Location. Now, I will share my thoughts about the importance of Location to the sale of a house. In light of recent foreclosures (which seem to be happening a lot these days), I believe these are the important factors when someone is planning to purchase a home: His/her monthly payment (with interest and taxes included) What is in the house (like hottub, office space, island in kitchen, number of baths, play room, fireplace, builtin shelves, etc.) Distance to work (because of the gasoline prices) Location Everything else (falls below Location) So go ahead and share your thoughts. I might learn something from you. And I might change my opinion about one of these? Brad 07/07/2008

Location, location, location... Have you heard how these are the MOST IMPORTANT things to a buyer when he/she is thinkiing about purchasing a new home? It has probably been true... for a very long time. However, as I see the current events and the changes in this real estate industry... I am doubting that this is still true today. So... what do you think? Are there a couple of factors that might be more important now? Do today's buyers look for other things? How about price, schools, value, the inspection report (which tells what condition the house is in) or other factors? What are your thoughts about this? Please share. Brad Yarbrough Fort Worth, Texas 07/04/2008

Why not celebrate the Fourth of July by taking in a baseball game and afterward stay for the City of Fort Worth fireworks display!  Come on out to LaGrave Field on Main Street just north of downtown on July 4th and see our very own minor league team the Fort Worth Cats! This is baseball the way it's meant to be played!   The tickets for the ball game start at $4 which is not much for a great night of baseball and fireworks! Can somebody throw in the apple pie! Not much more American than this! ****************************************************************************** Your Fort Worth REALTOR 817.262.9194 Linda's Fort Worth Real Estate Happenings 07/01/2008

Homestead Ft. Worth Real Estate Builders spec-tacular!Location: History Maker HomesteadRemember to ask me about the virtual tour on this Fort Worth New Homes Best Buy! Please give me Flyer ID for this Homestead inventory home when you call or email me. It is not very often that you can find nearly 2,500 sq.ft. in Ft. Worth for under $150K. The best part about this one is the convenient location to major employment centers in Fort Worth. Gas prices are going up so why not live close to Loop 820? Homestead is the neighborhood for you!InformationContact Information John Pohlyeditor@searchMLS.TV972-704-2149Contact Reply FormForward to a FriendView Other FlyersPricingAsking Price: $149,590Flexibility: FirmAdditional Pricing Information: If you visit the model homes, please ask for Mary Ellen... 06/16/2008

Summer Food Safety TipsSummer-time is one of the best times of year to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those that aren't available year-round. But recent salmonella outbreaks like those in last year's spinach crops or this year's tomato crops are an important reminder about handling food properly. Go to www.tombrewerjr.com for more information.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that there is no way for consumers to detect salmonella since it can't be smelled, tasted, or seen. Here's what they recommend to reduce the risk of exposure during this latest outbreak:Check the TypeSince April 16, more than 220 people from twenty-three states have contracted salmonella poisoning from tainted tomatoes. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising people... 06/15/2008

Remember, as a general rule, weaker than expected economic data is good for rates, while positive data causes rates to rise. Go to www.tombrewerjr.com for more information.Economic Calendar for the Week of June 16 – June 20Date ET Economic Report For Estimate Actual Prior Impact Mon. June 16 08:30 Empire State Index Jun -2.4 -3.2 Moderate Tue. June 17 09:15 Industrial Production May 0.1% -0.7% Moderate Tue. June 17 09:15 Capacity Utilization May 79.7% 79.7% Moderate Tue. June 17 08:30 Producer Price Index (PPI) May 1.0% 0.2% Moderate Tue. June 17 08:30 Core Producer Price Index (PPI) May 0.2% 0.4% Moderate Tue. June 17 08:30 Housing Starts May 980K 1032K Moderate Tue. June 17 08:30 Building Permits May 950K 978K Moderate Wed. June 18 10:30 Crude Inventories 6/14 NA -4560K Moderate Thu. ... 06/15/2008

There are several reports due this week that could "plague" the markets and home loan rates. Tuesday will bring the wholesale inflation measuring Producer Price Index, as well as a read on the housing market via the Housing Starts and Building Permits Report. Go to www.tombrewerjr.com for more information.Also, on Thursday, the Philadelphia Fed Report hits the wires. This monthly survey of manufacturing purchasing managers conducting business around the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware is one of the most-watched manufacturing reports, and it will be important to see if concerns about inflation have had an impact.Remember when Bond prices move higher, home loan rates move lower...and vice versa. The chart below shows how Bond prices moved sharply lower last week o... 06/15/2008

Very well maintained 4 plex in very good condition. Units are gated with iron gates and key lock. Each uint has 2 covered parking spaces and a storage unit. Units are not attached there are walkways between the units. Very nice floor plans, washer dryer connections, 2 bedroom, 2 baths, 1 larger unit has 2 living areas. Fireplaces. 2 units updated. 1 unit has granite in kitchen and bathrooms. New ceramic tile in two units. Long term tenants, ALL UNITS LEASED.  Monthly Rents: $2655 Call 817-737-7777 for more information or to schedule a showing.   06/12/2008

Masterpiece designed by Morrison Group overlooking 11th Fairway.Panaromic Views.Timeless design with Museum Quality Millwork, Faux Finish throughout.Warm Family feel with elegance for grand gatherings. Gourmet kitchen with granite, commercial thermador applicances and sub zero refrigerator.4 bedrooms each with private bath. Enjoy outdoor entertaining with pool, waterfall, spa and fireplace. Quality troughout. 4 bedrooms, each with private bath.  Large gameroom, study, 4 bedrooms each with a private bath. Mira Vista is a premier gated community conveniently located in southwest Fort Worth with a 24 hour gaurded gate. To see this home or for more information contact Peggy McCready at 817-437-4851. View photos at www.premiersold.com. 06/12/2008