Fort Worth Real Estate Online

This New Model Home is just waiting for you to visit.  It has just been completed, and this coming weekend will be the first weekend it is on display.  Althought this home is located in northern Fort Worth... it can be built in several other areas around Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

It is a four bedroom, two bath home with eat-in kitchen and formal dining, and a formal living or media room, and a family room off the breakfast area.

There is more space inside that you could possibly guess for the price.  This home measures approximately 2087 square feet... and the price is $134,990.  Because this is the grand opening celebration, the builder will either give you, the buyer, a discount of $3,000... or $3,000 in upgrades... or pay $3,000 of your closing costs.

If you are ready to go from "Just Looking" to Let's Get Serious"... call the New Home Hotline at (817) 929-3400 today !

One of the things that seems to occasionally frustrate home buyers... is the inability of their title company to provide "closing figures" to the homebuyer within a time frame that is from 24 to 48 hours before closing.

In the Fort Worth, Texas area... our closings are done with "closers" or escrow agents at title companies.  Both Realtors and Buyers would like to know the buyer's "final figures."

In Texas there are no "round table" closings.  The buyer and the seller each sign their papers separately at the title company... just them, the Realtor (if any) and the title company closer or escrow agent.  It is an extreme rarity that an attorney would be present at closing... for either buyer or seller.

The "final figures" represents the exact amount of money the buyers must bring to their closing... in the form of an official bank check.  Because of that... if that figure is not known until just hours before closing... it becomes a hardship for the buyer to get to their bank... get their cashiers check... and then get to the title company on time.

So why can't they get us the number sooner ?

One of the main reasons is that this "number"... this amount... is the total of many different amounts that come from many different places.  Here are a few of them:

1)  Home owner's insurance.

2)  Title costs.

3)  Real estate tax figures from the various taxing agencies... city, county, school district, water district...and so forth... as far as the number of months of taxes to be collected up front.

4)  Mortgage closing costs... application fees, appraisal fees, document preparation, courier fees, pre-paid interest... the list goes on and on.

5)  Balance of down payment.

6)  The amount, if any, of the buyer's closing costs that are being paid by the seller... per an agreement in the purchase contract.

7)  HOA (Home Owner's Association) fees that must be paid.

8)  Buyer's Home Warranty Service Agreements... whether paid by buyer or seller

9)  Costs of any repairs made at buyer's expense that must be paid at closing.

10)  Even the amount of taxes the seller owes on the property must be known... because that amount is then credited to the buyer on the closing statement, and offsets a part of the money due from the buyer.

All of these figures must be verified and in the hands of the title company before they can figure the the closing amount.  Then... the entire closing statement must be sent back to the buyer's lender to be approved.  Once the final approval of the closing statement is made... only then can the buyer be given an exact figure.

There is also a possibility that other changes could be made... even while the buyers are signing papers.  IF that happens, the closing statement is amended, then sent back to the lender... and must be re-approved by them, then sent back to the Title Company... and then signed by the buyers... and the previous one discarded.

Many Nights... Late at Night... usually between midnight and 2:00am... I can usually be found at my "Blogging Desk."  I have received many, many requests (one actually... LOL) for a photo of myself while creating the "missives" I send out into the blogosphere in the middle of the night.  So, in response to all of those "pleadings" (actually, it's up to two now... my cat Mollie just emailed me)... here it is !

I have an artist working on creating a Fifteen Month calendar suitable for mounting in such places as offices, libraries, schools, churches, auto body shops and NTB Tire Stores.  Once completed, I will have my marketing agent, Phyllis Diller's older, more attractive sister Hazel, start shopping the publishing houses in New York City... to find a suitable vehicle for mass distribution.  Stay tuned for further information.

 [  Karen Anne Stone of RE/MAX Trinity, Texas, can be reached at (817) 929-3400.  She can also be reached at KarenAnneStone@gmail.com.  Her new home's website is at www.NewHomeHuntersDFW.com .  ]

It's that time again.  As the end of the year approaches, once again we have our "yearly chance" to use the Homestead Exemption as a closing technique.  Actually... it is much more than simply a closing technique... it is just one more great reason for a "sitting on the fence" buyer to get off that fence... and get themselves a home.

The Homestead Exemption is something that many people who are renting homes or apartments may not be aware of.  The net effect of the Homestead Exemption is sort of a "discount" on a property owner's real estate taxes... but it's only for a person's "homestead"... which is the home they own, and that they are living in.

A general explanation of how it works is as follows:  Certain entities that "tax" an owners home real estate dwelling will "exempt" a portion of the home's taxable value from property taxes.  For example, if that taxing entity is a local ISD or Independent School District, it may "exempt" a portion of the value of that home from being taxed.  If that home is worth $140,000, and the portion of its value exempted is $20,000... it's like getting a 14% tax discount on that portion of a homeowner's yearly tax bill due the local ISD.

Sometimes the amount may be small, sometimes it may be larger, but nonetheless, it is a money-saving feature of home ownership that can very easily be taken advantage of.  The only "catch" is, that in Texas, a homeowner will only qualify if they actually OWN the property as of January First of the taxable year in question.  That means... if a buyer closes on their home this year on December 28, 2008... they are "in title"... or they "own" that property as of January 1, 2009, and are eligible for a tax break for the ENTIRE year of 2009.  IF you miss it by even a day, and perhaps close on your home on January 2, 2009, you are not eligible for the Homestead Exemption until January 1, 2010.

Texas as a state is one that very much encourages Individual Home Ownership.  People who own their homes are more likely to take part in local area activities.  They are more likely to vote, and more likely to run for offices like school boards, city council positions, mayors of their city, and even state-wide positions.  This is something that is Good For Texas, and it's something that's Good For You.

So... if you are sitting on the fence, wondering if buying a home in the next few months is a good idea, here is just one more reason why it is to your advantage to own your own home.

If you are ready to go from "Just Looking" to "Let's Get Serious"... call the New Home Hotline at (817) 929-3400 to start your very own personalized search for your new home.  And remember... if you close on it by Dec 30, 2008... you will have your Homestead Exemption activly saving you tax dollars... for the entire 2009 year !

This gorgeous 2,720 sq ft four bedroom (with a possible fifth) two and one-half bath 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.

As a Great Bonus... the SELLER will pay ALL ALLOWABLE BUYER'S CLOSING COSTS !

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, the over-sized foyer welcomes you.  On the right side of the foyer is a den/study/home office with double french doors and a good-sized interior closet.

If you don't need a home office, this room would make a great fifth bedroom.  Opposite this room is the formal dining room.  It's very open and cheery, and also a fun and relaxing place to treat the family for large get-togethers or buffet-type dinners.

The kitchen is a combination gourmet and country kitchen.  The over-sized central hard-surface island is perfect for mom, dad and the kids all helping to prepare either dinner, or a Saturday-afternoon bar-be-que.  Yes... there's that much room, plus more room to spare.

At the far end of the kitchen is a spacious breakfast/morning room.  Somehow, even with the family room and the game room... people just seem to want to congregate at the breakfast table in the kitchen to either chat, munch, or play board games.

The family room is also oversized, with a vaulted ceiling, and a partially-open wrap-around stairway to start folks up the stairs to the three bedrooms and gameroom.  At the back end of the family room is an awesome twenty-six foot covered patio... that was built with the original home, rather than as a funky add-on after the homeowners moved in !  Big Difference.

If you're looking for a home that can handle a pool, and still have lots of room left over for games like volleyball... you need to see this home.  Even though the front of the lot is nice and wide... the lot spreads out even further as it goes into the rear yard.  Lots of privacy in the back... it even offers enough privacy in case you want to relax and sunbathe.  Very Nice !

Does mom or dad have a motorcycle ?  If so, or even if it's only a golf-cart... the garage is extra-wide, and has a small half-car overhead door (notice on the front right of the home picture above) so there's no struggling getting the cycle or the golf cart in past the swinging door or the other cars.  Just raise the door, and in you go.

I am guessing that with all the cool features this home has... if you are looking for a really great family home... you'd better jump on this one.  So... if you are ready to get past your "just looking" phase, and get into the "we're serious" mode... give Karen Anne Stone at RE/MAX Trinity a call at (817) 929-3400 for your very own personal tour.  Karen Anne can also be reached at KarenAnneStone@gmail.com .  You can see even more goodies at Karen's website at www.NewHomeHuntersDFW.com .

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To get to the open house, from the intersection of South Loop 820 and I-35 W in Fort Worth,... travel south about four miles to the McAlister Exit.  At the stoplight, turn right (at the Best Buy store)... follow McAlister into Mistletoe Hill to 700 Bur Oak.

This gorgeous 2,720 sq ft four bedroom (with a possible fifth) two and one-half bath 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, the over-sized foyer welcomes you.  On the right side of the foyer is a den/study/home office with double french doors and a good-sized interior closet.

If you don't need a home office, this room would make a great fifth bedroom.  Opposite this room is the formal dining room.  It's very open and cheery, and also a fun and relaxing place to treat the family for large get-togethers or buffet-type dinners.

 The kitchen is a combination gourmet and country kitchen.  The over-sized central hard-surface island is perfect for mom, dad and the kids all helping to prepare either dinner, or a Saturday-afternoon bar-be-que.  Yes... there's that much room, plus more room to spare.

At the far end of the kitchen is a spacious breakfast/morning room.  Somehow, even with the family room and the game room... people just seem to want to congregate at the breakfast table in the kitchen to either chat, munch, or play board games.

The family room is also oversized, with a vaulted ceiling, and a partially-open wrap-around stairway to start folks up the stairs to the three bedrooms and gameroom.  At the back end of the family room is an awesome twenty-six foot covered patio... that was built with the original home, rather than as a funky add-on after the homeowners moved in !  Big Difference.

If you're looking for a home that can handle a pool, and still have lots of room left over for games like volleyball... you need to see this home.  Even though the front of the lot is nice and wide... the lot spreads out even further as it goes into the rear yard.  Lots of privacy in the back... it even offers enough privacy in case you want to relax and sunbathe.  Very Nice !

Does mom or dad have a motorcycle ?  If so, or even if it's only a golf-cart... the garage is extra-wide, and has a small half-car overhead door (notice on the front right of the home picture above) so there's no struggling getting the cycle or the golf cart in past the swinging door or the other cars.  Just raise the door, and in you go.

I am guessing that with all the cool features this home has... if you are looking for a really great family home... you'd better jump on this one.  So... if you are ready to get past your "just looking" phase, and get into the "we're serious" mode... give Karen Anne Stone at RE/MAX Trinity a call at (817) 929-3400 for your very own personal tour.  Karen Anne can also be reached at KarenAnneStone@gmail.com .  You can see even more goodies at Karen's website at www.NewHomeHuntersDFW.com .