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I just thought I’d report some good news for a change. Seems all we’ve heard for the past couple of years is bad news and worse news for real estate. Here in Dallas I think we have turned a corner people! Here’s why. The National Association of Realtors (of which I am a member) is reporting home sales increased 4.3% last month. That might not sound like a lot, but that’s the highest level since May 2010! This puts sales of previously occupied homes at the fastest pace in nearly two years! This bodes well for the Spring real estate season. I believe the Spring season has started already. I wrote four offers last week and closed two homes. Buyer traffic is also up. I’m seeing more showings on my homes listed for sale and open house traffic has been great. Additionally I have 4 homes about to hit the market and more buyers shopping now than I’ve seen in the past couple of years. Maybe it’s the beautiful weather here in Dallas or maybe just that Uptown Dallas is such a desirable place to live. Economists tell us the Dallas Fort Worth area had the third largest employment growth in the nation. We were behind Houston (first place) and New York City (second). We added 45,700 jobs! Other indicators things are looking up: Uptown Dallas had a 2% increase in sales over all but in the $500,000 and up price range we had a 10% increase in sales. The stock market rally seems to be pushing this higher price range sales surge. Looking ahead to the remainder of this year I think we’ll see 2012 look a lot like 2011. Factors that will continue to help this recovery: DFW economic recovery outpacing US average. Home prices seem to have stabilized. Interest rates likely to remain low the rest of the year. I think this Spring will be the best time to buy a home with the best prices we’re likely to see and the lowest interest rates. If only I had a crystal ball. We’ll see how this plays out in our market here in Dallas! If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Alan Shaffer, Realtor Clay Stapp + Co 214-335-8956 www.AlanShaffer.com
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Classic Old World Charm Combined with Modern Style. This 3 Level Home Features Unique Finishes & Special Attention to Architectural Detail. Wrought Iron Spiral Staircases Greet Visitors as they Walk into the Dwelling. Dark Stained Hand Scraped Hardwood Floors Throughout. Faux Finish Cast Stone Fireplace in Living Area. Rich Colored Granite in Kitchen Accented by Stainless Steel GE Monogram Appliances. Refrigerator is Built in. Wine Room Available off Living Area. Elevators a Buyer’s Option. Master Bedroom Could be on 1st or Third Floor. Patio & Private Backyard Area off First Floor. Study Equipped with Built-ins. Relax on Trellis Covered Roof Top Deck in Your Hot Tub. Full Rooftop Kitchen is Optional. Walking Distance to Katy Trail, West Village, & the Shops at Knox!!!  
Come by and say hello and tour this beautiful home! If you can't make this time, call or email me and we can set up a time that works for you. Alan Shaffer, Realtor
www.AlanShaffer.com
alan@thecondoguy.com
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When it comes to weight gain, we blame our genes, our metabolism, and wrong foods that taste so right. But maybe our kitchens are to blame. Here’s why.
Dieters beware: Your dream kitchen remodel may be your biggest nightmare. Experts say that big and attractive kitchens contribute to big and unattractive waistlines.
Just shoot us now.
“If a kitchen gets you there and keeps you there, you’re going to increase your consumption,” says Mark Blegen, an associate professor at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, who studies why people eat. “Even if you add only 10 extra calories a day, you’re going to gain weight over the long term.”
You mean remodeling a small and dreary kitchen into a big and fabulous one is hazardous to our health?
“Getting people to think that this kitchen may be causing me to gain weight is a huge shift,” Blegen says. “But if people want to take an honest look at their weight, they ought to take a look at every aspect of their environment.”
Weight management depends on many things — genetics, metabolism, running shoes that live under your bed. But calories-in and calories-out also depend on increasing and decreasing barriers to food. Kitchen size, design, storage, and appliances all erect or destroy those physical and psychological barriers. Here’s how.
Kitchen-great room combos: As big kitchens multitask as family rooms, homework centers, and offices, we spend more time around food. “If it’s right there in front of you, odds are you’ll want to consume it,” Blegen says. In fact, a seminal study on eating and environment found that moving a candy bowl 6 feet away from eaters reduced their consumption by 50%. It’s hard to move food away from you in a kitchen.
Traditional design: Kitchen designers are slaves to minimizing the distance between a kitchen’s sink, stove and refrigerator — its “work triangle.” But researcher Brian Wansink says the smaller the triangle, the more we’re eating when we’re supposed to prepping.
Too-handy storage: Kitchen storage puts you within reaching distance of calories. Walk-in pantries are the worst, because they encourage buying in bulk and stockpiling. Not only does stockpiling put you within steps of huge quantities of food, but the cost of buying and storing that bargain 10-lb. bag of Jasmine rice puts pressure on you to eat it. You can’t win for losing.
Tempting refrigerators: Upscale, glass-front refrigerators bring you face-to-face with last night’s leftovers, which call to you like sirens. And placing the fridge next to the eating nook makes it easier — and more likely — to grab a second helping.
Open-shelf cabinets: They remove that last, slim barrier between you and food — the cabinet door. “The more visible and the more convenient the food is in cupboards, the more likely you are to take it,” says Wansink, author of “Mindless Eating.” Take a look at his video, which shows how kitchens sabotage your diet.
Forget counting calories — follow the HouseLogic diet OK, count calories if you want. But you’ll eat fewer if you keep these kitchen makeover tips in mind.
Remodeling your kitchen? Give it the lean treatment If your kitchen is tempting you to overeat, bite the bullet (no calories in that) and plan a remodel — keeping these strategies in mind. Size the kitchen with food preparation, not munching, in mind. Instead of building an eat-in kitchen, devote space to prep islands, professional ranges, double ovens, and a couple of dishwashers. Then eat in a separate room, which reduces your temptation for seconds. Place the refrigerator away from the kitchen entrance so you’re not tempted to graze the moment you enter the room. Also, choose smaller refrigerators with bottom freezers, which require you to stoop to scoop that ice cream. And take those vegetables out of the crisper and put them on a center shelf, where they stare you in the face each time you open the fridge door. Install cabinets with solid doors. If you like the look of glass, opt for opaque or antique glass that hides contents. Avoid walk-in pantries that can store bushels of food. Instead, choose smaller cabinetry with pull-out shelves that reveals all the healthful food they will contain. (We live in hope.) Keep televisions, iPads, and other distractions out of the kitchen. The less you focus on the food you’re eating, the more you’ll eat. Install bright lights, which discourage eating. Researchers don’t know exactly why harsh lighting means less eating. Perhaps we spend less time in places with annoying lighting. So use task lighting to help in food prep, save you money on dimmers, and keep lights bright.
Kitchen tweaks: No remodel planned? No problem If you’ve already built the kitchen of your dreams or you’re not planning a full-scale remodel soon, a little reorganizing can help you cut calories. If you already have open shelves, place dishware and pots there, not food. If you must put food where you can see it, store it in opaque containers. Remove stools from around your prep island. You burn more calories standing than sitting, and eventually you’ll move to more comfortable spaces away from food. Store fattening foods in a garage freezer or refrigerator; you’ll think twice about dessert if you must walk to the garage to get it. And if you do indulge, you’ll burn a few calories fetching those sweets. Opt for one or two of the remodeling tips we noted above if you want to do a little more than reorganize but less than a full-on remodel.
What part of your kitchen encourages you to eat? Would you give it up to lose a few pounds?
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Town Home with Downtown Views from Rooftop Deck!
Overview
Maps
Photos
Features
Description
Neighborhood
| | $249,900 | | Townhouse | | Main Features | 2 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
1 Partial Bathroom
Interior: 1,947 sqft
| | Location | 3034 Carmel St.
Dallas, TX 75204
USA
To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below:
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| Alan Shaffer |
 
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Consider this your personal invitation to come view this amazing modern town home in the beautiful State Thomas neighborhood of Dallas. This is a primo unit on one of the only modern buildings in State Thomas and has some amazing downtown views! 4 stories of luxurious living with 12 foot ceilings, bamboo floors, stainless appliances and roof top views of the city. 
Or call me for a private showing if you can't make the open house!
Alan Shaffer, Realtor 214-335-8956 Clay Stapp + Co Realtors
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The end of the year is often a tough stretch for the real estate market, no matter the location. Families being in full travel mode and having vacation time takes away from the amount of attention paid to a housing and condominium search. While many U.S. cities experienced routine fourth quarter obstacles in the late months of 2011, Dallas wasn’t one of them. Within Dallas home and condo sales, the recent statistics have seemingly started to swing in favor of potential buyers. The current median listing price has dropped nearly seven percent from mid 2011, when it was near $224,000. Currently sitting at $214,000 the present median listing price is also five percent lower than November’s numbers. As apartment rental rates continue to go up, they could spell good news for real estate professionals and home sellers throughout the area. Dallas apartments are currently going through a hike in both one and two bedroom statistics. Both figures have experienced a three percent jump since late last year. Sellers could be overly excited with these figures because potential buyers are often deciding between continuing renting a place and going to buy their first homes. Besides rental rates that continue to jump throughout the country, the record low mortgage rates are good news for potential buyers and sellers. Potential buyers can now take advantage of mortgage rates that continue to drop to unseen levels throughout the second half of 2011. In the Dallas area, a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is currently at 4.252 APR. In perspective, this number is considerably low, even when compared to mid year when the rates were at the 4.75 level for 30 year fixed mortgages. Buyers can also currently take advantage of more time to decide on a home purchases. Time on the market in the Dallas area has risen in the past two months considerably over the first 10 months of 2011. Right now, a potential buyer has about 20 days more than what had been seen throughout the year. This extra time can give families and interested individuals a little more time to make a qualified buying decision in the end. One of the only drawbacks the Dallas real estate market saw within the last few months of the year was a cut in new listings in November and December. Even though it had been expected, there was still a hike in new listings from November into December, which could signal a more solid start to the 2012 year. Despite this declining statistic late in the year, the other trends could certainly have an impact on the Dallas area real estate market for the outset of 2012. Alan Shaffer Clay Stapp + Co (214) 335-8956 alan@thecondoguy.com http://www.TheCondoGuy.com http://www.AlanShaffer.com Named by D Magazine as "One of the Best Realtors in Dallas"
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Downtown Luxury Building - 14th Floor Views
Overview
Maps
Photos
Features
Neighborhood
Market Stats
| | $2,500 | | Condominium | | Main Features | 2 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
1 Partial Bathroom
Interior: 1,987 sqft
| | Location | 1505 Elm St.
Unit 1404
Dallas, TX 75201
USA
To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below:
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| Alan Shaffer |
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Question: Is there anything I can do to help prepare my home for the upcoming winter months? Answer: Yes, the following steps listed below can help prepare your home for winter and help provide the protection and comfort you expect. Start outside: - Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris and functioning properly.
- Check the roof and flashings around all surface projections (roof penetrations) and sidewalls (joints between roof and vertical services).
- Drain and winterize all outside faucets and the sprinkler system. Empty any water hoses, coil and store.
- Repair any damage to sidewalks, driveways, and steps before ice or snow makes them worse due to the freeze/thaw cycle.
- Make sure your chimney is clear of bird nests and leaves. Consider calling in a professional chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
- Check and repair any gaps in weather-stripping or calk around doors and windows. Failure to do so could add up to 10% to your winter heating bill.
- Make sure doors and windows have no missing or loose glazing putty.
- Winterize the lawn mower and clean, sharpen and oil all metal gardening tools before storing.
Follow this checklist inside your home: - Consider having a professional inspect and service your furnace. Also, be sure to replace the furnace filters and clean and adjust the humidifier (if applicable).
- Clean heating ducts, grills, and registers.
- Clean lint and any other debris out of dryer vents pipes.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide monitors as well as fire extinguishers.
- Reprogram your thermostat for the winter weather. Keeping your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees when people are home will help control energy costs.
- Unclog slow running drains.
- Make sure bath and shower caulking is intact.
- If your home is not insulated or under-insulated, seriously consider air sealing the air leakage pathways between the home and attic, and installing insulation in your attic to reduce drafts and heating costs.
Not only will it give you a warm feeling now to know your home is in good shape for winter, you'll probably feel cozier all season long. If you need a recommendation for a heating and cooling company or other advice, just let me know! That's what I'm here for... Alan Shaffer, Realtor
www.AlanShaffer.com
www.TheCondoGuy.com
Clay Stapp + Co
214.335.8956 cell
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Aside from less competition, low borrowing costs give buyers incentive. This coupled with the mild weather most of Texas experiences make it a great time to buy.By Dian HymerInman News™Share ThisWe're getting close to the end of the year, which begs the question of whether it's worthwhile trying to sell your home now. Is it a waste of time? Will it sit on the market and become shopworn? Should I take my house off the market for the holidays? Will the home-sale market be better for sellers in 2012?The first question you need to ask yourself is: Are you emotionally prepared to sell? Selling is a challenge for most sellers, although some markets are better than others. Unless you bought more than eight to 10 years ago and preserved your equity, you may not be able to sell for enough to pay off the mortgages secured against the property and the other costs of selling.For sellers who have no additional assets, a short sale or foreclosure may be the only option. If so, first look into government programs that might help you out financially. Also, talk to your attorney and tax adviser.Sellers who have the resources to make up the difference between the sale price and the amount they owe need to ask themselves if they are willing to pay the additional cash in order to sell and move on.There are two reasons why you might prefer bringing cash to closing. One is that your credit will not be negatively impacted, as would be the case with a short sale or foreclosure. The second is that many buyers shy away from short sales because of the lengthy and uncertain process involved.The next thing to consider is the condition of your home. Is it ready for the market? The most salable homes are those that are in move-in condition.Before racing to the hardware store, ask your REALTOR® about how much competition there would be for your home if you put it on the market before the holidays. Some areas are shy on inventory of good homes on the market. If so, now could be a good time to sell.HOUSE HUNTING TIP: The supply/demand ratio plays a significant role in the health of a local real estate market. No matter what is said about the housing market nationally, it's the local picture that tells the tale in terms of the possibility of selling your home at any given time.Most sellers don't put their homes on the market during the last or first couple of months of the year. The inventory of homes for sale tends to dwindle during the winter months. Interest rates are low. So, if there are buyers in your local market, you may be at an advantage selling when most sellers are waiting.Some sellers feel that if they've waited this long to sell, they should put the process on hold until spring and get the house ready in the meantime. Certainly, it's not a good idea to put your house on the market until it looks great. But if you and your house are ready to sell, move ahead.The market in general tends to slow down over the holidays. But rather than pull your house off the market and miss a likely prospect, change the showing procedure to require advance notice. And enjoy your holidays. A sale before year end could be a great holiday gift.There is a lot of pent-up demand, on both the buyer and seller sides. Sellers have been waiting for a better time to sell. Buyers have been waiting for more quality inventory and a sense that prices have bottomed or are close to it.THE CLOSING: Recent projections call for another five or so years of bouncing along close to the bottom of this market cycle. Many experts believe that the big price declines are behind us.Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of "House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide."
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AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new law in regard to homeowners who apply for a new property tax homestead exemption starts Sept. 1, and requires those filing to provide proof to the county appraisal district that they live in the house they claim as their principal residence. House Bill 252 requires a copy of the homeowner’s Texas driver’s license or state identification card and the homeowner’s vehicle registration receipt be sent with the homestead exemption application. In addition to proof of residency, beginning Sept. 1, homeowners applying for a homestead exemption on a manufactured (mobile) home must also provide proof of purchase of the home and a statement of ownership and location issued by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. If the homeowner does not own a vehicle, he or she can send a current utility bill showing name and address, along with an affidavit provided in the application indicating non-ownership of a vehicle. The address on the documents must match the address for which the homestead exemption is requested. The new requirement does not apply to homeowners who already have homestead exemptions. It affects only new applications for exemptions sent to appraisal districts. "As Comptroller, we implement laws passed by the legislature" said Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. "The homestead exemption is intended to help relieve the tax burden of Texas full-time residents. This new legislation ensures that the system is working fairly and legally." The new law affects new applications for the general homestead exemption available to every homeowner as well as the over-65 exemption, the disability exemption, the disabled veterans exemption, the extended exemption for a homeowner’s surviving spouse and the manufactured (mobile) home exemption. The homestead exemption application form for property owners and county appraisal districts is available online at: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/50-114.pdf This is intended to help curb the abuses of this exemption and generate additional income for our cash strapped state governments. If you have questions about the exemption or how to file and lower your tax bill, please give me a call or email. I'm happy to assist you with this form. I also provide a service to homeowners to protest their taxable value and reduce their tax burden. Let me help you save some money on your taxes this year. One client last year had his taxable value reduced over $30,000. Contact me for more info! Alan Shaffer, Realtor
www.AlanShaffer.com 214-335-8956
Clay Stapp + Co Realtors
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By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
s
November 5, 2010
This week road crews will start building streets for the last phase of Dallas' Cityplace project.
In 2000, when the West Village arose, new close-in housing was a novelty. 'Everyone told us it would never work,' developer Henry S. Miller III says.
"We have about 16 acres left," said Neal Sleeper, president of Cityplace Co. "We started with 130 acres 20 years ago."
Today, the project includes more than 1,700 homes and almost 400,000 square feet of retail space.
But the area was mostly vacant lots at the end of 1990, when a group of investors bought the property northeast of downtown Dallas and hired Sleeper. Previous plans to turn the district along North Central Expressway into a "city within a city" had stalled because of a regional recession and a change of ownership at Southland Corp., which owned the land.
"We started all over with a new master plan," Sleeper said.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Southland, the company that owned 7-Eleven, embarked on a plan to build more than 60 office towers, residential high-rises, hotels and retail space in the area between Haskell and Lemmon avenues. "The original plan was for 18 million square feet of space," said John Crawford, who was on the original Cityplace project team and is CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. "When things fell apart, that became impossible. "What it has become is a scaled-down version of the original plan that makes more sense for the changing times," he said. "It's been eminently successful."
New owners
That success was born out of the old project's demise.
After pouring more than $300 million into buying land and building the first 42-story skyscraper, Southland announced in 1987 that it wouldn't put any more money into the big project. Three years later, investors including Dallas' Don McNamara and Fort Worth's Robert Bass forked over $24 million to buy the undeveloped land from Southland. "All of our same original partners are in the deal," Sleeper said.
Southland had planned to build blocks and blocks of 10- to 30-story towers. The new owners began studying the surrounding neighborhoods. "We tried to figure out what was really needed in the area," Sleeper said. "The two things high on everybody's agenda were retail and trying to get housing back into the inner city." The West Village project that opened in 2000 brought apartments and shopping and set the tone for much of the neighborhood.
"Everyone told us it would never work," West Village developer Henry S. Miller III said. "Now all everyone wants to do are mixed-use projects like the West Village."
Miller credits Cityplace's owners with keeping development standards high and sticking to their long-range plans. "They have been careful about the development there," he said. "They've had lots of opportunities to do stuff that ultimately wouldn't have been good for the area, and they passed on it. "We appreciate their ownership because they have had the patience and finances to hold that property as long as they have."
The last phase of the Cityplace project will continue the mixed-use plan that has worked so well.
Inland American Communities is finishing its designs for a retail and apartment complex on the site of the old Loews Cityplace movie theater on Haskell Avenue. The project will include a Kroger supermarket, an LA Fitness and 350 apartments. "We are working on the plans right now and hope to break ground in the first quarter," Inland's John Allums said.
'Icing on cake'
The vacant land along the west side of North Central, including property that previously housed the Hank Haney Golf Center, will be developed into some of the highest density uses in the project, Sleeper said. It will likely be a mix of residential and commercial space. "We are planning on the last 16 acres being the icing on the cake," he said. "This project has definitely been done in fits and starts. "We had periods where things were going fast and then nothing was being done for a while," Sleeper said. "We were always confident we could make it work."
We’re excited to see this new phase of development beginning for the West Village Area. This will add needed apartments and retail to the area and continue the upgrade of Uptown that started in 2000. If you have questions or need info on these developments just give me a shout and thanks for reading my blog on Uptown Dallas!
Alan Shaffer, Realtor
www.AlanShaffer.com
www.TheCondoGuy.com
214-335-8956
alan@thecondoguy.com
Clay Stapp + Co Realtors
1933 Cedar Springs Rd.
Dallas, TX 75201
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I just found
this blog on Candy's Dirt and I have to whole-heartedly agree with her.
Buyers in this market are just looking for a reason to go to the next house.
There are just too many homes to choose from and if yours isn't in top notch
condition for the money, they will walk right out the door. Her
blog is a great one about popcorn ceilings in older homes. Personally, I
hate this stuff - I'm sure most people hate it, but are just too lazy to take
it off. Her post gives great instructions on how to get rid of this
eye-sore!
Dear
Candy,
I
have a home with what they call a popcorn ceiling. My Realtor thinks I should
get rid of it, but doing so is going to make a huge mess. And guess what? I am
a princess and do not like messes. Do you think I need to follow her advice,
sand down that ceiling (ugh, makes me sneeze just thinking about it) or let it
go. Don’t buyers have any imagination these days?
Thanks,
Lita
Wow,
is that really your popcorn ceiling? I’ve only seen one more like it, and that
was in San Antonio with sparkles! Someone really liked — pink!
OK
in a word, YES, get rid of that damn ceiling. Pretend it’s toxic: it is,
to your home sale. Not to be mean, but where have you been these past three
years. We are in a RECESSION and it’s hard as hell to move properties. Buyers
think of every excuse possible not to buy unless they are IN LOVE with a
property. Just think of a buyer who loves your home, but all she can think of
is that pink popcorn ceiling and how hard and messy it will be to get rid of,
capiche?
I
have an argument with my husband daily, he being of the "drop the
price and let the buyers do whatever they want" school. I am of the
"buyers have zero vision. Period. End of story." school. Why? Because
they don’t, and it’s getting worse: Gen Y just doesn’t tinker in the home much —
they tinker on PED’s! Just go get lots of plastic and cover
everything up, get a Miele vacuum (the best, at Capital Distributing).
Remove
all of the furniture from the room before you start. Or move it all to the
center of the room and cover it with plastic sheeting. Next, tape plastic
sheeting to the corner formed where the walls meet the ceilings. Make sure the
plastic hangs to the floor, covering all the walls, windows and doors. Tape the
plastic to the floor. Completely cover the floor with drop cloths, not plastic.
It’s too easy slip on plastic.
Cover
you, too. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat or cloth painter’s
hood, and grab a respirator and eye protection.
"Popcorn"
is the nickname for sprayed-on textured coating. It was "the look" in
the 1960s and ’70s. Some ceilings even had sparkles mixed in, and oh my, I have
seen those. Eyes still hurting.
Until
around 1978, the sprayed-on coating likely contained asbestos – ostensibly
for its fire-retardant qualities. In 1978, asbestos was banned as a
carcinogen. Any post-1978 "popcorn" should be asbestos-free. So
it’s quite possible that a 1968 (or older) popcorn ceiling contains
asbestos.
If
you were planning to remove it, first test for asbestos. If positive,
you will have no choice but to hire a licensed, insured and bonded
hazardous material contractor. If the test is negative, you could save
money and do-it-yourself. Remember, asbestos is dangerous only if it is
crumbling. …
Experts
laud the wet and scrape method, basically wetting the ceiling until the
popcorn crap falls off, or peels off with a scraper. Once it’s all off and the
ceiling is dry, re-texture whatever your heart desires, then paint and presto
— you are all done! Bye bye popcorn ceiling!
Note:
Homes built prior to 1978 require a Lead Based Paint Disclosure to be completed
and signed by the seller. The seller must disclose if they have any knowledge
or reports of lead based paint on the property. The key words are knowledge
and/or reports.
This
does not address asbestos. They must note on the standard seller’s disclosure
if there have been any repairs or treatments to remediate environmental hazards
such as asbestos. There is also nowhere on the seller’s disclosure where a
seller must disclose that their popcorn ceiling may or may not contain
asbestos.
Thanks
for the great information Candy. I'm sure my readers will appreciate it.
You can find her great real estate blog at www.candysdirt.com
Alan
Shaffer, Realtor
www.AlanShaffer.com
214-335-8956
Clay
Stapp + Co Realtors
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For many of us living in condos, that wall of windows
lets in tons of light. This is usually a great thing except in the summer
when it hits 110 degrees like it did this last summer here in Dallas.
Then you start wishing for a little shade. I came across this article
from Paul Bianchina at Inman News recently that answers some questions about
tinting windows in your home to save money on cooling costs and to prevent UV
rays from fading furniture and carpets.
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Q: We live in a 2-year-old condo with west-facing
windows. The afternoon sun is very bright and hot at times. Someone told me
that you can have a film professionally applied to the inside of the windows
that will still allow all the light to come in, but will cut the ultraviolet
rays and it will stay a little cooler in summer and keep it a little warmer
in winter, as well as cutting down on sun fade for carpet, etc. Do you know
anything about this and if it really helps? What should we look for in a
product, and how do we find a reliable installer? --Eleanor S.
A: There is actually a wide range of window films
that can be applied to your windows, including ones that will block UV rays
and heat from entering, while actually helping to reduce heat loss back through
the glass, so you also get some benefit in the winter. Depending on your
needs, you can get films that are completely clear or ones that are tinted so
that people on the outside can't look in.
To find an installer, check the Yellow Pages under
"Windows -- Tinting." As with hiring any person to work on your
house, you need to make sure that the company you hire is properly licensed,
bonded and insured. Ask that they make a site visit to examine your windows,
and that they bring samples of the different films. Also, ask for local
references of people they have worked for so that you can see some of these
films in an actual house, and also check on how the past client felt about
the company. Finally, be sure you get at least two competitive estimates;
make sure that you fully understand the price, warranty, and services they're
providing; and be sure you get everything in writing.
There are a couple of other things to be aware of.
With many types of insulated-glass windows, the application of a tinting film
can void the window's warranty. Be sure that you ask the tinting companies
about that, and also check with the window manufacturer to verify what you're
being told. Also, window films can be something of a gray area with condo
associations. Technically, the condo association owns the window, and a
window film is usually considered an alteration of the window itself, not
just a window covering. So before you install a film, be sure to check with
your condo association to avoid any conflicts.
If it turns out that a tinting film is not a viable
option for you, you can also install interior or exterior roll-up sun shades
that will accomplish the same goals.
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He brings up some good points. I'm looking into
this for my West facing windows before next Summer rolls around. Let's
hope it's not as hot as this past Summer! If you have other condo
questions, just let me know. I've been helping people buy, sell and lease
condos for 15 years now in Dallas (Uptown & Oak Lawn). I might be
able to help or at least point you in the right direction.
Alan Shaffer, Realtor
www.TheCondoGuy.com
214-335-8956
Clay Stapp + CO Realtors
Dallas, Texas 75201
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I'll be holding this town house open for you to visit this Sunday 2-4pm. It is a brown-stone type home with street entrance and garage parking. Hardwoods downstairs, carpet up. Two bedroom, two and a half baths with a private patio and full sized washer dryer connections. Granite counters in the white kitchen and a wood burning fireplace for cozy nights at home. You can see more pictures and additional info here.
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More good news today from Texas Association of Realtors (TAR). Homes in Texas continued to hold their value as sales jumped up 18% over the same quarter in 2010. Dwight Hale, chairman of TAR says "We are thrilled by the performance of the market this quarter and believe these results illustrate the strength of Texas' housing economy." Jim Gaines, Ph.D. an economist with Texas A&M real estate research center says "The market is starting to look like it did before the real estate boom and bust. Sales this quarter are comparable to levels in 2002 and 2003, indicating the market is returning to a more normal sales pace." Mr. Gaines goes on to say "Despite being behind the first half of the year, we expect the second half of 2011 to outperform last year, ending the year slightly higher than 2010." This is good news for all home owners in Texas. As is the fact that homes listed for sale also dropped over this same period. 7.4 months of inventory vs. 8 months in third quarter of 2010. Chairman Hale concludes, "It's encouraging to see the Texas real estate market returning to pre-recession levels. Looking ahead, it will be important to maintain the affordability, access to natural resources, and quality of life that have drawn so many homebuyers to Texas, which is the continual focus of the Texas Association of REALTORS I have been seeing the same things happening in the Dallas market and especially the Uptown and in-town markets. Sales are up, buyers are out and inventory is falling. There are still bargains to be had and interest rates are still at historic lows. With the end of the year coming, I expect sales to continue to be strong as buyers want to get that purchase closed before the end of the year so they can get their tax credits in place this year. If I can help you in any way - buy, sell or lease please give me a call or email!
Alan Shaffer www.AlanShaffer.com 214-335-8956 Clay Stapp + Co Realtors
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