In case you haven’t heard the good news, the Dallas area luxury home market has kicked off the new year with a bang.  Due to the declining interest rates, buyer activity has increased much to the anticipation of many homesellers and builders alike. Assuming that it sells for at least as much, a luxury home in North Texas is a property that has a market value greater than $500,000.

 One such property that is deserving of home buyer attention is this gorgeous, completely custom home in the gated community of Diamond Belle Estates in Flower Mound.  The locale of the home is all within close proximity to shopping, world-class golfing, medical offices, Lifetime Fitness,  as well as area schools Flower Mound High School, McKamy Middle School, and Wellington Elementary. 

 Beautifully crafted by Rembert Custom Homes, this builder constructed the home with the highest industry standards and also captured the essence and elegance of true Old World comfort.  This home boasts 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 powder baths, 3 separate living areas, 3 car garage, and many additional upgraded features such as:

• gourmet island kitchen with built-in refrigerator and double ovens
• butler’s pantry
• mud room
• library/study
• 2 fireplaces
• media room
• game room
• handscraped hardwoods
• marble and stone flooring
• over-sized, covered patio
• Energy Star rated home

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, Home Staging Professional, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group and RE/MAX DFW Associates. Joy and her team also specialize in new home construction.  With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.  Rice Capital Mortgage at (972) 539-1747.

I recently visited with a frustrated home seller in Wellington of Flower Mound whose home sat on the market unsold for six months.  She initially had her home listed with another agent and company, but the listing expired.  As is the case with most sellers, the experience had left her feeling confused and drained.  Going into this process, her goal was to sell her existing home and purchase a new home in Flower Mound’s luxury neighborhood, Bella Lago.  Even though she had already submitted a contract on the new home, she and her family would not be able to close on it and move in until their Wellington home sold.  Still her question remains the same, why did it not sell? 

To prepare for the appointment and diagnose potential barriers between the subject property and the buyers, I did some research.  I looked up the expired listing in the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems which is the MLS database for the Dallas/Fort Worth market area. At first glance, I noticed two things about the now expired listing. 
1.  The agent’s photos of the property appeared very unprofessional.  Most of the pictures that was posted were out-of-focus shots of very cluttered rooms. 
2.  The home was not properly staged.  This means seller must de-personalize, minimize, and sterilize the entire home before it goes on the market. This process is a lot of work, but the property will sell faster for more money. 

For buyers and agents sizing up the competing homes on the market, half the battle of a successful home sale is getting the buyers in the door.  If the photos are not inviting or enticing, your home will not be viewed by many buyers.  The buyers have to see it before they will buy it. Make it picture perfect.

How unfortunate it is that the first agent apparently did not own a professional quality camera nor did she know how to advise her seller clients about the importance of home staging.  Whether you’re selling your home in Dallas, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Southlake, Keller, or Highland Park, speak frankly with your Realtor about how she works and her goals for successfully marketing your home for sale.  It could shave off months of selling and add to your bottomline at the closing table.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, Home Staging Professional, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish. 

Click here for the latest Dallas real estate information or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com.  You may also call directly at (214) 662-5588. Joy Rice partners with Rice Capital Mortgage who is one of the leading lending firms in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Rice Capital Mortgage offers the lowest rates available plus additional incentives for Joy Rice Realty Group clients.

If you are in the market to buy a well-built new home in Flower Mound’s Stonelake Estates, make your move now.  A luxurious 5 bedroom, 4 baths, 3 car garage home with a library/study, game room, and media room awaits the new owners.

 To ensure that you walk away from the purchase of a new builder home with as little out of pocket as possible, contact a knowledgeable Realtor who has worked on new construction homes and is aware of the builder contracts.  You shouldn’t try this on your own because contrary to most home buyer’s thinking, you will not get a better deal by working directly with the builder.  Ask anyone who has already tried, and they will tell you.  Therefore, to avoid possibly losing thousands at the closing table, here are a couple of things you must know:

1.  Builders know that buyers do not know true market value of new construction homes; therefore, their goal is to save as much as possible.
2.  Realtors who have knowledge of the new construction marketplace know exactly how to negotiate the lowest possible pricing for their buyers, negotiate seller concessions and upgrades for the buyers, and decrease the sales price to save the buyers thousands.
3.  Builders will not reduce the price of the house in the event that you choose to buy the house without Realtor representation.  This is not a good idea when you’re not privvy to the building process. 
4.  Negotiating on your own behalf is much like diving into a body of choppy water when you don’t know how to swim.  Your Realtor is your life preserver.  Take her with you, and let her negotiate in your behalf.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588. Joy Rice partners with Rice Capital Mortgage who is one of the leading lending firms in the DFW area with the lowest rates available for Joy’s buyer clients. 

Living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area suburb of Flower Mound is second to none due to the over whelming popularity of such master-planned communities as Wichita Chase, Bridlewood, Wellington, and Bella Lago.  Flower Mound boasts exemplary-rated schools, convenience to both downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and more.

Wichita Chase is a gorgeous neighborhood with ponds, hike and bike trails, workout facility, swimming pools, and tennis courts.  The home builders who contributed to the community’s construction are Toll Brothers, D.R. Horton, and Bud Bartley. 

One home for sale right now in highly-sought after Wichita Chase has 4 bedroom, 3 full baths, and more than 3000 square feet.  Also included is granite kitchen countertops, open floor plan, and a private swimming pool with a covered patio, and is priced to sell.  Call Joy with RE/MAX DFW Associates and Joy Rice Realty Group to schedule your private showing of this home or any other in the Dallas/Fort Worth market.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.  Joy Rice partners with Rice Capital Mortgage.

Flower Mound is about to bloom with a newly gated community consisting of gorgeous custom homes on over-sized lots.  Located just north of Lakeside Drive off Spinks Road, Bella Strada is a distinctive new neighborhood is slated for one-quarter to three-quarter acre lots.  The builder is offering buyers the option to buy it now and build on it at a later date.  Usually when a buyer purchases a lot from a builder, the builder will initiate the construction project no later than sixty days after executing a sales contract. Therefore, this is truely a very unique opportunity.  For more detailed information or to schedule your private tour of the property, call Joy Rice Realty Group today.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate information or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.

This new construction home for sale on a one acre Bella Lago lot in Flower Mound is being marketed by RE/MAX DFW Associates.  The home has four bedrooms,  three and one-half bathrooms, plus a four-car garage.  It has upgrades galore such as a gourmet island kitchen, hand-scraped hardwoods, media room, and is located very close to the lake. For more information about this gorgeous home, click here.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588. 

If you are looking into buying a home in Flower Mound, you can review a comparison of the Flower Mound luxury home sales in Bridlewood, Wellinton, The Sanctuary, and Bella Lago subdivisions.  These are four master-planned and HOA communities that exibit most criteria that today’s buyers want.  Often the subdivision’s features and amenities are just as alluring as the home itself.   Some of the benefits of these highly sought after neighborhoods include golf courses, swimming pools, hike and bike trails, fitness facilities, tennis courts, basketball courts, and more.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.  For mortgage information cantact Ray Rice at Rice Capital Mortgage.

Home buying trends are changing.  Dallas homes that have been constructed with energy-efficiency in mind, are selling out fast.  With the increasing consumer demand for reduced energy bills and a cleaner environment, home builders are feeling the pressure to raise the bar of quality craftsmanship.

To accomplish the goal of giving home buyers what they want, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has begun providing a greater number of educational tools for the 235,000 members across the United States. To get the ball rolling, both the national and local level home builder associations have implemented the Energy and Green Building Standards. These guidelines address strategies across various phases of construction, including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, material usage, site management, waste recycling and homeowner education. All these criteria working together produces lower energy bills for homeowners and cleaner air quality for the environment. The National Association of Home Builders states, “Homes that are being built today are 100% more energy efficient than in the 1970’s”.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at http://JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the ever-increasing discussions on the topic of a greener, cleaner environment? We have been warned for decades about the negative effects of global warming. Yet it only seems in recent years that, as the inhabitants of the natural world, we have come to understand the true impact.

Let’s ask ourselves, what can we personally do to contribute to a solution?  The answers are many, far, and wide.  However from my perspective, one resolution might be to push for a higher standard of home building across the board.  We are now observing organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council initiating eco-friendly building standards, called LEED (Leading in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building System. LEED is a standard for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED is promoting the use of sustainable building products and site development in five highly critical areas such as indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, sustainable site development, water conservation, and materials selection. To get more detailed LEED information, log on to http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19.

Although the number of home builders offering green homes for sale is relatively small, you will find a cluster of these unique properties under construction in the Dallas suburbs of Flower Mound, Southlake, Keller, Frisco, and Plano. And because of the benefits of owning a green home, more Dallas area home buyers are jumping at the chance to purchase these homes constructed of natural, sustainable materials.  You will find that energy-efficient housing is happening now across the various parts of the country: New York, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Florida.

I am thrilled to see that today’s changing eco-system is taking a front seat in the minds of our government leaders, home builders, home buyers, power companies, and environmental leaders to name of few. These assemblies and many more are diligently working together to make a difference to the future of a healthy Mother Earth. 

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the Dallas metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214) 662-5588.

 Once you’ve made the decision to move up, move out, and move on, there are a variety of home buying factors to consider. Whether this is your first home purchase or your last, one of the main concerns for home buyers is knowing exactly where to begin. Here are just a few things to ponder when before you head down the home buying path:

1. First of all, get financially organized. If you haven’t already begun setting money aside, start now. You will need money for several items such as closing costs, earnest money, a home inspection, the appraisal, and your down payment for the mortgage.

2. Determine a budget. Consider how much you can afford to spend every month on the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and general maintenance for the property. Establish a specific dollar amount that meets your budget requirements, and stick to it.

3. Know and understand your limits. What I mean is you must be financially prepared to take on one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make in your lifetime. It’s important to know your credit scores. Your credit plays an important role in the transaction because it is a lender’s way of analyzing a borrower’s credit worthiness. This will help you to negotiate the absolute best financing terms.

About the Author:
Joy Rice is a Dallas/Fort Worth area Luxury Home Specialist, an International Real Estate Specialist, and the team leader of Joy Rice Realty Group of RE/MAX DFW Associates. With five offices across the metroplex, Joy and her team of specialists are available to provide every client with world-class real estate service from start to finish.

Click here for more Dallas real estate news or contact Joy Rice Realty Group by email at Joy@JoyRiceRealtyGroup.com or call directly at (214)662-5588.