December 2015

Askins Realty Group's owner, Mike Askins has again earned the Five Star Professional designation for 2016.

Five Star Professional conducts research to help consumers with the important decision of selecting a service professional. The Five Star award is presented to wealth managers, real estate agents, mortgage professionals, home/auto insurance professionals and dentists in more than 45 markets in the U.S. and Canada. The Five Star award recognizes service professionals who provide quality services to their clients.

Selling for top dollar requires a home that can earn a top dollar offer. While some homes can, many can't and sellers often wonder why.

Well, we don't and here's why.

Selling is a fundamental science when you break it down and analyze the factors. Unfortunately, when emotions or even greed (agent deliberately over inflating sales price numbers to get the listing or a seller wanting more than COMP values, or both) creeps into the discussion, the scientific facts can easily become glossed over, and homes get listed and begin to become stagnant "Days on Market" counters.

If you want to try and avoid these common pitfalls and seller mistakes, then read on. With approximately a half billion dollars in sales, while maintaining a ~95% success rate

This the Season for continued savings. Ashton Woods wants to move all remaining new homes in their inventory and that is your opportunity to lock in a lower price now. Q4 is the best time of the year for new home buyers, but we are now in the last days of the year. Check out Ashton Woods DFW Year end inventory now.

American Legend Homes, one of DFW's top quality new home builders, has announce Southpointe in Castle Hills, Lewisville. American Legend Homes will be offering 14 floorplan choices with multiple plan options to meet a wild choice of home buyer wants. Plans will range from 2100sf to 4000 plus square feet and prices will start in the high 300's.

Castle Hills Real Estate is a centrally located, nearly fully self contained "City Like" Master-planned community located South of 121 and West of the Colony / Nebraska Furniture Mall. Commute times to DFW Airport are approximately a 20 minutes and even closer to the Plano - Legacy Business Corridor.

Call or Contact Us and let us help you get on the pre-selling list for Southpointe. Lot choices will be on a

For years there has been a general level of confusion within the residential real estate services industry concerning home buyer commission rebates, what they mean to consumers and how they help the industry offer a more cost savings solution to the high cost of real estate services. On one side you have consumers who are demanding lower cost (when did that not ever be the case?) for services and on the other the other side industry trade groups who want to protect higher cost structures.

Depending upon who you talk to, it seems you'll get a different answer.

As a result of the confusion concerning competition in real estate services, general competitive business rights and basic consumer rights, I have pointed my clients to the United States

Loan limits are finally adjusting to real estate price appreciation, which will help buyers get meaningful loans on homes priced in the $330's.

Get the full story from HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).

One of the most amazing transformations has been the Highway 75 project through Melissa. This new highway project has opened up the transit corridor from North of Melissa past McKinney and into North Allen. This 5 year project has worked to transform the viability of living North of McKinney by reducing a major bottleneck that started in North Allen to the Melissa exit on US 75. As a result buyer interest and demand has risen in Melissa's premier master-planned community of Liberty. The increase in demand has already resulted in rising new home and existing home inventory prices.

Home prices in Liberty, Melissa start in the $200's making this an affordable solution for first time buyers, families looking to move up to a larger, but more affordable new

2015 DFW real estate price appreciation results continue to look strong as strong 2015 demand lifted average DFW area home prices by 8.1%. The chart also illustrates why Q4 is a critical quarter of the year for home buyers who are searching for lower prices. This seasonally adjusted Q4 price decrease has been seen in each year going back to 2012.

Home buyers who are in the market now and who pass on year end deals typically face much higher pricing in the New Year. December is an important month for home buyers looking to grab a year end deal and once inventory has been sold off, buyers will be faced with constructing a new home from an empty lot and that typically means getting standard incentives versus special year end pricing.

The rising price

Wildridge in Oak Point is open. Special promotions await initial home buyers. Get great lot selection and Grand Opening pricing if you act now. Check with ARG for the latest builder promotions.