Industry Insights

So you're 55 or older and sense time is going faster than ever. You no longer want your precious time to be held hostage to property chores and upkeep projects and you're in search of a more efficient lifestyle, that free's up your time for what truly is important to you.

Well, there is good news to share!

Orchard Flower, a Gated 55+ active adult lifestyle community is centrally located in Flower Mound near shops, restaurants, recreational venues, places of worship, medical facilities and offers the peace of mind, and lifestyle simplification you desire.

Who is Grenadier Homes?

Unlike other cookie-cutter home builders, Grenadier Homes have thought through the actual needs 55+ home buyers are looking for and created their  "Universal

Looking for a great deal on a new home in Dallas-Fort Worth? Here are the top 10 DFW new home price drops for January 2018. You'll see they range from 20% to 12%, and if you buy from Askins Realty Group, will qualify for our additional rebate. This is just a snapshot of our favorite deals, check our DFW Price Reduction Page to get the entire list.

So we have the FED, thinking its time to raise interest rates in the United States. The problem is, they could not be more historically wrong.

Years ago, before the Half-Trillion Dollar U.S. Annual Trade Deficit, back when we had a manufacturing based economy, it was necessary for the FED to keep interest rates higher to help tamp down inflation. The Fed's chief inflation-fighting tool was to raise interest rates. Higher interest rates helped the banks remove more currency from circulation and when fewer dollars are chasing goods and services, that generally works to control price inflation. 

With today's aggregate foreign trade deficits already doing the work of "Higher Interest Rates," by removing billions of dollars from the domestic economy,

What are PID and MUD Taxes?

MUD Taxes, or Municipal Utility District Taxes, and PID Taxes, or Public Improvement District Taxes are additional assessments above standard property taxation. MUD taxes generally have no expiration date, but as more homes are constructed in MUD districts, MUD taxes can decrease or be eliminated over time. PID taxes can also be paid in full upfront, versus prorated year by year during the years the PID is active. PID's can run from 20 to 40 years in duration.

I have specialized in new construction since 2003 and can help you find new home communities with no PID/MUD or FWD special taxes. Simply call Mike Askins, the number at top of the webpage, or contact us today.

The purpose of these "special assessments" is to

Are we nearing the end for cheap money? This week, the downtrend for interest rates hit a wall, along with the dollar rallying on foreign currency exchanges and gold trading back most of its recent gains. All these factors together are signalling higher real interest rates. There are many threads to follow about the economic direction of the U.S. and nothing is certain, but at this juncture, the consensus is December will see a .25 point rise in rates and that means interest rates most likely will increase, and plateau before the actual Federal Reserve rate hike occurs in December. The December Fed meeting will also give further market guidance concerning for rate hikes in 2018. 

There are many sources to follow concerning the economic direction of the

Early estimates reveal that approximately 100,000 homes have been damaged or lost to Harvey. It is estimated that nearly 80% of affected homes were without flood insurance protection. The scope of the economic disaster is already estimated at being the most costly in U.S. History.

In five short days time, Houston received a year's worth of rain. Nearly no preemptive human measure could have prevented the massive floods, loss of life and sheer destruction that followed. We are in the first days of containment and recovery. Shelters are full, Texas citizens displaced, possessions lost and thousands of lives on hold.

Here in D/FW we are already seeing the effects of Harvey at 1000's of local gas stations. Fuel shortages have also spread to Austin and

Light Farms in Celina, TX has a number of preowned Highland and American Legend Homes priced THOUSANDS less than new! With pricing now below $400K for well appointed homes that are loaded with many sought after upgrades, maybe it is time to see what your real estate dollars can buy in Light Farms.

Light Farms offers some of the best resident amenities to be found of any modern Collin County 5 Star Master-planned community. If you are wanting to get the most for your real estate dollars, you really should visit Light Farms!

Where is Light Farms, Celina?

Planned 2017 Light Farms Master-plan Additions:

• Addition of a 5th HOA Pool
• A new Northside Regional Park with Lake, Dog Park, Camp Grounds and Paddle Boats
• A poolside Bar and

Collin County Real Estate Up This Spring

Collin County real estate sales came in like a lion this spring with May 2017 home sales and prices up substantially from May 2016. If you're considering buying a home in Collin County, this will give you a quick overview of the top performing towns. If your considering selling, well, it's possible real estate in your area has increased as well. Try our Property Valuation tool and find out. We're always happy to give you a comparable analysis for any Dallas-Fort Worth property.

# of Homes Sold in Collin County - May 2017 vs 2016

There were 1,639 homes sold in Collin County during May, 2017. This was an 8.40% increase from 2016 when only 1,512 homes were sold. 

Top Selling Towns: Celina: up 100%, Frisco:

Looking for a great deal on a new home in Dallas-Fort Worth? Here are the top 10 DFW new home price drops as of May 2017. You'll see they range from 19% to 12%, and if you buy from Askins Realty Group, will qualify for our additional rebate. This is just a snapshot of our favorite deals, check our DFW Price Reduction Page to get the entire list.

The Taste of Union Park in Little Elm is coming back on April 29th! This is the perfect time, if you are considering a new home. Union Park in Little Elm offers amazing resident amenities and excellent new home pricing from 6 New Home Builders!  The Taste of Union Park is a wonderful way to have a close look at what makes Hillwood communities different, get to share time at a community social event, talk to residents and even take a peek at new homes, all in one productive afternoon! 

Union Park, is a Hillwood Communities, Perot Company, Masterplan and like all Hillwood Communities, this Masterplan is loaded with resident amenities, social events and a growing list of new additions that might surprise you in a very good way, especially when you