According to The Dallas Morning News, Thursday July 8th "Pre-owned home sales for the first six-months of the year increased the most in higher priced neighborhoods, including University Park/Highland Park, which were up 66 percent, and Noth Dallas, up 44 percent." Through the first half of 2010, the number of pre-owned single family homes sold by real estate agents through Multiple Listing Service rose 9 percent from a year earlier, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Real Estate Center at Texas A & M University and North Texas Real Estate Information Systems. 07/08/2010

I've been thinking about Home Inspectors. This past year, several of my clients lost the sale of their homes, and in each case it was caused by the report and verbal rhetoric of the home inspector the buyer had retained.  And the bad stuff that hurt the sales turned out to be the home inspectors aberration, not a reality. Of course, as you can imagine, each of the inspectors picked by the buyers were not chosen because the buyer knew them, had used them before, or a friend had recommended.  It was by a pseudo-lottery. In one case, the market in the area was falling.  We lost the sale because the inspector reported that one seperation of a 10 foot drywall tape drop in a corner was caused by foundation problems.  A licensed structural engineer, then hired by my homeowner client, came out... 03/18/2010

MENORAH (The candel in the middle is called the Shamash) Lighting the Menorah on Hanukkah is the most important Jewish custom.  The Menorah is a candelabra that holds nine candles. Jews light Hanukkah candles to remember the miracle of the Maccabees' victory and the miracle of the oil that burnt for eight days in the holy Temple. It is a mitzvah (commandment from God) that Jews "publicize the miracle" by lighting a Hanukkah Menorah each night during the eight days of Hanukkah. The menorah consists of eight candle holders in a row and separate candle holder for the "Shamash" - the candle that is used to light the other candles. The menorah is lit at sundown since Jewish holidays run from sundown to sundown.  The only exception is Friday night when the menorah is lit prior to sundown to ... 12/11/2009

I rode the DART train for the first time a few weeks ago to Victory Park for the Dallas Mavericks Game and I was very impressed! I have since taken the train to my office in Dallas and rode DART and TRE to Fort Worth.  The only downfall for me is that it doesn't come far enough north, but it soon will.I plan on taking it more often now and if you are in the area, I highly recommend it!  Dallas Area Rapid Transit gets you around Dallas and 12 surrounding cities with modern public transit services and customer facilities tailored to make your trip fast, comfortable and economical. Our extensive network of DART Rail, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and bus services moves more than 220,000 passengers per day across our 700-square-mile service area.Ride the rails to more destinations and more ... 11/23/2009

Search Homes for Sale, Foreclosures, REO & Short Sales in 75225 or Copy & Paste http://bit.ly/1IXh2C City: Dallas, TX Dallas County, TX Zip code population (2000): 20,314 Estimated zip code population in 2007: 21,841 Neighborhoods in zip code 75225: Devonshire neighborhood Park Cities neighborhood Preston Center neighborhood Preston Hollow neighborhood University Park neighborhood Vickery Meadows (Vickery Meadow) neighborhood Public primary/middle schools in zip code 75225: UNIVERSITY PARK ELEMENTARY (Students: 617; Location: 3505 AMHERST AVE, DALLAS, TX; Grades: PK - 04) HYER ELEMENTARY (Students: 570; Location: 3920 CARUTH BLVD, DALLAS, TX; Grades: PK - 04) ST ANTHONY SCHOOL (Students: 202; Location: 8111 PRESTON, STE 712, DALLAS, TX; Grades: PK - 08) CHRIST THE KING ELEM SCHOOL (Stu... 11/02/2009

University Park houses for sale are gorgeous.  Now this community if you want to live in it (which everyone does) will cost you a little bit.  However If you have the money and can afford the luxurys in life then go right ahead and take full advantage of inhabiting this absolutley stunning piece of property.  These homes will cost you right around $1,000,000 or more if you want bigger and newer.  They come on lots that are either 50x150 or larger, and they have this uncanny ability to take the breath away from people driving through the town.  University Park homes for rent are also a great way to go about business if you can not afford the luxury of purchasing one of these masterpieces.  However, once again it will not go lightly on your wallet, but it is definately worth it in my opin... 10/21/2009

University Park homes for sale is a such a beautiful area that it is very hard not to fall in love with this atmosphere.  Anywhere you go you see beautiful parks, gorgeous homes as nice as you can imagine, and people playing with their kids and walking there dogs.  It truly is something shot out of a TV show, and reminds many people of the "Wysteria lane" that people see on ABC's Desperate housewives.  University Park Real Estate is also a very good buy right now with interest rates being so low.  As people are enjoying interest rates as low at 5% around the country.  This is no different than that of University Park, meaning that Unversity Park homes are right now in the best time they have ever been in to purchase!  If you are thinking of purchasing a home in the Dallas area, I urge y... 10/21/2009

Certified Home Staging Training in Dallas Oct 22 - 24, 2009Join Joanne O'Donnell, Certified Staging Professional Instructor and founder of Chic Home Interiors as she shares her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for the home staging industry.The 3 day, 30 hour CSP program is the most advanced entry level training program in the staging industry. Unlike most staging training, students actually stage a home currently on the market!More than 2000 students across North America have taken the Certified Staging Professionals program. Training and affiliation with the fastest growing network of home staging professionals provides students with the opportunity to enter the home staging field with minimal capital investment and maximum confidence.For more information about the CSP training pro... 10/18/2009

University Park Rental Homes, Condos & Townhomes: Includes the Following Zip Codes: (75205,75225) Get Free online access to Hundreds of University Park Rental Townhomes and Single Family Homes. Many people will compare University Park to Rice Village in Houston. This city surrounds one of the most prestigious colleges in Texas Southern Methodist University (SMU). This city is known for its Beautiful Trees and Historic homes but don't be mistaken you still have the new Million Dollar Mansions nestled in between amazingly restored properties. The home prices and land value are not for the faint of heart in University Park. UP as it is known connects with Highland Park to form what is collectively known as The Park Cities. You will quickly understand why this is area is known as the Park ... 10/12/2009

lynn911.com WEATHER WARNINGS CREEPY VOICE  University Park   Feb. 10, area residents of University Park heard an authoritative and mysterious voice booming from the clouds.   It was freighting high winds I knew we were experiencing a weather event TV channels interrupted regular programming constant coverage, scary sirens sounded and are meant to urge citizens to take cover.  I heard it for the first time — the super eerie voice.   I thought GEE I have “Big Tex” in my backyard…. but if he’s standing on your roof yelling something at you, that’s kind of weird   Difficult determine what stated however I knew with whipping wind to hear critical important message. Notifying residence take cover inside.  Your community especially  Texas hide tub with mattress over your head.     Lynn A. Cros... 02/21/2009

The financial industry -- especially the major commercial banks -- continues to take huge write-offs for under collateralized loans, and it is expected that the next serious hit to them will come from haircuts they'll take from business bankruptcies that are sure to multiply this year. Money that has been all but given them, and Fed interest rates at a rate probably lower than they have ever been in my lifetime, don't seem to be helping them or the consumer.  Rather than revitalize their loan portfolios where there is still life, the common mentality seems to be 1) purchase the assets of smaller banks and 2) continue to squeeze every dime of interest out of borrowers. For years, there have been two and only two rules of banking that were both common and necessary for them to have very l... 01/13/2009

Many years ago I traveled as a dining room pianist, playing hotels throughout the United States.  Most of the time the bookings were for six weeks, then I packed the trunk of my Cadillac and moved to the next town. Back then the IRS had a ruling that a musician could not deduct as a business expense the cost of the clothes he or she dressed in for the performances.  Well, that's not exactly true.  You could deduct costumes and clothing if it was obvious they would be inappropriate attire elsewhere. That, by the way, was the genesis of spangled tux coats and yellow suits and goofy shoes and the like that rock ‘n roll singers began to wear. It was why female singers wore gowns so tight that they could prove that they couldn't sit down in them. But there was another factor that was involve... 10/24/2008

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Fact Sheet This was put together by Gregory Brown, Assistant Staff Vice President for Government Affairs of the National Association of Home Builders Who is eligible The 7,500 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. That is someone who has not owned a home during the past 3 years. U.S. citizens who file taxes. Income Limits Single head of household full 7,500 is their income is less than 75,000. Patial credit if income is between 75,000 and 95,000 Married couples filing a joint return less than 150,000. Partial credit if income is between 150, 170,000 Above those limits it is not available. Effective Dates for home Purchase Between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009. SHORT TIME FRAME! Payback Provisions Tax credit is essentially an interest free laon... 08/21/2008

There are a number of common sense provisions that retail landlords should have in their leases.  And interestingly they protect not only the landlord, but the sanctity of the center.  One, and a very important one, is a provision which disallows going-out-of-business and close-out sales.  Without going into great detail, it should be obvious how these can infect shoppers' feelings about the mall, in general. That's terribly important to the remaining tenants. Frequently, I write about Dallas' most famous retail mall, NorthPark.  The genius of Raymond Nasher and his wife Patsy, NorthPark opened in 1964.  The look and feel were so perfect then that there has never been any serious reason to alter or modernize any of its physical design. But I notice that in the past several months, North... 07/28/2008

 SMU students have been searching hard this spring for places to rent since SMU announced that many on campus apartments were going to be demolished. The area within walking distance close to campus has been the area that has rented first. Now students are moving out from campus to other areas. Some students who wish to still live in University Park have discovered an area with new townhouses an easy 6 minute drive a mile and a half west of campus. Brand new townhomes with three bedrooms 3.5 bath study hardwood floors, granite countertops,stainless steel appiances will be ready for summer move in. Leases are availalbe for June, July and a few in August.  Leases are for 1 year and are $3250 a month.To get more information about these wonderful townhomes. Give me a call 214-316-9872 04/12/2008

 SMU Off Campus Housing activity is again this year fast and furious. As a landlord with rental property only a half block from campus my property is always in great demand. But this year it was exceptional in that I leased or renewed leases on my apartments only by word of mouth. When I asked some of the students what was going on this year they had several different explanations. One was that the rental supply is more limited due to the destruction of some on campus apartments for the proposed George W Bush Library. Other reasons included the high cost of renting and buying the new townhomes and a desire to be within walking distance to classes and their friends. 02/16/2008

            It's quite humbling when you move from a town or neighborhood where you have lots of friends to a new place where you know next to no one.            And let me quickly tell you that when people tell me that today, I am far more sympathetic than I ever was before.            You see, I was born and raised on the Texas gulf coast.  Went to public schools there.  Was on the radio as a teen and did on-camera television features as an adult.  And there was Rotary and Old Trinity Episcopal Church and my weekly newspaper columns.  And not to overlook my real estate business that had done great and innovative stuff in that old town for more than 35 years.            I like people anyway, so with that combination, it worked great.            And then we moved to Dallas two-years-and... 08/20/2007

                                                                                                                           Bill Cherry Realtor                                                                    Dallas, Texas                                                                    My 43rd Year                                  Meet me on the web at www.billcherrybroker.comThe Dallas McMansion expansion has lots of lenders and financial advisors worried. At issue: young people with high incomes but no savings taking on massive mortgage debt.  They come with a Pollyanna attitude that they will never be out of work, never be faced with a financial emergency, and that there will be someone ready to pay them much more for the house when they are ready to sell it.The real estate boom ... 05/16/2007